Tag: straight whiskey

  • Ezra Brooks 99 Scoresheet & Review

    Ezra Brooks 99 Scoresheet & Review

    Ezra Brooks 90 proof might be the best budget bourbon sleeper I’ve tried to date. Bottles continue trekking up in price, leaving the sub-$20 bourbon market increasingly scarce as far as worthwhile contenders go. So to see a reasonable priced and proofed bourbon not only provide a competent drinking experience…

  • Willett 8-Year Wheated Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    Willett 8-Year Wheated Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    If I did End of Year posts, then Willett 8-Year Wheated Bourbon would be a frontrunner for the most audacious release. The market for a product like this feels ripe for the taking, as wheated products have seen a slow-as-snails bump in selection. Willett isn’t known for dropping age-stated products…

  • Wheeler’s Raid Toasted Honey Rye Elixir Spirits Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Wheeler’s Raid Toasted Honey Rye Elixir Spirits Pick Scoresheet & Review

    American history holds no shortage of interesting stories. This reality isn’t lost on whiskey producers, as entire brands and individual expressions alike often pay homage to these very tales. Many of the larger, more established brands honor significant individuals and points in history pertaining to whiskey in some way, shape,…

  • Maker’s Mark Scoresheet & Review

    Maker’s Mark Scoresheet & Review

    Being a whisky hobbyist in a booming market means it’s often easy to lose sight of the everyday stalwarts. Not to say this isn’t understandable; once these common options have been explored the curious mind seeks further ventures. Yet there can be value in returning to basics, if for nothing…

  • Driftless Glen Wheated Single Barrel r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Driftless Glen Wheated Single Barrel r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    I’m always a proponent for more wheated products. Utilized correctly, the grain can bestow some wonderful profiles. There are times a wheated bourbon or wheat whiskey can also serve as a good curveball, since they sometimes possess a floral quality more commonly associated with rye. Yet the market continues to…

  • 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)…

  • Castle & Key Restoration Rye 2021 Batch 1 Scoresheet & Review

    Castle & Key Restoration Rye 2021 Batch 1 Scoresheet & Review

    American whiskey has no shortage of great stories. It’s to the point that any brand worth their salt has a tale to tell that could essentially be told by a campfire to instill a sense of wonder and appreciation for history. Although one could easily take their pick from the…

  • Milam & Greene Single Barrel r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Milam & Greene Single Barrel r/bourbon Pick Scoresheet & Review

    Milam & Greene doesn’t necessarily spring to mind when I think of barrel picks. Given the staff’s background, blending and batching would seem more up their alley. Yet as anyone who’s done a blind tasting can attest, whiskey and surprises (good or bad) can often go hand-in-hand. Case in point:…

  • Michter’s Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Michter’s Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Do you ever accidentally do something backwards? That’s how I felt coming into this review. The last time I looked at an expression by Michter’s was with their Barrel Strength Rye. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that it’s a personal favorite. And yet, like most of the…

  • Chattanooga 1816 Reserve Scoresheet & Review

    Chattanooga 1816 Reserve Scoresheet & Review

    Some things simply slip through the cracks. When preparing one of my upcoming reviews, I realized that I hadn’t talked about a certain bottle that I bought on a whim during my vacation last year. That bottle is 1816 Reserve from Chattanooga Whiskey. Although the folks at Chattanooga Whiskey were…

  • Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered (Batch 45) Scoresheet & Review

    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…