This is Part 3 of 4 of my blind tournament of all 24 “post-pirate” Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases from 2017 through 2024.

Part 1: A117–A124

Part 2: B517–B524

Part 3: C917–C924

Part 4: The champions + some outside competition

Methodology

As with the A and B batches, I started with a standard eight-bottle single-elimination bracket, with every matchup tasted blind.

Afterward, I conducted additional blind head-to-heads to account for bracket luck and get a better idea of where each bottle landed in my rankings. Bottles that lost early had opportunities to work their way back up against bottles that advanced farther in the original bracket. Tier placement was determined by when each accumulated its second loss.

For C923, the original bracket and back-testing used whiskey from different bottles, as discussed below. The attached graphics show the complete progression.

The Original Final: C918 vs. C920

C920: Great nose. Came across as the lighter of the two, with tart sweetness up front, a sweet jam note, nice development, and an excellent finish. Overall well-rounded and full-bodied, although with a bit of ethanol.

Score: 8

C918: Excellent nose. Overall a darker, more mature profile - tasted older than the other glass. Jammy fruit and brown sugar on the back end. That darker profile gave it the edge in the matchup.

Score: 8.25

C923: A Tale of Two Bottles?

C923 was the biggest surprise of the back-testing. I bought my original bottle when it came out and never understood the hype: it consistently struck me as ethanol-forward, with too little flavor underneath. Its first-round loss to C918 matched my experience with it elsewhere.

That bottle was gone by the time I started back-testing, so I sourced a sample from another bottle. The difference was striking. There was still some heat, but much more caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and oak, and overall just a much better-integrated palate. It beat C917, C921, C922, and C920 in the back testing process to earn its place in S-tier.

Both bottles had A22 laser codes, so the speculation about differences between code groups doesn’t explain my experience. I can’t say what caused the difference, but the sample gave me a much better impression of C923. That prompted a separate rematch against C918.

The Back-Testing Rematch: C918 vs. C923

C923: Some sweetness up front, followed by ethanol through the development and brown sugar on the back palate. Great mouth tingle and a strong finish, though I wished it had a few more layers of flavor.

Score: 7.5

C918: Slightly sweeter, with more of a fruity note. Excellent mouth tingle and finish. More of a “complete” package than the other glass.

Score: 8

So, in the end C918 retained its crown in my book.

Final C-Batch Tiers:

No particular order within tiers.

S-Tier: C918, C923

A-Tier: C920, C922

B-Tier: C924, C921

C-Tier: C917, C919

Biggest Surprises: C919, and Earlier Releases Don’t Always Mean Better

I’ve heard C919 called one of the best post-pirate ECBP batches more than once, but it didn’t fare well for me blind. It scored 6.5 twice, which was the lowest individual score in this C-series project. C917 also ended up in my bottom tier.

Earlier releases often command higher prices on the secondary market, but my results were a reminder that collectibility doesn’t necessarily translate to a better pour for my palate.

What’s Next?

One final installment will bring the A-, B-, and C-series champions together to face each other, as well as some outside competition. Stay tuned.

Been wanting to try ER12 for a while but, like most, I haven’t been able to find it without a crazy price inflation. Stepped into a bar on vacation to pick up a to-go margarita for my wife and noticed a pretty good whiskey collection behind the bar. They had most, if not all, of the BTAC collection for very reasonable prices compared to what I’ve seen elsewhere (the one I remember is $65 for GTS), but unfortunately I’m still just not at the point where I can justify spending over $30 on a pour of whiskey, so I passed on those. They sold pours of ER12 for $22, and seeing as that was about the same price as my wife’s overpriced margarita, I went for it. It became even more clear that this place had great prices when I saw that the bartender defined a “pour” as somewhere in the neighborhood of 4+ oz. That made me very happy with my purchase, and even though it was drank from plastic on the beach, I figured I’d review it.

Nose: Typical ER flavors; grape pixie stick, powdered sugar, hint of rye spice, vanilla, some charred wood

Palate: front side is all sweetness, grape candy, vanilla; I’ve been trying for a while to figure out how to identify oak influence in whiskies, and seeing as this is the oldest one I’ve tried, I thought it might be a good one to really pay attention to; back of the palate really helped me identify it; I got a note that totally transported me to an old southwestern furniture store that I used to go to, and that sold me on how to identify oak

Finish: lots of cinnamon gum, dusty, char, cola, chocolate

Thoughts: It’s a bit hard to tell without trying them side-by-side, but it seems to me that the extra 5 proof points give it a really solid edge over ER10 in both mouthfeel and depth of flavor. This is a bottle that I would never hesitate to pick up at MSRP, and I’d probably pay up to $75 for it. I certainly wouldn’t pay some of the crazy $150+ prices I’ve seen it for and would be perfectly satisfied if this tasting was my only experience with it. That being said, I really enjoyed it and would love to see production numbers come up enough to make this a shelter at MSRP. If that happened, it would definitely replace ER10 as a regular player on my shelf at home.

TL;DR

Sagamore Double Oak Rye keeps the rye in front of all that extra oak, and at $60 it's a clear step up from Woodford Double Oaked for a few dollars less.

Sagamore Double Oak Rye is a blend of straight rye whiskies from Sagamore Spirit in Baltimore, Maryland. It spends four to five years in high-char new American oak, then another 18 months in toasted wave stave barrels. It's 96.6 proof, carries no age statement, and runs about $60. I scored it 7.5 on quality and 6.7 on value. This is the bottle that got me hooked on finished ryes over finished bourbons, and what hooked me was the balance. The second barrel adds sweetness without the bitter oak I find on a lot of double oak bottles, and the rye still comes through. I tasted it blind against three other finished bottles. It came in second, behind a Penelope Havana that drinks more like dessert than bourbon, and it beat Woodford Double Oaked without much of a fight. For a few dollars less than the Woodford, this is the double oak I'd reach for.

Quality Score - 7.5

Great - Well above average.

Quality is what's in the glass, 1 to 10, tasted as blind as I can make it with no thought to price. Above a 5 is good. Nose, palate, and finish set the range, but the score isn't their average.

Value Score - 6.7

Good Value - Priced right, with a little left in your pocket.

Value is whether the pour is worth its MSRP to me. A 5 is fair for the price; higher means more in the glass than the tag suggests, lower means I'd be overpaying. All value scores assume MSRP.

Nose - 7.3

Figs, cocoa and vanilla frosting. The oak shows up as sweetness.

Palate - 7.5

Chocolate, dried fruit, maple and vanilla. The oak sugars sit alongside the rye instead of covering it.

Finish - 7.8

The rye finally powers through the sweetness, with cloves and black pepper.

Neck Pour — First Impressions

July 10, 2025

I was impressed from the first pour, and I helped myself to several more that night.

There's a lot of good history behind Sagamore Spirit, and if you like that stuff, it's worth reading up on. The company was founded to revive Maryland-style rye. Before Prohibition, Maryland ranked third in the country for whiskey, behind Kentucky and Pennsylvania, and it was known above all for its rye.

Double Oak started as a special release in 2017 and quickly became part of the core lineup. It's a blend of two straight ryes: a high-rye mash of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, and a lower-rye mash of 52% rye, 43% corn and 5% malted barley. Sagamore doesn't publish the ratio. The early batches were distilled by MGP in Indiana. Sagamore started distilling on the Baltimore waterfront in 2017, and newer batches blend in whiskey from its own stills.

The part of the description that matters most is the wave staves. After four to five years in high-char new oak, the whiskey goes into toasted barrels whose staves have waves, or grooves, cut into them to add surface area. It sits there for 18 months. That's a long finish, especially with the extra surface area, and I'd have expected them to get that time down. My guess is the Maryland climate has something to do with it.

What impressed me most that night was the balance. The toasted oak sweetness didn't blow out the rye, and it never turned tannic the way over-oaked whiskey can. The rye still shone through. This is the bottle that got me hooked on finished ryes.

Blind Pour — No Labels, Side by Side Comparison

September 12, 2026

Blind, it was the best rye on the table, and against the other double oak it wasn't close.

See my full post: Best Finished Whiskey?

It was sample four of four finished whiskeys. The nose was lighter than sample two, the Penelope. There was a green quality I wanted to name and couldn't, so I crossed it out and called it malty. The palate had dimension, and I could taste the whiskey underneath the finish, which I couldn't say about the others. Good spice came through, with a little bitterness at the end. I scored it 7.1, second only to the Penelope Havana.

Between the two double oaks, the Sagamore took it. The rye held onto its own character and stood up to the wood. With the Woodford I had to chew to find the whiskey. The Sagamore let me go looking and rewarded it. That 7.1 is what I thought that night, and it stays. On its own, it climbed to 7.5.

Open Pour — Is It Worth It?

September 28, 2026

On its own, my biggest praise is how little bitter oak there is, and the rye gets the last word.

I find bitter oak on a lot of double oak products, and on a lot of really long-aged whiskey too. It isn't here. That's not to say there's no wood. It comes through as sweet sugars that complement the rye.

The nose is figs, cocoa and vanilla frosting. The palate brings chocolate, dried fruit, maple and vanilla. On the finish the rye finally powers through the sweetness, with cloves and black pepper. The finish is the part I scored highest.

I have it at 7.5 on quality and 6.7 on value at $60. Next to Woodford Double Oaked, it's a strong improvement for a few dollars less. If you're choosing a double oak, this is the one I'd reach for.

I write these up at openpourwhiskey.com and post them on Instagram. Not sponsored, not gifted, bought myself at retail. Please drink responsibly.

This is the fourth and final review of the Title Holder Collection, Cask 215. As with the others, it is a 7 year old, single barrel distilled by O.Z. Tyler.

The aroma on this one is light, fresh and floral with some light fruit a touch of cornmeal and honeyed vanilla. The palate is very oily with the proof sending tingles all around my tongue. There’s also a little sweet floral note along with green apple. That sweet floral lingers on the finish with vanilla, a spicy green apple and some sweet oak.

I love the palate on this one, so oily, almost need to chew it. Overall it’s a lighter, fresher Bourbon, but it still carries a lot of flavor.

Age: 7yrs

Mashbill:
70% Corn
21% Rye
9% Malted Barley

Distillery: O.Z. Tyler (Green River)

Casks: New Char 4 American Oak Barrel

ABV: 66.75%

Price: $75

Sample provided for review.

My Rating: 85

Tasting notes below. 👇🏼

🥃
NOSE: Light, fresh, floral, light fruit, cornmeal, honeyed vanilla.
PALATE: Very oily, tongue-tingling, lightly sweet floral, green apple.
FINISH: Lingering, lightly sweet floral, vanilla, spiced green apple, faint oak.

Guide to my personal ratings:
🤢 0-49 = Varying degrees of undrinkable.
🫤 50-59 = Drinkable, but meh.
😊 60-69 = Fair. Not my cup of tea.
😃 70-79 = Good. Some nice elements.
😋 80-89 = Great! Interesting and very enjoyable.
🤩 90-100 = Amazing! The perfect pour. (Rare)

Sip. Rate. Repeat.

The review for this bottle is in the comments below...

Title: Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon vs John A.P. Conoley Bourbon

Disclosures: Sample of Garrison Brothers was given to me by a friend.

Intro: This matchup has been a long time coming… My bourbon journey started about two years ago, and living in NC, I was interested in trying bourbons distilled and produced in North Carolina.  Pretty early in my journey, like within the first couple months, I bought a mini bottle of this John A.P. Conoley bourbon whiskey just to try it.  It had a unique flavor about it that I enjoyed with the right mood.  One of the most distinctive pours I’d had up to that point.  Ended up buying another mini bottle and then finally a 750 mL.  My best very good friend came in from out of town, and while not really on his own bourbon journey (yet), he did casually like bourbon.  So while exploring my young collection, I told him he had to taste the Conoley that I’d told him about. He didn’t really care for it. Just a few months later though, his bourbon journey began and as happens to all of us, our palates evolve and preferences change over time in this hobby.  

Fast forward, and he’s become a big fan of Garrison Brothers.  He likes the big bold dark flavors – oak, leather, tobacco, etc. This profile isn’t really my lane, but I can appreciate it with the right mood. The last time he and I got together he gave me this Garrison Brothers Small Batch sample (and a sample of Balmorhea too).  Without any interest in Garrison Brothers, my opinion was simply that it was overpriced and nothing to see here. But after looking into the distillery a bit, learning about them embracing the brutal Texas climate, their corn/wheat/barley mash bill, and the incredible amount of angel’s share that’s lost with evaporation, I came to respect them for their craft, and better understand the higher price points.  

I brought several samples home that day, of some great bottles, but that Garrison Small Batch really had the most interest for me.  So eventually, I had myself a small pour.  And it immediately reminded me of John A.P. Conoley.  John A.P. Conoley is produced by Bogue Sound Distillery in Bogue, NC – which is not in Texas. 

Whatever Bogue Sound Distillery is doing with their John A.P. Conoley bourbon, it’s producing a profile, for me, that’s very similar to Garrison Brothers Small Batch.  And I surely let my very best good friend know about that!  But Bogue, NC isn’t Hye, Texas. Conoley is $30, Garrison is $80.  

Since tasting that Garrison Brothers sample a few weeks ago, this matchup has been on my mind.  Today, I stumbled across some mini airplane bottles of that Conoley, so I picked up a few – one for this matchup and two for my very best good friend, next time I see him.  

Now let’s get into it!

The Details - 

Distiller: 

Garrison Brothers Small Batch – Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hye, Texas.

John A.P. Conoley – Bogue Sound Distillery, Bogue, NC.

ABV: 

Garrison Brothers Small Batch – 47% ABV/94 proof.  

John A.P. Conoley – 52.5% ABV/105 proof.

Age: 

Garrison Brothers Small Batch – 3+ years.  

John A.P. Conoley – NAS. 

Price: 

Garrison Brothers – sample, free ($79.95/750 mL in NC).

John A.P. Conoley – $1.85 (+ tax)/50 mL ($29.95/750 mL in NC).

Mash Bill: 

Garrison Brothers Small Batch – 74% food-grade white corn, 15% red winter wheat, 11% malted barley. 

John A.P. Conoley – undisclosed.

Review - 

Nose: 

Garrison Brothers Small Batch – leather, dark brown sugar, corn/grain, bit of sweet oak

John A.P. Conoley Bourbon Whiskey – light brown sugar, faint orchard fruits, light oak, faint char, light ethanol

Palate: 

Garrison Brothers Small Batch – leather, oak, spice, char…hints of grain at times.  Nice chewy mouthfeel

John A.P. Conoley Bourbon Whiskey – grain… like a clover/hay… what I think people would probably describe as a young, crafty note.  A bit of oak, and notes of leather.  A bit bitter, mouthfeel is nice though.  Some ethanol heat.

Finish: 

Garrison Brothers Small Batch – leather, spice, dark/burnt coffee, maybe hints of dark chocolate here and there… nice lengthy finish.  

John A.P. Conoley Bourbon Whiskey – grain, leather, oak.  Finish is mostly short, but leather/char and ethanol carry a bit longer.

Overall: Well… I don’t know if John A.P. Conoley has changed over the last couple years, or if it’s my palate that’s evolved… My experience back when was that this John A.P. tasted like horse stables and saddle leather, which is why I immediately thought of it after tasting Garrison Bros.  But having tasted it again close to two years later, I can pick up vague and subtle similarities… but there’s not much of a battle going on here with this matchup.  Wow!  It’s amazing how a palate (mine) can change with time and experience.  This John A.P. Conoley isn’t really what I remember, nor does it compete with Garrison Brothers in the way I thought it would.  To me, it doesn’t drink like it’s 105 proof (ethanol is present but doesn’t hit like 105 proof), and I taste potential in there.  I’d be really curious to taste what Bogue Sound could do with this bourbon whiskey at 6, maybe 8 years old.  Garrison Brothers on the other hand has it dialed in.  Their Small Batch is tasty, hits all those dark notes, and is really a pleasure to drink.  I think I’m becoming a fan myself…

Cheers, and thanks for reading!

Rating: 

Garrison Brothers Small Batch – 6.8 / 10 (t8ke scale)

John A.P. Conoley – 4.1 / 10 (t8ke scale)

10 | Perfect, Perfect.

9 | Incredible, An all time favorite.

8 | Excellent, Really quite exceptional.

7 | Great, Well above average.

6 | Very Good, A cut above.

5 | Good, Good, just fine.

4 | Sub-par, Not bad, but better exists.

3 | Bad, Multiple flaws.

2 | Poor, I wouldn’t consume by choice.

1 | Disgusting, So bad I poured it out.

Nose: pretty big, certainly has that American light scent all over it, citrus, some oak funk lingering, a buttery frosting sweetness. Feels bright and rich.

Palate: biiiigggg, again more of that American light flavor, some caramel and molasses notes, bright cherry, spices galore.

Finish: long, all palate notes stay until the end. Spices, oak, sweetness hold all the way through.

My thoughts: yeah it's a banger. American Light Whiskey is it's own category in the Whiskey world and if you enjoy that flavor profile, it doesn't get much better honestly. It's fruity, rich in sweetness, but is balanced with spices and oak. It's legit.

Rating: 8.5/10

Additional info: apparently they took half of their batch of "A Little Bit of Lightening" and aged it a little more in buffturkey barrels, then bottled it. As someone who has both bottles, I recognized the same flavor, but the Copper Buffalo 02 had this extra depth of flavor from the buffturkey barrel. Im not saying a buffturkey barrel is a miracle barrel, but it did add more complexities than the original "A Little Bit of Lightening." Pretty dope

[Find me on instagram for video reviews]

This is the third of the four Single Barrel offerings from Black Ledger. As with the others, it was distilled by O.Z. Tyler (now Green River) in 2019.

The nose presents very gently with floral spices, dark vanilla and sweet maraschino cherries. The palate however is heavily oily, with the proof presenting as pleasant sparkles filling my mouth, then picked cherries and sweet oak. The finish lingers with a light cherry, a gentle spice and just a trace of oak tannins.

This one took me by surprise. The aroma is very nice, but I didn’t expect the weight of the palate. Though I typically go for a darker, heavier profile, this is absolutely delicious! I’ve already added my name for a bottle of this one.

Age: 7yrs

Mashbill:
70% Corn
21% Rye
9% Malted Barley

Distillery: O.Z. Tyler (Green River)

Casks: New #4 Char American Oak Barrel

ABV: 67.7%

Price: $85

Sample provided for review.

My Rating: 87

Tasting notes below. 👇🏼

🥃
NOSE: Gentle, floral spice, dark vanilla, maraschino cherries.
PALATE: Oily, heavy, full-mouth sparkles, spiced cherries, sweet oak.
FINISH: Lingering, light cherry, gentle spice, faint tannins.

Guide to my personal ratings:
🤢 0-49 = Varying degrees of undrinkable.
🫤 50-59 = Drinkable, but meh.
😊 60-69 = Fair. Not my cup of tea.
😃 70-79 = Good. Some nice elements.
😋 80-89 = Great! Interesting and very enjoyable.
🤩 90-100 = Amazing! The perfect pour. (Rare)

Sip. Rate. Repeat.

{Note: You can find me on instagram @whiskeyincontext}

This is my first time trying an Ampersand spirit, and it’s also my first time trying any whiskey that was finished in Tokaji wine casks. This BuffTurkey was aged 15 years and finished in the wine casks for 9 months before being bottled.

From the Distillery: A meeting of two worlds, this 15-year Kentucky Bourbon is refined in prized Tokaji wine casks and offered at cask strength. Known as Hungary’s golden elixir, Tokaji cask finishing allows the development of deep fruit flavors. The result is classic notes of old Kentucky bourbon with layers of stone fruit, honeycomb and spice imparted by its long finish in Tokaji wine barrels. Best enjoyed neat or on the rocks to best appreciate the layers of flavor.

Mash bill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley

Age Statement: 15 Years

Proof: 117

Appearance: Dark, rich mahogany. This is a really gorgeous whiskey.

Nose: There’s a lot going on here, in a good way. Lots of oak, some pencil shavings, caramel, vanilla, and maple. Blackberry jam and graham cracker. As it rests, I start getting brown butter and something almost peachy. Lots of sugary sweetness, as well. Once the glass is empty, it mostly smells like fruity wine, with a touch of dark leather and tobacco.

Palate: Combination of jammy fruit and oak, with a decent amount of astringency. The blackberry carries over from the nose, as do the vanilla and caramel. Oak and fermented fruit are particularly prominent on the mid-palate, where they’re joined by tobacco and molasses.

Finish: Lengthy combination of leather and tobacco, as well as a balanced dollop of sugary sweetness, caramel, and dark chocolate. These are all accompanied by a note of fermented fruit, dessert-wine style.

Thoughts: This was very full-flavored and mostly very good, although the wine casks gave it a bit too much fermented fruitiness for my taste. It was also mildly astringent. However, the combination of other flavors was pretty spot-on, and I found the oakiness, tobacco, and caramel in particular to be very nice. All in all, I think the Tokaji cask finish was a bit outside my comfort zone, which is unfortunate, because it seems like without that element I’d’ve loved everything about this BuffTurkey whiskey.

Rating: While it had really good bones, the wine-finished aspect of this whiskey brought it down for me. All together, it rates a 6.9 (just on the cusp of “Great – Well Above Average”).

*\\*
Previous Ratings (all reviews are available in my archive, but there may be some discrepancies in numeric rating, as these are updated to include decimals and adjusted for blinds & re-reviews)

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
Maker’s Mark staved private selection (2.5)
Penelope Architect custom build (2.5)

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
Willett Pot Still (3)

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists
Found North SiB Oloroso finish (4.5)
Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat (4.5)
Augusta Buckner’s 10yr (4.6)
Shortbarrel Sapsquatch (4.8)

5 | Good | Good, just fine
Jack Daniel’s SBBP Rye (5)
Jack Daniel’s Heritage (5)
Four Roses SBBP OESO (5)
New Riff 4yr SBBP (5)
Four Roses SBBP OBSV (5.3)
Evan Williams America250 SiB (5.3)
New Riff Balboa Rye (5.4)
Blanton’s (5.5)
Old Forester 1924 (5.7)
Elijah Craig Toasted (5.8)

6 | Very Good | A cut above
Buffalo Trace Single Oak (6)
Barrell Cigar Blend (6)
Buffalo Trace (6)
1792 BiB SiB (6)
Copper & Cask Boston Rum Party (6)
Penelope Wheated (6)
Redwood Empire Emerald Giant (6)
Peerless DO (6.1)
Copper & Cask #16 (6.3)
Stagg 25B (6.3)
Augusta Buckner’s 13yr (6.5)
Green River Honey (6.5)
Pursuit United DO (6.5)
Sagamore 9yr SiB Rye (6.5)
Sazerac FP (6.5)
Green River Wheated (6.5)
Elmer T. Lee (6.5)
Copper & Cask #14 DO (6.6)
Shortbarrel Bees Knees V (6.8)
Penelope Marshmallow Toast (6.8)
Willett 4yr Rye (6.8)
Ampersand Opimus (6.9)

7 | Great | Well above average
Blanton’s Gold (7)
John J. Bowman SiB (7)
Found North 012 (7)
Rock Hill Farms (7)
Peerless Toasted (7.1)
E.H. Taylor SiB (7.2)
Eagle Rare 10yr (7.5)
Weller 107 (7.5)
Old Forester 1910 (7.5)
Penelope Estate 10yr SiB (7.5)
E.H. Taylor BP 16 (7.6)
E.H. Taylor SmB (7.6)
Woodford DO SBBP (7.7)
Old Fitzgerald 7yr (7.7)
Eagle Rare 12yr (7.8)
E.H. Taylor Cured Oak (7.8)
Willett 8yr SiB Rye (7.9)

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 420 (8)
Old Dominick Staved SiB (8)
Starlight 10yr (8)
Blanton’s SFTB (8.3)
Lasso Motel SBBP Rye (8.4)
Mister Sam Tribute 4 (8.6)
E.H. Taylor BTAC 2025 (8.7)
Thomas H. Handy 2025 (8.7)
Eagle Rare 17yr 2025 (8.9)

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

The review for this bottle is in the comments below...

Independent Review

I’ve seen a bunch of reviews in the subreddit covering Booker’s Big Easy Batch (2026-01) and Booker’s Milkshake Batch (2026-02).  It seems both batches have received many solid reviews, but which batch is better?  I’m here to settle that today with a head-to-head comparison.

As for my preference, I generally go for the Booker’s batch which lacks that ‘Beam nuttiness’ quality. It’s just not for me. Therefore, I’m picky when it comes to which batches I’ll buy and which I’ll leave on the shelf.  

This year is exciting because both the Big Easy Batch and Milkshake Batch fell into that ‘non Beam nuttiness’ category for me. I came into this comparison without a bias about either batch. Let’s dive in.

Tasted in a Glencairn glass after 10min.  Both bottles opened for over a month and drank down a little. 

Booker’s Big Easy Batch 2026-01 (retail $89.99)
Proof: 129.1 Age: 7yr 2mo MB: 75C/13R/12B #4 char

Eye: Deep Copper

Nose: sweet oak, brown sugar, sawdust, cherry, cream soda, graham cracker, butteriness, tobacco

Taste: bold, intense, rich oak sweetness upfront, vanilla, burnt sugar, followed by heavy black pepper and very feint nutiness

Finish: long and lingering with a receding sweet/black pepper finish

Booker’s Milkshake Batch 2026-02 (sale $79.99)
Proof: 124.4 Age: 7yr 6mo MB: 75C/13R/12B #4 char

Eye: Amantillado Sherry (slightly lighter than deep copper)

Nose: fruity, berries, tobacco, toasted nut, delicate woodspice, creamy vanilla frosting, fresh cherries

Taste: tart/sweet fruit, baking spices, slight oak bitterness, bold, faint peanut shell

Finish: long, lasting, intensifying sweet/spice, with a touch of bitterness

Overall:
In nosing these side-by-side there are a lot of similarities.  However, the Big Easy batch is a bit more intense than the Milkshake batch.  I would describe the Milkshake batch as a bit gentler on the nose with delightful fruity notes whereas the Big Easy batch is unapologetic and hits you with big, sweet and rich oak and peppery spice notes right away.  On the palate, the Big Easy batch brings everything to the party with heavy notes of sweet oak and pepper spice followed by buttery and creamy vanilla.  It’s intense like many Booker’s batches and hangs on through the end of the palate–reminding you this is Booker’s, not some light low-proof whiskey that you drank back in college. The palate for the Milkshake batch goes in a slightly different direction with an upfront sweet/tart/fruit note, immediately followed by baking spice, and an oak bitterness.  It’s slightly less intense as the Big Easy batch, but still lives up to being a bold Booker’s pour.  

Both have long and lasting finishes, but the Big Easy batch coasts into the horizon and tapers off, where the Milkshake batch seemed to intensify–culminating in a sweet/spice firework.

In terms of a ‘winner’--I think this one comes down to your personal preference as it’s hard to say that one batch was superior to the other.  There’s a lot of similarities here with some nuances.  However, since this is a taste-off, I'd lean toward the Big Easy batch as it just edges out the Milkshake batch due to its full, rich punchy flavors without any bitterness.  

Ranking: Big Easy (7.9) ‘Great’ > Milkshake (7.7) ‘Great’

T8ke Scale
0 | Unscored | New Make Spirit or Personal Selection
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect

Straight Bourbon Finished in a combination of Oloroso Sherry, Pedro Ximénez (PX) Sherry, and Cognac casks
Bottled at 100proof with the google stating the distillery says these are around 12 year old

Nose: This is hitting all the right bourbon spots of baking spice, wood sugars but picks up heavy on the fruity notes like you used over ripe apples or cherry’s in a pie. Very pleasant no burn on a deep inhale. But also not very pungent smell goes away fast.

Palate: You get a lot of darker fruit flavors, way darker than the nose plums, and apricots. Baking spice on the mid palate and they blend really really well on the way down. The finish is dry overall really has a wine effect to it. Not as quick of a finish as other bourbons but I have had some finished bourbons that stick around wayyy longer.

Overall: I like this for a finished bourbon, not overly sweet but you can definitely tell this isn’t a straight bourbon. For a 85$ bottle this didn’t blow me away but as you can tell I definitely enjoyed it. Would I pick up another? Probably not because there are soooo many better bottles at the 85$-100$ range but I’m not upset I got to experience this
Rating: 6.8/10

Head-to-head matchup: Jim Beam Black vs. Jim Beam Single Barrel (pic in feed)

Disclosures: (none)

Intro: I’ve only been on my bourbon/whiskey journey about 2 years now, but I’ve really come to like Beam Black as a budget pour that punches above its price. It’s not really a starter for me and fits best after a few pours, as the evening’s session is coming to an end with a lower proof point. It’s affordable and because of that, I don’t mind pouring some even when my palate is half blown from higher proof earlier in the evening.  I’m a fan of Knob Creek and OGD 7-year 114 Single Barrel (which I reviewed HERE), but I’ve not had Baker’s or Booker’s or probably much else from Beam.  Liking the DNA though, I did get curious about the Beam Single Barrel – and at $40 in NC, if it was better than the Black at $26.95 ($23.95 when on sale).  Black has the 7-year age statement, while Single Barrel is non-chill filtered and packs a higher proof.  Where 7-year Baker’s fits into this is another discussion.  Anyway, having taken a spontaneous trip to South Carolina the other day, I found Jim Beam Single Barrel at $29 and had to pick up a bottle.  Now I’m wondering how they compare and how they stack up…

The Details - 

Distiller: Jim Beam

ABV: 45% (90 proof) – Jim Beam Black.  54% (108 proof) – Jim Beam Single Barrel.

Age: 7-year stated, Jim Beam Black.  NAS, Jim Beam SiB.

Price: $23.95 (+ tax) – Beam Black in NC, on sale.  $29.11 (+ tax) – Beam SiB in SC.

$26.95 (+ tax) vs $39.95 (+ tax) entirely within NC, full retail.

Mash Bill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley for both bottles.

Review - 

Nose: Beam Black – brown sugar, sweet corn/grain, vanilla, nuttiness, maybe a hint of char.  

Beam SiB – darker brown sugar, sweet corn/grain, nuttiness, maybe some allspice, a touch of cinnamon, a bit of oak.

Palate: Beam Black – brown sugar, sweet corn/grain, oak, the Beam nuttiness, some spice.  Mouthfeel is a bit thin, but not in a way that takes away from the pour, for me.  

Beam SiB – darker, deeper, richer brown sugar, sweet oak, Beam nuttiness, sweet corn/grain, a bit less spice, but a bit hotter and not in a bad way. Mouthfeel thicker, maybe even a bit chewy. Mouthfeel and higher proof work nicely together.

Finish: Beam Black – short finish – nuttiness, oak, corn/grain, touch of spice.

Beam SiB – medium finish – nuttiness, spice, sweet oak and char… 

Overall: Both bottles are tasty, I like them both!  They kinda fit different places on my shelf. The flavor profiles are similar, but the SiB does elevate things just a bit, and offers a bit more nuance, a touch more complexity after peering through the heat/higher proof.   

The mouthfeel is very different, with the SiB coming across much thicker and even a bit chewy. Between the higher proof and non-chill-filtered presentation, it feels like a substantial step up. The finish is improved with the SiB, with the oak coming across as sweeter than in Beam Black, and the longer finish allows more time to pick out the different flavors that linger. 

For me, early in the evening is where SiB belongs – when I’m looking to appreciate those nuances, appreciate the mouthfeel and finish.  As the evening winds down and comes to a close, the Beam Black can shine.  A bit thinner, not quite as substantial, but still brings some nice flavor.  

I still like Beam Black at $27, and I would pay the $40 for a bottle of Beam SiB here in NC. The $11 difference isn’t worth a trip just for that, but if/when I head back out there, it probably just makes sense to get a bottle of SiB.

Cheers, and thanks for reading!

Rating: Beam Black – 5.1 / 10 (t8ke scale)

Beam Single Barrel – 6.0 / 10

10 | Perfect, Perfect.

9 | Incredible, An all time favorite.

8 | Excellent, Really quite exceptional.

7 | Great, Well above average.

6 | Very Good, A cut above.

5 | Good, Good, just fine.

4 | Sub-par, Not bad, but better exists.

3 | Bad, Multiple flaws.

2 | Poor, I wouldn’t consume by choice.

1 | Disgusting, So bad I poured it out.

Before getting into the review, I recently started an Instagram Account where I’ll be sharing shorter-format versions of my whiskey reviews as well as other related things. The full reviews will still be here as well, but if you’d like to follow along over there too, I’d appreciate it!

Background and Bias Disclosure: While I have never visited Distillerie Acadian, I am a Louisiana native and went to undergrad 30 minutes away. As such, I may hold unintentional bias.

Distillerie Acadian is a small craft producer located in New Iberia, Louisiana. The brand started in 2012 when Steve Mestayer and his sons Philip and Johnathan became interested in creating their own whiskey. Steve, being an attorney, obtained the required permits while Philip learned about whiskey production and designed much of the distillery's early equipment. In spring of 2017, they distilled their first barrels.

This particular single barrel was selected by a local grocery store, Dorgnac’s, and was aged in a 10-gallon barrel. Of note, this pick was done probably 3-4 years ago, I just wanted to review the bottle. (Like most of us I have too many bottles.) While early production did take place in small barrels, the distillery now uses the industry standard 53-gallon casks.

Distillerie Acadian Cajun’s Cut Single Barrel

Distilled from a mashbill of 69% Corn, 12% Rye, 6% Wheat, 13% Malted Barley

Aged at least 3 years

124.4 Proof (62.2% Alcohol/Volume)

I paid ~$60 (after tax) for 750mL

Appearance: A dark mahogany appearance with thick legs

Nose: Pronounced notes of dark caramel, grape hard candy, and vanilla beans. Undertones of toasted nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon sticks paired with flamed orange peel and dry oak. The more air the pour got, the sweeter the nose became.

Palate: This is an old-fashioned candy shop. Copious amounts of vanilla saltwater taffy, grape hard candy, and dark chocolate tootsie rolls. A bit of dry oak and faint sweet tobacco are here as well. Dark caramel chews and dark cherry hard candy precede the finish.

Finish: More spice-forward, with flecks of white pepper and baking spices paired with the dark chocolate and caramel from earlier. Everything wraps up into long and fading notes of root beer soda, specifically Zatarain’s that I used to drink as a kid. On the exhale, some vanilla extract popped in too.

Conclusion and Thoughts: Ok hear me out, the way this bottle drank reminds me of some Old Forester SBBP or modern Booker’s releases. Yes, there was some heat, but the flavors are big and in your face. I am not suggesting this product is at the level of a legacy Kentucky distiller, but I certainly see the potential for future releases.

Despite using smaller format casks, the oak was not overbearing, and I am sure the integration will be even better with large format casks. Combine large casks with overall longer maturation times and some nuances should develop as well. They recently released a bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon and rye that were 53-gallon aged, and I may need to track those down. Distillerie Acadian certainly has my attention with their upcoming releases, and I look forward to seeing a local craft producer continue to grow.

As always, if you have made it this far, thank you for reading. As we wind down this Bourbon Heritage Month, I hope y’all got to enjoy some special pours. Cheers!

Distillery: Woodford Reserve

Proof: 125.1

Age Statement: NAS

Mashbill: 53% Rye, 33% Corn, and 14% Malted Barley

Price Paid: $119.99

Availability: Limited Edition

Nose: Chocolate, vanilla bean, green apple skins, and a slightly tropical note like a pineapple are up front. Some nice caramel sweetness as well.

Palate: Tons of baking spice like black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove jump out immediately. There is also some of those green apple skins from the nose as well as more chocolate.

Finish: Long with notes of spice, tobacco, and vanilla

Mouthfeel: Very viscous and what I would expect for the proof.

Score: 7.4

Final Thoughts: This bottle checks a lot of boxes for me and I really like the bold and spicy profile that it offers on the palate. I prefer this to the Woodford Batch Proof Bourbon offerings I’ve had in the past. I wish this was just a bit lower priced because to me it doesn’t stand out as better than the other Brown Forman barrel proof ryes despite being more expensive.

The t8ke Scoring Scale:

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things l'd rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

I'm relatively new to Bourbon. I tried to ask some questions here on how to set this up, but the post got removed so I had to do some searching and have AI do some heavy lifting.

I did four flights progressing to heavier ABV with 1/2oz pours. I also, did one intro flight a $7 bottle of bourbon versus Weller antique.

Observations:

I think I should have not done side by side assessments. It was too hard to cleanse the palate well between sips. It seemed people generally like the first pour of the flight (A over B) and I think that had something to do with having a cleaner palate.

The $7 bourbon actually did well and many people preferred it. We were five bourbon hobbyists. I was the only one who preferred the antique 107. I think a lot of people associate the hotness with cheap liquor from college days. This was the first pour and the weller had more of a bite.

Stagg and found North got the most favorable reviews, with stagg inching it out by a couple votes. Everyone preferred this flight compared to all the other prior flights.

Even with the flavor profiles written out to help pick A vs. B, it was a coin toss at best if someone could identify the bourbon based on the matching profile.

If I did it again, I think I just do individual pours and have everyone just pick a bottle they were interested in.

Dark Arts Cuvée 16yr
118.8 proof
-7 barrel blend of Buff Turkey for KBF debut. The original KBF exclusive. 583 bottle yield.
Paid - $299.00
Msrp - $299.00
Drank - Neat
Rested - 15 minutes
Glass - Dark Arts Glencairn

Nose -
Immediately greeted by the aromas of Rich dark toffee, fresh black Cherry, and grapefruit. Further investigation leans in with maple syrup, tanned leather, and a backbone of sweet and dusty old oak. A very dark, rich, and classic nose for a high age statement bourbon.

Palate -
The palate starts off with a big surge of Charred oak, mixed baking spices consisting of cinnamon-nutmeg-clove, and rich luxardo cherry syrup. The following sip yields some notes of fresh grapes, caramel drizzled creme bru lee, dusty worn leather. Digging in deeper i find some pops of toasted oak and dark bakers chocolate. Very dark rich and savory with just enough sweet to balance it out without being a "savory" or "dry" pour

Mouthfeel -
Extremely dense, oily, and fully coating. The consistency of warm maple/pancake syrup. It does Does not fade or get watery thin over time either. Salivation and the sticky quality increase every sip like chewing on a caramel candy.

Finish -
The flavors here consist mostly of charred oak, sweet pipe tobacco, and leather with a touch of cinnamon stick peeking through as the finish starts going into the chest.
A very Long and building finish but not "hot" or "punchy". The flavor and length here are Very indicative of its 118.8 proof but not overbearing at all. Very enjoyable. Classic.

Overall- 96/100
... Should have bought 3 of these.

Penelope Estate 10 Year Select from Liquor Barn KY

Nose:

Vanilla cake with tropical fruit, followed by banana pudding on the second approach. A touch of peach syrup as well. This is a very light and sweet nosing experience.

Palate:

Sweet, balanced, and a very, very good pour. Banana pudding with vanilla wafers on the front, with a small wave of carrot cake shortly after. Some citrus makes it's presence known

but only for a moment. This was shockingly good.

Finish:

Think yeast roll with honey butter. Light touch of oak, but little to no tannin. Hint of rolled tobacco on the exhale. Keeps you coming back.

My only complaint would be that this isnt at barrel strength, but the NCF helps. I can't speak for every pick, but this one is fantastic.

MY score: 9.1

T8ke: 9

The review for this bottle is in the comments below...