bourbon
Raj Bhakta‘s eponymous spirits line started out as an Armagnac purveyor, but it’s since expanded to whiskey and, now, rum — all of which are designed to showcase these spirits at the peak of their maturity. The product is a blend of two single vintages of Jamaican rum, a 25 year old column still rum…
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Ben Holladay Distillery is keen on putting Missouri on the map among bourbon fans. Their Bottled-in-Bond Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey launched those efforts via their own distillate, which was then aged and bottled in Weston (population under 2,000). Now, they’re on the market with their second expression: Another bottled-in-bond bourbon, this time with soft red…
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The second Booker’s Bourbon release of 2023 is upon us, and this one dives deep into the Noe family archives for its naming inspiration. According to the official release notes for Booker’s “Apprentice Batch”: This batch pays homage to the beginning of Booker Noe’s distilling career when he first learned the art of making bourbon…
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Booker’s first batched release for 2023 is here, dubbed Charlie’s Batch, in honor of Charlie Hutchens, the craftsman behind the signature wooden box that each Booker’s bottle comes in. (With all due respect to Charlie, as the Booker’s box is indeed awesome, but are we running out of batch name ideas?) This bottling is a…
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Since its launch in 2020, Bhakta — the namesake of multi-time spirits entrepreneur Raj Bhakta — has built its name on brandy releases with eye-popping age statements. Their Bhakta 50 releases utilized Armagnacs barreled between 1868 and 1970; more recent releases include both single barrel vintages and younger brandy blends. Now, Raj Bhakta and team…
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Based out of San Francisco, Fat Labrador Distillers is following a playbook similar to so many other American craft distillers. While their own distillate is aging, they’ve sourced stocks from other major producers to help create both brand awareness and sales. Their Whiskey Town releases cover a variety of mashbills, some of which are finished…
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As the team behind the podcast Bourbon Pursuit releases new bottles under their Pursuit Spirits brand, they’re leaning into flavor territory beyond just blending. For the first bourbon and rye in “The Oak Collection,” founders Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil have imparted additional wood influence via a variety of oak finishes. As outlined in a…
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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…
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Chattanooga Whiskey recently announced new releases for their Experimental Batch line. Now up to 27 total expressions, these releases include a variety of house-distilled spirits with unique distillates, finishes, infusions, and blends. We’ve previously reviewed their Founder’s 10th Anniversary Blend and Whiskey 91 & Cask 111 expressions, though their experimental line features spirits with much…
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It took almost the full first half of 2022, but bourbon drinkers can finally get their hands on Jim Beam’s latest in the Booker’s line. This release — 2022-01 — is named for Ronnie Land, a 40-year Beam employee who worked at the company’s Clermont and Boston, Kentucky facilities. Land rose to Warehouse Manager and…
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