The Last Call

       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...

     There are some bottles where you remember exactly what you thought the first time you tried them. This is one of those bottles.     I first came across Hugh Hamer's Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Honey Barrels at the Bottle Bar a little over a year ago. I believe this bottle was released in late 2023 or early 2024, and when I tried it at the time, I remember one thing very clearly: honey. A lot of honey.     At the time, I wasn't completely sure how I felt about honey barrel finishes, so I passed on the bottle. Eventually, I came back around and picked one up for the collection. Now, with a blind honey-finished whiskey battle on the horizon, it seemed like the perfect time to finally crack this bottle open and see what all that honey was about.     Coming in at 51.5% ABV, this is a straight bourbon whiskey with no age statement. It's part of the Hugh Hamer lineup, which sits alongside the Old Hamer series under the W...

         Joseph Magnus is probably best known these days for its Cigar Blend Bourbon, a whiskey that has become one of those bottles people either swear by or spend a lot of time comparing batch to batch. I've had a few different versions myself, and one thing I've learned is that they can vary quite a bit. Some are bottles I'd absolutely hunt down, while others aren't quite as exciting.     So when Joseph Magnus released its Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey, I was immediately interested. The company has talked about this being its first rye release in more than 100 years, which is certainly a fun piece of marketing. But for me, the much more interesting part is what's actually inside the bottle.     Joseph Magnus is very transparent about sourcing this whiskey from MGP, using the classic 95% rye and 5% malted barley mash bill. MGP has built quite a reputation for producing excellent rye whiskey, and I've never been shy about...

     Santa Teresa 1796 is one of those bottles that holds a special place in my rum collection. It was one of the first rums that really made me stop and think about what rum could be. I remember trying it and basically thinking, "Wait a minute. What am I drinking?" It was that much of a departure from some of the lighter, simpler rums I had encountered before.      I've also gifted quite a few bottles of the standard Santa Teresa 1796 over the years, and it's actually helped turn a few people into rum drinkers. So when Santa Teresa comes out with something different, I'm usually pretty interested in checking it out. And they've done quite a few interesting things with 1796 and their other releases. We've seen coffee barrel finishes, Scotch barrel finishes and other experiments with different casks. This time around, Santa Teresa decided to take their solera-aged rum and give it a 10-month finish in Teeling Irish whiskey barrels.      That im...

     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...

     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 ...