Remus Master Distiller Experimental Series No. 2: Straight Wheat Whiskey

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

Spring has sprung here in Minnesota, and you know what that means. Yep, it was 80 degrees last weekend, and it’s looking like there’s a chance of snow this coming weekend. In spring, Minnesota gets a taste of all the seasons at once: summer, winter, mud, road work—even football if you follow the NFL Draft or the spring game for the local college. You don’t get to experience all of them in their full force (for example, even at 80 degrees, I didn’t turn on my AC for more than a test run, and the Draft/Spring Games are poor substitutes for real games), but you do get the opportunity to remember what you can look forward to and what you are leaving behind.

It seems that, much like living through a Minnesota spring, MGP—producer of tonight’s whiskey—is also currently trying to decide what to leave behind and what is coming in the future, as they announced the “temporary idling” of the stills in their Lux Row and Limestone Branch facilities, affecting 33 employees. Not something you ever want to read if you are a fan of American whiskey. They will, however, still be bottling and running the visitor centers at each location.

However, we aren’t here to do economic reporting. We are here to discuss the products that are actually in front of us. And tonight, that is MGP/Ross & Squibb’s first wheat whiskey. It was created using their 95% Wheat Whiskey mashbill. The liquid was finished in a combination of Tawny Port, White Port, Oloroso Sherry, and Ruby Port casks before being bottled at 56.5% ABV, or 113 proof, as the second release in the company’s Master Distiller Experimental Series. Here is what they have to say about the series:

Building on the acclaim of Experimental Series No. 1, including its gold medal win at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the second installment continues the annual limited-edition program. Originally designed as an outlet for creative exploration, the series gives Master Distiller Ian Stirsman a blank canvas to push beyond traditional boundaries by exploring new heirloom grains and unique barrel finishes. The result each year is a one-of-a-kind expression defined by unconventional flavor profiles, depth, and innovation that is made for adventurous whiskey connoisseurs and collectors.

The whiskey is available in limited quantities nationwide for $69.99 for a 700 mL bottle.

Remus Master Distiller Experimental Series No. 2: Straight Wheat Whiskey

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 700 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.00

Details: Distilled in 2017. 56.5% ABV. Wheat whiskey finished in a combination of Tawny Port, White Port, Oloroso Sherry, and Ruby Port casks.

Nose: Wintergreen, stone fruit, caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Spicy, hot, and sweet. Cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, red fruit, honey, and oak.

Finish: Hot and long. Notes of cinnamon, mint, honey, oak, and red fruit.

Thoughts: Hot, sweet, with a great mouthfeel. That sums it up neatly. It is really delicious, especially neat. Unlike most whiskeys of this proof level, you want to be judicious with adding water. It really doesn’t take it very well, bringing out more grain notes and suppressing many of the rich notes. Even so, I really like this one. It is much more complex and satisfying than other straight wheat whiskeys I’ve had, probably due to the proof and the barrel finishing. If you see it for around the suggested retail, it’s a decent splurge, should you be able to swing it.

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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.

Columbia Creek Tennessee Whiskey

I’d like to thank Columbia Creek and their PR partners for providing this sample with no strings attached.

The sun is coming out here in Minnesota. The snow is melted, or at least it was. We are in that time of year where you don't know if you need to shovel the driveway or if you can sit on the deck in shorts. And no, I don't mean you folks from more southern climates. In Minnesota, it isn't unusual for folks to be in shorts as soon as the temp hits the 50s in the spring. And by "folks" I mean me. Of course, I tend to wear shorts all year long. I'm not going to let a little thing like the outside weather keep me from being comfortable in my house. That's what blankets are for. I'm stubborn like that.

Which leads me nicely to tonight's whiskey. Columbia Creek Tennessee Whiskey is a sourced whiskey out of Columbia, Tennessee, which the press release says is "where mules outnumber stoplights and pride runs as deep as the creeks." They also use the mule as a mascot on the bottle. The company that has released this particular Tennessee Whiskey is SNL Alcohol Beverage Group who, according to their website (SNLCapitol.com), specializes in buying ingredients, making new make whiskey, aging it, and then selling it to other producers at a profit. Not a bad idea as long as you can keep finding buyers. Here is what the press release has to say about the whiskey:

“Inspired by the legendary mule — Columbia’s enduring symbol of strength and persistence — Columbia Creek moves to its own tempo. Made with a classic Tennessee mash bill of 80% corn, 10% rye, and 10% malted barley, then distilled in a traditional column‑and‑doubler system, every drop balances purity with bold, full-bodied flavor.

Before barreling, the whiskey undergoes the slow, time-honored Lincoln County charcoal mellowing process, giving it a smooth, refined edge that separates Tennessee whiskey from bourbon pretenders. The spirit then rests — not rushed, not disturbed — in heavy-charred new American oak, soaking up six long Tennessee years of heat, cold, and honest change.”

Let’s see how they did, shall we?

Columbia Creek Tennessee Whiskey

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer at no cost for review purposes. It is available on the ColumbiaCreekWhiskey.com website for $49.95 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 47.8% ABV. 6 years old. Mash bill: 80% corn, 10% rye, 10% malted barley.

Nose: Delicate on the nose with notes of dried grains, apple, caramel, baking spice, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, bubblegum, vanilla, fruit, oak, and a mineral note.

Finish: Medium in both length and warmth. Lingering notes of minerals, bubblegum, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: I wasn't expecting that kind of spice on the palate after such a delicate nose. Quite tasty, though. Good flavor on the mouth and finish. I can honestly say that I would have walked past this on the shelf, being a sourced Tennessee whiskey, but I like it. I will happily finish the bottle. If you see it and have an extra $50 in your pocket, it is worth trying.

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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.

Traveller Whiskey

For a long time, people have been making whiskey that was a little less robust than… well, whiskey. And as part of the Federal Government’s quest to keep people from being bamboozled when they make a purchase the tax rolls safe, they came up with a bunch of tiny, neat boxes to put every different kind of spirit into for legal and taxation purposes. For example, you may have heard of this little product called Vodka. I hear there was an entire era where people hated this guy so much they created a cavalcade of ultra-sweet, sugary drinks specifically designed to cover up its flavor. I believe it was called the 1980s. But what is Vodka, really? Here is what the Federal Government has to say:

Vodka: Neutral spirits distilled or treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials so as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color (Neutral spirits being defined as: Spirits distilled from any material at or above 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof), and if bottled, bottled at not less than 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof)).

Why bring that up? Well, neutral spirits are one of the many ways people make their whiskey taste less like whiskey. Back in the early 1900s, Prohibition decimated whiskey production in this country. After booze became legal again, stocks of aged whiskey had dried up—sometimes literally. To stretch what little aged stock they had, producers added either young whisky or neutral spirits to the blend. Many of them were trying to make it taste as close as possible to the whisky people were used to while working within their limitations.

Of course, some—like the head of Seagram’s—actively believed in combining whiskey and neutral spirits. Seagram’s famously bought Four Roses and converted it from a Straight Bourbon to a Blended Whiskey. And since Scotch and Canadian whisky were both lighter (than, say, Bourbon) and popular at the time, who’s to say he was wrong? Seagram’s did end up a pretty big company.

So now that I’ve mentioned the dreaded B-word, let’s define it:

Blended Whisky: Whisky produced by blending not less than 20% on a proof gallon basis (excluding alcohol derived from added harmless coloring, flavoring or blending materials*) straight whisky or a blend of straight whiskies and, separately or in combination, whisky of any type or neutral spirits

That’s right—a blended whiskey can be up to 80 percent vodka. Fun, huh? But producers can go even lower: down to 5 percent whiskey and still put “whiskey” on the label. That is called Spirit Whiskey (Whisky produced by blending neutral spirits and not less than 5% on a proof gallon basis whisky, straight whisky or combination of whisky and straight whisky provided the straight whisky is used at less than 20% on a proof gallon basis).

Of course the other way to make whisky taste less like whiskey is to make Light Whiskey (Whisky produced in the U.S. at more than 80% alcohol by volume (160 proof) [but less than 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof)] and stored in used or uncharred new oak containers). Science tells us that above 160 proof flavor compounds start to break down, and at 190 proof they’re essentially gone. So the higher the distillation proof, the less flavor in the distillate. But since Light Whiskey is still aged in a barrel, you will get more flavor out of light whiskey than out of blended whisky. And if you want to get really crazy you can add some straight whiskey to your light whiskey and make Blended Light Whiskey (Light whisky blended with less than 20% straight whisky on a proof gallon basis).

Okay, so why the giant tangent about whiskey that doesn’t taste as much like whiskey as it could? Well, tonight’s whiskey is a Blended Whiskey. The last time I covered a Blended Whiskey was in 2017. I still get comments on that post, taking me to task. I’m just leaning into it.

Traveller is a collaboration between Musician Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace. It is another in a long line of vanity whiskey brands for musicians. We’ve covered a bunch of them over the years.

From the Press Release:

“Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley and Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and musician Chris Stapleton today unveiled Traveller Whiskey, a new, premium blended whiskey that represents a first-of-its-kind collaboration of collective artistry. Proudly blended and bottled at the World’s Most Award-Winning Distillery under Wheatley’s expert supervision, Traveller is the result of countless hours of testing, tasting and dedication to craftsmanship that have produced powerful songs and world-class whiskeys…Traveller is a completely unique combination of whiskeys hand-selected from The Sazerac Company’s award-winning distilleries.”

Ok. So, how does it taste?

Traveller Whiskey

Purchase Info: $1.99 for a 50 mL bottle at Liquor Barn, Louisville, KY. Suggested retail price for a 750 mL bottle is $39.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.99 (mini); $2.67 (750 mL SRP)

Details: 45% ABV

Nose: Vanilla, dried grains, wintergreen, a hint of baking spice, and a citrus-like tanginess.

Mouth: Vanilla, cinnamon, wintergreen, 1980s Topps Baseball Card bubble gum (an unwrapped stick of hard bubble gum that has been slightly flavored with cardboard and ink due to the close proximity they were kept in, if you are too young to have had it), and a citrus-like tang.

Finish: Short to medium, on the gentle side of warm; notes of 1980s Topps Baseball Card bubble gum, cinnamon, and wintergreen.

Thoughts: Not a fan. I’m guessing “guy who’s critiqued bourbon for a decade-plus” wasn’t the target market here. In fact, I’d say “serious bourbon drinker” wasn’t the target at all—it really doesn’t taste much like bourbon. (Even Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlan Wheatley hints at this in the press release: “If you’ve tried whiskey before and been turned away by the burn – we think you’ll take one sip of this and think, ‘OK, now this I can do.’”) To me, it tastes like a low- to mid-range Canadian Whisky or a very light Light Whiskey. In fact, I had such a negative reaction to this one that my wife suggested that I put it aside and give it a try another day. Which I did. I gave it multiple tries across multiple days, and my opinion didn’t change: I just don’t like it. Good thing we only bought a tiny bottle each, I suppose.

Don’t let that stop you from loving it, though. We all have different things we like, and that’s great. It just gives us something to talk about. And as another postscript, if you wonder why I bounced back and forth between Whiskey and Whisky? It’s just due to who I was quoting. The Feds use Whisky (no e), and Buffalo Trace uses Whiskey with an e. It’s just one of the quirks of American English that we use both and use them interchangeably based on two different countries of origin. Isn’t American English fun?

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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.

High West Bourye 2025

I’d like to thank High West Distillery and their partners at Lippe Taylor for sending this sample with no strings attached.

Hello friends! I hope everyone is having an amazing day today. I’ve been hobbling around on an injured foot after my deck bit me last night. I ended up with a five-inch-long sliver of wood stabbed about an inch into the ball of my foot. I was able to get it out just fine—just a little self-surgery with a sterilized X-Acto blade. It ended up looking like a cut. Not too bad... if it were anywhere but exactly where all my weight lands with every step. But hey! That just means I’m done with yard work for a little while. Not going to complain about that.

Especially when there’s whiskey in my glass.

Tonight’s whiskey is one from High West Distillery out of Park City, Utah. I’ve met some of the folks there a few times and always walk away impressed with their operation. In fact, what I love most about them is their willingness to let the consumer know exactly where the whiskey comes from—even if it wasn’t originally distilled by them.

For example, if you take a look at the press release for this particular bottle of Bourye (a blend of bourbon and rye whiskey), you’ll see the following:

Mashbill:
• Straight Rye Whiskey: 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP; 80% rye, 20% malted rye from HWD
• Straight Bourbon Whiskey: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt from MGP; 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley from MGP; 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley from KY

That’s pretty cool for a whiskey nerd like me. Plus, this particular release is over 10 years old. So, double-digit age and transparency? Yes, please.

The only thing I don’t love is the price. Trying to sell a $125 bottle of whiskey when folks are trying to figure out how to buy their groceries is... certainly a choice. But I wouldn’t doubt that their suppliers charged them an arm and a leg as well. And as a guy who sells things I make to people (see below), I get needing to make money on the things you’ve made.

One thing I did find odd: they specifically called out that this doesn’t do well with ice. And as someone who usually likes his whiskey with a small piece of ice, I can confirm—it doesn’t really take water well. Of course, at only 92 proof, it doesn’t really need it either.

So let’s dig in before I give everything away.

High West Bourye 2025

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $124.99 per bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.33

Details: 10 years old. 46% ABV. Mashbill: A blend of whiskeys that include: Straight Rye Whiskey from MGP (95% rye, 5% barley malt), Straight Rye Whiskey from High West (80% rye, 20% malted rye), Straight Bourbon Whiskey from MGP (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt and 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley), and Straight Bourbon Whiskey from and unnamed Kentucky Distillery (78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley).

Nose: Ripe banana and red fruits, sweet vanilla-caramel, and dusty oak.

Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, red fruit, black tea, ginger, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of floral vanilla, black tea, barrel char, and ginger.

Thoughts: This is a good whiskey. I’m really enjoying it. There’s very little chance I’ll be purchasing it—not at that price, and not in this economy. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a good product. I dig the spicy and oak notes. I just wish it had a bit more proof. The mouthfeel is a little thinner than I’d like for something that runs over $8 a pour. Overall, I like the whiskey—it’s just that I’d like it a lot more at about half to two-thirds of the price.

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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.

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey, A225

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

Looking at that image above, you’d think that Spring had sprung here in Minnesota. And you’d have been forgiven for thinking that. Until today, we hadn’t had any measurable snow that actually stuck around this year. Heck, I was wearing shorts outside for most of the last month (don’t read too much into that—I just seem to be well adapted to the cold).

That all changed this morning when nearly a foot of heavy, wet snow dropped overnight. And I mean heavy. I fired up the big snowblower, and even that wasn’t enough to handle it in one pass. The plow ridge at the end of the driveway was a solid 18 to 24 inches high and about three feet deep—pure heart attack snow. But I can’t complain too much. Before today, that big snowblower had only been used once in the last couple of years.

What I can do, however, is sit down with a late-afternoon whiskey to recover from the physical labor of clearing the driveway and sidewalk. And if that whiskey happens to be tonight’s pour, I certainly wouldn’t be upset.

Bernheim Barrel Proof is, as the name suggests, a barrel-proof version of Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Wheat Whiskey. The mash bill is 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley. This batch was aged between seven and nine years before being bottled at a hefty 125.4 proof. The A225 designation means this is the first batch (A) of 2025 (25), released in February (2). The suggested retail price is $66.99.

Let’s dig in, shall we?

Bernheim Barrel Proof A225

Purchase Info: This sample was provided at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $66.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.47

Details: 62.7% ABV. Mash bill: 51% wheat, 37% corn, 12% malted barley

Nose: Caramel, mint, oak, vanilla, cinnamon, and cocoa.

Mouth: Hot and spicy, with notes of cinnamon, vanilla, caramel, mint, and cocoa.

Finish: Long and hot, with lingering notes of cinnamon, toffee, and cocoa.

Thoughts: Whooo-boy! This one is hot! But it takes water well—adding a splash tames the heat and lets the flavors open up without losing complexity. Speaking of complexity, this might have the most layered nose I’ve ever found on a Bernheim product. I really like this one.

Comparison to Last Time: A225 is more complex on the nose and sweeter overall. On the palate, while B924 was still rich and hot, it had more grain-forward notes, whereas A225 leans more into barrel influence. Between the two, I much prefer A225.

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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.

Woodinville Bourbon Sauternes Finish & Woodinville Founder’s Find Whiskey from a Bourbon Mash

I’d like to thank Woodinville Whiskey Company for providing these review samples with no strings attached.

Writing this in the morning is a weird feeling. I look outside, and the fog is deep as the sun comes up. There’s coffee in my cup. I’ve finished feeding the dogs but haven’t fed myself yet. I’ve read the news, checked my email, and gotten a good start to the day. But here I am, trying to write about whiskey at a time of day when I’m normally not even thinking of it.

And why? Because I have plans. Like, outside-the-house plans. It’s okay, you can be shocked that the hermit is leaving his cave. It’s very strange for me, too. But the tattoo artist I like is in a different state, so I need to leave the house if I’m going to get more work done. So here we are: talking about two different whiskeys when I usually think about coffee.

That’s right, we’ve got another two-fer on our hands. These two whiskeys were both sent to me by the Woodinville Whiskey Company to help promote their upcoming release. If you are a Woodinville fan who was at their distillery a couple of weeks ago, you might already have tried/purchased them at their annual Harvest Release party. But if you aren’t, here is a little background info on them.

These are both limited releases. You can preorder them now on the Woodinville website. Both are over 100 proof, and both have deviated from the standard aging process in various ways. The Sauternes Cask Finish is pretty self-explanatory. Woodinville took the bourbon that they make and finished it in casks that previously held a sweet dessert wine from France. We’ve covered a few whiskeys that have used casks from this wine as a barrel finish in the past.

The Founder’s Find, though, is a little more complicated. First off, they did not distill this one; it was sourced from a distillery in Tennessee. Secondly, it isn’t a bourbon—well, at least not entirely. This is what is known as a “Whiskey from a Bourbon Mash,” which means that if it had been poured into a new, charred oak barrel, it would have been a bourbon. But in this case, the barrels weren’t new; they were reconditioned. This means that the previously used barrel was scraped clean of the char and burned again to make a new char layer. Some of the flavor of the barrel would have already been pulled from it due to the first use. The other unusual thing about this whiskey is that it’s a blend that happened partway through the aging process. About six years in, a small amount of 15-year-old bourbon that had been distilled in Indiana was added to it before it finished the last six years of its rest. Quoting the press release now:

Years ago, a group of renowned distillers proposed the use of these [reconditioned] barrels and began experimenting, only to be rebuffed by lawmakers. Which is how [Woodinville founder] Orlin uncovered this forgotten barrel in the back corner of a legendary rickhouse, patiently waiting for someone to notice and appreciate it.

So now that we’ve learned a bit about them, let’s jump into the tasting notes and see if these are any good, shall we?

Woodinville Bourbon Sauternes Finish

Purchase Info: This sample was sent for review purposes at no cost. The suggested retail price is $69.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67

Details: 52.5% ABV. Finished in Sauternes wine casks.

Nose: Dried grains lead off, with notes of brown sugar, molasses, and red fruit following.

Mouth: Nice, thick mouthfeel with notes of cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, pear, and dried grains.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth, with notes of dried grains, vanilla, caramel, and a touch of both dried red fruits and fresh pears.

Thoughts: I’m neutral on this one. I'd love a touch less dried grain on all aspects of this. That said, this is not a flaw but a personal preference, and by no means do I think this should keep anyone from trying it—especially since there are a lot of people who enjoy the grain-forward style of bourbon. I do find it fun, though, that the final notes to fade are "wine" notes of pear and red fruit. Thematically, that’s just about perfect for a wine-cask-finished bourbon.

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Woodinville Founder's Find Whiskey from a Bourbon Mash

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

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.67

Details: 96% Tennessee whiskey aged for 12 years in reconditioned barrels (used and recharred) and 4% 15-year-old Indiana bourbon. 53.5% ABV.

Nose: Cinnamon, Flintstone Vitamins, and a touch of red fruit and oak.

Mouth: Caramel, cinnamon, red fruit, and oak notes follow a rich, thick mouthfeel.

Finish: Warm and long with notes of oak, leather, cinnamon, caramel, and red fruit.

Thoughts: The bottle says that the whiskey that the Woodinville founder discovered in Tennessee was "too extraordinary not to share." I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. This may not technically be a bourbon, but it has all the notes and characteristics that you would want in one. So much so that, even though I poured a glass after receiving the sample, I didn't notice that it was a "whiskey from a bourbon mash" until I went to record the details in my tasting notes. It's damn good. Lots of "dark" flavor notes and a rich mouthfeel. Really liking it.

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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.

Knob Creek Bourbon X Rye

Hey hey, it’s Bonus Post Day! Again!

If you ever talk to a Minnesotan in late October and mention snow, they’ll inevitably bring up the Halloween Blizzard of 1991, when 28 inches of snow buried trick-or-treaters as they braved the streets for candy. I lived through it 30 years ago, and I heard a lot about it yesterday as snow was once again predicted for Halloween.

But this time, it was just a dusting and seemed to have barely affected the kids going door-to-door. Of course, that doesn’t mean I had a lot of kids come to my house. No, I got just one. He was dressed as a dragon—a costume that fit nicely over a warm winter coat since it was below freezing once the sun went down. That made me sad. I don’t usually get many kids at my house, but the cold kept the little kids away, and they’re the most fun to give candy to.

Today, however, marks the start of a new month and the beginning of the holiday season. As far as I’m concerned, the time from Halloween to New Year’s is the best part of the year, and I’m hoping for plenty of festive cheer. So, since we’ve turned the page on Halloween, let’s turn it to whiskey—specifically, a new limited-time offering from Jim Beam’s Knob Creek brand.

Knob Creek Bourbon X Rye is a blend of straight whiskeys composed of 30% Knob Creek 9-year-old bourbon and 70% Knob Creek 7-year-old rye whiskey. It’s bottled at 113° proof and has a suggested retail price of $44.99 for a 750 mL bottle. The press release says it’s limited, but I bought it at Total Wine in August, and there are still some on the shelves today—so take that how you will.

Let’s dig in.

Knob Creek Bourbon X Rye

Purchase Info: $48.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.27

Details: 56.5% ABV. Blend includes 30% Knob Creek 9-year-old bourbon and 70% Knob Creek 7-year-old rye whiskey.

Nose: Cedar, mint, caramel, chocolate, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Cinnamon, mint, red fruits, citrus zest, cedar, caramel, and oak.

Finish: Warm and long with notes of cinnamon red hots, cedar, and spearmint.

Thoughts: This is really rye-forward, and I’m here for it. It’s got a nice balance of spicy and sweet, with cedar and mint being prominent throughout. This is quite tasty. Is it a replacement for the higher-proof Knob Creek Rye or Bourbon single barrel releases? I wouldn’t say so, as it’s sweeter than the rye but much more vibrant and spicy than the bourbon. It’s a third option that kind of splits the difference. So, do I like it? Well, let’s just say I hadn’t had this bottle open very long when I realized it was about half-empty, having become my go-to pour. I had to put it away so I’d have enough left for a review. So yeah, I’d say I like it quite a bit.

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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.

Uncle Nearest 777 Anniversary Blend – The Lost Chapter, Plus a Book Giveaway

This review sample was kindly provided by the PR team for Uncle Nearest Whiskey with no strings attached.

Well, I’m back! I hope no one missed me too much (though, selfishly, I do hope you missed me a little). Vacation was fun. I drove to Maine and realized that the Maine coast looks a lot like Minnesota's North Shore—if Lake Superior had tides and crashing surf, which was pretty cool. I love visiting Minnesota’s North Shore.

Tonight, we're looking at a whiskey sample I received before vacation: the latest release from Uncle Nearest, the 777 Anniversary Blend, nicknamed the Lost Chapter. This 7-year-old, barrel-strength whiskey is bottled between 110-120 proof and celebrates the seventh anniversary of Uncle Nearest’s launch. Only 7,000 bottles were available for sale. I say "were" because it seems to be sold out online. That’s my bad for taking a vacation!

But the folks at Uncle Nearest didn’t just send me this whiskey to talk about the liquid; they also were hoping that I’d mention the best-selling book by Uncle Nearest founder Fawn Weaver. It’s called Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest. As a lover of books about whiskey, I’m more than happy to do so. In fact, at the end of this post, you'll find a giveaway where you can win the copy of the book featured in the photo above.

Now, let’s take a look at the whiskey, shall we?

Uncle Nearest 777 Anniversary Blend – The Lost Chapter

Purchase Info: This 50 mL sample was sent to me at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $139.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $9.27

Details: 60.85% ABV. Seven years old.

Nose: Black tea, lumber, honey, and a light grassiness.

Mouth: Nice, thick mouthfeel. Notes of cinnamon spice, almond, and caramel.

Finish: Warm and long with notes of oak, honey, and a slight mineraliness.

Thoughts: My first sip caused me to exclaim: “Ooh. that's yummy." And that's the gist of it. This is delicious. It has a lovely mouthfeel. Let's just say that, boy, do I wish there was more than 50mL in that 200 mL bottle. It's good enough that if I saw it on the shelf, I'd buy it even though the SRP is $140. It takes water well, too, which is an added bonus (it is over 120° proof, after all). Some high-proof whiskies, these days, fall apart at a lower-proof, but this is not one of them. Just a lovely product that I wish I’d thought to buy a bottle of while they still had them.

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Giveaway

Would you happen to have suggestions for things I can cover on BourobnGuy.com? Books you’ve read, questions you have, whiskies you want to share? Well, nominate them for review/answering on BourbonGuy.com. In return, you’ll be entered into the giveaway for Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest, by Fawn Weaver.

You can enter the giveaway using the form below. You only need to enter once (though you can suggest as many things as you’d like), as I’ll be tossing duplicates to make for a fair giveaway. One winner will be chosen at random. That winner will receive the book mailed to them.

Good Luck! You have until Wednesday, September 25th, 2024, to enter (you need to "log in" so I can receive your email address to notify you if you win, either login method gets me that). I do value your privacy, though, so I don’t keep the contact info you provide once the contest is over.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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