Author: Xenoraiser
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Jim Beam White Label Scoresheet & Review
You know what I love about readily available and affordable whiskey? It’s easy to return to. That may sound silly and blatant, but when you’re more of an exploratory hobbyist, having familiar options you can readily come back to is comforting. All fans start somewhere, and when all is said…
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Elijah Craig Rye Scoresheet & Review
The introduction of Elijah Craig Rye in early 2020 felt equally odd and appropriate. Odd when compared to its peers, but appropriate since other brands were catching on to rye’s growing popularity. Heaven Hill were already producing a budget-oriented rye whiskey in Rittenhouse, a bonded expression commonly used for cocktails,…
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Castle & Key Small Batch (Batch 3) Scoresheet & Review
Anyone versed in bourbon history (or who watched Neat: The Story of Bourbon) likely anticipated Castle & Key’s first in-house bourbon release with bated breath. The brand’s story of resurrecting the Old Taylor Distillery is well-documented at this point, and the appeal is undeniable. Bourbon produced for the first time…
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High West Double Rye! Scoresheet & Review
High West’s story as a whiskey producer elicits a wide spectrum of reactions. Intrigue, surprise, endearment, disappointment, confusion, the list goes on. In a 15-year span they built a reputation as a fresh face to whiskey thanks to some respectably aged (usually sourced) products, barrel selections with some curious finishes,…
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Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Unforgotten Scoresheet & Review
Most of us are familiar with the Boss Ross quote, “we don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” Eddie Russell would likely agree, given he OK’d the original release of Wild Turkey Forgiven in 2013, an allegedly accidental blend of bourbon and rye. Turns out Forgiven was a fondly regarded…
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Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Scoresheet & Review
It’s nigh impossible to be a part of the American whiskey zeitgeist and not be exposed to double oaked bourbon. The idea is simple enough: take aged whiskey and put into another fresh cask for additional aging. A whiskey’s first years in freshly charred (and toasted) barrels are generally considered…
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Ezra Brooks 99 Scoresheet & Review
Ezra Brooks 90 proof might be the best budget bourbon sleeper I’ve tried to date. Bottles continue trekking up in price, leaving the sub-$20 bourbon market increasingly scarce as far as worthwhile contenders go. So to see a reasonable priced and proofed bourbon not only provide a competent drinking experience…
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Willett 8-Year Wheated Bourbon Scoresheet & Review
If I did End of Year posts, then Willett 8-Year Wheated Bourbon would be a frontrunner for the most audacious release. The market for a product like this feels ripe for the taking, as wheated products have seen a slow-as-snails bump in selection. Willett isn’t known for dropping age-stated products…
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Chattanooga Founder’s 10th Anniversary Blend Scoresheet & Review
Chattanooga Whiskey have been making quite the name for themselves the past few years. Nowadays people are familiar with their impressive Cask 111, recurring bonded releases, and occasional wildcard finishes (often gift shop exclusives). However, the whiskey they got started with (though relatively pedestrian) was crucial to not only letting…
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Wheeler’s Raid Toasted Honey Rye Elixir Spirits Pick Scoresheet & Review
American history holds no shortage of interesting stories. This reality isn’t lost on whiskey producers, as entire brands and individual expressions alike often pay homage to these very tales. Many of the larger, more established brands honor significant individuals and points in history pertaining to whiskey in some way, shape,…
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Maker’s Mark Scoresheet & Review
Being a whisky hobbyist in a booming market means it’s often easy to lose sight of the everyday stalwarts. Not to say this isn’t understandable; once these common options have been explored the curious mind seeks further ventures. Yet there can be value in returning to basics, if for nothing…
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Clynelish 14-Year Scoresheet & Review
Knowing where to start with Clynelish is tough. Where many distilleries have a defining characteristic, historic or otherwise, Clynelish is ostensibly far less extravagant. Not unlike Caol Ila, Clynelish’s present claim to fame isn’t even a claim for itself: it’s the whisky’s role in Johnnie Walker blends. The brand’s history…
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