Recent Blog

A few years back, I was at a bourbon swap meet in Nashville — the kind of informal thing where guys show up with coolers, trade bottles, and talk shop for hours. A buddy of mine was practically vibrating with excitement over a bottle he'd just picked up: a supposed pre-1980s Van Winkle, dusty and g

Does Yeast Really Shape Your Bourbon's Flavor? Most guys who've been drinking bourbon for a while can tell you all about mash bills. They know that a high-rye grain recipe is going to give you something peppery and dry, and that a wheat-forward bourbon is going to be smooth and a little sweet. The

Welsh Whisky vs Scotch: More Than Miles ApartWelsh Whisky vs Scotch: More Than Miles Apart If someone slid a glass of Welsh single malt across the bar to you and told you it was a light Speyside Scotch, there's a decent chance you'd believe them — at least for the first sip. But the more time you

Why Does Scotch Cost More Than Bourbon? You're standing in the whiskey aisle — maybe at Total Wine, maybe at your local liquor store — and you grab a solid bottle of bourbon off the shelf for $35. Then your eyes drift a few feet to the left, to the Scotch section, and suddenly you're looking at $6

Is That Pricey Bourbon Worth It? Check This First Is That Pricey Bourbon Worth It? Check This First You're standing in the whiskey aisle, maybe at your local liquor store or a specialty shop you drove a little out of your way to visit. There's a bottle sitting on the shelf with dark, serious-look

Let me set the scene. You're standing in the liquor aisle, maybe it's a Friday evening, and you're doing that thing where your eyes scan past the bottom shelf almost on instinct. You drift toward the stuff with the fancy labels — the wax-dipped bottles, the limited releases, the ones your buddy kee

Cigar Blend Whiskey: Zero Tobacco, All FlavorCigar Blend Whiskey: Zero Tobacco, All Flavor If you picked up a bottle labeled "Cigar Blend Bourbon" and your first thought was wait, does this actually taste like a cigar? — you're not alone. The name throws almost everybody off the first time they

Stir or Shake? The Whiskey Truth Bartenders Know You're sitting at a decent bar, maybe a whiskey bar in Nashville or a classic joint in Chicago, and you watch the bartender go to work. One drink gets a slow, graceful stir in a mixing glass. The next one gets tossed into a shaker and rattled around

A few years back, I picked up a bottle of a mid-shelf bourbon I'd been eyeing for a while. It was the kind of bottle you tell yourself you're saving for a special occasion — but then the special occasion never quite comes, and life moves on. I had it tucked away in my home bar setup, laid on its si

Blend vs. Blended Malt: Are You Drinking What You Think? Let's be honest. You've been standing in the whiskey aisle, bottle in hand, staring at the label like it owes you something. It says "blended malt." The one next to it just says "blended." They're both Scotch. They're around the same price.