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

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

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

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

Inaugural Bourbon Address

Inspired by the state of the union address and on the cusp of the best time of year for bourbon drinkers (fall releases) I thought it’d be cool to do a state of bourbon address.  That’s not to say that I’m the president of bourbon. But rather, a perceptive bourbon blogger that reads way too much whiskey news, forums, blogs, etc. My goal is to take a snapshot of the bourbon world and highlight some of the current trends and happenings. read more

Distillery Breakdown by Mash Bill – Four Roses

This is the fourth  distillery breakdown by mash bill (see Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill and Jim Beam) I’ve done on the Bourbonr Blog. Initially, I thought Four Roses would be a simple breakdown. Four Roses has only 2 mash bills whereas, most distilleries have 2-5 bourbon mash bills plus a rye whiskey mash bill. The difficult (and interesting) part of Four Roses is while they only have 2 mash bills they incorporate 5 proprietary strands of yeast to create a total of 10 unique recipes. read more

The Forgotten Bottles of Bourbon

Several weeks ago I wrote about What Will Kill the Bourbon Boom on the blog which sparked a lot of great bourbon discussion. In the article I mentioned how the increase in premium bourbons over the last 10 years has affected the bourbon industry. However, one unintended consequence of a growing premium market is the blatant disregard for great bourbon that is already on the shelf. Bourbonr’s (myself included) spend so much time hunting down the Four Roses Limited editions we stop buying the regular Four Roses Small batch or Single Barrel. We spend so much money on Pappy and Stagg there’s no more room in our bourbon budget for Evan Williams Single Barrel or Elijah Craig 12 year. The last 10 bottles I’ve purchased have either been limited edition, dusty or private barrel selections. Basically, the only time I reach for a “regular” bottle at the store is when I know I have friends coming over that I don’t want to share good bottles with. read more

2014 Fall Bourbon Releases

Every fall some of the best best bourbons are released to Bourbonr’s across the country and globe. Problem is there’s never enough to go around. The past few falls have been welcomed with lots of phone calls and long lines at liquor stores but that’s what makes the bourbon hunt more exciting. read more

What will kill the bourbon boom?

There’s no doubt bourbon is in the middle of a boom. Some may even call it a bubble. Demand is at an all-time high. Every major publication, including the cover of Fortune, has covered the bourbon industry and not just the Pappy Van Winkle craze. Distilleries are screaming shortage while the consumer still wants more. In the past five years whiskey sales have increased by 40% in the United States and exports have nearly tripled within the last 10 years. Growth numbers like the Bourbon industry has seen in recent years are usually reserved for the technology sector or other more agile sectors. Not an industry that has remained virtually unchanged since prohibition. Shoot, the whiskey industry had been in a steady decline for the last 30 years prior to 2002. read more

Jim Beam Grouped by Mashbill

This is the third installment of grouping distilleries by mashbill (See Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill). You were probably first introduced to Jim Beam white or green label while taking shots from red solo cups in college however Jim Beam distillery is so much more than that. Jim Beam produces some great bourbons and a few on this list that you didn’t realize were made by Jim Beam. read more