Tag: b grade
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Barrell Armida Scoresheet & Review
Of the interesting expressions Barrell Craft Spirits has presented us, Armida might be one of the least discussed. Dovetail, being the first Barrell product I heard of that wasn’t a traditional whiskey blend, drew a considerable amount of attention thanks to its unique triple-cask finish. Then there was last year’s…
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Barrell Bourbon Batch 032 Scoresheet & Review
There’s no doubt that Barrell Craft Spirits have a lot of pride and confidence in their brand. Scroll down their homepage and you’ll be greeted by an impressive list of recent mentions from media outlets. Since their stake to fame comes from blending whiskeys (sometimes finishing them in multiple casks)…
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Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review
Wilderness Trail is just one of many new faces to the American whiskey scene. At first glance, their operation might not seem terribly distinct, other than the fact the distillery is a bit of a detour on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Yet this 10-year-old establishment in Danville has been generating…
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GlenDronach 12-Year (NCF) Scoresheet & Review
Spirits production is nothing if not a balancing act. On top of crafting the spirit itself, there’s the question of branding, which plays a bigger role than some might realize. Everything from bottle and label design to advertising (or lack thereof) and even public relations can be looked at as…
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Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve Scoresheet & Review
Keeping track of what brands belong to what distillery and what distilleries belong to what parent company is no simple task. I’d argue that it’s one of the biggest barriers to entry for those looking to become more invested in whiskey. For example, the publicly traded Brown-Forman manufactures the likes…
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Chattanooga Whiskey 111 Scoresheet & Review
I’ve already talked at length about Chattanooga Whiskey in my review of their 91-proof “Tennessee High Malt,” a 4-grain bourbon with a 2-year age statement that makes use of a 4000-gallon charred oak Solera barrel for finishing. Then there’s their other core bourbon offering: the 111 Cask. Both expressions see…
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Knob Creek 12-Year Scoresheet & Review
Jim Beam may have the most confusing pricing structure of any whiskey producer. The first expression that comes to mind is Booker’s, a batched and unfiltered barrel proof bourbon aged 6-7 years with a current starting price of $90. Meanwhile, Knob Creek Single Barrel is aged at least 9 years—with…
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Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17-Year Scoresheet & Review
Present-day Wild Turkey owes a lot to Eddie Russell. Although he learned to make bourbon similarly to his father Jimmy, Eddie has taken Wild Turkey in new and sometimes exciting directions that some of us might take for granted. The entire Russell’s Reserve line ranks chief among the more publicly…
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Heaven Hill Green Label 6-Year Scoresheet & Review
Heaven Hill is undoubtedly one of the most prolific distilleries. Whether you’re looking for a cheap mixer, a reliable daily, or a true special occasion bottle, Heaven Hill will almost certainly be in the running. This is doubly so when it comes to the more budget-oriented drinker. The Evan Williams…
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Maker’s Mark Cask Strength (Batch 20-03) Scoresheet & Review
Maker’s Mark isn’t a brand I normally associate with high-value products. Many of my peers even consider the entry-level bourbon to be a more premium offering than other, similarly priced expressions. Branding certainly plays a part, which only goes even further if you visit the distillery in Loretto. Maker’s Mark…
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Noah’s Mill Scoresheet & Review
The first time I noticed Noah’s Mill on the shelf, it struck me as something potentially elegant with an appropriate price tag to boot. The choice of bottle and label design feels like a crossover between quality wine and whiskey bottles, simultaneously feeling unique and comfortably rustic. But as stated…
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Nulu Single Barrel (Total Wine Pick) Scoresheet & Review
Nulu is just one of the latest in an ocean of small brands to have gained some traction in whiskey communities. The name is in reference to an alias for Louisville’s East Market District, blending “New” and “Louisville” together. Prohibition Craft Spirits (PCS), the distillery behind Nulu, are six years…
