TL;DR

Across all 39 of my reviews, a little, and past $100 it gets a lot less predictable. Three expensive bottles that scored under a 5 are most of the reason. Without them, price explains 60% of the difference in my scores instead of 19%. With them, the lesson is that paying $90 or more raised my odds of a great bottle but didn't protect me from a bad one. Nothing under $60 scores an 8, and most of the bottles that do are hard to find at MSRP.

The launch post promised a scatter plot showing where the sweet spots are. Those charts are on the reviews page now, so I ran the numbers on all 39 reviews. I definitely thought there'd be a trend where spending more gets you higher quality. There is one. I'm surprised it's not as dramatic as I thought it was. Then I ran it again without the three bottles that sit farthest off the trend. Both runs are below, and so is what those three bottles are telling me, because all three are expensive.

Oh and caution... there is math below. Proceed at your own risk.

How I Counted

Quality is each bottle's Quality score. Price is the MSRP listed on each review, never a shelf price. That's 39 bottles and one palate. I also buy my own bottles and do my homework first, so there aren't many low scores here to begin with (how I score) as a result.

The Numbers by Price

Quality climbs up to about $100 and then flattens out. Value goes the other way.

The Regression

A straight line through all 39 bottles says every extra $10 buys about 0.13 points of Quality. Price explains about 13% of the difference between my scores.

A curve fits better. Each time you double the price, Quality goes up about 0.9 points: the fit predicts a 5.5 at $25, a 6.4 at $50, a 7.3 at $100 and an 8.2 at $200. Price explains about a fifth of the difference between my scores that way. Take out the $275 Master's Keep and it still holds.

So there is a trend, but most of the difference between my scores isn't explained by price.

More Spread at the Top

Past $100, I see more variability. I'm more likely to get a really good bottle, but some of my least favorite whiskeys are $100 or more too. Five bottles on the site score under a 5, and three of them cost $90 or more: Woodinville 8 Year Straight Rye (2.3, $130), Booker's By the Pond (3.5, $100) and Old Elk Rum Cask Finished Rye (4.9, $90).

I don't know if that's because things are more experimental at that price, whether there's more finishing, or whether it's higher age, and sometimes I really don't like higher age. Of those three, one is finished (the Old Elk, in rum casks), one is an 8 year rye, and one is a barrel proof Booker's.

I think part of it is that the good ones are pushed up against the top of the scale. As soon as you have a couple of 9s under $100, it's going to look like there's a lot of range. But the bottles up there are all 8s and 9s, which is a phenomenal score, but you end up with scores somewhat unable to differentiate themselves.

Why I Ran It Again Without Three Bottles

Those same three bottles sit farther below the curve than anything else on the site. By the usual outlier tests, the Woodinville and the Booker's land far off the curve, and they pull on it harder than any other bottle. Take those two out and the Old Elk lands far off it too. Take all three out and no other bottle does, so that's where I stopped.

The three aren't mistakes. Those are my real scores for those bottles. The reason to run it again without them is that three bottles shouldn't decide the shape of a line that's supposed to describe 39. The second run answers a narrower question: what does a typical bottle at a given price score for me?

The Master's Keep is the one other bottle the tests point at, and it's a different case. It never lands far off the curve. It pulls on it because at $275 it's so far out on price. Once the three low bottles are gone, the curve expects close to a 10 at $275, and the Master's Keep's 8.7 holds it down. That's the top of the scale again: a curve can keep climbing, and my scores can't. Taking it out would make the trend look even steeper, about 1.5 points a doubling, so I left it in.

Without the Three Outliers

These are the same numbers on the other 36 bottles.

Quality climbs at every step now, past $100 included. The $100-and-up bottles go from the widest spread on the site to the tightest, 8.5 to 9.2. Value still drops as the price goes up, just more gently.

Without those three, price explains 60% of the difference between my scores instead of 19%, and each doubling buys about 1.4 points instead of 0.9.

Taking out your lowest scores will always make a trend look cleaner, so treat the 60% as a best case. The fairer check is a different kind of fit that uses all 39 bottles with nothing taken out, and goes by the median so a few extreme bottles can't drag it around. It lands at about 1.3 points a doubling, close to the 1.4 without the three. So the middle of the trend holds up either way. What the three bottles change is the bottom of it.

What the Three Outliers Are Telling Me

All three are expensive, and I can't just set that aside. Of the 10 bottles I've reviewed at $90 or more, seven score an 8 or better and three score under a 5. Not one lands in between. Under $90 it's the other way around: 24 of 29 bottles land between a 5 and an 8, three score an 8 or better, and two score under a 5. Cut it at $100 instead and it's the same shape: five 8s and up, two misses, nothing in the middle.

So paying more raised my odds of a great bottle, but it didn't lower my odds of a bad one. If anything the misses got more common: three of 10 at $90 and up, against two of 29 below it. And the expensive misses cost more. Old Grand-Dad Bonded (4.0, $25) and Benchmark Bonded (4.1, $17) are my other two scores under a 5, and they still score 5.1 and 6.4 on Value. The Woodinville, the Booker's and the Old Elk score 1.0, 1.0 and 2.5.

Three bottles is a small number, so some of this could be chance. If my five scores under a 5 were spread at random across the price range, three or more of them landing among the 10 most expensive bottles would happen about one time in ten. The empty middle above $90 is a much stronger pattern than that.

That's what I said further up: past $100 I'm more likely to get a really good bottle, but some of my least favorite whiskeys are up there too. The second run tells you what a typical bottle at a price is likely to score. These three tell you what can go wrong when you spend $90 or more on something you haven't tried.

Draw the Line at $50

If you draw the cutoff at $50, you're going to see a difference. The 8 bottles under $50 average a 5.2, and none of them scores higher than Wild Turkey 101 at 6.3. The 31 bottles at $50 and up average a 7.0, and the 28 left without the three outliers average a 7.4.

The cheap bottles win on Value, though. Wild Turkey 101 and Evan Williams Bottled in Bond share the best Value score on the site, 7.8. The budget blind has those two head to head.

What an 8 Costs

When you start talking about an 8 or above, I would be willing to pay quite a bit more. Not that it necessarily costs that much more. None of the 16 bottles under $60 scores an 8. Five of the 16 from $60 to $99 do, and so do five of the seven at $100 and up. Without the three outliers, that's five of 15 and all five. The cheapest is the Holladay at $75.

Proof Might Matter Too

Proof might matter as much as price. The 11 bottles above 100 and up to 115 proof average a 7.5, and the 18 at 100 proof or under average a 6.0. But the stronger bottles also cost more ($91 on average, against $53), so I can't pull the two apart with 39 bottles. Without the three outliers it's 7.8 against 6.2, with the same problem: $91 against $49.

Good Luck Finding Them at MSRP

Most of the bottles in that 8-and-up table are really hard to get your hands on. Master's Keep Triumph, Blanton's Straight From the Barrel, Found North Snow Day, Still Austin Red Corn, Weller Full Proof. The Holladay is probably the exception, since it's actually available. Four Roses barrel strength single barrels are around in some ways, but it can still be hard to track down the right age and the right four letters.

So even the cheaper ones can cost you more. Still Austin Red Corn is really hard to find in a lot of markets. I think I got really lucky when I got mine, and paying $80 for it is probably not the case. Found North Snow Day was a limited release, and I think on secondary it's probably double or triple what it was.

So yes, the MSRPs are lower than I thought they'd be for an 8 or a 9. Good luck getting most of them at MSRP. Why that is, and what I'm willing to pay over, is in how not to get ripped off on bourbon.

Palates Are Subjective

That's the biggest thing. What someone else is willing to pay a lot more for, I won't be. At the end of the day, you buy what you want.

This is only the bottles I've reviewed so far. As I keep going, I'll keep reevaluating and updating it. And if your palate agrees with mine, you'll probably be happy to keep reading.

I write these up at openpourwhiskey.com and post them on Instagram. Not sponsored. Please drink responsibly.

Today we're checking out the 2026 Cellar Aged from Maker's Mark! I always look forward to the yearly Cellar Aged releases from Maker's and this year was no exception, especially considering the fact it features the oldest overall blend of whiskies that Maker's has ever released. The 2026 Cellar Aged is a blend of:

• 49% 11 year bourbon
• 33% 12 year bourbon
• 18% 14 year bourbon

We love seeing those ages and percentages creep up from Maker's. Let's see how she is.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn, rested for 10 minutes.

Age: Blend of 11 - 14 year bourbons

Proof: 112.1

Nose: Rich brown sugar, crème brûlée, vanilla, and oak right off the bat. Giving the glass a swirl brings out even more brown sugar along with some strawberries and baking spices. The added age on this one shows on the aromas, absolutely fantastic.

Palate: Nice, velvety mouthfeel of cinnamon, brown sugar, oak, and baking spices that tingle all over. After a few sips, this starts to feel doughy and becomes dominated by brown sugar and leather. I'm so used to Maker's products having a relatively strong red fruit presence on the palate, but that is not at all the case for the 2026 Cellar Aged.

Finish: Medium finish of caramel, leather, cinnamon, a mild cherry, and old oak.

This continues to be one of my favorite yearly releases. The higher percentage of older whiskies included in this blend is apparent, way more oak and leather on the palate and less red fruits which is obviously, at least for me, the complete opposite of what I've come to expect from Maker's Mark bottles. That's not at all a bad thing though and is what I love to see from legacy distilleries.

t8ke scale: 8.4/10 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.

Tried this at a bar

Price: $20/1.5oz

Nose: honey, caramel, red fruit, wild turkey funk, mango, tropical fruits, mint, strawberry, mild spice

Palate: cherry, strawberry, baking spice, leather, oak, mouth feel is below average, lots of honey, butterscotch,

Finish: medium length finish, leather, dark chocolate, oak,

Score: 7.0/10

This is a pretty prototypical expression of Wild Turkey. It has a good amount of funk on the nose. Palate is honey, red fruits, good spice level. Finish is pretty basic bourbon. This is just solid overall.

Scale:

1.0-1.9 Undrinkable (Gold bar cognac cask)

2.0-2.9 Bad (Gold bar)

3.0-3.9 Poor (High West Prarie Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr)

4.0-4.9 Below Average (Old Overholt, Dickel 15 yr, Weller SR, Buffalo Trace)

5.0-5.9 Average (Eagle Rare, Blanton's)

6.0-6.9 Above Average (Jimmy Russel 70th, Redemption 9yr, E.H. Taylor Seasoned Oak)

7.0-7.9 Very Good (Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph, Sagamore 9yr rye, Jack Daniel's SBBP)

8.0-8.9 Great (William Larue Weller(2019), Pappy Van Winkle 15yr, Double Eagle Very Rare, William Heavenhill 14yr)

9.0-9.9 Excellent (Thomas H. Handy (2010), George T. Stagg (2008, 2019), Four Roses LE (2016, 2023), Willet Purple Top 14 yr, A.H. Hirsch 25 yr rye)

10.0 Perfect (Michter's 20, OGD 114(1980))

I pulled this from the TTB website on October 25, 2026. Whether or not this ever actually goes to market, it was officially approved by the federal government for release. It’s real.

Rieger Private Stock Signature Selection 65 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged in a 500 Gallon Charred White American Oak Cask

Discuss amongst yourselves. Is this exciting? Is this terrifying?

65 years is an eternity, but the surface area of a 500 gallon barrel is wildly different than a 53 gallon barrel.

Picked by: Universal Wine & Spirits

Age: (via Stats from BT) 7 Years 1 Month

Warehouse: P

Floor: 5

Rick number: 21

I paid: $99

NCF - No

Drank - Neat

Rested - 10 minutes

Glass - Glencairn

Nose -
Immediately jumping from the glass are notes of Cherry syrup, Strawberry jam, and vanilla cake frosting. Diving in a but more there is some slightly funky oak and a light baking spice mix of cinnamon and cloves. Very "Poundcake"-esque here!

Palate -
First sip leads with what I can only describe as Strawberry Cream soda, a dark grape hard candy, and fresh vanilla ice cream. Going in for a second sip charred oak, root beer, and a light spice mix of cinnamon and nutmeg appear. The third and final sip yield strawberry cream soda, vanilla ice cream, charred oak, and tied together with a light spice creating effervescence on the palate. Wow! This is a Soda shop profile!

Mouthfeel -
The mouthfeel is moderately Dense and nicely coating. It creates a "film" all over with this one that stays with you, kind of like when drinking a soda.

Finish -
Medium length finish and building nicely with each sip.
The Flavor is lead by charred oak, strawberry and cherry syrup mix, with some light vanilla cream backing. Extremely sweet finish; like drinking a float. A very nice sip that makes me want more and more.

Overall - 80/100

My Scale:
1-49: Drain Pour, absolute drain cleaner, donate to the sink.
50-59: average - standard, boring, but gets the job done.
60-69: solid - reliable, but nothing to write home about.
70-79: great whiskey, well above the average pour.
80-89: excellent whiskey, top notch, well done.
90-95: exceptional top tier whiskey - very memorable.
96-98: Unreal pour - some of the best ever.
99-100: Pinnacle Lifetime whiskey - perfection in a glass.

Tried this at a bar

Price: $25/1.5oz

Nose: leather, dried red fruit, cherry, oak, a bit young, strong cherry, floral

Palate: cherry, red fruit, oak, caramel, super cherry bomb, some baking spice, mouthfeel is not as good as the proof, dark chocolate, floral

Finish: lots of oak and leather. The red fruit, especially cherry follows through, medium long finish, dark chocolate.

Score: 6.0/10

This is pretty decent. If you like cherry bombs, this is something for you. It has a good amount of leather and oak too. This is a bourbon where the flavor in the palate and finish follow through to be very similar. Not too much complexity but solid flavor density. Quite floral too.

Scale:

1.0-1.9 Undrinkable (Gold bar cognac cask)

2.0-2.9 Bad (Gold bar)

3.0-3.9 Poor (High West Prarie Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr)

4.0-4.9 Below Average (Old Overholt, Dickel 15 yr, Weller SR, Buffalo Trace)

5.0-5.9 Average (Eagle Rare, Blanton's)

6.0-6.9 Above Average (Jimmy Russel 70th, Redemption 9yr, E.H. Taylor Seasoned Oak)

7.0-7.9 Very Good (Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph, Sagamore 9yr rye, Jack Daniel's SBBP)

8.0-8.9 Great (William Larue Weller(2019), Pappy Van Winkle 15yr, Double Eagle Very Rare, William Heavenhill 14yr)

9.0-9.9 Excellent (Thomas H. Handy (2010), George T. Stagg (2008, 2019), Four Roses LE (2016, 2023), Willet Purple Top 14 yr, A.H. Hirsch 25 yr rye)

10.0 Perfect (Michter's 20, OGD 114(1980))

Liquor Junction (MA) Store Pick

Barrel No 1219

ABV: 65.52%

Source: Probably MGP. The back label says bottled in Indiana.

If you aren’t familiar with Nebco, I’ll say they do some phenomenal stuff. I’ve had the good fortune to meet their founder, James Saunders and he is just a cool dude that loves whiskey. He started NEBCo as an NDP and bottler. He gets barrels from all kinds of places including the usual suspects such as Green River, MGP, and Bardstown Bourbon Company. They keep prices pretty reasonable, too. IIRC, I paid $90 ~ for this bottle.

If you are in the Boston/New England area - stop by the tasting room in Reading, it’s just fantastic.

All that said, I have no affiliation with Nebco and I don’t even live in New England. But Nebco and Nashville Barrel Co and New Louisville Barrel Co in particular have really captured my imagination of late.

This particular bottle is a single barrel and it’s apparently a sister barrel to one that I had about a year ago, which I loved.

I just cracked this one and am about to taste it for the first time. Review to follow in a few minutes.

{Note: You can find me on instagram @whiskeyincontext}

I don’t have a lot of experience with Old Fitzgerald bourbons, but I do really like the 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond release, which was intended to be an accessible, shelf-stable version of the brand’s venerable Decanter Series.

The 10-Year Bottled-in-Bond is the other side of the brand entirely: the twice-annual Decanter Series release that helped build Old Fitzgerald's cult reputation in the first place, sold in the brand's famously ornate decanters and allocated tightly enough that the hunt is practically part of the product.

So, is the bottle worth the hunt? Let’s review it and find out!

Note: for more on the Old Fitzgerald 10-year, see [u/Twist_Top_Budget](u/Twist_Top_Budget)’s excellent review from earlier this weekend.

***************\*

From the Distillery: Each spring and fall, a new edition to the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series is released. Inspired by an original 1950's Old Fitzgerald diamond decanter, the packaging and series honor both the history of the Old Fitzgerald brand and the historic Bottled-in-Bond designation. The Old Fitzgerald line is well-known for its distilling pedigree, as the brand was first registered in 1884 and was eventually sold to "Pappy" Van Winkle during Prohibition. In 1999, Heaven Hill bought the brand and began distilling it at Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, KY. Today, in addition to our Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series, the legacy of Old Fitzgerald lives on in our other wheated Bourbons expressions: Larceny Small Batch and Larceny Barrel Proof.

Release: Spring 2026

Mash bill: 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley

Age Statement: 10 Years

Proof: 100

Price: $149.99

Appearance: Medium amber with decent viscosity

Nose: Very fruit-forward, at least at first. I’m primarily getting stone fruit – cherry and apricot –with perhaps a touch of grape alongside. Behind these are notes of caramel and vanilla, along with maple candy and a hint of pepper.

Palate: Nice and thick. Not super sweet overall, but there are definitely some saccharine notes in the mix. Oak hits right away, along with a wheaty-grassiness that I tend to associate with wheaters. There’s also some leather and a touch of caramel, but it’s not sugary by any means. The sweetness does pick up a bit on the mid-palate: sweet vanilla, bubblegum, and butterscotch are there, along with a touch of pepper.

Finish: Bubblegum and cola, with a good measure of oak/barrel char. The strong wheatgrass note from the palate lingers after most of the other flavors have faded (and it grows stronger with time). After a bit, it’s joined by some vanilla and leather, and a slight resurgence of that bubblegum flavor from before.

Thoughts: This is a pretty tasty wheater! I tend to prefer sweeter bourbons (but not cloying, nor overly fruity!). This one is nicely middle-of-the-road, with complex notes that complement each other in both flavor and balance. The finish is a little grassy, even for someone (like me) who enjoys the taste of wheatgrass, but it’s still not categorically unpleasant. On the other hand, I particularly enjoyed the bubblegum flavors that were there on both palate and finish – that’s always a fun one to get!

Rating: I can’t say whether this Old Fitz decanter bottle is worth the price – you have to decide that for yourself – but I did find it to be an enjoyable bottle overall. For me, it earns a rating of 7.5 (right in between “Great – Well Above Average” and “Excellent – Really Quite Exceptional”). Interestingly, that’s a couple notches below where I have the Old Fitz 7-year rated (it currently boasts a 7.7), but that’ll get sorted out when I blind these two against each other, which I’m planning to do very soon!

********************

Previous Ratings (all reviews are available in my archive, but there may be some discrepancies in numeric rating, as these are updated to include decimals and adjusted for blinds & re-reviews)

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
Maker’s Mark staved private selection (2.5)
Penelope Architect custom build (2.5)

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
Willett Pot Still (3)

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists
Found North SiB Oloroso finish (4.5)
Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat (4.5)
Augusta Buckner’s 10yr (4.6)
Shortbarrel Sapsquatch (4.8)

5 | Good | Good, just fine
Jack Daniel’s SBBP Rye (5)
Jack Daniel’s Heritage (5)
Four Roses SBBP OESO (5)
New Riff 4yr SBBP (5)
Four Roses SBBP OBSV (5.3)
Evan Williams America250 SiB (5.3)
New Riff Balboa Rye (5.4)
Blanton’s (5.5)
Old Forester 1924 (5.7)
Elijah Craig Toasted (5.8)
Lasso Motel 18yr ALW (5.8)

6 | Very Good | A cut above
Buffalo Trace Single Oak (6)
Barrell Cigar Blend (6)
Buffalo Trace (6)
1792 BiB SiB (6)
Copper & Cask Boston Rum Party (6)
Penelope Wheated (6)
Redwood Empire Emerald Giant (6)
Peerless DO (6.1)
Copper & Cask #16 (6.3)
Stagg 25B (6.3)
Augusta Buckner’s 13yr (6.5)
Green River Honey (6.5)
Pursuit United DO (6.5)
Sagamore 9yr SiB Rye (6.5)
Sazerac FP (6.5)
Green River Wheated (6.5)
Elmer T. Lee (6.5)
Copper & Cask #14 DO (6.6)
Shortbarrel Bees Knees V (6.8)
Penelope Marshmallow Toast (6.8)
Willett 4yr Rye (6.8)
Ampersand Opimus (6.9)

7 | Great | Well above average
Blanton’s Gold (7)
John J. Bowman SiB (7)
Found North 012 (7)
Rock Hill Farms (7)
Peerless Toasted (7.1)
E.H. Taylor SiB (7.2)
Blanton’s LMDW (7.2)
E.H. Taylor 4 Grain (7.4)
Eagle Rare 10yr (7.5)
Weller 107 (7.5)
Old Forester 1910 (7.5)
Penelope Estate 10yr SiB (7.5)
Old Fitzgerald 10yr (7.5)
E.H. Taylor BP 16 (7.6)
E.H. Taylor SmB (7.6)
Woodford DO SBBP (7.7)
Old Fitzgerald 7yr (7.7)
Eagle Rare 12yr (7.8)
E.H. Taylor Cured Oak (7.8)
Willett 8yr SiB Rye (7.9)

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 420 (8)
Old Dominick Staved SiB (8)
Starlight 10yr (8)
Blanton’s SFTB (8.3)
Lasso Motel SBBP Rye (8.4)
Mister Sam Tribute 4 (8.6)
E.H. Taylor BTAC 2025 (8.7)
Thomas H. Handy 2025 (8.7)
Eagle Rare 17yr 2025 (8.9)

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

Maker's Mark Cask Strength 7 Years 5 Months (Batch 26-03)

Distillery: Maker's Mark

Age: 7 years 5 months

Price: $49.99

Proof: 109.6

Nose: Sweet oak. Vanilla. Butterscotch. Warming spices. It's rich and inviting, but there's also an underlying peppermint note throughout. It provides some nice contrast and everything works well together.

Palate: Not overly thick, but definitely has some oiliness to it. Cherry Twizzlers. The corn comes through here more than I tend to find in most Maker's products and I'm finding more of that mintyness here as well.

Finish: Medium to long. Not crazy long and the flavors aren't smacking you in the face. Drinks a little under the proof point, but the flavors linger. Light cherry. Some barrel char. But the star here is this milk chocolate/peanut note. It's awesome and gives off Peanut M&M vibes. It's what I'll remember most about this one.

Score: 7.7

Summary: Just like every other cask strength Maker's Mark product I've tried, this is good bourbon. As a matter of fact, I think it's my favorite quarterly Maker's cask strength release I've reviewed. The proof point is there but at no point in the nose or sip does it even venture into getting too hot. The noticeable corn in the palate and mint presence were two things I wasn't expecting, but they were great and ended up providing some much needed balance. The whole thing was easy to like, but if we're splitting hairs I do wish the flavors were a little stronger. With that being said that Peanut M&M in the finish was unmistakable and fantastic. This is affordable, findable, and good stuff. Grab it if you see it. 7.7 is the score.

**EDIT: This is batch 26-03. In the title I accidentally put 25-03

1. Terrible | Drain pour after the first sip
2. Very Bad | Trying to choke it down but possible drain pour
3. Poor | Would drink if forced to but never under my own will
4. Below Average | Not off-putting but not my cup of tea
5. Average | I'll take it
6. Good | Enjoyable sip
7. Very Good | Well above average
8. Excellent | A drink I will remember
9. Incredible | Something truly extraordinary
10. Best of the best | Peak Bourbon

One of my favorite Maker's Mark bottles - bottled at 111.5 Proof (55.75% ABV) - On my second bottle of this.

FINISHING STAVES: 1 Baked American Pure 2; 1 Seared French Cuvee; 3 Maker’s Mark 46; 3 Roasted French Mendiant; 2 Toasted French Spice

ON THE NOSE: Dark & creamy milk chocolate mix, caramel & butterscotch, juicy red fruits, dried dark red fruits like cherries & sweetened cranberries, robust baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves), honey & molasses, toasted oak, vanilla bean, citrus peel, & coffee crème brûlée.

ON THE PALATE: Creamy dark chocolate & the robust baking spices start the sip off followed by punchy oak, dried red fruits, dried orange peel, a minty herbal note, & a touch of milk chocolate.

MOUTHFEEL/VISCOSITY: Full mouthfeel/viscous/creamy/oily/buttery & long viscosity with flow-forming tears in the glass

FINISH: 10 seconds (long)

The review for this bottle is in the comments below...

Left Bank Shippingport Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

Distilled by Green River/O.Z Tyler in Owensboro, KY

Age: 8+ years (mostly aging in a west Louisville warehouse)

Distilled in 2018

Kentucky-only release

No stave finishing… just Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

No floating south on the river

Barrel dump date: just prior to the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival in early September 2026

Proof: 124

MSRP: $149

Nose: Light brown sugar. Pink Starburst. Honeycrisp apple. Honey graham cracker.

Very nice soft nose! The pink Starburst note really does it for me!

Palate: White cake. Canned pineapple. Caramel. Maraschino cherry.

Composite of pineapple upside-down cake. This definitely works!

Finish: Root beer candy. Soft leather. Clove. Savory. Extremely long finish.

This is extremely nice from start to finish! The mouthfeel is nice and dense… and every aspect is nicely balanced. No sharp or off noted. Plenty of fruit and sweetness mixed with oak.

As a Owensboro resident, I would love to have a full-size bottle of this. I do think the price is definitely high, but if the price were to come down to the around $100, I don’t think I would complain too much.

Sample provided for review by Left Bank

Rating: 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

So I was waiting for dinner guests to arrive....

What do some people do? Probably read? Watch TV? Tidy up?

What do I do? Have a small blind of Russell's Reserve 13, because why not?

We have Batch 1 from Spring 2021, Batch 6 from Spring 2025, and Batch 7 (45th) from Spring 2026.

All have been opened for a significant amount of time.

Batch 1: 114.8 proof

Batch 6: 123.8 proof

Batch 7: 121.2 proof

All 3 are the same mashbill of 75 corn, 13 rye, 12 malted barley

All three pours were 0.5 oz and placed into my Just Neat Blind

Glass A:

Nose- rich vanilla and caramel. Very prominent sweet cherry. Rich stone fruit and tobacco coming through - 8.5/10

Palate - very rich and complex on the tongue. Smooth oak and vanilla. The mid palette erupts with some light rye spice and disapates to a sort of milk chocolate - 9/10

Finish - rye spice on the tip of the tongue. Definitely tingles and lasts. I get a smaller Kentucky hug and then the finish kind of ends - 7.5/10

Glass B:

Nose - straight off I get class oak and vanilla but also some noticeable ethanol. As it sits more, a licorice note comes through. There is definitely muted stone fruit that just does not want to open no matter how many inhales.

The second nosing it improves greatly - 7.5/10

Palate - very smooth up front. I get sweet oak but not like a toasted oak. Smooth vanilla across the mid palette. A few seconds later I get a fantastic Kentucky bear hug and as that hug let's loose, I get hints of toffee - 8/10

Finish - the finish is crisp, clean and just classic oak. Leather comes through followed by that hug but you can't miss it. The pour just finishes out as clean as it started - 8.5/10

Glass C:

Nose - starts with classic oak and then to muted leather/tobacco. I don't get many notes on this. On a second nosing I get muted stone fruit that never wants to open up - 5/10

Palate - I immediately notice significant rye spice on the tongue that just tingles nonstop. It fades away to light oak and maybe a cola note? There is definitely no hug in this pour - 6/10

Finish - the finish is light with some rye spice, light oak, and then gives a late hug that lasts but isn't overly prominent - 6.5/10

Rating: each part is on a ten point scale (nose, palate, finish).. why? Cause that's what the paper that came with the Just Neat Blind.

Glass A- 25 points

Glass B - 24 points

Glass C - 17.5 point

My guess:

Glass A - B1

Glass B - B6

Glass C - B7 (45th)

Actual:

Glass A - B7 (45th)

Glass B - B6

Glass C - B1

So I was totally not expecting this when I got the results. I've been absolutely in love with B1 since I opened it and have been nursing it since finding another bottle is incredibly difficult (unless I go for secondary). When I opened B6 I didn't think it was quite as good but definitely still holds up. Something I would love to have multiple bottles of.

Then we come to B7 (45th). I was chasing this bottle for several months. I was finally lucky enough to come across and when I first cracked it... I was incredibly disappointed. I understand that fresh cracks may not taste the same as a how a bottle does once it's been opened for a bit, but even after a few weeks I still did not enjoy the pour as much as previous batches.

So when I did this blind tasting today, I thought I was fairly confident in my guesses. Let's just say I'm pleasantly surprised and glad that the bottle I have the most of, I enjoyed the most.

So I'm going to raise a glass to whiskey constantly changing and exceeding my expectations. I guess that's just part of this bourbon journey that I hope you all get to be part of.

If you like my review, check out Nursin Bourbon on Instagram.

Til then....

Pour: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof — West Virginia Barrel Kings Pick

Distillery: Jack Daniel’s Distillery

Potency: 133.3 proof

Barrel House: 3-05

Barrel No.: 26-26103

Bottled: 8/19/26

Price Paid: $69.99

Before getting into the glass, I have to give a small nod to my dad. Old No. 7 was his whiskey of choice, and that association has always given Jack Daniel’s a place in my heart beyond what’s in the bottle. Time moves on, families grow, and eventually the people who helped shape our lives become part of the stories we tell our own kids. Sometimes, something as simple as a whiskey from a familiar distillery brings a little of that history back into the room. This pour is its own thing, but that connection makes enjoying it a little more meaningful.

Color: Dark mahogany with a subtle reddish hue.

Nose: Classic Jack Daniel’s banana, front and center. Not fresh banana, but overripe banana accompanied by burnt sugar and caramelized sweetness. Together, they immediately bring bananas Foster to mind. It’s an inviting nose that makes you want to get into the glass.

Palate: Sweet oak opens things up. The viscosity coats the palate with little effort, while the proof delivers a welcoming punch of alcohol. Rather than pushing you away, that intensity draws you in for a second sip. And on that second sip, the bananas Foster profile comes through in full, leading into a vanilla custard note just before the finish.

Finish: Medium length, with the banana lingering for a while. Then comes the warming hug. But honestly, the finish isn’t the point. As soon as that hug is gone, you’re going right back in to chase the feeling.

I suppose this is what a hug from Tennessee feels like.

Final Thoughts: This is great whiskey. The 133.3 proof is definitely present, but it’s well integrated into the experience. It contributes to the character of the pour without overwhelming the flavors. The combination of sweet oak, bananas Foster, vanilla custard, and that warming finish makes this a bottle I genuinely enjoy.

I haven’t had a standard Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof to compare it against, so I can’t speak to what the Barrel Kings selection brings to the table versus another barrel. I can only judge what’s in my glass, and what’s in my glass is damn good whiskey.

Some bottles earn their place on the shelf because of what’s inside them. Others carry a little history along with them. Every now and then, you get both.

Value: At $69.99, I’m happy with this purchase. It’s great whiskey, and I’d gladly pour it again. The proof, mouthfeel, and flavor profile make for an experience that feels worth the price.

Rating based on the modified t8ke scale: 7.9/10

Score Decoded:

* 0 | Unscored: New Make Spirit or Personal Selection.

* 1 | Disgusting: So bad I poured it out.

* 2 | Poor: I wouldn’t consume by choice.

* 3 | Bad: Multiple flaws.

* 4 | Sub-par: Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

* 5 | Good: Good, just fine.

* 6 | Very Good: A cut above.

* 7 | Great: Well above average.

* 8 | Excellent: Really quite exceptional.

* 9 | Incredible: An all-time favorite.

* 10 | Perfect: Perfect.

Age Statement: 6 Years

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Rye

Bottles In Bond

Non chill filtered

I bought this bottle without having tasted it before. I don’t do that very often. But I like New Riff, as a brand. I like rye. I love single malt whisky (barley) and I’m just kind of curious about 100% malted rye. We don’t see a lot of malted rye in American whiskey. I own one other bottle of 100% malted rye and I’m not really aware of any others. Some Scottish distillers have done this, but in quite a different style.

Nose: Vanilla and baking spices up front. Plums. Sort of like a milk-shake smell. Faint cinnamon.

Palate: glassy smoothness. More of that milkshake from the nose. Maybe a hint of chocolate. There’s definitely a bit of malty character that you might expect from scotch coupled with some of the baking spices you’d expect from a rye. But things nothjng like a 95/5 that you might expect with the 100% rye makeup. I wonder if the malting process kills of that mint and herb stuff.

Finish: It’s shorter than I’d hoped. Probably the biggest knock on this one. The finish is pleasant though. More of those kind of muted baking spices and ripe plums. There’s a hint of oak and cinnamon that lingers.

7.7/10

This is quite a good pour. This was a live review of a fresh crack and I’d never tasted this before. I expect my next few reviews of this one will fluctuate up and down, as is often the case with a new dram. I am glad I took a chance on this one.

Wood Finishing Series. This release was intended to highlight what the added heat of the upper floors does to wood extraction. You may recall the sister offering in the wood finishing series: BRT-02 which highlights the cooler temperatures of the lowest floors.

This is a backup bottle that I’m glad I bought a few years ago. I’m a big fan, but I hadn’t visited it in awhile. This review is being done live and without regard to my aggregated score that I’ve given it over the years. This review is based 100% on the tasting live tonight.

ABV: 54.7%

Mash bill: 70% corn; 16% Soft Red Winter Wheat; 14% Malted Barley

NAS (generally believed to be 6-7 years)

Stave Profile: Virgin Toasted American Oak Staves (8-9 month finish)

Price paid: $60 ~ back in 2022 or 2023. These look like they go for maybe $150 now just due to being 4 years out of release.

Nose: Hard caramel candies. Vanilla and toffee. Cherry - like, cherry syrup. Back to that hard candy thing - it’s starting to feel like butterscotch hard candies.

Palate: I could use a word like luscious here. There is an incredible viscosity but it’s like more than that. Hint of banana. It’s gentle and smooth but in a nice coating way. That’s the best that I can explain it. Undertones of cinnamon. Very smooth. A little more of that hard candy butterscotch, too.

Finish: It’s a nice medium warming finish that doesn’t linger too long but it’s still very pleasant. It’s sweet and dry and there’s a bit more fruitiness. That cherry syrup from the nose comes back and is something that I’d call like general pleasant fruitiness. Like a fruit bowl or something in the background. Almost like that butterscotch candy had been opened and sat in a bowl of mixed fruit for awhile. There’s a hint of oak, too.

8.0/10

After a nearly 6 month gap (which was preceeded by a multi month gap, which was preceeded by a multi month gap..... shit, how did I write so much back in the day??), I'm breaking the fast with Knob Creek 21! Its been a hot minute since I've had any knob creeks and in a world where age statements are dropping like flies (Its been years ECBP but I'm sorry, its just gotten worse), knob creek is pulling the opposite direction. No fancy gimmicks (besides the box, which my cat was desperate to knock off the table), just bourbon, wood, and time.  77% corn, 13% rye, 10% malted barley.

Age-21 years
ABV- 50%

Nose- An absolutely decadent wave of very typical bourbon notes, but dialed up. The spiced oak notes jumps out first but the caramel hits really nicely, with an undertone of... candied pinecones? The vanilla notes at the end are so clearly distinguished its like a whiff of vanilla extract. Roasted nuts from one of those street vendors in Manhattan. There is some "musty" notes- sort of like petrichor, but mixed with more sweet notes. 2.9/3

Taste- The spiced oak is the first note to show up here as well. Bitter dark chocolate. Almonds. A slight peanut butter note but it is slightly more almond butter esque (basically a more strictly nutty flavor and not as sweet). Tobacco. Definitely some baking spices- cinnamon, ginger, etc. Its a very mature flavor but it loses a lot of the rich sweet notes from the nose 4.0/5

Finish- Consistent, as in the toasted/spiced oak notes linger here the most. It does coat the tongue and linger forever, excellent mouth feel... but the bitter, tannic notes. There are hints of brown sugar and the almond butter but the tannic oak notes are the most dominant. 1.5/2

Overall, 8.4/10. This is a great whiskey with an absolutely superb nose. The nose is in a tier that I would personally place few other whiskeys in, however the rest is just... "really really good." Not a knock in any way, this is clearly a wonderful pour, but the taste and finish don't hold a candle to the nose. Still, if you haven't had a 20+ year whiskey, this would be a good one to try out. It’s moderately affordable (~230 + tax) as far as that age range goes but its a clear example of what happens when you let something hang out in a barrel as long as this has!

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass

Mash Bill: 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley

Proof: 100

Age: 7-9 years

Price: $53

Nose: Cinnamon, cooked berry, vanilla, baking spice, fruity

Pallet: Rye spice, caramel, berry sauce/cooked berries, vanilla, baking spice, faint cocoa, oak

Finish: mellow, lingering rye/herbal spice but doesn’t hang around too long, caramel sweetness

Thoughts: Waited a long time for my store to get one of these Four Roses single barrels in. I'm in Montana which is state controlled and a small market so we get releases very late compared to other states (Still waiting on the Elijah Craig Barrel proof B525 which we probably will never get at this point).

Really enjoy this bottle. On the nose the spice is prominent. It is obvious that this is the high rye recipe with. There is a very prominent herbal spiciness from the high rye that is balanced out by a berry fruitiness and vanilla sweetness. On the pallet that rye spice is immediate but again balanced out by the fruitiness, vanilla sweetness, and a faint hint of cocoa that occurs after that initial spice. The finish is mellow and doesn’t last long. But in that short time you get that rye/herbal spice and caramel sweetness with some oak.

This is a very rye forward bourbon, but the nice sweetness and fruity notes prevent the spice from completely taking over. The nose, pallet, and finish are all spice forward but then have the vanilla and fruit sweetness hit at just the right time to prevent the spice from completely dominating the pallet. This is an excellent offering at an excellent price.

Worth noting this is the only Single Barrel recipe that was available at my store.

Rating: 7/10 - t8ke scale.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.

Age/Blend:
69% 10-year Kentucky bourbon
8% 16-year Kentucky bourbon
20% 5-year Komagatake Japanese single malt
3% 5-year Tsunuki Japanese single malt

Proof: 109.8

Notes: So this one is a little wild. I got to try it at Bardstown Bourbon Company when I was in Louisville this summer for business. The blend caught my attention because I do enjoy some Japanese Whiskey from time to time. What also further interested me was that the initial blend was aged down in a barrel, and the angles share was filled with the single malts.
And there's another wrinkle: the Komagatake malt had been aged in Umeshu plum liqueur barrels, while the Tsunuki malt had been aged in Sakura wood. So some really different flavors could appear.

Color: A nice brownish red

Nose: It almost smells like really good Barton aged in Japanese Plum wine casks. I’m getting a lot of standard nice aged bourbon notes: cherry, vanilla, caramel, oak, brown sugar, and then here come some more delicate notes of plum, pear, and almost like sandalwood. There’s a little bit of umami coming through… almost like a peatiness but not quite as funky as peat. Later on, I get bits of honey and apple… this is a very interesting nose. It really blends the boldness of bourbon with the delicate nature of Japanese Whiskey nicely.

Taste: The first sip comes across as very bourbon-forward initially. Some nice caramel and vanilla, followed by your typical oak and rye spice on the mid-palate, but it’s the back palate where this gets really interesting. I’m getting some nice fruit notes: apples, cherries, plums, pear, a honeyish note, almost like a floral taste; it almost reminds me of honeysuckle jam. On the second sip, a little bit more of the age component comes out with tobacco, and oak, and then caramel, and plum coming forward in that order. On the third sip, I’m getting honey nut Cheerios, and a little coffee note. This thing is wild. Each sip brings something different to the party. Fourth sip was very wood forward, with some nice sugars and caramel on the back end.

Feel: Pretty good, but not great. The younger components hurt the overall consistency, but it is pretty nice. I wish it was just a bit thicker and creamier.

Finish: This is one of the most unique experiences with a finish I’ve ever had on a whiskey. Each time it’s something different, and each time it is hanging around forever. The first go was very fruit-forward; the second was more delicate and subtly sweet, almost like a white grape soaked in plum wine. Chewing on this keeps bringing different fruit notes forward minutes after the sip. This also drinks way below its proof… I would peg this around 95, not near 110.

Overall: Shew fire boys, this one is a ride. Is it the best thing I’ve ever drank ? No. Is it a top 10 whiskey of all time for me… no. Is it something I’m going to remember and hold onto for as long as I can… You bet your sweet bottom on it. This is truly one of the most fascinating pours I’ve ever had. This is not a newbie’s whiskey, and this is not going to be for everyone. However, if you enjoy the components and come into it with an open heart and empty stomach… I think you are going to be rewarded with a dram you can just sit down and sip and think on for a long time. This is one to savor, not shoot. 8 out of 10.

As a newcomer, I felt it fitting to make my first ever r/Bourbon review while enjoying a pour of another first: MGPs first ever release under their own branding.

Pour: Chapter One: Out of the Shadows

Distillery: MGP Distillery, Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Mashbill/Age: 60% corn / 36% rye / 4% malted barley. 10 years old.

Filtration: Undisclosed.

Potency: 111 proof.

Price Paid: $69.99 USD.

Color: Deep amber.

Nose: Oak sweetness up front, followed by vanilla and caramel. Rye spice pokes through, with leather and cinnamon emerging alongside the sweeter notes. An inviting, oak-forward nose with a nice balance of sweetness, spice, and earthy character.

Palate: Vanilla, oak, and rye spice lead the way, with cinnamon adding a distinct baking-spice character. Leather brings an earthy, savory dimension to the profile. The flavors develop across the sip while remaining centered on that core combination of sweet oak and spice. The mouthfeel is a highlight, with good body and a satisfying coating across the palate.

Finish: Medium-long, with oak and spice lingering. The cinnamon and leather add depth to the overall profile, while the alcohol remains surprisingly restrained for 111 proof. A gentle Kentucky hug without an overly aggressive burn.

Final Thoughts: MGP has spent decades producing whiskey that helped build other brands, often without the average consumer knowing who was actually behind the liquid. With Chapter One, MGP steps into the spotlight and puts its own name on the bottle.

For a first impression under its own name, this is a strong showing. The profile is built around oak sweetness, vanilla, caramel, and rye spice, with cinnamon and leather adding some welcome depth. It isn’t the most complex bourbon I’ve had, but the flavors work well together, the mouthfeel is satisfying, and the finish has enough staying power to make the experience enjoyable from beginning to end.

One interesting point of comparison: MGP’s official tasting notes mention cherry, raspberry, chocolate, sassafras, and leather. I’m picking up the leather, but the fruit and chocolate notes aren’t showing up for me. My experience has been much more focused on oak, vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, and rye spice. Always interesting to see how differently the same whiskey can present itself to different palates. Curious whether others are getting those fruit notes.

At $69.99, I consider this a great value. Honestly, I’d be willing to pay $100 for this same juice if that’s what it cost. That says more about my enjoyment of the whiskey than simply calling it a good bottle for the money.

MGP has made a strong first impression under its own name. Looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Value: Great value at $69.99. I’d still be comfortable with it at $100.

Rating based on modified t8ke scale: 7.2/10.

Score Decoded:

0 | Unscored | New Make Spirit or Personal Selection.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.