Drink the Bottles

Bardstown Bourbon Company Reveals 2026 Annual Releases: 2026 Discover & Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish Bardstown, KY (August 18, 2026)  - Bardstown Bourbon Company continues its pursuit of pushing the boundaries of bourbon with two limited fall releases that explore whiskey innovation in entirely different ways.  Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish Whiskey  demonstrates how extraordinary casks can shape whiskey in unexpected ways while 2026 Discovery  showcases the art of blending through exceptional combination of mature Kentucky bourbons. For the first time, Bardstown Bourbon Company's annual releases also feature original commissioned artwork inspired directly by the whiskey itself.  Louisville artiest Margaret Archambault created each pieces after experiencing the liquid, translating aroma, flavor, and texture into visual art that now appears on the bottles and packaging.  The new package design also marks an evolution for these two award-winning stories....

  When Creativity Meets Craftmanship There are bourbon producers that honor tradition, and then there are those willing to challenge it. Kentucky's Coxs Creek Distilling Company —the creative force behind the Good Times Bourbon brand—has quickly become known for pushing the boundaries of what finished bourbon can be. Rather than relying solely on familiar port, sherry, or cognac finishes, Good Times has built a devoted following by experimenting with an impressive variety of secondary maturation techniques. Coconut rum, raspberry brandy, exotic woods, blueberry, mint, honey, banana, dessert-inspired barrels, and countless other finishing casks have become the company's signature, creating limited single barrel releases that are as intriguing as they are difficult to find. Their philosophy is simple: start with quality bourbon, then explore just how much complexity a thoughtfully selected finishing cask can add without losing the whiskey's identity. One of their newer and mo...

In May of 2025, Middle West Spirits completed their acquisition of the Old Elk brand.  For sometime prior to that, we were struggling to see much inventory on shelves locally, knowing that some BIG things were likely on the horizon.  And, boy oh boy... we've got some really cool stuff to share!  We tasted these from media samples (not pictured). 10-Year Old Wheated Bourbon This straight wheated bourbon whiskey has a mash bill of corn (51%), wheat (46%) and barley (3%).  Mouth-watering from the first aromas to the warm and satisfying finish.  Vanilla bean, sugary caramel and toasty wheat fill the senses.  The same carries over to the palate with the addition of barn wood, milk chocolate chips and hints of red fruits.   ABV:  52.5% (105 proof) Suggested retail price:  $69.99 Drink The Bottles score:  94/100 10-Year Old Straight Wheat Whiskey This one a super fun to tasted because it is so different than much of what we have tasted rec...

When the Blend Becomes Greater Than the Barrels In today's bourbon landscape, it seems like every new brand is chasing the next limited release. Silverthorn Reserve has taken a different approach. Rather than focusing on volume or flashy marketing, the company has built its identity around something that often gets overlooked—the art of blending. Founded by Drew Thorn after helping build Sagamore Spirit into a nationally recognized whiskey brand, Silverthorn Reserve is intentionally small. Every release is produced from just a handful of carefully selected barrels, allowing the team to prioritize flavor over scale. Transparency is equally important. Each bottle details exactly what went into the blend, from the originating states to the mash bills and blending percentages, giving whiskey enthusiasts a rare level of insight into what they're drinking. The Silverthorn Reserve 10-Year Blender's Art Bourbon is an excellent example of that philosophy in action. Rather than relyi...

  Bardstown Bourbon Company Pursues Tropical Character with Victoria Pineapple Barrel Finish Whiskey The Kentucky-exclusive release was inspired by one of rum’s most distinctive maturation traditions BARDSTOWN, Ky. (July 21, 2026) — Of the hundreds of flavor compounds found in American Whiskey, few are more elusive than genuine tropical fruit. Bardstown Bourbon Company set out to explore whether those flavors could be achieved through patience, process, and barrel influence rather than shortcuts in its new Victoria Pineapple Barrel Finish Whiskey.   Exclusive to Kentucky, Victoria Pineapple Barrel Finish is a marriage of mature bourbon and rye that pushes beyond traditional finishing techniques, creating a whiskey that is both delightfully unexpected and unmistakably authentic. “The goal was never to make whiskey taste like pineapple,” said Dan Callaway, Master Blender, Lofted Spirits. “The goal was to understand what made these barrels so special in the first place. We foll...

There is something fascinating happening in American whiskey right now. The category is no longer defined only by century-old distilleries and traditional production methods. Some of the most interesting bottles are coming from brands willing to challenge what whiskey should look like.  So far, everything we have tasted from Whiskey JYPSI has been nothing short of fantastic. Whiskey JYPSI’s Legacy Series has embraced that idea from the beginning — not simply blending whiskey together, but reconstructing flavor profiles by selecting mature spirits from different origins and bringing them together with a specific vision. Legacy Batch 003, appropriately named “ The Declaration ,” might be their boldest statement yet. Bottled at 115.74 proof , this limited release is built around a reimagined Colonial-era Maryland-style rye profile. Instead of following a single distillery’s recipe, The Declaration combines aged whiskey components from three distinct whiskey traditions: Indiana rye, ...

Some whiskey releases are designed to tell a larger story.   Penelope's Limited Series, Architects of Golf, came together over a love and discussion about golf.  It seems simple enough, but if you know anything about the spirits game, you know nothing happens overnight.   This is Penelope Architects of Golf Hole 2 , a six-year-old straight bourbon whiskey with a mash bill consisting of corn (60%), rye (36%), and malted barley (4%).  The elevated rye content promises a more assertive profile while the finishing introduces a layer of complexity that we appreciate.   While many limited releases arrive with a one-and-done approach, Architects of Golf appears to be building something much larger. With Holes 1, 2, and 3 already announced, the series invites an obvious question:  How many holes are left to play? While no official roadmap has been released, the golf-inspired theme naturally leads enthusiasts to wonder whether the collection could eve...

One of the things we've always appreciated about Penelope is that they aren't afraid to experiment.  In fact, some might argue that they paved the path for many other distilleries for blending and creating unique spirits.   In an era where every new whiskey release seems to promise bigger proof, older age statements, or increasingly exotic finishes, Penelope has managed to find a balance between innovation and drinkability. That philosophy is on full display in the Cooper Series, a collection that allows the brand to explore unique finishing techniques while still keeping the whiskey approachable and enjoyable. Enter Riviera .  Part of Penelope's popular Cooper Series, Riviera takes a blend straight bourbon and 8-year American light whiskey and finishes it in rosé wine casks. On paper, it sounds like a whiskey designed for warmer weather and outdoor gatherings. In the glass, it turns out to be exactly that. The Cooper Series has become one of the more interesting pro...

Woodinville Whiskey: From Washington Startup to American Whiskey Standout Let's get one thing out of the way right from the start: Woodinville Whiskey isn't trying to be Kentucky bourbon.   That's probably one of the biggest reasons it has become one of the most respected craft whiskey producers in America. For decades, bourbon drinkers have been conditioned to believe that the best whiskey comes from Kentucky. While there's certainly plenty of truth behind that reputation, distilleries like Woodinville have shown that exceptional bourbon can come from places most enthusiasts never expected. In this case, the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 2010 by longtime friends Brett Carlile and Orlin Sorensen, Woodinville Whiskey began with a simple but ambitious goal: create world-class whiskey using local ingredients and traditional methods without taking shortcuts. Rather than sourcing whiskey from elsewhere and putting their name on it, they committed themselves to building somet...

  ASW Distillery: How Atlanta's Whiskey Pioneer Became One of America's Most Innovative Bourbon Producers There are certain distilleries that consistently find their way back onto my shelf. Not because they're trendy. Not because they're impossible to find. And certainly not because they're backed by massive marketing budgets.  They earn their place because they make whiskey that I genuinely enjoy drinking. For me, ASW Distillery falls squarely into that category. Over the years I've tasted countless bourbons from every corner of the country. Some have been excellent. Some have been forgettable. A select few have become bottles that I actively seek out whenever I see them. ASW's Fiddler line belongs in that latter group.  These bottles are nothing short of incredible! What makes ASW so fascinating is that they're not simply following the blueprint laid out by Kentucky's legacy distilleries. They're creating something uniquely their own in Atlant...

When most bourbon enthusiasts think about great whiskey, their minds immediately drift toward Kentucky. It's understandable. The Bluegrass State has earned its reputation as bourbon's spiritual home.  But every so often, a distillery outside Kentucky reminds us that exceptional whiskey can come from unexpected places.  Middle West Spirits has quietly become one of those distilleries. Located in Columbus, Ohio, Middle West has spent years building a reputation for producing grain-to-glass spirits with an emphasis on transparency, local agriculture, and meticulous craftsmanship. While many brands source whiskey from elsewhere and focus primarily on marketing, Middle West has invested heavily in making whiskey from the ground up. Their Michelone Reserve Straight Wheated Bourbon is a perfect example of what happens when a distillery takes its time and lets quality lead the conversation.  This isn't a bourbon trying to shock you with massive proof or extreme oak influence. In...

  Let's address the elephant in the room right away.   Yes, it's called Chicken Cock. The name inevitably gets a smile, a raised eyebrow, or a joke from nearly everyone who encounters the bottle for the first time. But behind the playful branding lies one of the most intriguing stories in American whiskey history—a story that stretches back 170 years and includes saloons, Prohibition-era smuggling, organized crime lore, and a remarkable modern revival. While many whiskey brands spend millions trying to create heritage, Chicken Cock actually has it.  And once you get past the name, you'll find a surprisingly well-crafted bourbon that delivers exactly what many enthusiasts are looking for: bold flavor, respectable proof, and a profile that remains approachable enough to enjoy neat. Chicken Cock Whiskey traces its roots back to 1856 in Paris, Kentucky, making it one of America's oldest whiskey brands.  Long before today's bourbon boom, Chicken Cock had already esta...