The Last Call

     Penelope has built a reputation for producing creative, transparent, and consistently enjoyable whiskeys. Their Cooper Series continues that trend by experimenting with unique finishing casks, and Riviera Lumière looked like one of the most exciting releases yet. Taking the original Riviera concept and bottling it at a much higher proof sounded like a recipe for success. Unfortunately, higher proof doesn't always mean a better whiskey.      Riviera Lumière starts with a blend of 8-year American Light Whiskey and Straight Bourbon sourced from MGP before being finished in rosé wine casks from Spain. Unlike Penelope's standard Rosé Cask Finish, which uses French rosé barrels, Riviera Lumière uses Spanish rosé casks. This Total Wine exclusive is bottled at 60% ABV (120 Proof) and listed as cask strength.      On paper, everything about this release sounds like it should work. The question is whether the proof elevates the blend or ...

     Cream of Kentucky has always been one of those bottles I've walked past more times than I can count. Every time I'd pick it up, the same questions would come to mind. Why is it priced where it is? Where is it actually sourced from? How old is it? For a bottle sitting around the $100 mark, there's surprisingly little information available. That said, I'm also a sucker for supporting local businesses.      This particular bottle is an Indiana Liquor Group store pick, and what really caught my attention was the unique mash bill. Instead of the standard recipe often associated with Cream of Kentucky, this single barrel comes with quite a different one, A quick search doesn't reveal much, which only made me more curious. Whether it's sourced from Barton or somewhere else is still anyone's guess, but single barrels often have the opportunity to stand apart from standard releases. I wanted to find out if this one justified the premium price. For the full vide...

     When I saw that New Holland Brewing had released another Dragon’s Milk bourbon expression, I was immediately interested. Dragon’s Milk stout has been one of those beers that has always stood out to me. It was one of the first craft stouts I really enjoyed, and over the years I’ve watched New Holland continue to experiment and expand that lineup in some really creative ways.      What makes this release especially interesting is that it takes something already unique, a bourbon finished in Dragon’s Milk stout barrels, and adds another layer by moving it into a freshly toasted barrel afterward. Beer barrel finished whiskey is still a smaller category compared to the explosion of wine, sherry, and other secondary finishes we see today. Seeing a craft producer lean into stout barrels, especially their own stout barrels, is something I always enjoy because it creates a direct connection between their brewing and distilling sides.      The q...

     When you hear the name Three Floyds, chances are your mind immediately goes to beer. Zombie Dust has become one of Indiana's most recognizable craft beers, and while I'm not the biggest IPA drinker, it's one I'll happily grab from time to time. What a lot of people may not realize is that over the last several years, Three Floyds has quietly been building an impressive distilling program alongside the brewery.      They've released bourbons, rye whiskeys, malt whiskey, and now we're taking a look at one of their rums. Tonight's pour is their Blanq Reavers Rum, an unaged rum distilled from 100% evaporated cane juice.      Unaged rum can sometimes be a bit intimidating. They often lean into grassy, funky, earthy characteristics that aren't always everyone's favorite, especially if you're coming from whiskey. But when they're done well, they can be incredibly rewarding. Going into this bottle, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I w...

     Larrikin Bourbon Company continues to be one of those names I’ve been paying close attention to in 2026, especially as they’ve finally started landing more consistently in Indiana. This release immediately stands out not just because it’s a single barrel pick, but because it’s also the first nationwide release of their rosewater bourbon at a higher proof. This particular barrel was selected by Handy Spot Liquor, and it pushes things in a direction you don’t typically see in American bourbon, floral augmentation via in-house distilled rosewater layered onto a 9-year Kentucky straight bourbon base. What makes this release interesting is how it’s built: sourced 9-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon that is then proofed with Larrikin's own distilled rosewater. Rosewater is one of those ingredients that can go wrong fast. It’s extremely potent, and even a slight overuse can turn a whiskey into something perfumed and unbalanced. Here, though, it’s being used as a structural...

Copper & Cask continues to impress me with both the quality of their releases and the level of transparency they provide. While plenty of companies source whiskey, very few are willing to give consumers this much information about what's actually in the bottle. Between the detailed blending information and the QR code that lets you hear directly from the master blender, it's clear they're proud of what they're producing.      This particular release immediately caught my attention because I'm a huge fan of cigar blend bourbons. Even though I'm not a cigar smoker myself, I love the sweeter, fruit-forward profiles these blends often create. With a blend of 8-year-old MGP bourbon finished in Armagnac, Cognac, Tawny Port, and Sherry casks, this one checked all the boxes before I ever pulled the cork.      Copper & Cask created this release using a 26-barrel blend of both high-rye and low-rye MGP bourbons aged at least 8 years. The blend was then separat...

     Green River has quietly become one of the most dependable names in bourbon over the last few years. Their standard bourbon, wheated bourbon, full proof offerings, and especially their single barrel releases have consistently delivered quality well above their price point. So when word started circulating about a toasted barrel-finished release, expectations were already high.      This Double Oak Toasted Bourbon takes Green River's traditional bourbon recipe and gives it additional time in a toasted barrel, this should create a richer and sweeter profile while maintaining the foundation that has made the brand so popular. Currently released as a distillery-exclusive 375ml bottle, this appears to be a smaller test run, but it's exactly the kind of project bourbon fans love to see. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/NrcW02jPlYM . Age Statement:  8 1/2 years (according to press release). ABV: 57.55% Mash bill: ...

     Single barrel picks can be some of the most rewarding bottles on the shelf, especially when a retailer takes their selection process seriously. That's exactly what drew me to this James E. Pepper Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon, selected by West Clay Wine & Spirits here in Indiana. Even more interesting, this was reportedly the very first James E. Pepper single barrel pick released for the state.      The purchase itself was completely unplanned. My wife and I happened to stop by the store while we were in the area and were offered a sample. One sip was all it took. The profile was unlike anything either of us expected. My wife immediately described it as one of the funkiest and most unique bourbons she'd tasted, and I couldn't disagree. By the time we checked out, only a handful of bottles remained, making the decision even easier.       According to information from the distillery and retailer, this barrel was just shy of s...

     Larrikin Bourbon Company has quickly become one of the more interesting names in sourced whiskey. Their approach has been fairly straightforward so far: find quality barrels, bottle them at robust proof points, and create releases that stand out from the crowded bourbon landscape. Based in Kentucky, they've built a strong reputation among enthusiasts who enjoy unique finishes and bold flavor profiles. The Cigar Lounge Bourbon has been on my radar for well over a year, and when it finally landed in Indiana in 2026, it was an immediate purchase.       I've always enjoyed cigar-style releases. Even as someone who doesn't smoke cigars, I appreciate the richer, sweeter, and often more complex profiles these whiskeys aim to deliver. Looking at the specs on paper, this one certainly sounded ambitious. While Cognac and Amburana have become increasingly common in the whiskey world, Jackfruit Wood is something rarely encountered. Madeira can be somewhat div...

     Green River has quietly become one of the most dependable names for value-driven whiskey over the last few years. Between their standard bourbon, rye, and wheated bourbon offerings, they’ve built a reputation for putting out approachable, flavorful pours that don’t completely wreck your wallet. Add in the fact that they’ve handled a lot of contract distilling work behind the scenes, and it’s easy to see why the brand has picked up so much momentum recently.      This particular bottle came from a single barrel selection at West Clay Wine & Spirits, a store that’s earned a pretty strong reputation for landing solid picks. While this wasn’t a hand-selected “distiller’s pick” by the store itself, their track record with private barrels made this one hard to pass up. At 61.4% ABV, this barrel proof wheated bourbon promised plenty of punch, but what stood out immediately was how approachable it remained despite the proof.      And honestl...

     Every once in a while, you stumble across a bottle on the shelf that immediately demands your attention. That was exactly the case with Watchman Barrel Strength Bourbon from  Round Barn Distillery . While doing some bottle hunting up in Northern Indiana, a stop at Bee Liquors led to spotting this deep copper-red bourbon sitting on the shelf, and honestly, the color alone sold me on taking a closer look.           What made this release even more interesting was learning that this marks a major step forward for Round Barn. Known more for wines, flavored offerings, and lower-aged spirits up to this point, this release feels like the distillery planting its flag in the premium craft bourbon world. Barrel proof. Eight years old. Distilled and bottled in-house.  For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/m3GuKqPWyFI . Age Statement: 8 years. ABV: 58.1% (Cask strength). Mash bill:  60% corn, 36% rye, ...

     Every now and then a distillery decides to step outside of its comfort zone and throw something unexpected onto the shelf. That’s exactly what Bulleit did with their Mesquite Smoked Malt Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Most people know Bulleit for dependable pours like their bourbon and rye, staples that show up in countless cocktails and back bars because they’re affordable, approachable, and easy to enjoy. But over the last few years, Bulleit has been experimenting more with limited releases, older age statements, bottled-in-bond offerings, and even American single malts.      Now they’ve decided to lean into smoked grain territory. Instead of relying on rye for spice, this bourbon swaps things around with a mash bill featuring mesquite smoked malted barley. That immediately raises questions because smoked whiskey can go one of two ways: either balanced and interesting, or completely overpowering. Thankfully, this release lands much closer to the first cat...

     There’s something undeniably classy about the new decanter lineup coming from  James E. Pepper . The bottle design alone feels like a throwback to a different era of whiskey, with that heavy decanter styling looking right at home on a back bar or display shelf. Over the last couple of years, the brand has really started expanding both its reach and its ambition, moving beyond the standard releases and diving into more premium territory with these decanter expressions.      After the success of the decanter bourbon releases and the newer single barrel offerings, the arrival of a rye version almost felt inevitable. Still, it showed up somewhat unexpectedly, and with a fairly aggressive price tag attached to it. That hesitation was real at first. At nearly $100 in most markets, this isn’t exactly an impulse buy. But curiosity eventually won out. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/p98Can3Pmgc . Age Statement: 6.3-8 y...

       There’s something exciting about finding a store pick that instantly feels different the moment you pick up the bottle, and this Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Rye absolutely delivered on that promise. Picked by Rich out of Greentown, Indiana, this wasn’t just another random single barrel sitting on a shelf. This was one of those bottles that local bourbon groups talk about for weeks after it disappears, and judging by how quickly it sold out, people knew it was special.      Jack Daniel’s has quietly become one of the most reliable names in American whiskey when it comes to rye. A lot of people still associate the brand with Old No. 7 and whiskey mixed with cola, but their barrel proof rye program is on an entirely different level. These single barrels consistently bring bold character, heavy oak influence, and an oily richness that stands toe-to-toe with some of the best high-proof rye whiskey on the market.    ...

     Virginia Distillery Company has quietly become one of the more interesting names in the American single malt category. Between their focus on blending, finishing techniques, and pushing deeper into brewery collaborations, they’ve carved out a lane that feels genuinely creative instead of gimmicky. Their earlier Goose Island collaboration already proved they understood how to handle stout finishes without completely overwhelming the whiskey underneath, so expectations were high heading into this Old Rasputin release.      That curiosity only grows once you realize this wasn’t a quick secondary finish tossed together for marketing. This is a six-year-old American single malt aged in ex-bourbon barrels before spending roughly ten months in Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout casks. For beer lovers, especially fans of that rich North Coast stout profile, this bottle immediately sounds like something special. The real question becomes whether the stout fini...