Author: Xenoraiser

  • How George T. Stagg’s Mysterious Disappearance Serves An Important Reminder

    How George T. Stagg’s Mysterious Disappearance Serves An Important Reminder

    On October 6, 2021, Buffalo Trace announced the details of their hotly anticipated Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) for the year. What made this particular announcement so noteworthy was the news that there would be no George T. Stagg. Per the New York Times article that first brought this development,…

  • Ezra Brooks Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    Ezra Brooks Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    People like to say “first impressions last a lifetime” when they recall something unfavorable that ended up worse for the wear. Such a saying certainly has credence in some scenarios, but like most things, it’s not one size fits all. Even when we remind ourselves that a first impression isn’t…

  • Rebel Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    Rebel Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    If you asked a drinker to list some readily available bourbons, chances are they’d have no problem naming individual expressions. Now take that same drinker and ask them to list some readily available wheated bourbons (wheaters). Answers may vary depending on the person and the market they live in, but…

  • Cardhu Gold Reserve Targaryen Scoresheet & Review

    Cardhu Gold Reserve Targaryen Scoresheet & Review

    “Do you know what legacy is? It’s what you pass down to your children and your children’s children. It’s what remains of you when you’re gone.” By now most of us know how the legacy of Game of Thrones played out. The above quote spoken by Tywin Lannister during one…

  • New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    When it comes to American craft distillers, New Riff spring to my mind as one of the first who seemed to do it right. Their marketing is spot-on with the fantastic motto (“new riff on an old tradition”), neat logo, excellent bottle design, and impressive transparency. What’s more is that…

  • Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition Scoresheet & Review

    Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition Scoresheet & Review

    If there were ever a time for Jameson to go all-out with their Caskmates line, this would be it. What began as a seemingly logical collaboration between distiller and brewer in Caskmates Stout Edition became something a bit more adventurous with the addition of Caskmates IPA Edition (Eight Degrees being…

  • High West High Country Single Malt Scoresheet & Review

    High West High Country Single Malt Scoresheet & Review

    High West may be one of the best examples of a smaller player verging on household name status (if they aren’t already). They’ve quite arguably been instrumental in opening people’s eyes to American whiskey producers outside of Tennessee and Kentucky. Many have probably noticed their bottles on shelves but never…

  • Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon (2021) Scoresheet & Review

    Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon (2021) Scoresheet & Review

    Michter’s is a brand that’s bound to leave folks with a host of questions. Some of these might be simple, such as the origin of the name Michter’s (short version: Michael + Peter), while others don’t have a straightforward answer, like the on/off availability and pricing for certain expressions. Until…

  • Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Scoresheet & Review

    Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Scoresheet & Review

    Using secondary casks to “finish” a product is the perfect example of an idea that started as something novel and quickly exploded into its own flimsily defined subspace. It wasn’t long ago that toasted bourbons and beer barrel finishes were considered new and innovative, but are slowly treading “been there,…

  • Montana 1889 Whiskey Scoresheet & Review

    Montana 1889 Whiskey Scoresheet & Review

    When people think of American whiskey, the two states that instantly spring to mind are Kentucky and Tennessee (and Indiana for some). Yet as interest in the often-colorful spirit continues to grow, other states have taken notice with craft distillers popping up, either hoping to get a piece of the…

  • Jameson Black Barrel Scoresheet & Review

    Jameson Black Barrel Scoresheet & Review

    Jameson Black Barrel is one of those expressions that underwent a slight rebranding pretty recently. What was formerly known as Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel has been simplified to the iteration most of us are bound to find on shelves today. Either way, it’s easy for a more casual drinker…

  • Jim Beam Black Scoresheet & Review

    Jim Beam Black Scoresheet & Review

    Few words will make a whiskey fan’s ears perk up more than “age.” Try as we might to convince ourselves that age is “just a number” and that more age doesn’t automatically mean a better product, there’s always something alluring about trying something that’s even slightly older. For example, if…