Tag Archives: Old Forester

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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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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Capnpen’s Ultimate Sip Challenge 2025: Rounds 5 and 6 – The Final Four and Championship

Posted on July 13, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

So, this is it. What started with 64 whiskeys more than a month ago is finally down to four final contenders. These aren’t necessarily the four best whiskeys in the field, but each one represents excellence within its field (or … Continue reading →

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Capnpen’s Ultimate Sip Challenge 2025: Round 4 – The Elite Eight (Drams)

Posted on July 10, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

This is almost the end, and I’m kind of happy about that, but also a little unhappy. I’ve enjoyed sampling most of the bottles on my shelf, and I’ve also enjoyed developing my nose and palate for the best type … Continue reading →

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Why I Got Into Bourbon—And Why It Matters To Me

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

You may have noticed some new flavors showing up here on the blog lately. I’ve been writing more about bourbon, and it occurred to me: I’ve never really explained why. It’s not a journey I ever expected to take. And … Continue reading →

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