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
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- 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.
