Castle & Cairn

The fourth bottle in the Origin Series standard lineup, Bardstown High Wheat joins a high-rye Bourbon, a Wheated Bottled-in-Bond, and a Rye - all award winning. It has almost double the wheat content of the bottled-in-bond and promises pastry bomb dessert perfection. Bardstown Bourbon Company's Master Distiller is none other than Steve Nally, Bourbon Hall of Fame member formerly of Maker's Mark and the "King of Wheat". The wheated Bottled-in-Bond and this bottle are some of his favorite brainchildren.  🛒 Sourced:   $44.99 - Tower Wine and Spirits, GA 750ml. SRP is $49.99 as you'll find on their website.  🧪 Proof:  106 proof, 53% ABV. Barrel entry proof is 108 so there is minimal dilution. I'd imagine they settled at this proof point to address a common perception that wheated bourbons feel thinner on the tongue due to their soft sweetness. The lack of dilution likely helps a good bit. They'll tell you that this makes it "cask strength" on the t...

Trip Inspiration Almost seven years ago, I signed up for the Maker's Mark ambassador program, a free email list which comes with the novel kicker of being able to follow a barrel of Maker's Mark whisky through their production process. At six years and eight months of maturation, I got a notification that my barrel was ready and would be in the second season batch for 2025. While it might be a bit of a gimmick, I just had to go up to Loretto, KY for the free tour and specially labeled bottles (TBD on if it tastes any different than regular Maker's). A buddy and I decided to make a long weekend out of it, stopping into a handful of other distilleries nearby.  Itinerary Overview While we chose to stay in Bardstown, the bourbon capital of the world, I believe Louisville is increasingly the home base for most bourbon trips. That being said, I quite enjoyed the quiet and small town vibes of Bardstown. The drive from Atlanta, GA took about six hours on mostly state highways but w...

This extraterrestrial branded bourbon liquor was released by Chattanooga Whiskey Company on June 24, 2025 for World UFO day. It appears to be a custom mash bill bourbon that blurs the line between whiskey and gin by adding 42 distinct botanicals. Botanicals are substances or ingredients derived from plants like roots, berries, seeds, peels, bark, nuts, or spices.  Intergalactic Comet Crusher - Batch Alpha  (presumably the first of multiple releases to come) has manufacturer tastes notes "like having your brains smashed out by a bag of lemons dipped in 42 karat gold " which gives me Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy vibes. Chattanooga Whiskey experiments with their whiskies more than most and I usually enjoy the result. Just know that when they're gone, they're often gone for good.  🛒 Sourced:  Purchased at Chattanooga Whiskey $49.99 - 750ml Gifted to me by my brother and his partner - Thanks for contributing to my hobby and filling my cup! 🧪 Proof:  84 proof...

While Jack Daniel's is a household name with its flagship jousting with with Jim Beam for the top spot in global sales, there are many who have never heard of their other releases. Jack Daniel's Single barrel lineup consists of a Tennessee Whiskey (bourbon) at barrel and 90 proof, a Rye also at Barrel proof, and Heritage and Single Barrel 100 at 50% ABV. Single Barrel Barrel Proof  was the first of the lineup, released in 2015, and aims to deliver a traditional Jack Daniel's flavor profile. While single barrels are often both praised and criticized for their variability, the Jack team seems to be able to keep selected barrels remarkably consistent through methodical tasting-based selection. 🛒 Sourced:  $68.99 - Total Wine, GA 750ml - normally closer to $60, a gift from my Mother-in-Law. Price-wise they sit between Jack Daniel's bonded lineup and their age stated premium series releases. I'm seeing some store picks around $65.  🧪 Proof:  127.7 proof, 63.85% ABV - S...

Founded in 2018 by Mike Paladini and Danny Polise, Penelope Bourbon was created to honor the birth of Mike's first child of the same name. Since then, Penelope has sourced NDP components from MGP, Bardstown Bourbon Company, and Speyside Cooperate, though it is operated by MGP since it's acquisition of the brand in 2023 under it's Luxco subsidiary. The brand focuses on new and unique whiskies, often playing with atypical mash bills, blends, or barrel finishing processes and this bottle is no different.  Penelope Architect  is a relatively young bourbon with a high rye mash bill that is aged for four weeks after the addition of French oak staves produced by Tonnellerie Radoux , a storied cooper with more than 70 years of history - now part of François Frères Cooperage Group. Radoux has a proprietary technology called Oakscan® which is used as part of their quality control process to use near-infrared spectrometry to measure the concentration of various chemicals within each ...

Not to be confused with the sub-$20 and now discontinued 6-year old iteration of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, the current 7-year-old bottling , introduced in 2019, is a mid-market offering known to many as a reliably good pour. In 1939, four years after its opening, Heaven Hill put out their first namesake Bottled-in-Bond which at the time quickly became the best selling bourbon in the state of Kentucky. The distillery has one of the largest portfolios of Bottled-in-Bond whiskeys in the world, joined by brands like Mellow Corn, Rittenhouse, Henry Mckenna, and Evan Williams in offering a bonded version. Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond is well awarded, having won Double Gold (ISC 2024), Double Platinum (ASCOT 2024), and World Whisky of the year (Bartender Spirits Awards), and is routinely offered up by some whiskey influencers as a recurring favorite. 🛒 Sourced:  $45.99 - 750ml - Costco Perimeter, GA - I sometimes see it for a few dollars cheaper. The 6-year version was perhaps too...

Distilled by Barton 1792 on behalf of Spirits Direct, Total Wine's private label brand,  Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve is an elevated proof iteration of the standard Wolcott bourbon. Barton does a huge number of other private bottlings while at the same time many of the 1792 branded iterations have become somewhat difficult to find. The most comparable bottles are likely 1792 Full Proof and Kirkland Single Barrel, both quite elusive these days and packing a handful of extra proof points. It is worth noting that the Wolcott brand has changed producers over the years from Buffalo Trace to Barton 1792 in 2022. Both distilleries are owned by Sazerac, so it is unlikely that the mash bill has changed though the equipment itself can impact the flavor and aging conditions in the rickhouse will differ as well. The Barton editions have their lineage marked clearly on the front label if you have any question and this particular richouse reserve iteration was introduced after the distillery switc...

Joining a stalwart lineup of commendable Single Barrels, a wallet friendly Yellow Label, stunning limited editions, and the polarizing Small Batch Select , Four Roses Small Batch has been the brand's go-to everyday sipping whiskey since its introduction in 2006. From a product design standpoint, it is intended to be easy drinking with broad mass market appeal. It has earned numerous Gold Metals across an assortment of spirits competitions and has one of the most pleasing bottle shapes I have ever seen. Though "Small Batch" is not a regulated term, I have anecdotally seen it mentioned that Four Roses aims for around 250 barrels per batch.  🛒 Sourced:  $29.99 - 750ml - Costco Perimeter, GA - Most big box stores will have this pegged at $30 and I've never seen it above $35. 🧪 Proof:  90 proof, 45% ABV  🎨 Color:  R3  - a sunny runny egg yolk orange-brown 🥔 Mash Bill:  Four Roses Small batch is a blend of 4 of Four Roses' 10 mash bills in undisclosed ra...

Produced (at the time of this bottling) by Heaven Hill in Bardstown Kentucky, Ezra Brooks is a brand owned by Lux Row which itself is a property of the Indiana overlords at Midwest Grain Products.  There are 99 proof, 99 proof finished, rye, and seven-year versions of Ezra Brooks floating around. They have a robust private barrel  program and also have put out a number of distiller select barrels to large retailers to get rid of excess inventory. Lux Row now produces the juice in house at their own Bardstown Facility.  🛒 Sourced:  $41.99 - 750ml - World of Beverage Smyrna, GA - Discounted as the last few bottles of a store pick, normally $54. I see distiller's selects of this around the $60 mark, though some ABC state picks are around $35. March 2025 update - seeing distiller picks in the low $50s, they're trying to move these and not having much success.  🧪 Proof:  120 proof, 60% ABV  - This is a great example of how "Cask Strength" is not a regulat...

Known formerly by the name "1792 Ridgemont Reserve", 1792 Small Batch Bourbon is produced by Barton 1792 and is the entry point to the 1792 brand, being a slight step up from their Very Old Barton (VOB) product line.  The namesake is the year that Kentucky became a state. The 1792 lineup is filled out by Full proof, Bottled-in-Bond, Sweet wheat, High Rye, Port Finish and "Aged 12 Years". Most of the higher proof 1792 offerings were hunted to extinction during the and after COVID, but I am seeing them with some regularity now. Barton, owned by Sazerac, is known to make the Kirkland and Wolcott series of store label whiskies which taste and feel very much like 1792. While big Sazerac has been fixated on Buffalo Trace expansion, Barton feels relatively neglected though supposedly they are aligning some of their production processes with their much awarded sister brand.  🛒 Sourced: Commonly $29.99 for 750ml A gift from my brother's Girlfriend, thanks for contribut...

Distilled by Barton 1792 on behalf of Total Wine, Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond is a cousin of Costco's Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond and the bonded version of 1792. Barton does a huge number of other private bottlings while at the same time many of the 1792 branded iterations have become difficult to find. It is worth noting that the Wolcott brand has changed producers over the years. The version that won double gold in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2022 was produced by Buffalo Trace. There are still a few of those floating around, so it's definitely worth checking the label for collectability (thankfully these Barton bottles have it emblazoned in big letters on the front). Both distilleries are owned by Sazerac, so it is unlikely that the mash bill has changed though the equipment itself can impact the flavor. 🛒 Sourced:  $36.99 on sale, normally $39.99 - Total Wine, GA 750ml - Note that this is roughly 2x the price of Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond (1L bottle) and about $1...

Both produced by Sazerac's Barton 1792 distillery, Costco's Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond is a value darling of the wider internet and Total Wine's Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond has placed well at international spirits competitions, though most of its metal finishes were while it was still made at Sazerac's Buffalo Trace distillery. As both are private label bottles contracted distilled by Barton, we are left to ask the question: which one is better? The Contestants - Kirkland and Wolcott You can find our full bottle write-ups on both whiskies here: Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond Review Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond Review The broad summary is that the Kirkland bottle is significantly cheaper though both the Costco and Total Wine brands here cost less than the equivalent 1792 Bottled-in-Bond, a hard to find iteration that is only now starting to show up reliably on shelves again. Per the Bottled-in-Bond act , both drams will be 100 proof, aged a minimum of four years, and made in batches of b...