The Last Call

     Larrikin Bourbon Company is one of those brands I had been watching from a distance, waiting for it to finally land here in Indiana. In 2026, we started seeing bottles hit shelves, along with a few store picks, including this single barrel selected by Handy Spot Liquor in Indiana. After tasting it in-store, I walked away… and then came back two days later to buy it. That alone should tell you something.      Transparency is a strong point for the brand, and on paper this nine-year, barrel proof single barrel looked promising. This is a single barrel Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at a hefty ABV and aged at least nine years. The mash bill is 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. Larrikin standard releases use the same mash bill and are also single barrels, while select barrels like this one are chosen by individual stores or groups. While the distillery is not officially disclosed, the mash bill and Kentucky origin suggest a strong possibilit...

Hard Truth has been one of the most exciting distilleries coming out of southern Indiana, not only for their quality but for their advocacy in establishing “Indiana Rye” as a recognized classification. From the first time I tried their gin, I’ve been hooked, and since then I’ve made it a point to chase down their limited releases whenever possible. This Sweet Mash Double Oaked Straight Rye immediately had my attention. A five-year age statement, bottled at barrel proof, and finished in a secondary charred cask? That is a recipe that speaks directly to everything I love about double oaked rye.      This expression starts with a 94% rye, 6% malted barley mash bill. It is produced using a sweet mash process, meaning each fermentation begins fresh rather than incorporating backset from a previous run. After initial aging, the whiskey is transferred into a second charred barrel, where it rests long enough to bring the total age to at least five years. The batch consisted of ju...

     Some bottles just sit on the shelf and stare at you. This one did that to me for nearly a year. Old Blue Single Barrel Cask Strength from Wood Hat Spirits was part of a group store pick here in Indiana, originally hovering near the $90–$100 mark before eventually dropping to half price. Once the price fell, curiosity finally won.      Information on this bottling is surprisingly limited. The label states that it is grown, aged, distilled, and bottled by Wood Hat, which is a huge plus in the craft world. As a straight corn whiskey, we know the mash bill is at least 80% corn, but the remaining 20% is undisclosed. There is no age statement, and barrel size is not specified. I reached out for clarification but never received a response. So we go in with what’s in the glass.      Being craft and potentially made with smaller barrels, there are a lot of variables at play. Smaller cooperage can accelerate oak influence, and with a high-corn mas...

     Craft bourbon can be hit or miss, especially when age statements are young and prices creep upward. This single barrel from 18th Street Distilling out of Hammond, Indiana came with hesitation attached. At just three years old and originally priced around $80, it was a bottle that sat on shelves until a significant price drop finally made it too tempting to ignore.       18th Street is one of those distilleries doing everything themselves. They distill, age, and bottle their own whiskey while also maintaining a strong presence in the beer world. That hands-on approach has shown promise in the past, but this bottle felt like a real moment of arrival.      This is a single barrel cask strength straight bourbon, bottled at a hefty 62.8% ABV and aged a minimum of three years. Unfortunately, transparency beyond that stops there. No mash bill details, no barrel size information, and no specifics on warehouse conditions. What is known is th...

     There are certain distilleries that instantly grab your attention, and for me  Lagavulin  has always been one of them. The bold smoke, the maritime edge, that unmistakable Islay character. When I saw the 11 Year Old Sweet Peat hit shelves, I didn’t hesitate. The 11-year line has delivered some memorable bottles over the years, and I was curious to see how this bourbon cask-focused release would stack up.      Unlike several previous 11-year editions, this one leans into first-fill bourbon casks and carries a slightly lower proof at 43% ABV. That combination alone suggested a softer, sweeter take on the distillery’s typically muscular profile. This release is matured exclusively in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. That detail matters. Many Scotch producers reuse bourbon casks multiple times, which gradually reduces their influence. First-fill casks, on the other hand, should bring more pronounced vanilla, honey, and wood sugars to the spirit. Fo...

     West Fork Whiskey Company out of Westfield, Indiana continues to prove they are serious about the craft side of bourbon. This particular release is a high corn bourbon, distilled, aged, and bottled in-house, then finished in cherry brandy barrels. What really caught my attention was the mash bill: 100% corn. Yes, that qualifies as bourbon. After four years in new American oak, it spent another year and a half in cherry brandy barrels, bringing the total age to five and a half years. On paper, that is a fascinating experiment.      A 100% corn mash bill is naturally going to lean sweeter and softer, without the spice from rye or the added structure from malted barley or wheat. That means the finishing barrel has a huge role in shaping the final product. In this case, the cherry brandy cask is not a background note. It is the lead singer. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/3vL3C8_7mts . Age Statement: 4 years. (Single ...

     Backbone Bourbon Company has built a strong reputation out of Indianapolis by embracing transparency and leaning into creative sourcing. While many know them for their MGP-driven releases, they’ve never been shy about exploring whiskey from across North America and beyond. This particular bottle immediately stops you in your tracks because it challenges expectations before the cork even comes out.      This is an Irish whiskey, but the color tells a completely different story. Deep, dark, and bordering on mahogany, it looks far closer to a heavily aged double-oaked bourbon than anything traditionally associated with Ireland. That alone made this release impossible to pass up, especially knowing it came from a small, almost accidental single barrel that found its way to Holly’s Package Store.      The whiskey began its life in Ireland, aged as an Irish whiskey before being shipped to the United States. Once stateside, Backbone finished it...