*A sincere thanks to AP & Sazerac for the sample. Ah, bourbon lore! Sometimes it's difficult to ascertain whether bourbon's history and its key players are actual, factual occurrences on a timeline, or just juicy, apocryphal stuff exploited by marketers to sell more booze. Did Elijah Craig really invent bourbon? (No.) Was there actually a … Continue reading Zackariah Harris Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Review
Bourbon
Kentucky Tavern Straight Kentucky Bourbon – Review
*A sincere thanks to AP & Sazerac for the sample. After scouring the inter-webs for some historical/hysterical background on Kentucky Tavern, I found out that there was indeed a tavern in Louisville called the Kentucky Tavern. That doesn't strike me as the most unique name in the world, but I suppose if you woke up … Continue reading Kentucky Tavern Straight Kentucky Bourbon – Review
Stagg Jr., Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Review
If you're not new to the world of whisky, then the George T. Stagg release from Buffalo Trace's yearly antique collection needs no introduction. You already know you want a bottle and you already know that it will be damn hard to get one, especially these days when there is a segment of the whisky … Continue reading Stagg Jr., Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Review
New Release: Stagg Jr. from Buffalo Trace
The Casks is not necessarily in the business of posting every press release that floats across my expansive oaken desk, but on the rare occasion when something tickles my fancy and I actually have a spare moment, I like to throw out exciting tidbits such as the news about this new release from Buffalo Trace. … Continue reading New Release: Stagg Jr. from Buffalo Trace
1792 Ridgemont Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Review
*A sincere thanks to AP & Sazerac for the sample. The year 1792 was a fairly notable one in French history. France declared war against Austria and the Prussians declared war against France. Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle wrote La Marseillaise in Strasbourg, while Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin advocated for a more humane form of capital punishment and ended up forever … Continue reading 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Review
Jim Beam Black – Review
(I have to give acknowledge and give a proper word of thanks to the main source of info for this post, Chuck Cowdery's book Bourbon, Straight) Tracing the Beam family's influence on American whiskey-making is a bit like those sections of the bible that ramble on for pages telling you that so-and-so begat so-and-so, and so-and-so … Continue reading Jim Beam Black – Review
Robert Parker enters the Whisky World…
True to form, I missed the window on this by a day or so, but that's never stopped me before so what the hell. Last week, the news slowly seeped out that the wine world's high priest, Robert Parker had posted a bunch of bourbon reviews on his paid-members-only website. Earlier this week, the ruggedly … Continue reading Robert Parker enters the Whisky World…
E. H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon – Review
*A sincere thanks to AP from Buffalo Trace for the sample. As an American whiskey drinker, you've doubtless come across the term "Bottled in Bond", perhaps you've given some thought to what that means...or perhaps not. Today, the term carries far much less weight than it did in 1897 when the "Bottled-In-Bond" act was passed. … Continue reading E. H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon – Review
W.L. Weller 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Review
William LaRue Weller's story is perhaps a somewhat typical one of successful men and women of the American 1800's. There's war, there's tragedy, there's family, there's dogged perseverance, and there's whiskey. Weller was pretty much born into bourbon making. His grandfather, Daniel, was operating a distillery close to Bardstown, KY as early as 1800. His … Continue reading W.L. Weller 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Review
St. George Spirits Breaking & Entering Bourbon – Review
The Casks has left San Francisco and moved to Minneapolis and wouldn't you know it, early October, there's snow in the forecast. So with no small amount of wistfulness, I thought it appropriate for the first review from the new locale to be from one of my favorites from the old locale, St. George Spirits … Continue reading St. George Spirits Breaking & Entering Bourbon – Review