Tag Archives: Glencairn

The Luxury of Finally Being Left Alone

Posted on May 19, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Sometimes joy isn’t an event or an achievement. Sometimes it’s the quiet after school, the comfort of an old massage chair, relaxing music, and a decent bourbon in a Glencairn while the world finally stops asking for something. Continue reading →

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March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—First Round Matchups 5-8

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The second wave of the Round of 64 delivered proof-heavy bruisers, subtle upsets, and a few bottles that teased greatness but couldn’t quite carry it through. Eight more contenders went head-to-head in blind format, and four earned their place in the next round. The bracket is tightening—and texture is starting to matter. Continue reading →

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Capnpen’s Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge — 64 Bottles. One Bracket. No Mercy.

Posted on March 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Sixty-four shelf-worthy bottles. One blind-tasting bracket. No labels, no hype, no mercy. The Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge puts my collection head-to-head to find out which bourbon truly earns the top spot—one matchup, one pour, one winner at a time. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 6: Battle of the Budget Bottled-in-Bond, Heaven Hill Edition

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Sometimes you don’t have to spend $50+ to find a solid pour. Heaven Hill has long offered a lineup of bottled-in-bond bourbons under $20, all sharing the same mash bill (78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley). On paper, they … Continue reading →

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Tonight’s Plan: From Whistles to Whiskey

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Tonight, I’ll be reffing a middle school football game, which should wrap up between 6:30 and 7. After that it’s straight home: ref uniform into the washing machine, a light dinner, and then on to grading for progress reports. Most … Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: The Rye Showdown — Final Four and Championship

Posted on September 2, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

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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Tasting Tuesday: The Rye Showdown — Round Two

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Round one was full of surprises — and not always the pleasant kind. A couple of bottles showed some rough edges, and one rye in particular left me wondering if something had gone sideways in the glass. But that’s the … Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: The Rye Showdown Begins — The Play-In Round

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

It’s bracket season on the blog — but instead of basketball, it’s rye whiskey. I’ve rounded up 11 ryes from my shelf and set them against each other in a blind-tasting tournament. Over the next three weeks, they’ll battle head-to-head … Continue reading →

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Four Legends, Four Drams: A Blind Tasting in Tribute

Posted on July 24, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

It’s hard to process when the icons who shaped your youth begin to fade—and harder still when they seem to fall in such short order. Today, I’m raising a glass in honor of four men who, in their own ways, … Continue reading →

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The Bottled-in-Bond Showdown: The Elite Eight

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

The field has been narrowed, and the stakes are higher. After a competitive play-in round saw Jack Daniel’s Bonded and the formidable George Dickel 13-year advance, our Elite Eight is officially set. Today, the intensity ramps up as we cut … Continue reading →

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