Author: Xenoraiser

  • Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Unforgotten Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Ezra Brooks 99 Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Willett 8-Year Wheated Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Chattanooga Founder’s 10th Anniversary Blend Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Wheeler’s Raid Toasted Honey Rye Elixir Spirits Pick Scoresheet & Review

    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,…

  • Maker’s Mark Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Clynelish 14-Year Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Johnnie Walker Red Label Scoresheet & Review

    Johnnie Walker Red Label Scoresheet & Review

    Like it or not, Johnnie Walker is the brand most people think of when it comes to scotch. And as with anything popular, it has no shortage of detractors. The three primary targets of reason seem to be the brand’s exclusive use of blends, the fact it’s owned by Diageo,…

  • Driftless Glen Wheated Single Barrel r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Driftless Glen Wheated Single Barrel r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    I’m always a proponent for more wheated products. Utilized correctly, the grain can bestow some wonderful profiles. There are times a wheated bourbon or wheat whiskey can also serve as a good curveball, since they sometimes possess a floral quality more commonly associated with rye. Yet the market continues to…

  • Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Revival Scoresheet & Review

    Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Revival Scoresheet & Review

    Producing whiskey is often a balancing act. Questions are considered at damn-near every step of the process, from the grains used in the mash bill to the final bottling proof and everything in-between (spoiler: it’s a lot). Simply making a bourbon can be an involved process, but as soon as…

  • Bowman Brothers Small Batch Scoresheet & Review

    Bowman Brothers Small Batch Scoresheet & Review

    Bowman is arguably one of the better kept secrets in bourbon. Based out of Fredericksburg, VA, the A. Smith Bowman Distillery plays host to a number of spirits, including vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey. The brand takes its name from four militia officers (John, Abraham, Joseph, and Isaac) in the…