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Builds Character The Story Sometimes bourbon hurts. It burns. It builds character. Wild Turkey Rare Breed burns a little upfront but gets smooooooooooth around the second glass. I can draw a straight line from the taste of Wild Turkey Rare Breed to the center of Kentucky Bourbon. This bourbon don’t eat vegetables. It doesn't brush its teeth every night.  It likes saturated fats best grilled. It's awesome. I can draw a straight line from the taste of Wild Turkey Rare Breed to the center of Kentucky Bourbon. Alcohol and Kentucky forward with a true expression of centerline traditional taste in every bottle. Not finished in red wine barrels, not aged on a ship, not a trend. This is a flavor with a history. Presented and crafted in a refined manner by a state of the art production process. Every bottle the bourbon community purchases, combined with our insistence that these products moves the art forward, push these types of high quality (but findable!) bourbons into existance. Keep buying- but have high expectations. Score: 295 out of 379 Kentucky Miles (This is why the good lord made bourbon) Wild Turkey Rare Breed Photo Gallery

A reflective moment with a great companion. The Story It was April 2020, 11 pm, Kentucky. My state and country dealing with the first wave of the pandemic. I was quarantined at home. Schools were shut down, rumors of food shortages and travel restrictions flooded Facebook. I hadn’t left my house for days, and work was nuts. I flipped my schedule, taking care of the kids during the day, and working at night. Everything would be ok, as long as the liquor stores didn’t close and the bourbon didn’t run out. At the liquor store, I purchased a bottle of 1792 Small Batch. That tired night, I poured my first glass of 1972 small batch and melted into the faint blue glow of my MacBook. Type, type, type.... We were married that night, me and 1792 Small Batch. We bonded. I loved her availability and that warm inviting first taste. Then consistency with every sip after. All night it was code, bourbon than a pause to process emotions, followed by more bourbon, and then back to work, and finally a weary sleep. My favorite bourbons put the history of Kentucky in your mouth. I like that 1972 Small Batch is a little sharp and alcohol forward. Beyond the initial sharpness is a lot of complexity. It pairs well with branching logic and emails. I usually drink it straight. Score: 192 out of 379 Kentucky Miles (Good stuff) 1792 Small Batch Photo Gallery

1910, shortly before the 1918 Spanish Flu (sound familiar)? The Story Dear Old Forester, I have just come from the stock market and it is doing well. Andy tells me hypothetically it could keep going up forever. Ah 1910, shortly before the 1918 Spanish Flu (sound familiar)? Radio, wireless telegrams, and aviation were all starting up. People had time to panic about Hailey’s comet. Good times. 1910...still a tough life but notes of hope and possibility in the air. 1910 tastes of radio waves, vacuum transistors, and fossil fuels And so goes the bourbon too. Good Old Forester, always jumping back in the time machine to go bottle the taste of a year. 1910 tastes of radio waves, vacuum transistors, and fossil fuels. It tastes like bicycle’s flying off sand dunes. Finishes with Kentucky coal mines and frontier wood porches. Old Forester 1910 - drink like a frontier claim holder, listening to early radio, as Haley’s comet scares you shitless. Score: 225 out of 379 Kentucky Miles (damn good bourbon) Old Forrester 1910 Photo Gallery

Too bad you're not suppose to judge a bourbon by it's bottle. The Story This is the second bourbon expression from the Nevada H&C Distillery Company's Smoke Wagon line that's been reviewed at Brbnry. I recently reviewed their "Uncut Unfiltered" expression which you can find on our review page. If you're thinking that bottle was so good I just had to review the small batch expression, this decision was more about coming to terms with one of the biggest Facebook group bourbon crazes of 2020. I wanted to explore one more expression from Smoke Wagon to finally decide if the internet hype around this brand is legit or not. Smoke Wagon Small Batch retails for around $40 (if you can find it) and at that price point there's a lot of great bourbons to contend with.... Michters Small Batch, Four Roses Single Barrel, and Wild Turkey's Rare Breed just to name a few. Based on that information alone Smoke Wagon Small Batch has an uphill battle in my eyes right off the back. After a several weeks of internet searching I finally found a bottle from a trusted online retailer and it was right around the $40 price point I was hoping for. About a week later it arrived without much fanfare from the UPS man. The one thing the H&C Nevada Distillery Company does well is design it's bottles. The Smoke Wagon Small Batch bottle is flat out gorgeous, but there's no age statement. Unconfirmed information on the internet says H&C blends 4 to 6 year old MGP barrels to create this small batch expression. It's discouraging when an upstart non-distiller producer withholds information from the bourbon community and consumers in general. The H&C website provides zero useful information about its products. The good news is there's a healthy 100-proof-statement on the bottle. The one thing the H&C Nevada Distillery Company does well is design it's bottles. The Smoke Wagon Small Batch bottle is flat out gorgeous Tasting Notes Out of the glass Smoke Wagon Small Batch hits the nose with rye spice and heat. Not ideal, but there's a little sweetness that trickles through to round it out. On the pallet, the 100 proof feels like an understatement as rye and cinnamon spice notes hit you hard up front. There's a nice and unexpected sweetness in the mid pallet that lingers for a while, before baking spice takes over the backend of the pallet. The finish has your typical warm "Kentucky hug", but it surprises you with a lingering mouthfeel that dances on your tongue with a prominent sweet and spicy note. The mouthfeel is solid for a bourbon at this price point. Final Thoughts Overall, the small batch expression from Smoke Wagon is a memorable bourbon. The design of the Smoke Wagon Small Batch bottle alone is almost worth the $45 price of emission. But when you compare the juice in the bottle to other regularly available bourbons in the $40+ range, things start to get a little murky. With that in mind, I'm not sure if the hype around Smoke Wagon is legit. Both bottles I've reviewed have been good and even memorable, but they don't necessarily standout among more established bottles in their respective price ranges. I wouldn't rush out the door to find another bottle of Smoke Wagon Small Batch. There are just too many bourbons in the $40 price range that I'd rather walk a few more Kentucky miles for. That doesn't mean Smoke Wagon Small Batch is a bad bourbon (it's a solid expression), I just wish it stood out from the crowd a little more. Score: 160 out of 379 Kentucky Miles (an average bottle) Photo Gallery

Rolling the dice on an age blended MGP bottle from Nevada. What could go wrong? The Story Tap. Scroll. Tap, tap. Scroll... The sound of modern day boredom. Tonight I'm deep in the rabbit hole of bourbon bottle searching. On this particular night I'm bored to the point that my thumbs have a mind of their own and they're chasing every Cheshire Cat that smiles my way. Tap. Scroll. tap, tap. What's this... Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon Whiskey. Never heard of it. Uncut unfiltered bourbon, sounds like marketing jargon. A 112.6 proof statement isn't too shabby though. What's the internet say about this bottle... oh my, the internet loves itself some Smoke Wagon and the internet is never wrong. How much is it... $89 plus shipping. That's pretty pricey but the desire of this Cheshire Cat's smile is blinding. Tap, tap. PayPal. What a great decision, definitely won't regret it in the morning. What's the internet say about this bottle... oh my, the internet loves itself some Smoke Wagon and the internet is never wrong... That was basically my internal conversation the night I was introduced to Smoke Wagon by the internet. Looking at the $90 plus dollar receipt from PayPal in my inbox the next morning, was a sharp reminder of how dangerous boredom and a bourbon obsession can be. To avoid a looming sense of personal disappointment, I attempted to make myself feel better by googling everything I could about my rather expensive decision. The initial search results were far from promising. Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered is sourced from mega producer MGP. Not exactly a diamond in the rough sourced bottle of bourbon. It's blended and bottled by Nevada H&C Distilling Company, who's website wreaks of "I have a friend who designs websites". The site is dated, clunky, and there's little to no useful information on it. Undeterred I start looking in random forums and blogs for more information. After a while I start to piece together that Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered is allegedly a blend of MGP barrels aged between 4 and 10 years old, but I'm unable to find anything concrete. Just as I'm starting to feel a wave of bourbon buying remorse roll over me, I decide to go back to the reviews I read the night before. I click a few links and discover I've purchased a bottle that's part of the latest bourbon internet craze... and I over paid by about $30. I'm not going to touch the internet craze around Smoke Wagon. There's a lot of drama involved and I'm done with drama until 2024. I guess Cheshire Cats are mischievous for a reason. When the bottle of Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered finally arrived a week later, I'd forgotten all about it. As I opened the box a sense of shame started to creep back in remembering how much I paid for it. That's until I saw the bottle... let me just say the Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered bottle is a damn good looking bottle. Now this doesn't make up for the Nevada H&C Distillery website looking like it's stuck in 2010, but this bottle is a great example of brand craftsmanship. Not only is it nice to look at, but it also feels great in your hands. Not a lot of bourbon bottle designs have this type of craftsmanship. The Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered bottle is a damn good looking bottle. Now, this doesn't make up for the Nevada H&C Distillery website looking like it's stuck in 2010, but this bottle is a great example of brand craftsmanship. Tasting Notes In the glass Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered has a pleasant nose, but It's nothing to write home about. Rye spice and caramel dominant your noise with a little heat that creeps out of the glass. The pallet is another story. The mouthfeel is oily and there's a variety of tasting notes that are well pronounced and well balanced. They flow from sweet caramel in the front, to a soft fruity nuttiness in the mid pallet, to rye spice in the back pallet. The finish is about perfect for a 112+ proof age blended bourbon. It's warm, has a sweet spiciness to it, and lingers for just the right amount of time. Final Thoughts My trip down the rabbit hole of bourbon internet searching was an expensive one. Luckily, this Cheshire Cat of a bourbon provided a worthwhile experience. Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered comes in a beautifully crafted bottle and the juice almost does it justice. If you have a lot of heart for Bookers, Rare Breed, or high proof MGP brands, Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered is worth the pursuit. Price point wise it should cost you between $60 to $70 a bottle in the wild. I paid $90 (plus shipping) for this review bottle from a reputable online retailer. Even though I've thoroughly enjoyed Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered, I won't be overpaying for another one. This isn't a bottle I'd go out of the way to find again. If I knew where one could be found easily, I'd being willing to rack up some Kentucky miles to pick it up... but only if it costs $60 out the door. Anything above that feels like you're just paying for a lot of hype in a pretty bottle. Final Score: 180 out 379 Kentucky Miles (above average bourbon) Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Photo Gallery

A limited edition bottling from Jim Beam that harks back to the good old days of quality whiskey and affordability. The Story During a year that everyone wants to forget, Jim Beam did something remarkable. They decided to make the Kentucky famous "Old Tub" bottled-in-bond bourbon available across the US for the first time on a limited basis. Normally limited edition bottles from any distiller start tipping the scales at $100+ price point, so the fact that Jim Beam is offering Old Tub at a suggested retail price of under $30 is honestly shocking. Until this year's release, Old Tub was only available in Kentucky and wasn't widely known outside of the Blue Grass state. At least that's what I thought before trying to find a bottle of Old Tub at local liquor stores for this review. My effort to acquire two bottles of Old Tub spanned two states and at least a dozen liquor stores between Ohio and Michigan. Please know, I wasn't panicked or desperate to find a bottle of find Old Tub. I just constantly showed up a day or two late at local liquor stores around my home office and I planned a bourbon buying trip to Michigan months before writing this review. Luckily, I was able to find two bottles at just over $30 with tax in Michigan. What I learned from talking to liquor store owners is Old Tub doesn't stay on the shelves long. I was told that Old Tub typically sells out in a day or two once it hits shelves. That's not surprising given the frantic state of bourbon hunting currently going on across the country for allocated and "limited release" bottles of bourbon. Luckily I was able to find two bottles at just over $30 with tax. What I learned from talking to liquor store owners is Old Tub doesn't stay on the shelves long. Tasting Notes Someone at Jim Beam deserves a big fat raise or promotion. The marketing behind Old Tub is spot-on and so is the quality of the bottled-in-bond juice in the bottle. The marketing story behind the Old Tub name is 140 years in the making and predates the Jim Beam brand we all know today. The first pour of Old Tub I experienced felt like stepping inside a time machine. It immediately reminded me of the bottles of whiskey my grandpa kept in his garage for the occasional long talk. I can't remember the exact brands he kept stashed in that blue collar sanctuary of my youth, but I know they weren't the Jim Beam, Weller, and Johnny Walker bottles at the family bar in the basement. The family bar was for fun drunken family nights with friends and only open to adults, while the whiskey in the garage was for sharing life lessons with anyone above the age of 14... give or take a year or two. What I do remember is the garage bottles formed the basis of my appreciation for whiskey at an early age. What strikes me about Old Tub Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is how good the mouth feel is from start to finish for a $30 offering. That's something only quality whiskey can do properly. Caramel dominates your palate right out of the gate followed by a sweet rye spice that carries all the way through to the finish. It's well balanced but still has a ruggedness to it that's very enjoyable. What's also impressive about Old Tub is how versatile it is in a glass. Old Tub is great neat, it opens up nicely with a little water, and its exceptional with a couple of ice cubes in a two ounce pour. Old tub is exactly the type of garage whiskey I can remember my grandpa sharing with me... there was never a wrong way to experience it with someone. What strikes me about Old Tub Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is how good the mouth feel is from start to finish... That's something only quality whiskey can do properly. Final Thoughts There's a lot to unpack here. First we have a limited release bottle-in-bond bourbon from a major distiller that's actually affordable and available nationwide. Then there's the marketing story behind Old Tub, which is a throw back to simpler times in the bourbon industry, which isn't anything new in the bourbon folklore game. But as far as I'm concerned Old Tub Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a perfect example of what a limited release should be. Outstanding quality bourbon at an affordable price point. This is a bourbon that you'll set aside for moments that matter and share it willingly because of its affordability. At under $30 a bottle of Old Tub I'd happily walk across most of Kentucky if I knew I could find one. For now I'm going to say a little prayer to the porcelain bourbon gods that I stumble across just on more bottle during my next bourbon journey. Final Score: 250 out of 379 Kentucky Miles (Great bourbon) Old Tub Photo Gallery