Tag: a- grade

  • Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Beacon Scoresheet & Review

    Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Beacon Scoresheet & Review

    When I started reviewing Wild Turkey Master’s Keep releases, I had every intention of procuring at least one bottle of each and providing a subsequent review. That was around the time Master’s Keep One released, one of the line’s more polarizing bottles. I wasn’t able to track down a bottle…

  • Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond 17-Year Scoresheet & Review

    Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond 17-Year Scoresheet & Review

    Many legacy distilleries have at least one bottled in bond product as part of their core whiskey range, including Heaven Hill, 1792, Buffalo Trace, Old Forester, and Jack Daniel’s. Some brought theirs to the market more recently than others, but when you shop an established distillery’s portfolio, it’s safe to…

  • Booker’s 2023-01 “Charlie’s Batch” Scoresheet & Review

    Booker’s 2023-01 “Charlie’s Batch” Scoresheet & Review

    Booker’s hasn’t necessarily been a rare sight for my blog or collection, but it’s been a hot minute since I last covered it. In fact, if we don’t include samples, the only Booker’s that graced my presence was 2019-02 “Shiny Barrel.” That is, until 2023, when I decided I wanted…

  • Russell’s Reserve 13-Year (2021) Scoresheet & Review

    Russell’s Reserve 13-Year (2021) Scoresheet & Review

    Something strange happened to Wild Turkey between 2020 and 2021. The Lawrenceburg distillery, often the target of woe for people who’d previously made poor drinking decisions, quickly ignited interest from enthusiasts with the release of a couple of limited products. 2020 saw Wild Turkey drop a 17-year bottled in bond…

  • Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Cornerstone Scoresheet & Review

    Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Cornerstone Scoresheet & Review

    “Cornerstone” is an interesting name for a limited release from a distillery otherwise known for its everyday, budget-friendly bottles. One could easily argue it’s a name more befitting a core product that anyone can walk into a store and purchase, making it a foundational piece for the producing party. The…

  • Maker’s Mark Private Selection “Sweet Bourbon Dreams” Scoresheet & Review

    Maker’s Mark Private Selection “Sweet Bourbon Dreams” Scoresheet & Review

    It’s no secret that I’m a Maker’s Mark fan. Even when the brand frustrates me, they still find a way to win me over, whether with a stellar new product or a cute ambassador gift in time for the holidays. Being a reliable, available, affordable producer of solid wheated bourbon…

  • 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…

  • Old Elk “Cosmic Wheat” r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Old Elk “Cosmic Wheat” r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    The top-level team at Old Elk come from an intriguing combination of backgrounds. Founder Curt Richardson and CEO Luis Gonzalez both worked at Otter Products beforehand, the former being the mind behind OtterBox itself. Master Distiller Greg Metze (whose name accompanies every Old Elk bottle) came from a 38-year career…

  • Bunnahabhain 12-Year Scoresheet & Review

    Bunnahabhain 12-Year Scoresheet & Review

    Bunnahabhain is unique for a very simple reason: It’s one of the only Islay distilleries to produce unpeated malt whisky. That’s not to say no peated whisky is produced there (see: Toiteach A Dhà), but unpeated Islay single malt is more or less the spiel. That and the common bottling…

  • Milam & Greene Single Barrel r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Milam & Greene Single Barrel r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Milam & Greene doesn’t necessarily spring to mind when I think of barrel picks. Given the staff’s background, blending and batching would seem more up their alley. Yet as anyone who’s done a blind tasting can attest, whiskey and surprises (good or bad) can often go hand-in-hand. Case in point:…

  • Knob Creek Single Barrel Norman’s Liquors Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Knob Creek Single Barrel Norman’s Liquors Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Nostalgia and hindsight make for one hell of a combination. It wasn’t long ago that folks were singing praise for Knob Creek Single Barrel picks sitting on shelves, some of them as old as 16 years. Yet bourbon continues to boom, and it was only a matter of time before…

  • Stellum Rye Serpens Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Stellum Rye Serpens Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Ask a more casual or budget-minded drinker for their thoughts on Barrell Craft Spirits and the issue of pricing is all but guaranteed to come up. Even those in the more enthusiast-level crowd will utter similar comments. It’s the classic “weak value” versus “paying for quality” dilemma which only becomes…