Drink the Bottles

  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 ...

  Jack Daniel’s Launches Limited Edition Tennessee Rye Whiskey Finished in Table Syrup Barrels Jack Daniel’s Distillery Selection #16 brings together rye spice and Southern sweetness in this barrel proof release Lynchburg, Tennessee (December 4, 2025) – The Jack Daniel Distillery introduces Distillery Series #16, a barrel proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey finished in table syrup barrels, as the latest innovation in its Distillery Series line of experimental whiskeys. The new expression begins with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Whiskey, crafted from a mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley and matured in new charred white oak barrels. The rye whiskey is then finished in barrels that once held a Southern-style table syrup, adding rich layers of sweetness that complement and elevate its bold rye character. “The Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series is all about exploring new ideas, and the complex nature of our Tennessee Rye Whiskey makes a great canvas for experimentation,” said By...

Are you looking for an extra special gift for the drink enthusiasts in your life?  Gift-giving can be difficult but we are making it easier for you with our Holiday Gift Guide.  This year, our guide includes whiskey, wine and cigars, including some very hard-to-find (but still available) bottles while they last.  Every listing has a link where you can shop directly with the brand.  Happy Holidays! Hooten Young & Jack Carr Warrior Proof American Whiskey The team at Hooten Young still has some bottles left of this incredible 16 year  limited bottle of whiskey .  Hooten Young is a proud American company that partnered with #1  New York Times  bestselling author, retired Navy SEAL, and creator of  The Terminal List  series, Jack Carr.  Together they produced a whiskey that is the perfect sipper for both friends, veterans and active military members alike.   At 125 proof and a mashbill of Corn (99%) and Barley (1%), this bo...

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...

We are suckers for age-stated whiskeys so when we received a sample of this Barrell Craft Spirits 12 Year Bourbon French Oak Finish we leapt at the opportunity!  It's no secret that we have been fans of BCS for several years, way back when we dubbed Seagrass Rye in our top 5 favorite rye expressions - ever.  The concensus was that we suspsected this bottle would be nothing short of incredible, and we were not disappointed.  This whiskey was distilled and sourced from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Wyoming and then finished in French Oak barrels with varying toast levels. Aged copper penny in appearance, this bourbon immediately oozes ageworthy aromas of well-weathered saddle leather, antique butter churn, dried herbs, cinnamon stick and fresh baked bread.   There is so much going on here, and between both of us tasting this bottle, we probably came up with close to twenty separate aromas, but had to settle on the aforementioned as we felt they were most d...

  Earlier this year, we accidentally stumbled across Johnny Pickles Distillery out of Texas and we were immediately intrigued by what they were doing.  First and foremost, Jeff was a firefighter for over twenty years and when he saw the distillery's home, the decomissioned Austin Street Fire Station, he knew he had to dig further.  If you haven't seen it, go to their website and if you're a 50's-something kid-at-heart, you'd swear you are back on the set of the 1970's TV show Emergency . The second thing that caught our eye was that this small distillery was determined to use local grains in their spirits and we always have mad respect for people who don't overlook the details.  The Texas heat allows for a shorter aging process and delicious results of the uniquely named bottles that Johnny Pickles is bringing to market.  This particular whiskey is made from 100% local corn.  Love it! When the good folks at Johnny Pickles Distillery sent us their Red Stinge...