Village Bourbon and Village Bonfire

I’d like to thank Village Garage Distillery for sending these samples with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Two bottles of Village Garage Distillery spirits—Village Bourbon and Village Bonfire—standing side by side on a weathered wooden deck railing, with lush green trees softly blurred in the background on a sunny summer day.

Sometimes, the simplest things are the best. For example, right now I am reveling in the opportunity to just sit. It’s a wonderful feeling after spending the last couple of days moving large rocks and mulch from one part of my yard to the other. The good news is that I can finally look outside and not dread the work that still needs to be done. The bad news is that my back will probably remind me of every one of those rocks and every shovelful of mulch for the next few days. But sitting? That’s the thing I’m enjoying right now.

And I don’t know about you, but the "cocktail" I enjoy most is also the simplest. It’s a special thing I like to call Bourbon in a Glass. I know, I’m a wiz at naming things. And tonight I get to look at a bourbon that is very new to me, along with a flavored bourbon made from that bourbon. The folks at Village Garage Distillery in Vermont reached out to me in May and asked if I would be interested in looking at their bourbon. Being the type of person who doesn’t live anywhere near Vermont, I said yes.

So, let’s dig into the bourbon first, as that is the basis for the flavored bourbon. The bourbon comes with a very simple mash bill: 60% corn and 40% malted rye. Two ingredients. Doesn’t get much simpler than that. And since there isn’t an age statement on this, we can assume that it is at least four years old, though it could be older. Bottled at 90 proof, it is available on their website for $49.99.

Ok, now that we have the bourbon out of the way, let’s turn our attention to Village Bonfire. This takes the bourbon above and blends it with smoked maple syrup. Village Bonfire is also bottled at 90 proof. Now, I’m going to show my biases here. I love maple syrup. I can’t say the same for whiskeys with smoke as part of the flavor profile. So I am going to be as fair as I can and tell you how I feel, but also let you know how I think you and others may like it, which in this case will be quite different.

Let’s dig in, shall we?

Village Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was sent to me at no charge by the producer for review purposes. It is available at their website for $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (mL): $3.33

Details: 45% ABV. Mash bill: 60% corn, 40% malted rye (according to an email exchange with their Associate Distiller, the label just says rye).

Nose: My initial nosing note was Cherry Coke, so it's not too surprising that it broke down into the constituent notes of cherry and cola, along with cedar and floral vanilla.

Mouth: Gentle at first, with a spice that hits within moments. Earthy and corn-forward with notes of dried grain, cinnamon, leather, and a touch of fruit and barrel char underneath.

Finish: Warm and on the shorter side of medium length. Lingering notes of cherry, cola, cinnamon, dried corn, and a little bit of earthiness/smoke.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn Smiley face denoting that I like this product.

Thoughts: I'm giving this one a "like" rating. I'd drink way too much of it around a campfire if you brought it along, but I probably wouldn't buy it for my shelf, as I'm not the biggest fan of tasting the corn itself in a bourbon. I prefer corn to be there for mouthfeel and sweetness, not flavor. But this feels like it was made for a night of rustic camping under the stars while gathered around a fire that is starting to burn low. You know that time of night when the voices start to get quieter and you are only putting one piece of wood on at a time, just so there isn't as much to put out when you finally retire to your sleeping bag. That is what this bourbon brings to mind. It's not my preferred bourbon flavor profile, but I could see myself really enjoying it in the right setting.

Village Bonfire

Purchase Info: This was sent to me at no charge by the producer for review purposes. It is available at their website for $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (mL): $2.66

Details: Village Bourbon with Vermont smoked maple syrup. 45% ABV.

Nose: There is a medicinal, almost Band-Aid-like note at first from the smoke. Under that are cherry, vanilla, maple, and brown sugar.

Mouth: The same smoke-derived medicinal note appears on the palate, but so do notes of cherry, maple, vanilla, baking spice, wintergreen, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of maple, cherry, vanilla, baking spice, oak, the smoke-derived medicinal/Band-Aid note, and wintergreen.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn neutral face denoting that I this product is not for me, but that others will probably love it..

Thoughts: First, my biases. I have never found a smoky whiskey that I've liked. I am extremely sensitive to smoke in my drinks. Peated Scotch makes me want to gag. I just don’t care for the Band-Aid, candle wax, and similar notes that peat smoke brings to a peated Scotch. I also don't care for most wood-smoke flavors in bourbon. So, that said, this has smoke notes that split the difference between peat smoke and wood smoke for me. As you can guess, those notes severely detract from the flavor for me.

That said, this is a very well-crafted flavored bourbon. The mouthfeel is thick and rich. The flavors are complex. It isn't nearly as sweet as you might expect from a bourbon with maple syrup in it. If it didn't have that smoke note—or if I were someone who enjoyed both smoky bourbon and peated Scotch—this would be getting a "love" rating. However, as it is, I have to give it a neutral rating because, while I don't care for it, I think a lot of folks without my personal smoke sensitivity will really enjoy this one. Seriously, if you enjoy smoke notes, this is one to check out.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon

I’d like to thank Ross & Squibb and their PR partners for sending this bottle with no strings attached.

Hello, friends! It’s a lovely rainy day here in Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro area, and I couldn’t be happier! You see, I have a very large outdoor job ahead of me. I need to finish my front flower beds. But today the rain decided to come in early enough that I didn’t have to do any of it. And that makes me happy. My back is still pissed off after moving all the rocks, putting the new edging in, and laying down about half the landscape fabric. It could use the day off.

Instead, I get the opportunity to write about another of the samples that have been piling up in my office. Which is not a bad problem to have, let me tell you. Tonight’s bourbon is from Ross & Squibb and is the sequel to their Remus Babe Ruth Reserve from previous years. This year they are honoring Lou Gehrig, another dominant baseball player from the early 20th century. Because he died of ALS (often known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), Remus Bourbon is also adding a couple of charitable elements to the launch.

Accompanying the launch, Remus Bourbon will donate $9,665, one dollar for each of Gehrig’s career plate appearances, to the Live Like Lou Foundation, an organization dedicated to funding research and supporting families affected by ALS. The brand will also extend the initiative to consumers through a social media campaign, donating an additional dollar for every like and comment on Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve launch content shared via Instagram (@remusbourbon), up to $2,130 in honor of Gehrig’s iconic consecutive games played streak.

But back to the bourbon. This is a blend of four MGP bourbons. The first is a bourbon distilled in 2016 with 44% rye in the mash bill (14% of the blend). Seventy percent is a bourbon distilled in 2017 with 49% rye in the mash bill. And at 8% each are a pair of bourbons distilled in 2019, one with a mash bill containing 99% corn and another with their 36% rye mash bill. The final blend is bottled at 109 proof and carries a suggested retail price of $129.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Let’s see how it tastes.

Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $129.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.67

Details: 54.5% ABV. Blend of four mash bills: 14% - 44% rye bourbon distilled in 2016, 70% - 49% rye bourbon distilled in 2017, 8% - 99% corn bourbon distilled in 2019, and 8% - 36% rye bourbon distilled in 2019.

Nose: Nutmeg, caramel, mint, and oak.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy with a nice mouthfeel. Notes of caramel, mint, cedar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of caramel, mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak.

IMAGE: a hand-drawn smiley face that denotes I like the product.

Thoughts: This is such a delicious bourbon. It's hitting all the notes I want in a bourbon: sweet, spicy, good oak, and a wonderful mouthfeel. I really, really like it. It's going on the special shelf so I don't go through it too fast. If you are one who likes to keep the bottles (like my wife) the bottle is very pretty as well.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Penelope Architects of Golf, Hole 3

I’d like to thank Penelope Bourbon and their PR partners for sending this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Close-up of a bottle of Penelope Architects of Golf, Hole 3 bourbon on a weathered wooden deck railing. The label features a stylized golf hole design and notes the bourbon is aged six years and finished with American oak staves.

Good evening, friends! It’s a holiday weekend coming up, and some of you will be out on the golf course as you celebrate your time off. As such, I thought it was thematically appropriate to feature tonight’s bourbon in anticipation of the upcoming holiday.

It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of Penelope whiskeys for about as long as they have been available. There is some top-notch blending going on there. And using MGP stocks as the basis of the blend doesn’t hurt either. In this case, they are featuring the impact of stave finishing on the blend. As the story goes, they came up with the idea for Penelope on the golf course, so they decided to honor that with the naming of this limited-edition series of three bourbons: Hole 1, Hole 2, and Hole 3. The expressions are all bottled at 94 proof, and the suggested retail price is $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

The bottle I received was Hole 3. So let’s dig in, shall we?

Penelope Architects of Golf, Hole 3

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $59.99 per 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: 47% ABV. 6 years old.

Nose: Vanilla, bubble gum, mint, caramel, and oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, mint, caramel, maple, and oak.

Finish: Medium length. Gentle at first, then blossoms after a moment. Notes of almond, cinnamon, chocolate, and oak.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn smiley face. It denotes that I like the product.

Thoughts: Soft in the mouth. It reminds me a bit of Maker's in terms of mouthfeel. Although it starts off a bit gentle, the spice builds as you sip it. Good flavors of baking spices, mint, and sweet oak-influenced notes of caramel, chocolate, and maple. Overall, I like this one a lot.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Impressions: Star Hill Farm Whisky 2026

I’d like to thank Maker’s Mark and their PR team for sending these samples with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Three still-sealed half filled sample bottles with hand written and abbreviated labels.

Hello my friends! It is time for another Bonus Post. Today is a little different than usual. Normally, even in a bonus post, you get full tasting notes, maybe an anecdote that sorta connects to the whiskey, and some info about the release. Well, as you can see above from the unopened sample bottles, Maker’s Mark didn’t really send enough for us to do a full tasting. In fact, it wasn’t even enough for one of us to do a proper tasting. Not that I’m complaining or anything. I still get the opportunity to share my impressions with you so you can see if it is worth spending the money on when compared to the two standard bourbons the company puts out. First, I’ll post the press release, and then we will get into my impressions of the Star Hill Farm Wheat Whisky as compared to Maker’s Mark and Maker’s 46.

LORETTO, Ky., April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Maker’s Mark® today announced the highly anticipated second release of Star Hill Farm Whisky, the brand’s first new mash bill and first wheat whisky in 70 years. Awarded World’s Best Wheat Whisky 2026, Star Hill Farm Whisky celebrates the role regenerative agriculture plays to create healthier soil and better flavor. The annual release will be available in Japan and Duty Free this year, as well as in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

“My grandparents built Maker’s Mark on the belief that when we invest in the land, it gives back in flavor,” said Rob Samuels, eighth-generation whisky maker and managing director of Maker’s Mark. “Star Hill Farm Whisky extends that vision by embracing ingredients sourced from regenerative agriculture. As a proud B Corp and Regenified-certified distillery, we’re helping to define leadership in sustainability for the industry, while working to make Star Hill Farm the most endearing, culturally rich and environmentally responsible homeplace in the world.”

While Maker's Mark has always used the same mash bill to create a consistent and balanced bourbon, Star Hill Farm Whisky evolves each year, revealing how nature impacts flavor. The inaugural release spotlighted soft red winter wheat—the signature grain in Maker’s Mark’s mash bill. The 2026 release introduces hard red and hard white wheat types, demonstrating how grain diversity translates into greater depth of flavor through distillation, maturation and expert blending.

Star Hill Farm 2026 is crafted from two mash bills: one composed entirely of malted wheat, and another of 70% wheat and 30% malted barley. The final blend—27% wheat, 62% malted wheat and 11% malted barley—delivers a darker, more layered aromatic profile, with a rounder structure and amplified fruit notes compared to that of 2025.

“The first release of Star Hill Farm Whisky was bright, approachable and straightforward; this year we’ve dialed up the complexity,” said Dr. Blake Layfield, master distiller at Maker’s Mark. “The 2026 release is a balanced blend of seven and eight-year whiskies bottled at cask strength, evolving from first sip to finish. It opens with aromas of molasses, fig and delicate baking spices, followed by notes of zesty citrus, ripe pear and buttery shortbread, and lingers with a soft cinnamon finish.”

In 2025, Star Hill Farm Whisky became the first to earn Estate Whiskey certification—a designation Star Hill Farm Whisky 2026 will carry from the Estate Whiskey Alliance® (EWA), established by the University of Kentucky to highlight local sourcing and sustainable production, and recognize whiskey produced entirely on the distillery estate, using grains grown on estate-owned or controlled land.

Star Hill Farm Whisky expanded Maker's Mark’s ambition to advance regenerative agriculture with last year’s launch of the Maker’s Mark Regenerative Alliance, whose mission is to foster healthier farm ecosystems through education and hands-on support—already helping convert 58,000 acres of conventional farmland to certified regenerative practices. Extending its impact to consumers, the Alliance invites farms, bars and restaurants to adopt regenerative sourcing and operations, and to bring the story to life through menu storytelling and consumer engagement, with more than 14 partners already signed on.

Bottled at 58.2% ABV (116.4 proof), Star Hill Farm Whisky 2026 will be available for a suggested retail price of $100 USD. In the United States, the limited release will be available at select retailers nationwide and at the Maker’s Mark Distillery with a bookable experience that includes a guided tour of Star Hill Farm paired with cocktails highlighting flavor from nature.

For more information, visit www.starhillfarm.com or www.makersmark.com.

###

Star Hill Farm Whisky 2026

Purchase Info: This sample was sent at no cost for review purposes. The suggest retail price is $100 per 700 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $7.14

Details: 27% wheat, 62% malted wheat and 11% malted barley. 58.2% ABV.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn neutral face. IT denotes that I don’t like it, but it isn’t objectively bad. It’s just kinda meh.

Impressions and Comparisons: The nose is a bit nuttier than either of the two bourbons. As it is a higher proof, it is showing a bit more alcohol as well. My first sip was a bit astringent, but that faded after a couple of minutes. You can see what corn brings to the table while doing the side-by-side. The 2026 wheat whisky has a thinner mouthfeel and less sweetness than the bourbons, even though it is a higher proof. The proof bump does give it a hotter mouth. At the end, I’ll see if I have enough to try it with a little water. It’s very dry when compared to either of the Maker’s Mark bourbons, almost mouth drying in its dryness. Honestly, with as big of a fan as I am of standard Maker’s Mark, I kinda wanted a little more from this. It is very interesting, but really isn’t aligning with my palate at least not neat. A little water does bring down the heat level and allows more of the flavors of the mouth to come through. There is a little more sweetness and some mint. But it is still quite nutty. I like it a lot better with a little water, but I’m still going to give this one a neutral rating. It’s interesting and it isn’t like I want to spit it out, but I probably wouldn’t drink it for pleasure either. Not sure I can recommend this one unless you are a whiskey geek like I am and want to taste a different whiskey with some of the same DNA as Maker’s Mark without it being bourbon and don’t mind spending over seven dollars per pour to do so.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Taking time off

Hey folks, I just wanted to let everyone know that we had a death in the family this past weekend and am taking the week off to grieve and get my mind in order. Regular posts return next week. Thank you for your understanding.

Eric

Koopers Family Barrel Reserve Rye

I’d like to thank the Texas Whiskey Festival, Koopers Whiskey, and their PR partners for providing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Bottle of Kooper Family Barrel Reserve Rye whiskey standing on a weathered wooden deck railing. The white label features a leopard illustration, with a green, leafy backyard softly blurred in the background.

Bonus post time again! We’ll probably be having these for a while as I work through a massive sample backlog. Tonight’s is another winner from the Texas Whiskey Festival, this time the winner of the Rye — Must-Try Bottles category.

Koopers Family Barrel Reserve Rye is a mixture of four- and seven-year-old rye whiskeys that are then put into used bourbon barrels for finishing. Before bottling, toasted oak staves are added to those barrels as a final step. It is bottled at barrel proof and is available on the Koopers Whiskey website for $65 per bottle.

Let’s see how it tastes.

Koopers Family Barrel Reserve Rye

Purchase Info: This sample was provided at no charge for review purposes. It is available on the Kooper's Whiskey website for $65 per bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Nose: Sweet berries, mint, vanilla, cedar, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy, with notes of cedar, mint, cinnamon, and vanilla sugar.

Finish: Warm and of medium length. Notes of cinnamon, cedar, caramel, and mint.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn smiley face indicating that I like this one.

Thoughts: Long-time readers will know that my wife, and tasting partner, is not a fan of rye whiskey outside of a cocktail. The first words out of her mouth with this were, "Oh, I like this!" So honestly, that sums things up. This is a delicious rye. It is dangerously drinkable neat. Normally, when you get over 110 proof, you're going to want a bit of dilution, but this doesn't need it. In fact, a splash of water actually makes it less enjoyable. All in all, I have to agree with my wife. I really like this one. It’s a delicious rye and well worth the splurge if you’re in the market.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.