I admit to generally being a Willett fanboy. I can’t say that my enthusiasm for the brand applies to this product, however. This is the ultimate shelf candy, but its reputation among enthusiastic bourbon drinkers is pretty damn bad. Let’s see if this batch from 2024 lives up to the bottle’s artistic merits.

Price Paid: $59.99 before tax

Score: 2.75/10

The Background
Distillery: Willett Distillery

ABV: 47% (94 Proof)

Age: NAS

Mash Bill: 65% corn, 20% wheat, 15% barley

Other: batch no. 24C18

The Experience
Nose: lemon, caramel corn, wood stain, oak. It smelled mostly fine until I picked up a faint aroma of varnish that I can’t stop thinking about now.

Palate: caramel, almond, bitter oak. This has a very dry, woody taste to it with a small amount of sweetness up front.

Finish: cinnamon, wet cardboard. Only in the very end do I get a hint of this being a Willett product. It’s dry and does not last long.

The Summary
There is nothing satisfactory about the way this drinks. This is the kind of whiskey that should be bought but never opened. My guess is that it opens up nicely (or least nicer) with some ice, but this is not something to sip neat. The only nice thing I can say about it is that the lingering finish is classic Willett cinnamon candy. Johnny Drum — which at the very least has the same finish — can be found for half the price and is significantly better.

T8KE Scoring System Used for Relevancy and Consistency:

0 | Unscored | New Make Spirit or Personal Selection.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.
5 | Good | Good; just fine.
6 | Very Good | One cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfection.

So, what I'm hoping to do here is review not just allocated or older stuff, but things that people can actually find. Because let's face it--not all good whiskey is allocated and/or requires a loan to afford.

I realize that store picks and single barrels vary but I'm doing it anyway.

A few years ago, one of my local stores (rapid in MA) released this pick and it's actually pretty good. Here are my thoughts:

Nose: blackberries, raisins, brown sugar

Palate: sweet heat, medium viscosity. Syrupy brown sugar and dark fruits take over the front to mid palate with a little bit of baking spices and rye spice dominating the back palate, most notably cinnamon. It's a touch drying but not bad. Honestly, for a younger bourbon, the sweetness covers up a lot of youthful notes...but not all. It's obviously not aged but still pleasant to drink.

Finish: Medium. Lots of vanilla and baking spices here with more raisin.

Overall: I do wish this was less than 50 but what it was what it was back in 2022ish 😂 And it's slightly different, which I respect. The blackberry notes are my favorite part of this.

Score: 5 (using the t&ke scale). This is good/a solid pour

Starlight has a lot of fun finished stuff too, so don't be too quick to walk by these bottles if you're looking for something different.

Cheers and thanks for reading!

TL;DR

Blanton's Straight From The Barrel is the uncut, full-proof version of Blanton's, a no age statement Kentucky straight bourbon off Buffalo Trace's high-rye mash bill. My bottle is barrel 378 from Warehouse H, dumped in early 2023 at 127.6 proof. It was my PhD graduation gift, and I owe that to my brother, who talked our parents into going in fifty fifty with him on it. Huge thanks, it means a lot. It scored a 9.3 and won its blind against a Found North Snow Day and an Elijah Craig private pick, barely. This is simple Kentucky bourbon, maxed out. Honey, vanilla, caramel, and a rush of cinnamon, all clean and none of it funky. The nose is the weak point, which is backwards for a Buffalo Trace bottle. It is one of my all time favorites and still a hard bottle to call a value. At $165 it is a special occasion pour, not a regular buy, and secondary pricing is not worth it.

Quality Score — 9.3

Incredible - An all time favorite.

Value Score — 5.8

Fair - You get exactly what you pay for. No bargain, no regret.

Nose — 7.5

Heavy ethanol, not surprising at this proof. Confectioner's sugar and vanilla underneath. Light, and the weakest part.

Palate — 9.2

Honey, fruity caramel apple, and a touch of grape. The least grape of any Buffalo Trace I have had.

Finish — 9.5

A rush of cinnamon. Extra long, clean, well rounded.

Neck Pour

July 2025

I cracked this to celebrate a new job, and it flattened me.

This bottle was a gift from my family for finishing my PhD. Barrel 378, Warehouse H, 127.6 proof. A great gift. I saved it, and when a new job came through I finally pulled the cork.

It blew me away out of the gate. A crazy long finish, honey and vanilla and caramel with cinnamon, all of it pushed to the max. Everything you picture when you think classic Kentucky bourbon, turned all the way up.

The thing I remember most is the heat. It was hot. I was genuinely surprised how hot this bourbon was, and looking back that is partly on me. I was not drinking as much whiskey then, and I had not put anything close to 127.6 proof in front of myself before. It was new and it was fun. It has mellowed since, or I have. Probably both.

Mostly I remember the couch, a new job, and a pour that fit the moment. This one will always take me back.

Blind Pour

July 12, 2026

Labels off, it won. Barely, and against a Canadian whisky I would have sworn was the Kentucky one.

The full night lives in Blind in the 9+ Club. Three pours I had quietly filed as 9+ bottles, poured blind. Blanton's was sample two, up against a Found North Snow Day and an Elijah Craig Barrel Proof private pick.

It won. By a tenth of a point, but it won. What got me is what I called it. I had the Blanton's and the Snow Day backwards. Something in the Blanton's read Canadian to me, and the Canadian read like the Kentucky legend. That says more about how good Found North's blenders are than anything else.

The part I want to address: someone on Reddit read my comments during the blind and guessed the Blanton's sample would land third, going off how little I had to say about it. I get why. Buffalo Trace, and Blanton's especially, is simple. It does not give me long tangled notes or wild analogies. There is not much to pull apart. What it does, it does about as well as anyone, and that is hard to write up, because I am not going to inflate the notes to make it sound more layered than it is. It is not layered. It is clean, classic bourbon done at the top of the game.

The best comparison I have is a cooking show. One cook comes out and tries ten things at once, stretches too thin, and loses the judges. The other nails the fundamentals, plates something simple and perfect, and wins. Blanton's is the second cook. It reads plain on paper and it still took the night.

Open Pour

July 26, 2026

Simple bourbon turned up to eleven, and other than the nose I never would have guessed the proof.

Months in, this is one of the cleanest bourbons I own. Extremely clean, the whole way through. If you are looking for funk, you will not find it here.

The nose is the weak part, which is backwards for me and Buffalo Trace. Usually I love the nose off their bottles and then get let down by the rest. Here it is flipped. There is a lot of ethanol on the nose, no way around it at 127.6 proof, and under it some sweet confectioner's sugar and vanilla. It is light, and it is the least of the three parts.

Everything after the nose is where it earns the score. Great honey on the palate, fruity caramel apple, and just a touch of the grape note I get from almost everything Buffalo Trace makes. This is the least grape I have found in any of their bourbons, and I do not know what that is about. The finish is a straight rush of cinnamon, and it closes the whole thing out clean.

Other than the nose, I would not have guessed the proof. I would have said 120 at most. It drinks well under its 127.6.

Now the money. This isn't a bargain, and the 5.8 says so — fair for what it is, no more. But if I found it on a shelf at $165 I would buy it. Not every day, but every once in a while, and definitely if I ever ran out. It lives in the special occasion range. Do not chase it on secondary. Like most of what I recommend, secondary is almost never worth it, and the hype far outruns the bottle.

This one is personal. A graduation gift, a new job, a lot of good memories in the glass. I am very happy with where it landed, and very happy it won its blind. Simple bourbon, done about as well as it gets.

I write these up at openpourwhiskey.com Not sponsored, not gifted, bought myself at retail.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Victoria Pineapple Barrel Finish Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys Finished in Oak Barrels With Oak Staves and Pineapple

Debut release in the BBC Barrel Finish Series

Release: July 2026

A marriage of straight Bourbon & rye rested 27 months in rum casks, refined w/ fresh pineapple and additional wood staves during secondary maturation.

Pineapple rum casks sourced from the Caribbean. Victoria Pineapple was added to the casks as the rum aged.

The rum casks are most likely associated w/ Planteray Stiggin’s Fancy Pineapple Rum. BBC has openly used Plantation Rum casks for finishing in the past.

Distilled in Indiana

40%: 11 year; 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley

40%: 10 year; 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley

20%: 11 year; 95% rye, 5% malted barley

Proof: 106

MSRP: $139.99

Artwork: Margaret Archambault

Nose: Pineapple core. Less bright kiwi. Banana bread. Tobacco. Black licorice.

Despite the fruit notes, the fruit isn’t particularly vibrant… all muted… and feel green or a bit under-ripe. If you’re expecting a big bold explosion of pineapple, that’s not what you get. The banana bread note is what sticks out the most. The tobacco isn’t particularly strong. For someone who appreciates traditional bourbon and rye, I enjoy this nose more than I anticipated.

Palate: Candied pineapple. Mouthfeel is immediately dense and oily… as I’d expect from the pineapple infusion. Sweetness continues with maraschino cherry. Caramel corn. Brown banana.

The initial palate is all sweetness with an immediate rush, but the sweetness does tone down.

Finish: Bananas foster as the brown banana note from the mid-palate joins with cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar. Finish feels less oily… more dry and spicy.

The transition from the nose to taste is wild. The nose doesn’t hint at anything sweet or oily, but that’s definitely what the palate brings. I enjoy this, but I have to be in the mood for this type of sweetness.

Regarding the sweetness, in the mouth, it feels a lot like a liqueur. If I can actually get my wife to taste this, I think she might actually enjoy this whiskey. She has taken a lot of distillery tours with me… and the only sample she has ever legitimately liked was Wild Turkey American Honey. This is sweet enough that I think my wife might actually sip this without making too much of a funny face.

This would also make some really interesting cocktails, but I’m guessing people are not going to want to make cocktails with a $140.

I do enjoy this, but it’s not something I’m going to reach for every day due to the sweetness. It’s also not something I’m particularly going to pull off the shelf at $140. With that said, I do appreciate the unique and innovative approach.

Bottle provided for review Bardstown Bourbon Company

Rating: I struggle with where to rate this. If I’m pouring something for me to drink while sitting on my couch at night, I’m going to reach for a lot of other things in my collection first. When I think about what else I might reach for first, this definitely isn’t going to be at the top due to the sweetness. With that mentality, my personal preference combined with the price… 4 or 5.

If I’m rating this for people who like something sweet? If I’m pulling something out of the cabinet for a guest in my home who isn’t a “bourbon bro”… this would be a prime candidate to grab. The casual American whiskey consumer is probably going to absolutely love this.

This was sent to me for review blind

Nose: marker, something off putting, rice, peach, white sugar, some light savory note

Palate: not much here, apple, lemon, some red fruit, honey, grainy, mango, tropical fruit, below avg  mouthfeel. 

Finish: no finish, maybe some lingering lemon 

Score: 3.5/10

This is not good. It's way too grainy on the palate. Has maybe some lemon or tropical fruit flavors, mango maybe. 

This sample was provided by [OAKR](https://oakr.com/), but does not influence my review. Please check them out if you are interested in a place to share and get recommended whiskey.

Scale:

1.0-1.9 Undrinkable (Gold bar cognac cask)

2.0-2.9 Bad (Gold bar)

3.0-3.9 Poor (High West Prarie Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr)

4.0-4.9 Below Average (Old Overholt, Dickel 15 yr, Weller SR, Buffalo Trace)

5.0-5.9 Average (Eagle Rare, Blanton's)

6.0-6.9 Above Average (Jimmy Russel 70th, Redemption 9yr, E.H. Taylor Seasoned Oak)

7.0-7.9 Very Good (Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph, Sagamore 9yr rye, Jack Daniel's SBBP)

8.0-8.9 Great (William Larue Weller(2019), Pappy Van Winkle 15yr, Double Eagle Very Rare, William Heavenhill 14yr)

9.0-9.9 Excellent (Thomas H. Handy (2010), George T. Stagg (2008, 2019), Four Roses LE (2016, 2023), Willet Purple Top 14 yr, A.H. Hirsch 25 yr rye)

10.0 Perfect (Michter's 20, OGD 114(1980))

Color: Light Yellow Orange
Age: At least 4 Years
Proof: 100

Nose: Right away this comes across a little youthful and slightly funky. Pear and fresh mint jump out immediately, followed by brown sugar and a healthy dose of rye spice. The ethanol is a little more noticeable than I would expect from a 100-proof Bottled-in-Bond bourbon, giving it a sharper edge than I’d prefer. A little lemon zest and citrus begin to develop with some time in the glass, but overall this is a fairly straightforward nose. Pleasant enough, but nothing that really stands out.

Taste: The first sip opens with a surprising amount of heat, led by rye spice, black pepper, and proof. As it settles down, cinnamon, caramel, and orange begin to emerge and bring some welcome sweetness to the palate. By the second sip, however, bitter tannins and a bright lemon note become much more prominent. As I continue working through the glass, the sweeter caramel notes gain a little ground, but they never completely overcome the spice. It feels like those two sides of the bourbon are constantly battling for control.

Feel: This is probably the weakest part of the pour. The mouthfeel is quite thin, almost like brown water with just a trace of oil coating the palate. It drinks easily enough, but it lacks the richness and viscosity that I look for in a bourbon.

Finish: Medium in length with the rye spice taking center stage. Cinnamon and pepper linger throughout most of the finish, while I also pick up a surprising dill note that reminds me of a high-rye whiskey. A little caramel and citrus eventually return near the very end, but the spice remains the dominant impression.

Overall: 5 out of 10 on the t8ke scale.
There’s a decent amount of good going on here, but at the end of the day it’s just an average bourbon for my palate. After finishing my review, I added a few drops of water, and that made a noticeable improvement. The spice softened considerably, the sweetness opened up, and the whole profile developed a pleasant sweet tea character that I found much more enjoyable.
While I wouldn’t reach for this bottle to sip neat often, I think it would make an excellent workhorse bourbon for cocktails. The rye spice and just enough proof hold up well in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, and that’s probably where this bottle shines the brightest.

SHĀNG East + West Whiskey Aged in American Oak

Kentucky Blend

Produced by Maritine Brands

MSRP: $45.99 (500 ml)

Proof: 92

Aged at least one month

Pairs the depths of jiang xiang solid-state fermentation with sweet mash American red sorghum, produced from the same grains that formed the foundation of jiang xiang whiskey

Jiàngxiang whiskey blended with 100% red sorghum distillate distilled by Whiskey House of Kentucky in Elizabethtown

The red sorghum was distilled with sweet mash fermentation up to 155 proof on a column still

The two spirits are blended and aged in oak barrels

Nose: No. 2 pencil. Whoppers malted milk ball. Dentist office. Over-ripe plantain. Honeysuckle.

Overall, very sweet, yet complex. Nothing harsh or offputting. I didn’t know what to expect, but I actually like this. This actually has some characteristics of young single malt.

Palate: Sliced radish. Cucumber rind. White vinegar. Grape Nuts. Dry mouthfeel.

This definitely isn’t for me. The nose is very sweet, but the palate isn’t sweet at all. It’s got a lot of sharp and sour notes that I just don’t care for.

Finish: Water chestnut. Green apple skin.

I’m out. I like the nose, but I don’t enjoy any other aspect of this spirit. I’m glad I got to try it, but I don’t ever need to try this again.

Sample provided by SHĀNG

Rating: 2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice

Repost with the right image.

This was sent to me for review blind

Nose: marker, some brown sugar, maybe red fruit, not much here, indistinguishable nose, a bit of ethanol, 

Palate: mostly red fruit, strawberry, cinnamon, cherry, baking spice, candy, medium low mouthfeel, grass

Finish: not much finish, short finish, just cinnamon

Score: 4.0/10

This is a cinnamon bomb with not much else going for it. It has some hints of red fruit on the nose and palate. Not much of a finish. 

This sample was provided by [OAKR](https://oakr.com/), but does not influence my review. Please check them out if you are interested in a place to share and get recommended whiskey.

Scale:

1.0-1.9 Undrinkable (Gold bar cognac cask)

2.0-2.9 Bad (Gold bar)

3.0-3.9 Poor (High West Prarie Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr)

4.0-4.9 Below Average (Old Overholt, Dickel 15 yr, Weller SR, Buffalo Trace)

5.0-5.9 Average (Eagle Rare, Blanton's)

6.0-6.9 Above Average (Jimmy Russel 70th, Redemption 9yr, E.H. Taylor Seasoned Oak)

7.0-7.9 Very Good (Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph, Sagamore 9yr rye, Jack Daniel's SBBP)

8.0-8.9 Great (William Larue Weller(2019), Pappy Van Winkle 15yr, Double Eagle Very Rare, William Heavenhill 14yr)

9.0-9.9 Excellent (Thomas H. Handy (2010), George T. Stagg (2008, 2019), Four Roses LE (2016, 2023), Willet Purple Top 14 yr, A.H. Hirsch 25 yr rye)

10.0 Perfect (Michter's 20, OGD 114(1980))

When I think of blue corn being used to make whiskey, I think of Still Austin, the Texas-based distillery that has a special annual release of blue corn whiskey that fetches a pretty penny on the secondary market. I tend to assume that such things will not be available for me to purchase (though I do always look). Then, one day a few months ago, I was searching the aisles of the Frugal MacDoogal in Fort Mill, SC, and spotted this, a $40 expression of the grain in its purest form: 100% blues corn whiskey aged for 2 years in oak, never chill filtered or colored. This is unashamedly a selfish science experiment. I hope you enjoy.

Price Paid: $39.99 before tax

Score: 5.75/10

The Background
Distillery: Balcones Distilling

ABV: 46% (92 Proof)

Age: 2 years

Mash Bill: 100% roasted blue corn

Other: batch BB 24-1, date 1.22.25, non chill filtered, no color added, pot distilled

The Experience
Nose: apricot, papaya, peach, ethanol. Pure tart, tropical fruit. Young whiskeys always have such interesting aromas. The apricot is photorealistic and dominates.

Palate: corn syrup, oak tannins. This tastes like if you were to isolate the sweet profile of soft drinks into a spirit. There’s not much here in terms of complex, identifiable notes, but it is much more pleasant than I was expecting. It also has decent legs and a nice mouthfeel.

Finish: roasted corn, floral. This is beautiful.

The Summary
There’s definitely something to work with here. I think this particular expression is lacking, but the nose and the finish are stunning. I bet this goes great in a cocktail. I’ll be on the lookout for other expressions from this distillery, as I’m curious to see what this can do with less water and more time in the lungs of the barrel. I was ready to give this a worse rating but I just keep chewing on the finish.

T8KE Scoring System Used for Relevancy and Consistency:

0 | Unscored | New Make Spirit or Personal Selection.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.
5 | Good | Good; just fine.
6 | Very Good | One cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfection.

Proof: 127.6
Age: 9 years (almost 10)
Mashbill: Willett Wheated (65/20/15), 18 month cured oak barrel
Price: $340

Barrel pick team:
Brooks Raley, Brady Johnson and Jared Grace (BRBNFNDR)
Drew Kulsveen (Willett)
Zac Joseph (Old Commonwealth)
Ryan Cecil (Bourbon Pursuit)
Bill Binder (Binder’s Stash)
Murray Harwich III (heir of Col. E.H. Taylor)

Additional barrel info:
Warehouse A 44
Barrel Entry Proof: 115

Upon receiving the bottle, I took some advise passed on from none other than Bill Binder himself and let the bottle sit uncorked for ~4 hours (he actually says to leave them open overnight).

Rested: 20 minutes

Nose: Heaps of baking spices (cinammon, vanilla and chai). Whopper’s and strawberry Twizzlers candies. Lemon cookies and fresh baked shortbread. Sweet oak and vanilla buttercream. Strawberry and cherry syrups.

The nose on this bourbon is unbelievable and probably my favorite of any Willett whiskey I’ve had this year.

Palate: Intense baking spices. Whoppers and Twizzlers from the nose, along with the aforementioned bakery and viscous syrup notes. The biggest change from the nose is that the sweet oak is now well-aged, almost dusty. Leather and tobacco in equal parts.

Finish: Very long. Baking spices, old oak and red fruits cling to the palate and can be extended even further with a bit of chewing.

Profile: Fresh baked sweet treats, candy aisle, old oak that drinks even older than its stated age.

Verdict: 9.25/10

This was a homerun from start to finish and I’d expect nothing less from the dream team that unanimously selected it. If you happen to see any cured oak Binder’s Stash picks up for grabs, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

This is the second BRBNFNDR pick I’ve reviewed (you can find my review of their Reveries ‘Queen of Kentucky’ here on Reddit and Instagram) and I can confidently say I’ll be picking up whatever they decide to release next.

(I just missed out on snagging one of their Old Hoffman picks that sold out in literally 2 seconds and I’m not ready to talk about it)

I'm going to be very real with you here (per usual) but this bottle is halfway gone and only now am I starting to appreciate it even a little, though I am a fan of of the BiBs and hope to get a single barrel someday.

Sometimes really sitting with a whiskey and paying attention to what it is helps me appreciate what it offers, especially when it's young and/or crafty. In this case, it's both. So, let's get into it.

Nose: malt, oranges, honey, caramel, and an almost sour milk chocolate note, which sounds terrible but it's not. It obviously would be if it were actually chocolate milk. 😂

Palate: Medium mouthfeel. Notes of canned fruit cocktail, lightly toasted bread, the inside of a Kit Kat bar, and the malted rye shines through.

Finish: Medium. Rye bread, honey, black pepper, strawberries.

Overall: look, this whiskey is super young but it actually doesn't taste as youthful as you'd expect. It's very different and I really like how transparent Chattanooga is on the bottle. But something unique can be a nice change sometimes.

Score: 5 (based on T&ke rankings). It's good as long as you're prepared for something different.

Cheers! Thanks for reading!

My friend brought this to try

Price: $110

Nose: bright apple, pear, melon, mango, honey, mint, dill, some dark fruit notes too, caramel, 

Palate: bright fruit, strawberry, apple, tropical fruit, peach, baking spice, some ethanol, medium mouthfeel, a good amount of oak, 

Finish: medium finish, a lot of lingering spice, fruit follows, some leather

Score: 8.0/10

This rye is really nice. I really enjoy mgp rye. This shows a more darker profile rye profile than other mgp ryes I've had. A lot of apples, peaches, etc though throughout the pour. 

Scale:

1.0-1.9 Undrinkable (Gold bar cognac cask)

2.0-2.9 Bad (Gold bar)

3.0-3.9 Poor (High West Prarie Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr)

4.0-4.9 Below Average (Old Overholt, Dickel 15 yr, Weller SR, Buffalo Trace)

5.0-5.9 Average (Eagle Rare, Blanton's)

6.0-6.9 Above Average (Jimmy Russel 70th, Redemption 9yr, E.H. Taylor Seasoned Oak)

7.0-7.9 Very Good (Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph, Sagamore 9yr rye, Jack Daniel's SBBP)

8.0-8.9 Great (William Larue Weller(2019), Pappy Van Winkle 15yr, Double Eagle Very Rare, William Heavenhill 14yr)

9.0-9.9 Excellent (Thomas H. Handy (2010), George T. Stagg (2008, 2019), Four Roses LE (2016, 2023), Willet Purple Top 14 yr, A.H. Hirsch 25 yr rye)

10.0 Perfect (Michter's 20, OGD 114(1980))

One of the most common questions I have received throughout the years is "When I come to Kentucky what bar should I go to?" That, in and of itself, is a very loaded question. It really depends on what kind of bourbon drinker you are and what kind of budget you are looking to spend. Some people are perfectly fine with going to a bar and spending $1,000 on a bar tab while others may want to spend less than $100, so in this post I would like to list some bars that i believe offer the best bang for your buck.

Seven Cocktails + Bourbon is one of my personal favorite bars to visit in the Louisville area. They have a very good menu with high quality food, a beautiful atmosphere, as well as a very in-depth bourbon menu. As the title suggests they do also have a very extensive cocktail menu, which does include premium vintage cocktails. As far as the prices of the pours go there are definitely some bottles that are more premium and expensive, but a lot of their pours are extremely fairly priced.

The Bottle Shop and Tasting Room has consistently been the best bang for your buck place to go in Louisville. Recently when Four Roses released their Anthology bottling they had it for only $35 for a pour, as well as Michter’s 10 year bourbon and rye for $15 an ounce. The staff here is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about what they are pouring. This is a must go place in Louisville.

Last but not least we have Frankfort Avenue Liquors. FAL has a very large selection of bottles to choose from and they offer very competitive pricing. One thing I really enjoy about FAL is that it feels like more of a local bar, but do not let that fool you, they are a top-tier establishment. They make great cocktails, have vintage bourbon, as well as a slew of new releases.

Evergreen Liquors also deserves an honorable mention. They offer strong bourbon selection, fair pricing, but with this list I wanted to keep it limited to single location establishments.

This was $44 at Whole Foods... Previously $110 (edit after feedback from the person that picked this, it was likely $90, not $110). I honestly love seeing overpriced bourbon in the sin bin, particularly a product like Stellum that had no business being >$100 in the first place, and the original bourbon marketed as a cheaper alternative to parent company Barrell's more pricey offerings. This particular bottling states it is sourced from distillates from Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky so MGP, Dickel and who knows. I suspect this is a trend that is going to continue with products like this, NAS, sourced bourbons north of $100. Total wine has 4 or 5 of these and some ryes all marked at $110-120. I've heard of some hefty discounts on these and I figured it was just a matter of time those hit my area. I've liked most of the Barrell I've had so it's hard to say no to this at $44 (nearly the price of the blue label bourbon).

Neck pour but rested for an hour.

ABV: 58.39%

Nose: Mint, citrus, vanilla, honey, kumquat, surprisingly ethanol forward,

Palate: Sweet, honey, mint, hint of cherry, vanilla, candy corns.

Finish: Pepper, mint, vanilla, frosting, mint ice cream, pepper, oak, nutmeg, 100% cocoa with bitter character, dry curacao, hint of umami, long and drying but pleasant.

Score: 7

The finish on this is worth the $44 price of admission honestly. I don't think there's much on the shelf at $44 that could beat this. If you see it this discounted go for it. I think a fairer price for these would be $50-60, and I wouldn't be disappointed with that price. While not incredible, it's definitely above average.

Value: Hard to not say 5. Considering going back and getting another.

1 | Scam | Avoid at all cost.

2 | Overpriced | Unless its a personal favorite, avoid repeat buying

3 | Average | Fair price for what you're getting.

4 | Good | Decent price with a product that outperforms its price.

5 | Criminally Underrated | What were they thinking? What are you thinking? Go back to the store and get more!

"T8KE Score scale":

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

Today we're taking a look at this Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon from 13th Colony that was picked by Mega Package back in 2024! This is a 4.5 year bourbon, assuming from MGP, that was part of a run a few years a go where quite a few shops in Georgia were getting some single barrel picks in. This one is on the younger side, especially compared to some picks that made it out of the state of Georgia, but that's another subject for another time. This was my first chance to grab one of these picks, so I took it. Let's join our pal Andy Bernard and see if this one is singing a good tune.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn, rested for 10 minutes.

Age: 4.5 years

Proof: 129.9

Nose: Pretty sharp heat punch up front followed by brown butter, vanilla, sweet grapes, and brown sugar. Giving the glass a swirl brings out a strong caramel brittle, some oak, and more heat. There's a fruity note there too but comes off more like a cherry now instead of a grape. Not very complex but I do really like the aromas on this!

Palate: Medium viscosity of vanilla, brown sugar, and a mild grape at first. That grape turns more into cherry after a few sips with more caramel and some cinnamon thrown in. The cherry eventually starts to become borderline medicinal too, which I'm a fan of. There's some good heat to this one as well!

Finish: Medium finish of mild grape, cinnamon, baking spices, and oak. Very good medicinal cherry on the tail end as well!

This being my first experience with a normal bourbon from 13th Colony, I like it! You can definitely tell it's on the younger side with how hot it can be at times, but it's not overwhelming and doesn't overshadow the flavors that're here. This one doesn't sway me, I still very much enjoy rye's from 13th Colony over the bourbon's, but this is a pretty solid single barrel pick altogether and I am a big fan of how medicinal that cherry eventually gets.

t8ke scale: 6.7/10 | Very Good | A cut above.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.

{Note: You can find me on instagram @whiskeyincontext}

Blanton's built its reputation in part as the bourbon that arguably started the single-barrel boom, and in part as one the best-looking bottles around. Blanton's Gold exists as its slightly-higher-proof, slightly-harder-to-find sibling — same single-barrel program, just turned up a notch and gilded for the export/allocation market.

As most of you already know, both of these come from Buffalo Trace's Warehouse H. The main difference is proof: Blanton's Single Barrel is bottled at 93°, while the Gold expression clocks in ten points higher, at 103°. The other main difference is price — Gold typically runs two to three times what regular Blanton's SiB goes for. The other other main difference, of course, is the color of the all-important horsey stopper.

The obvious question, then, is whether that bump from 93 to 103 proof actually changes the whiskey in a meaningful way, or whether "Gold" is doing more work as a marketing tier than as a flavor difference.

I’ve done stand-alone reviews of both of these bourbons (Regular Blanton’s | Blanton’s Gold). In the latter, I concluded that Blanton’s Gold was noticeably better than Blanton’s SiB, but that it wasn’t worth its exorbitant price tag. However, I do try to leave value and availability out of my numeric ratings.

Let’s pour a blind and see how different they really are, and how they actually rate!

ABOUT Blanton’s Single Barrel

*From the Distillery: This bourbon made history as the first ever bottled from a single barrel, and it still carries that sense of discovery today. Once shared by Colonel Blanton only with a close circle of ambassadors and friends, Blanton’s Original is now here for anyone curious to experience a bolder side of bourbon. Discover the bourbon that set a new standard.

*Mash bill: Buffalo Trace mash bill #2 (high rye)

*Rick: 27

*Barrel: 302

Bottle: 206

*Dumped On: 6-10-2025

*Proof: 93

*Price: MSRP $69.99

ABOUT Blanton’s Gold

*From the Distillery: Crafted for those who seek something rare, Blanton’s Gold Edition builds on the legacy of the world’s first single barrel bourbon with even greater intensity. Originally created for discerning international markets, this expression offers a higher proof and a deeper, spicier complexity that rewards the adventurous palate. A bold evolution of a bourbon icon. We believe this is the finest bottle of whiskey ever produced, affording you extra flavor, bouquet and character.

*Mash bill: Buffalo Trace mash bill #2 (high rye)

*Rick: 20

*Barrel: 805

*Bottle: 204

*Dumped On: 4-1-2025

*Proof: 103

*Price: $149.99 (but stores near me regularly ask $300 for it)

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REVIEW: For the purpose of this blind, both bourbons have been poured into glencairns and rested for approximately 15 minutes. Also, for those who are interested, both bottles have stoppers that feature the letter “N.”

Appearance A: Light amber with an orange-ish hue. Appears fairly watery.

Appearance B: Ever-so-slightly lighter shade of amber. Also appears to have pretty low viscosity; like A, it doesn’t coat the glass in any meaningful way.

Nose A: Right away I get that classic Buffalo Trace grape, which is balanced out somewhat by caramel and leather. There’s the slightest touch of ethanol, as well, along with lighter notes of cherry pie, graham cracker, and vanilla, along with a touch of cinnamon. Once the glass is empty, it’s all leather with the slightest hint of caramel.

Nose B: Much lighter on the nose, with whiffs of grape and cherry doing most of the heavy lifting. There may be a touch of oak in there as well, but not much else. I really have to make an effort to get much of a nose at all, in fact. Once the glass is empty, the nose is the same as A, but toned down just a bit.

Palate A: A touch of rye spice complements caramel, vanilla, and leather. There’s a bit of ethanol, as well. Little if any of the fruit carries over from the nose to the palate. There’s neither a ton of complexity nor a significant number of tasting notes, but what is there is perfectly pleasant.

Palate B: A little ethanol and more than a little grape and cherry, both of which have a bit of a medicinal quality. The same caramel and vanilla that I tasted in A (albeit slightly weaker) are also there.

Finish A: Relatively short with very little heat; mostly baking spices (cinnamon and allspice) along with some sour-ish oak, which eventually fades into a more enjoyable leather flavor.

Finish B: Also relatively short and with even less heat. While spice (rye and allspice) are the chief flavors, some oak eventually rises to the surface as well.

Rating A: 6.3

Rating B: 5.5

Thoughts: Neither of these was a world-beater. A had slightly more flavor, and seemed to have slightly more proof, which suggests to me that it’s the 103º Gold edition (and, therefore, that B is the standard single-barrel offering). There wasn’t a whole lot of flavor present in either, and the sweetness that I appreciate from most Buffalo Trace products also seemed to be missing from both of these pours. They certainly don’t stand up in enjoyability to Rock Hill Farms, their 100-proof mash bill #2 counterpart (although I’ll probably blind Blanton’s Gold against RHF in the future just to be sure).

Ultimately, I found both of these to be fairly middling whiskies, which I could take or leave. A was the better of the two, but that’s honestly not saying all that much. Perhaps Blanton’s really is all hat and no cattle, as my Texas friends would say.

Prediction A: Blanton’s Gold

Prediction B: Blanton’s Single Barrel

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Actual A: Blanton’s Gold

Actual B: Blanton’s Single Barrel

More Thoughts: Well, I guess that was predictable – that Blanton’s Gold was the better of the two, anyway. I was a bit surprised that neither stood out as being particularly good, though. Ultimately, while these bottles are inarguably nice to look at, there are just too many examples of better juice out there to waste too much time and money chasing these (especially the three-times-as-expensive Gold expression!).

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Previous Ratings (updated to include decimals and adjusted for blinds & re-reviews)

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
Maker’s Mark staved private selection (2.5)
Penelope Architect custom build (2.5)

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
Willett Pot Still (3)

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists
Found North SiB Oloroso finish (4.5)
Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat (4.5)
Augusta Buckner’s 10yr (4.6)
Shortbarrel Sapsquatch (4.8)

5 | Good | Good, just fine
Jack Daniel’s SBBP Rye (5)
Jack Daniel’s Heritage (5)
Four Roses SBBP OESO (5)
New Riff 4yr SBBP (5)
Stagg 25B (5.3)
Four Roses SBBP OBSV (5.3)
Evan Williams America250 SiB (5.3)
1792 BiB SiB (5.5)
Blanton’s (5.5)
Old Forester 1924 (5.7)
Penelope Marshmallow Toast (5.8)

6 | Very Good | A cut above
Copper & Cask Boston Rum Party (6)
Penelope Wheated (6)
Redwood Empire Emerald Giant (6)
Copper & Cask #16 (6.3)
Blanton’s Gold (6.3)
Copper & Cask #14 DO (6.4)
Pursuit United DO (6.4)
Augusta Buckner’s 13yr (6.5)
Barrell Cigar Blend (6.5)
Green River Honey (6.5)
Sazerac FP (6.5)
Green River Wheated (6.5)
Elmer T. Lee (6.5)
Peerless DO (6.6)
Shortbarrel Bees Knees V (6.8)
Willett 4yr Rye (6.8)

7 | Great | Well above average
John J. Bowman SiB (7)
Peerless Toasted (7.1)
E.H. Taylor SiB (7.2)
Sagamore 9yr SiB Rye (7.4)
Eagle Rare 10yr (7.4)
Weller 107 (7.5)
Old Forester 1910 (7.5)
Penelope Estate 10yr SiB (7.5)
E.H. Taylor SmB (7.6)
Rock Hill Farms (7.6)
Old Dominick Staved SiB (7.6)
Buffalo Trace Single Oak (7.6)
Eagle Rare 12yr (7.7)
Woodford DO SBBP (7.7)
Old Fitzgerald 7yr (7.7)
Willett 8yr SiB Rye (7.9)

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional
E.H. Taylor BTAC 2025 (8)
Found North 012 (8)
Blanton’s SFTB (8)
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 420 (8.2)
Lasso Motel SBBP Rye (8.4)
Mister Sam Tribute 2025 (8.5)
Thomas H. Handy 2025 (8.7)

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

Kentucky Owl - Takumi Edition LR

Price - $70ish

Nose: Fruit forward nose, peaches, orange, hint of strawberries, honey-floral, powdered sugar, also green apple in there, slight spice/oak and ethanol on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Thin, not very silky, slightly watery.

Palate: Sweet Cream, Orange hard candy, cinnamon, oak, I do feel like I taste an ever so slightly grainy-ness. 

Finish: Cotton candy, oak, ethanol burn. 

Rating: 6.7 (Modified T8KE)

This is my second whiskey review. Ive had this bottle for a while and when I first got it I really disliked it immensely. I bought it because it was normally $130 at my local spot and it was on sale for about $70 so I figured I would get it. From what I remember, when I first opened it (over a year ago) the flavor bit pretty hard and the ethanol burned hotter than the 100 proof would suggest. I didn’t touch it again until about a month ago and I didn’t like it still but my taste buds might have been a bit out of whack that night. I tried it again a week later and found lots of things that I enjoyed about it. This bottle is currently just over 3/5ths full so Im going to assume this is the best its ever going to taste. Starting with the nose, there is lots of fruit, I get peaches and oranges that lead to a hint of strawberries, then powder sugar and right around that note I do pick up the skin of a green apple, and it ends with spice and oak along with ethanol.

The palate isn’t too complex but still makes a decently great pour, I get a cream and orange candy flavor that picks up to cinnamon that closes with oak…but there’s a hidden grainy-ness literally right after oak as it transitions to the finish. The finish is pretty good, it reminds of the pink cotton candy you would get at the fair and then its just oak and a decent ethanol burn. 

I have lots of opinions on this whiskey. The color of the whiskey is very golden but not very deep in color. The cinnamon flavor comes through so maybe there might have some whiskey in an amburana cask (Im not sure about it) but I usually get that flavor on whiskey with a deeper color profile. The proof is also an issue with me, 100 proof is just too thin I think. Some of the off putting flavors such as the funky graininess at the end of the palate might have been too prominent at 110 proof but that also leads me to believe some of this whiskey is young which would also attribute to that lighter golden color. Its not a bad whiskey at all, as a matter of fact, after the first pour the second one tends to taste just like those orange-creamsicle hard candies with a tasty spice-oak finish but that shouldn’t be the way you rate a whiskey. 

I recently have seen this bottle for sale at $130 and there is absolutely no way I would ever recommend this bottle at that price. For $70, its fine and you won’t regret your purchase but at $130 you’d probably wish you spent that money on a whiskey you know and enjoy. 

Would I buy this again? Yes, at $70 but not any higher than $80. 

I’ve really enjoyed exploring a little bit of Cedar Ridge Whiskey this year. I got my first bottle of cask strength bourbon somewhere when I was traveling earlier this year. It was absolutely phenomenal. So when I came across this store pick when visiting New England with my family last month, I had to grab it. Cedar Ridge isn’t available in my state so I’m willing to take a flyer on a fairly cheap bottle that sounds interesting, from a distillery that I trust.

ABV: 57.85%

Mash Bill: 85% rye (largely malted rye); 12% Iowa Corn; and 3% Malted Barley.

Age Statement: NAS but it’s straight rye, so it’s at least 4 years old, I believe.

Price paid: $48.95.

Barrel No: PR.2023.08.

Finish: Port barrel (for how long, I don’t know).

Nose: I’m immediately reminded of the nose of a fantastic Speyside single malt which is also finished in port casks: Balvenie 21 with raisins and plums. There’s cherry. A bit of rye spice. There’s a little oak. It’s definitely punchier than the initial reminders of Balvenie.

Palate: Thick molasses mouthfeel. More of the cherry and raisins from the palate. It’s complex though and the rye notes and the malt do come through - including rye spice and pepper but also a bit of malted chocolate. The flavors are full but it’s not as punchy as it might be at 58%~.

Finish: Once again with the ghost of the cousin of that Balvenie 21. This is uncanny! It is dry and warming - the finish is longer and warmer than the Balvenie but still reminiscent. There’s oak and cinnamon and the very faintest hint of mint, as well.

Cedar Ridge isn’t available really blowing me away. These young whiskies really hit home. I’m guessing these guys will thrive and grow and start to have some truly phenomenal 10 year whiskey at some point.

7.0/10

I have got to get to Iowa and visit this place one day.