Category: Hall of Fame

People always ask what my “go to” bourbons are, so here’s a quick tour of one of our regular bourbon sets to show you what I think is the best, both in terms of value and flavor profile. 

This 25yr old “North American” single malt whiskey from Whistlepig is likely of Canadian origin, but no matter, it’s a juggernaut of oak, fruit, and soft dessert like flavors. It’s finished in Silver Oak Cabernet Barrels and perfectly blends the fruit of the malt and the dark fruit of the cab all wrapped up in an ultra-aged, ultra cool, and ultra expensive package. 

Take your Old Fashioned to the next level with bitters and fruit infused sugar cubes from locally made “Your Granpa’s Old Fashioned” infused cocktail cubes. All natural organic brown sugar infused with bitters and orange that you break up in the glass, pour in the whiskey, add ice and you’re done! Handmade in Carmel Indiana by a mother and son team. What a better way to celebrate Mother’s Day!

Every Derby party needs some essentials, and in this case there are two that come to mind. One, Old Forester Signature 100 proof. This is THE bourbon of Louisville. It’s also maybe the best “go to” everyday bourbon available. At least 4 years old and 100 proof it’s got the signature Brown Forman mix of brown sugar, oak, and fruit. It’s perfectly proof for an Old Fashioned, but on Derby Day you’ve GOT to try it in a julep, just make sure you have the right ice. While you’re stocking up, don’t forget that the Chocolate Bourbon Ball is THE sweet treat you should be eating with your Benedictine sandwiches. Lucky for you thought, 1792 Distillery makes a cream liqueur under their Barton brand that’s essentially a Bourbon Ball in liquid form. Even if it’s hot out, pour this over ice and enjoy the sweet bourbon-y kick!

Since Old Grand Dad 114 has become more widely available again, we’d thought we revisit this under the radar value bourbon. Made with Jim Beam’s slightly higher rye recipe, the same as in Basil Hayden, and bottled without age statement at 114 proof. The normally “foxy” yeast and orange peel characteristic of Jim Beam is on full display with fruit, yeast, and oak being pushed forward by the higher proof. Light and fruity on the nose, but with bigger oak than regular Jim Beam, this is an easy every day sipper to fall in love with.

On final closeout for $50, RUN, don’t walk to the store to grab one of these single barrels of Highland Park 13yr cask strength single malt scotch aged exclusively in first fill European oak sherry butt. Distilled in 2006 and bottle in 2019 at 124.2 proof this malt exudes Orkney character with notes of dark honey, fruit cake, candied orange peel, and rich syrupy malt. The proof carries a wave of massive fruit, then subtle oak and finally the biscuit-y malt emerges from behind the sherry oak curtain. Tame it with a cube or proof it down with cold spring water, either way this is your end of the evening dram. A classic and one of our best deals ever.

Drawn from the same stocks as the much allocated Caribou Crossing, a true HIDDEN GEM is Sazerac’s Rich and Rare Reserve. It’s priced like bottom shelf, but it’s one of the BEST Canadian blends out there and for $12.99 a bottle it’s a completely under the radar blend. Even up against Crown or Canadian Club this vanilla and oak rich whiskey exudes character and stands up to it’s more premium brothers. Next time you have a Caribou Crossing on hand do the Pepsi challenge yourself and you’ll see what I’m talking about. We’ve always loved blended Canadian whiskies for their drinkability and dollar to flavor value ratio, but try it for yourself.

The latest Orphan Barrel project is fantastically tasty blend of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tenessee bourbons all bottled at the Dickel distillery in Tulahoma. Glad to see they could pull this one off, as Dickel is not to everyone’s taste, but they’ve managed to sweeten up the normally corn heavy whiskey with MGP along with some spice and elegance from an 18yr Kentucky bourbon as well. Doesn’t matter where it came from, the juice is legit. Bottled at 90 proof, the palate is nougatty soft with caramel, vanilla, and a really balanced oak profile. This is a sipper for sure at this proof. REALLY impressed with this one.

The shocking truth about Jack Daniel’s is that the older the whiskey and higher the proof the BETTER it keeps getting. Whiskey brands for years have leant on marketing speak around “the perfect age” or “aged to perfection” while being realtively vague about actual age, but then end up releasing older whiskies that just aren’t quite as good as their regular line up. This is not the case with Jack, as every experiment in longer ageing as well as higher proofs has proven far superior to the regularly released item. The second batch of Jack 12yr is just such a whiskey. Maple sugar goodness up and down the nose with piles of dessert aromas including toasted marshmallows. On the palate, more caramel and maple with the perfect amount of spice. Bottled at 107 proof, PERFECT in my opinion.

We’re always excited when brands show up and meet our Bourbon World customers. Yesterday’s Brother’s Bond event with founder Ian Somerhalder was a great event, but we’d be remised if we didn’t emphasize how GOOD these whiskies really taste. The regular bottling at 80 proof is a smooth sipper. And the forthcoming Cask Strength takes it to another level, not to mention the rye whiskey which has the depth and piney sweetness of a classic 95% MGP rye. Don’t forget, every drop of Brother’s Bond is made right here in Indiana with Indiana corn!