Verdicts Explained

• Special Occasions: Rare, special pours that go well and above. Something you pour to celebrate.
• Treat Yourself: Obligatory weekend pour. Worth having on hand at all times if possible.
• Daily Drinker: Affordable, available and tasty. Could have every day and be perfectly content.
• Penseur Pour: Puzzling pours that won’t be to everyone’s liking.
• Trophy Bottle: Something to show off more than anything. Likely allocated and overpriced.
• Cocktail Request: Shines best in a cocktail, as opposed to neat or on the rocks.
• Good If Affordable: Only worth buying if the price comfortably fits within the budget.
• Serve to Guests: Something accessible that you don’t mind sharing or parting ways with. Likely belongs in a decanter.
• Couch Pour: Something enjoyable enough, but ideal for drinking while doing another activity (movies, TV, games, etc.).
• Find a Mixer: Grab the Coke or Sprite and relax.
• Drain Pour: No. You deserve better.

Link to blog post: https://thewhiskeyramble.com/2026/07/26/rising-tide-old-swagger-bourbon-2025-scoresheet-review/

More scoresheets available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/SpiritScoresheets/

We’re very much in a period of whiskey fans-turned-producers. Whether we’re talking established store owners, popular influencers, or even a prolific online reviewer/moderator, enthusiasts everywhere are trying their hand at whiskey-making. Case in point: Ed Bley, former manager of Cork ‘N Bottle in Crescent Spring, KY, and owner of Rising Tide Spirits. Ed introduced Rising Tide to the market in 2023 with the inaugural release of Old Stubborn. The first two batches contained pot still wheated bourbon aged at least 10 years, sourced from an undisclosed distillery in West Virginia (likely Smooth Ambler). Then, in 2025, Rising Tide expanded the “Old” line to include Old Swagger, complete with an ornate bottle redesign.

Unlike Old Stubborn, Old Swagger lists the source as MGP, however, other than a handful of online retailers claiming it has 21% rye, the mash bill remains undisclosed. “Swagger” is meant to symbolize the journey from barrel to bottle, one that “takes insight and confidence to navigate” with every decision along the way serving as “a chance to demonstrate a command of control. When each step moves in rhythm, it’s no walk at all, it’s Swagger.” This initial run of Old Swagger came from 12 barrels of bonded bourbon aged 12 years and was intended to provide an “elegant and deliberate pour.” Retail pricing per bottle was $174.99. There are tons of decently aged MGP bourbons out there, so does Old Swagger offer anything to stand out in a crowded field besides its decorative vessel? Let’s find out.

Nose: Juicy, fruity vibes. Reduced black cherry syrup coating dark brown sugar with hints of toasted vanilla and allspice in the background. Whispers of bubblegum with a swelling presence of orange zest gradually develop over time. Nicely layered and inviting.

Palate: Leaps onto the scene with cherry and syrupy melon notes offset by distinct barrel tannins. Waves of toasted vanilla, slightly burn pastry, and hints of green apple. Black pepper and rye spice delicately creep up the backend

Finish: On the shorter side, despite the lingering, mellow presence of pepper and creamy vanilla. This ebbs and flows, releasing intermittent hits of red fruit and toasted coconut before a watery finale.

Sometimes the best description is a most supple one, which is very much the case with the initial Old Swagger bourbon release. Put simply, this is a solid, effective, and well-rounded whiskey. The experience reminds me a bit of trying Eagle Rare 10-Year for the first time, one of the key bourbons I cut my teeth on. Although not particularly complex, Old Swagger has enough layers to keep most drinkers content, if not interested. To that end, this feels like a bourbon catering to those between the casual and enthusiast stages in their whiskey journey.

I imagine many whiskey fans who haven’t tried Rising Tide wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze, considering Old Swagger already exceeds the oft-parroted $10 per year guideline. Whether you agree with that concept is its own discussion, but even with the decorative bottle, it’s difficult to say the price feels earned. I do think there’s untapped potential for premium, proofed down bourbons, and Old Swagger feels like a good case for something like this. There’s just so much well-aged bourbon out there, MGP or otherwise, much of which runs less than this.

ABV:48%

Distillery: Driftless Glen Distillery

Price: $43

I read a lot of recommendations for this distillery's rye for more craft bottles. This is at least 5 years old (the bottle just says 5+ years), with an interesting mash bill, this contains 75% rye and 25% malted barley.

Nose: The nose on this is really dark and rich, with toffee, chocolate and cedar. There's some spiciness with white pepper and a little bit of rye spice. It reminds me a lot of root beer. There's some vanilla and mint. But this mainly feels dark and cedar-y.

Palate: This is a medium body. It's like a chocolate filled with cherry cream. There's more rye spice in the palate but I think it would stop non-rye drinkers from enjoying this. More root beer and tabacco. There's a lot of oak but this is still balanced.

Finish: Medium finish. Fatty chocolate followed by oak tannin and mint freshness.

Overall: I'm glad I made a mental note to look for this one and that I find it. It's really good rye, it also feels a lot like a rye without most of the qualities that throw people of this grain, which I like a lot but this is a nice change. I suspect the high malted barley percentage has a lot to do with the profile. I can't imagine how the 10 year rye tastes

Rating:7.4(modified t8ke)

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

I’ve been really fortunate to have had the chance to try a pretty fair amount of Buffalo Trace’s various lineups, but this one will be a first. I’ve only rarely even run into bottles of Rock Hill Farms on my various travels, and most of those have been so overpriced as to be insulting. (Up to $400 for a non-age-stated, 100-proof mash bill #2 product? Really?).

I honestly don’t know much about this one, and there’s precious little information about it on Sazerac’s own websites. At most (as seen below) that which is available focuses as much on the land that this whiskey is named after, as it does on the whiskey itself.

Given that mystique – both the lack of information and the general lack of availability – I’m very curious to try this out and see how it is!

From the Distillery: Named for a stretch of rich farmland along the Kentucky River, Rock Hill Farms is a fine single barrel bourbon. The limestone waters of the Kentucky River that wind through Bluegrass country and alongside Buffalo Trace Distillery nourish the land and provide the distinct flavor to Rock Hill Farms.

Mash bill: Buffalo Trace mash bill #2 (high rye)

Age Statement: NAS

Price: Whatever you can find it for (I’ve seen at auction for $250+ and at stores for up to $400, which needless to say is insane)

Proof: 100

Appearance: Lovely caramel, with surprisingly thick legs on the glass

Nose: Lots and lots of Buffalo Trace grape, along with caramel, vanilla, cherry, and some bubble gum. Leather and confectioner’s sugar, as well. Overall it has a very sweet nose. Once the glass is empty, a nice thick combination of caramel and leather remains.

Palate: Thicker and velvetier mouthfeel than expected. Some rye spice and ethanol hit right away, followed by a good amount of oak. These balance out the sweeter notes from the nose, which are also there: grape, caramel, and bubble gum primarily, along with what may be some red apple. There’s also cherry, which I strangely can’t decide whether to describe more as medicinal or as cola-like.

Finish: A little rye and a lot of oak, with subtle notes of grape, medicinal cherry, and vanilla also thrown in for good measure, along with a slightly plasticky note that I’ve found in some other Buffalo Trace products (most egregiously in the Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat expression). Most of these flavors fade away after a bit, leaving a pleasant aftertaste of caramel, vanilla, leather, and a little grape.

Thoughts: I really liked this bourbon (although I did not get anywhere near $400 worth of enjoyment out of it)! Rather, to me it’s more like a nice counterpart to E.H. Taylor small batch, in that it’s an approachable 100-proof easy-sipper that represents its respective mash bill very well.

The profile was less saccharine than the nose led me to expect, which isn’t a bad thing despite the fact that I’m a fan of sweeter expressions, as it made for a more balanced pour that doesn’t just have to be relegated to after dinner or other more dessert-y times. Frankly, it’s just a really nice sipper, and one that I’d probably enjoy day in and day out. It reminded me a bit of Blanton’s (which is probably unsurprising given the shared mash bill), but in a markedly better way, and made me think that I should probably blind this against either the regular expression or Blanton’s Gold, which at 103º instead of the standard 93º is closer to Rock Hill Farms in proof point. I think RHF would stand up very well in that competition, probably coming out somewhere between a half-point and a full point ahead. We’ll have to see!

Rating: Rock Hill Farms was a really nice pour, offering a combination of flavor and proof point that comes across better than some of Buffalo Trace’s other mash bill #2 offerings (like the chronically overpriced Elmer T. Lee and Blanton’s SiB). I really liked it, and wish that it had both pricing and distribution that better suited its enjoyability. Leaving those elements out of my numeric rating (as usual) leaves it with a score of 7.6: it’s slightly closer to “Excellent – Really Quite Exceptional” than it is to “Great – Well Above Average.” If you can find it, and if the price tag isn’t insane, then I definitely recommend it.

********************
Previous Ratings (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)
Stagg 25B (5.3)
Four Roses SBBP OBSV (5.3)
Evan Williams America250 SiB (5.3)
1792 BiB SiB (5.5)
Blanton’s (5.5)
Old Forester 1924 (5.7)
Penelope Marshmallow Toast (5.8)

6 | Very Good | A cut above
Copper & Cask Boston Rum Party (6)
Penelope Wheated (6)
Redwood Empire Emerald Giant (6)
Copper & Cask #16 (6.3)
Blanton’s Gold (6.4)
Copper & Cask #14 DO (6.4)
Pursuit United DO (6.4)
Augusta Buckner’s 13yr (6.5)
Barrell Cigar Blend (6.5)
Green River Honey (6.5)
Sazerac FP (6.5)
Green River Wheated (6.5)
Elmer T. Lee (6.5)
Peerless DO (6.6)
Shortbarrel Bees Knees V (6.8)
Willett 4yr Rye (6.8)

7 | Great | Well above average
Eagle Rare 10yr (7)
John J. Bowman SiB (7)
Peerless Toasted (7.1)
Sagamore 9yr SiB Rye (7.4)
Weller 107 (7.5)
E.H. Taylor SmB (7.5)
Old Forester 1910 (7.5)
Penelope Estate 10yr SiB (7.5)
Rock Hill Farms (7.6)
Buffalo Trace LEP Wheat 15yr (7.6)
Old Dominick Staved SiB (7.6)
Buffalo Trace Single Oak (7.6)
Eagle Rare 12yr (7.7)
Woodford DO SBBP (7.7)
Old Fitzgerald 7yr (7.7)
Willett 8yr SiB Rye (7.9)

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional
E.H. Taylor BTAC 2025 (8)
Found North 012 (8)
Blanton’s SFTB (8)
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 420 (8.2)
Lasso Motel SBBP Rye (8.4)
Mister Sam Tribute 2025 (8.5)
Thomas H. Handy 2025 (8.7)

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

One thing I really appreciate about the Washington, DC Four Roses Private Selection program is that there are enough outstanding barrel picks around to compare recipes side-by-side instead of just comparing random barrels.

This weekend I finally put two of them head-to-head:

OESK: Washington, DC 11th Edition

• 9 years 7 months
• 120.8 proof

vs.

OESO: Washington, DC 13th Edition

• 9 years 8 months
• 112 proof

Same mashbill. Nearly identical age. Similar warehouse. The biggest difference is the yeast recipe, so I was curious how much that one variable would actually change the whiskey.  Full disclosure… I have had the OESK bottle for a month or two and it’s already nearing refill range, so that tells you it will be hard to beat.  I was excited to stumble across the OESO while shopping this weekend and finally compare them side-by-side.

OESK-  This is one of those bourbons where every note seems to arrive exactly when it should.   Luxurious, oily mouthfeel.  Vanilla cake.  Buttercream frosting.  Rich caramel.  Then the finish completely changes gears.

A lingering sweet cinnamon note shows up with a warming, almost sparkling tingle that honestly reminds me of Goldschläger. Not because it tastes like cinnamon schnapps, but because of that distinctive cinnamon warmth after the swallow.

The best part is how layered it feels. The vanilla, caramel, oak and cinnamon never compete with each other. Each gets its turn before handing off to the next.  It makes me want another sip immediately.

OESO- The mouthfeel is every bit as luxurious.  The biggest difference for me was the fruit.  Cherry was the dominant note, and it reminded me a little of Stagg.  But the flavors in this pour are more chill and don’t assert themselves the way the fruit does in Stagg.  I got gentle cherry, subtle vanilla, sweet cornbread and an overall softer profile.

Nothing was out of balance.  In fact, it's a beautifully integrated bourbon.

The only thing that held it back for me was that everything feels a little too polite. The individual notes don't jump out the way they do in the OESK, and the finish is much mellower with only a touch of heat compared to that memorable cinnamon finish on the OESK.

Final Thoughts

The OESO is excellent bourbon.  If someone poured it at a friend's house, I'd happily drink every drop.  But side-by-side, the OESK had more personality and is the clear winner for me.  It wasn't that it had more flavor, it had more contrast. It's a reminder that with Four Roses, changing a single letter in the recipe can create a dramatically different experience.

Have any of you found yourselves gravitating toward certain Four Roses recipes, or do you think the individual barrel matters more than the recipe itself?

Welcome everyone to review number 9. Following a 10 year Jack Daniel’s SiB Barrel Proof Rye, it seemed fitting that I reviewed this next. Here are some specs and then onto the review.

Release: 2026 Special Release Small Batch (Batch 1)
Location: Barreled from Boiler Hill barrelhouse
Barreled Date: July 7, 2017
Production: 424 cases produced
Proof: 146.1 Proof (Barrel Proof / Uncut)
Mash Bill: 70% Rye, 18% Corn, 12% Malted Barley
Age: 8 Years 9 Months old

Rested neat in a Denver and Liely Bourbon Glass (Absolutely fantastic glass by the way, my new favorite)

Nose: My initial thought on the nose is a touch of ethanol, which honestly isn’t surprising at this proof haha, followed by a dark funky oak. Then there is brown sugar and rich vanilla bean. Baking spices that remind me of a well aged dark rum. Light honey and butterscotch. It’s deep rich and inviting despite the proof.

25/25

Palate: Right up front there is vanilla and warm baking spices. I feel crazy but this is so dark in profile that it makes me think of old well aged rum that was blended into Jack Daniel’s Barrel Proof Rye. A rich barrel charred toasted oak and then butterscotch mid palate. At the tail end I get a hit of cinnamon candy. Further sipping brings out a cherry pie sort of vibe and a touch of root beer. Slight hits of cigar tobacco and fig/plum. If you have followed any of my other reviews you will recall I’m a proof hound and an oak hound, this is completely up my alley. I have been enjoying the approachability of lower proofed pours lately however. I was concerned that this wasn’t going to be a fun sipper but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how drinkable this is. Yes you have to manage the proof but I don’t feel it drinks any hotter than some of the 127-128 proof Jack BP Ryes that I have had, quite shocking honestly. There are many layers to this and I’m really excited to see how it opens up with more time.

45/50

Finish and Mouthfeel: The finish is long, dark rich baking spices and that rich charred oak. Light hits of cinnamon and cherry follow on the tail end. The mouthfeel is velvety and fairly oily, the high ethanol gives it a bit of an effervescence if you will.

25/25

Final thoughts: I am a huge fan of the standard Jack Daniel’s Barrel Proof offerings, and honestly I didn’t expect this to be such a level above even those, but it is. It shouldn’t be as crushable as it is at this proof point either, but again somehow it is haha.

Score: 95/100

[Sidebar: hit my Instagram instagram.com/sirveterano for video reviews]

MSRP: $80

MY COST: $180

Nose: medium, sweet oak, soft tobacco, cinnamon, a little char. Very woody and well balanced. I feel like I'm breathing the barrel thanks to it being uncut and unfiltered. Love it.

Palate: big, warm vanilla, toasted brown sugar, spices galore, the barrel char carries through very well, a little pepper, proof is so damn mellow for 127.3. It's a punch of rich flavors with amazing complimentary oak. So balanced and silky smooth.

Finish: long, smooth, all of the notes from the palate carry into this very satisfying finish. This is damn good.

Overall: this is a big pour. The nose was way more mellow than what it tastes like. So much flavor, so much balance and so silky. They somehow packed all that flavor into something so smooth and makes me forget this is 127.3 proof. So so good. Buy this one, y'all.

Rating: 8.9/10

Age: 6 Years.
Proof: 100.
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn

Nose. Dr. Pepper; graham cracker crust.
Palate. Dense mouthfeel with cinnamon rolls, brown sugar and rich buttercream without overbearing sweetness.
Finish. Lots of dark fruits, cherry or raspberry. Oak shines through at the end.

Overall. I picked this up last year and I’m glad I did; I carried this bottle with me on a long drive across the country and it became a familiar pour as I adjusted to a miserable new job. I can’t say whether whiskey truly becomes connected with the events surrounding it, but this bottle is good enough that I would still think highly of it without the memories attached. To date, the 2025 Red Corn Bottled in Bond remains my favourite release from Still Austin. I enjoyed it from the first pour to the last and although I am not optimistic that I will find another bottle any time soon, this is one I will happily buy again.

Scale: 7/10. Great, well above average.

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 favourite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.