The Last Call

     Chattanooga Whiskey is one of those distilleries that quietly grows on you until one day you realize half your shelf has their logo on it. For a long time, their bottles felt like the “bridesmaid, never the bride” option for me, always interesting, just never the one I grabbed first. Lately though, that’s changed in a big way. The more I’ve explored their lineup, the more I’ve come to appreciate how thoughtful and transparent their approach is, especially as a true grain-to-glass craft distillery.      This Straight Rye Malt is a perfect example of why Chattanooga keeps pulling me back in. It’s not the easiest bottle to find in my Indiana market, so when I spotted one, I didn’t hesitate. Chattanooga doesn’t give exact mash bill percentages, but they do something even better than most brands: they tell you exactly what’s in the whiskey, right on the bottle. This rye-forward mash is built around pale malted rye, supported by yellow corn, caramel malted r...

     Springbank is one of those distilleries that almost feels mythical at this point. Bottles appear, vanish, and suddenly everyone is talking about them again. Over the course of 2025, I was fortunate enough to track down the 10, 12, and 15 year expressions at close to SRP, and each one reinforced why Springbank has such a devoted following. The 10 was excellent, the 12 downright phenomenal, and the 15, while still very good, didn’t quite live up to the expectations set by its siblings.      So when Springbank announced a 5 year old release near the end of the year, curiosity immediately took over. On paper, it makes very little sense. This comes in younger than the flagship 10 year, at a higher proof, and priced almost identically. That combination raises questions right away, especially when the 10 year is only a few dollars more. Still, Springbank rarely releases anything without intention, so this felt like a bottle worth exploring.    ...

     Bondstone is one of those brands many bourbon drinkers first encounter on the shelves at Total Wine, often under the Spirits Direct umbrella. While that association can sometimes raise eyebrows, Bondstone has been slowly expanding beyond that lane, and the Quad Oak release feels like an attempt to stand out in a crowded field of finished bourbons. Now when it comes to Spirit Direct brands that can mean in-house bottlings, sourced projects, or partnerships with smaller distilleries, and Bondstone sits firmly in that sourced-project lane.      The “Quad Oak” name comes with a bit of creative interpretation. According to the bottle, Bondstone starts with a double-oaked bourbon matured twice in new charred oak barrels. They then blend that with a bourbon matured three times in new charred oak barrels, before finishing the combined whiskey with toasted American and French oak staves. While this may not be four full barrel maturations, there is no denying th...

     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%. ...

     Knob Creek has never been shy about leaning into age, oak, and intensity, and in 2025 they took that philosophy one step further by extending their long-aged lineup to 21 years. As someone who genuinely loved the Knob Creek 18, including its bold, oak-forward profile that some found overwhelming, I was extremely curious to see what three additional years in the barrel would bring. Finding this bottle at SRP made the decision easy. This felt like a natural evolution of the Knob Creek story, and one I was excited to explore. For the full video review visit the link here:  https://youtu.be/yU0Kh7Adxag . Age Statement: 21 years. ABV: 50%. Mash bill:  75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. Area of Distillation:  Clermont, Kentucky. Appearance:  Deep espresso mahogany. On the nose:      Instantly rich and expressive. Classic Jim Beam nuttiness shows up first, leaning toward walnut and pecan rather than peanut. Dark vanilla follows, r...

Widow Jane is one of those brands that tends to drift in and out of my rotation, mostly because their pricing can feel wildly inconsistent depending on the release and where you live. Sometimes it’s approachable, other times it feels completely disconnected from reality. When I spotted Widow Jane Decadence sitting on a Costco shelf at one of the lowest prices I’ve ever seen, curiosity finally won. On paper, a 10-year-old bourbon finished in maple syrup casks sounds like a cozy fall pour, and with the price finally lining up, it felt like the right moment to pull the trigger.      Widow Jane Decadence begins as Widow Jane’s 10 Year Bourbon, a blend of sourced straight bourbons from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Once blended, that whiskey is finished in maple syrup barrels sourced from Crown Maple, a well-known producer that many people probably already have sitting in their fridge. While Widow Jane doesn’t disclose an official finishing time, most estimates place it so...

       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...