The field has been cut in half twice already, and every bottle left has survived at least one blind skirmish to get here. At this stage, there are no flukes, no charity invites, and definitely no freebies. Only eight pours remain — and only four of them will earn the right to keep fighting.

Let’s settle the Elite Eight.

Blind #13

The Contenders

1️⃣ Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old
9️⃣ Elijah Craig Small Batch PGA Edition
4️⃣ Blanton’s Single Barrel
2️⃣1️⃣ Sleight of Hand

Glencairn A

Color: Solid amber.
Nose: Uncomplicated — dusty oak, vanilla, mild baking spice.
Palate: Spicy on entry. Creamy vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, a bit of tree fruit.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, not oily, still enjoyable.
Finish: Oak, cinnamon and vanilla linger.
Score: 76.6

Glencairn B

Color: Light copper.
Nose: Sweet apples, brown sugar, vanilla.
Palate: Opens sweet, spice rushes in. Apple-forward with balanced oak and allspice.
Mouthfeel: Nearly creamy.
Finish: Short; oak and spice stay in charge.
Score: 78.6

Glencairn C

Color: Mid-amber (lightest of the blind).
Nose: Grapes, vanilla, oak, cardamom.
Palate: Oak, grape candy, brown sugar, trailing baking spice.
Mouthfeel: Not creamy or oily, but pleasantly viscous.
Finish: Short, but sweetness hangs on as long as it can.
Score: 77.7

Glencairn D

Color: Beautiful mahogany.
Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, dark cherries, cinnamon.
Palate: Brown sugar, caramel and cherries flood in. Nutmeg + oak in the background. Total “dessert in a glass.”
Mouthfeel: Silky, even without full creaminess.
Finish: Long and memorable — cherries turn tart, brown sugar hangs on.
Score: 88.5

Thoughts About the Blind

I knew what D was from the jump — the color, nose, and profile gave away the Old Forester 117. The other three? Not even close to confident. I thought I knew, but the reveal proved I was guessing more than I wanted to admit. The good news: every pour here was enjoyable in its own right.

The Reveal

• Glencairn A: Elijah Craig Small Batch PGA Edition

• Glencairn B: Sleight of Hand

• Glencairn C: Blanton’s Single Barrel

• Glencairn D: Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old

The Results

✅ Advancing: Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old & Sleight of Hand

Blind #14

The Contenders

2️⃣ Old Forester 1910
7️⃣ Square 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon High Rye
1️⃣1️⃣ Angel’s Envy Port Finished Bourbon
1️⃣9️⃣ Buffalo Trace Barrel Select

🆕 Bonus Pour: Penelope Bartender’s Reserve (unseeded but thrown in for curiosity and a little chaos)

Glencairn A

Color: Rich amber.
Nose: Apples, vanilla, light baking spice.
Palate: Cinnamon apples, vanilla, caramel. Warm and spicy.
Mouthfeel: Creamy.
Finish: Tasty but short.
Score: 77.1

Glencairn B

Color: Lovely mahogany.
Nose: Chocolate-covered cherries, brown sugar, cinnamon.
Palate: Brown sugar forward, cherries and dark chocolate behind.
Mouthfeel: Creamy and oily.
Finish: Long, rich, brown sugar and spice lead home.
Score: 88.0

Glencairn C

Color: Rich amber.
Nose: Sweet tree fruit, warm sugar, caramel, light spice.
Palate: Warm spice leads, red fruit and caramel follow.
Mouthfeel: Satisfying, not creamy.
Finish: Spice + tart fruit hang on for a good visit.
Score: 79.0

Glencairn D

Color: Solid amber.
Nose: Dusty oak, light tree fruit, caramel.
Palate: Dusty oak + sweetness + spice + creamy caramel.
Mouthfeel: Nearly creamy.
Finish: Short, but pleasant.
Score: 75.7

Glencairn E

Color: Light copper.
Nose: Bready, leathery, faint vanilla — unmistakable.
Palate: Sweet and savory at once — brown sugar + caramel over bread/leather.
Mouthfeel: Nicely viscous.
Finish: Long, spice and caramel stay late.
Score: 79.8

Thoughts About the Blind

Two dead giveaways: B and E — Old Forester and Square 6 — so that matchup was already settled in my mind. And Square 6? Still one of the weirdest pours I’ve come to genuinely enjoy. The other three? No idea until the reveal.

The Reveal

• Glencairn A: Angel’s Envy Port Finish

• Glencairn B: Old Forester 1910

• Glencairn C: Buffalo Trace Barrel Select

• Glencairn D: Penelope Bartender’s Reserve

• Glencairn E: Square 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon High Rye

The Results

Penelope Bartender’s Reserve: 75.7 (respectable, but not Final Four-worthy)

✅ Advancing: Old Forester 1910 & Buffalo Trace Barrel Select

The Final Four

1️⃣ Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old
2️⃣ Old Forester 1910
1️⃣9️⃣ Buffalo Trace Barrel Select
2️⃣1️⃣ Sleight of Hand

Next Week

We stop pretending these bottles aren’t all great and start asking the real question:

Which one actually deserves to win this thing?

Two titans from Old Forester.
Two overachievers that refuse to go away.
One bracket that has been anything but predictable.

Clean your Glencairn.
Hydrate.
Stretch.

The Final Four is going to be a fight.