Every trip has souvenirs.
Some people bring home T-shirts. Some bring home magnets. Some bring home shot glasses, which seems redundant if you also bring home the thing that goes in them.
I brought home whiskey.
Technically, I brought home nine bottles, but the agave whiskey sits in its own strange and wonderful category. That one gets its own conversation. This tasting was about the eight whiskeys that came home from the trip and immediately auditioned for a place in next year’s Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge.
Eight bottles. Two blind flights. No bad choices.
That is a pretty good problem to have.
Flight One
Glencairn A
Color: Light copper.
Nose: A bit of proof up front, followed by hints of citrus, toasted nuts, oak and vanilla.
Palate: Orange peel, cinnamon, caramel and a touch of peanuts.
Mouthfeel: Lightly oily.
Finish: Lingers nicely, with citrus and spice and a touch of oak.
Overall impression: This was a very nice start to the blind. I was getting a Kentucky hug early, and I was already thinking I had chosen the right children to bring home.
Score: 82.89
Glencairn B
Color: Rich copper.
Nose: Beautiful. It smelled like Christmas in my glass, with caramel, gingerbread and orange spice.
Palate: Orange and allspice led the way, with oak and caramel also in the mix.
Mouthfeel: Borderline creamy.
Finish: Not as good as I had hoped, but certainly not bad. Orange and spice were the primary notes.
Overall impression: The nose was better than the taste, but this was still a very solid dram.
Score: 84.96
Glencairn C
Color: Mid-copper.
Nose: More oak than I anticipated, but also toasted nuts, citrus and caramel.
Palate: Cinnamon, citrus peel, cherries, a hint of peanuts, a bit of oak and a touch of ethanol.
Mouthfeel: Nicely creamy. The best mouthfeel of the flight so far.
Finish: Lingers well, with caramel and spice and a bit of toasted oak.
Overall impression: At this point, I thought this might be my favorite. The mouthfeel jumped out immediately, and the flavors and complexity did not disappoint.
Score: 84.52
Glencairn D
Color: Light mahogany.
Nose: The best nose of the bunch. Caramel, chocolate, toasted oak and nutmeg.
Palate: Baking spice up front, followed by caramel, milk chocolate and light oak.
Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy.
Finish: Really nice, and maybe the best of the group. Spice and caramel led the way, with a bit of chocolate behind them.
Overall impression: This might have been the best of the flight, but if not, it was close. Honestly, all four were enjoyable, and I was loving my choices so far.
Score: 86.91
Flight One Reveal
Glencairn A was Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel.
Glencairn B was Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Single Barrel Father’s Day Selection B 2026.
Glencairn C was Casey Jones Revere.
Glencairn D was Old Glory Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey “Ladies’ Choice.”
The Old Glory was the winner of the first flight, and that was not entirely shocking after the reveal. My buddy Scott had opened his Old Glory “People’s Choice” single barrel before we headed out on our trip, and it was one of the highlights of our time together. There wasn’t any more of that bottle left when I went looking, but the “Ladies’ Choice,” selected by the owner’s wife, turned out to be more than a consolation prize.
It might even rival the People’s Choice.
Flight Two
Glencairn A
Color: Rich copper.
Nose: Savory baking spice, toasted oak, light caramel and orange peel.
Palate: Cinnamon, caramel, chocolate and orange zest.
Mouthfeel: Lightly creamy.
Finish: The proof and spice hung on well into a strong finish, where spice and citrus dominated.
Overall impression: The second blind kicked off with a strong contender. I truly had no clue what I was tasting, and that was part of the fun.
Score: 84.85
Glencairn B
Color: Rich mahogany. Best color of the day.
Nose: A lot of oak up front, followed by caramel, vanilla and cardamom.
Palate: Brown sugar and cherries broke out early, with toasted oak, caramel and light chocolate following behind.
Mouthfeel: Lightly oily.
Finish: Long and satisfying, with baking spice and tart fruit lingering best.
Overall impression: This one stepped up the competition and was a bit more impressive than the first sample.
Score: 86.04
Glencairn C
Color: Mid-copper.
Nose: Wow. Rich chocolate, followed by a touch of leather and a bit of savory baking spice.
Palate: Sweet brown sugar, followed by toffee, a touch of leather and red fruit.
Mouthfeel: Nicely creamy.
Finish: The leather lingered, but it was matched by tart cherries, brown sugar and baking spice.
Overall impression: I thought I knew which bottle this was, mainly because I bought it on a whim because of the mouthfeel. The flavors might not have quite matched my memory, but this was still a solid pour.
Score: 84.74
Glencairn D
Color: Mid-copper.
Nose: Toasted oak, nutmeg, caramel and toffee.
Palate: Beautiful. Rich brown sugar, red fruit, toffee and cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Nicely creamy.
Finish: Very long-lasting, with cinnamon, cherries and light chocolate dominating.
Overall impression: This was probably the best of the group. Everything about this bourbon was a home run.
Score: 86.26
Flight Two Reveal
Glencairn A was Old Forester 117 Series Prohibition Still Proof.
Glencairn B was Nashville Barrel Company Stella’s Stash.
Glencairn C was Linkumpinch 4-Year Cask Strength.
Glencairn D was Green River Single Barrel “Bottle Your Own.”
The Green River bottle was one of the things we had looked forward to most on the trip, and it surpassed my expectations in the blind. So did Stella’s Stash, which was a last-minute addition to my suitcase after I remembered that the hazmat Jack Daniel’s rye could not fly home with me.
That is not the worst substitution I have ever made.
Final Order
- Old Glory Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey “Ladies’ Choice” — 86.91
- Green River Single Barrel “Bottle Your Own” — 86.26
- Nashville Barrel Company Stella’s Stash — 86.04
- Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Single Barrel Father’s Day Selection B 2026 — 84.96
- Old Forester 117 Series Prohibition Still Proof — 84.85
- Lunkumpinch 4-Year Cask Strength — 84.74
- Casey Jones Revere — 84.52
- Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel — 82.89
Final Thoughts
There were no bad choices here.
The “worst” bottle in the blind was the Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel, and even that was worth every bit of the effort it took to bring it home. When your last-place bottle scores an 82.89, you have not failed. You have packed well.
The top choice was the Old Glory “Ladies’ Choice,” and that was a little bit of a surprise. Not because I expected it to be bad, but because the competition was strong. Green River’s “Pour Your Own” bottle had the advantage of being one of the trip bottles I was most excited about. Stella’s Stash had the intrigue of being a Nashville Barrel Company bottle I almost didn’t bring home. Woodford’s Father’s Day selection had that Double Oaked comfort zone. Old Forester’s 117 Series had the limited-release mystique.
And yet the Old Glory won.
That feels right, somehow. Scott’s “People’s Choice” bottle helped set the tone for the trip, and my “Ladies’ Choice” bottle gets to close it.
Every one of these bottles has earned a spot in my top 64 and is currently lined up for next year’s March Madness bracket. I hope to collect the rest of my children in another week or two, but until then, I will console myself with the bottles I have on hand.
I suppose I will manage.
Enjoyed this? Subscribe and get future reflections, bourbon notes, and assorted nonsense delivered straight to your inbox.
Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
This was a really enjoyable read. It felt like I was right there in the blind tasting with you. I like how you balanced detailed notes with humor and storytelling. The “worst” bottle still scoring an 82 really says it all about the quality of the lineup. Old Glory taking the top spot was a great twist at the end.