Author: Xenoraiser

  • Jack Daniel’s Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Jack Daniel’s Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Rye whiskey has been enjoying something of a renaissance recently. Previously seen as little more than an ingredient for cocktails, drinkers are gunning for certain ryes with a fervor that can eclipse similar bourbon releases. And while rye whiskey still has a ways to go before coming close to recapturing…

  • Old Overholt 114 Scoresheet & Review

    Old Overholt 114 Scoresheet & Review

    Beam Suntory’s general reluctance to do much of anything with their three “The Olds” brands is one of the more puzzling realities for whiskey enthusiasts. Of the trio, Old Overholt has technically received the most attention from the parent company, but even it exists in the shadow of the brand’s…

  • Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    When news broke that Campari was acquiring Wilderness Trail for a healthy $420 million (plus another $180 million for complete ownership by 2031), it sent quite a ripple through the industry. The combination is curious, given that Campari isn’t known for its robust whiskey portfolio, and Wilderness Trail is helping…

  • Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Scoresheet & Review

    Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Scoresheet & Review

    Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit has had a couple of interesting moments in an otherwise mostly uneventful journey thus far. The product launched in 1994, sporting a somewhat divisive fantail bottle design. Many consider Kentucky Spirit the second single barrel bourbon from a big-name distillery after Blanton’s from Buffalo Trace, with…

  • Michter’s Toasted Barrel Strength Rye (2020) Scoresheet & Review

    Michter’s Toasted Barrel Strength Rye (2020) Scoresheet & Review

    I consider myself a pretty big Michter’s fan. Although their lineup is tragically lopsided in favor of limited releases — many of which are aggressively priced, I usually gravitate toward their profiles. The last few times I covered Michter’s were fairly positive, with the standard US1 bourbon leaving a surprisingly…

  • Highland Park Magnus Scoresheet & Review

    Highland Park Magnus Scoresheet & Review

    When Highland Park revamped its branding in 2017 to play up their location-based connection to Vikings, whisky fans rolled their eyes. The distillery’s switch from understated to eye-catching bottles, each with a “Viking” nickname, struck enthusiasts as nothing more than an attention grab. Adding fuel to the proverbial fire was…

  • Pursuit United Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Pursuit United Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Bourbon Pursuit is one of the most established names in contemporary bourbon journalism. Hosted by Kenny Coleman, Ryan Cecil, and Fred Minnick, Bourbon Pursuit is the self-proclaimed “official podcast of bourbon”. They provide weekly episodes every Thursday, including Whiskey Quickie reviews on Tuesdays and recent news on Fridays through This…

  • Maker’s Mark 2022 Wood Finishing Series (BRT-02) Scoresheet & Review

    Maker’s Mark 2022 Wood Finishing Series (BRT-02) Scoresheet & Review

    I’ve grown increasingly jaded towards finished whisky over time. In theory, it’s an interesting—even exciting—idea: Take a mature whisky and dump it into a different, secondary cask for a few weeks, granting it more flavor, dimension, and complexity. However, the sheer volume of bottles using finishing casks has exploded to…

  • Old Forester 1920 Scoresheet & Review

    Old Forester 1920 Scoresheet & Review

    Old Forester’s Whisky Row line is nothing if not homage-filled. Introduced in 2014, the series includes four bottles that offer consumers a more upscale (but still available and affordable) way to enjoy Old Forester bourbon. Each expression takes its identify from a key year in Brown-Forman’s brand history and, in…

  • Knob Creek Single Barrel 9-Year Scoresheet & Review

    Knob Creek Single Barrel 9-Year Scoresheet & Review

    Single barrels are all the rage these days. Much of this is thanks to the prominence of barrel picks selected by everyone from local and online groups to independent stores, retail chains, and online outlets. Even before these selections exploded in popularity, the rule of thumb was to grab one…

  • Michter’s US1 Small Batch Scoresheet & Review

    Michter’s US1 Small Batch Scoresheet & Review

    Present-day bourbon has effectively flipped from where it was 10 or so years ago. Boastful age statements, modest pricing, and high availability once defined the unassuming landscape. Now? The scene has exploded with NDPs, cask finishes, ballooning prices, and limited releases. In many ways, Michter’s portfolio feels like a microcosm…

  • Maker’s Mark 2022 Wood Finishing Series (BRT-01) Scoresheet & Review

    Maker’s Mark 2022 Wood Finishing Series (BRT-01) Scoresheet & Review

    2021 was the year I visited Kentucky for the first time—I probably don’t need to tell you what I did. During that trip, I visited almost a dozen distilleries. Since the state welcomes many people throughout the globe, there was no shortage of inquiries throughout the tours and tastings. Of…