Drink the Bottles

Dark Arts Whiskey House & Alchemy Lab just celebrated their 3-year anniversary.  The former Wilderness Trail blender and his team of whiskey scientists have created a sizeable footprint in just a few years, trailblazing unique and welcoming expressions, blended expertly. If you haven't tried Dark Arts yet due to distribution in your state, you need to get on their website and check out a bottle or two.  They're all very unique and the combination of flavors leave you scratching your head - in a good way! This is the Dark Arts Straighr Rye Whiskey Finished in Maple Syrup Barrels with Toasted Amburana Oak Staves.  Sure, it's a mouth full, but it's also... well, a mouth full!  Better known as Ripple Rye II, this is a 7.5 year MGP sourced whiskey, finished under the direction of Macauley Minton, resulting in tons of flavors. Bright copper color with aromas of freshly baked Biscoff cookie, vanilla frosting and ripe red fruits.  The maple is there but not overwhe...

Jack Daniel’s Debuts High Proof, Small Batch Rye from Three Unique  Barrelhouse Locations  Five batches of barrel-proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey from Coy Hill, Boiler Hill, and Fire Brigade Fields are available beginning this month in very limited quantities at the distillery’s White Rabbit Bottle Shop Lynchburg, Tenn. (April 21, 2026) – The Jack Daniel Distillery today announced the very limited release of Jack Daniel’s Special Release Small Batch Rye, which consists of five high-proof batches of Tennessee Rye Whiskey sourced from Coy Hill, Boiler Hill, and Fire Brigade Fields barrelhouses. Presented at barrel proof in 375 mL bottles and proof points ranging from 142.7 to 146.1, the special release represents some of the most unparalleled and limited Tennessee Rye Whiskey to emerge from the Lynchburg distillery. A total of 129 Tennessee Rye Whiskey barrels with entry dates spanning 18 months (from February 2016 to August 2017) were matured for an average of 10 years across thr...

  Go ahead.  Chase the usual suspects.  Make yourself crazy trying to find the overhyped allocated bottles that are "show-off" toys for your shelves.   And leave the bottles like this  Sagamore Spirit 10-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey for us... all - day - long. We've tasted dozens of rye whiskey offerings over the years, but seldom do we have the opportunity to taste one with a ten year age statement.  This whiskey first hit the scene in the fall of 2025 in a very limited capacity.  We missed out on that but were thrilled to snag the re-release of this bottle that is available nationwide.   While it is still considered a limited bottling and part of the Reserve Series, you can find this  online at Sagamore's website. We're actually going to start with the packaging on this.  It's gorgeous and frankly, captivating.  This might be the heaviest whiskey bottle on the market and we've come to expect nothing less than top tier ...

  Hold on to your hats because we have a lot to unbox here!  We received these bottles just a couple of days ago and we pushed them to the top of the list because we were so &$%#ing excited to taste them!  Today we're going to discuss all things Silverthorn Reserve, including tasting and sharing our thoughts on these two bottles.  But before we share that, we want to introduce you to the brand and the man behind the label! If the name Drew Thorn resonates with you, it's because Drew was a driving force behind the immensely popular and wildly successful Sagamore Spirit brand for many years.  Drew learned so much about the business, operations, transparency, quality and what customers want during his tenure at Sagamore.  But how will that carry over into this new project? DTB:  What was the moment you knew you wanted to build Silverthorn Reserve after leaving Sagamore Spirit? DT:  I had conceived of Silverthorn Reserve many yearsago, but it had ...

If you haven't heard of Shortbarrel Bourbon yet, you're either living under a rock or it isn't currently distributed where you live.  We first tasted one of their Bees Knees  bottles from a friend who bought it on a trip to Kentucky, and that first sip made us sit up and take notice.  While it isn't available in our state (yet), we've been lucky enough to find their bottles while on trips and we always look for new releases.   Three friends - Patrick Lemmond, Clinton Dugan, and Adam Dorfman - had a dream like so many whiskey enthusiasts do.  But they turned their vision into a reality and they are the founders of Shortbarrel, one of the most exciting, consistent and fast-growing brands in the past couple of years.  No detail is overlooked from the quality of the blending and/or distilling and down to the eye-catching packaging.   While the company operates a distillery in the Atlanta, Georgia suburb of Norcross, their flagship  Shortbarr...

  About an hour west of Chicago sits DeKalb, Illinois, a community of 44,000 people that is made up predominantly of farmers and farm-related industry workers.  You'll find family-owned restaurants, Northern Illinois University and Whiskey Acres Distilling Company.   Fifth generation farmers in Illinois are creating whiskey that are all very unique and as smooth as silk.  We can sum this up in two words…  DAMN GOOD!  These farmers and distillers have created not only some of the best distilled spirits in the Midwest, but also the country.  You’ll find a visitors’ center that is a destination location, and it sits among the fields of grains that they use in their products. This is a tue "seed to spirit" operation and we love everything about this story. Whiskey Acres Bottled in Bond Bourbon Is at least FIVE years old and has a Mash bill of 75% corn, 15% soft red winter wheat, 10% malted barley.  Pale chestnut in color with fresh caramel corn o...

If you want something done right, do it yourself.  That's what "dad" said.  Founder and Distiller Herman Mihalich remembers those words like they were spoken yesterday and they resounded with him over and over.  It's only fitting that Mihalich had a dream of creating Dad's Hat Rye in the birthplace of rye whiskey - Pennsylvania because he too wanted to do things the right way.  And from what we can tell, they are doing just that. Small batch.  Hand crafted.  Local Ingredients.  These arent't just descriptors.  These simple words are the backbone of the business and Dad's Hat Rye doesn't use them lightly.  They take pride and care in creating a footprint in a fast-paced, busy and crowded world.  Their bottles are meant to remind you of kinder, gentler, optimistic times in America.   This bottle of  Dad's Hat Classic Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey is a flagship product in their portfolio.  If you don't appreciate this bottle...

  About two months ago, Heaven HIll Distillery announced an additiont to their limited edition whiskey lineup - Grain to Glass expressions finished in Chinquapin Oak barrels.  The innaugural release offered a Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and a Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, all with the Beck's 6225 grain backbone.  Chinquapin Oak is a specific type of American white oak, found primarily in Central and Eastern North America.  We have a bottle of the "normal" HH Grain to Glass Bourbon in our home bar and we really enjoy that one, so we were really stoked to taste the three expressions that were generously provided by Heaven Hill back to back. The Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey has a dark brown, almost aged copper appearance and it carries a mash bill of Rye (63%), Corn (24%) and Malt (13%).  The bottle suggests this is a 7 year age stated whiskey by the bottled and released years, but specific dates aren't provided...

  Do you ever have one of those incredibly unique bottles that comes your way that is so exciting you don't even know where to begin?  We are going to be completely transparent when we say that we were skeptical about this brand at first, only to be proven wrong on so many levels.  Founder Raj Peter Bhakta is just creating a footprint in the spirits world.  He is planting a flag - a BIG one - and is generating excitement for what most consider a completely new category that we call Vintage Rare Blended Whskey. If Bhakta's name sounds familiar, it is because he is the founder of WhistlePig Whiskey, a top tier luxury rye whiskey brand that helped lay the foundation of this venture.  In 2019, he sold his stake in WhistlePig and he eventually landed in Condom, France, discovering and purchasing an ancient cellar of Armagnac dating back to 1868.  The rest?  Well, that's history. In order to truly appreciate what Bhakta is doing with this brand, you have to ...

FRANKFORT, KY (November 12, 2025) –  Buffalo Trace Distillery is proud to introduce  Sazerac Rye Whiskey Full Proof  as a permanent addition to its growing Sazerac Rye portfolio. Bottled at 125 proof, this bold new release emerges from the Distillery’s recent expansion and amplifies the brand’s signature spicy, peppery, and dry profile to create a sipping whiskey with remarkable intensity.  Born out of the spirit of New Orleans, Sazerac Rye Whiskey captures the character of the city: bold, timeless, and unapologetically original. The brand has evolved from a bartender’s best-kept secret into a connoisseur’s staple, with the original 90 proof and the recently launched 100 proof expressions celebrated for their distinctive spice and dry complexity. The addition of Full Proof offers a full-bodied expression crafted for sipping and savoring, highlighting the versatility of Sazerac Rye while reflecting Buffalo Trace Distillery’s commitment to delivering exceptional whiske...

  FRANKFORT, KY (July 21, 2025) –  Buffalo Trace Distillery proudly announces a new, higher-proof addition to its renowned Sazerac Rye Whiskey portfolio,  Sazerac Rye Whiskey 100 Proof . Developed in response to demand from bartenders and whiskey enthusiasts, this innovative expression is designed to offer enhanced flavor, versatility and control in cocktail creation while maintaining the smooth, approachable profile that defines Sazerac Rye. After extensive development to ensure the elevated proof complements rather than overwhelms its signature flavor, Sazerac Rye Whiskey 100 Proof delivers a richer, more structured whiskey that stands up beautifully in both bold and classic cocktails such as the Sazerac and Manhattan. “As the whiskey of America’s first cocktail, Sazerac Rye has played a central role in rye whiskey’s resurgence,” said Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director at Buffalo Trace Distillery. “Bartenders have increasingly embraced 100 proof ryes for the balance, ...

  We have been enjoying multiple bottles from Buzzard's Roost for a couple of years and we were recently introduced to the fan club - Ambuzzadors - that was started in 2022.   Twice a year these die hard fans are invited to Whiskey Row to the Buzzard's Roose headquarters for a barrel pick.  The cool thing about these bottles is that they are extremely exclusive; they do not go into distribution and they are available only online at at Whiskey Row. We recently received a 100mL sample bottle of the  Buzzard's Roost Ambuzzadors Select Single Barrel Rye 2025 to taste, and this one.... is a HIT!  Caramel-gingerbread in color, this has concentrated and defined aromas of peach, apricot, coffee bean, chocolate bits and dried earth.  For a bottle that has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, we were really taken back by the citrus flavors that held on from beginning to end along with rich, butter cream icing and toasted nuts.  The finish sticks ar...

Mutt here!  Most of you may not know this, but my family and I have been having a love affair with Wyoming for many years.  It is one of our "go to" destinations on vacation whenever we can - at least once a year.  It made perfect sense when I was given the opportunity to taste this revolutionary straight rye whiskey.  It is  Pine Bluffs Distilling Straight Rye Whiskey from where else but Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. Pine Bluffs, Wyoming is about as far southeast as you can go without landing in neighboring Nebraska and their "Farm to Flask" approach is both honorable and impressive as they meticulously oversee every single step from growing grains to bottling.  When we first discovered Pine Bluffs and saw the John Deere equipment adorning their website, we knew these were good people!  They are currently producing a half dozen whiskies, a gin and a vodka.  Today we're checking out the straight rye whiskey. This bottle was really a nice surprise.  ...

Jeff here.  Mutt and I tag teamed the bottles we received from Pine Bluffs Distilling out of Pine Bluffs, Wyoming and we were super impressed by everything from the packaging, their website and of course, the whiskey.  Today I'm tasting and discussing Pine Bluffs Distilling Ryed Bourbon , a high corn mash bill that consists of corn (60%), rye (20%) and malt (20%).   When Chad and Theresa Brown set out to build their dream in southeast Wyoming, the distillery was a pipe dream from the creation of home distilling.  The unassuming, state-of-the-art distillery "in the middle of nowhere" now supports the local community with everything from purchasing local grains to providing local jobs for people passionate about whiskey and other spirits. The first thing I noticed about this Batch 11 Ryed Bourbon was the bottle.  If you've been around here long enough, you know  how I feel about the importance of smart packaging from the top to the bottom and the front t...

  Lexington Brewing & Distilling Company produces some of our favorite products from both the brewing and distilling sides of things.  Their bourbon barrel ale is an absolute game changer in the beer arena.  So far, every one of their whiskeys have resonated with us and our readers, and this one is no exception.  This is the Overproof Kentucky Straight Whiskey under the Town Branch label.   This is a smart blend of four Kentucky straight whiskeys:  Bourbon Whiskey (70%), Wheated Bourbon Whiskey (10%), Double Oak Whiskey (10%) and Rye Whiskey (10%).  At just 10% Rye and the remaining liquid Bourbon, this is incredibly smooth and flavorful with a finish that is literally mouth-watering.  The mash bills on these whiskeys is:  Bourbon (72% corn, 15% rye, 13% barley), Wheated Bourbon (70% corn, 22% wheat, 8% barley), Double Oak (72% corn, 15% rye, 13% barley finsihes in 90% rye, 5% corn, 5% barley barrels) and Rye (90% rye, 5% corn, 5% b...