The Last Call

     Traveler’s Point Distillery has quietly been building something special out in Indiana, and this barrel proof wheated bourbon feels like a real step forward. With their focus on locally sourced grains and full control over distilling, aging, and bottling, this release shows what happens when a craft distillery starts hitting its stride. Seeing this expression reach over four years old at barrel proof is a strong sign of growth.      There’s a clear intention here too. Instead of chasing aggressive, high-proof heat, Traveler’s Point leans into balance and drinkability. That philosophy immediately sets expectations for something a little different from the usual barrel proof experience. The distillery uses a lower barrel entry proof, along with 53 gallon barrels, allowing the whiskey to mature gradually and develop complexity without becoming overly tannic or hot. A      Everything is handled in-house in Indiana, from grain to glass, reinf...

     Circle City Whiskey Company is one of those brands that has slowly earned more and more space on my shelves. Every time a new release drops, it feels like they push the envelope just a little further while still keeping that transparency we all want to see in modern whiskey. Tonight’s pour is their newest release for 2026, the Robusto Blend, and this one immediately caught my attention because it was designed as a cigar-style batch.      I am not a cigar smoker myself, but I have always enjoyed cigar-style bourbons because they tend to lean richer, darker, and more layered while still bringing a higher proof to the table. This one checks all of those boxes before the bottle is even opened.       The Robusto Blend is a four-barrel blend built around both transparency and creativity. Three of the barrels come from Heaven Hill, all at least eight years old, and each one was finished differently. One was placed in a toasted cask, a...

There are some bottles you buy out of curiosity, and then there are bottles you grab because the story behind them feels too interesting to ignore. This collaboration between Bardstown Bourbon Company and T8KE falls squarely into that second category. A blend of Kentucky straight bourbons and a 33-year-old Canadian corn whiskey is not something you see every day, and it immediately raises questions about balance, intention, and execution. After missing the initial 2025 release, finding it discounted in 2026 made the decision easy. With Bardstown’s reputation for transparency and T8KE’s track record of strong picks, expectations were already set pretty high going in. The standout here is clearly the Canadian whiskey portion, a component that could easily make or break the blend depending on how it integrates. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/jW0ggyueVzQ . Age Statement: +7 years. ABV: 62.75% (Cask strength). Blend: 47% 9-year Kentucky bourbon (78% cor...

     Buffalo  Trace  has  a  habit  of  releasing  bottles  that  generate  conversation  before  anyone  even  tastes  them.  Traveller  Whiskey  was  one  of  those  releases.  Originally  launched  through  a  collaboration  between  country  artist  Chris  Stapleton  and  Buffalo  Trace,  the  first  version  hit  shelves  quickly  and  sold  out  just  as  fast.  The  hype  was  immediate,  though  the  whiskey  itself  landed  somewhere  in  the “ perfectly  fine  but  forgettable”  category  for  many  drinkers.      Fast  forward  to  2026  and  Buffalo  Trace  has  introduced  a...

     Hard  Truth  Distilling  has  become  one  of  the  most  recognizable  craft  distilleries  coming  out  of  Indiana  in  recent  years.  Known  primarily  for  their  sweet  mash  rye  whiskey,  the  distillery  has  steadily  been  expanding  into  bourbon  as  well.  While  some  of  their  earlier  bourbons  felt  fairly  standard,  the  newer  releases  with  higher  age  statements  and  barrel  proof  offerings  have  started  to  show  real  promise.           This  particular  bottle  is  a  distillery- selected  single  barrel  called  Decadence.  Bottled  at  cas...

          Rare Saint, based in the Indianapolis area and connected to well-known establishments like  St. Elmo Steak House ,  1933 Lounge , and  Harry & Izzy’s , has been steadily releasing sourced MGP whiskey over the past few years. After being underwhelmed by one of their previous rye releases, I admittedly stepped away for a bit. But I am a sucker for port cask finishes, and this one pulled me right back in.      The Trinity of Port is an ambitious concept: a blend of four MGP mash bills, each at least five years old, finished separately in ruby, tawny, and white port barrels before being blended back together. Limited to just 834 bottles, this release swings for the fences on paper. After blending and resting, the whiskey was divided and finished in ruby, tawny, and white port barrels. Those three components were then blended back together to create the final product.      The transparency here is apprec...