Castle & Cairn

The flagship brand of nutrition giant Nutrabolt, Cellucor and energy brand C4 are long-time players in the space, having launched their first energy beverage, C4 powder, in 2014 with a canned version following in 2018. Marketing has long been targeted directly to gym-goers and bodybuilders. Today, you'll see two varieties of cans: yellow which is aimed at athletic performance and endurance, and black, which focuses on brain function and concentration. Minority investor Keurig Dr Pepper provides nationwide logistics. Cosmic Rainbow replaced a co-branded Skittles offering when a number of candy-themed licensing agreements expired in 2024, purportedly keeping the same flavor profile. 🛒 Price: $1.75 each at Publix on sale, typically around $3. Website pricing is $27.99/12ct. ✨Calories: 5 , 16oz. can 🍵 Caffeine: 200mg, slightly more than the same volume of coffee 👅 Flavor: They definitely nailed the whole Skittles-adjacent thing, tastes like a mixed mouthful of those candies plus t...

Produced by Barton 1792, a holding of the same Sazerac that also operates Buffalo Trace, this special offering has been a rare sight at US Costcos for the last few years. Though I've previously had a good amount of both the occasionally offensive  Kirkland Small Batch and solid  Bottled-in-Bond , the Single Barrel has proved most elusive. In my native Georgia, we only got two pallets in 2025! The fact that they sat for more than a day shows just how much the bourbon boom has tapered off; I'm still showing them in-stock a week later.  Kirkland Single Barrel Bourbon provides a huge value, undercutting Total Wine's rival Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve by a good bit even though the juice is likely just about the same (there is some small difference as I somewhat proved in a long  blind tasting battery ). Further details are sparse, but Master Distiller Danny Kahn's name is on the bottle which has to mean something. 🛒 Sourced:  29.99 at Costco Perimeter, GA for 1 liter...

Green River seems to be pretty universally loved these days. They and their sister brand Bardstown Bourbon Company are putting out some darn good whiskies. In the last six months, I've tasted both the traditional rye bourbon and wheated bourbon from them and quite enjoyed both. The other night, I was sitting around and wondered how they'd be mixed. The traditional bourbon leaned into some nice fruited notes while the wheated showed some pastry aspects and marshmallow fluff. How does a balanced blend hold up compared to the original subcomponents? Vámonos! For the uninitiated, Whiskey Frankenstein is the practice of whiskey blending at home to try to create improved or interesting combos.  🧪Preparation I blended the two spirits in a 50/50 ratio to arrive at a 50ml sample. Proof should be in the 113-114 range. Whiskies were measured using a 100ml lab-quality graduated cylinder wielded with questionable skill. Mechanical agitation (stirring/shaking) was applied at the time of ...

Chattanooga Whiskey Company is known is being pivotal in getting laws changed to permit distilling within Hamilton County, becoming the first to do so since Prohibition. Their "Tennessee High Malt" style and bespoke processes showcase the characters of specialty malted grains, garnering multiple awards for both their core offerings and their always-fascinating experimental series.  Cask 111 is the full strength expression of Chattanooga Whiskey's flagship mash bill. It skips the solera finishing process of the 91 proof offering , instead opting for a small format blend which can lead to subtle variations between batches. 🛒 Sourced: $38.99 for 750ml from Smyrna World of Beverage, GA ($5 incentive, normally $43.99) 🧪 Proof:  111 proof, 55.5% ABV 🎨 Color: R4  - a ruddy reddish-brown. Good Legs. 🥔 Mash Bill & Production:  Yellow Corn 75%, Malted Rye, Caramel Malted Barley & Honey Malted Barley (25% specially malted grains, exact ratios undisclosed). A ...

The flagship brand of nutrition giant Nutrabolt, Cellucor and energy brand C4 are long-time players in the space, having launched their first pre-workout beverage, C4 powder, in 2011 with a canned version following in 2018. Marketing has long been targeted directly to gym-goers and bodybuilders. Today, you'll see two varieties of cans: yellow which is aimed at athletic performance and endurance, and black which focuses on brain function and concentration. Minority investor Keurig Dr Pepper provides nationwide logistics. Paying homage to the classic summer ice pop, a staple of ice cream trucks and school parties everywhere, C4 Frozen Bombsicle was introduced with the rest of the RTDs as a limited offering in 2018 and received a design update as well as elevation to the main nationwide lineup in 2021. Despite the heavy red, white, and blue packaging, the liquid inside is completely clear. Frozen Bombsicle remains one of the few legacy C4 flavors to utilize a cooling flavor compound t...

Founded back in 2018 by fitness influencer Katy Hearn and husband Haydn Schneider, Alani Nu (part of Congo Brands which also owns PRIME hydration/energy) seeks to disrupt an energy drink category historically dominated by marketing aimed at young men. Alani's branding emphasizes bright and vibrant color palettes while prominently featuring women and more traditionally female activities. The vibes-based plan complete with abundant influencer marketing and wellness adjacent value-prop seems to have gained traction with the brand surpassing $1billion in global sales for fiscal 2025. Beyond energy drinks, Alani Nu's catalog also has pre-workout, shakes, snacks, and energy stick offerings.  Cherry Twist was first introduced in spring of 2024, designed as a 1980s retro cherry-lime soda. Originally intended as a limited run, huge sales velocity at launch resulted in its quick promotion to the standing lineup. 🛒 Price: $16.59 for 12 cans, note this reflects a national promo and $6 o...

With the tagline "Bold Never Burnt", this ready-to-drink dark roast coffee from Philadelphia's La Colombe provides a self-described nutty flavor in a convenient format. It can be found nationally in the USA in standard retail outlets like Target or Publix, 48oz container for around $5. I do not see it on the La Colombe official website which focuses more on direct consumer retail. Made with specialty-grade beans, it is brewed strong with around 280mg caffeine per serving, a good deal more than a standard cup per volume. Not much other data available, but let's get into it! 🌍 Origin: Noted as Colombian in the product description - 100% Arabica 🔥 Roast Level: Dark - Espresso Roast 🧪 Brew Method: Immersion Cold Brew (assumed) 👃 Nose: Mild as they tend to be with cold brew. Generically roasty. 👅 Flavor: Initial palate is nut forward as advertised which deepens into roast and a chocolate adjacent gentle bittering note towards the finish. Aftertaste and back of fin...

Launched in 2025 with a limited-edition basketball pattern, Ghost Energy Peaches  was the second flavor to have an exclusive themed wrapper. Ghost printed a small number of custom peach-and-black basketballs for use as prizes for in-app mini-game giveaways. Interestingly, the brand went with the plural "peaches" instead of the more common singular peach as a homage to Georgia peach crates.  GHOST (GHOST Lifestyle LLC) is a lifestyle sports nutrition and beverage company headquartered in Henderson, Nevada. Founded in 2016 by Dan Lourenco (CEO) and Ryan Hughes (CMO), the brand positions itself around its mantra "Be Seen," targeting fitness enthusiasts, gamers, and mainstream consumers rather than traditional bodybuilders. I first encountered them as a part of sponsored content around Call of Duty Warzone on Twitch. Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is in the process of fully acquiring Ghost by 2028, having held the controlling interest in the brand since 2024. Ghost Peaches set ...

A ready-to-drink cold brew black coffee in 100% recycled packaging, this Espresso Roast from Califia Farms can be found in most national US grocery chains. Califia is named after a shortened version of its California home and is best known for their wide-hipped and curvy bottle shape. They are a eco-centric firm with values like contributing to resilient agriculture, climate, and circular economy through a plant-based food lens. With 195mg of caffeine per 12 Fl oz serving, you still get a decent amount of boost even when diluted. 🌍 Origin: Undisclosed - 100% Arabica, at this time Califia sources from Central/South America exclusively. Rainforest Alliance Certified.  🔥 Roast Level: Dark 🧪 Brew Method: Immersion Cold Brew 👃 Nose:  Not much on the nose, a small amount of cereal, sweet biscuit, and and maybe the slightest hint of berry. 👅 Flavor:  Undiluted it is very balanced with only the slightest bitterness. Mouth experience is roast heavy with that same cereal or...

Hailing from the South Carolina Lowcountry, High Wire Distilling is a craft producer of grain-centric whiskies. Jimmy Red is named for a rare landrace (naturally evolved and locally adapted) corn that was grown historically in the James Island/Charleston, SC area. It was long valued by local moonshiners for its high starch and oil content which yielded a creamier, richer spirit. By 2013, the last local grower had ceased operations and only two cobs of the erstwhile famed corn remained, protected by a local preservationist named Ted Chewning. Glen Roberts of Anson Mills helped propagate the grains in partnership with Clemson University, giving some seeds to Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall, the founders of High Wire Distilling. An initial 2.5 acre harvest in 2014 has blossomed into recurring plantings across multiple farms and hundreds of acres, more than 1.3million pounds of Jimmy Red corn per year. 🛒 Sourced: $57.99 for 750ml from Smyrna World of Beverage, GA - MSRP $59.99 🧪 Proof...

First released in 2024 as an official collaboration between Ghost and Welch's , this purple can aims to take you back to your childhood, full of refreshingly sweet Juicebox nostalgia. Ghost formulated the flavors using real Welch's Concord Grape juice concentrates in micro-doses augmented by artificial flavor systems, producing a distinctive sweet + tart profile. GHOST (GHOST Lifestyle LLC) is a lifestyle sports nutrition and beverage company headquartered in Henderson, Nevada. Founded in 2016 by Dan Lourenco (CEO) and Ryan Hughes (CMO), the brand positions itself around its mantra "Be Seen," targeting fitness enthusiasts, gamers, and mainstream consumers rather than traditional bodybuilders. I first encountered them as a part of sponsored content around Call of Duty Warzone on Twitch. Keurig Dr Pepper is in the process of fully acquiring Ghost by 2028, having held the controlling interest in the brand for a number of years. 🛒 Price:  3 for $6, two bucks apiece at Pu...

  This Ready-to-Drink iced coffee is produced as part of a longtime joint venture between Starbucks and PepsiCo in their continued march to manage retail distribution. The 48oz, 100% recycled bottle is unsweetened and intended to be consumed black or with one of Starbucks' specially packaged creamer options.  🌍 Origin: Undisclosed, 100% Arabica 🔥 Roast Level:  Blonde (Lighter roast) - typically associated with more mellow flavors 🧪 Brew Method: Traditional bulk hot extraction and pasteurization that is then flash-chilled. Note that this is not a "cold brew" as the brew cycle is heated. 👅 Experience:   Mild and nutty with a slight woody note to it. There is a slight sweet biscuit towards the finish, but it is fleeting at best. Very inoffensive and a bit weaker than the brewed hot would be at the store; perhaps they factored in some dilution? Tastes a bit oxidized.  🏆 Score:  2.25/5 - Short of Ideal - It's fine but doesn't have the edges to stand up if...

Founded in 2013 Bizzy Coffee has the goal of creating the strongest, most flavorful cold brew coffee on the consumer market. They offer both ready-to-dink and brew-it-yourself options, available at many national retailers and online. This particular version is the Espresso Roast blend, part of a five edition caffeinated organic lineup of RTDs. It is unsweetened and brewed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Caffeine content is significant, around 273mg per 12oz serving which is around 180mg per 8oz. cup, on the higher end if you're drinking it straight but around a normal drip if diluted with milk or water in 50/50 ratio. This is much more than competitors like STōK whose unsweet black has only 145mg per 8oz.  Packaged in a 100% post-consumer plastic bottle, certified organic, and 100% of spent grounds are composted for a feel good environmental touch.  🌍 Origin: Mix of Central and South America, 100% Arabica 🔥 Roast Level: Espresso Roast, on the darker side (4/5 on their int...

Founded in 2018 by fitness influencer Katy Hearn and her husband Haydn Schneider, Alani Nu (part of parent company Congo Brands which also owns PRIME hydration) sought to disrupt an energy drink category historically dominated by masculine branding and marketed almost exclusively towards young men. Alani's marketing features bright and vibrant color palettes while prominently featuring women and more traditionally female activities. The vibes-based plan complete with abundant influencer marketing and wellness adjacent value-prop seems to have gained traction with the brand surpassing $1billion in global sales for fiscal 2025. Beyond energy drinks, Alani Nu also has pre-workout, shakes, snacks, and energy stick offerings.  Orange Kiss débuted in 2024 as a permanent addition to the standing Alani Lineup, seeking to provide a more acidic take on orange flavor while avoiding the syrup and sticky sweetness of full-sugar sodas.  🛒 Price: $16.59 for 12-cans, note this reflects a ...

One of the more fun gimmicks in whiskey, Jim Beam Devil's Cut  consists of the standard Jim Beam juice you know and love blended with bourbon extracted from the staves of the barrel. While you may be aware of the "angel's share" of whiskey that evaporates during aging, there is also a "Devil's cut" of whiskey trapped within the wood of the barrel itself. Beam first released the offering in 2011 where it was the first addition to the namesake line since the flavored Red Stag launch a few years earlier. The premise is simple, craft a slightly higher proof bourbon with a heightened presence of barrel character and some edgy marketing to go alongside it. Master Distiller Fred Noe drew inspiration from the historical practice of "barrel sweating" by which producers introduced small amounts of water to a used barrel and rolled it to extract some of the held alcohol. Beam's proprietary extraction loop uses a combination of mechanical and thermal e...

Now a property of Midwest Grain Products (MGP), Penelope began as a well-regarded NDP named after one of the founder's firstborn. Known for finished bourbons like the Architect Series, Penelope has released a number of iterations in the Cooper Series, pairing their bourbon with various wood types and used casks from around the globe.  Rosé Cask Finish was the first offering to be introduced in the series and features French Rosé wine casks from the Southern Rhône region. This particular pour comes from Batch #10 which was bottled in March/April of 2025. Rosé Cask typically places in the 90s (100pt scale) for major competitions and won a gold at SFWS 2023 and platinum at ASCOT 2023.  🛒 Sourced: $49.99 for 750ml from Smyrna World of Beverage, April 2026. Penelope does typically have rebates available online.  🧪 Proof: 94 proof, 47% ABV - Finished bourbons usually have flavor above and beyond their proof. 🎨 Color: R4  - ruddy orange with some decent thicknes...

Your classic coffee representative in Dunkin' Donuts line of convenience-focused ready-to-drink cans, this tall-can Iced Espresso seeks to provide a balanced coffee centric flavor with the customary Dunkin' sweetness. First released March 10, 2026, the Dunkin' Double line consists of three flavors: Original, Cafe Mocha , and Salted Caramel, all featuring the equivalent of two shots of espresso (140mg of caffeine is in the typical 125-150 range for a doppio). I am still interested in the fact that it's an atypical 15oz can manufactured and distributed by the Coca-Cola company. The series features real milk and cane sugar. 🌍 Origin: Unknown 🔥 Roast Level: Espresso Roast (supposedly), definitely on the darker end. 🧪 Brew Method: Industrial Bean Extraction (pressurized tanks with forced hot water to produce coffee concentrate). 👅 Experience:   Very roasty and sweet. It reminds me of a slightly less sugary but more creamy version of their in-store dark roast iced cof...

An ultra-high rye whiskey from the production wizards at Bardstown Bourbon Company, Origin Rye rounds out the standard four-bottle lineup of Origin Bourbon, Wheated Bottled-in-Bond , and High Wheat . The rye starts in American white oak barrels for 6 years before being rebarreled into a second cherry wood barrels for up to 6 months. The Cherry barrels have a distinctive alternating "zebra" pattern with half of the staves being specially toasted oak and the other half being toasted cherry wood. Looks beautiful in the rickhouse. Working with the West Virginia Great Barrel Company, precise infrared heat is used for the toast rather than open flame, allowing for a deeper and more uniform toast (around 400 degrees Fahrenheit) which can enhance specific vanillins and fruit esters without the bitterness of a heavy char. 🛒 Sourced:  $47.99 from  Tower Beer, Wine, and Spirits  (The GOATs) - 750ml. Purchased it at the same time I picked up my first BTAC, a Thomas H. Handy. S...

From celebrity lead-investor Patrick Mahomes, Throne Sport Coffee has a strong lineup of cold brew and flavored latte functional beverages that blend coffee, protein, and electrolytes. Michael Fedele of BODYARMOR fame provides the industry know-how for the brand and it's athlete and creator centric funding base which also includes Lex Bregman, Breanna Stewart, and Chris Brickley. Generally, the drinks are targeted as recovery beverages with lower sugar content and natural caffeine when compared to traditional sports and energy drinks. This can in particular is part of the latte line featuring natural Madagascar vanilla . I got this as a free sample through the QuickTrip app, but they typically go for $3-$4 a can. 🌍 Origin: Arabica from Central/South America 🔥 Roast Level: Unknown, likely medium-dark. 🧪 Brew Method: Industrial cold water extraction (immersion). Like consumer cold brew, this has less acid prevalence that hot methods.  📗Ingredients: Throne lattes feature u...

Designed to be a morning-centric alternative to a hot cup of joe, Ultra Sunrise first debuted in 2015. Unapologetically orange, it still seeks to have the light and tangy Ultra aspects. Notably it includes actual lemon pulp to help with mouthfeel. The can features a paisley psychedelic motif with a stars, plants, and planets design etched into a cheery orange exterior. 🛒 Price: $17.99/15  - Amazon with 40% subscribe and save coupon ✨Calories: 10 , 16oz. can 🍵 Caffeine: 150mg, slightly less than a cup of coffee 👅 Flavor: Tastes very much like a good full pulp orange juice, though in this case the pulp comes across more as creaminess than strings. Underneath the orange you can get a bit of grapefruit and the faintest hint of sweeter pineapple. There is still a bit of brightness to the overall experience from carbonation, but it's mellowed a bit from some other editions. Very refreshing. 🧪 Ingredients: Around the same as the rest of Monster's Ultra editions. Sweeteners: Ery...