Tag Archives: Whiskey Tasting

The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 36: The Triple Oak Mason Jar Project

Can a $19 bourbon get even better with a week in a mason jar and a couple of oak sticks? I put Member’s Mark Single Barrel through a homemade “triple oak” experiment and tasted it against the original. Continue reading

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

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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Tasting Tuesday: Two Decorative Winners from Lucky Seven

Two highly decorative Lucky Seven bottles step into the glass — Holiday Toast and The Frenchman — and both deliver far beyond their modest prices, with The Frenchman taking a clear but respectable win. Continue reading

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March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—Second Round Matchups 5-8

Round 2 keeps tightening the bracket as chocolate-heavy powerhouses, fruit-forward surprises, and texture-driven contenders battle for a spot in the Sweet 16. Mouthfeel and finish are proving to be the difference-makers as the field narrows and the margin for error disappears. Continue reading

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 31: Traveller Full Proof vs. The Shelf

A new 121-proof Traveller Full Proof has been drawing mixed reviews online, so I decided to put it to the test the only fair way: blind. Seven high-proof bottles went into identical glasses, including 1792 Full Proof, Knob Creek Single Barrel Cask Strength, and the ever-reliable Benchmark Full Proof. The results were surprising—and a reminder that sometimes the best value on the shelf isn’t the one everyone is talking about. Continue reading

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Tasting Tuesday: Same Mashbill, Same Proof, No Safety Net

Four bourbons. Same mashbill. Same proof. All tasted blind. When you strip away the labels and the hype, the differences shrink fast — and what’s left is a lesson in barrels, balance, and just how close great everyday bourbons can be. 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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Tuesday Tasting: Conecuh Ridge Distillery and Clyde May’s

In today’s tasting, I’m diving into a blind tasting of four bourbons from Conecuh Ridge Distillery and Clyde May’s. These bottles are all from different expressions and age statements, and as I blindly mixed them, I spent a solid 15 … Continue reading

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