The Last Call

Big Game Canadian Whiskey wasn’t something I went hunting for, but sometimes the shelf finds you instead. While poking around Big Red Liquor in the Indianapolis area, this bottle caught my eye sitting in a box at a dirt-cheap price. I’m a sucker for unique finishes and interesting artwork, and seeing a Canadian whiskey finished in Belgian style double ale casks was enough to pull the trigger.      Canadian whiskey gets a mixed reputation, but there are some genuinely solid examples out there. Add in a local Indiana connection with the finishing barrels coming from Taxman Brewing Company, and I went into this one with an open mind and cautious optimism. This release is bottled by The Whiskey Ring, an independent bottler closely tied to Big Red Liquor and responsible for several interesting store picks and finishes.       The whiskey itself started as a three-year-old Canadian whiskey aged in Canada, then brought to the United States where it spent an ad...

I received this spirit as a review sample from Silverthorn Reserve,  linked here . It is important to clarify this did not impact the ratings of this review.        Silverthorn Reserve is a new name hitting shelves in 2026, but they are coming out of the gate with confidence. Their model is built on thoughtful barrel selection, transparent sourcing, blending, and finishing techniques, and that transparency is front and center with this release.       The Finishing Art Port Finished Rye is a six-barrel batch built from well-aged Indiana rye stocks and blended. After blending, the whiskey is finished in port casks, though the exact finishing time is not disclosed. Typically, port finishes run a few months rather than a year or more, but we should know a bit more via the notes and taste. On paper, it checks every box I get excited about: age, proof, finishing, and full disclosure on what’s inside the bottle. For the full video review visit the l...

I received this spirit as a review sample from Silverthorn Reserve,  linked here . It is important to clarify this did not impact the ratings of this review.      Silverthorn Reserve is one of the newer names hitting shelves in 2026, and they’re making it clear from the start that transparency is part of the mission. The brand provides full details on sourcing, mash bills, and blend percentages. That kind of openness is always a strong first step.      The Blender's Art expression brings together well-aged stocks from Georgia and Indiana, blending straight bourbon and straight rye whiskeys. On paper, it promises both maturity and balance, walking the line between classic bourbon richness and rye-driven lift. The Indiana stocks are likely sourced from MGP, known for their 95/5 rye mash bill, while the Georgia bourbon adds an intriguing layer of age and regional character that is less commonly seen at this maturity.      It is a thoughtful...

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...

     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...

     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 ...

     Journeyman Distillery continues to prove why they’re one of the most exciting craft producers in the Midwest. Corsets, Whips, and Honey is a brand-new, distillery-exclusive release built on their 100% wheat whiskey and infused with real Michigan honey. Originally rooted in Michigan and now expanding into Valparaiso, Indiana, Journeyman handles everything in-house, and that commitment to transparency and local collaboration shows up immediately with this bottle.      This is not a honey-finished whiskey or a flavored gimmick. Real honey from Great Lakes Bee Company is blended directly into Journeyman’s Corsets, Whips, and Wheat whiskey. It’s Michigan through and through, and that local focus adds a lot of character before the glass is even poured. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/P3EM0ps7nC4 . Age Statement: N/A. ABV: 35%. Mash bill: 100% Michigan wheat. Area of Distillation: Three Oaks, Michigan. Appearance: ...

     West Fork Whiskey Company out of Westfield, Indiana continues to be one of the most interesting producers in the state, especially when it comes to creative finishes. This Hugh Hamer Street Bourbon is part of their sourced Old Hamer/Hugh Hamer lineup, pulling from MGP and finished with intention rather than gimmick. This particular bottle was a single barrel pick for the Brownsburg Bourbon Society, finished in grape brandy barrels.      Grape brandy finishes are not something you see often in bourbon, and that alone made this bottle intriguing. After tasting it at the distillery, revisiting it later with a fresh palate felt like the right way to really see if that grape brandy influence held up. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/dtLtdu2OnQg . Age Statement: +7 years. (Single barrel). ABV: 61.81% (Cask strength). Mash bill: 99% corn, 1% malted barley. Area of Distillation:  Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Appearance: ...

     Old Hamer continues to be one of those quietly interesting labels that rewards anyone willing to slow down and pay attention. This particular bottle is a single barrel, cask strength bourbon coming in at a robust 62.2% ABV and carrying an age statement of at least 10 years. While West Fork Whiskey Company handles their own distillation and aging under other labels, the Old Hamer and Hugh Hamer lineup is openly sourced from MGP, something they are refreshingly transparent about.      What makes this release stand out is that it was hand-selected by Whiskey Weather during a barrel pick at West Fork. After tasting multiple barrels side by side, this one proved that proof alone does not dictate quality. Despite being a few proof points lower than another available pick, this barrel showed better balance and sweeter character, ultimately earning a spot on my shelf. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/AgN8fJNDpi8 . Age State...

     Bourbon De Luxe is a name that once belonged to the pre-Prohibition era, a brand that built a respectable following before eventually fading out after the market shifted. That legacy was dormant until Rolling Fork, working in collaboration with Starlight Distillery, revived the trademark and began releasing small, highly limited batches under the original Bourbon De Luxe banner. I never expected to see one of these bottles in Indiana, and certainly not at nearly SRP. The moment I saw a Jamaican rum cask finish, the decision made itself. I’m a complete sucker for rum influence, especially when paired with a bold bourbon.     T he base whiskey here is at least seven years old and after blending, the whiskey spent nine months in a Jamaican rum barrel selected by Rolling Fork. If you're not familiar with that name, you should be. Rolling Fork is going out to all parts of the rum world, selecting barrels, and brining back to Indiana. Sometimes blending, finishin...

 Journeyman Distillery Cherrywood Smoked Single Malt Whiskey Review.      Journeyman Distillery has become a familiar name on this channel for good reason. They continue to push boundaries within the craft space while staying rooted in doing things the hard way, distilling, aging, and bottling everything in-house. With locations in Three Oaks, Michigan and a newer Indiana outpost, Journeyman has positioned itself as one of the more creative forces in American craft whiskey.      The moment I saw the label for this Cherrywood Smoked Single Malt, I knew it was something I wanted to explore. American single malts already have my attention, but when a distillery starts experimenting with smoked grain, especially using cherrywood, that curiosity ramps up fast. This whiskey is made from 100% single malt that was cherrywood smoked prior to distillation.      The inspiration behind the release pays tribute to the cherrywood trees introduced to t...

     West Fork Whsky Company has become a familiar and trusted name on my back bar, and for good reason. Distilling, aging, and bottling all of their spirits in Indiana, they’ve consistently shown a willingness to experiment while still respecting the core of what makes good whiskey enjoyable. This Hot Honey Finished Bourbon is part of an ongoing collaboration with local spice expert King Butter, and Batch 3 marks a noticeable evolution in the series.      Having spent time with both Batch 1 and Batch 2, I came into this release with a mix of excitement and curiosity. The first batch was bold and cask strength, the second leaned heavily into spice. Batch 3 introduces a higher age statement and promises a better balance between bourbon character and finishing influence. I had tasted this previously at the distillery, but a fresh pour at home always tells the real story.      The finishing process is what sets this whiskey apart. An ex-bourbon ...

     Three Floyds Distilling is a name I find myself revisiting more often than I ever expected. Based out of Munster, Indiana, they built their reputation in the beer world with cult favorites like Zombie Dust and Gumballhead before shifting serious focus toward distillation. Over the last several years, that same creative energy has clearly carried over into their spirits lineup. Wolfborne immediately stood out to me because it represents something truly uncommon in American whiskey, a bottled in bond malted wheat whiskey built around a mash bill that most distilleries would never attempt. As soon as I saw the grain breakdown, I knew this was a bottle I had to spend time with.       Wolforne is distilled, aged, and bottled entirely by Three Floyds using a single pot still and meets all bottled in bond requirements. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/b2ah02Sc1v8 . Age Statement: 4 years (bottled in bond). ABV: 50%. ...

       Journeyman Distillery has built a strong reputation in the craft whiskey world, operating out of Three Oaks, Michigan, with a newer presence in Indiana. Over the years, they’ve released some genuinely impressive bottles, even if a few have missed the mark. Their standard Featherbone Bourbon has been a consistent performer for me, so when a local Indiana chain store released a single barrel pick at cask strength, curiosity got the better of me.      Single barrels from Journeyman are not something we see every day. That exclusivity, combined with barrel proof presentation, certainly sets expectations a little higher. It’s aged in standard 53-gallon barrels and presented at cask strength. Like most of Journeyman’s lineup, it is also kosher certified, which is a significant undertaking in the production process. There is no official age statement, though this barrel was filled in 2018. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://yo...

     Starlight Distillery has quietly built a strong reputation out of southern Indiana, expanding distribution while continuing to lean into what makes them unique. Their deep focus on finishing barrels, many of which are sourced directly from their own farm, has helped them carve out a recognizable identity in the craft whiskey space. This bottle, however, steps slightly outside of what most people expect from Starlight.      This is a single barrel Indiana Light Whiskey, selected by Indiana Liquor Group. It immediately caught my attention, partly because light whiskey remains an underrepresented category on shelves and partly because I had never tried Starlight’s take on it. I’ve been vocal in the past that some Starlight releases hit for me and others do not, so this felt like a fair chance to see how age and barrel selection shape a style that’s already unconventional.      Light whiskey often confuses people, but it has nothing to do wi...

     Celebrity-backed whiskeys can be hit or miss, but Johnny James Smoke Whiskey immediately sets out to do something different. Created by Indiana-based country artist Johnny James in partnership with Journeyman Distillery, this release is inspired directly by his song “Smoke,” blending music, storytelling, and whiskey into one concept. After first trying this at the distillery from the tail end of a bottle, revisiting it on a fresh crack felt like the right moment to see if the experience held up. Johnny James Smoke Whiskey is produced, aged, and bottled by Journeyman Distillery. The base is a blend of bourbon whiskey and neutral grain spirits, with cinnamon added for sweetness and spice. What makes this whiskey truly unique is the smoke element. Applewood and cherrywood smoke are introduced during production, giving it a layered, campfire-inspired character meant to mirror the mood and tone of the music behind it.      It’s an ambitious build. Bourbon, ...

       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 supporting role. Everything in this bottle is Indiana to the core...

     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: 12 years. ABV: 46%. Mash bill: 95% rye, 5% ma...

     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 stands out just as much as the whiskey itself. For the full video review visit the link...