Tag Archives: Tennessee whiskey

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

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

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

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Tasting Tuesday: Jack Daniel’s “Rye-off”

Three expressions. One distillery. Jack Daniel’s rye lineup isn’t about winners and losers, but about how proof, barrel selection, and structure shape the final pour. From the budget-friendly Bonded Rye to the indulgent Barrel Proof, this is a side-by-side look at what makes each bottle distinct — and why all three earn their place on the shelf. Continue reading

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Tasting Tuesday: The 141-Proof Surprise Hiding in Plain Sight

A hole-in-the-wall Nashville distillery. A bottle with no UPC code. And a 141.2-proof bourbon so intense it was literally illegal to fly home with. This Tasting Tuesday introduces one of the most surprising and unforgettable pours from our summer whiskey road trip. Continue reading

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Tasting Tuesday — Jack Daniel’s Three-Way Showdown

Three of my top-10 whiskeys went head-to-head for Tasting Tuesday: Jack Daniel’s Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey, the toasted-pecan–finished Tennessee Whiskey, and the Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye. Instead of scoring them outright, I judged them category by category — color, nose, palate, complexity, mouthfeel and finish. The results reinforced what my shelf already knew: all three of these are absolute bangers, and the rye still wears the crown. Continue reading

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Tasting Tuesday: Apple Wood, Toasted Oak and a Surprise Standout

Tonight’s Tasting Tuesday features three bottles newly added to my shelf re-ranking project as I prepare for next year’s 64-bottle March Madness showdown. Company Distilling, Daviess County, and Noah’s Mill all bring something different to the table—but only one emerged as the clear standout of the night. Continue reading

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Tasting Tuesday: The Final Pour Before the Sweet Sixteen

Eight blinds down, and the field is finally set. What began as a crowded lineup of affordable contenders has been whittled down, pour by pour, to a handful of bottles that refused to go quietly. Some surprises have already fallen; … Continue reading

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The Sunday Pour: The Neck Pour

Whiskey fans know the term neck pour. That first ounce out of the bottle isn’t always the truest representation of what’s inside. It can taste sharp, closed-off, even disappointing. But with patience, as the bottle opens and breathes, the character … Continue reading

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Tasting Tuesday: Jack Daniel’s Showdown

This week, I lined up three Jack Daniel’s stalwarts from my shelf to see which one really wears the crown: Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series Finished with Toasted Pecan Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel … Continue reading

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Tuesday Tasting: Is Heritage Barrel Worth the Hype? A Jack Daniel’s Blind Tasting

Every once in a while, a bottle jumps off the shelf and says take me home. That’s what happened when I stumbled onto a Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Heritage Barrel Toasted at Shores Liquors. Folks have been clamoring for this … Continue reading

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