2015 Booker’s Roundtable Selected

Jim Beam has released the third Booker’s of 2015 and it is also a roundtable pick (what do I have to do get get a chair at that roundtable?!). If you’re not familiar with the roundtable read Chuck Cowdery’s post on how it works. TL;DR: Fred Noe (Beam’s Master Distiller and son of Booker Noe) and several other bourbon/whiskey writers sample different batches of Booker’s and select the best. The 2015-03 bottle label will feature  Booker Noe’s favorite part of the rackhouse and choice cut of meat – “The Center Cut.” Here are the other important facts about this bottle: read more

Are Competition Winners Worth the Money?

Perusing the bourbon aisle of any liquor store across the country it’s hard not notice the awards dolled out by whiskey competitions. “Double Gold”, “Best in Class 2014!” or “Winner of XXX Whiskey Competition” seem to be on every third bottle. I understand why brands do this. It lends confidence to the undecided buyer. “Well this bourbon won quadruple gold at the Whiskey Olympics, it must be worth $50”. The question is, should I add “whiskey competitions winner” as a factor in my decision making process? read more

Bourbon Review: Jim Beam Harvest Collection

Experimental mash bills are continuously popping up on on store shelves but Jim Beam has been playing around with different mash bills for quite some time. Last fall they announced their Harvest Bourbon Collection which included 6 different experimental mash bills all aged 11+ years. Here’s some more information from Beam: read more

Bourbons (Whiskies) You Will Like

The bourbon world (myself included) has become overly obsessed with limited editions (LE’s) or rare bottles. Is this the pot calling the kettle black? It’s more like the pot acknowledging its faults. About 80% of what I write on this blog is LE  related. Why? Because that’s what is fun, interesting and exciting. I don’t think this is a problem as long as there’s the occasional reality check. read more

Parker’s Heritage Collection Malt Whiskey

The 9th installment of the Parker’s Heritage collection will be a Malt Whiskey. The mash bill for the Malt Whiskey is 65% Malted Barley and 35% Corn. The whiskey will be aged 8 years, 108 proof and unfiltered. The price will probably follow prior year releases and be around $85-$90. Heaven Hill seems to be enjoying their non-bourbon releases after last years Wheat Whiskey. read more

Inventory Update from Buffalo Trace

We’ve all been beaten down with talks of a bourbon shortage so it’s nice every now and then to hear how the distilleries are handling the situation. There’s no earth shattering information here but it is nice to know that there are no plans to discontinue any brands (stop the “Elmer T Lee is being discontinued” rumors) and that there is sufficient supplies of Blanton’s, Weller and Sazerac. All 3 of these whiskies are among my favorite “everyday” whiskies. read more

A few months back I wrote about blending or vatting bourbons. In that post I combined different bourbons to see how they tasted together. While that post was about experimenting this post is about taking those experiments and selecting a “house” bourbon. This is your daily drinker, what you give to guests and the bourbon that defines your taste. It’s a big decision! read more

ECBP Release Number 8

Heaven Hill continues to pump out new batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof on a quarterly or tri-annually basis. This release is the standard 12 years and weighs in at 139.8 proof. That makes it the second highest in the ECBP line up and misses “Hazmat” status by only 2/10 of a point.

For more information about the ECBP releases read here… read more

Booker’s Bourbon Batch Tags

In 2015 Jim Beam added a cool new feature to the Booker’s bottle. First, they simplified the batch numbers by making it simply the year and batch number (2015-01). Second, each batch would have a symbol which represented the Booker brand. Everything from Booker’s dog to his rocking chair. I like this idea and was excited to see the new batches on the shelf. It’s not a limited or special release but Booker’s is so consistently good I don’t think it matters. read more

Michter’s Barrel Proof Rye

While this release is no surprise, this is the first time I’ve seen an official price. Depending on quality $75 seems pretty reasonable. It’s definitely pushing the limit of what I would pay but still within range of a quality barrel proof whiskey. While barrel proof bourbons are getting released left and right barrel proof ryes have lagged behind. I would love to see a solid barrel proof rye on the shelf. However, like most “limited” releases, I’m sure it won’t sit on shelves for long. read more