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.

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.

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon, 2025

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

When you think of great bourbon, who do you think of first? The obvious answer is Kentucky, right? So much so that there are still folks out there who think that it’s the only place that bourbon can be made. But there are folks all over the country these days who are lining up to prove that other states have what it takes as well.

For example, I recently received a couple of samples through the Texas Whiskey Festival. They were promoting the winners of their “Best Texas Whiskey of 2026” competition. I ended up with samples of two of their category winners. We’ll talk about the bourbon today and then hit the rye in a bonus post on Friday, so keep an eye out for that. But before we get into the winner, let’s let the Festival speak for themselves about their contest:

The 2026 Texas Whiskey Festival brought together distilleries from across the state for a night built on discovery, conversation, and shared pours. Through a blind tasting process—removing labels, reputations, and expectations—we set out to identify the bottles that truly stand out in the glass. The goal isn’t just to name the “best,” but to create a clear guide to the must-try Texas whiskeys right now—the ones worth seeking out, sharing with friends, and revisiting long after the festival ends.

So let’s get started with the winner of the category, Bourbon — Must-Try Bottles. The 2025 edition of Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon is a monster at 146.4 proof. It has been aged for six years in the Texas heat and is for sale at the Garrison Brothers website for $249.99. If that name sounds familiar, we last discussed the 2023 edition shortly after it came out, and I enjoyed it, even if it was way too hot to drink neat. This one, being even higher proof, made me excited to take a look at the 2025 edition as well. Let’s see how this one tastes.

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon, 2025

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no charge by the PR team for review purposes. As of the time of writing, it is available at the Garrison Brothers website for $249.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $16.67

Details: 73.2% ABV. Six years old.

Nose: Caramel, wintergreen, maple, and oak.

Mouth: Holy fuckballs, this is hot! If you get past the proof while still being able to taste anything, you will find notes of dried grain, leather, wintergreen, caramel, maple, and cinnamon.

Finish: Warm and long with notes of dried grain, maple, caramel, and cinnamon.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn neutral face denoting that it isn’t for me, but that others will possiblylove it.

Thoughts: I don't usually comment on the color of a bourbon I write about, but this one is gorgeous. Deep, rich mahogany color. The nose initially had a lot of ethanol notes, but they evaporated off after a few minutes. After that, you started to get sweet notes like maple and caramel, with some oak along for the ride.

The mouth? Dude. A small sip started to numb the tongue. Under the heat it is quite sweet. I wasn't expecting the dried grain notes on something this old. If you like a grain-forward bourbon, this is the one for you. Personally, I don't mind them, but don't seek them out either.

The big story on this one, though, is not the flavor but the proof. And it is as hot as you’d expect at over 140 proof. So I added a bit of water to try to tame it. Oddly, the water seemed to accentuate both the heat and the graininess. This bourbon isn't for me—I'm not a fan of overproof or grain-forward bourbons. You get over 110 proof and I start needing to dilute it too much before I can enjoy it. And if the water doesn’t help, as in this case, I tend to move on. But that is a me problem not a problem with the bourbon.

So, at the end of the day, this doesn't align with my palate but it isn't objectively bad either (as evidenced by the awards it wins), so I'm giving it a neutral rating. It is certainly worth trying a pour if you get the opportunity though at $250, a full bottle is certainly outside my price range these days.

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.

Wenzel Distillery Sherry Barrel Finished Bourbon, Batch 2

I’d like to thank Wenzel Distillery and their PR team for providing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Small bottle of Wenzel Distillery Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in sherry casks sitting on a deck railing with bright green trees blurred in the background.

As I am an old man, I know a lot of old songs. And as much as it pains me to realize this, the 1980s were 40 years ago. Which is an objectively long time. There was an old song by a band called Cinderella, that was popular when I was a young lad titled Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone). And we are living that in the BourbonGuy household this week. We recently got new neighbors on one side of our house. We live in a tightly packed neighborhood, but what made it lovely were all the trees in everyone’s yards. It made it easy to pretend that our houses were further apart than they really were.

Well, this week, the new neighbors to the south took down their three extremely large maples. Which sucked for us since they provided shade and, more importantly, privacy from the neighbors beyond them. It was sad and has us trying to figure out how to replace the effect. But it does provide much more sun for a garden that was shaded most of the morning, which is nice. So it’s a mixed bag for us. But they seem to like it. And the motto around here has always been that there are few objectively bad things, just things that we don’t personally like (this is why there are few “dislike” ratings on the site). How boring would it be if we all liked the same things, including whiskey, the same way? There would be no reason for experimentation or even multiple brands of whiskey. We’d all like the same thing, so that’s what would be produced.

That isn’t to say that all experiments are successful. At least not to every audience. Case in point: tonight’s bourbon. While there are people who love a sherry cask finish, I am not one of them. I don’t mind it now and then. Sometimes it even adds a touch of fruitiness to an otherwise boring bourbon. Other times it seems to overpower the bourbon entirely. Sherry fans may very well love when the latter occurs. Not being a sherry fan, I usually prefer the former.

Tonight’s bourbon is more of the sherry-forward variety. As the producer was purchasing this whiskey from another distillery that was shutting down, the liquid in the barrel spent three years in the ex-Oloroso Sherry finishing barrels instead the months that is a more typical length for a barrel-finish. That liquid became Batch 1 of Wenzel Distillery Sherry Barrel Finished Bourbon. For Batch 2, they ended up blending some of the remaining barrels from Batch 1 with other barrels that were aged longer but finished for a more normal length of time. Batch 2 is made up of 679 bottles. It is bottled at 119.1 proof and is for sale at the distillery in Covington, KY, or on the distillery website for $109.

Wenzel Distillery Sherry Barrel Finished Bourbon, Batch 2

Purchase Info: This sample was sent at no cost by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $109 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $7.27

Details: 59.55% ABV. Batch 2

Nose: Caramel, walnut, baking spice, and leather.

Mouth: Hot and dry in the mouth. Slightly astringent. Notes of toffee, leather, walnut, cinnamon, and oak.

Finish: Hot and long. Notes of toffee, nuts, vanilla sugar cookies, and nutmeg.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn neutral face that denotes that while I personally don’t care for the product, others may well love it.

Thoughts: It turns out that we are not Oloroso sherry fans in the BourbonGuy household. We’ve had some lovely bourbons with a hint of sherry finish, but this has a lot of sherry influence. Not my cup of tea, nor my wife’s. Because I wasn’t a fan of this in a Glencairn glass (I felt that the tasting glass accented the more astringent notes), I tried it how I normally drink my whiskey for pleasure: in a rocks glass with a little piece of ice. The added dilution took away the astringent notes and accented the fruitiness of the sherry finish, but it also brought out a graininess in the whiskey that had previously been obscured by the proof. Which was better, and bumped it from a dislike to a neutral rating.

Bottom line: if you love sherry, you will probably love this. But if not, you may not. However, I love the experimentation and hope more people are willing to do fun things like this. In the old days, over-aged bourbon would have been redistilled to try to “salvage” it into something that would make the producer money. Today we get people trying new things, and that is awesome.

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.

From the BourbonGuy Archives: What's With All the Weird Faces? Why I Don't Rate Whiskeys Like the Usual Whiskey Person

Folks I seem to have picked up a little tummy bug that has kept me from doing any tasting notes this week. So instead of leaving you hanging, I’m bringing back a reminder of what our ratings mean from the archives. It’s been a few years so this will help out all the new folks. See you next week!

IMAGE: The four images I use for Ratings. A Heart means I love it. A smile means I like it. A Neutral face means I can see why others might like it, but it's not for me. A Frown means this is bad and I really do not like it.

What the hell is with all the funny faces? Why can’t you do something useful like give a whiskey a number score? You know, even a 1-10 would help us know if this whiskey is better than another whiskey.

This is just a small sampling of the sentiments I get in my email now and then. Don’t get me wrong, I love the passion that it takes to take the time to write to me. Hell, I just like to know that people are reading this. But as it has been…five years (?!? where has the time gone?) since I last wrote a post like this, I thought it might be time to explain my silliness to all of you who are new.

By the way, if you arrived in the last five years, WELCOME! The bar is in the corner, please pour yourself something nice from the fancy shelf.

So. Why don’t I use numerical scores? Well, everyone who writes about whiskey approaches things differently.  Some reviewers like to use numbers. Numbers make a review feel scientific because you've done some math. Some reviewers like to use stars. Stars are easy to visualize and are familiar to Amazon shoppers everywhere. I like to use various cartoon faces and hearts because I'm silly. Probably too silly for my own good. The point is that any and/or all of these are correct. They all adequately represent how much or how little a reviewer liked any given whiskey. But no matter how a writer presents it, we as readers need to remember that the rating is still just a subjective opinion. Whiskey is subjective. There is no objectively bad whiskey. Someone out there likes everything that has been produced and they should not be shamed for that, even if you don’t agree with them.

It probably goes without saying, but I like Bourbon, Rye, Canadian whisky, craft whiskey, Irish whiskey, Gin, and a lot of cocktails. As a general rule, I don’t really like Scotch Whisky, though there are exceptions. Am I wrong that I don’t care for Scotch? No. My taste buds apply only to me. This is what I mean when I say there is no objectively bad whiskey, just whiskey that I don’t like. I’m not here to tell you if you should like a whiskey, only if I do or don’t. I judge whiskey, not people.

So, I like bourbon. I enjoy it in many different ways. Sometimes I enjoy thoughtfully tasting bourbon. I pour it into a nosing glass, sit down, concentrate, and try to tease out all the little smells and tastes that are hidden inside the glass. And if it is interesting, I'll probably like it. Other times, I want to enjoy bourbon in a rocks glass while playing cards or watching tv or conversing with friends. I'm not paying a lot of attention to it, but if it tastes good and it's acting as a social lubricant, I'll probably like it. Sometimes I enjoy it in a cocktail. Even if it isn't great neat, if it makes a killer Manhattan, I'll probably like it. And if I like it, then I'll tell you I like it. And then I'll put a little smiley face next to my thoughts on it. 

Sometimes I find a bourbon that doesn't taste good and isn't all that interesting. Needless to say, I don't like these. I've gotten pretty good at knowing what I like, and since I buy a good percentage of the whiskey reviewed on the site, the odds are that I'm not buying too many duds. But occasionally one slips through, or I buy one specifically for research purposes. When that happens, I'll tell you I dislike it and put a little frowny face next to my thoughts.

Of course, some whiskeys are just...meh. There is nothing offensive about them. They don't taste bad. I don't dislike it, but I don't like it either. I can see why others might like it, but it's just sort of in the middle there for me. Just not to my tastes. In such a case I'll just drop a neutral face on it.

Very occasionally I'll drop a heart on something. This means I love it. No ifs, ands, or buts. I'd take this whiskey over almost any other. 

So to recap:

IMAGE: The heart I use to show I love a whiskey.

A heart means I loved this whiskey. I'd have to pause and think (briefly) if forced to choose between it and my wife. (shhhh... don't tell her)

IMAGE: A Smile that I use to say i like something.

A smiley face means I liked the whiskey or I found it interesting while tasting it. Or I enjoyed myself while drinking it. Or I enjoyed the company I drank it with. Or I was having fun. Most bourbons and ryes will be in this category because, on at least some level, I like most bourbons and ryes I've tasted.

IMAGE: A neutral face I use to show that this whiskey is kinda meh.

A neutral face means meh. I didn't particularly like this whiskey, but I didn't hate it either. It wasn't for me. But you might like it.

IMAGE: A Frown with it's tongue out and x'd out eyes means I disliked this whiskey.

A frowny face means I really disliked this. I probably dumped it out or at least thought about dumping it out.

We all have different life experiences that color our perceptions. If you drink moonshine exclusively and you age it to a young age, that young whiskey may taste amazing to you. If however, you gave that very same whiskey to a person who exclusively drinks 12-year-old bourbon, they will probably vehemently disagree. The same thing goes for tasting notes. They are each informed by our own life experiences. I taste JuicyFruit gum when I taste Four Roses. Other people might taste Jackfruit, but I've never had a Jackfruit, so I say JuicyFruit. Some people might taste almond in a whiskey. I'm allergic to nuts, so I only have an academic idea of what almonds taste like. If I use it as a tasting note, it will have come from my wife (we do the notes together). The point is that everyone will like different things and has had different experiences to inform their tastes. And that's ok. In fact, it’s pretty cool. It gives us whiskey lovers something to talk about aside from the weather.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Cedar Ridge Barrel Proof Bourbon

I’d like to thank the folks at Cedar Ridge and their PR team for providing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Small 50ml sample bottle of Cedar Ridge Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 116 proof, on a wooden deck rail with blurred green trees in the background.

If everything has gone according to plan, I am currently spending the evening in my rented RV at a winery in western Washington State—which makes this particular sample of bourbon especially topical for me (or at least future me, as I’m typing this the day before we leave for our road trip, feeling the stress of being almost on vacation).

I’ve been aware of Cedar Ridge and their bourbon for almost as long as they’ve been selling it. I visited back in 2012, reviewed a bottle of their whiskey from that trip in 2013, and then forgot about them for a few years, covering them now and again. In May, I took a “practice” RV trip to Tennessee for a long weekend. (I wanted to see if a trip of two weeks-plus was doable for me in a small RV.) We stayed at campgrounds, hotels, and Harvest Hosts. Harvest Hosts are great. You pay a fee to access their service, and then you can reserve a spot at farms, breweries, wineries, churches, and distilleries where you stay for free. It’s a really cool idea. The only catch is that they ask you to make a purchase while you’re there. Honestly, that’s no hardship for me—on a road trip, a bottle of wine or a meal is something I’d probably buy anyway. This way, I get a place to stay and some wine.

So, back to why this is topical. The first night on that trip, I actually stayed in the Cedar Ridge parking lot for our initial night on the road. We had a nice meal there, drank some wine, had a glass of Cedar Ridge Barrel Proof Bourbon, and headed back to the RV. Honestly, it was a wonderful evening. If you’re an RVer passing through eastern Iowa, I highly recommend checking it out.

So now that we’ve covered my entire history with Cedar Ridge, both the winery and the distillery, let’s get into the bourbon of it all, shall we? According to the PR email I received:

Cedar Ridge Barrel Proof Bourbon – Crafted from 100% Iowa corn and aged in char #3 barrels, this non-chill-filtered bourbon develops its bold character inside non-climate-controlled rickhouses. Exposed to Iowa’s dramatic 100-degree annual temperature swings, the whiskey takes on a flavor profile impossible to replicate elsewhere. As the first licensed distillery in Iowa since Prohibition, Cedar Ridge has become a nationally recognized leader in craft spirits, winning awards such as Best American Craft Whiskey at the New York World Spirits Competition. The result is an authentic grain-to-glass bourbon that celebrates the best of Iowa farming, family tradition, and craftsmanship.

So let’s see how I liked it when I wasn’t at the distillery. (It is different—ambiance really does elevate how much you enjoy things. This is why I tend to do my tastings in a cement room with blinking fluorescent lights, just to strip out any positive ambiance. Kidding, obviously.)

Cedar Ridge Barrel Proof Bourbon

Purchase Info: This sample was provided to me at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $48.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.27

Details: Aged in #3 char white oak barrels. 58% ABV.

Nose: Cherry, vanilla, dried grain, nutmeg, brown sugar, caramel, and oak.

Mouth: Hot and spicy with a thick, syrupy mouthfeel. Notes of cherry, dried grain, caramel, cinnamon candies, and oak.

Finish: Long and hot with lingering notes of dried grain, caramel, and baking spice.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn neutral face that denotes that while this isn’t for me, there is nothing wrong with the product. It just doesn’t align with my palate.

Thoughts: This is a well-crafted, grain-forward bourbon. Unfortunately for me, while I appreciate grain-forward bourbons, I don’t particularly like them. So I’m neutral on this one, but think a lot of folks will love it. I’d pour this now and then, but the bottle would last multiple years in my house.

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Heritage Distilling Co. Service to America Salute™ Whiskey - War Dogs & Battle of Iwo Jima

I’d like to thank Heritage Distilling Company for providing these samples with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Two bottles of Heritage Distilling Co.'s "Service to America Salute" bourbon, featuring Battle of Iwo Jima and War Dogs editions, displayed on a wooden railing outdoors.

Sorry about missing last week. I was having a mental health crisis brought on by homophobic comments left on the site. I don’t allow them to be posted, but I still have to see them. And mean comments are never fun—especially for someone who struggles with mental health on a good day. Even more so these days, when everyone seems angry and determined to “win” every conversation. Just remember, there’s a real person on the other side of the screen. Be kind.

Anyway, you’re not here for a lecture—you’re here to read about bourbon. So let’s get to it.

Tonight’s bourbons come from Heritage Distilling Co. out of Gig Harbor, Washington. They’re veteran co-founded and have built a solid reputation in the craft spirits world, racking up awards for ten straight years from the American Distilling Institute. As one of the biggest craft distilleries on the West Coast, they continue expanding through traditional sales channels and the Tribal Beverage Network—an interesting partnership with Native American tribes to create branded distilleries and tasting rooms. It’s a unique approach that not only grows their business but also supports tribal communities in the process.

These bourbons are part of Heritage Distilling Co.'s Service to America Salute™ line, which pays tribute to those who serve. Each edition honors a different community and raises funds for related charities.

Let’s dig in and see how they taste, shall we?

Heritage Distilling Co. Service to America Salute™ Whiskey - War Dogs

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $95 for a 750 mL bottle. As of writing, it’s available for purchase on the HDC website.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.33

Details: 49.3% ABV. Mashbill: 78% Corn, 12% Rye, 10% Barley. 5 years old. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Nose: Brown sugar, almond, cinnamon, and fresh mint.

Mouth: Cinnamon, oak, almond and mint.

Finish: Warm, sweet, and medium in length, with notes of almond/cherry, mint, and cinnamon.

IMAGE: hand drawn smiley face. It means I like it.

Thoughts: This is pretty tasty. It's just a good, solid bourbon. Sweet on the finish. Warm in the mouth. I like it.

Heritage Distilling Co. Service to America Salute™ Whiskey - Battle of Iwo Jima 80th Anniversary

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $95 for a 750 mL bottle. As of writing, it’s currently sold out on the HDC website, but you can sign up to be notified when available.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.33

Details: 52.5% ABV. Distilled by Heritage Distilling Co.

Nose: Black tea, cinnamon, and citrus.

Mouth: Cinnamon red hots, nougat, and a touch of chocolate.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Lingering notes of cinnamon and black tea.

IMAGE: a hand drawn face with a neutral expression. It means it is a perfectly fine whiskey, just not to my tastes.

Thoughts: Very warm—think Cinnamon Red Hots or Atomic Fireball candies. Lots of cinnamon. The note I’m describing as black tea on the nose and finish is the same as the one I call nougat in the mouth. It just presents differently in different areas. Since I’m not a fan of black tea, this gets a neutral rating. And as we all know, a neutral rating doesn’t mean anything is wrong with it—it just isn’t meshing with my palate. A lot of folks will like this one, though. It’s rich and sweet.

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