Happy Bourbon Heritage Month

If you didn’t know, in 2007, September was named Bourbon Heritage Month by the US Senate. If you’re a frequent reader of this blog every month is probably a celebration of bourbon but it never hurts to make it official. How will you celebrate? Maybe crack open a special bottle from the back of your cabinet? Get your fall bourbon hunt started by searching for Buffalo Trace Antique Collection? Fred Minnick has some great suggestions for a Bourbon Heritage Month checklist. read more

Bourbonr Blog Turns 2!

Two years ago I started this blog as an extension of the Bourbonr site. Originally, the blog was me writing on an iPad with terrible grammar. Two years later it’s still just me however I’ve upgraded to a laptop and the grammar has improved slightly (still working on that one). The first post I wrote on the blog received a whopping 31 visits and I never would’ve imagine, 160+ posts later, it would grow into what it is today. read more

2015 Fall Bourbon Releases

Every fall some of the best best bourbons are released to Bourbonr’s across the country. 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.

Annual Releases:

Pappy Van Winkle and Van Winkle line

 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC)

 Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition

More info here read more

Is It Stitzel-Weller?

Whether you’re new to bourbon or a veteran of the game you’ve heard the name Stitzel-Weller. In (almost) mythical bourbon discussions the Stitzel-Weller name fly’s free.  The same question pops up when discussing older bottles Pappy Van Winkle, Old Fitzgerald, Weller, Rebel Yell, etc. “Is it Stitzel-Weller?”. Stitzel-Weller became famous for their wheated bourbon recipe and produced some legendary bottles. Even even 20+ years after the distillery shut down it’s still some of the most sought after bourbon. read more

Proof Obsessed

Is Higher Proof Better?

If Bourbonr’s built their ideal bourbon at the top of almost every list (myself included) would be high proof. It seems that everyone is in love with barrel proof or high proof bourbons. Just read the comments of a TTB release that is less than 100 proof and you will see plenty of hate for the low proof swill. You may recognize this guy as your fiend  that brags to strangers about how much ghost pepper hot sauce he puts on his tacos or how he only drinks IPA’s that are more than 100 IBU’s. Maybe, but that’s for another post. Maybe this new age of “proofheads” are just gluttons for punishment. I only pose the simple question “are we proof obsessed?” read more

Bourbon Review: Col. E.H. Taylor Cured Oak

E.H. Taylor Cured Oak Reviewed

With spring bourbon releases in a pretty dismal state EH Taylor Cured Oak (see the specs for Cured Oak here) showed up to save the day for Bourbonrs. Like most hyped bourbon releases (or any limited edition release for that matter) it came with some controversy. The secondary prices quickly rose to $400+ before it was released in most states. Reviews varied greatly. Some claimed it was excellent (Pappy 2.0) and well worth any price tag while others found it to be terrible and way too bitter. I was lucky enough to secure a bottle at retail, now to find one of those boxes, and decided to give it a try. read more

These Bourbons are Good…

Bourbons (Whiskies) You Will Like

The bourbon world (myself included) has become overly obsessed with limited editions (LE’s) or rare bottles. Is this the pot calling the kettle black? It’s more like the pot acknowledging its faults. About 80% of what I write on this blog is LE  related. Why? Because that’s what is fun, interesting and exciting. I don’t think this is a problem as long as there’s the occasional reality check. read more

How to Hunt Bourbon

Bourbonr’s Guide to Hunting Bourbon

If you follow bourbon on any social media outlet I’m sure you’ve found yourself jealous of another Bourbonr’s bottles that they found “in the wild”. This is bourbon slang for “sitting on a shelf and I paid retail or close to it”. If you’re like me you probably wondered “how did they find that!” and curse the poor selection of bourbon at your local stores. I’ve been fairly successful at hunting bourbon over the years, and while it has become increasingly more difficult, I wanted to share some of the tips and tricks I use on my bourbon hunts. read more

EH Taylor Cured Oak Ready For Release

Buffalo Trace to Release 17 y/o EH Taylor

If you remember back in the summer Buffalo Trace received label approval for EH Taylor Cured Oak and Seasoned Wood. I asked brand manager Kris Comstock about these releases but only received a “just wait” response. It seems official now that BT is moving forward with the release. Several distributors have already received their shipments so I’d be on the lookout or at least start asking your local store. This has just made the spring bourbon hunt more interesting! read more

New Bourbon Podcast: Bourbon Pursuit

Bourbon Pursuit Podcast

There’s a new bourbon podcast that launched today. I’ve been waiting for someone to come along and create a podcast like this for a while now. Sure, there’s Whisky Cast and some other bourbon related podcast but there’s not a podcast that focuses solely on the bourbon industry and news. Bourbon Pursuit plans to change that. This is their tagline “a podcast featuring interviews with the people that make the bourbon industry happen”. I’m hoping it will become the NPR of bourbon. read more