Drink the Bottles

We have been big Penelope Bourbon enthusiasts since we tasted several different bottles at an informal tasting about 18 months ago.  These MGP-distilled products have been a huge hit for bourbon fans and their vast selection of offerings is pretty mind blowing!  Today we are tasting and discovering what two of their latest releases are all about.  First up is the annual, limited release Penelope Toasted Rye .  This gem is a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley in #2 heavy char toasted barrels.  If you were camping with friends and toasting marshmallows in the crisp fall air in an apple orchard and you could bottle that, then that's what you have here.  The aromas are quite literally mouth-watering and the rich mohagany color with hints of copper only add to the appeal.  Tons of sweet butterscotch dance on the tongue with a zesty ginger, sweet nutmeg and subtle peppery note that lead to a finish that feels like it lingers for minutes.  We woul...

  In Shelbyville, Kentucky sits a farm distillery of just over 60 acres that is operated by Joyce and Autumn Nethery, a mother daughter team who are creating unique flavor expressions in the world of distilled spirits.  Jeptha Creed has been around for about 8 years now, and they are currently produding four different bourbons, vodka, moonshine and brandy.  Today we look at the Jeptha Creek Straight 4-Grain Bourbon , which encompasses a mash bill of 70% Bloody Butcher Corn, 15% malted rye, 10% malted wheat and 5% malted barley.  Why 3 malted grains you ask?  The legend is that prior to having their own facility, the Jeptha Creed team would distill many of their grains at a midwest distillery and when they received their shipment, all of the grains were malted.  So what do you do when you get lemons?  You make lemonade.   Well, you know what we mean... First of all, we love the look of this bottle and label.  It's not over the top, but it...

If you know anything  about whiskey, you know that blending the spirits is nothing new.  However, it truly takes an exceptional talent to have the senses needed to make this work successfully.  Nearly anyone can blend whiskey.  But only a handful of folks can turn blended whiskey into amazing products that blend seamlessly and like magic.  Chief Alchemist Macaulay Minton is completely dialed in when it comes to producing a product that is unique and also makes you as giddy as a school girl. Today we taste and share the  Dark Arts Amburana Oak Stave Finished Small Batch Rye  which has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% barley.  While each batch is naturally different, the blends are from six to eight year age statements and contain three barrels for each small batch.  The whiskey is distilled in Indiana (most likely MGP) and the finishing and bottling happens in Lexington, KY.  We tasted this sweet treat neat in our favorite mini Belgian beer ...

The folks at Redemption Whiskey take their spirits very seriously.  We should emphasize that they are very passionate about what they do and they are obsessed with Rye whiskey in particular.  Their heavy Rye spirits celebrate the history of Rye being distilled as far back as the 1600's.   Many times when you run across someone who considers themselves "a bourbon guy or gal" they might quickly follow up with, "but I'm not big on Rye whiskey".  We get it.  There have been countless horror stories of Rye being too spicy or too hot.  But you'll never find this with Redemption Whiskey! The Redemption Rye  is a serious mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, resulting in a medium golden whiskey with mouth-watering, bold aromas of spring garden, spices, white pepper, toasted sourdough bread and citrus fruits.  Those aromas carry over to the palate and also carry hints of spring boquet and delicious grilling spices.  While this spirit comes i...

The easiest way to explain what founders James Estrada and Chad Civetti do at Two Souls Spirits is they take already very tasty bourbon, sprinkle some magic on it, and make it better.  Ok, we know it's not that easy, but that's the Cliff's notes version of what this Florida whiskey house is doing with distinct and some of the finest whiskey barrels from distilleries across the US. What we have today is the Two Souls Spirits Double Barrel Bourbon Whiskey , coming in a a whopping 128.58 proof!  The base of this palate pleaser is a bourbon from Watershed Distillery out of Columbus, Ohio.  We were already fans of Watershed and this double barrel bourbon shares the same mash bill as their 4 year offering:  72% corn, 21% rye and 7% malted barley.  A #4 heavy char barrel was used for this offering and this bourbon (tasted neat and from a sample bottle) immediately grabs your attention. Medium hazelnut color, we were surprised that this was as light as it was.  But...

  High West Distillery was founded in 2006 by David Perkins, and his wife Jane and began distilling in 2007.  You've undoubtedly seen these eye-catching bottles at most alcohol retailers, but did you know that High West started all of those years ago with just a small 250 gallon still?  Fast forward to 2024 and you now have a world class, internationally-known brand that is producing fantastic spirits! Today we're sharing our thoughts with you on two of High West's whiskey offerings - the Cask Strength Bourbon-Rye blend and the American Single Malt Whiskey, dubbed High Country.  Both were tasted neat in Glencairn glasses. The High West Cask Strength Bourbon-Rye Blend is a combination of straight bourbon and straight rye whiskeys that carry an age statement of six to ten years.  As if the age statement wasn't impressive enough, add on a proof of 117.4, a beautiful label and a mahogany color that catches the eye and you have something special here.  Stone fr...

Located in the heart of DeKalb, Illinois is a farm and distillery that promotes their "Seed to Spirit" way of life, growing their own grains and completely overseeing the complete process to creat a selection of fine spirits.  As midwesterners ourselves, we have an affinity for this team that grows everything that goes into their bottles.  They are use John Deere equipment, so there is that admiration as well as our family has been in the John Deere business since 1955. The  Whiskey Acres Bottled-In-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey  was tasted neat from a 100mL sample bottle.  Golden sunset in color, this bourbon has an impressive basket of several aromas after some swirling - cinnamon stick, fresh earth, sweet corn and toasted nuts.  It's mouth-coating flavors of vanilla, coconut cream pie, cinnamon, mixed nuts and orchard fruits blend effortless and provide an exceptionally  smooth finish - we mean REALLY smooth!  The mash bill on this is 75% corn,...

  We're going to tell you right up front that everything  we have tasted from Barrell Craft Spirits so far has been delicious.  The Mizunara Oak Cask Finish Series we are tasting today is no exception to our expectations.  It is the color of pure, unrefinded honey and the 100 mL sample bottle proves that good things come in small packages. Barrell Craft Spirits are the leaders in blended whiskeys, producing winner after winner, often using unique mash bills and differing aged whiskey to create something that is definitely palate pleasing.  The mash bill on this bottle is 76% corn, 20% rye and 4% malted barley.  This "Edition 001" release is comprised of the following bourbons:  Indiana - 6, 7 and 9 years old, Tennessee - 8 and 14 years old and 8 year old Kentucky bourbon.  The final blend is then matured further in Mizunara (Japanese Oak) barrels, further adding to the flavors and memorable drinking experience.  Mizunara Oak must be a minimu...

Lee Medoff, founder and head distiller at Bull Run Distilling Company in Portland, Oregon, is setting the Pacific Northwest on fire with his distinctive spirits.  While being a professional distiller since 1998, he started Bull Run Distillery in 2010 after setting his sights on creating a pure malt Oregon whiskey.  The distillery currently produces a barrel strength bourbon, vodka, gin and a nice selection of whiskeys.  Today we look at the  Bull Run Distilling Pinot Noir Finished American Whiskey  aged 15 years.   The age statemen from Bull Run on the Pinot Noir finished whiskey varies, depending on the batch.  But we tasted the 15 year offering that includes an additional 8 month of finished aging in Pinot Noir casks.  The initial mash bill of 99% corn and 1% malted barley spends the first part of its life in former bourbon casks.  We are fans of finished bourbons (especially in red wine casks) so we were excited to taste and provide o...

  We won't lie.  This was a fun one for us!  It's not every day you get to taste a 6-year-old Kentucky bourbon that is finished in Mizunara Oak Shochu barrels.  We're going to break that down in just a second. There's a lot to unwrap here. The World Whiskey Society (WWS) has only been around since 2020, but they are creating a huge footprint in the whiskey world with their extremely unique and innovative products.  First of all, you can't help but notice their exquisite packaging.  If ever there was a "cool bottle" story, it resonates with the offerings from WWS.  The labels are sophisticated and appealing.  The unique bottle toppers are secretly sought after by collectors.  So what about what is in  this bottle?  Let's take a look. So what is Mizunara Oak and what in the heck is Shochu?  Mizunara oak, or Japanese oak, is incredibly expensive and rare.  It grows in distinct pockets in northern Japan and it is very difficul...

  In a quaint house-turned-distillery (or world headquarters as the sign states) is a local Sewickley, Pennsylvania distiller who is producing local craft bourbon, whiskey and flavored moonshines.  Owner Kim McLaughlin follows his family's distilling traditions and pours his heart and soul into each barrel.  McLaughlin Distillery  will tell you up front that they aren't the biggest and they don't have the fanciest machinery.  But what they do have is a passion for making distilled spirits that represent this southwest Pennsylvania borough while using oak from the North to age their spirits. The 3799 Bourbon has a beautiful dense chestnut-orange color.  While we don't know the age statement of this bourbon, it is the distillery's most popular offering.  The nose presents chocolate covered almonds, green earth, vanilla and dark tea.  Swirling really opens this up and we tasted this neat.  In the mouth was almond crunch, hayloft earthiness, hint...