Tag: c rating

  • Gunnar’s Wheated Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    Gunnar’s Wheated Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    Many whiskey fans are thirsty for more wheated bourbon options, especially at a budget-friendly price. Since Weller distribution is the epitome of a crapshoot, that effectively leaves Maker’s Mark and Larceny to lead the charge while other producers slowly creep into select markets. Kansas-based Gunnar’s Bourbon Company is one of…

  • 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…

  • Bulleit Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    Bulleit Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    Discussing the Bulleit name can feel like walking into a foggy field with randomly placed landmines. Whether due to controversy surrounding Thomas E. Bulleit, the mere association with its parent company (see: Eboni Major, Redemption), or the gossip surrounding its current bourbon source, there’s no shortage of head-scratching to find…

  • Castle & Key Small Batch (Batch 3) Scoresheet & Review

    Castle & Key Small Batch (Batch 3) Scoresheet & Review

    Anyone versed in bourbon history (or who watched Neat: The Story of Bourbon) likely anticipated Castle & Key’s first in-house bourbon release with bated breath. The brand’s story of resurrecting the Old Taylor Distillery is well-documented at this point, and the appeal is undeniable. Bourbon produced for the first time…

  • High West Double Rye! Scoresheet & Review

    High West Double Rye! Scoresheet & Review

    High West’s story as a whiskey producer elicits a wide spectrum of reactions. Intrigue, surprise, endearment, disappointment, confusion, the list goes on. In a 15-year span they built a reputation as a fresh face to whiskey thanks to some respectably aged (usually sourced) products, barrel selections with some curious finishes,…

  • Bowman Brothers Small Batch Scoresheet & Review

    Bowman Brothers Small Batch Scoresheet & Review

    Bowman is arguably one of the better kept secrets in bourbon. Based out of Fredericksburg, VA, the A. Smith Bowman Distillery plays host to a number of spirits, including vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey. The brand takes its name from four militia officers (John, Abraham, Joseph, and Isaac) in the…

  • Benchmark Small Batch Scoresheet & Review

    Benchmark Small Batch Scoresheet & Review

    I imagine many people look at Benchmark as little more than a meme. Perhaps not to the same degree as Mellow Corn, but it still makes a solid case. Black label? Check. Use of the word “old” and a number (8) on the bottle? Check. Lowly age statement (3 years)…

  • Willett Pot Still Reserve Scoresheet & Review

    Willett Pot Still Reserve Scoresheet & Review

    Some of you may know that I took my first trip to Kentucky this past summer to do a little distillery trek (by little I mean 12, 13 if we include Chattanooga Whiskey). I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, mostly that I wanted to find out what bourbon country…

  • Weller Special Reserve Scoresheet & Review

    Weller Special Reserve Scoresheet & Review

    Weller has always had a particularly mysterious aura to me. Although Florida isn’t an ABC control state, it is home to a liquor chain called ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, which exclusively carries the Weller line throughout most of the state. This arrangement is particularly annoying for bourbon lovers since…

  • Jim Beam Black Scoresheet & Review

    Jim Beam Black Scoresheet & Review

    Few words will make a whiskey fan’s ears perk up more than “age.” Try as we might to convince ourselves that age is “just a number” and that more age doesn’t automatically mean a better product, there’s always something alluring about trying something that’s even slightly older. For example, if…

  • Very Olde St. Nick Ancient Cask 8-Year Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Very Olde St. Nick Ancient Cask 8-Year Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Going from a casual whiskey fan to something of a hobbyist has certainly impacted my perspective and spending habits. Where I previously considered $30 a big spend for a bottle of whiskey, I’ve now shelled out more than I care to admit on certain bottles. Sometimes those pricier bottles can…

  • Jack Daniel’s Old Number 7 Scoresheet & Review

    Jack Daniel’s Old Number 7 Scoresheet & Review

    Jack Daniel’s. America’s top-selling whiskey brand and a hot piece of contention for many a whiskey fan. Is it bourbon or is it Tennessee whiskey? Is it any good or is it just a mixer? The honest answer to these questions: Yes. I won’t dig into the debate of the…