Posts
This post is a little longer than normal, but we also got a lot of ground to cover; When you have read this post, you will have learned about barrel charring basics, why it improves whiskey, what the different char levels are, what the difference between the red line and the soak line is – and what happens inside the wood itself, when it gets charred.
A few months ago, these (self-proclaimed) “Nerdy Posts” popped up in the Bourbonr Facebook group. They were concise and well researched. And, the feedback and discussions from readers were excellent. I reached out to my friend Henrik Brandt, the man behind the posts, to see if he would be interested in doing an expanded version for the Bourbonr blog. This will be a recurring series on the Bourbonr blog. I hope you enjoy! Henrik is based in Copenhagen, Denmark and is an admin in the Nordic Bourbon Community Facebook group. He will be publishing a book about American Whiskey in November and you can follow him on Instagram via @the_bourbon_nerd
Edit: Yes, I know Blanton’s and Buffalo Trace are two different mash bills. I’ve seen Eagle Rare picks from mash bill #2 and I’m not convinced the division is as clean-cut as we think. Even if it is, we’re talking about a 3-5% difference is rye. The point of the article is, drink what you like. But, know what you’re drinking.
Big Guys:
Last week I saw an interesting looking bottle popping up my Instagram feed. It was a unique design and seemed to have a lot of popular whiskey accounts posting about it. Turns out it was Wolves Whiskey and their First Run release. Always a skeptic of shiny new bottles, I tracked down a sample to try. First, a little more about the whiskey:
The 2018 Bourbonr Whiskey of the Year vote is in! For the past few years, Bourbonr has crowdsourced the Whiskey of the Year selection. I’ll still add my favorite whiskey but this is about the whiskey you loved. Plus, I disagree with most books/sites for “Whiskey of the Year”.
George T Stagg is the 2018 Bourbonr Whiskey Of The Year! This marks three years in a row William LaRue Weller is in the Top 3. The Buffalo Trace Antique collection and Four Roses continue to dominate the top 3. But, it’s hard to argue when they continue to pump out great bourbon.
It’s time to cast your ballots! The 2018 Bourbonr Whiskey of the Year is officially open. For the past few years, we have crowdsourced the Whiskey of the Year selection on Bourbonr. I’ll still add my favorite whiskey but this is about the whiskey you loved. Plus, I disagree with most books/sites for “Whiskey of the Year”.
This morning Buffalo Trace received TTB approval for a new E.H. Taylor extension. The next release will be E.H. Taylor Amaranth “Grain of the Gods” Bottled-In-Bond. I still can’t figure out why the E.H. Taylor brand continues to be the carrier for these experimental whiskeys. As I’ve mentioned before, isn’t that what the Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection (BTEC) is for? I don’t have a problem with these releases. However, I enjoyed being able to try them in a 375ml under the BTEC brand.
I’ve partnered up with Virginia Distillery Co. to offer a unique experience. This is the chance to win a trip to their Lovingston, VA distillery. If you’re unfamiliar with Virginia Distillery Co. they’re a craft distiller out of Virginia. They distill and blend and their distillate with whisky sourced from Scotland. It’s a unique operation with beautiful facilities. We have a special day planned for this trip so it’s something you won’t want to miss!
I’m happy to announce a new series in the Bourbonr lineup. I’ve decided to set up a weekly live tasting and discussion called Bourbonr Live. This series will take place in the Bourbonr Facebook group (for now). It may eventually move to YouTube Live. But, this is a test run. The plan is to go live every Wednesday at 9 EST. For tomorrow, I have a few interesting samples to review. I’d also love your feedback for discussion topics/questions. You can add them here.