Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, Fall 2025

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill and their entire PR team for providing this sample with no strings attached.

Merry Christmas my friends! I hope that the season is treating you better than it is the whiskey companies. Jim Beam isn’t the first, and sadly, based on things I’ve been noticing behind the scenes for the last year or so, I’m not sure they will be the last to make tough decisions in the near future. Maybe not as drastic as multi-national coporations pausing some operations, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see different product positioning, increased ad buys, and sadly the closure of even more small distilleries as companies try to combat falling demand. I mean, their senator already got the national “soft legalization” of THC repealed earlier this fall. Was it because the competition was hurting bourbon companies in the younger market? That wasn’t the stated reason, but the rumors behind the scenes are that it didn’t help the matter.

My opinion as to the main item that jump-started the “bourbon boom” a couple of decades ago was the low price of the product compared to its high quality. There were other factors to be sure, but at the end of the day if that wasn’t there, the rest may not have followed. These days, while there are still low-priced offerings, they’ve gotten comparatively worse over the last decade and a half as companies started diverting their best barrels from standard products to the single barrel and “ultra-premium” releases that they can charge much more for. So if consumers—especially younger consumers who could become customers for life—are spending their money on fewer of the “better,” higher-cost bottles, they necessarily can’t also buy large volumes of the low-cost bottles that are the bread and butter of most big distilleries. Toss in an uncertain economy and the current state of international politics, and that’s a recipe for hard decisions.

But that’s not why we’re here, is it? We’re here to discuss the latest release from Heaven Hill. One that, sadly, is more known for the fancy bottle it comes in than for the juice inside. And to be fair, it is a beautiful bottle. Even my wife, the accountant, wants one more for the bottle than for the bourbon—and she’s been the silent tasting partner for all of the last 13 years of posts. Even the press release dedicates about two-thirds of its text to the bottle rather than the whiskey. I get it: they aren’t just sending this to geeks like us, but also to lifestyle publications and the like. They’re relying on whiskey fans like you and me to tell people whether the juice is actually worth drinking. So before I get into my thoughts, let’s let the company have their say:

Bottled in an ornate decanter, the fall edition bares (sic) a black label, consistent across each of the brand's fall releases. This edition's tax strip, which has always been a signature of transparency on bottled-in-bond products, will disclose when the liquid was produced and bottled. The Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series Fall 2025 edition will be available in the 750ml size on an allocated basis. It meets the strict requirements of a bottled-in-bond: the product of a single distillery from a single distilling season, aged a minimum of four years, and bottled at 100 proof or 50% alcohol by volume. The edition is available at a suggested retail price of $159.99.

Ok, now that they’ve had a chance to speak, let’s dig in, shall we?

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond — Fall 2025

Purchase Info: This sample bottle was sent at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $159.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $10.67

Details: 50% ABV. 11 years old.

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, cherry, nutmeg, oak.

Mouth: Warm and spicy with notes of cinnamon, oak, vanilla, caramel, nutmeg, and a hint of cherry.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and then cherry after the others fade a bit.

Thoughts: Another solid release from Heaven Hill. It’s very cinnamon-forward, which I like. For me, the oak is almost too much, though my wife claims I’m imagining that part. That said, she likes more oak than I do, so take that how you will. The cherry notes are a nice complement to the cinnamon. I like it.

Would I like it enough to spend $160 on it if it weren’t in a pretty bottle? Absolutely not. This is a solid “good, not great” release. That said, I also know my wife covets the bottle—mostly because she already owns one of the antique decanters the current bottles are based on. So if I saw one, it would likely come home with me for that reason, not for the bourbon inside. Which, as I said, is solid, but not amazing.

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Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, 2nd Edition

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample with no strings attached.

Friends, I am on vacation. If everything is going well, I’m in northern California, possibly in the RV I rented, enjoying either a glass of wine, a bit of bourbon, or maybe—just maybe—a little bit of the devil’s lettuce. Hard to tell what I’ll be in the mood for by that point. Because, as you might have guessed, I am writing to you from the deep past…oooohhhh…I’m a spooky ghost…

Or something like that.

So, we’ve covered the other two variations of this release. Heaven Hill was nice enough to send over the Rye initially, then I bought the Bourbon (and another bottle of the Rye). Now they were kind enough to send me the final of the three. This one is a wheated bourbon. Since we’ve already talked about this series twice before, I’ll just skip to what the press release says:

The 2025 edition features a mashbill with a higher secondary grain content than Heaven Hill's traditional Wheated Bourbon mashbill: 35% wheat, 52% corn, and 13% malted barley. The selected corn varietal—Beck's 6225, along with the mashbill's wheat component are grown by family-owned Peterson Farms on one of two sites in Nelson County, reflects the distillery's dedication to sourcing local, carefully chosen grain. Aged over six years at Heaven Hill's Cox's Creek rickhouse site, the whiskey is non-chill filtered and bottled at barrel proof, 106.6 proof (53.3% ABV).

Ok. Let’s see how it tastes:

Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, 2nd Edition

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $99.99 for a 700 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 ml): $7.14

Details: Mash bill: 35% wheat, 52% corn, and 13% malted barley. Corn varietal: Beck's 6225. Bottled at 53.3% ABV. Distilled in 2018. Six years old.

Nose: Cinnamon candy, floral vanilla, caramel, and oak.

Mouth: Nutty with notes of cinnamon spice, caramel, vanilla, and oak.

Finish: Warm and medium to long with lingering notes of nutty chocolate, oak, and baking spices.

Thoughts: This is just as delicious as the other two. It’s warm and spicy with a terrific nutty note throughout. I’m a big fan. That said, if I were buying and had to choose between this and the “ryed” bourbon, I’d go for the ryed bourbon—I prefer the spicier flavor over the nuttiness of the wheat. Out of the three, the rye whiskey was my favorite. But they’re all delicious, and this one is no exception.

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Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Rye Whiskey, 2nd Edition

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample with no strings attached.

Five point four inches of rain fell into my rain gauge last night. In twelve hours! That’s right, I’m the kind of old guy who now has a rain gauge. It’s handy for knowing whether I need to water the new tree in my front yard, but honestly, it’s also just satisfying to see how much that so-called “heavy” rain actually amounted to. You know, typical old guy stuff. Though I think this is still within the limits of acceptable behavior for an almost 50-year-old, but if my yard starts looking like a scientific outpost before I hit 68, someone step in, okay?

Anyway, as I wait for the waters to subside in my backyard, we might as well talk about whiskey. And tonight’s whiskey is a doozy. I’m just going to come right out and say that I was debating the rating of this one right up until I started typing.

See, tonight’s whiskey is the Second Edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, a limited release for 2025. This rye is made from a mashbill of 63% rye, 24% corn, and 13% malted barley. And they’re quick to point out that this is a higher rye content than Heaven Hill’s traditional rye whiskey. The corn used was Beck’s Hybrids 6225, sourced from Peterson Farms in Nelson County, Kentucky. The whiskey was distilled in 2018, entered the barrel at 107 proof, and was aged for over six years at Heaven Hill’s Cox’s Creek rickhouse. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at barrel proof, 105.2 proof (52.6% ABV).

Here is what the company has to say about the release:

“With this second edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye, we’re proud to showcase not only the art of rye whiskey making but the full story behind every drop—from seed to barrel to bottle,” said Conor O’Driscoll, Master Distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery. “The unique mashbill and higher rye content bring a bold complexity, while the transparency we provide—from the corn varietal to the barrel entry proof—gives whiskey lovers an authentic connection to the process. This is a rye whiskey that speaks to our team’s dedication to precision and passion for innovation.”

Let’s dig in, shall we?

Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Rye Whiskey, 2nd Edition

Purchase Info: This sample was sent at no charge by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $99.99 for a 700 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $7.14

Details: Mash bill: 63% rye, 20% corn, 13% malt. Corn varietal: Beck's 6225. Barrelled at 107 proof. Bottled at 52.6% ABV. Distilled in 2018. Six years old.

Nose: Oak, almond, black tea, and orange zest.

Mouth: Oak, cinnamon, black tea, orange zest

Finish: Warm and on the lounger side of medium length. Notes of black tea, orange zest, a hint of peppermint, oak, and vanilla.

Thoughts: Halfway through the tasting, I checked to see if any of the local liquor store websites had this listed as "In Stock." There is one, and I’ll be picking it up if it remains there. (Notice I’m not saying where that is…)

This is a very, very good rye whiskey. It has enough sweetness to accent all the lovely flavors, but not so much that it overpowers them. I’m really digging the notes of black tea and orange zest. As far as I’m concerned, this is my favorite rye that I’ve had in a very long time. I don’t love the price, but if you can swing it, this is a worthwhile splurge. It is very interesting in the best way possible.

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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.

Elijah Craig Barrel Select

If the trip to Tennessee and Kentucky was less than successful on the “testing out a tiny camper” front, it was very successful on the “shopping for whiskey” front. I mostly picked up barrel picks from distilleries and stores. They do seem to have a higher hit rate on delicious barrel picks. I’m guessing that is easier when you're that close to the source—especially when they are the source, in the case of distillery gift shops. However, I did grab a few things, such as the bottle pictured above, to save for blog posts too.

The subject of tonight’s bonus post was purchased at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience. It’s an eight-year-old Elijah Craig bottled at 125 proof. And boy, do I wish that was the main reason I bought it. Because yes, the tasty bourbon inside was certainly a factor—but come on, that little guy is super cute. There was no way I was walking out of the gift shop without that tiny little barrel of bourbon.

Hey, I’ve been earning a living as a designer for over two decades now. Cool packaging is a weakness of mine.

This is a distillery exclusive, although in Kentucky, there's a law requiring retailers to be able to sell those exclusives as well—so you might find it here and there at retail, too. The cost was $29.99 for a 200 mL bottle. So, not the most affordable per drink. But I was on vacation, and whiskey is my favorite souvenir, so I was happy to spend that on something I couldn’t get at home. Plus, the small bottle size means that even people on a budget can enjoy it if they’re willing to give up a little quantity to do so.

Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Elijah Craig Barrel Select

Purchase Info: $29.99 for a 200 mL bottle at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, Bardtown, KY.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $7.50

Details: 8 years old, 62.5% ABV.

Nose: Graham crackers, strong cinnamon candies, honey, and oak

Mouth: Nutty with honey, vanilla, cinnamon candies, and a touch of oak.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium length. Notes of honey, spearmint, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: This is a like rating so close to a love rating it isn’t even funny. It is so good! I should have bought two. That nutty note—at times reminiscent of graham crackers—really makes this shine. I adore this one. Methinks it’ll be enjoyed an ounce at a time to make it last.

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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.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, B525

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample with no strings attached.

Headed off to the dentist in a little bit to get a tiny cavity filled before it turns into something worse. I’m assuming my face will be numb and I’ll be miserable afterward, so I’m trying to get this out before I need to leave. And there isn’t much time left, so let’s make this one short.

We’ve covered these releases many times before, so I think most of us already know what’s going on with them. But if you’re new, here’s the short, short version: Elijah Craig used to be a 12-year-old product. Just before it transitioned to a non-age-stated (NAS) version, a companion “Barrel Proof” offering was released. That product stayed 12 years old even after the NAS transition and became a three-times-yearly release. A few cycles ago, they dropped the 12-year age statement as a standard and now just list how old each particular batch is. Most have been right around 12 years, though at least one has been older. The batch code helps you track it: the letter (A, B, or C) tells you if the bottle in your hands is from the first, second, or third release of the year. The first number is the month of release, and the last two digits are the year.

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s dig in and see if it’s any good.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, B525

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $74.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.00

Details: 63.1% ABV. 11 years, 6 months old

Nose: Pretty typical Heaven Hill profile: vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, and oak.

Mouth: Hot and sweet with notes of cinnamon, wintergreen, vanilla, honey, and oak.

Finish: Medium length and warm with notes of honey, cinnamon, and oak.

Thoughts: I like the nose on this one. It smells like bourbon—like, if you were making a “bourbon-scented” item, this would be your template. The mouth is as warm as you'd expect at over 120 proof. Nice heat and sweetness. I’m digging the honey notes on both the palate and the finish, and the mouthfeel reinforces that with a thick, rich texture. This is quite good. I really like it.

Oh, and since I was whining about the price of the last Heaven Hill product I covered, I should mention that this one continues to be much more reasonably priced compared to Old Fitz Bonded. It’s only about $6.50 per year of age. Fair is fair, and I don’t want to be called a hypocrite for calling out high pricing without acknowledging the opposite.

Comparison to last time: A125 is much less cinnamon-forward than B525. The mouth on A125 is sweeter and oakier. As always, both of these are very tasty—but B525 has a little extra oomph that puts it over the top for us.

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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.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series Spring 2025

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample with no strings attached.

Hello friends! I’m back! Hopefully, you noticed that I was away last week…

Anyway. I was in a very tiny RV, driving to and from Knoxville, TN. Now you may ask: Why Knoxville? There are so many other places in the country to drive a tiny RV to. Why would you not choose (insert your favorite place to drive a tiny RV here)?

Well, the answer to that is basically a giant shrug. I have no idea why we decided on Knoxville proper. We have our usual birthday/anniversary trip planned for September and wanted to test out our probable method of transportation. We had the idea that it would be fun to take a September trip to Northern California in a drivable RV. My wife has always had the fantasy that she’d enjoy the smallest vans made. You know—the super small kind that fits into a parking spot with little trouble. Something cute.

The issue with that is… they’re also super small on the inside. I found that out when I needed to pee, couldn’t actually fit in the toilet area (vertically at all or horizontally comfortably), and had to stand in the “kitchen/hallway” and just aim at the toilet to relieve myself. (I happen to be a very good aim, having had almost 50 years of practice.) Toss in assorted tripping and stumbling hazards and we realized that, if nothing else, the layout was just shit. But also that we really could use a bit more space—and a “lounging area” that wasn’t just the driver’s and passenger’s seats flipped around. After driving all day, those were the last seats we wanted to be in while trying to relax.

Now, as to why Knoxville? First off, there are a couple of National Park Units there. One of them is the second of three units in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. We visited Los Alamos around this time last year, so picking up the second of three interlocking passport stamps felt like a fun goal. But more importantly, this was a trial run that allowed me to test the various ways we plan to spend our overnights during the September trip. We tried Harvest Hosts, campgrounds, and hotels—just to see how Mr. Tiny would handle itself (that’s what I referred to the RV as in my head, don’t get any weird ideas just because I mentioned peeing earlier). And best of all, if something did go wrong (which it did), we were in a populated area—or at least more populated than Wyoming or the Nevada desert.

But the best part of going to Tennessee? We passed through Kentucky twice and had many opportunities to spend almost as much on bourbon as I did on the RV. We’ll probably have a lot of bonus posts this summer to go through the things I picked up. But for now, let’s get on to tonight’s bourbon—which I did not get while away.

Tonight’s bourbon is the latest release in Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series—this one being the Spring 2025 release. As always, this release uses the Heaven Hill wheated bourbon mashbill and meets the requirements to be labeled bottled-in-bond. It is nine years old and bottled at 100 proof.

Old Fitzgerald has a long history. It was the flagship product of the Old Stitzel-Weller distillery (of Pappy Van Winkle fame). After being purchased by Heaven Hill, it eventually slid down the ranks of prestige, having qualified for more than one Bottom-Shelf Bracket back when we adhered to strict pricing rules for that series. A few years ago, though, the bottled-in-bond version was relaunched as a prestige offering. The average price was about $10 per year of age—a big jump from the twenty-something dollars per bottle it had previously carried. These days, the price has increased even more to about $14 per year of age, which is quite the jump.

Disappointing as a frugal person, but not unexpected for someone who follows the bourbon industry. Anyway, let’s dig in and see if this is worth the price.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Spring 2025

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $129.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.67

Details: 50% ABV, 9 years old.

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, spearmint, and oak.

Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, leather, and oak.

Finish: Medium in both length and warmth. Notes of cacao nibs, vanilla, cinnamon, oak, and just a hint of spearmint.

Thoughts: Though I am not a fan of Heaven Hill deviating from their prior pricing plan of the MSRP being $10 per year aged, if you’re the sort of person willing to pay $130 for a bottle of bourbon, you won’t be disappointed in paying that for this one. If anything could be said to be worth that price, this would be. I’ve had far worse bourbon for more money. Because this is absolutely delicious—it’s rich and thick, and the oak-derived notes of leather and cacao are probably my favorite part of this one. Big fan.

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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.

12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1: Larceny vs Maker’s Mark

Welcome to the third matchup of Round One for the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Brackets. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. Tonight, Division 2’s Number 3 seed, Maker’s Mark, takes on Number 2 seed, Larceny Bourbon.

Maker’s Mark is possibly the most famous bottle of bourbon there is. It is available everywhere. The look is iconic and has remained relatively unchanged for over 60 years. It is distilled at the beautiful Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY. Honestly, if you haven’t visited, add it to your bucket list. It is the second of the three wheated bourbons in the competition. This bottle was purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel in Prior Lake, MN, for $24.97 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.66 per pour, making it the most expensive bourbon in the competition.

Their opponent is the last wheated bourbon in the competition. That’s right—it’s a wheated-on-wheated matchup. Larceny Bourbon is produced by Heaven Hill out of Bardstown, KY. This bottle was purchased at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN, for $22.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.53 per pour.

All of the competitions this year were tasted blind, and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all recorded before we knew which bourbon was which. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were tasted side by side and will have influenced the perception of one another.

Lumpy Telescope (Maker’s Mark)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.66

Details: 45% ABV

Nose: Stone fruit, dusty oak, and a touch of caramel

Mouth: Sweet and fruity, with notes of stone fruit and caramel

Finish: Medium length with sweet, fruity, and cinnamon notes

Soggy Parrot (Larceny)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.53

Details: 46% ABV

Nose: Muted. Can't pick up much beyond light caramel, vanilla, and oak

Mouth: Oak, toasted nuts

Finish: Gentle with a nice bitterness

Thoughts:

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: f these were matched against other opponents, they might have both advanced. However, I have a bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to bourbon. For that reason, Lumpy Telescope advances.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: No surprises here. I’ve long said that Maker’s Mark is my favorite wheated bourbon. Plus, it is the highest-priced product in the contest. If it is worth the price being asked, it should win, especially if the proof and age difference are negligible.

Winner: Maker’s Mark is advancing to round 2.

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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.

12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: The “Man, It’s Getting Hard to Find Things Under $25” Edition

You know what time it is! The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has already started, which means everyone is in Bracket Mode. It really is a wonderful time of year. Up here in the northernmost state in the contiguous U.S., the snow is still trying to fall, though the end is in sight. Gardeners have started their seeds, there are days when the windows can be opened, and, of course, there are brackets to be filled out—and busted.

No, not those silly basketball or hockey brackets. We’re talking Bourbon Brackets. And let me tell you, this really is my favorite time of year. In fact, I enjoy it so much that whenever I decide to hang up the ol’ keyboard, I already know what my last series of posts will be: brackets. But don’t worry—that’s a ways off yet. I’d like to make it to at least 15 years of publishing first.

And let me tell you, this year’s competition is a good one. Of the seven major bourbon producers that existed when I started this site (Beam/Maker’s, Buffalo Trace/Barton, MGP (now including Lux Row), Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and Brown-Forman), five are represented this year. The other two have been featured often enough that I used their spots for some newer faces.

The Selection Rules

This year’s selection process was simple:

• The bourbon had to be in a 750 mL bottle

• It had to cost under $25

That’s it!

For seeding, I sorted by proof first, followed by stated age (if applicable), and then used price as the final tiebreaker. Here’s what that got us:

Division 1

• Seed 1: Benchmark Bonded

  • A reader suggestion from last year. It's not available in Minnesota (that I’ve seen), so I grabbed it at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago for $19.99 back in September of 2024. 100 proof.

  • Nonsense name: Baffled Toaster

• Seed 2: Rebel 100

  • The first of three wheated bourbons in the competition—and the cheapest of the three 100-proof bottles.

  • Purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel (Prior Lake, MN) for $17.09.

  • Nonsense name: Grumpy Cloud

• Seed 3: Jim Beam Black

  • The newly age-stated 7-year-old version, bottled at 90 proof.

  • Purchased at Total Wine (Burnsville, MN) for $20.99.

  • Nonsense name: Wobbly Cactus

• Seed 4: Old Bardstown

  • The only true craft whiskey in the contest, distilled by Willett in Bardstown, KY, and bottled at 90 proof.

  • Purchased at South Lyndale Liquor (Minneapolis, MN) for $21.99.

  • Nonsense name: Rusty Marshmallow

Division 2

• Seed 1: Jeppson’s 100 Proof

  • A sourced bourbon from the folks in Chicago who make Malört.

  • Purchased at South Lyndale Liquor (Minneapolis, MN) for $19.99.

  • Nonsense name: Gleaming Pancake

• Seed 2: Larceny Bourbon

  • The second of three wheated bourbons, coming in at 92 proof.

  • Purchased at Total Wine (Burnsville, MN) for $22.99.

  • Nonsense name: Soggy Parrot

• Seed 3: Maker’s Mark Bourbon

  • The final wheated bourbon in the contest—also the lowest proof (90 proof) and highest price of the three.

  • Purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel (Prior Lake, MN) for $24.97.

  • Nonsense name: Lumpy Telescope

• Seed 4: Old Forester 86 Proof

  • The lowest proof of the contest, making it the lowest seed.

  • Purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel (Prior Lake, MN) for $22.49.

  • Nonsense name: Zesty Doorknob

Keeping It Blind: The Setup

Of course, that list doesn’t eliminate inherent bias, does it? So, as usual, we took a few extra steps to keep the tasting blind—while still keeping track of what advanced.

Here’s how we set it up (it’s an oh-so-simple process):

1. I seeded the whiskey in the bracket as listed above.

2. I poured 200 mL bottles of each bourbon and labeled them with their nonsense names.

3. I made a separate bracket using only the nonsense names and handed it, along with the bottles, to my wife.

From there, she takes over.

• She doesn’t know what’s in each bottle (thanks to the nonsense names).

• She pours and keeps track of the winners.

• All I have to do is taste, write, and pick my favorite. It’s a pretty slick system.

The empty bracket is below, and as usual, there were plenty of storylines and surprises along the way—wheated matchups, high proof vs. low proof, price battles, and more. But that’s for the future. In the meantime, who you got? Let us know down in the comments!

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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.