The Chronicle
Latest dispatches
29 results across all types
- news
Wooler Whiskey Review: A bottle that hits the lower proof, lower price bullseye
This is a prime example of the type of bottle I'd recommend to someone looking to drink lighter, lower-proof bourbon without breaking the bank.
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HQ Build-Out: Episode 2
In this episode, I walk you through everything that happened in week one — the carpenter who knocked out the office and pantry build in about a day and a half, the wall repairs I tackled myself (manage your expectations), and where things stand on the whiskey wall.
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Replay: BITB Live Tasting #18
The 18th Bourbon in the Blind (BITB) Live Tasting of the Year was held back on 4/27/26. My apologies for the delayed posting of the replay video. The lineup included six samples that provided a fantastic range of expressions.
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Replay: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. Virtual Tasting
Last night, John Wadell joined us from Peerless for a virtual tasting, and if you've never met John, the guy could talk bourbon for six hours straight, and you'd want a seventh. Been with Peerless since before there was a product to taste, and that kind
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Thirty-One Lengths Bourbon is a whiskey cocktail of history and art
"At the end of the day ... 31 Lengths is more about having a conversation piece and being associated with and reveling in something historic," Smith said. Whiskey and history such as horse racing are about "capturing the moment and having fun."
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HQ Build-Out: Episode 1
We're locked in for at least 4 years, and the renovation is officially underway. Come take a look at what we're building — before the walls go up and the bottles find their home.
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Japan Meets Kentucky: BBC Mars Single Malt Japanese Whiskey Blend Review
It's not a pairing that many folks are probably sitting around hoping someone would put some effort behind. But once it's in the glass, it's pretty clear that BBC and Mars figured it out.
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Four Roses Is Swinging Big With Their New Anthology Series
Everything I've heard says it delivers. I'd love to get my hands on a bottle and tell you exactly where it lands. But $500 is where my enthusiasm and my wallet part ways. A lot of people who fell in love with Four Roses Yellow Label or Small Batch know exactly what I mean.
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How Do You Like These Apples? — A Cautionary Tale for Brands Who Can't Handle Honest Reviews
So no, we're not keeping this one quiet. When someone drags one of our people through the mud in front of an audience, we're going to respond. Not out of spite. Not to manufacture drama. But because staying silent has a cost too, and we've already paid it once.
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Did Wild Turkey Just Pull A Springsteen?
Here's the thing about Wild Turkey. The brand has always meant something. Not just good whiskey — accessible good whiskey. Wild Turkey 101 is one of the best values in bourbon, full stop.
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Replay: Log Still Distillery Virtual Tasting
Last night, we had Wally Dant from Log Still Distillery out of Gethsemane, Kentucky, join us for a virtual tasting, and I'll say this upfront — he was more than worth the invite. Big thanks to Steven Edds for making it happen on their end, and shoutout to
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Double Share of Angel's Envy in '26: 10-year Cask Strength Bourbon & Rye
Precision and intent is what master distiller Owen Martin has brought to Angel's Envy whiskies. Over the past few years, he's refined, sharpened and made them uniform in ways that yield them predictably delicious.
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Garryana wood plays profound flavor role in Bardstown Bourbon Co. Cascadia Bourbon
This wood and barrel toast strategy drives powerful flavors and aromas. The nose is surprisingly vibrant for its 107 proof. The whiskeys' 9 to 10 year age range emboldens the nose considerably with bruleed sugar, warm brownies, charred oak and overripe apples.
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The First B&B Associate Bourbon Steward Class Is in the Books
Twenty people walked into B&B HQ on Saturday morning. All twenty are now Certified Bourbon Stewards. That's a 100% pass rate, which I'll take — though I'll also admit I was rooting hard for everyone in that room.
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Lower Prices, Lower Proofs: The New Trend Bringing Bourbon To The Masses
With the bourbon base pulling back from purchasing, brands need to expand to wider audiences to continue growing. To do that means coming to market with more approachable products.
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Scarcity, quality make Rare Perfection 10 year Bourbon a Worthy Find
Calling it "just another 10 year old bourbon" also is an understatement. This is a bold and beautiful cask strength pour that shows its maturity and complexity right from the opening. Most whiskies of this age need a little room to stretch out in the glass, but not this one.
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New Orleans Bourbon Festival's Best-Kept Secret Exposed
This year, I returned to the NoLA Bourbon Fest (now outdoors!) and made the rounds again, and the brands came to play. I tried high‑proof single barrels, experimental finishes, and even one of the year's most anticipated releases.
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Sweet and Spicy notes highlight Maker's Mark 2026 'The Stewards Release'
Since Maker's makes no bad whiskey, what's in the bottle is good sipping whiskey. Not a fault with it. But I prefer the two others in the Wood Finishing Series, The Keepers and The Heart, better.
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A Very Whiskey Wedding
"I was so surprised when Macaulay told me he was going to throw this impromptu wedding in less than 48 hours. But then again, it's the most Macaulay thing I could imagine." -Patrick Pho, District of Bourbon
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A 'Ryeteous' and Powerful Pour: Frey Ranch Uncut Rye Whiskey
The palate is delightfully sweet, candied even, with bubble gum, mint, lemon and orange rinds and white pepper roaming about and stalking your tastebuds. Along with its pleasant proof-warmth come bright, vibrantly fruity flavors that shift between tropical and stone fruits.
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Tamworth Garden VSOP Apple Brandy Review
The Tamworth Apple Brandy's nose starts off with toasted oak, cedar, cinnamon and some discernible fruit. The palate fares better with light fruit, elegant body and a long and lingering finish. But there's nothing about it that screams apple brandy. Am I wrong to want that?
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Booker's Big Easy Batch: Honest, Approachable Full-Bodied Bourbon
This is neither a showy whiskey with cask-finished flavor vectors nor a particularly powerful pour. It's an honest, approachable, full-bodied bourbon that makes old school drinkers say, "Now that's bourbon!" It's the kind of whiskey Booker Noe liked and wanted to share with others.
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Replay: Barrell Craft Spirits Virtual Tasting
(No summary available.)
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Bourbon Classic 2026 Recap: Highlights From Louisville’s Whiskey Weekend
Louisville’s Bourbon Classic seems to zag where Bardstown’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival zigs. Where KBF marks the start of fall, the Bourbon Classic signals the end of winter. Where KBF leans into an outdoor, festival‑style experience, the Classic keeps it indoors with curated programming and