Tag: cask strength
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Just the Sip: Smokeye Hill Barrel Proof Review
In my experience, “[insert blank] killer” is a cheap term used to glamorize the flagrantly mediocre as something remarkable. My first exposure to this was through the 2004 videogame Killzone, which some touted as Sony’s “Halo killer” prior to release. Now don’t get me wrong, I have a soft spot…
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George T. Stagg 2023 Scoresheet & Review (300th Review & Blog Update)
George T. Stagg is a name that requires little introduction to the bourbon-loving crowd. As a brand, it’s one of five bottles included in the annually released Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC). The one exception to this came in 2021, when the distillery held back barrels intended for George T.…
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Just the Sip: Thomas H. Handy 2022 Review
The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) is largely considered the peak American whiskey product line. Although the Van Winkle expressions (also from Buffalo Trace) are often considered more valuable, in part due to their rarity, BTAC is arguably more comprehensive and even desired in some circles. As with many bottles…
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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…
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Just the Sip: Stagg Jr. Batch 14 Review
Just the Sip reviews are a more simplified version of the existing scoresheet format with the goal of reviewing more spirits, such as samples, barrel picks, and others that may be more difficult to do full reviews on. Both scoresheet and review formats will exist and be regularly posted. Learn more…
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Just the Sip: Wilderness Trail It’s Bourbon Night Wheated Bourbon Pick (“Wheat Science”) Review
Just the Sip reviews are a more simplified version of the existing scoresheet format with the goal of reviewing more spirits, such as samples, barrel picks, and others that may be more difficult to do full reviews on. Both scoresheet and review formats will exist and be regularly posted. Learn…
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Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye Batch 2 Scoresheet & Review
Jim Beam had no shortage of new products to entice drinkers between 2019 and 2020. On top of several permanent and limited bourbon releases, the Clermont-based distillery also brought a slew of rye whiskey releases under the Knob Creek and Old Overholt labels. In the case of Knob Creek, consumers…
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Blue Note r/bourbon Pick “Blackberry Sparkler” Scoresheet & Review
Blue Note is an amusingly and appropriately named brand, given its base of operations. The actual distillery is DSP-TN-21021 which, despite only being licensed in 2014, is still the oldest distillery license in Memphis, TN. B.R. Distilling began operations in 2018 by sourcing barrels from a variety of producers, ranging…
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Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review
When news broke that Campari was acquiring Wilderness Trail for a healthy $420 million (plus another $180 million for complete ownership by 2031), it sent quite a ripple through the industry. The combination is curious, given that Campari isn’t known for its robust whiskey portfolio, and Wilderness Trail is helping…
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Michter’s Toasted Barrel Strength Rye (2020) Scoresheet & Review
I consider myself a pretty big Michter’s fan. Although their lineup is tragically lopsided in favor of limited releases — many of which are aggressively priced, I usually gravitate toward their profiles. The last few times I covered Michter’s were fairly positive, with the standard US1 bourbon leaving a surprisingly…
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Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered (Batch 45) Scoresheet & Review
The spirits industry (bourbon in particular) has been seeing a lot of firsts recently. For example, it was only a decade ago that a Las Vegas distillery was first established. Enter Nevada H&C Distilling Company, founded by Aaron Chepenik and Jonathan Hensleigh. Their backstory comes from trying a host of…
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