Bourbon — As You Like It

Last month in Whisky Advocate Jonny McCormick wrote an article which was his whisky adaption of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”. If you haven’t read McCormick’s “Whisky – As You Like it” it’s well worth the time. Below is a quote from McCormick’s article.

This is a celebration of the whisky life. William Shakespeare’s monologue from As You Like It compares the journey of life with a play acted out upon the stage. We recognize that each of us pass through different, ever-changing phases in our relationship with whisky. Through the highs and lows of life, it is a fantastic journey to embark on. Here we explore the behaviors, motivations, and emotions at every stage. read more

Bourbon Review: 2014 Four Roses Small Batch LE

Today, we take a break from all of the BTAC and Pappy talk and review another fall release. Four Roses distillery has become known for their excellent bi-annual limited editions and each fall Four Roses releases their small batch limited edition.  The 2014 Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition is a blend of 4 Four Roses mash bills: OBSK 9 year, OBSV 13 year, OESV12 year and OBSF 11 year. This barrel proof release comes in at 111.8. read more

Pappy Van Winkle Release Date

*Please Read: Each state is highlighted once one bottle is reported. Generally, that means that store, and a lot of times that city, is already sold out. This map isn’t an official release tracker from Buffalo Trace but a network of bourbon drinkers looking to help each other. Stores are dealing with smaller allocations and greatly increased demand. Please be understanding of this fact. Happy Hunting! * read more

7 Bourbon Buzzwords to Look For

Reading bourbon and whiskey labels can sometimes feel like decoding an encrypted message however if you look for a few important words you can figure out what is most likely in the bottle.

Bourbon Buzzwords that Matter:

Bourbon/Rye/Corn/Whiskey – This signifies what kind of mash bill was used. Read our post on the difference between bourbon and whiskey to get a better understanding of these differences. read more

Buffalo Trace Named “Brand Innovator of the Year”

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Oct. 1, 2014) – Buffalo Trace Distillery received two coveted awards at Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015, and also two “highly commended” awards.

Named “Brand Innovator of the Year,” Buffalo Trace was cited for this prestigious award for its quest to find the perfect whisky through its Experimental Collection and the building of its Warehouse X.  Buffalo Trace’s Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley was also named Distillery Manager of the Year. read more

Retail Price for 2014 BTAC

While the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection hasn’t seen the same price inflation as Pappy Van Winkle bourbonr’s are still paying a premium whether it’s at retail or on the secondary market. Buffalo Traces set the retail price for the entire Antique collection at $80 for 2014. This is a slight increase over 2013 but not by much. read more

Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Release Map

*Please Read: Each state is highlighted once one bottle is reported. Generally, that means that store, and a lot of times that city, is already sold out. This map isn’t an official release tracker from Buffalo Trace but a network of bourbon drinkers looking to help each other. Stores are dealing with smaller allocations and greatly increased demand. Please be understanding of this fact. Happy Hunting!* read more

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Background:

Maker’s Mark is a distillery isn’t known for their innovation. Or, even trying new things. They know what they do well, and they continue to do it with consistency. However, this fall Maker’s Mark released a cask strength version of their famous bourbon. Maker’s Mark last attempt at tinkering with a bourbon’s proof turned into a debacle. That is probably why this bottle is only available at the distillery for now. read more

BT Brand Manager Talks Antique Collection

As most Boubonr’s know the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection was announced last week which had the bourbon world buzzing. While the press release did include some great information, Brand Manager of Buffalo Trace Distillery Kris Comstock was kind enough to talk about some of the highlights in 2014 BTAC release as well as some other commonly asked questions about bourbons coming from Buffalo Trace. read more

SAZERAC ANNOUNCES BOND & ROYAL SPIRITS COMPANY

The below press release was sent to me this morning and my initial thought was “Great, now Sazerac has an Orphan Barrel Project”. Elaborate back-story with sourced, most likely premium priced whiskey. That may just be me jumping to conclusions so for now I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Ultimately, only time will tell. read more