Tag Archives: Bourbon Trail

Best of the Bourbon Trail Trip, Part Three: The Eight Bottles That Made It Home

Posted on June 17, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Eight whiskeys came home from the trip. Two blind flights later, there were no bad choices — but one Tennessee single barrel rose above the rest. Continue reading →

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Best of the Bourbon Trail Trip, Part Two: Speakeasies, Unicorn Pours and the Seven Bottles That Came Home

Posted on June 16, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Continued from Monday. Friday was our unscheduled day, which turned out to be a dangerous thing. Sometimes an unscheduled day becomes wasted time. Sometimes it becomes the day you stumble into the best moment of the trip. We started by … Continue reading →

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Best of the Bourbon Trail Trip, Part One: Rickhouses, Barrel Picks and One Very Questionable Motel 6

Posted on June 15, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The first half of our Bourbon Trail trip brought the Stateline Whiskey Tour, barrel picks, rickhouse pours, Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel, Green River, Beam, Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill — and one Motel 6 that may still owe us an apology. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 41: Barrel-Finished Early Times Bottled-in-Bond Takes Flight

Posted on June 11, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

My fourth barrel fill, Early Times Bottled-in-Bond, became “Free Bird” after three months in the finishing barrel. The result? More color, richer fruit, better mouthfeel and a budget bourbon that earned a special place on the shelf. Continue reading →

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The Meaning of Excitement

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Excitement isn’t just about looking forward to things — it’s the spark that lights up your face and fills your heart. For me, that’s Kentucky bourbon, sure, but more than anything, it’s my grandson Sully. Continue reading →

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🥃 My First Bourbon Trail Adventure: The 13 Best Things I Tasted

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

25 stops. Dozens of pours. These were the ones I’ll never forget. This summer, I finally made my first trip to the Bourbon Trail — and it lived up to every drop of hype. Over five days, our crew made … Continue reading →

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From the Classroom to the Bourbon Trail

Posted on July 29, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Tuesday’s question is, “Was today typical?” Absolutely not. Not even for a pre-planning, end-of-summer day. On the surface, it might look typical enough. As you’re reading this, I’m in the middle of my school’s orientation, meeting my future 8th-grade students … Continue reading →

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