Infectious Charm. Devastating Wit. Below Average Looks.
Okay, so here’s the deal. Instead of writing a yearly, tired, and obligatory "Holiday Whiskey Buying Guide" like every other blogger does, I would like to instead focus my considerably charming efforts in writing something like “The Top Ten Horrible, Despicable, Illegal Things I Would Do To A Man In Order To Get The Buffalo... Continue Reading →
The 7th edition of the Parker’s Heritage Collection issues a declarative answer to a simple question: what does a Master Distiller prefer to drink if given the ability to control it’s every aspect? No special gimmicks, no wine finishes, just Parker Beam’s ideal, perfectly realized bourbon. This is the opportunity “Promise of Hope” affords to us,... Continue Reading →
For Bourbon freak boys the annual fall release season is Christmas. In fact, I’m sure if you asked one of these poor, lonely people to choose between Christmas morning and an October release of Pappy, they would have to think about it. While this small group of whiskey buyers indeed are entertaining in so many... Continue Reading →
The Parker’s Heritage Collection began in 2007 as an annual fall release of premium bourbon. The brand’s namesake, Parker Beam, Master Distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery, hand selects and blends the yearly release from the enormous stock levels at Heaven Hill, America’s third largest producer of whiskey. Parker has been making bourbon since 1960... Continue Reading →
The Pappy Van Winkle brand must be one of the more bizarre stories in the whiskey world. From fairly quiet beginnings to now the most in demand bourbon in the world overnight (for now), it was at least interesting at first to figure out why. After the initial blast of rampant empty shelves, black market... Continue Reading →
Frederick Booker Noe II, grandson of Jim Beam, started working at his family’s distillery in Clermont, KY in 1951. During this time, Bourbon did not enjoy the rock star status it has today, despite the fact that a family as important as the Beams were quietly distilling and aging their barrels in the hot Kentucky... Continue Reading →
It took me two years to get this damned bottle of whiskey. Quite frankly, I forgot I was even on the waiting list until they called me. I slowly came to accept the reality that Pappy 15 would never reach my lips. Oh, the horror. When you come to realize that a murderous, crazed obsession... Continue Reading →
Folks, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I can also confidently state that Bourbon is pretty good at present for the most part. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t welcome attempts to make it slightly better on occasion. The problem is that a “new” whiskey is very difficult to simply introduce into the market place.... Continue Reading →
My bottle of Blanton’s Single Barrel sat undisturbed in the cabinet for about 8 months. I daily resisted opening it up and sampling the legendary spirit known throughout the bourbon lover community as a top shelf offering. I was saving it for the club, basically, and I was convinced I had a home run on... Continue Reading →
A few years back, while visiting one of my go to liquor joints, I spotted a curious set of bottles on the top shelf in the bourbon aisle. They all said Pappy van Winkle on the labels, some in bags, with age statements of 10, 12, 15, 20 and 23 years old. Some were in... Continue Reading →
So there I was, at a local liquor store in Spokane, WA. The ever helpful clerk was happily showing me recommendations for a nice bourbon. I found it rather odd that the clerk never pointed me towards a name brand product but only the “Brand X” bottles scattered about the shelf. I’m a whiskey guy and fairly... Continue Reading →
It’s always fun to see a craft distillery, relatively new on the scene, tackle something other than another vodka and go for that great old chestnut known as American Bourbon. Keep in mind that bourbon is a few hundred years old with generations of distilling history and tradition standing behind it. Arguably, to even get... Continue Reading →
The club occasionally hosts what we like to call “Guest Nights.” These little events are a way to get people who are not members in on the action of what we do. And since we are obviously kind of a big deal, we had quite a few guests at our most recent one in April.... Continue Reading →
Four Roses Distillery has the distinction of distilling ten different recipes it blends together for making its range of bourbons. There are five different strains of yeast applied to two mashbills: 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley; and 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley, for a total of 10 different recipes. Their “Single Barrel”... Continue Reading →
We now take a look at Noah’s Mill Bourbon Whiskey. Like Rowan’s Creek, Noah's Mill is also bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. In years past this spirit was near 15 years old, but KBD moved in recently to include bourbons of two to twenty years old to eliminate the stronger oak tannins of a fifteen... Continue Reading →
As a general rule, we are really excited about the whole craft/small batch bourbon market. The quality and variety of bourbons out there bottled for our consumption and enjoyment can only be a positive for the consumer. In our opinion, this flood of new product is prompting the big producers to get innovative as well as encourgaing... Continue Reading →
Woodford Reserve has long been a well respected Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Woodford Reserve triple distills their whiskey in copper pot stills, rather than the more common double distillation used for flavoring reasons (why do you think vodka is distilled 47 times?) They also have their own cooperage to craft their own barrels, charring them to their... Continue Reading →
From Wild Turkey Distillery comes their signature barrel proof offering for the upper shelves of the world. For the hardcore bourbon lovers out there, any distillery worth a hill of beans needs to offer something serious. None of this micro barreled, 2 year old, 80 proof swill poured from a pretty looking bottle. Put your... Continue Reading →
So, the Scots and Irish of the whisky world have their prestige and elegance, dominating the industry not just in sales but also with their provenance. Bourbon, some say, could be classified as “not quite there, but maybe someday.” The goal of Chuck Cowdery, the book’s author, is to present Bourbon as dang near superior... Continue Reading →
Spokane Whiskey Club 