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13th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: The Championships
Welcome back, folks! We are now at the end of the 2026 contest. Eight whiskeys entered the arena. Four have fallen by the wayside. There have been some delicious treats, with not a single stinker in the bunch. Let’s see how it all ends and if we’ve learned anything along the way. First, we have the Round Two matchups. Division 2: Crooked Meteor (Maker’s 46) vs. Wobbly Parachute (Benchmark Single Barrel) Pre-Reveal Thoughts: On the mouth Wobbly Parachute is giving me a little more cherry and baking spice. Crooked Meteor also gives some fruit and baking spice, but tosses a little bubblegum in there too. Crooked Meteor has a softer mouthfeel, being almost velvety by comparison. Wobbly Parachute is sweeter on the nose showing more toffee-This is so close that I'm going to hazard a guess that the winner here goes on to take the whole thing. I like Crooked Meteor's nose better. Wobbly Parachute has a nicer finish. At the end of the day though the mouthfeel of Crooked Meteor gives this just t
by Eric Burke2 viewsbracketsbourbonbartonbuffalo-tracebrown-formanfour-roses - news
13th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1d: Redemption Bourbon vs Early Times Bottled-in-Bond
Hello again my friends! We are back with the final of our Round 1 Competitions. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2026 BourbonGuy.com Brackets continues with Division 1’s Number 1 seed, Early Times Bottled-in-Bond taking on Number 4 seed, Redemption. This is an interesting competition as it featured the highest proof pour versus the lowest proof as well as the two least expensive pours in the competition. Fun fact, each of these pours seem to be brands in transition as we will detail below. This bottle of Redemption is a two year old sourced bourbon from Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, producers of Bib & Tucker, Masterson’s Rye, Gray Whale Gin, and Josh Cellars wine. Redemption is sourced from MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. We are featuring a slightly older bottling as it looks as if the brand may have updated their bottle and possibly reformulated their bourbon since this bottle was produced
by Eric Burke2 viewsbartonbourbonsazeracnon-distiller-producerbrackets - news
13th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1c: Maker’s 46 vs Woodford Reserve
Good afternoon friends! We are back yet again with the third of our Round 1 Competitions. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2026 BourbonGuy.com Brackets continues with Division 2’s Number 3 seed, Woodford Reserve taking on Number 2 seed, Maker’s 46. Maker’s 46 was the second wide-release, permanent product in the history of Maker’s Mark. The first being…Maker’s Mark. It came after much experimentation under the direction Bill Samuels Jr., son of founder Bill Samuels Sr. The “46” is said to be the winning trial number in the original experiments. Maker’s 46 takes the original wheated Maker’s Mark and “finishes” with the addition of French Oak staves toward the end of the aging process for a sweeter and spicier product. Maker’s 46 is produced at the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY. This bottle was purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel in Prior Lake, MN for $29.97 for a 750 mL bottle or $2.
by Eric Burke2 viewsmakers-markbrown-formanbourbonbrackets - news
13th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1b: 1792 vs. Yellowstone Select
And we’re back with the second of our Round 1 Competitions. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2026 BourbonGuy.com Brackets continues with Division 1’s Number 3 seed, Yellowstone Select taking on Number 2 seed, 1792 Bourbon. Yellowstone Select is the flagship product of the Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KY. This is the first time that a Yellowstone release has been in the contest. Prior to the brand, coming home to Limestone Branch, it certainly would have qualified. But then it got better and was priced out of range. And now because inflation is weird, it fits again. This bottle was purchased at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN for $29.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $2.00 per pour. Their opponent is a bourbon that I have consumed more than my fair share of as we used to get a lot of barrel pick versions of it down at my local corner liquor store. 1792 Bourbon is produced by Sazerac at thei
by Eric Burke1 viewbourbonbracketsbartonlux-row-yellowstone - news
13th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1a: Benchmark Single Barrel vs. Four Roses Small Batch
Here we go! Let’s get down to the competitions. I hope that you guys are as excited about this as I am. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2026 BourbonGuy.com Brackets starts with Division 2’s Number 4 seed, Four Roses Small Batch taking on Number 1 seed, Benchmark Single Barrel Bourbon . Four Roses Small Batch , produced by the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY, used to be this Four Roses Fanboy’s favorite pour from them. I really enjoyed the mellow, nuanced flavor. Of course, as I grew accustomed to higher proof bourbons, it soon felt a little…weak. I still enjoy a pour of it now and then, because it is delicious, but I don’t buy it nearly as often as I used to and that makes me just a little sad. This bottle was purchased at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN for $26.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.80 per pour. Their opponent is a bourbon that I don’t think I’ve ever had before, though it’
by Eric Burke2 viewsbourbonbracketsbuffalo-tracefour-roses