Category: Hall of Fame

One of this week’s featured bottles is the new Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, the Sonoma Triple Finish, and the first from newly minted Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall. This year’s Woodford MC is a combination of brandy-barrel finished woodford, Pinot Noir barrel finished Woodford, and Woodford finished in a variety of wine casks that were once Woodford barrels, but then held that wine. Bottled at 90.4 proof the nose is one of the most aromatic plum and dark fruit notes I’ve ever nosed in the bourbon with smoky vanilla and oak notes emerging as well. On the palate, big juicy spice with layers of oak complexity with red and tropical fruits over cinnamon, vanilla, and toffee.

Brazilian Amburana at its best imparts a deep smoky cinnamon flavor to almost any bourbon. The key is to have that balanced against sweeter nuanced notes within the whiskey. This first ever Bourbon World Cigar Batch at 114 proof drips with sweet and smoky cinnamon on the nose with a floral, tea, and incense note in the background, deepening the effect. On the palate, soft yellow exotic fruit play with the cinnamon and barrel spice quite nicely, neither overpowering the other. The result is a soft, floral whiskey with a mega spice kick that never gets tired!

Bourbon Expo is BACK on the first Saturday in December. Kick off the holidays with 380 unique spirits to sample, all while getting your chance at the year’s RAREST bottles of Pappy and BTAC. Don’t miss out on this year’s Big Red Liquors Bourbon Expo! Grab a group of friends and make your plans today!

When Brown Forman (maker of Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniels, and Old Forester) get into the secondary ageing game you know it’s going to be good, for the simple fact that Brown Forman is the ONLY major bourbon producer who controls all of their barrels and wood programs from start to finish. Vertically integrated at the barrel level, Brown Forman sources the wood, ages it in their lumbar yards and warehouses, treats, chars, and shapes the barrels by hand so every whiskey maker at Brown Forman is intimately familiar with the flexibility and creativity they can access with their barrels. Enter Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, an item we have 20% off of through 1/8/24 for only $43.99, a STEAL of a price for this elegantly double oaked finished whiskey coming in at a smooth drinking 90.4 proof. This is dessert whiskey, as the normal brown sugar sweetness of Woodford is kicked up a notch by the extra oak.

Not since Smooth Ambler was sending 15, 17, and 19 yr old MGP out into the world for under $100 more than a decade ago have a tasted a 15+ year old MGP, let alone a cask strength version at 98.1 proof!!! If you are planning to go out and chase pappy and btac, hold up, because this year’s 15yr Remus Gatsby Reserve may just be the ultimate spoiler. Nose of pure bourbon candy with complex herbs and sweet creams firing on all cylinders from the glass. On the palate, the perfect amount of old oak, dark and deepening at first with red fruit, then lifting mid-palate back to the signature sweetness and drinkability inherent in all MGP. Liquid candy corn! I never thought I’d see supply from MGP get this old again, but of course they’re wanting $300 for it, but truthfully that’s about exactly right in terms of price, rarity, and the market as it exists today. It’s rare that a new bourbon release has an age statement this high, and even more rare when it doesn’t disappoint for the price. Try one…well worth it.

Usually I have found the Weller Full Proofs too hot for my personal taste, but still overall better than the average. Well, that’s NOT the case this year. This has the depth of flavor of a Weller Antique AND the drinkability as well at 114 proof. Dark color, nutty with orange and chocolate on the nose. On the palate, soft fruit, big rolling spice from from front to back. Depth of fig, raisin, and plum, leather an an almost cognac rancio in terms of length.

This year’s 2023 Weller Antique 107 rockets out of the Glencairn with stone fruit, plums, and rich, dark aromas, along with vanilla and spice. On the palate, silky spice, more dark fruit, with raisins and cherries emerging before a POP of cherry pie and a whip of leather.

The Old Oak Biscuit I call this, flakey, buttery, and with a massive dollop of old oak, smoothed over with cinnamon and spice, sweet red fruits emerge as well upon second and third sniffs. On the palate, a divergence from the regular small batch profile, highlighting minty, herbal notes with a creamy bourbon candy finish. Lots of caramel and toffee in between the herbs. A very Thanksgivingy bourbon!

This year’s 2023 Weller Special Reserve single barrel is a sweet treat. Nose of honey and half melted skittles with lemon and leather as well. On the palate, soft fruit gives way to ripe oak, orange blossom, and mixed nuts. Long finish for the lowest proof and youngest Weller.

With all the over-hyped finished and MGP bottled brands on the market it’s nice to see a measured, value-driven, age-stated release from a major distillery that has the juice to back it up, and that’s EXACTLY what you get in Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7yr, a 100 proof bourbon from HH that pulls no punches. Even though it’s priced relatively higher than Evan Williams or Elijah Craig, it delivers the age, proof, flavor, and drinkability that new brands at TWICE the price can’t match. Soft fruit on the nose leading with pear, apple, and citrus. On the palate a minty, herbal, cinnamon flavor bomb that’s sweet up front and spicy on the finish. I wish more distilleries would take a page out of the Heaven Hill book and release non-gimmicky better versions of what’s out there!