Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Review

Typically, I write reviews on this site as a way to help readers make better decisions on what to buy. I review a lot of bourbons and whiskies on my MyWhiskey page but only a select few make it to the blog. Because of this I have not reviewed any of the Pappy Van Winkles on the blog. My reasoning, no one is on the fence of whether or not to buy Pappy Van Winkle. People don’t wait in line for hours; drive hundreds of miles and then google “Pappy Van Winkle reviews” to decide whether or not to buy. However, because allocations are so slim stores are moving to lottery systems or only allowing one bottle per customer. Because of this I decided it was time to post my review. read more

Blend(ed) Bourbon: An Experiment in Hyperdecanting

Back in 2012 Nathan Myhrvold released his epic (think Iliad and the Odyssey) culinary book Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. The book includes a method of “hyperdecanting” wine by blending for 30-60 seconds at the blenders’ highest speed.

Aeration exposes the liquid to air but why aerate or decant in the first place? Wine is aerated because two things happen when it is exposed to air. First aeration triggers oxidation. Oxidation helps mellow out some of the more harsh flavors in wine. Second, aeration causes evaporation. Because some of the ethanol (the rubbing alcohol smell) evaporates you’re able to smell more of the wine. Hypedecating takes the aeration process and uses dynamite instead of a chisel. read more

Sazerac 6 Year Old Review

The Sazerac 6 Year Rye Whiskey or “baby Saz” is distilled and bottled by the Buffalo Trace Distillery. It’s known as baby Saz because of its famed older brother and member of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, Sazerac 18. While current bottling’s of Sazerac 18 are not distilled by Buffalo Trace (yet) the mashbills are very similar if not exact. The rye mashbill used in baby Saz is approximately 51% rye, 39% corn and 10% malt. read more

Booker’s 25th Anniversary “The Story”

This Spring (or late Winter) Jim Beam released a special edition Booker’s bourbon to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Booker’s brand. While the bourbon was excellent the packaging and bottle was some of the finest packaging I’ve seen. Booker’s has always come in a wooden box but for the special release Beam added a new bottle design as well as 25 quotes, or Bookerism’s, from Booker Noe. Each box had one quote in it and they range from insightful to just plain funny. read more

Barrell Bourbon Review:

Usually, when I hear about a new Non-Distiller Producer releasing a bourbon or whiskey I’m a bit skeptical and to be honest I had the same thought when I first came across Barrell Bourbon on Twitter. However, after speaking with the founder, Joe Beatrice, I had a much better perspective about their newly released bourbon. First, they’re not hiding the fact that they don’t distill or age their bourbon. Second, they’re transparent about what’s in the bottle (see below). Finally, they’re passionate the product and have bottled a quality bourbon that is not overpriced. These are things I’d like to see every NDP practice. read more

Four Roses Single Barrel Limited Edition 2014

*Per Four Roses source, bottling for the 2014 Single Barrel LE should begin the second and third week of May. Expected to hit shelves late May or early June*

This years limited release will be an 11 year old from the Four Roses OESF mash bill. The OESF mash bill is 20% rye with a more herbal tasting yeast strand. read more

2014 Spring Bourbon and whiskey Releases

Last fall we created a list of special or limited edition bourbon/whiskey releases. While most LE releases are done in the Fall there are still some great bourbons coming out this Spring (late Winter depending on your state) of 2014.

Booker’s 25th Anniversary – 10-11 years, 125-130 proof, $100 – Released across the country read more

New Standardized Rating System on Bourbonr

As Bourbonr continues to grow and the bourbon review database builds there is a need to standardized the whiskey rating system. For instance, a rating of 80/100 for Wild Turkey 101 to one member may mean something completely different to other members interested in buying a bottle of WT101. Standardizing ratings makes the information more reliable and credible. This doesn’t mean every bottle will have the same rating. Everyone has different taste and preferences. However, with standardized ratings, if you see I’ve rated Wild Turkey 101 an 80/100 you know I mean it’s a good whiskey to bourbon for the price but not something you will hoard by the case load. read more