Tag Archives: Tennessee whiskey

Tasting Tuesday: The Final Pour Before the Sweet Sixteen

Posted on October 14, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

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

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

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

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

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

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

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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The Sunday Pour: The Barrel & Patience

Posted on September 7, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Some things only time can teach us. Just like bourbon resting in oak, patience reshapes us in ways we can’t rush. Take Jack Daniel’s. Whether it’s Old No. 7, the 10-Year, the 12-Year, the 14-Year, or the new Single Barrel … Continue reading →

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The Sunday Pour: The Black Cup

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

This evening, just before dinner with my family in Highlands, N.C., we’ll walk down behind my dad’s house and scatter his cremains into the Cullasajuh River. The current will take him downstream, winding through the mountains he loved so much. … Continue reading →

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The Sunday Pour: Poetry in the Glass

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Sometimes my thoughts drift toward the glass. Not just what’s in it, but what it means. Bourbon, for me, has always been more than a drink. It’s memory, it’s craft, it’s connection. And the more I think about it, the … Continue reading →

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Capnpen’s Ultimate Sip Challenge 2025: Round 1, Part 6

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

As we approach the last phase of the first round of our inaugural Ultimate Sip Challenge, we reach the end of our third region, which presents some of our tastiest drams to date. Our subsitute bourbon in the Enthusiast Level … Continue reading →

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Capnpen’s Ultimate Sip Challenge 2025: Round 1, Part 5

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

We are halfway through our inaugural Ultimate Sip Challenge, and the first two regions have set up a very tasty second round. Meanwhile, we start today the third region – the Enthusiast Level Dram region. There is a change in … Continue reading →

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Capnpen’s Ultimate Sip Challenge 2025: Round 1, Part 4

Posted on June 15, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

We’re through the first three eight-bourbon blinds of the  2025 Ultimate Sip Challenge, and we still don’t have any major upsets. The interesting thing is that I’m picking up some different flavors and notes than what I would expect, and … Continue reading →

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