Tag Archives: bourbon reviews

The Sunday Pour: When Good Bourbon Becomes Ordinary

Posted on October 18, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

As our bourbon collections grow and our palates become more sophisticated, do we risk losing our appreciation for everyday whiskey? This week, The Sunday Pour explores the difference between evaluating bourbon and enjoying it, the lessons of the Bourbon Cheapskate, and what the Apostle Paul teaches us about contentment. Continue reading →

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Southern Sports Stillhouse: Bourbon, Buckeyes and Bloomington

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The Buckeyes head to Bloomington for a top-five showdown, Alabama visits Rocky Top, and Notre Dame faces BYU. Doug and Scott break down ten college football games, compare their predictions, and sample four bourbons before raising one final glass to a special friend. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 58: A Calumet Celebration at a Cheapskate Price

Posted on October 15, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

A $40 clearance find at Broudy’s in St. Augustine puts Calumet Farm 10-Year against Knob Creek 12-Year in a blind tasting. Two mature, 100-proof bourbons. One narrow winner. And a reminder that great whiskey doesn’t always require a great big investment. Continue reading →

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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 →

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The Sunday Pour: The Bottle I Was Wrong About

Posted on October 11, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Was I wrong about Benchmark bourbon? I revisited six bottles, from Full Proof to Top Floor, to see whether my opinions had changed. The scores improved, but the conclusions remained remarkably consistent. Along the way, I discovered a spiritual lesson about humility, honest self-examination and the willingness to admit when we’re wrong. And there’s an unexpected ending involving my stepson and six bottles of whiskey. Continue reading →

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Southern Sports Stillhouse: Bulldogs, Bourbon and the Red River Rivalry

Posted on October 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Georgia and Alabama square off in Tuscaloosa, Texas and Oklahoma renew the Red River Rivalry, and Scott and Doug tackle ten games that could shake up the college football landscape. Along the way, we’re pouring Shortbarrel Double-Oaked and three whiskeys from Georgia’s 13th Colony Distilleries. Ten games, twenty predictions, four pours and plenty of opinions. Raise a glass. Take a side. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 57: A Return Visit With Old Grand-Dad

Posted on October 8, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Ten months and countless bourbon tastings later, I’m revisiting two of my Bourbon Cheapskate favorites: Old Grand-Dad 114 and Old Grand-Dad 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond. Have my tastes changed? Were my original scores too generous? Or do these affordable bourbons still deserve their places on my shelf? It’s time for a rematch. Continue reading →

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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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