Category Archives: Bourbon

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Second Round Matchups 13-16

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Round 2 closes with depth, dessert profiles, and a few decisive finishes. Old Forester’s 117 moves on, 13th Colony flexes its complexity, Oloroso proves its smoky edge, and Woodford Double Oaked does what it does best—linger. The Sweet 16 is set, and the margin for error is gone. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged 13th Colony Cask Strength, best of the shelf challenge, Blind Tasting, Bourbon Bracket, Bourbon Review, CapnPen, Green River Single Barrel, High West Chardonnay Cask, Jack Daniel’s Oloroso Cask, Old Forester 117 Series, old grand-dad 114, Round 2, Seelbach’s Beekeeper, Whiskey Blog, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked | Leave a comment

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Second Round Matchups 9-12

Posted on March 28, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Round 2 continues to separate depth from durability. Old Forester flexes again, Magnus edges a tight one, Toasted Pecan rolls, and 1792 Full Proof proves it belongs in the conversation. Chocolate, cherries, and caramel keep showing up—but integration and finish are deciding who survives. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged 1792 Full Proof, best of the shelf challenge, Blind Tasting, Bourbon Bracket, Bourbon Review, CapnPen, Jack Daniel’s Toasted Pecan, Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend, Old Forester 1897, Old Forester 1920, Old Forester Single Barrel, Penelope Marshmallow Toasted, Round 2, Still Austin Single Barrel, Whiskey Blog | Leave a comment

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Second Round Matchups 5-8

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Round 2 keeps tightening the bracket as chocolate-heavy powerhouses, fruit-forward surprises, and texture-driven contenders battle for a spot in the Sweet 16. Mouthfeel and finish are proving to be the difference-makers as the field narrows and the margin for error disappears. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged best of the shelf challenge, Blind Tasting, Bourbon Bracket, Bourbon Review, CapnPen, Company Seismic Rye, Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof, Kentucky Owl, Nashtucky 7 Year, Noah's Mill, Rebel Single Barrel, Seelbachs, Whiskey Tasting, Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve | Leave a comment

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Second Round Matchups 1-4

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Round 2 raises the stakes as four more blind matchups narrow the field. A rye flexes its balance, a cask-strength heavyweight proves its depth, Sweet Mash humbles a favorite, and a blend edges out a veteran in a razor-close finish. Texture and finish continue to separate contenders from pretenders. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged Barrel Proof Rye, best of the shelf challenge, Blind Tasting, Bourbon Bracket, Brothers of the Leaf, Far Better, Far Better Cask Strength, Jack Daniels, Round 2, Sweet Mash, whiskey review | 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

A spring break trip to see family, finish the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, and come home with enough bottles for a serious blind tasting. Eleven pours later, one bottle rose above the rest. Continue reading →

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

The Sunday Pour: The Long Rickhouse Aisle

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Walking through a rickhouse feels like walking through time itself — rows of barrels holding different years, different histories, and different stages of becoming. In a place where nothing can be rushed, the slow work of aging becomes a reminder that some things only deepen because they stay in the season long enough. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, Faith, The Sunday Pour | 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

Round 1 is officially complete. The final four blind matchups delivered chocolate-heavy upsets, a dominant Oloroso finish, and another reminder that texture wins tournaments. A few big names fell. A few sleepers are heating up. The bracket tightens from here. Continue reading →

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

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

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Four more blinds, four more bottles headed home. Old Forester flexed its muscle again, Old Grand-dad proved that texture can outweigh complexity, and a pair of tightly contested matchups showed just how thin the margin is between advancing and packing it in. The first round is almost complete—and the bracket is starting to reveal its true contenders. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged 13th Colony Barrel Strength, best of the shelf challenge, Blind Tasting, Bourbon Bracket, Bourbon Tournament, CapnPen, Maker’s Mark Heart Release, Old Forester 1910 117 Series, old grand-dad 114, Seelbach’s Beekeeper, whiskey review, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye, Yellowstone Toasted | Leave a comment

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—First Round Matchups 21-24

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Round one keeps delivering heavy hitters. A toasted pecan surprise makes a statement, a 100-proof staple falls short, and two dessert-forward contenders flex serious muscle. Texture, balance, and finish are starting to separate true bracket threats from solid everyday pours. The Round of 32 is beginning to look dangerous. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged 1792 Full Proof, best of the shelf challenge, Blind Tasting, Bourbon Bracket, Bourbon Review, CapnPen, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series, New England Barrel Company, Old Forester 1897, Old Forester 1920, Smooth Ambler Old Scout, Whiskey Blog | Leave a comment

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—First Round Matchups 17-20

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Round of 64, Part Five may have delivered the most explosive top seed performance yet. A dominant #2 reminded everyone why it earned its place, while two mid-seeds fought tooth and nail in tightly contested battles. At this stage, thin mouthfeel is a death sentence—and balance is beginning to separate contenders from pretenders. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged best of the shelf challenge, Blind Tasting, Bourbon, Bourbon Bracket, Bourbon Review, CapnPen, cask strength bourbon, From the Capn’s Pen, rye whiskey, single barrel bourbon, Tasting Notes, whiskey, whiskey review | Leave a comment

Category Archives: Bourbon

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Second Round Matchups 13-16

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March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Second Round Matchups 9-12

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March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Second Round Matchups 5-8

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March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Second Round Matchups 1-4

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

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The Sunday Pour: The Long Rickhouse Aisle

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

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

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March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—First Round Matchups 21-24

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March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—First Round Matchups 17-20

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