Tag Archives: bourbon reviews

Tasting Tuesday: Rivertown Reserve—When Buffalo Trace Meets the Aging Barrel

Posted on March 3, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I didn’t distill this whiskey. I just gave a solid $22 bottle three weeks in a finishing cask — and it jumped into the top 30 on my shelf. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 27: The Bottle I Bought Out of Guilt (and Loved)

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Sometimes the bottles we buy out of guilt turn out to be the biggest surprises. A $40 impulse buy and a $24 bottom-shelfer shocked me in a blind tasting — and one of them beat bottles that cost a lot more. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 26: Turning a $22 Bottle Into a Top-Shelf Pour

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I didn’t distill this whiskey. I just gave a solid $22 bottle three weeks in a finishing cask — and it jumped into the top 30 on my shelf. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 22: The Best of $40 and Under (New Year’s Edition)

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Great bourbon doesn’t have to be expensive. These are the bottles that proved it in 2025—my Top 10 bourbons under $40, plus the best values under $30, $25, and even $20. No hype, no gimmicks—just bottles that consistently punched above their price and earned permanent shelf space. Continue reading →

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