The Last Call

    Every now and then, a bottle appears where you least expect it, and this was one of those moments. While wandering through a Belmont Beverage in Northern Indiana, I stumbled upon a bottle of  Penelope Private Select 10-Year  sitting quietly on the shelf at SRP. For a release that’s usually hunted down or heavily marked up, this felt like striking gold. Penelope has built a reputation for transparency and consistency, and under the MGP umbrella, they’ve become a powerhouse in blending and finishing. The Estate Collection bottles in particular have turned heads with their elegance and flavor depth, and this Private Select proves no different.     This year’s Estate Collection brings a notable upgrade, now carrying a  10-year age statement , up from last year’s 9-year release. It’s a blend of Indiana and Kentucky bourbons. Penelope’s transparency here is refreshing, letting enthusiasts trace exactly what’s in the bottle. Aged stocks, ca...

        Penelope has been on a roll lately, especially since settling under the MGP umbrella, and their recent limited releases have been grabbing attention for good reason. Marshmallow Toast debuted in late 2024 alongside the Cream Brûlée Architect in 2025, and each showcases Penelope’s knack for pulling highly specific flavor profiles from single barrels. I missed the excitement of batch one, but batch two found me at the right moment during my travels, and at a reasonable price. As a longtime Penelope fan and a lover of toasted bourbons, this release had me genuinely excited.      Batch one appears to have been closer to four years old, making batch two a slight age upgrade. The whiskey is then finished in heavily charred No. 3 casks, designed to coax out toasted sweetness, vanilla creaminess, and the “marshmallow toast” character they’re aiming for. The transparency behind this release only adds to its charm, Penelope lets you know exactly how...

     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 bottle may or may not come with the velvety bag, but the pr...

     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 me has been an alright experience. Nothing that has blo...

     There are certain releases that instantly grab your attention, and this Backbone Bourbon Company single barrel American single malt was one of them. As soon as news broke about a hazmat-level American single malt with an extremely limited yield, I knew I had to try to get my hands on one. Backbone has earned my trust over the years through transparency, thoughtful sourcing, and some genuinely standout single barrels, so this bottle already had a lot going for it before the cork was ever pulled.      This particular barrel was selected by T8ke, a well-known figure in the whiskey community and the mind behind the r/bourbon community. After tasting through several options at Backbone, this was the barrel he couldn’t walk away from. With a final yield of just 68 bottles, it was never going to be an easy find. When I got the chance to purchase one, there was no hesitation. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/HFEgS_q-STU . A...

     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 friendly team, and a clear sense of craft pride behind every bottle. ...