Tag: b grade
-
Just the Sip: Bomberger’s Declaration 2025 Review
One of the nice things about narrowing down the brands you like is that satisfaction (if not enthusiasm) comes more naturally while sitting with their products. Many bourbon drinkers, particularly those who got into it around the pandemic, know what profiles they gravitate towards. Whether they reached this point through…
-
Just the Sip: Shenk’s Homestead 2025 Review
Michter’s has hit something of a stride over the past few years. The core US1 range—and supposedly the recent Legacy Series bottles—have transitioned from sourced to in-house distillation, although the labels have yet to reflect that. Both the 10-Year bourbon and rye earn consistently high marks while the barrel strength…
-
Found North Hover Hawk First Flight Scoresheet & Review
The modern whisk(e)y market has no shortage of recent brands that seemed to blow up overnight, particularly when it comes to North America. Although this predominantly extends to bourbon—and rye to a lesser extent, one brand has recently captivated drinkers while adding an air of credibility to a more flimsily…
-
Dewar’s Double Double 21-Year Oloroso Scoresheet & Review
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that most non-casual scotch fans don’t give Dewar’s much time nor thought. They’re incredibly popular, thanks in no small part to their NAS minimum viable product, which makes dismissing them that much easier. There are certainly other reasons for people…
-
Just the Sip: Blood Oath Pact 8 Review
Lux Row’s Blood Oath line all but invites scrutiny. Introduced in 2015, right around the time bourbon took off in popularity, Blood Oath feels like a product of its time while also being a clever outlier. The former aspect can largely be attributed to the bottling strength: 49.3% ABV, or…
-
Just the Sip: Booker’s 2022-02 “Lumberyard Batch” Review
Is it better or worse for a brand to be set in its ways? I ponder this question whenever on the topic of Booker’s. Other than its release schedule (going from six to four times per year, except 2020) and typical age statement (six to eight years), the Booker’s brand…
-
Russell’s Reserve 10-Year (LL/ME) Scoresheet & Review
Here’s a little peek behind the scenes of my blog: Russell’s Reserve 10-Year bourbon is by far my most popular review, and by a significant margin. As of writing, it has around 23K views. The next highest individual review? Four Roses Single Barrel with roughly 12K. I’ve occasionally pondered why…
-
Wild Turkey 101 8-Year Scoresheet & Review
We’re barely halfway through 2025 and it’s already turning into the year of budget-minded, age-stated bourbons. Heaven Hill is poising Old Fitzgerald 7-Year as an available alternative to their Decanter series; Buffalo Trace dropped Eagle Rare 12-Year at the distillery gift shop for Father’s Day; and Wild Turkey’s domestic revival…
-
45th Parallel R100 Rye Whiskey Scoresheet & Review
For many whiskey fans who begin their journey with bourbon, rye whiskey is something of a hurdle. Case in point: yours truly. I tried a handful of ryes during what I’d consider my transition from whiskey hobbyist to enthusiast—although I still don’t like referring to myself as one. To say…
-
Heaven’s Door Redbreast Master Blenders’ Edition Scoresheet & Review
Heaven’s Door is one of the few celebrity spirit brands that doesn’t feel like a blatant cash grab. Most celebrity spirits have one bottle or a handful of core expressions that typically pique interest during launch only to cool off like an IPO. By comparison, Heaven’s Door has gone through…
-
Peerless Double Oak Bourbon Scoresheet & Review
I imagine most folks who recently (within the last five years) got into whiskey suspect that cask finishes have been a long-established part of the market. Yet this gimmick—or innovation, depending on who you ask—is a rather recent development. Some point to Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon as the genesis…
-
Bomberger’s Declaration 2021 Scoresheet & Review
One of the whiskey industry’s more confusing aspects for newcomers is keeping track of all the names out there. Legacy distilleries aren’t too difficult to keep straight in and of themselves, but factor in the many fresh faces from the past 15 years, along with brands produced from the new…
thewhiskeyramble.com 