Bourbon
Bourbon is the unquestioned king of American whiskey, its production dating back to the 1700s. While bourbon is invariably associated with Kentucky, where 95 percent of all bourbon is produced today, in reality it can be produced anywhere in the U.S. (though only Kentucky Bourbon can include the name of the state on the label). By U.S. law, bourbon must be made from a mash of at least 51% corn; be aged in new, charred oak containers; distilled to no more than 160 proof, entered into barrel at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof. Contrary to popular opinion, there’s no minimum aging requirement for bourbon, although straight bourbon must be aged for at least two years and cannot have added coloring. One of the most popular spirits in today’s drinking world, bourbon prices have been on the rise as stocks have dwindled — although massive investments in the industry promise to ease those supply pressures in coming years.
Top Bourbon Posts:
Tips, Tricks, and Advice on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Top 10 Bourbons Under $20
Buffalo Trace’s Single Oak Project
Here at Drinkhacker we’ve previously brought you a review of A. Smith Bowman’s inaugural Cask Strength bourbon offering, and today we’re pleased to bring you a review of the Virginia distillery’s second act. The relatively new release has quickly joined the ranks of some of the most sought-after annual bourbon expressions. The reason for that…
Read More
Wyoming Whiskey recently celebrated their ten year anniversary and they honored the occasion as any craft distillery worth their salt would – by releasing a ten year old product. That ten year old product is the subject of today’s review, Wyoming Whiskey 10 Year Anniversary Edition which, we are told, “reflects 20 of the rarest…
Read More
The Bootleg Series from Heaven’s Door, now in its fourth iteration, always comes complete with three things: a painting from Bob Dylan, a beautiful bespoke leather case, and an eye-popping asking price. The liquid composition of each series entry, however, is always different. For this latest edition the brand has taken 11 year-old wheated bourbon…
Read More
Garrison Brothers, my neighbors down the road in Hye, Texas, recently released its 2022 Cowboy Bourbon, an annual release that we have somehow missed reviewing to date. Drawn from 8- and 9-year old barrels and bottled uncut and unfiltered, it’s one of the distillery’s most prized expressions. Let’s give it a whirl. The reddish-hued spirit…
Read More
In a world of “heavy char” bourbon releases, the Lux Row/MGP-owned Daviess County recently hit the ground with the opposite approach, a whiskey finished not just in the now de rigueur toasted barrel but specifically “lightly toasted” ones. It’s the first in a series of toasted barrel releases that will be coming out annually. Daviess…
Read More
Two new special editions from Kentucky Peerless — which has moved from the world of standard-grade bourbons and ryes into really wild territory. Absinthe barrel finishing? That’s a new one for us. To wit: Kentucky Peerless Bourbon Finished in a Rum Barrel – Rum-finished whiskeys often seem to be missing out on much of the…
Read More
We covered the whiskeys of Ruddell’s Mill about a year ago, all sourced whiskeys from Kentucky that are bottled in New Jersey. Now we’re back with two new, but very limited edition releases, both double-casked before bottling. You can get the whole backstory on Ruddell’s Mill at the above link. Production details and tasting notes…
Read More
Village Garage Distillery (housed in a former garage for the local highway department, hence the name) can be found in Bennington, Vermont, where it was founded in 2018 and began releasing products in 2021. All of the company’s spirits are made in the state — though not necessarily by the company itself. In addition to…
Read More
Old Forester’s latest in its innovative 117 Series has arrived: Extra Extra Old, a double-barreled whiskey that starts with the 1910 expression and ages it in a second, heavy char barrel for 24 months. If this sounds familiar, you might remember the 1910 Extra Old bottling which arrived in 2022 and which was finished in…
Read More
Dixon Dedman is no stranger to the art of blending whiskey. In fact, it’s exactly how he first made his name in the industry as a co-founder of the critically acclaimed Kentucky Owl brand. Having since moved on to his latest venture, 2XO, Dedman is hoping to recreate some of that magic now that he…
Read More