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 Here you will find a selection of our top general articles from Castle & Cairn by topic. If you're looking to get started, this list should keep you busy for a while! Sections are updated as we publish new posts. For more background on this blog and our purpose, visit the About Us page.

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Whiskey General Information

Whiskey is both a beverage and a hobby. Educating yourself regarding the history of whiskey is a great way to connect with people the world over. Long a go-to topic for hotel bars, talking about a favorite pour or cocktail is a fantastic way to break the ice with strangers. The growing list below has a summary of everything I have learned along my whiskey journey, roughly broken out by level of depth. Feel free to peruse in any order you like, the sections are merely to break things into more palatable chunks, some of the articles are quite long!

Intro to Whiskey

This section holds what could be considered "common" whiskey facts as well as guidance for those just starting to get into the whiskey hobby.

Intermediate Whiskey Knowledge

By now you feed good about drinking whiskey neat and enjoy it. This section is geared to aid those who have tried a number of whiskeys and wish to take the hobby to the next level. The focus here is on the palate, detailing tasting experiences and sharing them. 

Advanced Whiskey Concepts

The "Advanced" section holds what is largely minutiae and science. These articles cover chemistry, food science, and production methods in depth and are written with the "whiskey nerd" in mind. 
For a full list of our reviews, complete with bottle backgrounds and history, visit: Reviews. For a table with all spirits reviews and their ratings, please reference the frame below. Note that all reviewed bottles have been tasted multiple times, often with a blind tasting to solidify the rating. Ratings are adjusted over the life of the bottle with updates noted (some bottles will get better, some worse).

General Spirits

These articles  focus on spirits broadly and will also be home to rum, gin, vodka, and tequila themed items.

A Dark Beer in Hand
Beer

Beer is good and stuff, let's go drink some:

Drinking & Video Games

Here you will find a section of our custom drinking game rules. Always remember to use good judgement and consume in moderation!


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🥃Review 53: Costco's Kirkland 15YR Highland Single Malt Scotch 2025

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The 2025 release of Costco's Kirkland 15-year Highland Scotch hit shelves in late January and is a recurring installment on an annual cadence. The first pallet to hit my local store sold out almost immediately. Thankfully, we got two more shipments at one pallet each that hung around a bit longer and I was able to snag a bottle. Like in previous years, this Highland Scotch is finished in sherry casks. Alexander Murray & Co. is the bottler with MISA imports out of Texas bringing it to the States for consumption (Costco's standard sourcing pattern for Scotch). The bottle has a nice heft to it and there is an ensconced Alexander Murray Lion adding some nice texture to the front of the bottle. Steve Lipp, CEO of Alexander Murray, calls it "Perfect for after dinner drinking." All-in-all, this shows an attempt to elevate the product and presentation from the ubiquitous blends and non-age stated iterations you'll sometimes find under the Kirkland label.  Neither Alex...
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🥃Review #15 Costco's Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon

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Costco's liquor store is a thing of beauty. While not every Kirkland edition is a hit, there are enough standouts on a fun per dollar ratio to always merit a look. Almost all of the house brands are less than $30, and I'm always excited to take a long shot when the new seasonal releases come around.  📚 Background: Distilled by Barton 1792 in Bardstown Kentucky, Kirkland Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey hits the shelves a few times a year. Mine was from batch 1124. The bottle presentation is supposed to evoke the same feel as other small batch whiskeys and there is a decorative purity seal that is reminiscent of the ever reliable bottled in bond green filigree, albeit in a meaningless red. Unlike its bonded brethren, this edition comes in under 100 proof and does not have any age statement. There's not a whole lot of additional information provided by Costco or the distiller, but we can reasonably assume that it shares a similar pedigree as the entry level 1792...
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🍺🍷🥃 Beer, Wine, and Spirits Rebate Website Master List

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If there is anything I love more than a good drink, it's saving money buying that good drink! The rules for providing discounts on alcohol differ substantially between states with some allowing outright discounts or coupons and others entirely disallowing any sort of purchase incentive. Thankfully though, in my native Georgia as well as most states, a simple reimbursement approach is permissible.  Last Updated & Validated 4/17/2026 . Added a number off options for beer and multi-bev. Alcohol Rebate Site Master List The following sites are relatively stable for each manufacturer. New offers usually come out every few months. None of these are affiliate links and I provide no assurance as to the process. I have saved so much money using rebates and hope you have similar success. Best practices and general process advice will be presented at the bottom. New sites will be added as I uncover them. Beer Rebates Boston Beer Company Brands  - Angry Orchard, Dogfish head, Hard Moun...
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☕ All Java Monster Flavors Tasted & Ranked

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As a habitual caffeine abuser, I have a soft spot for Monster, both for their expansive lineup of flavors as well as their support for Sports and E-sports. Coffee is my standard caffeination vector, so the Java Monster suite of products is the perfect mix of bean flavor and energy boost. In this post, I'll provide my personal rankings and rationale for what is a very strong lineup.  Note that I have not been compensated in any way for this write-up... I just like them. Currently,  Monster Energy 's Java Monster lineup has five available flavors: Mean Bean - Vanilla Irish Crème Loca Mocha - Chocolate Salted Caramel Café Latte There are two "triple shot" versions of the Vanilla and Mocha which contain 300mg of caffeine though their flavors are very similar to the base versions above. At this point, we should also take a moment of silence for the two cold brew flavors, sweet black and nitro latte. The nitro latte was a personal favorite and I quite liked the sweet black,...
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🥃Review 90: Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage - America 250 Anniversary

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An officially licensed product in partnership with America250, the non-partisan commission established by Congress to plan the nation's 250th anniversary, this commemorative bottling from Heaven Hill showcases the strengths of their huge production capacity and excellent unit economics. Only a fitting 250 barrels were selected which puts my estimate for total yield around 40-45K bottles. All barrels were personally selected by Master Distiller Conor O'Driscoll. As part of the promotion of this offering, Heaven Hill donated $75K to Folds of Honor which provides educational scholarships to the family of fallen or disabled US Service members and first responders.  🛒 Sourced: $39.99 for 750ml from Smyrna World of Beverage, April 2026. This is my first time seeing it on the shelf in market, though Georgia tends to be a bit late to new releases. With the lower proof Vintage appearing in the $30-$32 range, this bottle is also likely one of the stronger values on the market. Pricing...
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