The Last Call

 Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon Review.      There are few bottles in the whiskey world as immediately recognizable and Old Fitzgerald is high on that list. That iconic decanter shape has long made the Heaven Hill release a collector’s trophy, often tucked away behind glass or proudly displayed on a bar cart. But 2025 brings something different: a shelf-stable version of Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, with the promise of wider availability and a more approachable price point. Ironically, just as I found this 7-year version, I was also pulled for Priority Access at Total Wine and snagged a 9-year decanter release, making this the perfect time to finally dive into the Old Fitz lineup for the very first time.      What’s interesting about this release is that it represents a shift for Old Fitzgerald, moving from high-demand, allocated decanters to something that may eventually become a true shelf option. Depending on where you find it, the...

Hard Truth Double Oaked Bourbon Whiskey Review.       Hard Truth Distilling has quickly become one of Indiana’s breakout names, known first for its exceptional sweet mash ryes and now steadily expanding its bourbon lineup. When I first heard about their new Double Oak release, I knew I had to track down a bottle. Thankfully, a family member visiting the distillery snagged one for me. I’ve loved what Hard Truth has done in the past, and the idea of them giving their sweet mash bourbon the double oak treatment instantly caught my attention.       True to their transparent approach, this is a barrel-proof, small-batch release, just 28 barrels total, and for now a distillery exclusive. Hard Truth employs a sweet mash process, meaning they start each fermentation fresh instead of using remnants from the previous batch like in a sour mash. The result tends to be a brighter, more vibrant flavor profile. Now up to this point their sweet mash bourbon for m...

 Four Finger Distillery Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey Review.      Craft whiskey is alive and thriving in Indiana, and Four Finger Distillery continues to be a name that defines what small-batch passion can achieve. Based out of Indianapolis, Four Finger handles every step of the process, distilling, aging, and bottling, right in-house. This level of control and transparency is rare, and their latest release, a Bottled in Bond rye whiskey, feels like a proud milestone. Having loved their barrel-proof rye (my top Rye of 2024), I was excited to see how this one held up under the Bottled in Bond standard.           Four Finger Distillery , once known as 1205 Distillery, carries one of the more memorable origin stories. Its name comes from founder and master distiller Brad losing a finger during the construction of the stills, a touch of grit that now defines the brand’s spirit. Visit their tasting room, and you’ll find great cocktails, a frie...

Waterloo Barrel Aged Gin Review.      I received this spirit as a review sample from Waterloo Gin,  linked here . It is important to clarify this did not impact the ratings of this review.      There’s something deeply satisfying about a distillery that takes a familiar spirit and reshapes it into something entirely its own. Waterloo Gin, based out of Texas, has done just that with their Barrel-Aged Gin—an experiment that brings together the floral brightness of gin with the smooth, warm depth of oak aging. This bottle comes in at 47% ABV and is aged for at least two years. Full disclosure—Waterloo was kind enough to send this bottle over for review, but rest assured, my thoughts are entirely my own.      For me, gin has always held a special place. I’ve been a fan long before I ever sat in front of a camera with a tasting glass, and barrel-aged gins in particular have always intrigued me. They’re a rare breed on most shelves, bridging t...

 Smokeye Hill Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review.      Some bottles rise from obscurity overnight, and Smokeye Hill is one of them. When Fred Minnick gave this Colorado-based brand his seal of approval in 2024, their bourbons vanished from shelves faster than you could say “secondary markup.” But now that the hype has settled, prices have dropped, and I finally got my hands on a bottle.          Though Smokeye Hill operates out of Colorado, the whiskey itself begins life at MGP in Indiana. What makes it stand out is the unique mash bill, a blend of blue corn, yellow corn, rye, and barley, a departure from MGP’s traditional recipes. After distillation, the spirit makes the journey west to Colorado, where it’s aged and bottled. That blue corn addition immediately caught my attention. From my experiences, blue corn adds a unique mouthfeel and texture to the whiskey. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/...

 West Fork Whsky Co. Korean Barbecue  Finished Bourbon Review.      Every now and then, a whiskey comes along that breaks all the rules, and West Fork Whisky Company has made a habit of doing just that. In recent time they have been doing some creative finishes with their in house distilled, aged and bottled whiskey. West Fork has teamed up once again with the culinary wizard King Butter for a truly experimental release: a straight bourbon whiskey finished in a  Korean barbecue barrel . This limited release promises something wild, savory, and entirely new in the world of bourbon.      West Fork and King Butter (storefront   linked here )  have already made some great and unique finishes with their hot honey and Swoleracha hot sauce cask projects, but this one might take the cake, or rather, the steak. With only about 50ish bottles in existence, the concept alone had me intrigued: barrels that once held rich Korean barbecue sauce, n...