Tag: b grade
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Glen Scotia 15-Year Scoresheet & Review
Chances are the first brand to come to mind when you think of Campbelltown is Springbank. The attention surrounding the distillery is rather unusual as far as modern day scotch goes. At least some of it appears to be associated with the location; a small area on the Kintyre peninsula…
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Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell’s 70th Anniversary Scoresheet & Review
I have a confession to make: Prior to this review, I knew very little about Jimmy Russell. I briefly met him and his wife while visiting Kentucky in 2021, but beyond that, what I knew about him was derived from word of mouth. The highlights I could tell you were…
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Just the Sip: Baker’s 13-Year (2023) Review
Few distilleries can challenge Jim Beam on the label portfolio front. Considering the sheer number of brands they’ll launch, short-lived or otherwise, it’s almost surprising that they haven’t consolidated more to bolster a couple of their existing brands. Case in point: Baker’s. Although the brand (named after Baker Beam) has…
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Just the Sip: Russell’s Reserve 2020 Total Wine Pick Review
When it comes to single barrel products, I imagine most people start by trying as many different brands as possible before narrowing down their preferences and sticking to a handful of names. To that end, one of the most dependable for me has been Russell’s Reserve. What’s interesting is that…
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Just the Sip: Remus Repeal Reserve VII Review
Whiskey brands named after criminal acts and individuals are nothing new. Likewise, it’s hardly uncommon to find a considerable number of bottles on store shelves that say some variation of “distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN.” Perhaps the most apt case of these two examples converging is with George Remus and, more…
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Larceny Barrel Proof C922 Scoresheet & Review
Naming a whiskey brand after a type of crime is a curious—if not terribly surprising—branding choice. Case in point: Prohibition, a watershed moment in whiskey history where production of distilled spirits was effectively outlawed. And if whiskey branding is motivated by anything, it’s a fun story. The lore behind Larceny,…
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Just the Sip: Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect Review
Blended whiskey is slowly gaining newfound respect. Once seen as little more than a whiskey and neutral grain spirit (NGS) combination—no doubt thanks to whiskey’s downturn roughly between the 60s to the 80s, blenders and distillers alike are fostering a new look for a once frowned upon category. Now if…
