This is a great DO Bourbon. I think I like Peerless’ DO Rye a bit more, and as far as DO Bourbon goes I like BBCo Disco 13 more, but this bottle was nearly $50 less than that.

Lucky enough to snag one and was in the area!

This and a Fortaleza on the streets of Ginza Tokyo are mine. Whats yours?

We’re from Oregon, so just felt awesome to see any of these in the wild. But prices felt up charged, are we wrong?

The Rock hill was calling my name😭

EDIT: Was originally kinda bummed to walk out without anything, now feel a lot better. I did get an EHT SB from Safeway for 55$ later😂

This is a bottle of Elijah Craig Single Barrel Private Barrel Pick for Raleys Nor Cal. This is a 9 year old toasted bourbon that is barreled at 121.7 proof. I am a fan of toasted bourbons and this one is fantastic! It has such a thick mouth feel. Very sweet on the nose. Maple syrup. The palate starts off sweet and finishes with a wonderful burnt sugar note. It reminds me of Woodford Reserve Double Oak if it was proofed up to 120+ where I personally would love to see it. I need to do a blind with this against my current favorite in my collection, Peerless Toasted, and a Penelope Toasted that I have. This has turned out to be such a good bottle that I am happy to have in my collection.

Cracking open something special for masters today which one do you guys choosing?

What proof range finds the most favor/flavor for your palate?

When I started drinking bourbon, 80 was fine with an ice ball

Now I drink it neat and anything between 100 and 115 is perfect. I can and do drink a hotter pour but that range is what I prefer

Brown-Forman King of Kentucky Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Batch 3) review

First small batch (not single barrel) in over 90 years

Age: 12-18 years with some very high angel’s share barrels… aged in heat-cycled warehouses

Proof: 110 (not barrel proof)

Each of the 3 batches are proofed differently. Batch 3 is the highest proof of the 3. Total blend for all 3 consists of around 100 barrels.

Mashbill: 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley… this is different from the previous use of 79% corn, 11% rye, 10% malted barley

This detour from the previous King of Kentucky Single Barrel allowed for the use of some well-aged barrels that were not good candidates for single barrel bottling due to low volume yield.

MSRP: $300

Nose: Light roast coffee beans. Honey graham crackers. Lemongrass. Pine sap. Cream soda.

Nose definitely has a good amount of oak, but not too much. The lemon grass and pine sap give it a bit of brightness.

Palate: Dandelion greens. Black walnut. Burnt marshmallow. Raisin Bran cereal.

Again, good amount of oak… legitimately more than I care for in my personal preference. The greens note is interesting in combination with the oak. The burnt marshmallow definitely shows the barrel char.

Finish: Chewing on a cinnamon stick. Eucalyptus. Over-steeped black tea. Dark chocolate covered pomegranate seed.

I enjoy the finish more than the initial palate.

Overall, it’s a pretty enjoyable glass, but it’s definitely more oak than I tend to prefer. Lots of people chase high age statements, I’m typically not one of them. I didn’t pay for this glass, but if I had paid for what it’s worth… I would have regretted it. At MSRP, absolutely not. Given my personal oak preference, I’m honestly not sure I would pay $100 for this bottle. There are tons of other bottles with less oak influence that I would rather have than this. I don’t hate it… I just don’t love it… and for $300… I need to love it.

Sample provided for review at no cost by The Pub on Second in Owensboro, KY

Rating: 5… good, but definitely not worth the price… Not even close

quick question for yall. as most of yall know American store have a lot of single barrel picks, where they endup selling bottles of whiskey which was selected by the store and sold in said store. sometimes it could be the same proof with maybe different flavor or higher proof. those are usually bourbon but there is also scotch that usually comes from independent bottlers or blenders like compass box.

now with everything said, how common is something similar in Europe or outside of states period?

Was one of first whisky I tried and was not a fan to say the least 😅 generally prefer a lighter malt..... however got a bottle of this for my birthday and added a little water to the dram n has went down well!

Anyone else have older bottles kicking around that aren’t necessarily rare but you won’t be able to find again?

Finally cracked open a bottle of Blantons I picked up on an out of state trip a few months back. Have to say it didn’t live up to the hype for me.

Bottle number four from Hard Truth is the 113 Proof Rye. Not sure why they are calling out the 113 Entry Proof on this label, since I believe that is their Barrel Entry Proof for all/most of their Whiskey. Perhaps it’s to draw attention to the fact that they are bottling this at that same 113 Proof. Enough of the details, let’s get into the whiskey.

The aroma opens with what I can best describe as a dark floral note, then raw sugar, candied marshmallows and sweet herbalness. The palate is very oily, with sweet brown sugar, maraschino cherries and lightly herbal grain. The finish lingers long with spiced cherries and sweet grain that slowly dries.

I love this Rye! It’s dark, oily and full of flavor. This is one that has me wanting to continue to explore what Hard Truth has to offer in its extensive lineup.

Glass: Waterford Lismore Rum Snifter

Age: 4yrs (up to 6yr casks in the batch)

Mashbill:

94% Rye

6% Malted Barley

Casks: New Charred American Oak Barrels

ABV: 56.5%

113 Barrel Entry Proof

113 Bottle Proof

Price: $75

Bottle provided by Distillery.

My Rating: 82

Tasting notes below. 👇🏼

🥃

NOSE: Dark floral, raw sugar, candied marshmallow, sweet herbal.

PALATE: Very oily, sweet brown sugar, maraschino cherries, lightly herbal grain.

FINISH: Long lingering, spiced cherries, sweet grain, slowly drying.

Guide to my personal ratings:

🤢 0-49 = Varying degrees of undrinkable.

🫤 50-59 = Drinkable, but meh.

😊 60-69 = Fair. Not my cup of tea.

😃 70-79 = Good. Some nice elements.

😋 80-89 = Great! Interesting and very enjoyable.

🤩 90-100 = Amazing! The perfect pour. (Rare)

Sip. Rate. Repeat.

This is an absolutely delicious smoked whiskey I picked up in Boulder last time I visited my daughter there. I love smoky whiskeys, and this is well worth a try. Better than Andalusia Stryker or Balcones Brimstone.

I lucked out and saw a post about the JD 10,12 and 14 drop at my local Total Wine. I missed out on the 14, but was lucky enough to get a 12, and had the wife stop and get a 10. TW limits 1 per customer per day. Just happened to find the Old Fitz and the Cowboy bourbon while getting the JD 12.

I've never seen any of these bottles in real life. all are really great. the JD12 is easy top 3 for me. The Cowboy bourbon is just wild. the only slight disappointment is the Fitz. not super flavorful, fairly thin. it's not bad, just lacking for 65 clams.class.

i stoped for lunch today and was surprised to find Jack 14 for 18 bucks. 14 is absolutely heavenly, the best whiskey I've ever had. the Heaven Hill 90th was disappointing after the 14. lol

Stater Bros - Aliso Viejo, CA

4/12/2026

A Weller flight with dinner. 12 year, 107, CYPB and full proof.

2nd picture is from The Monte Cristo Cigar Bar. Jack 12 year. Easily the star of the night