Tag Archives: bonded

The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 19: Old Grand-Dad Showdown — Bonded vs. 7-Year vs. 114

Today’s Bourbon Cheapskate pits three Old Grand-Dad expressions against each other — the classic Bottled-in-Bond, the resurrected 7-Year Bonded, and the crowd-favorite 114. I broke the blind tasting down category by category, and the results surprised me. I thought the 114 was the runaway favorite… until the 7-year started quietly flexing its muscles. Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: A Fresh Look at the Benchmark Five

This week’s Tasting Tuesday revisits the full five-bottle Benchmark lineup as I continue re-evaluating every bourbon on my shelf — now down to 36 left. My palate has changed, the scores have shifted, and a few surprises emerged, but Benchmark still stands as one of the best value introductions to bourbon you can buy. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 12: Bottled Bargains—Member’s Mark Bottled-in-Bond Takes on Its Kin

Back on September 25, I reviewed Member’s Mark Small Batch, a Sam’s Club exclusive that impressed me with its flavor-to-price ratio at just $18.95. Now the warehouse giant has added a Member’s Mark Bottled-in-Bond expression — also priced at $18.95 … Continue reading →

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Tuesday Tasting: Is Heritage Barrel Worth the Hype? A Jack Daniel’s Blind Tasting

Every once in a while, a bottle jumps off the shelf and says take me home. That’s what happened when I stumbled onto a Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Heritage Barrel Toasted at Shores Liquors. Folks have been clamoring for this … Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: The Rye Showdown — Final Four and Championship

After weeks of blind pours and unexpected twists, the Rye Challenge has come down to the Final Four. What started as a broad field of contenders has been whittled down to just four glasses — three of them from Jack … Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 4: Benchmark’s Five-Bottle Shelf

If someone asked me where to start with bourbon—and they only wanted to spend about $100—I’d point them straight to Benchmark. Forget the 80-proofer, but grab the other five bottles in the line, and you’ve got yourself a small whiskey … Continue reading →

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