2015 Bourbonr Holiday Gift Guide

It’s that time of year!  Whether you’re shopping for yourself, ready to share this list with loved ones shopping for you or trying to find a gift for the bourbon lover in your life. This list was made for all Bourbonr’s.

For All Bourbonr’s (shameless plug)

For the Cocktail Loving Bourbonr

For The Reading Bourbonr

For The Golfing Bourbonr

For The Traveling Bourbonr

For The Drinking Bourbonr

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! read more

Bourbons To Try Before You Die

But You Probably Won’t…

Yesterday, I found a cool new app called The List App. The List App is basically twitter but for lists. After signing up and browsing for a while, I decided to create my own list.

Of course, my first list had to be bourbon related. This isn’t a list of hard to find bourbons. These bourbons are the impossible to find bourbons. They range from “you’ll never find” to “maybe a handful of bars in the country have a bottle” read more

Buffalo Trace To Crack Down On Secondary Market

Today, Buffalo Trace (BT) declared their intentions to shut down secondary markets that sell BT products. What does this mean? Will Buffalo Trace join forces with the ATF to take down secondary sites? I can’t imagine any other agency would be able to regulate this and I would assume the ATF has bigger fish to fry. I understand they’re trying to protect their customers. It just seems odd. For some, the secondary is the only realistic chance they have at buying a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle. Now, this is obviously abused but why would Buffalo Trace want to shut down the only outlet some people have. read more

Bourbonr Tasting Kit

Want to host your own bourbon tasting but not sure how to get started? Or, are you looking for a gift for the bourbon drinker in your life. The Bourbonr Tasting Kit is an educational tool that helps facilitate home tastings. Sure, hunting rare bourbons is fun but the community aspect of bourbon is by far my favorite part. Sitting around a table with friends drinking bourbon is always a good time. read more

A Bourbonr Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Bourbonr Challenge

Last year I ran a post about pairing bourbon with each Thanksgiving course (make sure to read it before you start cooking or eating). This year I’d like to take a different approach. Instead of giving a recipe or a pairing I’d like to propose a challenge. The challenge: open your limited edition bourbon that has been sitting on your shelf for a “special occasion”. Forget resell value. Forget the hype. It’s time to drink. There’s no better time to imbibe than with family, friends and turkey. read more

Long-Awaited Release of Michter’s 10 Year and 20 Year Bourbons

2015 Michter’s 10 Year and 20 Year Announced

Below is what we know so far. I’m digging to try and get some more details. Things like: Will there be a 2015 Rye? Is the 2015 20-year-old Stitzel-Weller or Bernheim or other? Are they still sourcing solely from Brown-Forman?

What else would you like to see answered?

Louisville, KY November 2015 — Michter’s Master Distiller Willie Pratt has approved the release of Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon and 20 Year Single Barrel Bourbon to the company’s distributor network for sale this December. This will mark the first release of the 2015 bottling of these two coveted expressions. read more

Bourbons To Weather The Pappy Craziness

5 Bourbons To Avoid The Fall Madness

My demeanor towards the (fall) bourbon craziness varies. Sometimes I despise it, sometimes I partake in it and other times I’m apathetic. Visiting stores every morning doesn’t work for a lot of people’s schedules. Waiting in lines overnight isn’t an option for others (or something we want to do). Paying $1,000 for a bottle of Pappy will never be an option. What if we can’t spend thousands of dollars at a store to be on their “preferred” list. Or, maybe it wasn’t your year to win a lottery. Whatever your circumstances are these bourbons are a great consolation prize. Actually, “consolation” is too demeaning to these bourbons. These bourbons are great, high-end options to drink if you scored an entire BTAC and Pappy set or if you struck out. read more

2015 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Release Map

BTAC 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

Pappy’s Pappy: Liquor, Law, and the Origins of a Legend in Civil War Era Kentucky

This is a guest post from Matthew C. Hulbert, PH.D. at Civil War Governors of Kentucky. I think you’ll enjoy!

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On November 2, 1865, a petition arrived on the desk of Governor Thomas E. Bramlette. Two men from Wayne County, Granville Ingram and Levi Baker, each faced a $100 fine for “tipling.” (That is, for dealing in unlicensed liquor.) Relative to modern legal standards, it’s common to assume that alcohol restrictions were lax in the 1860s—if not altogether nonexistent. In fact, before proceeding with our story, it’s worth taking a moment to note that the production, sale, and consumption of distilled spirits in Kentucky were heavily regulated in the 1860s, almost as much as they are today. Even as the Civil War raged around them, scores of civilians found themselves in court for various liquor-related offenses: unlicensed distilling, unlicensed sale, selling in the wrong unit or quantity, selling liquor to minors, being drunk on duty, and a wide array of more violent, booze-fueled crimes ranging from arson and assault to homicide. (More on this in next week’s blogging.) read more

2015 Pappy Van Winkle 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. Also, I’m not a retailer. I don’t have a list to buy Pappy nor do I know where you can buy online at retail. If I did I’d buy it all myself 🙂 Happy Hunting!  read more