Author: Xenoraiser
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Yamazaki 12-Year Scoresheet & Review
It’s been 10 months since I last looked at a Japanese whisky. This isn’t out of a lack of desire to try more—quite the opposite. Unfortunately, Japanese whisky is very much in the running for the least affordable spirit as a category, not to mention it only recently obtained some…
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GlenDronach 12-Year (NCF) Scoresheet & Review
Spirits production is nothing if not a balancing act. On top of crafting the spirit itself, there’s the question of branding, which plays a bigger role than some might realize. Everything from bottle and label design to advertising (or lack thereof) and even public relations can be looked at as…
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Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review
Jack Daniel’s doesn’t exactly have a tenured history when it comes to rye whiskey. In fact, I’d venture to guess that most folks don’t even realize the Tennessee distilling giant produces it. The overwhelming popularity of last year’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye hasn’t necessarily translated to growing interest in…
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Whistlepig r/bourbon “Whistle Missile” Pick Scoresheet & Review
I’m something of a procrastinator when it comes to reviewing barrel picks. There are only so many ways I can introduce and talk at length about what are literally slight variations on the same product. Consequently, I’ve put off killing certain bottles simply because I haven’t reviewed them yet. I…
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Willett Pot Still Reserve Scoresheet & Review
Some of you may know that I took my first trip to Kentucky this past summer to do a little distillery trek (by little I mean 12, 13 if we include Chattanooga Whiskey). I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, mostly that I wanted to find out what bourbon country…
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Thomas S. Moore Cabernet Sauvignon Finish Scoresheet & Review
Barton 1792 gets around more than one might think. On top of the in-house 1792 line, their whiskey is used for the likes of Very Old Barton, Sam Houston, Calumet Farm, Goodwood, and perhaps most recently, Thomas S. Moore. The name is taken from a pioneer who, in 1889, built…
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Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year (2020) Scoresheet & Review
Pappy Van Winkle is one of those names that seemingly requires no introduction. Namedrop it in a crowd or online community and discussions about pricing, availability, and more are bound to erupt. Pappy’s reputation has effectively made it the pinnacle of recurring releases in bourbon. There might be other bottles…
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Powers Gold Label Scoresheet & Review
As far as widely recognized categories of whiskey go, I’d say Irish remains one of the least recognized. Part of the reason is that most casual drinkers see Irish whiskey and simply think “whiskey made in Ireland.” Yet as with many things in whiskey, it’s not so cut and dry.…
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Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve Scoresheet & Review
Keeping track of what brands belong to what distillery and what distilleries belong to what parent company is no simple task. I’d argue that it’s one of the biggest barriers to entry for those looking to become more invested in whiskey. For example, the publicly traded Brown-Forman manufactures the likes…
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Zackariah Harris Scoresheet & Review
When it comes to bottom-shelf spirits, few sayings spring to mind faster than “you get what you pay for.” There are commonly two consumers of these products: those who just want a fix, and those who are short on cash—the two tend to go hand-in-hand. Then we have the morbidly…
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Jim Beam Signature Craft Quarter Cask Scoresheet & Review
Happening upon older, limited edition bottlings while browsing a store for the first time (in a while) is always a fun experience. I equate it to going off the beaten path in a videogame and finding a long-lost item that sets you off on a fun side quest. This happened…
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Chattanooga Whiskey 111 Scoresheet & Review
I’ve already talked at length about Chattanooga Whiskey in my review of their 91-proof “Tennessee High Malt,” a 4-grain bourbon with a 2-year age statement that makes use of a 4000-gallon charred oak Solera barrel for finishing. Then there’s their other core bourbon offering: the 111 Cask. Both expressions see…
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