Buffalo Trace just received approval for a new expression in the EH Taylor line. E.H. Taylor Four Grain will be a mix of corn, barley, rye and wheat. This will be the fifth expression in the E.H. Taylor line. To be honest, things are getting a little confusing. I defended Season Wood while others were claiming it watered down the Taylor name and a wheated bourbon didn’t belong in the brand. Now that Buffalo Trace appears to see the EH Taylor(EHT) line as their launch pad for limited releases I find it strange. Isn’t this what Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection (BTEC) is for? Maybe, if a release is exceptionally good it skips BTEC and goes straight to EHT? read more

Maker’s Mark (MM) is the last major distillery added to the “Bourbonr Mash Bill Break Down” list. Initially, I didn’t plan on creating one for MM. They only have one mash bill and for the first 60(ish) years of the distillery, there was only one product. I’ve been told that Bill Samuels would say “Do you see a Chateau Lafite Reserve? No! That’s why there’s only Maker’s Mark bourbon.” Whether or not the quote is authentic the gameplan is true. Sure, the bottle may have changed, but the bourbon remained unchanged for over half of a century. read more

Whiskey gets complicated these days. There are so many moving parts it can be tough to figure out who made what. That’s why it’s nice to see something that easily explains  the whiskey making process. If you follow Bourbonr you already know I’m a sucker for a quality infographic. With the help of Mark Byrne, the guys over at Owen & Fred put together “WHISKEY: WOOD, WATER, GRAIN” They also made a corresponding video “How Whiskey is Made, in 30 Seconds”. read more

By now most Bourbonr’s are familiar with the Jefferson’s brand. You probably know them for their Small Batch or Ocean bourbon. Or, if you were lucky enough, their Jefferson’s Presidential Select bourbon. The man behind the brand is Trey Zoeller. Trey is a great guy I got a chance to chat with him about Jefferson’s new distillery and some other questions I’ve had for a while. read more

Today has been an interesting day in the bourbon world. This morning I read Bourbon Truth’s post “Where Is Jim Rutledge?” that had the Bourbonr’s across social media buzzing. While the grammar may not always be perfect, Bourbon Truth’s information is usually spot on.

This afternoon I received a press release stating that Jim Rutledge, form Four Roses master distiller, was starting his own distillery. I automatically thought it was a hoax. Then I checked out the website in the release and thought it seemed like a lot of information for a hoax. To verify I figured I would call the number in the email signature of the press release. Guess who answered?! Jim Rutledge himself! Always a class act, Jim chatted with me for 10 minutes about the plans for the distillery and their hopes to crowdfund the distillery. Count me in! read more

No, this isn’t a post on how to pair bourbon with cookies. It’s not some gluttonous baking recipe either. Today, we examine the bourbon market through the lens of a chocolate chip cookie study. Yes, you read that correctly but hear me out. This isn’t  your typical bourbon blog post, but this study may explain some of the bourbon craziness we see today. The study took place in 1975 by Stephen Worchel, Jerry Lee, and Akanbi Adewole. The study examined how scarcity (and different levels of it) affected a persons rating (or perceived quality) of a cookie. read more

Most Bourbonr’s know that fall is prime time for bourbon. Each fall we’re greeted with new releases alongside our favorite annuals. While fall gets most of the good stuff spring and summer of 2016 is shaping up to be a great season for bourbon drinkers. Here’re what’s coming.

Booker’s Rye

Booker’s Rye is first on the list for a reason. It’s the release I’m most excited about. I love Booker’s, and I like rye. What do you get when you marry the two? A $299 price tag. The details are still unconfirmed on this one. Here’s what we think the release will be. A 13-year-old rye whiskey that’s close to 140 proof. It will be limited to around 6,000 bottles so you may want to start putting in your order with your local retailer. It should start hitting store shelves (or back offices) in June. read more

I’ve never been a big fan of collector versions of products. In fact, the last collector’s edition I bought was the Michael Jordan Silver Wheaties box. But, this is a pretty cool bottle. If you’re a die-hard Maker’s Mark or Horse racing fan (or know someone that is) this may be worth picking up. read more

This past weekend I had a chance to attend a limited release tasting at the Orlando Whiskey Festival (full recap coming next week). Out of the five whiskeys, I tasted there was a definite stand out. It was a 15-year-old rye from WhistlePig. This is the oldest expression WhistlePig has ever released. On top of that the 100% rye whiskey (sourced from Canada) was finished in barrels made from oak trees on the WhistlePig farm/distillery. Here’s some more information: read more