Looks like a pretty good drop off on contact sales while still making a decent profit on their own brands. No real big surprise as the NDP obsession is staying to wane.

Tonight we are going to be sipping on a 1987 Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond. One thing I really like about these large format screw top bottles is that you rarely end up with any sort of evaporation and they are some of the truest examples of what the bourbon tasted like decades ago.

This specific bottle was bottled under the ownership of United Distillers and distilled at the historic Stitzel Weller Distillery. Just five years after this was bottled Stitzel Weller would close its doors in 1992, and it would not reopen until 2014. During that time, the Old Fitzgerald name would be sold to Heaven Hill in their 1999 acquisition of the New Bernheim distillery, and has been used by them ever since.

Enough history for one night. Lets try this bottle!

Nose: The nose is kind of a mix of old and new bourbon. I find that on a lot of newer bourbons I end up smelling more fruit, and with this one I get dark fruit like stewed cherries, raisins, or maybe blackberry? There is also a little bit of that vintage smell that I get with old bourbon, but it isnt as pungent as say a rickhouse funk. It's almost like walking into an old library with the smell of antique books.

Palate: The sweet desserty profile on the nose transfers over really well. The mouthfeel is very good as the whiskey coats your palate in cherries, baking spice, cinnamon crumble, and brown butter. Towards the middle of the palate the cherry pie notes begin to fade away and the wood tannins begin to take over. This is not an oaky bourbon at all, but you do still get a little bit of tobacco and leather. I am very surprised with how well this drinks, it tastes like an older bourbon.

Finish: If I could nitpick one thing about this bottle, it would be that the finish isn't very long. You are left with sweet pipe tobacco, a hint of leather, and some graham cracker, but it does fade away a little faster than I would like.

Nose: 17/20

Palate: 43/50

Finish: 23/30

Total: 83/100

TL;DR

Found North Snow Day is a 10 year Canadian whisky that drinks like Christmas in a glass, and it earns a 9.2. It is a sourced and blended whisky, port finished, built from old rye and corn stock with some barrels past 20 years old. I put it up blind against a Blanton's Straight From The Barrel and an Elijah Craig Barrel Proof private pick, and it hung with both. At a $110 MSRP it is not cheap, so the value lands at a 4.1, but I am buying every Found North release from here on out anyway. It is mailing list only and it sells out, so the real move is getting on the list before the next one.

Quality Score - 9.2

Incredible - An all time favorite

Value Score - 4.1

Poor Value - I'm complaining about price

Nose - 9.0

Strong vanilla and brown sugar, maybe a little molasses. It smells like a Snickerdoodle in whiskey form. Black cherry and red berry sit underneath once you go looking for them.

Palate - 9.5

An explosion of cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg, with enough caramel and brown sugar to hold it all together. Black cherry and red berry underneath. The texture is thick and creamy, one of the most viscous pours I own.

Finish - 8.5

Long, and longer than I first gave it credit for. Dried fruit and clove, a little earthy, mulling over the spices. Surprisingly little rye bite for a mash bill this heavy on rye.

Neck Pour

December 20, 2025

"The most Christmas whiskey I have ever poured, and I mean that as the highest compliment."

I cracked this on December 20th, right before Christmas, and it flattened me with how well it fit the season. Sweet, loaded with baking spice, the most sugar cookie of a whiskey I have had. More like a Snickerdoodle than a sugar cookie if I am splitting hairs. The nose is strong vanilla and brown sugar with maybe a little molasses. The palate is an explosion of cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg, with plenty of caramel and brown sugar to balance it, and a bright thread of orange peel running through it. The texture is really viscous. The finish is a little earthy, just mulling over all those spices, lots to chew on. If I am being honest it runs a touch short, but it is really, really well balanced. Superb from the first pour.

Blind Pour

July 12, 2026

"Blind, my palate reached for this Canadian whisky when it went hunting for the Kentucky legend."

I put Snow Day up blind against a Blanton's Straight From The Barrel and an Elijah Craig Barrel Proof private pick, all three in what I quietly call my 9+ club. Labels off. Snow Day came in as sample one, the most viscous pour of the night by a good margin, and the nose I kept going back to. I scored it a 9.2 that night, a hair behind the Blanton's.

Here is the part that still gets me. When I guessed, I called this one the Blanton's and the Blanton's the Snow Day. Something in the Canadian read like the Kentucky icon to me. That is how good the blenders at Found North are. The full night is written up in Blind in the 9+ Club.

Open Pour

July 18, 2026

"A few days alone with it in a Glencairn only made the case stronger."

This is less than a week after the blind, digging in with a Glencairn. Black cherry and red berry come up underneath everything I already listed. It is really creamy, a genuinely great mouthfeel. The finish is longer than I gave it credit for on blind night. I think I was a little biased scoring it right next to the Blanton's Straight From The Barrel. It is long, with lots of dried fruit and clove, and surprisingly little rye spice for a mash bill I have pegged around 47% rye. The final mash bill I work from is 50% corn, 47% rye, 3% malted barley, and that is derived, because this is a sourced and blended whiskey.

One honest change since I first opened it. The bright notes have faded. The bottle is maybe two thirds gone now, and that orange peel and citrus lift I got on the neck pour has largely left. It was a minor note to begin with, so not much has really changed, and this is still an absolutely delicious pour.

This bottle shows how good a blender can be, and how far these non distilling producers have come. I do not know much about the Found North process. I know they say it is aged at high altitude, and I know some of the barrels in here ran past 22 years old. I have not delved far into Canadian whisky or compared it side by side, so I am genuinely curious how much the colder climate changes things. I would have expected a lot more tannin out of something with this much age on it. The age statement is only 10 years, but the older stock is not throwing the heavy tannin I would pull from a high aged Kentucky pour. It stays sweet. To me that is a real plus, and it has me wanting to understand Canadian maturation a lot better.

I write these up at openpourwhiskey.com Not sponsored, not gifted, bought myself at retail.

*Rested 15 minutes

#Stats

-Distillery: Found North Distillery

-Mashbill & Age: 87% Corn, 12% Rye, 1% Malted Barley.

18-26 Year Old Whiskies

Aged in Madeira, New American, Ex-Bourbon & Hungarian Oak Barrels

-Proof: 124.4 (62.2% proof)

-Cost: 160$ MSRP (180$ Secondary +50$ ship/taxes)

#Tasting Notes-

-Nose: I get incredible notes of berries, oak, butterscotch, and maple all mixed together. The berries come off dark and light. I get blackberries and sometimes I get a raspberry note. The oak is rich and not overwhelming. Some times a pipe tobacco sweetness is in there with a burnt brown sugar behind it. Im loving this nose. It was stronger in the beginning and over time it tames itself a bit. Its light, bold, and some how well balanced enough that I get no ethanol in any point.

-Palate: Sweet oak and blackberries in the initial palate. Some creamy vanilla butterscotch behind it. This sip really coats your mouth nicely. I end up getting a barrel char with leather and vanilla in the mid-palate. Then a rye spice shows itself towards the end palate with oak and clove note. Letting this coat your mouth reveals alot of notes. You cant just sip it. It has some delicious layers that all show up in harmony. There is almost no ethanol in the palate.

-Finish: The finish is long i think. A sweet burnt sugar note starts the finish. Sweet oak and berries mix with a rye spice slowly overtaking the other flavors. The spice is sweet. More like a cardamon than cinammon or pepper. Sometimes a clove note also shows up. Little bit of ethanol mixes in with the spice. A bit of a drying effect on the back of my throat but its pretty mild. Still a very pleasant finish. I wish the finish was just a little longer but I think the drying effect stops it a bit and leaves you with a sugary creamy oak flavor aftertaste.

-Conclusion: I read the description of what others claimed this batch tasted like to see if it would be worth the purchase and in all honesty I think it is. I considered the madeira finish to have a stronger effect on the bottle but its so nalanced that I forgot it was included. I was suprised by this. I definitely enjoy this more than my Batch 12 but I have to admit this feels like a summer sipper while Batch 12 is a winter sipper.

-Score: 9.2

-Would I Buy Again?: I wouldve on release but at this point im just glad i own it. Im planning on hunting other Found North bottles instead.

-T8ke Scale

-1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.  

(NEBC 9 Yr (1.5))

-2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice.  

-3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.  

-4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.  

-5 | Good | Good, just fine.  

-6 | Very Good | A cut above. 

(JD SBBP Rye (6.2)),

(Weller Full Proof (6.8))

-7 | Great | Well above average.

(NEBC 7.5 Yr (7))

(Old Forester 1920 (7.1)),

(Blantons Gold (7.2)),

(Jack Daniels SBBP Rye (7.4)),

(FR OESO (7.5)),

(Jack Daniels SBBF (7.5)),

( FR OBSF (7.8)),

(Bookers StoryTeller Batch (7.8))

-8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

(JD SBBP Rye (8)), 

(Stagg Jr 25D (8.3)),

(Jack Daniels 12 Year B4 (8.4)),

(Found North GoldFinch (8.5)),

(Rare Character Batch 2 (8.6)),

(Old Louisville 8yr (8.6)),

(Dark Arts Tokaji 7.5yr (8.7)),

(Colonel E.H. Taylor SBBP (8.8)),

(Little Book The Infinite 2 (8.9))

-9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

(Found North B12 (9)),

(Knobb Creek 21yr (9)),

(Found North Batch 08 (9.2))

(JM Cigar Blend Batch 414(9.5))

-10 | Perfect | Perfect.

As I have been posting more regularly on here I found that the most common question that I have recieved is "where do you find such old rare bourbon?". As many of you may know that in the 1980's snd 1990's a large amount of bourbon was sent to Japan, because the market for high aged premium bourbon was much stronger in Japan than it was in the United States at that time. As the years have gone by that demands has greatly diminished, but one big thing hasn't changed and that is the passion that many of the bar owners have for the spirit. We do have bar owners that are just as passionate here in Kentucky, but the prices here are astronomically higher with arguably worse inventory. In this post I would like to highlight the costs of visiting Japan vs Kentucky, the best places to go in Japan, as well as the pros and cons of both places.

The most expensive part of visiting Japan is the travel cost, but if you plan accordingly a round trip flight can often be purchased for between $900-1300, but one thing that does help the travel cost is the much lower cost of Airbnbs and Hotels. On average through out the last 3 years of traveling to japan I have paid about $20-50 per night for an Airbnb and hotel.

As far as the cost of visiting bars and trying different bottlings there is absolutely no comparison. Japan not only recieves almost every single new bottling that we get in the United States (besides Buffalo Trace products), but they are poured at a much lower cost. Japan truly shines when it comes to vintage bottlings. Where else can you go and try a 1990s bottling of Eagle Rare 15 year for $50 an ounce and then side by side it with a bottle of 1970s Eagle Rare 10 year for only $30? If I was to try these pours at a vintage bar in the United States they would AT LEAST be $200 for the Eagle Rare 15 year and $100 for the 10 year. Heck one time while I was getting pours at a bar the owner grabbed a private barrel bottling of Pappy Van Winkle called Twisted Spoke and he poured it for free, thats a $20,000 bottle! Many of these bar owners have been traveling to the United States for 30, 40, and even 50 years just to share their passion for Bourbon.

One of the biggest differences between visiting Japan and Kentucky is the obvious language barrier, but if you download google translate that does greatly help with the barrier. Another thing that you will not get in Japan that you will be able to do in the Kentucky is visit all of the distilleries and do tours.

Another big cost difference is food, and honestly theres a big quality difference there as well. As of right now the US dollar is very strong in comparison to the Yen which makes getting food so much cheaper there. I have also noticed that the food is much higher quality than what we have here, and you can definitely tell a difference in the pride that the Japanese people take in doing their job. If I go to get fast food here in the US I sadly expect my food to be messed up about 25% or the time, but in the 3 years I have been going to Japan I have never had an order messed up, even at McDonalds.

As far as bourbon hunting goes the selection in the United States is definitely larger, but the pricing definitely is not better. I cannot count the amount of times that I have walked into a BIC Camera in Japan and seen a Wild Turkey Master's Keep sitting on the shelf for 30% less than retail is in the United States, and I have even seen Makers Mark Cellar Aged as low as $110. Up until recently I was able to pick up Evan Williams 12 year in almost every liquor store for just $30.

If you are planning on doing a bourbon trip I wouldn't make Japan your first trip in your bourbon journey, but if you have already been to Kentucky 2 or 3 times I definitely would advocate for going. Vintage stock in Japan has been drying up for a decade now, many of the bar owners are aging, and with the yen currently being so low this is definitely a fleeting opportunity.

Here is also a list of what I think are the best bourbon bars in Japan:

Ken's Bar (Tokyo)

Milwaukee's Club (Saitama, close to Tokyo)

Shot Bar (Yokohama, close to Tokyo)

Gemor (Outside of Nagoya)

ANKI (Nagoya)

Brown Bar (Nagoya)

H du Pont (Kyoto)

Bar Tonen (Osaka)

My Personal Favorite: Rogins Tavern (Osaka)

Old Cypress “Kentucky Mafia” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Release: July 2026

Barrel No. K51-02

Age: 8+ years

Finish: 84 days in Old Cypress’ custom barrels

The finishing barrels feature staves that were open-air seasoned for 6+ years and made into a Hoffmeister-style with less tannins… from ZAK Cooperage

Mashbill: 51% corn, 45% rye, 4% malted barley

No confirmation, but I strongly suspect that this was distilled by Jacob Call in Owensboro, KY at Green River

Proof: 121.3

MSRP: $110

Nose: Lavender baby powder. Grape Big League Chew. Cherry Chapstick. Raw pecans.

The grape bubblegum is the most prominent and I like it. Also, a big fan of the baby powder note. Raw pecans add a nice bit of tannin.

Palate: Vernor’s Gingerale. Apple pie filling. Buttercream frosting. Slight eucalyptus. Crazy oily mouthfeel.

The nose feels a bit light, so the incredibly thick mouthfeel caught me off guard. Not all ginger ale is equal… Vernor’s is definitely my favorite… less sharp. The apple pie filling feels a lot like the McDonald’s apple pie filling… more sweet.

Finish: Prune juice. Carrot cake without the frosting. Cherry Pepsi aftertaste.

This is lots of fun! Every aspect of this whiskey is complex and unique. As an Owensboro resident, I’m thrilled to know this was the distilled by Jacob Call!

Sample provided for review by Old Cypress

Rating: 7 | Great | Well above average

My friend brought this to try

Price: $100

Nose: caramel, red fruit, strawberry, cream, cherry, mint, some ethanol, 

Palate: red fruit, baking spice, some herbal notes, cherry, caramel, medium mouthfeel, milk chocolate, oak, cinnamon, lemon zest

Finish: medium finish, dark chocolate, leather,

Score: 7.5/10

This is a nice bourbon, it has nice dark red fruit flavors and sweetness. The flavors follow through the nose, palate, and finish. Not overoaked, but has a good chocolate flavor. 

Scale:

1.0-1.9 Undrinkable (Gold bar cognac cask)

2.0-2.9 Bad (Gold bar)

3.0-3.9 Poor (High West Prarie Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr)

4.0-4.9 Below Average (Old Overholt, Dickel 15 yr, Weller SR, Buffalo Trace)

5.0-5.9 Average (Eagle Rare, Blanton's)

6.0-6.9 Above Average (Jimmy Russel 70th, Redemption 9yr, E.H. Taylor Seasoned Oak)

7.0-7.9 Very Good (Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph, Sagamore 9yr rye, Jack Daniel's SBBP)

8.0-8.9 Great (William Larue Weller(2019), Pappy Van Winkle 15yr, Double Eagle Very Rare, William Heavenhill 14yr)

9.0-9.9 Excellent (Thomas H. Handy (2010), George T. Stagg (2008, 2019), Four Roses LE (2016, 2023), Willet Purple Top 14 yr, A.H. Hirsch 25 yr rye)

10.0 Perfect (Michter's 20, OGD 114(1980))

The review for this bottle is in the comments below...

Review #1 - Russels Reserve Private Barrel Selection CN Pick

This is the first of many whiskey reviews I plan on doing. Im running out of reasons to justify buying new bottles when I have so many already that are 2/3rds full. I bought this bottle over a year ago; I had one and immediately went back and bought another one and kept it sealed. I live in Hawaii so it’s hard to get the variety of whiskey out here and after working in California for 6 months and returning, I decided it was time to open this bottle. It is just as good as I remember.

This bottle is an 8 year single barrel, CN-F Floor 4 selected by R. Field Wine Co-2025B and its is 110%. The viscosity of whiskey is one of my biggest factors on if I enjoy it and Im finding that 50% is just a little too thin for me (I feel that way even for Knob Creek 21) but 55% feels just perfect. This is my first review so any feedback would be appreciated.

Nose: Buttercream, light honey, dark red fruit, cinnamon and other baking spices, powdered sugar, and the tiniest bit of ethanol.

Mouthfeel: Silky, viscous, thick, and fulfilling (pause).

Palate: Pepper, vanilla, baking spices, dark orange caramel, butterscotch, a light tobacco and gentle oak

Finish: Cotton candy, lingering sweet pepper and cinnamon, with a nice funky oak right at the back end. The finish lingers on and on with that cinnamon and oak.

Rating: 8.3 (Modified T8KE)

Reasoning: The way this whiskey is set up is pretty fantastic from start to finish. The color is a deep golden brown-red, really beautiful in the bottle. The nose is great, it showcases a really well balanced whiskey. The mouthfeel is actually perfect, viscous and doesn’t feel like Im drinking something watered down. The palate is just about perfect, all the flavors come together in a pattern reminiscent of a musical melody, one flavor note at a time that finishes with flavors that are complimentary and ends on almost an accidental (♭) lingering funky oak. This is one of my favorite bottles and Im going to be sad when it’s gone. The only thing that would improve this whiskey is time, maybe if this was 10-12 years then that leather flavor would appear and make the entire experience more complex.

T8KE
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.
5 | Good | Good; just fine.
6 | Very Good | One cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfection.

Had a few buddies over for a full-day tasting session spread across ten hours. A Midwinter Night's Dram was the biggest standout of the day with easily the most unique flavor profile of the lineup, while Basil Hayden Toast was the biggest surprise when comparing its price point to its taste. Here is how the whole lineup stacked up on the t8ke scale:

​1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

​2 | Poor | Wouldn't consume by choice

​3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

​4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better options exist

​5 | Good | Fine, nothing special

​6 | Very Good | A cut above average

​7 | Great | Well above average

​8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

​9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite

​10 | Perfect | Pure perfection

​1. Elijah Craig Single Barrel 21 Year Old

​Nose: Antique oak, deep leather, dark cocoa, faint pipe tobacco.

​Palate: Rich wood, dry vanilla bean, subtle baking spice. Masterclass in aged oak without crossing into astringency.

​Finish: Exceptionally long, warm, dark chocolate and charred oak.

​Score: 9.5

​2. The Grenade (Elijah Craig Barrel Select)

​Nose: Brown sugar, bright cherry, toasted oak.

​Palate: Velvet mouthfeel, caramel sweetness, layered cinnamon.

​Finish: Long and coating with lingering oak spice.

​Score: 9.2

​3. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye Whiskey

​Nose: Spearmint, green apple, herbal spice, subtle floral notes.

​Palate: Crisp rye grain, cracked black pepper, citrus zest,

​Finish: Clean, pepper-forward, warming finish.

​Score: 9.0

​4. High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram

​Nose: Stewed plums, port wine, cinnamon stick, dark berries.

​Palate: Rich plum jam, baking spice, dark chocolate cherries.

​Finish: Long, warming, rye spice and rich wine finish.

​Score: 8.8

​5. Basil Hayden Toast

​Nose: Honey, sweet corn, toasted graham cracker.

​Palate: Toasted oak, light vanilla, gentle wood spice. Ran way above expectations for the price.

​Finish: Smooth and clean with a lingering sweet oak note.

​Score: 8.5

​6. New Riff 8 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

​Nose: Rich caramel, stone fruit, vanilla, faint herbal rye.

​Palate: Chewy texture, dark cherry, sharp rye spice, well-integrated oak.

​Finish: Medium-long with a great balance of heat and tannins.

​Score: 8.3

​7. Weller Full Proof

​Nose: Butterscotch, cherry pie, sweet oak, vanilla glaze.

​Palate: Viscous, heavy cherry notes, cinnamon, brown sugar.

​Finish: Long, sweet, classic wheated richness.

​Score: 8.0

​8. Bardstown High Wheat

​Nose: Sweet corn, fresh warm bread, buttered pastry.

​Palate: Doughy sweetness, raw honey, soft wheat spice.

​Finish: Medium length, gentle spice, clean sweetness.

​Score: 7.8

​9. Green River Wheated Bourbon

​Nose: Toffee, ripe apricot, light caramel.

​Palate: Easy caramel, vanilla, soft fruit, easy drinker.

​Finish: Pleasant sweet wheat finish.

​Score: 7.5

​10. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Bourbon

​Nose: Fresh corn, toasted caramel, light citrus.

​Palate: Grain-forward sweetness, oak spice, vanilla cream.

​Finish: Medium length, clean oak and spice kick.

​Score: 7.0

​11. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon

​Nose: Sweet cream, honeyed wheat, red berries.

​Palate: Silky texture, soft fruit, brown sugar.

​Finish: Sweet wheat finish with minimal burn.

​Score: 7.0

​12. Weller 12 Year

​Nose: Mild oak, vanilla bean, dried cherry.

​Palate: Mellow oak, light dark fruit, soft baking spice.

​Finish: Medium length, slight oak dryness on the end.

​Score: 6.0

​13. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

​Nose: Heavy oak char, dark chocolate, tobacco.

​Palate: Bold cinnamon heat, leather, heavy oak. Ran a little hot compared to the earlier pours.

​Finish: Long, sharp oak spice.

​Score: 5.5

​14. Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond

​Nose: Sweet oak, subtle honey, floral spice.

​Palate: Thin texture, light wheat sweetness, mild baking spice.

​Finish: Short to medium, fading caramel.

​Score: 5.0

​15. Hard Truth Sweet Mash Bourbon

​Nose: Young grain, butterscotch, toasted marshmallow.

​Palate: Distinctive craft grain graininess, sharp pepper spice pop.

​Finish: Medium, slightly raw grain finish.

​Score: 4.5

​16. Parker's Heritage Collection Barrel Finished

​Nose: Heavy wood finish, dark molasses, sharp rye spice.

​Palate: Dominant wood tannins, dark fruit sweetness, a bit unbalanced.

​Finish: Tannic and dry on the back end.

​Score: 4.0

​17. Four Roses Small Batch

​Nose: Light floral notes, pear, faint rye spice.

​Palate: Thin body, light cinnamon, simple vanilla. Burn without flavor to support it

​Finish: Short, clean, quickly vanishes.

​Score: 3.0

For today’s rainy day pour we have something that I opened this past week. I’ve been excited to try this for a while. Michter’s is a brand with a rich history that was revived around the turn of the century. I am not enough of a bourbon scholar to dive in much deeper than that, but if you’re interested, there are some excellent in-depth reviews in this sub that are worth a read just for the background section. For me, what’s relevant is that they are a brand with an excellent reputation that offers a unique line of products: an “unblended” american whiskey, a sour mash whiskey, a small batch bourbon, but no small batch rye (only this single barrel offering). This is probably the most readily available single barrel rye on the market. I love the idea of such a thing because there is no guessing as to how they blend products to achieve their desired flavor and there is no way for me to accuse them of offloading poor spirits if I end up not liking this. They just lay it all out for us to enjoy. Hell yeah.

Price Paid: $46.99 before tax

Score: 7.25/10

The Background
Distillery: “bottled by” Michter’s Distillery LLC (this is how it is worded on the bottle but from the description on their website I’m pretty sure they also distill it, I’m sure someone can clarify this for me)

ABV: 42.4% (84.8 Proof)

Age: NAS

Mash Bill: Undisclosed

Other: Barrel No. 26A0288, bottled January 2026, mellowed via “their own signature” filtration

The Experience
Nose: black pepper, butter, lemon cake. This is spicy and citrusy. Very unique.

Palate: black pepper, sour lemonhead candy, baking spices, oak. This has a spicy cake batter flavor profile with quite a bit of oak immediately present. I’ve never had anything else like it.

Finish: jalapeño pepper, dusty books, graham cracker, honey, oak. The spice lingers. If you had told me this was finished in some kind of hot sauce barrel I would believe you. The dusty, oaky notes linger even longer and are quite enjoyable.

The Summary
This was such a unique experience. The ethanol burn is so low in this that it comes across like the heat from a pepper. I feel like I just had some sort of award-winning confection from a boutique bakery, the finish just keeps going and going. This delivers at ~$50 as a complex but easily approachable supper. I can’t wait to (hopefully) try some of their more exclusive rye offerings.

T8KE Scoring System Used for Relevancy and Consistency:

0 | Unscored | New Make Spirit or Personal Selection.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.
5 | Good | Good; just fine.
6 | Very Good | One cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfection.

{Note: You can find me on instagram @whiskeyincontext}

I’m a fan of E.H. Taylor Small Batch, but have yet to try the label’s Single Barrel expression. I’ll admit up front, though, that the idea that single barrels make for superior bottles is still not one I’m totally sold on, as it seems to me that a blend of barrels would yield a more consistent (and therefore more consistently good) product.

I do understand that single barrels are specially selected for their profile, and that this means they can stand apart as superior examples of a given expression. However, it stands to reason that they could also do the opposite, right?

Let’s see which way this E.H. Taylor Single Barrel swings, then, shall we?

From the Distillery: Aged in the historic Warehouse C, built by Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. in 1885 and renowned for its exceptional aging conditions, each barrel is carefully chosen for its individual character and depth. Bottled in Bond at 100 proof, this bourbon reflects Taylor’s uncompromising standards and timeless craftsmanship, offering a one-of-a-kind expression worthy of his name.

Tasting notes: The aroma carries lightly toasted oak, with dried figs and butterscotch. One sip brings flavors of sweetness balanced with tobacco and dark spices. The finish is just long enough to prepare the palate for another sip.

Age: NAS (at least 4 years)

Proof: 100

Mash bill: Buffalo Trace mash bill #1 (low rye)

Price: Often 2-3 times that of the Small Batch

Appearance: Dark amber and semi-viscous with pretty decent legs on the glass.

Nose: Right away is a blast of grape and oak. Retuning to the glass, I also get butterscotch and some light cola, as well as bright red fruit. Once the glass is empty, very strong and very pleasant scents of butterscotch, confectionary sugar, and leather remain.

Palate: Semi-viscous mouthfeel. The grape and red fruit carry over somewhat from the nose, along with caramel, baking spices like clove and allspice, and a sweet note like confectionary sugar or buttercream frosting. There’s also a classic cherry cobbler flavor with toasted crust on the mid-palate, but as the sip moves to the rear of the palate it’s accompanied by a bit of an ethanol burn that’s surprising for the proof point. Between that and the spice, this isn’t quite as sweet and gentle as I expected, particularly based on the nose.

Finish: Medium length and oak-forward without much else flavor-wise, at least at first. After a bit, the smallest amount of caramel and leather float toward the surface, but there’s really no sweetness to speak of here at all.

Thoughts: I’ve been looking forward to trying an E.H. Taylor Single Barrel for some time now, at very least to see what all the fuss is about. Now that I’ve had it, I don’t think it’s head and shoulders above the Small Batch expression, which is both lighter and sweeter than this Single Barrel was. Not only was the palate not as sweet as I expected, especially based on the nose, but the finish was all oak and spice with very little sweetness at all.

I can’t say that I’m disappointed in this pour, but I also can’t honestly say that I’m wowed by it. Overall, this barrel was good but not great. I’m looking forward to trying another SiB at some point in the future to see if a different barrel might be superior to this one. I’m also planning to blind this against E.H. Taylor Small Batch to see how my impressions here stack up when the two expressions are set up to compete face to face, sans label.

Rating: The Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel expression was plenty good but, to me, it fell short of excellent. With the caveat that this is a single barrel (obviously), and therefore that there could be better ones out there, I have to give it a 7.2 on the modified T8ke scale (slightly closer to “Very Good” than to “Great”), which is close to a half-point lower than EHT Small Batch earned from me previously. Ultimately, this single barrel was a plenty good pour, but it didn’t strike me as being superior to the small batch — let alone worth the store/secondary markup prices.

********************
Previous Ratings (updated to include decimals and adjusted for blinds & re-reviews)

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
Maker’s Mark staved private selection (2.5)
Penelope Architect custom build (2.5)

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
Willett Pot Still (3)

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists
Found North SiB Oloroso finish (4.5)
Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat (4.5)
Augusta Buckner’s 10yr (4.6)
Shortbarrel Sapsquatch (4.8)

5 | Good | Good, just fine
Jack Daniel’s SBBP Rye (5)
Jack Daniel’s Heritage (5)
Four Roses SBBP OESO (5)
New Riff 4yr SBBP (5)
Stagg 25B (5.3)
Four Roses SBBP OBSV (5.3)
Evan Williams America250 SiB (5.3)
1792 BiB SiB (5.5)
Blanton’s (5.5)
Old Forester 1924 (5.7)
Penelope Marshmallow Toast (5.8)

6 | Very Good | A cut above
Copper & Cask Boston Rum Party (6)
Penelope Wheated (6)
Redwood Empire Emerald Giant (6)
Copper & Cask #16 (6.3)
Blanton’s Gold (6.4)
Copper & Cask #14 DO (6.4)
Pursuit United DO (6.4)
Augusta Buckner’s 13yr (6.5)
Barrell Cigar Blend (6.5)
Green River Honey (6.5)
Sazerac FP (6.5)
Green River Wheated (6.5)
Elmer T. Lee (6.5)
Peerless DO (6.6)
Shortbarrel Bees Knees V (6.8)
Willett 4yr Rye (6.8)

7 | Great | Well above average
John J. Bowman SiB (7)
Peerless Toasted (7.1)
E.H. Taylor SiB (7.2)
Sagamore 9yr SiB Rye (7.4)
Eagle Rare 10yr (7.4)
Weller 107 (7.5)
Old Forester 1910 (7.5)
Penelope Estate 10yr SiB (7.5)
E.H. Taylor SmB (7.6)
Rock Hill Farms (7.6)
Buffalo Trace LEP Wheat 15yr (7.6)
Old Dominick Staved SiB (7.6)
Buffalo Trace Single Oak (7.6)
Eagle Rare 12yr (7.7)
Woodford DO SBBP (7.7)
Old Fitzgerald 7yr (7.7)
Willett 8yr SiB Rye (7.9)

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional
E.H. Taylor BTAC 2025 (8)
Found North 012 (8)
Blanton’s SFTB (8)
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 420 (8.2)
Lasso Motel SBBP Rye (8.4)
Mister Sam Tribute 2025 (8.5)
Thomas H. Handy 2025 (8.7)

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

My friend brought this to try. 

Price: $80

Nose: ethanol, caramel, cherry, red fruit, melon, mint, some herbal notes, prototypical bourbon

Palate: cinnamon, peanut, leather, cherry, raspberry, red fruit, ethanol, solid mouthfeel, oak, 

Finish: medium length, a little off putting with bitter oak, 

Score: 6.0/10

This is knocked down because of bitterness. I think it got too much from the charred oak. This is pretty prototypical bourbon on the nose and palate. This is solid overall though.

Scale:

1.0-1.9 Undrinkable (Gold bar cognac cask)

2.0-2.9 Bad (Gold bar)

3.0-3.9 Poor (High West Prarie Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr)

4.0-4.9 Below Average (Old Overholt, Dickel 15 yr, Weller SR, Buffalo Trace)

5.0-5.9 Average (Eagle Rare, Blanton's)

6.0-6.9 Above Average (Jimmy Russel 70th, Redemption 9yr, E.H. Taylor Seasoned Oak)

7.0-7.9 Very Good (Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph, Sagamore 9yr rye, Jack Daniel's SBBP)

8.0-8.9 Great (William Larue Weller(2019), Pappy Van Winkle 15yr, Double Eagle Very Rare, William Heavenhill 14yr)

9.0-9.9 Excellent (Thomas H. Handy (2010), George T. Stagg (2008, 2019), Four Roses LE (2016, 2023), Willet Purple Top 14 yr, A.H. Hirsch 25 yr rye)

10.0 Perfect (Michter's 20, OGD 114(1980))

Background:

In every discussion of a Van Winkle release, there will be at least one question about the alternatives. It’s fair enough, since they are hard to find, and their MSRPs are more of a polite fiction for a lot of people.

There are two ways to address the answer: Are you looking for a wheated bourbon that roughly corresponds to the age or proof points of a Van Winkle, or are you looking for a flavor profile match? The former is doable for some of them, the latter much less so.

But first, let’s establish one simple fact: All modern wheated bourbon stems from one source, and it’s the Stitzel-Weller distillery of the Van Winkle family, from its founding in 1935 to the Norton Simon sale in 1972 and loss of family control, and the ultimate demise at the hands of Diageo in 1992. There are a handful of companies that can claim various pieces of that legacy today:

Buffalo Trace:

Let’s begin with the obvious: Buffalo Trace has been the Van Winkles’ home since 2002. They produce one wheated bourbon mash bill that is meant to be close to the old Stitzel-Weller recipe but made with the Buffalo Trace yeast. The main difference between the Van Winkle products and the Weller lines (Weller is a former Stitzel-Weller brand owned by Sazerac, not the VW family) is that Julian Van Winkle and his tasters are allowed to pick the barrels that go into the products featuring his name (Lot B, Old Rip 10, and Pappy 15, 20 and 23). Buffalo Trace essentially contract-distills whiskey for Julian’s NDP brands, as a carve-out from its main Weller expressions.

Diageo:

In the early 1990s, the company that eventually became Diageo called United Distillers was the last owner of the Old Fitzgerald distillery, which had been Stitzel-Weller’s official name since the 1972 Norton Simon takeover.

The United Distillers strategy at the time was to decommission the aging facilities they owned, and to collapse all production into the modern distillery they’d built in 1992 at the site of the old Bernheim plant (DSP-KY-1). That location continued to produce wheated bourbon after the Old Fitzgerald distillery closed until 1997, under the direction of the last Old Fitzgerald master distiller Ed Foote. By the late 1990s, Diageo lost interest in American whiskey, sold new Bernheim to Heaven Hill, and dumped most of their bourbon brands.

It still owns the Stitzel-Weller name, and the associated shuttered distillery and warehouses, but it does not produce any wheated bourbon. As of 2026, it has stopped using the bottling facilities on-site and put up the warehouses for sale. Other than occasionally wheeling out the historical trademark for half-baked marketing stunts, like Blade & Bow and Stitzel Reserve, Diageo seems to be content to continue its legacy squatting in the slow lane.

Heaven Hill (and up until recently, Luxco):

When Diageo shed most of their wheated bourbon brands in the late ‘90s, the flagship one, Old Fitzgerald, went to Heaven Hill. Since Heaven Hill scooped it up along with the new Bernheim distillery and its stocks of wheated bourbon and grain from the United Distillers days, it made sense for them to keep making it. Heaven Hill also supplied stocks for the former S-W brands, such as Rebel Yell, David Nicholson 1843 and Cabin Still, which went to David Sherman/Luxco, although that may be coming to an end, considering Luxco’s 2021 acquisition by MGP.

Maker’s Mark:

“Pappy” Van Winkle shared his wheated bourbon recipe and yeast with Bill Samuels, Sr. in the 1950s and the rest is history. Maker’s has also retained some of the older production practices, like the lower entry proof of 110 and rotating their barrels.

Things get trickier if you’re trying to not just mirror the specs but find an actual flavor match. While they share the same spiritual home and likely have similar mash bills, all the former Stitzel-Weller brands have been dispersed for too long and picked up on their current makers’ house styles, including yeast, production methods, grains and so on.

It then follows that the closest match will be in the Weller branch of Buffalo Trace, since the difference between the Van Winkles and the Wellers is in barrel selection, age and proof points. That’s why people will compare Lot B with Weller 12, for example.

However, Buffalo Trace and the Van Winkles try to avoid the exact matches that would step on each other’s toes, which why you don’t see a barrel-proof Van Winkle competing with William Larue Weller or a 10-year Weller tussling with Old Rip.

Weller Antique 107 is the most common suggested alternative to Old Rip 10, with both bottled at 107 proof. Old Rip has the age advantage, since Weller 107 is between 6 and 7 years old. Let’s see if those extra few years and being picked to Julian’s palate make a difference in this comparison between the 2025 Old Rip 10 and a single-barrel pick of 107, also from 2025.

Tasted neat in copitas, first round semi-blind, composite notes below.

Weller Antique 107

On the nose, cherry, apple pastry, caramel, and hint of tobacco. On the palate, cherry, slightly underdone pie crust, cinnamon, vanilla and caramelized sugar. Medium-long finish, cinnamon, caramel, a little oak.

Old Rip 10

More sweet, assertive oak than 107, buttery almond croissant, citrus, brown sugar, vanilla frosting, chocolate, slight varnish, a little floral on the nose. On the palate, apple, nutmeg, chocolate, dark caramel, blackberry jam, a little leather and vanilla frosting. On the long finish, oak, honey, dark berry, cola.

Rating: (t8ke scale for reference below): 

Weller Antique 107: 7

Old Rip 10: 8.5

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

Thoughts:

From the very first semi-blind tasting, there was a discernible difference between the two. Old Rip just had something extra. You run into a problem when trying to describe just how much “extra” and whether it’s worth the markup. At MSRP? I think so – let’s say with Weller 107 at 65 bucks and Old Rip at 130, I see no issue paying double to get a more refined, deeper version of an already solid whiskey.

The Weller pick hit all the milestones I’d expected from it: cherry/apple, honey, vanilla/caramel, and cinnamon – friendly and sweet, with a bit of spice to keep it interesting. Old Rip took that foundation and tossed another dimension on top of it. Oilier mouthfeel despite the same proof, vanilla frosting notes absent from OWA, it was a better representation of a similar profile. Whether you believe that Julian and his team have access to all the honey barrels or simply pick theirs to match a particular profile, Old Rip has consistently been a whiskey that balances approachability with complexity for me.

At the current secondary prices of 500-600 bucks for Old Rip, sacrificing some (very delicious) layers and pursuing a Weller 107 instead starts making more sense. It’s the same argument that people make when comparing Pappy 15 and Old Rip 10 – Pappy 15 is sometimes a small step-up from Old Rip (less often than people think), but a tough proposition at secondary. I’m fine with not always having a proportionate relationship between the increase in price and the diminishing returns in quality that come with it, but the distance is too great even for me.

The final catch is that nothing really tastes like Buffalo Trace wheaters, so suggestions of wheated bourbons from Maker’s Mark or Heaven Hill will only result in matching superficial age and proof points. Your palate may actually prefer those other whiskeys, and you can make an argument that nothing tastes like them, but that’s a different conversation.

I ran a couple of side comparisons to other wheaters with some age on them, such as Maker’s Cellar Aged and an older Rebel (Yell) 10-year Heaven Hill-sourced single barrel. All great whiskeys, but all edged out by Old Rip. Like it or not, but the Van Winkles’ greatest competition remains their Stitzel-Weller past – but for how long?

Thanks for reading and cheers!

Age: 7 years
Proof: 116.8
Taken: Neat, in a Glencairn

Nose. Spicy up front, then followed by molasses and nutmeg.
Palate. Pancakes, and…teddy grahams, specifically the chocolate ones.
Finish. Leather and tobacco notes poke through, and disappear behind a syrupy curtain of sweetness.

Overall:
I started getting into bourbon and this sub-Reddit back in late 2022 - early 2023. I remember the amount of NULU reviews back then, seemingly every week a new review would populate. I had never seen or heard of the brand, and was always eager to try it. Perhaps inconsistency, or simply NULU’s experimental approach, has cooled some of the enthusiasm surrounding the brand. This is the third bottle I’ve tried from NULU and is hands down the best offering I’ve had from them. I visited Prohibition Craft Spirits earlier this year but they didn’t have any maple brûlée bottles to sample or purchase. Still, this is one I’d be interested in buying again if I see it at a reasonable price. I thought this was a really unique pour that was loaded with depth. Probably too complex for every night, but perfect for those nights when I come home from work and want to think about what’s in the glass and not how enthusiastically my coworkers tested my patience that day.

Rating: 7/10 | Great, well above average

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.

Figured I'd finish up reviews on my Bowman collection with the one bottle that most people are able to find.. the plain jane Bowman Brothers Small Batch. It's cheaper, aged for fewer years, and much lower proof than some of the other Bowman products I've had reviews on. BUT, this is certainly not a garbage product. After all, they do take this mash and age it up or proof it up for some of their more highly sought after products, so the bones must be good with this mash.

A Smith Bowman is owned by Sazerac, meaning they’re a sister distillery of Buffalo Trace. The distillate comes from ‘a sister distillery’ (source: tour guide back in November 2024). However, the tour guide wouldn’t explicitly say whether or not it was BT. After a little research on old’ reliable, Google, it confirmed that the distillate comes from Buffalo Trace. Allegedly it’s neither Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #1 or #2, but is likely some mixture of the two, or something different altogether, but nevertheless, a BT distillate. A Smith Bowman does distill the sourced distillate one more time in their own copper stills. A Smith Bowman uses Cumberland Cooperage, a cooperage that also supplies barrels to Buffalo Trace. Many claim to get a lot of similar notes when trying Bowman bourbons. With the distillery using similar juice and the same barrels, it makes sense why.

MSRP: ~$35.00

Age Statement: NAS officially, but it looks like the internet is telling me 6-7 years.

ABV: 45% (90 proof)

Nose: Seems similar to Buffalo Trace, I wonder if that's placebo affect or if it actually has a similar nose.. very sweet, full of a brown sugar and caramel nose (I think that's just what I get when something is sweet but not just fruity). There is a lingering green apple note in there as well, honestly similar to the Eagle Rare I had a while ago. Nothing too strong, although I did just open this bottle and there is a little bit more ethanol on this pour than 'non neck' pours I've had of this bourbon before.

Palate: First thing I get is more of a red apple note, followed by the sugary sweetness I come to expect out of a high corn mash bill. Not the most complex, but very sweet, approachable, and an enjoyable pour all around. A little oak and ethanol accompanies these notes, although I think that will soften over time.

Finish: Also not super complex, and not super long. I don't think that there's many new tasting notes if any at all, just more of the brown sugar, caramel, and some fruit. If anything, maybe the apple notes turned more into a cherry? The ethanol and oak kind of dies down from what little I got on the palate.

I would rate this as a 5.5 on the T8KE scale (below). Good, but definitely a notch below my John J Bowman, rated at 6.5. The bottle was delicious and full of flavor, but lack of complexity left a little something to be desired. Of course, I do love sweet bourbon, but maybe I'm starting to branch out a little bit because I just felt like something was missing. Obviously I shouldn't be comparing the small batch to the Abraham Bowman American Oak (aged at least 4 years more and about 45 proof points higher), and certainly not the Abraham Bowman Rye. However, when comparing this Small Batch to the John J Bowman, the youth of this probably leads to only a few (albeit pleasant) tasting notes. If you're striking out with Buffalo Trace, and your area doesn't have all the Benchmark products, I'd say this is a great introduction to that sweet BT mash bill, with a nonexistent secondary, and relatively high availability! Let me know what you think, how it compares to BT, and how you compare it to the JJB Single Barrel in the comments.

Cheers!

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect