REVIEWS

There are bourbons I drink … and there are bourbons I like. And the two are not always the same. Some bourbons I immediately like; others I grow  to like. With some of Castle & Key’s earlier releases, I was less than impressed. This one - Castle & Key’s 7-year Wheated Cask Strength  — absolutely falls into the bourbons I like. But before we get to the glass, let’s take a little stroll through Castle & Key’s  backstory, because this place has one of the most romantic, movie-wo

You ever open a bottle and immediately think, “Yep… this one’s gonna be a porch-sipper” ? That was me with Speakeasy Bourbon from Willett . But before we get to the glass, let’s take a quick stroll through Willett history — because this family’s story is half the fun of drinking their stuff. A Quick History Lesson The legacy traces back to the years just after the Civil War, when John David Willett was a Master Distiller and part-owner of the Moore, Willett & Frenke Distiller

There’s something comforting about returning to Maker’s Mark —like going back to that friend who’s always steady, always welcoming, and somehow always has a fresh bottle open on the counter. For all the wild experimentation we see from distilleries today,  Maker’s has this quiet confidence about who they are and what they do. Which, honestly, makes their annual Steward’s Release  so fun. It’s Maker’s stepping out of their Sunday-best wheated sweetness and saying, “ Alright, l

Ah, spring. That magical time of year when the sun comes back, the birds start singing, and we all pretend we’re excited to clean things. But while everyone else is out here alphabetizing spice racks and wrestling with their garage clutter, we  tackle something much more important: the spring cleaning of the home bar . Don’t worry — this isn’t the kind of cleaning that requires rubber gloves or existential dread. Think of it more like a seasonal tune-up for better cocktails,

Every once in a while, a bourbon reminds you why you fell in love with single barrels in the first place. Not because it’s loud. Not because it’s chasing shock value. But because it quietly, confidently delivers complexity, balance, and craftsmanship in a way that feels effortless. This Bardstown Bourbon Company Single Barrel  does exactly that. A Brief Word on Bardstown Bourbon Company Founded in 2014, Bardstown Bourbon Company  was built with a bold, almost disruptive idea

Every distillery has a story, but Heaven Hill’s  is one of those rare ones that feels genuinely woven into the fabric of Kentucky bourbon. Five Brothers Bourbon  leans into that heritage with a name that honors the Shapira brothers, the family who founded Heaven Hill back in 1935. The bottle itself doesn’t scream for attention — it doesn’t have to. What’s inside does the talking, and it speaks with the kind of easy confidence that only comes from decades of knowing exactly wh

A while back, I was in my favorite Total Wine & More  establishment and saw a large display of Old Emmer Finest Wheat Bourbon Whiskey . I asked an employee for a complimentary pour (I always appreciate!) and asked if he could tell me anything about it. “ It’s flying off the shelves. We can’t keep it in stock .” Really – tell me more … “ Well, you’ve heard of Elmer T. Lee  – well this is similar. And the ‘old’ is tied to ‘Old Taylor’ ” … Hmmm … My mantra is “ Never let the tru