Quick Thought – Saturday, March 14, 2026: What Love Really Means

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Read

1 Corinthians 13

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful...
1 Corinthians 13:5-6

Reflect

Movies can so often be inspirational. They can provide us with real wisdom, such as when Gandalf tells us in The Lord of the Rings, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” That’s pretty good advice.

On the other hand, movies can give a lot of bad advice, too – especially in the area of love. One quote that confounds me comes from an all-time favorite – The Wizard of Oz. It was actually a quote from the book that made it into the movie near the end when the wizard tells the Tin Man: “A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” Pardon? That makes no sense at all. It means that a privately generous person who cares for others has an empty heart, while the person who cares nothing for others but is admired by many – like certain celebrities – has the biggest heart of all.

Another head-scratcher is regarded as one of the most memorable movie quotes of all time. In fact, it’s listed at No. 13 on the American Film Institute’s list of its best 100 movie quotes. In Love Story, Ali MacGraw tells Ryan O’Neal, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Really? So if you love someone, just because they love you, too, you don’t have to apologize for saying or doing something wrong. That may sound romantic on screen, but it doesn’t hold up very well in real life

The Bible’s model of love is completely different. In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul describes love not as a feeling but as a series of actions and attitudes—qualities that focus less on self and more on the good of another person. To love means choosing patience, kindness, truth, and hope. It means refusing pride, irritability, selfishness and resentment.

My stepfather used to use this scripture at weddings and would replace the word “love” in the passage with the bride’s and groom’s names. I heard that so many times that it became a bit worn, but honestly, it really does work. Try it today in regards to someone you love – instead of “Love is patient,” put your name in place of the word “love” and ask yourself if that’s true. Do that with the entire passage and let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart about the areas that might need work. Pray that the Lord will help you become more loving as you seek to truly and actively love others.

Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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The Movies We Never Really Stop Watching

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Douglas Blaine
Daily writing prompt
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?
View all responses

When it comes to movies, the number I’ve watched more than five times is… embarrassingly large.

I grew up in the era of broadcast TV, VHS tapes, and cable reruns. If you loved a movie, you didn’t watch it once—you watched it over and over again until you could quote half the lines from memory.

Some of the movies on this list I’ve probably seen ten times. A few might be pushing twenty. And one or two may be somewhere north of that.

Here are the ones that immediately come to mind.

The Comedies

Some movies never stop being funny no matter how many times you watch them.

  • Caddyshack
  • Blazing Saddles
  • Young Frankenstein

Mel Brooks alone probably accounts for several evenings of my life.

The Adventure Classics

These are the ones that defined a generation.

  • Star Wars
  • The Empire Strikes Back
  • Return of the Jedi

And yes, I’m intentionally stopping at Episode VI. Episodes I–III? Let’s just say they’re not invited to the party.

The Guilty Pleasure

I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved this one.

  • Real Genius

The Romantics

Every now and then a movie just hits the right emotional note.

  • Top Gun
  • Sleepless in Seattle

The Childhood Classic

This one probably started before I was old enough to remember.

  • The Wizard of Oz

The Perfect Adventure

Few movies are as endlessly rewatchable.

  • The Princess Bride

I never get tired of it.

My Personal Favorite

The original is absolute gold.

  • Arthur

The Arthur remake with Russell Brand was cute, but rough around the edges. Dudley Moore nailed it.

The “Teacher Requirement”

When you teach certain subjects, some movies become annual viewing.

Because of my 8th grade class, I’ve seen To Kill a Mockingbird dozens of times. I show it every year, once with each class.

My journalism class has also added a few repeat viewings:

  • Network
  • All the President’s Men
  • Shattered Glass

The Hitchcock Favorites

I’ve watched a lot of Alfred Hitchcock over the years, but a few stand above the rest.

  • North by Northwest (even with the editing mistakes)
  • Vertigo
  • Rear Window

And honestly, Rear Window might be one of the greatest movies ever made.

The Christmas Traditions

Some movies simply belong to December.

  • National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
  • A Christmas Story
  • Miracle on 34th Street
  • White Christmas

And the best of all…

  • It’s a Wonderful Life

My Favorite TV Series

As for television, one show stands above the rest.

  • Moonlighting

I’ve watched the entire run multiple times. The writing, the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd, the humor—it was lightning in a bottle.

When I was younger, I shared more than a passing resemblance to a young Bruce Willis—at least that’s what people used to tell me. And if I’m being honest, I secretly wished I was a little more like David Addison: quick-witted, confident, and always ready with the perfect comeback.

Reality, of course, is less glamorous. But it’s still fun to revisit the version of cool that lived on that screen.

I’m sure if I sat here long enough I’d think of a few more. Movies have a funny way of sticking with us—sometimes because they’re great, sometimes because they remind us of a particular season of life.

Either way, if I’ve watched something five times or more, it means it’s become more than just entertainment.

It’s become an old friend.

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

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Quick Thought – Friday, March 13, 2026: “Common” Decency

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Read

Psalm 12

Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
    for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
Psalm 12:1

Reflect

Decency, formerly seen in society, passed away some time ago. It was born in the heart of God and nurtured through the following of His principles. No one can remember the last time anyone saw it. It is joined in death by its cousins, honesty, morality and virtue, and survived by its rivals, deceit, immorality and obscenity. No services will be held to remember decency, though it will be honored in the hearts of the few who can remember it.

Sadly, this “obituary” is far too close to reality than any of us would care to admit. Every day, it seems as though the things of God are more and rarer, and the ways of man and of this world are more and more exalted. Rudeness and nastiness are even seen as virtues or assets of those who wish to get ahead in this world.

Many years ago when I first read this Psalm, it seemed somewhat true even then. But today, there are times that I look around and shake my head at the reality of verse 8: “vileness is exalted among the children of man.”

What is the remedy? The only one is for people to once again embrace the principles and qualities of God and to worship Him. Apart from the Lord, godliness and common decency will be a thing of the past.

Today, pray that the Lord will continue to foster goodness, decency and godliness in your heart and that you will quietly shine those qualities to those you encounter today and in the future.

Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Opening Pour

The second wave of the Round of 64 brought another four blind matchups to the table. As before, everything was poured and scored without knowing what was in the glass. Some of these were tighter than the numbers suggest. A couple surprised me. And one bottle advanced despite not being at its best.

Let’s get into it.

🥃 Matchup 5 — Blind

CCC vs. VV

Blind Tasting Notes

CCC

  • Color: Light copper
  • Nose: Proof-forward, slightly muting the aromas; oak and vanilla most prominent
  • Palate: Peaches and strong cinnamon spice lead, with creamy caramel joining
  • Mouthfeel: Creamy
  • Finish: Decent, fruit and caramel dominate
  • Score: 83.03

VV

  • Color: Deep amber
  • Nose: Butterscotch, brown sugar, and light oak
  • Palate: Brown sugar forward, butterscotch lingering, nutmeg emerging
  • Mouthfeel: Creamy
  • Finish: Lovely, with spice and caramel most prominent
  • Score: 82.03

Reveal & Result

  • CCC: Stagg Jr. #24C (#8)
  • VV: High West Rum Cask (#57)

✅ Winner: Stagg Jr. #24C (#8)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
Closer than expected. Stagg’s proof showed up early and slightly suppressed the nose, but the palate delivered enough fruit-and-spice intensity to edge it forward. The High West brought sweetness and polish, but lacked the punch to finish the job.

What decided it:

Power and spice depth overcame early ethanol interference.

🥃 Matchup 6 — Blind

III vs. J

Blind Tasting Notes

III

  • Color: Dark copper
  • Nose: Toffee, graham cracker, savory spice
  • Palate: Butterscotch and brown sugar dominate; nutmeg and caramel follow
  • Mouthfeel: Soft but decent
  • Finish: Toffee and nutmeg close things out
  • Score: 81.81

J

  • Color: Mid copper
  • Nose: Caramel, chocolate, baking spice—slightly masked by ethanol
  • Palate: Heat up front, but subsequent sips reveal chocolate, caramel, and banana
  • Mouthfeel: Oily
  • Finish: Strong, with chocolate, caramel, and cinnamon
  • Score: 83.33

Reveal & Result

  • III: Old Elk Wheated (#25)
  • J: Jack Daniel’s Developer Series Sweet Mash (#40)

✅ Winner: Jack Daniel’s Developer Series Sweet Mash (#40)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
This was a good example of patience being rewarded. J wasn’t perfect early, but once it opened up, the flavor development surpassed III’s steadier but less dynamic profile.

What decided it:

Evolution in the glass and a stronger finish.

🥃 Matchup 7 — Blind

R vs. HH

Blind Tasting Notes

R

  • Color: Solid copper
  • Nose: “Dessert in a glass”—brown sugar, chocolate, caramel
  • Palate: Breaks down; thin mouthfeel limits flavor impact
  • Finish: Chocolate and caramel linger, but lack structure
  • Score: 79.64

HH

  • Color: Deep amber
  • Nose: More savory than sweet, with caramel joining oak and spice
  • Palate: Oak leads vanilla, nutmeg, and light caramel
  • Mouthfeel: Silky
  • Finish: Soft, caramel fades too quickly
  • Score: 77.25

Reveal & Result

  • R: Old Forester 1924 (#9)
  • HH: E.H. Taylor Small Batch (#56)

✅ Winner: Old Forester 1924 (#9)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
This one felt like a missed opportunity for both bottles. R teased greatness on the nose but couldn’t carry it through. HH was steady but lacked staying power. In the end, the stronger aromatic profile nudged R ahead despite the thin palate.

What decided it:

A superior nose was just enough to overcome palate weakness.

🥃 Matchup 8 — Blind

MM vs. E

Blind Tasting Notes

MM

  • Color: Mid-copper
  • Nose: Balanced sweet and savory—chocolate and baking spice lead
  • Palate: Brown sugar, floral note, rich caramel
  • Mouthfeel: Creamy
  • Finish: Satisfying; brown sugar leads, though shorter than expected
  • Score: 85.50

E

  • Color: Mid-copper
  • Nose: Strong butterscotch, caramel, vanilla, baking spice
  • Palate: Cinnamon up front, followed by sweet caramel and vanilla
  • Mouthfeel: Modest
  • Finish: Flavors linger nicely
  • Score: 81.92

Reveal & Result

  • MM: Brothers of the Leaf Blended Whiskey (#24)
  • E: Hard Truth Four-Grain Bourbon (#41)

✅ Winner: Brothers of the Leaf Blended Whiskey (#24)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
MM brought balance and texture. E was flavorful, but the mouthfeel difference mattered. In blind format, texture consistently separates contenders from pretenders.

What decided it:

Creamier mouthfeel and better overall balance.

🔀 Second-Round Matchups Created

  • Stagg Jr. #24C (#8)
    vs.
    Jack Daniel’s Developer Series Sweet Mash (#40)
  • Old Forester 1924 (#9)
    vs.
    Brothers of the Leaf Blended Whiskey (#24)

Closing Reflections

The theme emerging? Texture matters. High proof doesn’t automatically win—but it helps if the structure is there. A couple of bigger names survived without dominating. A blend advanced confidently. And a few bottles may already be reconsidering their seeding.

Round 2 is beginning to look dangerous. Come back on Saturday to see who wins in the next set of blinds in Round 1!

Note: This challenge recap is taking the place of the regularly scheduled Bourbon Cheapskate column. That will return on Thursday, April 9.

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

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Luck, Ladders, and Cracked Sidewalks

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Douglas Blaine
Daily writing prompt
Are you superstitious?
View all responses

Simply put, no.

I’m not superstitious.

Now, before anyone gets the wrong idea, I should probably clarify something. I don’t go around trying to break mirrors. I’m not walking under ladders just to prove a point. And if there’s a crack in the sidewalk, I’ll probably step over it.

But that’s not superstition. That’s just basic common sense.

First of all, breaking mirrors is expensive. Someone has to clean that mess up, and it’s probably going to be me.

Walking under ladders? That’s just asking for a paint can, hammer, or confused contractor to land on your head. I don’t need supernatural bad luck when gravity is already doing such a good job.

And stepping on cracks? Well, I loved my mother. I wasn’t going to risk anything happening to her over something that dumb.

But do I actually believe bad luck follows those things? Of course not.

I don’t have lucky shirts. I don’t have lucky socks. I definitely don’t have lucky underwear. If any piece of clothing ever determined how my day went, I’d be very concerned about the state of the universe.

Things don’t carry luck. Life just happens.

Sometimes things go well. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes you get the promotion, and sometimes your dog throws up on the carpet five minutes before guests arrive.

That’s just the way life works.

But while I don’t believe in luck, I do believe in something else. I believe prayer helps an awful lot. It doesn’t guarantee that everything will go the way I want. It doesn’t prevent every problem or every bad day.

But it does something better. It reminds me that I’m not facing any of those days alone.

And that’s worth a lot more than a lucky shirt.

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

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Quick Thought – Thursday, March 12, 2026: Fertile Hearts

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Read

Matthew 13:1-23

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
Matthew 13:23

Reflect

Like so many other people, I have always loved and cherished the parables of Jesus Christ. They’re so wonderfully descriptive and illustrative, and no story that we can devise ever comes close to their perfection. Among all of His other qualities, Jesus was a master storyteller.

Today’s scripture is one of the most beloved of His parables. The parable of the sower is an amazing story of how the word of God is spread. But since its first telling, it has been misunderstood. Jesus doesn’t say directly who the sower is, but every indication is that it’s God himself. We aren’t the sower – although He may use us to spread the seed. But ultimately, God is the one who scatters the seed, and He’s very liberal in how he scatters it.

He so desperately wants everyone to come to know Him through His Son that he tosses the seeds among rocks, thorns, weeds – people who are hard-hearted, stiff-necked and unlikely to respond. But such is the character of our God that He still holds out hope that even the unlikely may heed the call of His Spirit and turn toward Him.

Meanwhile, He also throws the seed into fertile ground – those who are more likely to accept the message, as well as into the fertile hearts of those who already know and love Him. And it’s there that His message bears the greatest harvest, multiplying itself 30-, 60- and 100-fold. You and I are part of that harvest, and whenever we heed His word and follow it – especially where it leads us to build His Kingdom here on earth – we can expect the seed of His Word to grow in our lives.

Today, pray that the Lord will continue to plant His word in your life and that your heart will be fertile soil that will allow the seed to grow and multiply. Ask Him to give you the wisdom about how He would have you help build His Kingdom, and that He will help you keep focused outward to a world that desperately needs to know Him.

Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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If I Were an Animal… Probably a Golden Retriever

Posted on March 11, 2026 by Douglas Blaine
Daily writing prompt
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
View all responses

When I saw today’s question—Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?—my first thought was that this could get dangerous pretty quickly. Comparing people to animals usually doesn’t end well. Some comparisons sound flattering. Others… not so much.

But if I’m being honest about it, the animal that probably fits me best is a golden retriever.

Golden retrievers are known for being loyal, and that’s something I value deeply. When I care about people—family, friends, students—I’m pretty committed to them. Loyalty matters. Relationships matter. A golden retriever sticks with its people, and I’d like to think I do the same.

They’re also intelligent, but not in a show-off way. Retrievers pay attention. They notice things. Sometimes they’re watching quietly when no one realizes it. That feels familiar to me as a teacher and a writer. A lot of what I do involves observing people, situations, and little details that others might miss.

Of course, retrievers are also famous for being easily distracted. A bird flies by, a ball rolls across the yard, and suddenly their attention goes somewhere else. That sounds about right, too. Some days I can focus on the smallest details for a long time. Other days something shiny comes along and my brain chases it down the street.

Golden retrievers are affectionate animals. They enjoy giving affection and getting it in return. That part fits me as well. I’ve always believed that the best parts of life involve connection with the people around us.

When it comes to food, retrievers are not exactly picky. They’ll eat just about anything that appears in the bowl. That’s fairly accurate in my case, too. I’m not terribly hard to please when it comes to food. On the other hand, like a retriever who enjoys a particularly good treat, I do appreciate the finer things now and then—whether that’s a good meal, a well-written book, or a carefully crafted glass of bourbon.

And finally, retrievers are active without being hyperactive. They’ll run when it’s time to run, but they’re also perfectly content lying around the house with the people they care about. That probably describes my pace of life pretty well.

So if I had to choose an animal comparison, I suppose I’d go with the golden retriever.

Loyal. Observant. Occasionally distracted. Happy to show affection. Not too picky—but appreciative of a good treat when it comes along.

All things considered, there are worse animals to resemble.

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

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Quick Thought – Wednesday, March 11, 2025: God Always Has a Plan

Posted on March 11, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Read

Genesis 37:12-36

Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
Genesis 37:28

Reflect

The man had been sitting at the bar, staring at his glass for at least an hour when the trouble-maker arrived. The burly man stepped up to the bar, snatched the drink from in front of the man and downed it in one gulp. The little man just started to cry.

“Come on, man,” the bully said. “I was just joking around. I’ll buy you a new drink if you stop crying.”

“You don’t understand,” the little man said. “This is the worst day of my entire life. It started when I overslept and was late to work. My boss was so mad that he fired me. When I went to drive home, my car had been stolen, and the police said there was nothing they could do. So I got a taxi ride home, and left my wallet, with all of my money and credit cards inside. The cab driver just drove off. And when I went inside, I found a note from my wife that she’d left me for my best friend.

“So I came here to drink and to think about ending my life. And just when I was getting ready to do that, you came in and drank my poison.”

Those are two guys who had bad days, but it’s hard to imagine that their days were even worse than Joseph’s. He was on top of the world when his brothers tossed him in a hole, faked his death and sold him into slavery. From there, his days were destined to get even worse for a while, as he was falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison. Joseph had every reason to forsake God and turn his back on the Lord.

But God had a plan, and Joseph held on to the hope that God had not forgotten him. Ultimately, God restored Joseph to an even greater position that led to the salvation of Joseph’s entire family.

You will certainly have bad days in your future, and some may leave you beyond hope. But remember that God always has a plan, and will keep His hand on those who stay in His will. (And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28)

Today, pray that the Lord will bless your efforts this day. Also, pray that when things go wrong that He will help you stay close to Him until His ultimate plan is revealed.

Reflection copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

Posted on March 10, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Opening Pour

The Round of 64 begins with four blind head-to-head matchups. Eight bottles entered the ring tonight, poured and tasted without labels, preconceptions, or shelf bias. Notes and scores were recorded blind, identities revealed only after decisions were made. Some outcomes were decisive. Others were far closer than expected.

Note: The bottles will initially be labeled with letters, such as QQ and BB in the first matchup. Each bottle was placed into an order, A through LLL, but the identity of the bottle was located on the bottom with a number, 1 through 64. This is the way I maintained a true double-blind integrity so that I could rate the whiskeys honestly without any bias from knowing which bourbons were in each blind. So in this case, bottles QQ and BB were not tasted next to one another, but their honest ratings were placed into the bracket once all 64 whiskeys were rated.

🥃 Matchup 1 — Blind

QQ vs. BB

Blind Tasting Notes

QQ

  • Color: Solid mahogany
  • Nose: Dessert-in-a-glass—rich, sweet caramel, creamy milk chocolate, and a touch of banana
  • Palate: A lot of proof, but it never overwhelms—rich dark chocolate, creamy caramel, light baking spice, and oak
  • Mouthfeel: Viscous, pinning the flavors to the tongue
  • Finish: Long and lingering, with chocolate reigning throughout
  • Score: 91.79

BB

  • Color: Deep amber
  • Nose: Apples, vanilla, oak, and light cinnamon
  • Palate: Spicy cinnamon, creamy caramel, oak, and mild fruit
  • Mouthfeel: Creamy
  • Finish: Spicy, with tart fruit and spice leading
  • Score: 79.75

Reveal & Result

  • QQ: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Barrel Proof Rye (#1)
  • BB: Clyde May’s Single Barrel, Blue Label (#64)

✅ Winner: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Barrel Proof Rye
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
This one wasn’t particularly close. QQ delivered power, balance, and length in a way BB simply couldn’t match. BB was enjoyable and well-structured, but when stacked against a high-proof juggernaut firing on all cylinders, it never truly threatened.

What decided it:

Superior depth, viscosity, and a finish that refused to fade.

🥃 Matchup 2 — Blind

C vs. KKK

Blind Tasting Notes

C

  • Color: Mid-copper
  • Nose: Dusty peanuts, nutmeg, and crème brûlée
  • Palate: Very creamy—caramel and vanilla lead peanut butter and cinnamon
  • Mouthfeel: Creamy
  • Finish: Solid, with buttery caramel out front
  • Score: 80.40

KKK

  • Color: Dark copper
  • Nose: Leathery oak, light vanilla, and cardamom
  • Palate: Brown sugar, toffee, cherries, and cinnamon in good balance
  • Mouthfeel: Creamy
  • Finish: Tart cherries and cinnamon linger
  • Score: 86.37

Reveal & Result

  • C: Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Cask Strength (#32)
  • KKK: Seelbach’s 8-Year Cask Strength (#33)

✅ Winner: Seelbach’s 8-Year Cask Strength
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
This was a quality matchup. C was pleasant, creamy, and classic, but KKK brought more dimension and complexity, especially on the back half. The fruit-and-spice interplay pushed it clearly ahead.

What decided it:

Greater complexity and a more expressive finish.

🥃 Matchup 3 — Blind

YY vs. JJJ

Blind Tasting Notes

YY

  • Color: Mid-copper
  • Nose: Dusty peanuts and oak with savory baking spice
  • Palate: Peanuts, brown sugar, caramel, and oak
  • Mouthfeel: Silky
  • Finish: Decent length, with tart cherry and caramel leading
  • Score: 83.22

JJJ

  • Color: Dark copper
  • Nose: Vanilla, oak, and cardamom
  • Palate: Leather, savory caramel, and cardamom
  • Mouthfeel: Creamy
  • Finish: Oak and caramel linger longest
  • Score: 82.13

Reveal & Result

  • YY: Jack Daniel’s Heritage Toasted Barrel (#16)
  • JJJ: Green River Full Proof (#49)

✅ Winner: Jack Daniel’s Heritage Toasted Barrel
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
This was tight. Very tight. Both pours leaned savory and oak-forward, but YY edged ahead with slightly better balance and a more engaging finish. JJJ made it interesting, but not quite interesting enough.

What decided it:

A smoother mouthfeel and slightly better integration of oak and sweetness.

🥃 Matchup 4 — Blind

HHH vs. PP

Blind Tasting Notes

HHH

  • Color: Solid mahogany
  • Nose: Heavy proof at first, then chocolate, caramel, nutmeg, and oak
  • Palate: Mint-chocolate, creamy vanilla, nutmeg, and oak
  • Mouthfeel: Decadent
  • Finish: Exceptionally long—chocolate and baking spice linger beautifully
  • Score: 89.40

PP

  • Color: Light copper
  • Nose: Mild caramel and vanilla with a hint of cinnamon
  • Palate: Very spicy early, with apricots breaking through and vanilla behind
  • Mouthfeel: Soft, falling short of creamy
  • Finish: Decent, led by apricot and spice
  • Score: 78.23

Reveal & Result

  • dHHH: Far Better Cask Strength (#17)
  • PP: Old Ezra 7-Year Rye (#48)

✅ Winner: Far Better Cask Strength
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
This one tilted hard toward HHH. PP brought an interesting fruit-and-spice profile, but HHH delivered authority—depth, richness, and a finish that simply overwhelmed its opponent.

What decided it:

Sheer intensity paired with balance and a relentless finish.

🔀 Second-Round Matchups Created

  • Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Barrel Proof Rye (#1)
    vs.
    Seelbach’s 8-Year Cask Strength (#33)
  • Jack Daniel’s Heritage Toasted Barrel (#16)
    vs.
    Far Better Cask Strength (#17)

Closing Reflections

The early theme is already emerging: proof doesn’t scare off good balance—but it will expose weakness. A couple of favorites advanced cleanly, a couple survived tight fights, and one or two bottles probably hoped for a softer draw. The bracket is already taking shape, and Round 2 is lining up to be far less forgiving.

Our next post will highlight the next four pairings, so come back on Thursday to see who advances and who gets sent back to the shelf!

Note: This challenge recap is taking the place of the regularly scheduled Tasting Tuesday column. That will return on Tuesday, April 7.

Copyright © 2026  Doug DeBolt.

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A Letter to My 100-year-old Self.

Posted on March 10, 2026 by Douglas Blaine
Daily writing prompt
Write a letter to your 100-year-old self.
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First of all, if you’re reading this at 100 years old, I’d be surprised as hell.

Nobody in my immediate family has even made it to 85. My dad was the longevity champion at 84. Mom died of cancer at 67. Her parents lived to 81 and 84, and my dad’s parents were 63 and 83. So if you’ve somehow hit triple digits, you’ve already broken every family record we have.

Frankly, I’d be thrilled just to be the first one to hit 90. My daughter would probably like that too.

But let’s be clear about something: the only way I’d want to get to 100 is if I’m still in halfway decent shape and my mind still works. If you’re reading this and wondering why someone taped a note to the wall that says “pants first, then shoes,” things may have gone sideways.

Still, if you made it this far, that means you saw things I can’t even imagine yet.

Did Sully grow up well?
Are there great-grandkids running around?
Did Lizzi get the kind of happiness every dad hopes his child finds?

And what about Daryl? I hope the years were kind to both of you. If she’s still around at that point, give her a hug from the younger version of me writing this today. She deserves more hugs than she probably ever got.

Did you finish the books you wanted to write?

That’s one thing I’d really like to know. I hope Tumbleweeds made it into the world. I hope some of the other stories that have been rattling around in my head found their way onto paper too.

And I hope you didn’t stop writing.

Writing has always been one of the ways I make sense of life. If you’re 100 and still putting words together, even if it’s just a paragraph here and there, then you’re doing something right.

One more question.

Did you stay grateful?

Because that’s really the whole point of the journey. Family, faith, stories, laughter, a good glass of bourbon with friends—those are the things that make life rich.

If you still remember that at 100, then you’ve lived well.

But if you’re reading this while complaining about the fit of your diaper, well… congratulations anyway. You made it.

And that’s still pretty impressive.

—Doug, age 59

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.

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