Drink the Bottles

  We need start this review with a small, albeit important disclaimer.  Your eyes are not deceiving you.  There is  wine missing from the bottle (it's in the glass!) and the capsule and cork are still in tact.  We bought a new Coravin wine system for Christmas and this was our first time using it. To say we are excited about everything in this bottle and behind the label is a huge understatement.  You know that our mouths water over 100% varietal wines, Napa Valley, family-owned wineries, and, of course -farmers!  The fact that the Smith Family (owners of Barlow Vineyards) use a John Deere tractor on their property tugs at our heart strings even more. But enough about that, right?  We are here for the WINE!  This family operation produces just over 1,500 total cases annually and they've been in the same location for over thirty years.  The  2021 Barlow Vineyards Petit Verdot is beautifully inked with dark purple colors and a medium...

  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...

  We have tasted a boat load of quality wines over the past year.  There has been everything from a $12.00 grocery store selection to a $250+ limited selection, single vineyard Cab.  So, when we decide on a WOTY (wine of the year) it is every bottle for itsself.  They must all stand on their own merit and each bottle has a fair shot of receiving this honor.  We take into consideration not only what is inside the bottle, but also the overall presentation, availability, price and label. For 2025, the Drink The Bottles  team has bestowed our "Wine of the Year" honor to the 2017 Maxville Winery Sacrashe Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon .  This wine epitomizes Napa Valley fruit, body, complexity and the overall tasting experience.  Eggplant and berry jam color, this wine has lifting aromas of crushed black cherries, cocoa powder, scorched earth and wet cedar plank.  It's absolutely mouth-watering and the delicate tannins coat the mouth with black fruit...

  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...

  To say that we were thrilled to get our hands on another Bardstown Bourbon Company Distillery Reserve bottle would be an understatement.  Historically, these releases have proven to be nothing short of amazing, and this one falls in line with history.  We announced the release of this bottle a couple of weeks ago on our website and the official "go live" sale date was Black Friday - November 28, 2025.   There were an estimated 3,000 total bottles produced for this release and it was available only at the Bardstown Bourbon Company gift shop and the Louisville Tasting Room and limited to one per person.  This release sold out very quickly and excitement from the two previous Distillery Reserve releases helped fuel that fire.  Bardstown left no detail behind on the packaging of this expression.  The outer box and "customs" ticket are themed with the Normandie release, further fueling the desirability of this bottle for whiskey enthusiasts and coll...