Tag Archives: rye-off

The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 30: Bonded vs. Single Barrel: When Blind Tasting Picks the Underdog

Posted on February 26, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

In a blind rye showdown, Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye unexpectedly outpaced its 94-proof Single Barrel sibling. Side by side, the Single Barrel may have a slight edge in refinement—but when you factor in a $20 price gap, the bonded bottle makes one of the strongest value arguments on the shelf. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tasting Tuesday: The Great Rye-Off (17 Bottles. Zero Bracket. Maximum Chaos.)

Posted on February 24, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Seventeen ryes. No bracket. No head-to-head bias. Just blind rankings, reshuffles, eliminations, and a full Sunday of surprises. A few favorites held strong, one long-forgotten infinity bottle shocked me, and one former top seed crashed early. Rye may live in bourbon’s shadow—but after this experiment, it won’t be sitting on the bench anymore. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment