Drink the Bottles

  Chicken Cock Whiskey has been around for about 170 years, celebrated as one of America's oldest brands with a storied history.  When a company like this introduces a new product to their core portfolio, you really need to pay attention.  This is the Chicken Cock Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, which replaces their Small Batch offering from their familiar and popular line.  This is produced in a partnership with Bardstown Bourbon Company. If you're not familiar with Chicken Cock, you've wanted to try something new or you just love Wheated Bourbon, then now is the time to take a leap of faith.  The company barreled this is Level 4 charred American White Oak barrels for at least five years, resulting is something that is super approachable and really plaeasing to the palate.  The mash bill is Corn (68%), Wheat (20%), and Malted Barley (12%).  The absence of rye is noticeable immediately and throughout the tasting. Bronze color in a bottle that is reminisc...

We love deliciously unusual collaborations and unique products.  This collaboration is a marriage of Bourbon Whiskey and Armagnac from Raj Peter Bhakta.   Why do you know that name?  Bhakta revolutionized rye whiskey with the WhistlePig  brand before discovering a literal treasure trove of Armagnac.  The Armagnac lead to the popular BHAKTA Spirits  brand, which eventually lead to this union that is now Hogsworth .   This non-distilling producer is expertly crafting really tasty and fun-to-drink bottles and this is the  Hogsworth Blend #9 Bourbon Whiskey & Armagnac .  This bottle has an average age of 9.3 years and is made up of the following impressively aged spirits: 2009 Bourbon (42%) - Aged 4 years, 9 months - Tennessee 2009 Bourbon (18%) - Aged 5 years, 4 months - Minnesota 2013 Armagnac (17%) - Aged 11 Years - France 2011 Armagnac (18%) - Aged 13 Years - France 1982 Armagnac (5%) - Aged 42 Years - France The result?  B...

Old Hillside Bourbon Company might be one of our favorite new brands (to us) for 2026.  In just six short years, this young company with huge ideas has carved a path not only for their brand, but to honor the legacy of incredible African American jockeys and war heroes.  North Carolina natives and friends founded Old Hillside Bourbon Company and they haven't looked back.  In fact, they're always looking to the future. One thing that likely makes this company so successful in its early stages is the approach they have towards the business.  Courtney Tucker, co-founder and COO, says, "This business is not about us.  We're just playing a part.  This is higher than us."  And that is evident by every bottle that pays homage to what would have been a long-forgotten great American and their stories that need to be preserved.  The company even created a limited release Straight Bourbon Whiskey for Hillside High School (hence the name, Old Hillside) and pr...

  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 ...

Evan Williams® Expands Award-Winning Flavors Lineup with New Evan Williams Blackberry Smooth bourbon meets ripe blackberry flavor in a fresh new nationwide release LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 12, 2026)  — Evan Williams®, the #1 American-owned Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, is bringing the flavor with the launch of Evan Williams Blackberry, a bold new flavor extension joining the brand’s award-winning lineup of flavored whiskeys. Arriving in stores across the U.S. beginning in March, Evan Williams Blackberry delivers a fresh pick for consumers looking to enjoy bourbon in new and flavorful ways. Combining Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon with ripe blackberry flavor, Evan Williams Blackberry offers a bold yet balanced taste that’s smooth, approachable, and versatile. Bottled at 65 proof (32.5% Alc./Vol.), the new expression layers juicy fruit notes with subtle caramel and a rounded bourbon finish making it easy to enjoy however the moment calls for it. “When you need a fresh pic...

Lux Row Distillers introduces Lux Row Estate Bourbon Made with corn grown onsite, the latest Lux Row variant is now available at the distillery ST. LOUIS (March 11, 2026) – A field of dreams has come to fruition. Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers is introducing Lux Row Estate Bourbon – a 5-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey made with #2 yellow corn that was grown onsite at Lux Row. Offered at 107 proof (53.5% ABV), Lux Row Estate Bourbon is now available exclusively at Lux Row Distillers at a minimum suggested retail price of $99.99 per 750mL bottle. The idea for a homegrown bourbon came from Lux Row Distillers Master Distiller John Rempe, who worked with his team to identify and plant the perfect variant of corn in an 11-acre field where rickhouses 6, 7, 8 and 9 now stand. After harvest, Rempe carefully crafted the Estate recipe using a mash bill of 78% homegrown corn, 12% malted barley and 10% rye. “Estate has been a true labor of love – from field to bottle – and...

  The Pacific Northwest is one of the most highly producing agriculture regions in the United States.  The cool evening climate from the Pacific ocean along with the unique multi-layered terroir creates a farmer's dream.  Back in 1934, however, locals noticed that there was an over abundance of pears and apples from the area that were going to waste, and they decided to take matters into their own hands.   Hood River Distillers has been a staple in Oregon for over 90 years, first creating fruit wines and brandies, and eventually branching out into bourbon, whiskey, tequila, gin, vodka and more.  The company distributes across the US and produces nearly 1,000,000 cases annually.  The Forthwest Whisky label currently offers four distinct expressions and three of those are flavored.  The bottle we are tasting today is Forthwest Whisky , an 80 proof blended Canadian whisky. First of all, lets talk about the packaging and specifically the bottle. ...

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...

  From Coxs Creek Distilling Company comes one of the most unique finished bourbon examples we have tasted in a long time.  Good Times Bourbon is known for being experts at finished and blending whiskeys, and today's bottle is another feather in their cap for quality, uniqueness and taste!  Coxs Creek Distlling Company is a non-distilling producer that is without a doubt  leading the way for distinctive expressions of whiskeys. Good Old Times Japanese Cherry Tree Cask Finish checks off some great boxes before you even taste it.  It's a single barrel release, barrel strength proof point and has a super-impressive 10-year age statement!  The packaging is quentissential Good Times Bourbon and this release is tough to find, at least for the suggested retail price. Mahogany in color with classic bourbon notes of vanilla, toasty oak, and tons of vanilla predominantly, but some airtime gives us some floral notes with orange marmelade.  On the palate, a subtly...

  Heaven Hill Distillery Honors a Storied Legacy with Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey Limited-edition release marks one of the final opportunities to experience Bourbon fully matured at the historic Deatsville campus as it transitions out of active aging Bardstown, Ky. — (February 26, 2026)  Heaven Hill Distillery announces the release of Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey, a limited-edition expression drawn from one of the most distinctive aging sites in the distillery’s 90-year history. Bottled from just 17 barrels aged on the third floor of Rickhouse AA, this release represents one of the final few opportunities to experience Bourbon fully matured entirely at the Deatsville campus before the site transitions out of active aging. The Deatsville campus, originally home to the shuttered T.W. Samuels Distillery, has been an enduring part of Heaven Hill’s heritage since the early 1980s, when the company first assumed stewardship of the ri...

 Jack Daniel’s Chris Fletcher Named Master Distiller of the Year by Whisky Magazin e The distillery’s 14-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey Batch 1 also awarded World’s Best Tennessee Whiskey at the annual Icons of Whisky and World Whiskies Awards America Lynchburg, Tenn. (February 24, 2026) – Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Chris Fletcher was named Master Distiller/Master Blender of the Year at Whisky Magazine’s 2026 Icons of Whisky and World Whiskies Awards America, held February 12 in Louisville, Ky. Jack Daniel’s 14-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey Batch 1, which Fletcher crafted in his role overseeing production and innovation at the Jack Daniel Distillery, was also awarded World’s Best Tennessee Whiskey at the ceremony. The annual awards celebrate the people and places responsible for exceptional whiskey-makingin the U.S., alongside the best in American whiskeys. Winners of World Whiskies Awards Americas will go on to compete next month against global competitors at the World Whiskies Awar...

Bardstown, Ky.   —   (February 23, 2026)   Heaven Hill Distillery proudly announces the release of Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey 20th Anniversary Limited Edition, a special bottling commemorating two decades since Bernheim pioneered a new style of American Whiskey and helped usher in the modern whiskey renaissance. Launched in 2005, Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey was the first truly new American Whiskey style introduced since Prohibition, boldly using soft winter wheat as its primary grain. At the time, the category-defining innovation marked a turning point for American Whiskey — one that has since become an enduring legacy. “This release is both a celebration and a thank you,” said Max L. Shapira, Executive Chairman of Heaven Hill Brands. “When we launched Bernheim Wheat Whiskey 20 years ago, we took a chance on a new mashbill and a new idea. The support we received in those early days helped shape not only this brand, but the expansion in popularit...

  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...

  What do you get when you take a top-rated country music superstar, a seasoned businessman and an expert whiskey maker who could rest on his laurels?   It sounds like the start of a funny story that is waiting for a punchline, but it is far from that - very far.  Eric Church (think the incredibly popular song "Springsteen"), businessman and entrepreneur Raj Alva and esteemed whiskey creator Ari Sussman teamed up to create Whiskey JYPSI, a brand that reflects the "gypsy spirit", where everyone has a free-spirited and wild side.   The brand has set out to disrupt industry norms and to explore unique and unusual ways to source and blend their whiskeys.  Today we are looking at two flagship products from the JYPSI label - Tribute and Explorer. Tribute is not only a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys that were finished in secondary oak barrels, but it is also a testimony to the quality and attention of what this company is doing.  Ari Sussman's backgr...

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...