Author: Xenoraiser

  • Jim Beam Jacob’s Ghost Scoresheet & Review

    Jim Beam Jacob’s Ghost Scoresheet & Review

    Do you ever look back fondly on your earlier drinking days? For me, those were the days when Captain Morgan and Coke was all I needed and having Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey with ginger ale made me feel boujie. In a way I reminisce the way your parents might, saying…

  • Yellow Spot Scoresheet & Review

    Yellow Spot Scoresheet & Review

    There’s been a slow yet steady and growing interest in Irish whiskey recently. Part of this is symptomatic of the boom whiskey continues to enjoy, but in the case of Ireland’s collective take on the “water of life,” this can likely be attributed to single pot still whiskey. This style…

  • Barrell Dovetail Scoresheet & Review

    Barrell Dovetail Scoresheet & Review

    Broadly speaking, finished whiskey is a bit of a mixed bag. A good, tasteful finish can bestow incredible flavors contributing to an elevated drinking experience; a sloppy or otherwise half-hearted finish can leave one confused at best and put off at worst. With Barrell Craft Spirits’ popular finished bottlings, it’s…

  • The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth Scoresheet & Review

    The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth Scoresheet & Review

    A new player has been making the rounds at nearly every liquor store in my area: The Busker. Based out of Ireland, The Busker is produced at the Royal Oak Distillery, “located on an 18th century estate in Ireland’s Ancient East region.” The brand is positioning itself as one that…

  • Weller Full Proof (Total Wine Pick) Scoresheet & Review

    Weller Full Proof (Total Wine Pick) Scoresheet & Review

    Like it or not, much of the ongoing interest in bourbon is thanks to Buffalo Trace. They’re a distillery that’s bigger than most casual drinkers might realize. All one needs to do is visit the “Our Brands” part of Buffalo Trace’s website to see just how many names and bottles…

  • Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Wilderness Trail is just one of many new faces to the American whiskey scene. At first glance, their operation might not seem terribly distinct, other than the fact the distillery is a bit of a detour on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Yet this 10-year-old establishment in Danville has been generating…

  • Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    These days it’s easy to find praise being sung for Wild Turkey, particularly following the inaugural release of Russell’s Reserve 13-Year. This brought increased demand for other limited offerings from Wild Turkey, such as previously slept-on Master’s Keep releases. Limited edition is all the rage these days. We might like…

  • Yamazaki 12-Year Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • GlenDronach 12-Year (NCF) Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Whistlepig r/bourbon “Whistle Missile” Pick Scoresheet & Review

    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…

  • Willett Pot Still Reserve Scoresheet & Review

    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…