Videos

Open the Bottle - Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey We are certainly fans of both Wild Turkey bourbon and rye whiskeys and this is one we hadn't had yet. With only one rye whiskey recipe to make all their rye whiskey from, could it really be that…

I've decided something important. At least it is important to my whiskey drinking enjoyment. I'm going to pledge from this moment forward to only judge a whiskey by the actual whiskey and how much I like said whiskey. Not by the hype. Not by the story. Not by the appropriated…

Back to the Bottle - Cooper's Craft Barrel Reserve Bourbon Whiskey This Brown-Forman product turned out to be quite the sipper at 100 proof and around $33. There is some barrel manipulation going on in there so maybe that makes a difference in how the spirit ages or maybe Brown-Forman…

Open the Bottle - Not Whiskey - FOURSQUARE Sagacity Single Blended 12 year old rum. This is decidedly 'not whiskey' but it did come off of a still. Aged in ex-bourbon and ex-medeira wine barrels. Distilled in pot and columns stills, that where the 'single blended' comes in, this is…

Open the Bottle - Woody Creek Distillers Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel A local club pick from a local (if you live in Colorado) distillery. At 70% corn is seems that maybe there should be less corn and more wheat or malted barely as I didn't much flavor beyond the corn.…

Blind Shelfie Throwdown #3 shows once again how much fun blind tasting whiskey is even though almost everyone on the planet is so poor at doing it. Mark maintains a slim lead over Dan in a competition of no real importance other than helping us learn more about the bourbon…

Dan and Mark talk about resource considerations for whiskey consuming enthusiasts beyond just the money. Space on the shelf, what to do with the bottle of bourbon, rye, and scotch that you just don't care for, and more. They also sip on some Blanton's, Eagle Rare, and Wild Turkey Master's…

Open the Bottle - Wild Turkey Master's Keep Cornerstone Rye Whiskey The first rye whiskey to be part of the Master's Keep collection from Wild Turkey. This Kentucky straight rye whiskey carries a 9 year age statement and is comprised of 9 to 11 year barrels chosen by Eddie Russell…

Open the Bottle - George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon BTAC 2020 Release. Ok, this isn't at all practical except that Dan, just like Mark did a year ago, got lucky and was able to purchase this bottle for $100! Perhaps that is practical considering they go for upwards of…

Back to the Bottle - Copper Sky Limited Release Single Barrel is MGP whiskey chosen by our local club leader and the founder at Copper Sky Distillery. It's quite good but still nothing so memorable as to warrant an $85 price tag absent the club/charitable aspect that was part of…

Why is it that some very young whiskeys can be surprisingly tasty while other are about what we'd expect, bad? Could it be that skilled distillers know how to aim at two or three year target better than others? Is it all about fermentation? Is it luck? Maybe it's just…

Back to the Bottle - Bunnahabhain 12 year old single malt Scotch. A delicious example of a lightly peated, slightly briny single malt whisky aged in ex-sherry and ex-bourbon barrels. Beautiful!

Open the Bottle - Four Roses Small Batch Select non-chill filtered 104 proof bourbon uses 6 of Four Roses' 10 different bourbon recipes. This is a delicious straight bourbon whiskey that drinks well above it's $60-65 price tag. Frankly, it's better than highly allocated bourbons at many times its price.…

Every hobby faces the same dilemma - how do we welcome new people into our world without scaring them off before they even have a chance to figure it all out? That's what we tackle today. We were all new to whiskey at one point so how did we make…

Back to the Bottle - this Laphroaig 16 year old single malt from Islay is peated glory in its funkiest expression. The extra age in the barrel adds complexity over the standard 10 year offering from Laphroaig and on the viscosity and mouthfeel side, it falls between that and the…

It has been a while since Dan and I published a podcast episode. Why? Who knows. We've been busy with other projects but probably, the truth is closer to it just isn't as fun to produce these things remotely as it is passing bottles back and forth and sipping whiskey…

Open the Bottle - Weller Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon - the most famous wheated bourbon line in the world. Even if this is the entry level Weller bourbon, I like it and I'm grateful to have it given how scarce it has gotten in recent years. And, at $55…

Open the Bottle - Evan Williams Vintage Single Barrel Vintage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey - I don't know why I don't have one of these open all the time. The proof is moderate but the flavors are excellent and there isn't a bad note to be found. It's bourbon the…

Open the Bottle - Jim Beam Repeal Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey - it lives on the bottom shelf along with other inexpensive Beam products but this one is non-chill filtered. It makes a difference to me as this one turns out to be a decent sipper and, at 86 proof,…

Open the Bottle - Fireside Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey - from a local club private barrel pick. A surprisingly enjoyable pour considering this bourbon is only 3 years, 2 months old. There is no hiding its 127.7 proof as it is hot but it is hot with flavor so…

Can a young rye whiskey have great flavors, excellent mouth feel, and depth? It sure can. Peerless is an old brand brought back to life by a new generation and they are doing a really good job with both rye and bourbon whiskeys. It is for sure a bit pricey…

Back to the Bottle - Evan Williams Bottled In Bond Bourbon - Proof that whiskey doesn't have to be expensive to be enjoyable. This whiskey deserves our attention and more credit than it typically gets.

Open the Bottle - Penelope Four Grain Barrel Strength Straight Bourbon - 36 month old, MGP distillate that does a couple of things well. Great caramel flavor on the nose and palate and, even at 116 proof, it doesn't drink too hot. A blend of three different bourbon mashbills, it…

The Practical Still's own Dan and Mark go into battle tasting whiskey from each other's shelves, you know, if battles were comprised of two geeks drinking bourbon. This week's Blind Shelfie Throwdown certainly has some curves thrown in but who comes out on top? It doesn't really matter. Drinking whiskey…