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
Windsor, California-based Daylight Wine & Spirits is a rare operation that includes both winemaking and distillation operations. The two are interlinked: Its recent whiskeys are sourced products (both from MGP) that are finished in Daylight’s own wine barrels. Everything is bottled under the brand name of Ammunition (with some spin-off labels also in the mix).…
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WhistlePig has been on an absolute tear lately, firing out new expressions left and right to the point where it’s hard to keep up. Today we’re looking at three new releases from the Vermont operation, including a unique rye and a matched pair of 101-proof whiskeys, one rye and one bourbon (bourbon! from WhistlePig!). Let’s…
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Remember the hubbub over Old Forester’s 117 Series? If you don’t recall, it’s a new series of bourbons introduced earlier this year (with the High Angels’ Share expression) noteworthy for the fact that it bears OldFo Master Taster Jackie Zykan’s signature on the label — the first time a woman’s name has ever appeared on…
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It’s time for batch 2 of Booker’s Bourbon for 2021, a bottling aged 6 years, 5 months, and 0 days. It’s call “Tagalong Batch,” not because of Booker Noe’s affinity for the Girl Scout cookies of the same name, but rather a celebration of how Noe learned the ropes of distilling from his grandfather Jim…
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The latest round of Diageo’s Orphan Barrel releases is Copper Tongue, a 16 year old cast strength bourbon made at George Dickel’s Cascade Hollow Distilling Company. The whiskey is immediately unusual in that it spent those years in a single-story rickhouse in the Tullahoma, Tennessee facility, which likely explains the surprisingly low abv considering this…
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This new bottling from Dickel flew a bit under the radar when it was released this summer, but it merits discussion, as it’s a new permanent member of the George Dickel lineup, carrying an age statement of 8 years old. At first it may seem there’s not a whole lot to the story — it’s…
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When my brother was tasked with bringing some bourbon for a recent family gathering, the staff at a local franchise of a major retailer suggested McFarlane’s Reserve as an affordable Weller alternative. Just now your mind may have come to a screeching halt as mine did; perhaps due to its rather daring, and to…
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Yes, bourbon people, it’s time for yet another Barrell Bourbon batch release. You knew it was coming, and here it is, Batch 29. Did you think I would say Batch 30? Because that one already hit shelves, too. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep up, but we’ll try harder. I promise. Like Batch 27 last year,…
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Old Fitzgerald bonded release #2 for 2021 has arrived, dropping as an 11 year old expression this time out. Distilled in spring 2010, it was bottled earlier this year and has been sitting idle as it awaits release this month. Fans of the series may wish to compare it to the Spring 2018 release (we…
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We’ve covered a lot of private barrel picks over the years, from the likes of Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, and even Jefferson’s, but one brand we haven’t yet sampled a private barrel of is Elijah Craig. Heaven Hill first got into the private barrel game a few years back (with any real seriousness, at least).…
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