Tag Archives: The Bourbon Cheapskate

The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 40: A Rye Blind Across the Phone Line

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Scott and I tried an over-the-phone blind tasting of affordable rye whiskeys. The lineups were not identical, but the conclusion was surprisingly clear: Old Forester 100 Rye stood above the budget rye crowd. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 39: When a $69 Bottle Sneaks Into the Cheapskate Lane

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Baker’s 7 usually sits above the Bourbon Cheapskate price range, but a $39 sale put it right in the lane. So I poured two different bottles blind — one aged seven years and three months, the other eight years and six months — to see whether the extra time made a difference. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 38: The Patriot Takes the Field

Posted on May 21, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

In a blind single-barrel showdown against Pinhook, Old Forester, and Green River, Evan Williams America 250 Barrel 222 had every reason to be the underdog. Instead, it planted a flag. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 37: Evan Williams America 250 (times three)

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Three bottles. Three barrels. Same Evan Williams Single Barrel 250 release. Same 117.76 proof. Very different results. Barrel 222 proved why higher-proof single barrels can still deliver serious value at around $40. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 35: The Single Barrel Bargain Brawl

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Four value-friendly single barrels go head to head: Evan Williams 86.6, Benchmark Single Barrel, Member’s Mark Single Barrel and Evan Williams America 250. Some are decent. One is an outrageous bargain. And one makes me wonder why Heaven Hill hasn’t already given us a higher-proof Evan Williams Single Barrel as a regular release. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 34: Bonded on a Budget—Old Bardstown Faces Two Familiar Rivals

Posted on April 23, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Three low-cost bottled-in-bond bourbons. No stars. No hype. Just a blind test to see where Old Bardstown belongs — and in the end, one bottle quietly separated itself. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 33: Is New Riff Bottled in Bond Really the Best Bourbon in the World?

Posted on April 16, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The 2026 World Whiskies Awards crowned New Riff Bottled in Bond the world’s best bourbon. At $40, it qualifies for Bourbon Cheapskate — but how does it hold up against New Riff’s own 6-year single barrel? Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 32: Four Budget Bourbons, One Pecan Experiment

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

What happens when four sub-$30 bourbons spend nine hours with toasted pecan wood? A simple experiment produced four very different results — and proved once again that affordable bottles can be surprisingly flexible. Continue reading →

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Tasting Tuesday: Rivertown Reserve—When Buffalo Trace Meets the Aging Barrel

Posted on March 3, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I didn’t distill this whiskey. I just gave a solid $22 bottle three weeks in a finishing cask — and it jumped into the top 30 on my shelf. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 27: The Bottle I Bought Out of Guilt (and Loved)

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Sometimes the bottles we buy out of guilt turn out to be the biggest surprises. A $40 impulse buy and a $24 bottom-shelfer shocked me in a blind tasting — and one of them beat bottles that cost a lot more. Continue reading →

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