Castle & Cairn

This edition of Whiskey Frankenstein ( home whiskey blending ) brings together two bottles that just didn't "Wow" me. Dread River's Birmingham Bourbon is lovely distillate, very well balanced, but really needed more time in the oak. Rebel Cask Strength , in this case a store pick single barrel, delivered thick flavor but no nuance and more heat than I'd prefer. Can these two misfits from my shelf be better together? Let's find out.  Vámonos! 🧪Preparation I made three 45-50 ml samples for a total of just under two shots of each whiskey consumed. Samples & Ratios: A: 50/50 "Half and Half" - 105 proof - Average Age ~4.12 years B: 75/25 Majority Dread River Bourbo n - 97.5 proof - Average Age ~3.43 years C: 75/25 Majority Rebel Cask Strength - 112.5 proof - Average Age ~4.8 years Whiskies are measured using a 100ml lab-quality graduated cylinder wielded with questionable skill. Mechanical agitation (stirring/shaking) is applied at the time of...

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...

  📚 Background: A timeless classic from Campari owned Wild Turkey distillery, WT101 is a highly successful mass market offering crafted under the watchful eyes of Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russel (of Russel's Reserve fame). Jimmy incidentally just clocked his 70th year of employment with the company where he started sweeping floors before working his way up to Master Distiller. The Wild Turkey product family includes an 81 proof budget edition, 101 bourbon, 101 rye, and Wild Turkey American Honey Liquor, in addition to more premium offerings like Wild Turkey Rare Breed and Kentucky Spirit. There are also 8-year and 12-year iterations of Wild Turkey 101 produced primarily for Asian markets (read: Japan). All editions are lovingly aged from one of two mash bills, the bourbon bill discussed below and a rye recipe, likely with the same yeast being used for both. Wild Turkey products are distilled to a barrel entry proof of 115, somewhat lower than many other producers. This m...

Whether you've had one or one thousand bottles, the purposes behind rating whiskey are the same. Whiskey is very much an experiential hobby, and conversations often center around which bottles are underrated or overrated. It is only natural to want to apply order to the world, and a numerical scale is a truly powerful thing if applied consistently. Many may also want to min-max their spending, finding the "best" bottle at each price point. Since few of us have unlimited funds, it only makes sense to keep track of what you liked or didn't like. Rating whiskey also helps reinforce a  framework for acquiring knowledge and thoughtfully enjoying whiskey as assigning values may spur you to research and understand what may be elevating or penalizing a particular pour.  Guiding Principles If we zoom out to the theory, there are two options for framing your rating scale. You can either rate based on: 1. Personal Preference - How much YOU like a particular bottle. This is the e...

Welcome to Whiskey Hospitality At this point, you've probably tried a few bottles and maybe found one you like. Maybe you're quite a few bottles into your journey and are looking to form a more artistic understanding of whiskey expressions. Perhaps, you're looking instead to spready the joy of tasting whiskey socially. Whatever your reasons, planning a whiskey tasting can be a great way to socially explore the world of spirits and level up your palette. This guide provides thoughts on all the considerations of hosting a whiskey tasting, but the biggest thing is to keep fun and comradery as the focus! Enjoy yourself, the whiskey, and your friends - everything else is a bonus.  Everything but the Whiskey - Getting the Tasting Ready  For all intents and purposes, you should prepare for a whiskey tasting mush like you would for hosting a similarly sized event.  Administrative Considerations: Pick a Date and Time - I would suggest early afternoon to early evening as this will...

Over the years, I have been taught a variety of tasting techniques. Some swear by certain mouth movements while others prefer a simple sip. To develop the tasting method used in reviews on this site, I analyzed more than a dozen tasting guides from industry influencers, manufacturer's, and equipment suppliers in addition to my aforementioned experience. I believe this process allows for the most accurate personal diagnosis of a particular spirit, but ultimately the most important thing is that YOU enjoy your whiskey experience. Chase your muse with brown water however you please.  Preparation As with most activities, being properly prepared can greatly increase both the pleasure and proficiency of the experience. For the best results, consider: Glassware - We have a whole guide on stocking your bar with the right drinking vessels. To summarize: a Glencairn or other glass with a tulip top, like a small red wine glass or traditional snifter, works best. Due to their shape, these gla...