There is a class of bourbon that serious collectors know about but don’t mention in public, since once it gets too public, the price on the shelf goes up by double and the allocation quickly is exhausted. Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon has been flirting with that line for years.  It’s not as over-hyped […]

Some whiskey releases feel like events. It’s not because of marketing expenditures or celebrity endorsements, but rather because the beverage has established enough of a reputation that consumers are legitimately curious about its durability when a new chapter is released. That’s precisely what Blood Oath Pact No. 10 is. If you’ve watched Blood Oath from […]

  There’s a version of whiskey appreciation that’s about instant gratification, cracking something open, pouring a glass, moving on. And then there’s the other kind. The kind where you sit with a bottle and actually think about what you’re tasting, where it came from, and what ten years of barrel time actually means in practical […]

If you have ever checked out Buffalo Trace’s lineup, then you know how difficult it is to discuss Weller without someone mentioning Pappy Van Winkle. That’s the Bourbon that follows Weller Special Reserve Bourbon around everywhere it goes, and it’s a blessing and a curse.  It is a gift, as it is a genuine sign […]

If you ask any serious bourbon drinker what their favorite Weller is, you’ll find that most will point you directly to Weller Antique 107 Bourbon. Not the Special Reserve, not the 12 Year, and not the Full Proof. The 107.  It’s interesting how this bottle sits right in the middle of the proof spectrum but […]

If you’ve spent any time browsing allocated bourbon shelves, you’ve likely paused in front of a bottle with an old-fashioned label and a name that pops up again and again in bourbon history: Colonel E.H. Taylor.  E.H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon is one of the most popular in the line-up, and is often the […]

Let’s address one issue right away: Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Batch 17 128.7 Proof is more than just a pour. When you want something simple and forgettable on a Wednesday night, this is hardly the bottle you grab for. This is the bottle you pull out when you mean it, when you want bourbon […]

Some bottles you buy for a Tuesday night. And then there are bottles you buy because you’re serious about bourbon, about collecting, about having something on your shelf that actually means something. The Weller Complete Set of 6 Bottles 750ML falls firmly in the second category. This is the breakdown you’ve been searching for if […]

Some bottles earn their reputation quietly over time. Buffalo Trace Bourbon is one of them. It didn’t arrive with a massive marketing campaign or a celebrity endorsement. It continued to appear at tastings, picking up awards and converting skeptics, one pour at a time.  It has become the most important bourbon in America, not simply […]

There’s a version of Blanton’s that most casual bourbon drinkers have never tried, and if you ask anyone who has, they’ll tell you it changes how you think about the entire lineup.  Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel is a pure, undiluted, and unchilled version of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s cask-strength expression as it comes from the […]