Tag Archives: bourbon tasting

The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 55: Double-Oaked Challenge Quarterfinals

Posted on September 24, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The Double-Oaked Challenge reaches the Elite Eight. Eight blind pours become four semifinalists, and the top three seeds are all eliminated. Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: Double-Oaked Challenge — Round of 16, Part Two

Posted on September 22, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Eight more whiskeys enter the Sweet 16 blind. Four advance, one upset shakes the bracket, and the Elite Eight is set. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 54: Double-Oaked Challenge — Round of 16, Part One

Posted on September 17, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The Double-Oaked Challenge reaches the Round of 16. Eight whiskeys go blind, four head-to-head matchups decide who survives, and one upset shakes the bracket. Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: Double-Oaked Challenge Play-In Round

Posted on September 15, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The Double-Oaked Challenge begins with eight bottles fighting for four spots in the Round of 16. Blind tasting, head-to-head matchups and four survivors. Continue reading →

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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 →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 52: Seven Homemade Whiskeys Go Blind

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Five barrel-aged experiments. Two homemade blends. Seven numbered samples. I tasted them all blind to find out which homemade whiskey really deserved the top spot. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 45: Four Bottles, Four Good Pours—When Value Beats Victory

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

On the final night of vacation, I opened four bottles from my recent Tennessee-Kentucky whiskey trip. The most expensive bourbon won the tasting—but the least expensive bottle won Bourbon Cheapskate. Sometimes price changes the conversation. Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: The 11-Bottle Double-Oaked Blind

Posted on June 30, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Eleven double-oaked, triple-oaked and quad-oaked bourbons went into a blind tasting. Some were remarkable. Some simply spent extra time in wood. But only one could win. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 43: The DeBolt Dramworks Finished Bourbon Blind

Posted on June 25, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Five affordable bourbons went through finishing experiments — four in a small barrel and one in mason jars with oak staves. In this blind tasting, I find out whether finishing can truly improve cheap-but-good bourbon, or whether the original whiskey always shows through. Continue reading →

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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 →

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