Review: Casey Jones Distillery AJ’s Birthday Blend Bourbon (2025)
Located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Casey Jones Distillery celebrated its 10th year of operation in 2024 by releasing its Founder’s 10th Anniversary Blend. On February 8, 2025, the small distillery is once again celebrating by releasing the 3rd batch of AJ’s Birthday Birthday Bourbon in honor of the 68th birthday of Arlon Casey Jones. Casey Jones…
Review: Remus Gatsby Reserve 2024
The third iteration of Remus’s Gatsby Reserve bourbon has arrived, and again it’s a straightforward concept, pulled from a selection of barrels that are at least 15 years old and bottled at cask strength. The 2024 edition of Remus Gatsby Reserve is based on a blend of two bourbon mash bills (75% corn, 21% rye,…
Review: A Trio of Obtainium Whiskeys plus Nassif Family Reserve American Whiskey
The current American spirits landscape is littered with countless sourced whiskeys. Non-distilling producers today are highly capable of releasing exceptional products, but not long ago, it was a fair critique that NDPs were simply rebottling a lot of the same whiskey under different labels. Much of the whiskey available for the sourcing market originates from…
Review: Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection – Spirits Distilled from Grain and Hops
Buffalo Trace’s Experimental Collection will never be accused of not being experimental enough. After recent releases of Kentucky-style Baijiu made from sorghum and peas, the distillery is back with Experiment #26, which again has no real name aside from categorization as “Spirits Distilled from Grain and Hops.” Distilling from a hopped mash does not disqualify…
Review: 2019 Del Dotto Cabernet – French Oak vs. American Oak
No visit to Del Dotto Estates is complete without listening to Andrea Bocelli — and here’s the good news, that’s all they play from the moment you walk in the door. The place is inspired by the Italian Renaissance but its heart is clearly in Napa, where Cabernet Sauvignon is the grape that rules all…
Review: Old Forester The 117 Series – Warehouse I Barrels
Four years ago Old Forester dropped a special edition in its 117 series composed of barrels drawn from its well-regarded Warehouse K. Now it’s back with another warehouse-specific pick: Warehouse I. Warehouse I is an 11 year old bourbon pulled from barrels that have been heat-cycled since their interment in the warehouse and were picked…
Review: Mutiny Island Vodka
Mutiny Island Vodka debuted in 2017 on St. Croix. After living in the Caribbean for some time, founder Chef Todd Manley discovered the islands were not producing enough of their own food and were relying heavily on imports. After hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, Manley found himself on a mission to create a sustainable…
Review: Old Elk Cigar Cut Island Blend and Infinity Blend 2024
Old Elk dropped two annually released special editions at the end of 2024, just as it did in 2023 — the latest iteration of its Cigar Cut Island Blend and Infinity Blend whiskeys, both of which are nothing if not complex. Some departures from the 2023 bottlings are in store, so let’s dig in. Old…