Tag Archives: Barrel Proof Bourbon

Tasting Tuesday: A Booker’s Reunion — Three Batches, Three Personalities

Posted on October 13, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Three batches of Booker’s Bourbon from 2025. Three Glencairns. One blind tasting. Which delivers the best combination of flavor, complexity, and finish? The results might surprise you — and there’s still one more bottle to find. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, Tasting Tuesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tasting Tuesday: The Redemption Bourbon Veronica Mars Made Me Buy

Posted on September 8, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

A television bourbon sighting sent me hunting for Redemption 10-Year. I couldn’t find it, but Redemption 9-Year Barrel Proof turned out to be a complex, mature pour worth slowing down for. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, Tasting Tuesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tasting Tuesday: Booker’s 25-03 Beats Four Staggs in a Blind Tasting

Posted on September 1, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Booker’s 25-03 stole the show in a blind tasting of eight high-proof bourbons, finishing ahead of four Staggs while Booker’s 25-04 landed in last place. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, Tasting Tuesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tasting Tuesday: When Stagg Crashed the Tasting

Posted on June 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

What started as a simple 107-proof comparison in Tennessee turned into something bigger when Old Glory stole the show — until Stagg Batch 25D and George T. Stagg walked into the room. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, Tasting Tuesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 38: The Patriot Takes the Field

Posted on May 21, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

In a blind single-barrel showdown against Pinhook, Old Forester, and Green River, Evan Williams America 250 Barrel 222 had every reason to be the underdog. Instead, it planted a flag. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, The Bourbon Cheapskate | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tasting Tuesday: Two Staggs Walk Into a Glencairn

Posted on May 19, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Scott gave me a bottle of Stagg 24C, and I treated it like a miser guarding a gemstone. Then he gave me a 25C, and it was finally time to let the two bottles lock antlers. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, Tasting Tuesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 37: Evan Williams America 250 (times three)

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Three bottles. Three barrels. Same Evan Williams Single Barrel 250 release. Same 117.76 proof. Very different results. Barrel 222 proved why higher-proof single barrels can still deliver serious value at around $40. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, The Bourbon Cheapskate | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Elite 8

Posted on April 4, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The Elite Eight delivered razor-thin margins and decisive finishes. Far Better edges Sweet Mash on texture, Nashtucky outlasts a barrel-proof favorite, Toasted Pecan flexes its banana-toffee edge, and Woodford Double Oaked leans fully into dessert mode. The Final Four is set—and every remaining pour is built on depth and finish. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Very Sweet 16 Matchups 1-4

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The Sweet 16 opens with four heavyweights advancing on depth, viscosity, and finish length. Far Better flexes, Sweet Mash survives a near coin-flip, a barrel-proof Jack storms through, and Nashtucky proves its layered complexity. Half the Elite Eight is set—the rest will be decided next. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment