The Last Call

Springbank 15 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review.      Springbank is one of those names that immediately raises eyebrows among Scotch enthusiasts, and for good reason. Limited production, traditional methods, and a reputation that borders on cult status have made these bottles increasingly hard to find. Spotting the Springbank 15 Year on shelves in Indiana felt like a small miracle, especially after missing out the first time and circling back weeks later to grab one of the last remaining bottles.      Having already enjoyed the Springbank 10 and 12 Year expressions, expectations for the 15 were understandably high. This release carries extra intrigue thanks to its full maturation in Oloroso sherry casks, not merely a finish, which immediately sets the tone for something richer and more layered. Springbank’s production is famously hands-on, with traditional floor malting, direct-fired stills, and partial triple distillation contributing to the distillery...

 Bear Wallow Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Review.      My introduction to Bear Wallow Distillery came years ago through their core releases, and I immediately appreciated how proudly local their approach was. They distill, age, and bottle everything in-house, relying on Indiana grains and keeping things small enough that most of their whiskey never even makes it out of their own region. That kind of dedicated local following says a lot about a distillery’s character. So when I learned they were releasing long-aged single barrel offerings near the end of 2025, I made it a point to stop by while visiting the area, and I left with this bottle in hand, excited to dive deeper.      This single barrel straight bourbon is a big step forward for Bear Wallow. Coming in at 64.7% ABV and aged 8 years and 4 months, it carries a mash bill of 65% corn, 25% wheat, and 10% malted barley. No rye at all, which allows the wheat to take a more expressive suppo...

Smoke Wagon Blender’s Select Straight Rye Whiskey Review.      Smoke Wagon is one of those brands that immediately draws attention, partly because of its striking bottle design with wax seals and etched glass, and partly because of the mystery surrounding its sourcing and blending philosophy. Based out of Nevada, Smoke Wagon has built a reputation around curated blends, often utilizing MGP distillate while being unusually transparent about what goes into the bottle. Unfortunately, distribution is limited, and for me that means a drive to Ohio just to pick one up, but curiosity finally got the better of me.      This release is a blend of two distinct rye mash bills. The first consists of 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley. The second is one of MGP’s newer recipes, made up of 51% rye and 49% malted barley. These components are blended together and released at a robust proof without clear indication of whether it is true cask strength. The bottle reviewe...

Bulleit 12 Year Straight Rye Whiskey Review.      Bulleit’s 95 Rye 12 Year feels like a quiet surprise in a market that rarely leaves anything this good under the radar for long. Originally released years ago and then seemingly gone for good, it resurfaced in 2024 with little fanfare, almost as if Bulleit simply decided to remind people what well-aged MGP rye can be. With a 12-year age statement, a classic 95/5 mash bill, and a very approachable price point, expectations were already high before the cork was pulled.     As someone who has grown increasingly fond of rye over the past year, this bottle immediately caught my attention. The standard Bulleit Rye is okay overall, but this felt like a chance to see that familiar profile elevated by real age and careful barrel selection. According to  Bulleit they selected specific barrels for this release. For the full video review visit the link here:    https://youtu.be/6gFjqtBPsBc . Age Statement: 1...

Springbank Cask Strength 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review.      Springbank is one of those distilleries that seems to live in a constant state of pursuit. Bottles appear in waves, vanish just as quickly, and leave behind a trail of regret for anyone who hesitated. I didn’t expect to find the 12 Year Cask Strength sitting on a shelf months after missing it the first time, but when it showed up locally, there was no chance I was letting it slip again.      After being blown away by the Springbank 10 and securing the 15 shortly after, the 12 Cask Strength felt like the missing piece. Given Springbank’s reputation and scarcity, expectations were high, but the real intrigue lies in how this whisky is put together.      This release is matured using a thoughtful and deliberate cask composition. Sixty percent of the whisky spent time in ex-bourbon casks,thirty-five percent comes from ex-sherry casks, while the final five percent is aged in e...

Dark Arts Whiskey House Empyrean Bourbon Whiskey Review.      Dark Arts Whiskey House continues to be one of the more intriguing brands I’ve been diving into throughout 2025, especially as availability remains limited here in Indiana. Empyrean immediately stood out, not just for the striking apothecary-style bottle and label design, but for its ambitious concept: a bourbon finished separately in both red and white port casks before being blended back together. That approach alone suggested a level of intention and control that had me genuinely excited to see how it translated in the glass.      Empyrean starts with an Indiana-distilled high-rye bourbon sourced from MGP. Dark Arts takes a slightly different approach when it comes to finishing. They split the bourbon into two finishing paths: one portion finished in red port casks, the other in white port casks. Instead of transferring the whiskey sequentially between barrels, Dark Arts blends the t...

Balcones Single Barrel Texas Straight Rye Whiskey.      Balcones has long been one of those distilleries that pulls me back in with every release, and this single barrel hazmat rye was no exception. When this pick from HiProof landed on my doorstep, the excitement was immediate, partly because I trust their picks, and partly because I’m a sucker for Texas whiskey and its bold edge. The moment I saw the deep, blood-red hue in the bottle, I had a feeling this one was going to leave an impression.      This release is a Texas straight rye whiskey aged exclusively in European oak casks. It clocks in at 73.2% ABV, making it one of the highest-proof bottles currently on my shelf. As a straight rye, we know it’s at least two years old, but based on the profile I’d guess it leans somewhere closer to three to four. What sets this apart is that full-term European oak maturation, which should leave a very different imprint than the American oak typically associated wi...

Maker's Mark Cask Strength 7 Year Bourbon Whiskey Review.           As 2025 winds down, Makers Mark surprised everyone with what appears to be a limited-age-stated run of their beloved cask strength bourbon. I’ve always had a soft spot for Makers Mark. It wasn’t a brand I fell in love with immediately, but somewhere along the way, it became a comfort bottle, a pour I reached for between bigger, flashier releases. Their lineup consistently offers strong value, and while I still haven’t tried the Cellar Aged, the rest are genuinely solid. Seeing this on the shelf at standard cask strength pricing made it an easy pickup.      This release is still their classic wheated bourbon, although Makers Mark doesn’t publish the exact mash bill. The side label offers some intriguing production details: a 110-proof barrel entry, 378 hand-rotated and hand-selected casks, and the note that each batch is “aged to taste.” That wording alone hints at future vari...

Penelope X T8KE Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Sauternes Casks Review.        Penelope has been on a real tear lately, and 2025 feels like the year they simply refused to miss. Their track record with MGP distillate has been impressive, but this collaboration with T8ke immediately stood out. Take has long been a respected reviewer and a guiding hand in the r/bourbon community, so hearing he was teaming up with Penelope made this an instant “must buy.”      The bottle itself looks regal, with a noble blue label that feels elevated without trying too hard. And once I learned this was a blend of five to seven-year-old bourbon finished in Sauternes casks at barrel proof, I knew this was going to be something different. Sauternes is a French dessert wine known for its sweetness and expensive barrel costs, so expectations were set high before the cork even moved. Amusingly, this is listed as a “single barrel” despite yielding 900 bottles. Whether that’...

Four Finger Distillery Bottled in Bond Bourbon Whiskey Review.           Four Finger Distillery is one of those craft producers that continues quietly building something special, and their Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon feels like a meaningful milestone for where the distillery is today. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Four Finger produces nearly everything in-house, from gin and vodka to absinthe, rye, and even peated bourbon. Released in 2025, this bourbon follows their Bottled in Bond rye and continues the distillery’s push toward more mature, transparent, and confidently crafted whiskey.      The name “Four Finger” itself tells a story. Formerly known as 1205 Distillery, the brand changed their name to pay tribute to the founder and master distiller Brad when he lost his pinky finger during the construction of the distillery. Rather than treating it lightly, the distillery embraced it as part of their identity, creating a name that stan...

West Fork Whsky Co. Tailored Barrel Cask Strength Rye Whiskey.      West Fork Whiskey Company has been quietly building one of Indiana’s most respected whiskey programs through in-house distilling, aging, and bottling, and now they’re adding another layer with a brand-new label: Tailored Barrel. This release represents their vision of finding truly unique barrels outside of their core lineup and releasing them in their purest form. When I got the opportunity to attend the release event and pick up one of the very first bottles, saying no wasn’t an option.      This particular bottling immediately catches your eye with its elegant presentation and refreshingly honest label. Every detail is there, mash bill, age statement, proof, and source. Transparency like this is still scarse in whiskey, and it’s something I’ll always champion when a brand gets it right.      This bottle is sourced directly from MGP and uses their well-known 95% rye and 5% ...

 Brother Justus Cold-Peated American Single Malt Whiskey Review.           I received this spirit as a review sample from Brother Justus,  linked here . It is important to clarify this did not impact the ratings of this review.      American single malt continues to be one of the most exciting categories in whiskey right now, and Brother Justus is clearly aiming to push that frontier even further. Their Cold Peated American Single Malt immediately caught my attention, not just for the concept, but for the story behind it.      Brother Justus, the distillery, draws inspiration from a real historical figure during Prohibition. Brother Justus believed that while whiskey was illegal to make it wasn’t immoral. Through his knowledge of copper pot stills and whiskey, he assisted over 1,600 family owned distilleries make a living during the times of Prohibition. That mindset of independence and craftsmanship feels like i...

Brother Justus American Single Malt Whiskey Review.      I received this spirit as a review sample from Brother Justus, linked here . It is important to clarify this did not impact the ratings of this review.      Brother Justus American Single Malt Whiskey isn’t just another craft bottle on the shelf, it’s a story poured into glass. Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, this whiskey is a tribute to a real bootlegging legend who lived before and through Prohibition. Brother Justus believed that while whiskey was illegal to make it wasn’t immoral. Through his knowledge of copper pot stills and whiskey, he assisted over 1,600 family owned distilleries make a living during the times of Prohibition. And that spirit clearly lives on in the modern vision behind this distillery.      The water is sourced from the Mississippi River less than a mile from the distillery. The barley is sourced from about 30 miles away. Even the barrels are Minnesota thro...

Watershed Distillery Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon Whiskey Review.       Watershed Distillery, based out of Ohio, has quietly been building a strong reputation across several spirit categories, from gin and brandy to finished whiskeys and now straight bourbon. This uncut, unfiltered straight bourbon comes in at a bold 61.1% ABV and carries a stated age of four years. Batch No. 3 was one of the bottles I brought home after a trip to Ohio in early 2025, picked up with genuine excitement after having some excellent past experiences with Watershed releases. Between prior barrel picks and a maple cask-finished expression I really enjoyed, this felt like a safe purchase walking out of the store. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/uWqsQNQvJ3Q . Age Statement: 4 Years. (Batch 003). ABV: 61.1%. Mash bill: N/A. Area of Distillation: Columbus, Ohio. Appearance: Light golden hue. On the nose:      The nose is surprisingly restrained...