the Whisky Friends

We crack open another rye whiskey, this one from Rossville Union. Their website describes them, "It began in 1847 with a bold, satisfying taste that would make Indiana the rye capital of the world. For nearly 200 years, Lawrenceburg's master distillers and blenders have been perfecting the original  handcrafted rye blends in one of America's last Prohibition-era distilleries." Find out what w...

We've talked about how blending bourbon has helped bring to life a whole new segment in the bourbon industry, and Penelope has been one of those making their mark in that world. We had an opportunity to sample their barrel-strength version, and we talk about impressions during the podcast.  Penelope describes their barrel-strength blending as "Each batch is blended from three bourbon mas...

Pikesville Rye is something we don't always find so easy here in Iowa, and the Whisky Friends found one, and we opened it up at our table to give this Heaven Hill juice a taste. Heaven Hill says on its website, "The brand reemerged after Prohibition and became the last standing  Maryland Rye, as the rest of the industry's production had ceased. Now  produced in Kentucky from extra-aged b...

Michael brought us a taste from the Carolinas, and we were happy to try something new and different. We love trying out new whiskey from regional and micro distillers. John A.P. Conoley's website describes how they came to be, "This American-made, bourbon whiskey is named in honor of John A.P.  Conoley (John Alexander Patterson Conoley). The whiskey’s journey began  when John’s father-in...

The art of blending whiskey and bourbon is an art form on its own, and Pinhook has been making some exceptional blends. The Verticle Series from Pinhook is an interesting concept. Pinhook describes how the Verticle Series is handled. "The Bourbon Vertical Series is a unique opportunity to follow a group of  1,350 MGP bourbon barrels as they age from four to twelve years, and experience the ar...

Elijah Craig Bourbon is a common staple behind most bars and is found in many homes. The story of how Elijah Craig bourbon was first made is interesting and worth a read. The single barrels offer a unique take on their already delicious bourbon. What will we think as a group of this pick by Jacobs Liquor Exchange? Learn more about Elijah Craig Single Barrels online at - https://elijahcraig.com/bar...

Marksman Kentucky Straight Bourbon shouldn't have been a surprise to us, as it's made by Sazerac at their Glenmore Distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky. This 80-proof is said to be aged 5 years, and the online reviews and fairly positive for this pricepoint. What will we think of this what might be considered a bottom-shelf whiskey? No matter what, I know we had fun. What can go wrong for under 25 bo...

Many of us started our whiskey journey by sneaking a sip of grandpa's Old No. 7 black-label bottle of Jack Daniels. The distiller has a long and storied history and a process that helps make their whiskey stand out. From the Jack Daniels website describing the Jamaican Allspice, "it's only natural that we search the world to discover new and rare woods to complement its character. Tennessee Taster...

So we are tasting wheated bourbon from the oldest distillery around, Buffalo Trace. These bottles are made available yearly after Passover. This wheat recipe is produced in partnership with the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc), and is made with the same new make that goes into the W.L. Weller Bourbons. The juice is then aged in specifically designated Kosher barrels to satisfy Passover rules. "Aft...

We've had Cooper's Craft products in the past, but none of us remember their 100-proof Barrel Reserve edition, so we break the seal on a new bottle and give it our impressions. From the distillery website, "Coopers' Craft Barrel Reserve is born from our one-of-a-kind, chiseled and charred American White Oak barrel. This expression is a bold and  complex Kentucky bourbon bottled at 100 proof."...

Our Scotch-drinking friend Henry brought a treat for us, an offering from Springbank Distillery, Hazelburn 9-year Barolo Cask. From the distiller's website, "Our Hazelburn range takes its name from one of Campbeltown’s lost distilleries and was first produced at  Springbank Distillery in 1997. Making full use of all three stills, this range is triple distilled and unpeated resulting in a spir...

We tear the plastic off and break the seal on a bottle of 1792 Bottled and Bond store pick, and give our impressions of this 100-proof, 4-year bottle. According to the 1792 website, their tasting notes are, True to its heritage, the unmistakable spice of 1792 Bourbon is met with notes of charred oak and fresh mint. Subtle caramel apple tones are delicately balanced with the lingering essence of co...

Do we still love Scotch, as it's been a few episodes since we've tasted some? We crack a bottle of Laphroaig Select and give our thoughts on where our tastebuds are leading us this evening. Laphroaig describes on their website how they craft this bottle. "Our master distiller carefully draws whisky matured the historic way in Oloroso sherry butts, Pedro Ximinez seasoned hogsheads, and first-fill b...

We love trying regional whiskey offerings, like the one from Watershed Distillery. These folks work hard to bring some of the most unique whiskey, bourbons, and other spirits to the market. Watershed Distiller claims to have Ohio's number one bourbon, and do we agree with that assesment. Our very own Michael is a native of the Buckeye State, and he chimes in on this apple brandy-finished juice. Th...

The Japanese love American whiskey and have several labels like Blantons that they own. In this case, Beam Suntory owns this distillery. We like many of Beam's products, but will we like this offering from Japan? Beam Suntory describes Toki as, "Silky with a subtle sweet and spicy finish." I'm not really sure that was our take on this whiskey, but have a listen and see what the group thinks of thi...

On the table is a new barrel-proof bourbon from Larceny, their B521 offering. We're going to try this wheated bourbon made by Heaven Hill which is named after John E. Fitzgerald, who as legend tells it, built his own distillery along the banks of the Kentucky River and was sold to exclusive customers. Later on, Stizel-Weller is said to have named one of their premium offerings Old Fitzgerald in ho...

I was in Nebraska on the way to Colorado, and as the evening set in, it was time to call it an evening. Before settling in, I needed to find a Nebraska distillate to sip for the evening and ran across Coopers Chase at a local box mart. Did I mention I got attacked by a bat while in North Platte while sipping this whiskey? There might be some sort of animal attraction to this juice. Coopers Chase d...

In this episode, we sample Ardbeg Uigeadail, and we'll see if it meets our Scotch standards. This table has got its bourbon lovers, or snobs, and those others who enjoy a dram from across the pond. Today, most of our table are individuals who enjoy the flavors that are Scotch. If you are wondering how to pronounce the name of this whisky, Ardbeg helps us American's out a bit. "Pronounced ‘Oog-a-da...

We have a treat in our glass this evening, the 2017 version of George T. Stagg. Stagg was the individual who bought the then Old Fire Copper Distillery from the legendary E.H. Taylor. He renamed the distillery in 1904 to the George T. Stagg distillery and carried that name for the next 100 years. Buffalo Trace is now the guardian of his recipe and tradition. Buffalo Trace describes it, "Uncut and...

A product all of us at the table want to enjoy. Who doesn't enjoy a version picked just for your state, let alone Iowa when the corn grows. The barrel, aged 7 to 9 years is akin to many of the other single barrel offerings from Four Roses. At least one of our friends is a fanboy of all things from the Four Roses distillery. What will he have to say about this single barrel? The product description...

On the table this evening is an offering from Balcones from the great state of Texas. The single malt gets its distinctive character from aging in the Texas heat. From the Balconies website, "A timeless style of malt whisky,  Balcones “1” Texas Single Malt breathes new life into centuries of  distilling tradition with classic techniques and ingredients adapted for  New World tastes....

We return to the table and sample a store pick from Starks, Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey.  The Colorado distillery has been putting out some very noteworthy products as of late, and we got our hands on a store pick of this juice from them and picked by Starks. According to the Old Elk website, they describe this juice, "A delicious and well-balanced wheated bourbon is something every whiske...

In this episode, we sample Dread River Rye whiskey which is finished in a sherry cask. This Montogomery, Alabama distillery has recently released its first bourbon. They also have food menu items at the distillery where you can purchase some of your favorite distillates from them. According to the website for Dread River, "We believe the only way to create special experiences is to work with calcu...

In this episode, we sample Punchers Chance bourbon. This bourbon comes with a distinctive bottle, and as of this review, is priced at around $40 for a 750ml bottle. Visiting the official Punchers Chance website, they have this to say about their bourbon. "P  uncher’s Chance Kentucky straight bourbon inspired by two great American  traditions: whiskey and fighting for what we believe in....

In this episode, we get a taste of the Fareway Blantons pick that arrived in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Fareway is a grocery store chain located in Iowa, with many locations throughout the Midwest. One might call it a barrel pick, but since Blantons are all single barrels, this one was chosen by a group for its particular profile. To learn more about Blanton's Bourbon, visit them online at -  https://w...