Reviews

“The most important step a man can take. It's not the first one, is it? It's the next one.” – Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer Few whiskeys have eluded me over the last 8 years of whiskey hunting. Despite living in a thriving spirits market with great retailers offering fair loyalty programs, King of Kentucky seemed to always be my white whale in Massachusetts, though I never had it at the top of my wish list either. That all changed early this year, when I won the right to pur

“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius When I heard this year's George T. Stagg release crossed over the threshold beyond the magic hazmat number, I knew I had to track one down. While the bourbon hunt was a little slower to produce this year, the generosity of the whiskey community turned up strong. My dear friend Matt Long, also known as @rarewhiskeynomad or "Hazzmatty," sent along a sample for review. Matt runs an incredible comm

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” – Epictetus The history of Pappy Van Winkle is remarkable. It's a phoenix-from-the-ashes story when you look back at the struggling family label that managed to weather a bourbon market collapse only to go on to become one of the most sought-after whiskeys on the planet. The story begins with Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle Senior, who started as a traveling salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons in 1893. By 1935,

“Time is the wisest counselor of all.” – Pericles Last year, I found myself holding one of my true whiskeys—the 2024 release of Michter's 20 Year. At the time when I was gearing up to open it, I asked myself a simple question: Does ultra-rare whiskey taste ultra-delicious? The answer was a resounding yes . It was a pour that bucked the foolish assumption that hyper-aged Kentucky bourbon is only capable of being a tannic mess. That bottle earned a perfect 5/5 rating, incredibl

A deep dive collaborative review of the 2025 Four Roses Limited Edition bourbon with Kyle Ganrude of @moonlightrickhouse. Kyle is a Four Roses Superfan and brings a really interesting arc to this in-depth whiskey review article.

Does whiskey get better with time? Or does it get better with change? Is it possible to separate one from the other? In theory, time aids in change. The longer whiskey ages in a barrel, the more it should change. However, more time doesn't necessarily mean better. No one wants to sip on an over-oaked whiskey. Conversely, more change doesn't necessarily mean better either. Too many cask finishes and too much disturbance can sometimes result in a disjointed flavor profile. I've