Hidden Talents (Including One That May Be Slightly Questionable)

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Daily writing prompt

What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?

Some skills people see right away.

If you spend much time around me, you’ll quickly figure out that I can teach, write, referee a football game, and probably tell you more than you wanted to know about bourbon, classic films, or old songs.

But secret skills are different. They’re the things people don’t immediately expect.

One ability I’ve always valued is the ability to read a room quickly. In a classroom, that matters. You can often tell within seconds whether students are engaged, confused, restless, worried, or just pretending to listen while mentally planning lunch. That’s not something listed on a résumé, but it may be one of the most useful skills a teacher develops.

Another is interviewing people. Journalism sharpened that instinct years ago, but even now I enjoy asking questions that help someone tell a story they didn’t realize they were carrying. Somewhere along the way, I also discovered that I can read upside down remarkably well. Is that invasive? Possibly. Has it occasionally been useful when notes, schedules, or documents were sitting on the other side of a desk during an interview? Absolutely. I prefer to think of it as an occupational advantage rather than a character flaw.

And maybe one more: I can usually take scattered thoughts, fragments, memories, and unfinished ideas and shape them into something worth reading. That may be why writing has never really left me alone.

As for a skill I wish I had? I wish I could play piano well.

Not just enough to pick out a tune — I mean sit down and play with confidence, fill a room with music, and let the keys say things words sometimes cannot.

There’s something about that ability that has always seemed almost magical to me.

Maybe because words have always been my instrument, and I admire people whose instrument answers back immediately.

Posted in Daily Prompt, Random | Tagged blogging, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1887, From the Capns Pen, hidden talents, life skills, Music, Personal Reflection, teaching, writing | Leave a comment

Quick Thought – Friday, March 24, 2023: The Price of Disobedience

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Read

Genesis 16

Genesis 21:8-21

And the angel of the Lord said to her,

“Behold, you are pregnant
and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the Lord has listened to your affliction.
He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
his hand against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”
Genesis 16:11-12

Reflect

Disobedience usually comes at a high price. Abram and Sarai found that out the hard way.

God had promised them a son, but year after year passed and nothing happened. At some point, the waiting had to feel unbearable. After all, how often does a couple in their 80s have a child? Yes, people in the early parts of the Bible lived much longer than we do now, but even then, an elderly woman becoming pregnant was hardly ordinary.

Eventually, impatience took over.

Sarai decided that if she could not bear a child herself, Abram should sleep with her servant Hagar so that he could at least have an heir. Abram agreed, and nine months later, when he was 86 years old, Ishmael was born.

The problem was that even though Sarai came up with the plan, she did not like what happened next. Once Hagar conceived, tension filled the household. Sarai became bitter, Hagar became distressed, and what had seemed like a practical solution quickly turned into conflict.

Later, after Isaac was finally born just as God had promised, the strain only deepened. Sarai insisted that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away, and Abram reluctantly agreed.

Here is what neither Abram nor Sarai fully counted on: God had no intention of abandoning Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness. He saw them, cared for them, and protected them. Ishmael too would become a great nation because he was also Abram’s son.

Instead of one family line, Abram now had two — and those two lines would carry tension for generations.

Traditionally, Ishmael is understood as an ancestor of many Arab peoples, just as Isaac became the father of Israel. Centuries later, entire civilizations would trace heritage through those lines, and many people see echoes of that ancient division even in the tensions of the modern Middle East. Whether history is ever that simple or not, Genesis makes one truth unmistakably clear: when people run ahead of God’s timing, they often create consequences far larger than they ever imagined.

That lesson still matters now.

Waiting for God is rarely easy. Sometimes you wonder whether He hears you, whether He cares, or whether the answer is ever coming at all. But forcing your own solution often creates problems that obedience would have avoided.

We all pray for different things, but too often we expect God to answer on our schedule rather than His.

The next time you ask Him for something, commit yourself to waiting for Him to answer in His own way and in His own time — and resist the temptation to run ahead with a plan of your own.

Posted in Faith | Tagged Abraham, Abram, biblical reflection, consequences, daily devotion, devotion, devotional, disobedience, faith, Genesis, God, Hagar, Ishmael, Issac, obedience, Old Testament, patience, plan, prayer, Quick Thought, rebellion, reflection, Sarah, Sarai, trusting God, Wait, waiting on God | Leave a comment

Tasting Monday: Best Bottle of Spring Break—An 11-Bottle Blind from the Road

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Opening Pour

Spring break this year came with two destinations and one mission.

First, a quick trip to Atlanta to see family — especially precious time with Lizzi and Sully, which always matters more than anything in a bottle.

Then it was on to Tennessee to finish my Tennessee Whiskey Trail quest, which meant distillery stops, store visits, and more temptation than any responsible whiskey shelf should probably allow.

The upside? I had planned for it. A good stretch of refereeing games had quietly built the whiskey fund, so every bottle on this trip was paid for by striped-shirt hustle and sideline miles.

By the time I got home, I had enough new bottles to do something worthwhile: line them blind and ask one simple question:

Which bottle was the best pickup of spring break?

What started as ten bottles became eleven pours because one late addition deserved inclusion — and because a few of these were close enough that tie-break pours became necessary.

And when the labels disappeared, a few surprises emerged.

The Blind Lineup

Old Forester Single Barrel 100-Proof Store Pick
Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Bottle
Tennessee Legend Kingsnake
Old Tennessee Sid’s Select
Jump Master’s Reserve Single Malt
Bootlegger’s Old 150th
Tennessee Legend Snapper
Company Distilling Single Barrel Finished with Pecan Wood
New Riff Distilling Single Barrel 6-Year Store Pick
13th Colony Distilleries Single Barrel Cask Strength
Shortbarrel Bee’s Knees – Oregon Blackberry

Blind Tasting Notes

Mid-Pack, But Respectable

Tennessee Legend Kingsnake opened with nice color, solid oak, caramel, vanilla, and light tree fruit. Rich mouthfeel, but the finish didn’t quite keep pace.

Jump Master’s Reserve Single Malt had the lightest profile of the group — bready on both nose and palate, decent texture, but it never fully opened up.

Tennessee Legend Snapper had promise in color and aroma, but faded quickly on the palate, with oak becoming a little too dominant.

Strong Performers

Old Forester Single Barrel 100 Proof Store Pick delivered dessert-like flavor with bananas and caramel, though the finish didn’t fully match the flavor.

Bootlegger’s Old 150th surprised with one of the better noses of the blind: tropical sweetness, fresh bread, spice, and a long finish despite thinner mouthfeel.

13th Colony Single Barrel Cask Strength brought rich caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and strong structure — very good, though not especially layered.

Old Tennessee Sid’s Select showed well with honey, vanilla, leather, and oak, plus a finish stronger than expected.

The Final Four

#4 — Shortbarrel Bee’s Knees – Oregon Blackberry

This one almost gave itself away. Light color, sweet nose, rich honey-forward palate, and surprisingly firm oak structure underneath the fruit influence. The finish stayed sweet and satisfying.

#3 — Company Distilling Single Barrel Finished with Pecan Wood

Dessert whiskey in the best sense: caramel, chocolate, spice, and a finish that kept hanging on. The pecan wood influence doesn’t shout, but it absolutely contributes depth.

#2 — Chattanooga Experimental Bottle

Possibly the best color of the entire blind — nearly mahogany. Brown sugar, fruit, nutmeg, and the best mouthfeel in the tasting. The finish was one of the standout moments of the whole lineup.

#1 — New Riff Single Barrel 6-Year Store Pick 🏆

The winner.

Rich copper color, caramel, red fruit, chocolate, balanced oak, and absolutely no weak spot. Nose, palate, mouthfeel, and finish all landed exactly where you want them to.

This bottle didn’t just edge out the field — it felt complete.

Final Finish Order

New Riff Single Barrel 6-Year Store Pick
Old Tennessee Sid’s Select
Company Distilling Single Barrel Finished with Pecan Wood
Shortbarrel Bee’s Knees – Oregon Blackberry
Bootlegger’s Old 150th
13th Colony Single Barrel Cask Strength
Old Tennessee Sid’s Select
Old Forester Single Barrel 100-Proof Store Pick
Tennessee Legend Kingsnake
1. Tennessee Legend Snapper
Jump Master’s Reserve Single Malt

Closing Thought

The best part of a blind tasting is that reputation disappears.

Price disappears.

Packaging disappears.

And sometimes the bottle you expected to merely compete ends up taking the whole thing.

In the end, the best bottle of spring break wasn’t the boldest pour in the lineup — it was the one with no weak spot anywhere from nose to finish.

This time, New Riff Distilling walked away with spring break honors.

And that makes this trip feel even more worthwhile.

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged 13th Colony, Blind Tasting, Bourbon, Chattanooga Whiskey, Company Distilling, New Riff, Old Forester, Shortbarrel, spring break whiskey, store picks, Tennessee whiskey, whiskey | Leave a comment

Some Weather Comes With Memories

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite type of weather?

View all responses

Ask me my favorite kind of weather, and the honest answer is simple: it depends.

That may sound like a dodge, but weather has never just been about temperature to me. It’s about what that weather invites, what season of life it recalls, and sometimes even where I happened to be living when I learned to appreciate it.

Back when I lived in Georgia, I loved a snowy day. Snow there felt like an event. You stocked up on firewood, made sure everything was ready, and settled in knowing the fireplace was about to become the center of the house. There was something satisfying about watching the world slow down while the fire kept roaring inside.

Living in Florida changes that answer, because snow here is mostly a rumor — the kind of thing you might see once in a generation and then talk about for years afterward. I don’t even have a fireplace now, so that old winter ritual belongs to another chapter.

But Florida has its own weather moments.

A cold rainy day can be just about perfect if it means sitting under a blanket with Daryl, listening to the rain, and watching a good rom-com while the rest of the world feels muted outside. There’s something about rain that gives permission to stop, settle in, and enjoy being exactly where you are.

Fall may still come closest to being my favorite, though, especially when football season is in full swing. When I’m refereeing and there’s just enough cool air to remind you summer has finally backed off, football feels the way football is supposed to feel. Crisp air and stadium lights just belong together.

Spring has its own appeal too — that brief stretch when winter has loosened its grip but Florida hasn’t yet become an oven. It’s that narrow window where the air feels right, the days are comfortable, and you know you’d better enjoy it before summer comes barging in.

When I lived in South Texas, people joked that there were only two seasons: summer and February. Some years, Florida feels like it borrowed that calendar.

Maybe that’s why my answer can’t settle on one kind of weather. Some weather brings comfort. Some brings memories. Some simply fits the moment so well that you don’t want it to leave.

And maybe that’s what favorite weather really is — not one forecast, but the one that makes life feel especially right when it arrives.

Posted in Daily Prompt, Random | Tagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1886, family moments, Florida living, football season, From the Capn’s Pen, Georgia memories, rain, reflections, seasons, weather | Leave a comment

Quick Thought – Monday, March 23, 2026: Wise Choices

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Read

Proverbs 1:1-9

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7

Reflect

How wise are you? In each of the following examples, choose which action you think is wise:

Your grandmother gives you $50 for your birthday. You should…

Save it to spend on a special item or occasion.
Don’t save anything, and spend it all on candy and ice cream.

Your teacher announces that a major test will take place on Friday. You should…

Get together with a friend to study each day for an hour.
Put studying off until Thursday night and cram for an hour or two.

Your boss says that you might get a raise if you work a little harder. You should…

Offer to work as often as possible, and volunteer to do even the messy jobs.
Call in sick a few times, and take lots of breaks when you do work.

Clearly, the first choice in each example is the wise choice because wisdom usually looks beyond the moment and considers what matters most later. But as silly as the other answers seem to be, there are people in this world who would choose option #2. Being wise isn’t always the clear choice it should be, but God says that it’s always the right thing. And He says that people who follow Him will seek His wisdom. Basically, it boils down to this: Wise people respect God and His ways, and foolish people avoid God and aren’t willing to learn from Him.

What do you desire – the wisdom of God, or doing things your own way? Today, pray that God will help make you wise and that you’ll seek His wisdom when you’re faced with tough choices.

Posted in Faith | Tagged biblical wisdom, choices, Christian devotion, Christian living, daily devotion, Daily Reflection, devotion, devotional, fear of the Lord, foolish, foolishness, Proverbs, Proverbs 1, Quick Thought, reflection, spiritual growth, wisdom, wise, wise choices | Leave a comment

The Sunday Pour: The Long Rickhouse Aisle

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

There’s something about walking between rows of aging barrels that feels almost sacred.

It’s not just storage. It’s not even just production. It feels like walking through time itself — past, present, and future stacked quietly in wooden rows.

The closest comparison I can think of is flipping through an old photo album… or scrolling through years of pictures in Google Photos. You see moments frozen in place, each one belonging to a different chapter of life. But even that doesn’t fully capture what a rickhouse feels like, because in a rickhouse, all those years are still actively becoming something.

A 20-year barrel sits in one place, carrying two decades of slow transformation.

A bonded barrel, just four years old, waits somewhere else — mature enough by law, but still young compared to what surrounds it.

A newly filled barrel rests nearby, barely begun, holding promise more than memory.

All of them exist under one roof.

And the smell — that unmistakable mix of oak, sweetness, vapor, and time — fills the air before you ever touch a barrel. It’s one of the few places where aroma alone can make you pause and smile.

Then comes the moment every bourbon lover remembers: pulling whiskey straight from the barrel with a thief and tasting it where it lives.

That experience changes how you think about what’s in the glass. Because suddenly you’re not just tasting bourbon — you’re tasting where it has been, what it has endured, what the seasons have done to it.

I’m no master distiller, but it’s hard not to imagine that every barrel carries history beyond itself.

A barrel laid down twenty years ago belongs not only to the distillery’s story, but to everything happening when it was filled — the state of the company, the country, the world… even your own life.

That whiskey may have begun aging while someone was raising children, changing careers, grieving losses, celebrating milestones, or simply living years they never imagined would matter to a pour decades later.

Maybe that’s part of what makes the long rickhouse aisle so compelling.

You’re not just walking past barrels.

You’re walking past years.

And every one of them is still quietly becoming something better.

Scripture says in Ecclesiastes that there is “a time for every purpose under heaven.” A rickhouse almost feels like a living reminder of that truth. Nothing there can be rushed. Heat, cold, expansion, contraction, patience — every season matters.

And maybe that’s true of us too.

Some things only deepen because they stayed in the season long enough.

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

Posted in Faith, Bourbon | Tagged aging process, barrel aging, Bourbon, bourbon reflections, ecclesiastes, faith and bourbon, rickhouse, Sunday Pour, whiskey, whiskey culture | Leave a comment

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—First Round Matchups 29-32

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Opening Pour

The Final Four of Round One

The last pours of the first round are in the books.

By this point, fatigue is real. Subtle differences matter more. Texture separates contenders. And a couple of heavy hitters had to survive gritty matchups to advance.

Here’s how the final four blinds of Round 1 played out.

🥃 Matchup 29 — Blind

CC vs. B

Blind Tasting Notes

CC

Color: Light mahogany
Nose: Lighter than expected — caramel, vanilla, oak
Palate: Warm caramel and oak lead; baking spice and tart cherries follow
Mouthfeel: Decent
Finish: Tart cherry, oak and caramel

Score: 83.65

B

Color: Deep copper
Nose: Rich creamy caramel, chocolate and nutmeg
Palate: Milk chocolate leads caramel and baking spice
Mouthfeel: Creamy and substantial
Finish: Solid, with spice and caramel rounding it out

Score: 84.20

Reveal & Result

CC: Old Forester 1910 (#6)
B: High West Chardonnay Cask (#59)

✅ Winner: High West Chardonnay Cask
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts

This one surprised me. 1910 is usually reliable, but it showed up a little restrained here. The High West brought richness and texture that carried the edge.

What decided it:
Mouthfeel and chocolate-driven depth.

🥃 Matchup 30 — Blind

EEE vs. I

Blind Tasting Notes

EEE

Color: Deepest copper
Nose: Butterscotch, caramel, nutmeg, light oak
Palate: A butterscotch bomb — caramel and nutmeg in reserve
Mouthfeel: Mildly creamy
Finish: Toffee and nutmeg linger

Score: 87.34

I

Color: Light copper
Nose: Buttery toffee, nutmeg, vanilla, mild oak
Palate: Caramel and baking spice with a touch of peanut
Mouthfeel: Mid-level
Finish: Spice and caramel dominate

Score: 79.96

Reveal & Result

EEE: Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series Oloroso Cask (#27)
I: Cooper’s Craft 100-Proof (#38)

✅ Winner: Jack Daniel’s Oloroso Cask
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts

This wasn’t particularly close. The Oloroso finish delivered concentrated dessert richness and control. It felt composed and confident.

What decided it:
Layered sweetness and balance.

🥃 Matchup 31 — Blind

BBB vs. F

Blind Tasting Notes

BBB

Color: Mid-copper
Nose: Proof and oak lead; brown sugar trails
Palate: Sweet brown sugar with strong cinnamon and light caramel
Mouthfeel: Silky
Finish: Shorter than hoped; brown sugar and cherry

Score: 83.44

F

Color: Solid mahogany
Nose: Brown sugar, nutmeg, crème brûlée
Palate: Rich buttery layers of caramel, chocolate and nutmeg
Mouthfeel: Full and rich
Finish: Long, layered, and persistent

Score: 85.50

Reveal & Result

BBB: Four Roses OESO Barrel Strength (#11)
F: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (#54)

✅ Winner: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts

OESO came in strong, but Double Oaked did what it does — richness, texture, dessert weight. It simply lingered longer and felt more complete.

What decided it:
Depth and finish length.

🥃 Matchup 32 — Blind

L vs. FF

Blind Tasting Notes

L

Color: Light copper
Nose: Ethanol and dustiness, but brown sugar and caramel hiding
Palate: Heavy spice with brown sugar and toffee
Mouthfeel: Solid and rich
Finish: Caramel and baking spice

Score: 80.62

FF

Color: Mid-copper
Nose: Mixed berries, light oak, vanilla
Palate: Cinnamon up front, berries, caramel and vanilla
Mouthfeel: Silky
Finish: Tart fruit, cinnamon and oak

Score: 79.10

Reveal & Result

L: Green River Single Barrel (#22)
FF: Chattanooga Experimental Single Barrel (#43)

✅ Winner: Green River Single Barrel
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts

Not the cleanest matchup of the round. Both had rough edges. In the end, L’s structure and sweetness outweighed FF’s fruit-forward profile.

What decided it:
Better balance despite early ethanol notes.

🔀 Second-Round Matchups Created

High West Chardonnay Cask (#59)
vs.
Jack Daniel’s Oloroso Cask (#27)

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (#54)
vs.
Green River Single Barrel (#22)

🏁 Closing the First Round

Round 1 is complete.

A few themes emerged:

Texture consistently separated winners.
Dessert-forward profiles performed extremely well.
High proof alone did not guarantee advancement.
Some familiar names are already gone.

Now the real fun begins.

Round 2 is where reputations get tested. I’ll see you on Tuesday for the start of Round Two.

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged best of the shelf challenge, Blind Bourbon Tasting, Bourbon Bracket, Bourbon Review, Bourbon Tournament, Chattanooga Experimental, Cooper’s Craft 100 Proof, Four Roses OESO, Green River Single Barrel, High West Chardonnay Cask, Jack Daniel’s Oloroso Cask, Old Forester 1910, Round of 64, whiskey review, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked | Leave a comment

The Teachers Who Built Me

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Daily writing prompt

Who was your most influential teacher? Why?

View all responses

When I first saw the question — Who was your most influential teacher? Why? — my instinct was to name one person and move on. But the truth is, I can’t honestly answer it that way.

Different teachers arrived at different points in my life, and each one left something behind that still matters now. Some taught in classrooms. One taught me long before I ever sat at a desk. Together, they shaped far more than report cards or grades. In many ways, they helped shape the person who eventually became a teacher himself.

The first, of course, was my mother.

She taught me to read and write before school ever did. She taught me how to sing, how to love the Lord, how to care about people, and how to touch lives with kindness. Even at the end of her life, she was still teaching — showing what dignity and grace look like when life becomes difficult. Honestly, no one ever taught me more than she did.

In fifth grade, there was Sherry Robinson.

She was tall, classy, beautiful, smart — the kind of teacher who walked into a room and immediately had your attention. But what mattered most was that she made me feel smart too. When I wrote a Christmas play, she didn’t just compliment it — she made sure it was performed for the whole school. That kind of encouragement stays with a kid. It tells you that maybe something you create has value. She also taught a lesson on healthy eating so convincingly that I nearly became a vegetarian, which may be one of the more underrated accomplishments of her teaching career.

In eleventh grade came Barbara McGonagill, my gifted teacher.

I loved her class, which made it all the more foolish that I cheated on her vocabulary quizzes. Every gifted class before us had passed down the stolen answers like some secret tradition, and I was the one who got caught. What I remember most is not the punishment but the feeling that I had disappointed someone who trusted us. She treated us like people, not just students, and I think she may have been the first teacher who quietly influenced how I would one day teach my own students.

Then there was Staff Sgt. Bohannon during Air Force Basic Training, along with Sgt. Davidson.

They introduced discipline in ways no classroom ever could. Somehow, they also made me their “house mouse” — essentially the person responsible for keeping their office in order, a little like Radar O’Reilly in uniform. That role gave me responsibility, structure, and a sense that I could be trusted with something important. Oddly enough, basic training may have been the most positive part of my Air Force experience, largely because of the way they led.

Years later, when I returned to college after flaming out the first time, Dr. James Cobb at Florida Community College at Jacksonville reminded me why learning could still matter.

His class was Movies as Art, and to this day it remains my favorite college course. He didn’t just teach film; he opened it up in a way that made you see cinema differently. Jacksonville eventually regarded him as something of a legend. To me, he always was.

And when I finally became a teacher myself, two women at Darnell-Cookman helped me survive becoming one.

Linda Fralick taught me the craft of teaching during my first two years — how to build lessons, how to think through the day, how to make a classroom work. When she retired, Lisa Clancy stepped in and taught me something just as important: how to endure the job when it gets hard. Between them, they helped carry me through those early years when experience hadn’t caught up to responsibility yet.

Looking back, maybe the most influential teacher in life is rarely just one person.

Sometimes it takes several — each arriving at exactly the right time, each adding one piece until eventually you realize how much of who you are still carries their fingerprints.

Posted in Daily Prompt, Random | Tagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1885, education, family, learning, memories, mentors, motherhood, reflection, school, teachers, teaching | Leave a comment

Quick Thought – Sunday, March 22, 2026: Mercy at the Tax Table (Fifth Sunday in Lent)

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Read

Matthew 9:9-13

Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13

Reflect

Sometimes when you read a passage in the Gospels, you get a perfect picture of exactly who Jesus was. Today is an excellent example of that.

Tax collectors were hated among the Jewish people because they tended to be more than a little greedy and corrupt. Plus, they were typically Jews who were collecting taxes on behalf of the Roman oppressors, and they were making a huge profit doing it.

Jesus probably encountered such people often, and on two occasions, he made a point of ministering the Gospel specifically to those tax collectors. We find one in the story of Zaccheus (who climbed a tree to see Jesus), and the other in the calling of Matthew as one of Jesus’ closest disciples.

This calling probably would have confounded not only the holier-than-thou Pharisees but possibly some within Jesus’ inner circle. That’s why I loved the interpretation found in “The Bible” miniseries, where the producers combined a story in Luke 18, where Jesus contrasts the false piety of the Pharisee against the utter humility and remorse of the tax collector.

We don’t know if this is how Jesus actually called Matthew, but it has such a ring of truth to it, and it looks like what I would expect from the Lord, who always showed love and mercy. Even so, He also used the calling of Matthew as a teaching opportunity, not just about the Pharisees, but to them. He sends them on a scriptural hunt for the meaning of Hosea 6:6. (“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”) And He sends a message to the others listening, including his disciples, that God’s quality is always to show mercy to sinners.

What about us? How do we treat the “sinners” in the world? Do we look down on people who do things we don’t agree with? Or do we show the love and mercy of God to them? It’s pretty clear what Jesus would have done, and we’re supposed to be His hands and feet to those around us. Today, pray about how the Lord would have you reach out to people who need Him most.

Posted in Faith | Tagged Christian living, compassion, devotion, discipleship, faith, forgiveness, grace, Hosea, Hosea 6:6, Jesus, love, Matthew, Matthew 9, Matthew the tax collector, mercy, Pharisees, Quick Thought, reflection, Tax Collector, Taxes | Leave a comment

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—First Round Matchups 25-28

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Opening Pour

We’re closing in on the end of the first round. At this stage, good bottles are no longer enough. Balance, texture, and finish are determining who survives. This group delivered a couple of comfortable wins and one matchup where proof and structure made the difference.

Let’s get into it.

🥃 Matchup 25 — Blind

SS vs. JJ

Blind Tasting Notes

Color: Deep copper
Nose: Rich and buttery; brown sugar, cherries, nutmeg
Palate: Cherry Sweet-Tarts up front; toffee, cinnamon, oak follow
Mouthfeel: Creamy
Finish: Wonderful; tart cherries and toffee lead
Score: 87.89

Color: Rich copper
Nose: Light chocolate, rich caramel, hint of sweet cherries
Palate: Cherries forward; caramel, chocolate, cinnamon follow
Mouthfeel: Borderline creamy
Finish: Soft; cherries turn tart, caramel fades
Score: 83.55

Reveal & Result

SS: Old Forester 1910 117 Series Extra Extra Old (#3)
JJ: Yellowstone Toasted Barrel (#62)

✅ Winner: Old Forester 1910 117 Series Extra Extra Old (#3)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts

SS brought depth and a structured sweetness that held from nose through finish. JJ was pleasant, but it lacked the same intensity and staying power.

What decided it:

Greater richness and a more decisive finish.

🥃 Matchup 26 — Blind

H vs. M

Blind Tasting Notes

Color: Deep copper
Nose: Butterscotch, baking spice, vanilla, oak; hints of mint and apricot
Palate: Rye-leaning spice; caramel lingers
Mouthfeel: Warm and luscious
Finish: Nice but not spectacular; spice and fruit linger
Score: 81.48

Color: Light copper
Nose: Light peanuts, vanilla, caramel, touch of oak
Palate: Hot but creamy; peanut butter, brown sugar, caramel, oak
Mouthfeel: Rich creaminess
Finish: Caramel and baking spice linger
Score: 82.03

Reveal & Result

H: Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye (#30)
M: Old Grand-dad 114 (#35)

✅ Winner: Old Grand-dad 114 (#35)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts

This one came down to texture and flavor adhesion. H showed some complexity, but M’s creamier mouthfeel carried the flavors longer and more confidently.

What decided it:

Stronger mouthfeel and better flavor persistence.

🥃 Matchup 27 — Blind

K vs. A

Blind Tasting Notes

Color: Deep amber
Nose: Slightly muted; ethanol, mild vanilla, citrus, warm baking spice
Palate: Spicy start; buttery caramel, vanilla, citrus
Mouthfeel: Creamy
Finish: Caramel and baking spice linger
Score: 82.46

Color: Mid-copper
Nose: Peanuts, caramel, ethanol, mild baking spice
Palate: Dusty peanuts forward; vanilla, caramel, cinnamon trail
Mouthfeel: Decent
Finish: Caramel and cinnamon close
Score: 79.53

Reveal & Result

K: Seelbach’s Beekeeper (#14)
A: Wild Turkey Rare Breed (#51)

✅ Winner: Seelbach’s Beekeeper (#14)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts

K wasn’t explosive, but it was balanced and cohesive. A brought familiar peanut-forward notes but didn’t quite match the structure or integration of K.

What decided it:

Better balance and cleaner finish execution.

🥃 Matchup 28 — Blind

EE vs. T

Blind Tasting Notes

Color: Rich copper
Nose: Milk chocolate, caramel, light oak
Palate: Spice first; chocolate caramels and light oak follow
Mouthfeel: Silky
Finish: Oak and chocolate dominate
Score: 80.40

Color: Mid-copper
Nose: Ethanol with buttery toffee, caramel, nutmeg
Palate: Heat and spice early; caramel, vanilla emerge
Mouthfeel: Silky
Finish: Longer than expected; spice, caramel, vanilla
Score: 79.75

Reveal & Result

EE: 13th Colony Bourbon Barrel Strength (#19)
T: Maker’s Mark Heart Release ’24 (#46)

✅ Winner: 13th Colony Bourbon Barrel Strength (#19)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts

This was tighter than the scores suggest. EE delivered clearer chocolate definition and slightly better structure through the finish. T showed promise, but the early ethanol softened its impact.

What decided it:

Cleaner flavor clarity and slightly stronger finish presence.