The Last Call

      K.Luke Whiskey Company is one of those brands that has been gaining momentum in the whiskey world, and based on what I’ve tasted so far, the growing attention makes sense. Based in Mississippi, K Luke is a husband-and-wife operation named after their two children. There’s something special about building a whiskey company around your family, and it gives the brand a personal touch before you even get to the bottle.     What really interests me about K.Luke, though, is the approach to blending. Rather than distilling everything themselves, the company sources whiskey from Kentucky and Indiana, then brings those barrels to Bardstown Bourbon Company for storage and blending. Founder Jonathan draws on his background in the wine industry to approach whiskey blending much like a chef approaches a dish: finding the right ingredients and bringing them together into something greater than the individual parts.     I’ve already reviewed K.Lu...

     Heaven Hill has been putting out some interesting bottles in its Bottled-in-Bond lineup, and while the series has had its share of mixed opinions over the years, the value proposition has become a lot more appealing as prices have settled down. Tonight, we're looking at something a little different: the Bottled-in-Bond Double Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.      Coming in at 50% ABV, with a nine-year age statement and a roughly $50 price tag, this bottle certainly caught my attention. Nine-year-old bourbon at that price is not as easy to find, and Heaven Hill is giving us more transparency than we often see when it comes to what's actually going into the bottle. I managed to find this one sitting in cases at Total Wine after an earlier batch had disappeared from the shelves, so I was pretty excited to finally get one home.      First, let's talk about what makes this release different. Heaven Hill takes two separate bourbon mash ...

    This is one of those bottles that had been sitting on my want list for quite some time, so finally getting a chance to sit down with it was pretty exciting. Originally released as a Texas exclusive, the Old Forester King Ranch Bourbon started making its way into additional states in 2026, and somehow Indiana ended up being one of them. Considering some of the bottles that never seem to make their way here, I was genuinely surprised to see this one hit Indiana shelves.     The reason this bottle caught my attention isn't just the Old Forester name. This is a collaboration between Old Forester and King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the United States, and they decided to put a Texas-inspired twist on the bourbon by incorporating mesquite charcoal filtration into the process.     The bourbon starts with Old Forester's familiar mash bill and is aged in heavily charred barrels. The unique part comes afterward, with mesquite wood from King Ran...

     Larrikin is one of those brands that I’ve really fallen in love with pretty quickly. Before 2026, we didn’t really have access to Larrikin here in Indiana, but that changed when a few local stores started bringing in single barrel picks. That gave me a chance to try several of their bottles, and they’ve quickly become a brand I look forward to seeing on the shelf.      What I really appreciate about Larrikin is the transparency. They’re giving us the information I want to see on the bottle, including the mash bill and the details behind the individual barrel. They also seem to have a real interest in finding interesting whiskey rather than simply putting another standard bourbon on the shelf. That’s something I can definitely get behind.      Tonight’s bottle takes things in a very different direction. This is a single barrel hazmat American light whiskey coming in at a massive 75% ABV and aged for at least 8 years. That’s a pretty intim...

     Whiskey Jypsi is one of those brands that caught my attention before I ever poured a glass simply because of the bottle. There is something about the design that really stands out on a shelf. To me, it almost looks like someone took a little bit of High West and a little bit of Castle & Key, smashed the two ideas together, and came up with Whiskey Jypsi. Whatever the inspiration, I think it looks fantastic.      I had previously tried Whiskey Jypsi's four-year Double Barreled Bourbon and came away really impressed, especially considering its price point. That made me curious to see what else the brand was doing, and the Explorer Bourbon immediately caught my attention. This release takes a blend of bourbon from Indiana and Kentucky, gives it at least six years of age, and then finishes it with both French oak and Appalachian oak staves.      Whiskey Jypsi is also a celebrity-backed project through Eric Church, which is something I ge...

       When I’m looking at bourbon in the $40 range, I’m usually asking a pretty simple question: does this bottle give me enough reason to put it on my shelf? With whiskey prices continuing to climb, budget-friendly bottles have become more interesting to me, and Whiskey Jypsi Tribute immediately caught my attention for a couple of reasons.      First, the bottle itself looks fantastic. The rippled glass gives it a little bit of a High West-inspired feel, while the engraved cork adds another nice touch. It definitely stands out on the shelf without relying on a giant celebrity name plastered across the front. That’s something I appreciate, especially considering Whiskey Jypsi was created in collaboration with country artist Eric Church and others from the whiskey industry.      But what really caught my attention was what Whiskey Jypsi tells us about the whiskey itself. Tribute is a blend of straight bourbons from Tennessee and Kentucky...

     1792 is one of those bourbon brands that I’ve consistently enjoyed, especially when you find the bottles at the right price. The Small Batch has always been an easy recommendation for me, and I’ve had pretty good experiences with several other expressions in the lineup as well. So when I finally got the opportunity to pick up a bottle of 1792 Sweet Wheat, I was definitely curious to see what Barton had done differently with this limited release.      The problem was finding one at a reasonable price. I had seen Sweet Wheat on the shelf before, but the price was well over $80, which was roughly twice what I’d expect to pay. I passed. Eventually, my local store sent out a message saying they had some available, and despite initially deciding to skip it, I happened to be heading that direction anyway. Needless to say, I changed my mind pretty quickly.      The exact mash bill for 1792 isn't publicly disclosed, so we don't know exactly how m...

     K. Luke is one of those whiskey brands that I've been seeing more and more of lately, and for good reason. The brand has been expanding into more states and becoming easier to find both on shelves and online, while some of its more interesting barrel-strength and finished releases have started getting people’s attention. Their core lineup is particularly interesting because the company has been experimenting with some pretty unique finishes. I've had the opportunity to try several of them, including the Oloroso Sherry, Toasted, and Armagnac finishes, and they've generally been very impressive. The Oloroso Sherry has actually been my favorite of the bunch so far. This particular bottle takes a different approach.      The Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at 100 proof and carries a minimum age of 7 years. Rather than being another barrel-strength or heavily finished release, this is meant to be a more approachable expression of what they are d...

     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...

     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...

     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...