Tag Archives: Old Forester

Tasting Monday: Best Bottle of Spring Break—An 11-Bottle Blind from the Road

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

A spring break trip to see family, finish the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, and come home with enough bottles for a serious blind tasting. Eleven pours later, one bottle rose above the rest. Continue reading →

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The Sunday Pour: The Fire Comes First

Posted on January 25, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Before bourbon ever rests in a barrel, the barrel must be burned. That fire isn’t accidental or destructive—it’s intentional, controlled, and necessary. Standing in Old Forester’s cooperage, watching a barrel char from the inside out, makes something clear: renewal often requires heat first. The same is true beyond the rickhouse. Continue reading →

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The Sunday Pour: A Measured Pour

Posted on November 23, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

True wisdom isn’t just in how much you pour—it’s in knowing where you are, staying present, and savoring without slipping. Tonight’s Sunday Pour is a reflection on measure, memory, and the lessons learned the hard way. Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: The 95-and-under Elite Eight—Proof, Patience and Unexpected Performances

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

The field has been cut in half twice already, and every bottle left has survived at least one blind skirmish to get here. At this stage, there are no flukes, no charity invites, and definitely no freebies. Only eight pours … Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: The 95-and-under Sweet Sixteen, Part 2

Posted on October 28, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

If last week’s half of the Sweet Sixteen was a slugfest, this round was more like a master class in contrasts — sweet against spicy, classic profiles versus boundary-pushers. Every pour carried its own story, from the leather-and-vanilla depth of … Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: The 95-and-under Sweet Sixteen Begins

Posted on October 21, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

After eight rounds of blind tastings, we’ve reached the business end of the 95-and-Under Challenge — the Sweet Sixteen. What started as a crowded field of affordable contenders has now tightened into a serious competition, with heavy hitters like Old … Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: 95-and-Under Challenge, Blinds 5 & 6

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

We’re getting deeper into the 95-and-under bracket, and the pattern’s starting to show itself. The higher-proof matchups in earlier rounds had punch and character; this stretch is proving how tricky it can be for a lower-proof bourbon to keep 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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🥃 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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The Bottled-in-Bond Finale: A Champion, A Challenger, and An Unexpected Twist!

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Well, life sometimes gets in the way of whiskey, and our planned championship tasting was delayed by a day. But that small delay brought a moment of sudden clarity: the iconic Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond was missing from our field. To … Continue reading →

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