Maker: Barton 1792, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA (Sazerac) Style: Bonded rye recipe (high malt?) bourbon. Age: At least 4 y/o. Proof: 100 (50%) ABV Michigan State Minimum: $36/1 liter (works out to $27/750 ml) Appearance: Medium copper. Nose: Alcohol, five spice powder, dark caramel, velvet. Palate: Medium-bodied, semi-dry. Caramel, thyme, oak, white pepper. Finish: Dry and lightly woody. Mixed: Good with Benedictine, and in a Manhattan. Parting words: I reviewed the Kirkland Small Batch last summer. Back then I expressed my hope that the bonded would come in soon. It came in a few weeks after th ..read more

Maker: Heaven Hill, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Style: Rye recipe, straight bourbon whiskey, bottled-in-bond. Age: 7 y/o Proof: 100 (50% ABV). Michigan state minimum: $50. Appearance: Medium copper. Nose: Charred oak, caramel, tarragon, alcohol. Palate: Full-bodied, and well balanced. Leather, caramel, chilies, pinch of tarragon. Finish: Field mint, fading into cinnamon disks. Parting words: This is not the first time I have reviewed Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond. The 6 y/o version was a favorite of mins for many years and I would stock up on it whenever I went to Kentucky, which was pretty freq ..read more

Maker: Lux Row, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA (MGP) Distiller: Probably Heaven Hill. Style: Wheat recipe straight bourbon. Age: NAS (4-5 y/o?) Proof: 113 (56.5% ABV) Notes: Barrel 7533582, Filled 11/2/2016. Michigan state minimum: $45 (Red Wagon, though I forget which one.) Appearance: Medium copper. Nose: Leather, caramel, amaretto, alcohol, Palate: Full bodied. Cinnamon almonds, burn. Water adds chocolate hard candy and oak. Finish: Oak, candy, alcohol. Parting words: Rebel Distiller’s Collection is a single barrel selection expression that makes the rounds of the usual retailers. I don’t rememb ..read more

Maker: New Riff, Newport, Kentucky, USA (Ken Lewis, founder of The Party Source) Style: Bonded, high rye bourbon. Distilled in the spring of 2018. Age: 4 y/o Proof: 100 (50% ABV) Michigan state minimum: $40 Appearance: Medium brown. Nose: Char, leather, caramelized condensed milk, dried chilies. Palate: Caramel, white chocolate, ancho chili powder. Finish: A bit of leather, a lot of chili powder. Parting words: I last reviewed a New Riff bourbon in June of 2021, when I reviewed a Red Wagon selection of the single barrel, barrel proof expression. I liked it (eventually), but I thought it was s ..read more

Maker: Savage and Cooke, Vallejo, California, USA. Distillery: Ross & Sqibb, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, USA. Style: Bourbon whiskey finished in Zinfandel and Grenache (70/30%) barrels. Age: NAS Proof: 119 (59.7 ABV) Barrel: 213 Purchased for $70 (Vine and Table) Tasted with a little water. Appearance: Medium copper. Nose: Big spice, char, cayenne, oak, and sweet red wine. Palate: Full-bodied with a velvety, sweet opening. Wild cherry Lifesavers, then oak, spice, and burn that slowly grows until it burns the roof of my mouth like a hot slice of pizza. Finish: Burn and cherry wine. Not quite co ..read more

Maker: Woodinville, Woodinville, Washington, USA Style: Single barrel, barrel strength, straight bourbon. Age: NAS (at least four years old). Proof: 121.28 (60.64% ABV) Michigan state minimum: $70 Appearance: Medium copper. Nose: Spicy. Caramel, hot pepper jam, mace, cassia. Palate: Full bodied and lucious. Caramel and cream, with big burn on the end. Water calms things down a bit, but doesn’t rob it of its richness. It also brings out the char and a little chocolate. Finish: Sweet and oaky, in the “dusty” bourbon way. Parting words: Woodinville is a farm-to-bottle distillery in the wine coun ..read more

Maker: Barton 1792, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA (Sazerac) Style: Standard recipe straight bourbon. Age: NAS (at least 4 y/o) Proof: 92 (46% ABV) Michigan state minimum: $28/1 liter. Comes out to $21/750 ml Appearance: Shiny copper. Nose: Pretty hot for a 92 proofer. Cinnamon imperials, baking spice. Palate: Cinnamon disks, cayenne pepper, oak. Finish: More candy notes, but some oaky tannin and caramel. Parting words: When Costco announced that they were going to be releasing a new line of Kirkland bourbons, all distilled at Barton 1792, I was excited, even though there were some who shrugged the ..read more

Maker: Eastern Kille, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA Style: standard recipe, pot distilled straight bourbon. Age: Not disclosed but at least 4 y/o by law. Proof: 100 (50% ABV) Purchased for $48 (Holiday Market) Appearance: Medium copper. Nose: Sawdust, anise, over-roasted almonds. Palate: Full-bodied and mild. Caramel, barrel char, dark chocolate, dash of amaretto. Finish: Hot and woodsy. Mixed: Performed pretty well in Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, with Coke, and with Cherry Coke. Parting words: To me, the moment when a new bourbon distillery comes of age is when it can release a bottled in bond ..read more

Maker: Wild Turkey, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, USA Style: Standard recipe single barrel Kentucky straight bourbon. Selection from: Holiday Market, Royal Oak, Michigan, USA Age: 8.75 y/o (Distilled 12/26/12, dumped 10/12/21) Proof: 110 (55% ABV) Michigan state minimum: $70 Appearance: Dark copper. Nose: New oak, char, cherry pits, anise. Fruitier with water. Peach, leather. Palate: Full bodied and creamy. Caramel, black pepper, red pepper, burn. Water brings out similar notes to the nose, but retains the spice. Finish: Hot with eucalyptus. Lingers longer with water. Fades into French brandy fruit ..read more

Maker: Jim Beam, Clermont/Boston, Kentucky, USA (Beam Suntory) Style: Single barrel, standard recipe rye Bourbon. Serial number: 000228504 Warehouse: CL-J, Floor 4, rack 43 Age: 7 y/o (and 4 mos.) Proof: 107 (53.5% ABV) Michigan State Minimum: $60 Appearance: Medium dark copper. Nose: Caramel, roasted corn, cut oak, cayenne. Palate: Full bodied. Chocolate caramel brownies. Finish: Hot, with some caramel and a touch of oak. Parting words: This is the second time I’ve reviewed Baker’s, but the first time was back in 2014 when it wasn’t a single barrel and it had an irritating wax top. Back then ..read more