Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

After leading with cedar, the nose shifts decidedly to dessert with dried strawberries and raspberry jam. A little dark chocolate and oak join the party along with crushed cloves and allspice berries. On the palate, this presents more powerfully than its 126.7 proof suggests. It’s dark, deep and complex leading with charred oak, cooked red fruits, baking spice, cigar leaf and bitter chocolate.

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

The nose leads with a rush of floral and candied aromas followed by white pepper, rye spice and a little clover honey. Toasted oak leads on the palate before spice notes become more honeyed. Toasted marshmallow and campfire hint that chocolate might arrive, but not in abundance. Darker notes like raisins and prunes interwoven with ground cinnamon makes this more pie-like and old fashioned cocktail ready.

Green River Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

An array of fruit on the nose presents as Juicy Fruit Gum and fruit pastry. Quickly, aromas shift to white pepper, rye grain and oak. Fruit and spice transition to the palate alongside vivid baking spice, peppermint, honey and toasted oak. This whiskey punches well above its 123 proof, which means slow sipping is recommended and decadent cocktails are encouraged.

Chicken Cock Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

Thanks to its powerful proof, the nose is big and bossy before softening some toward honey, yellow apple and golden raisins before darkening to cured tobacco and campfire. The palate is rich and slightly viscous, and flavored with dried figs, chocolate-covered cherries and cigar leaf. Drink this neat (sip slowly!), over ice or in a decadent old fashioned or boulevardier cocktail.

Barton Full Proof Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

On the nose caramel and cooked corn lead, followed by light floral aromas, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate comes cooked sweet corn, honey, golden apple, dried peach and cooked cherry.

Barton Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

Corn casserole leads on the nose followed by nougat, creme caramel and sawn cedar. On the palate are banana, golden apple and raisin followed by Coca-Cola cake.

Barton Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

The nose delivers an unusual combination of spring flowers, milk chocolate, vanilla frosting, leather and charred oak. The palate is chock full of baking spices, fresh peaches and plums and flamed citrus.

Wenzel Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey

TASTING NOTES

Not surprisingly, this “95/5” MGP whiskey starts with mint before moving to cotton candy, caramel and winter green candies. The palate does surprise with a rich blend of golden apple, honey and toasted oak, which shifts to creme brulee, orange marmalade and confectioners sugar. This drinks a little softer than its 111.3 proof, but make no mistake, it’s a great, robust rye.

Steelhouse Blueprint Single Barrel

TASTING NOTES

This is the only distillery pick we’ve done with ample air flowing in from outside, and on this spring day, floral notes are abundant. But it is 100% rye grain, after all, so no surprise there. It’s also loaded with baking spice, warm bread crust and baked pastries. On the palate is golden apple, honeysuckle, toasted oak, cooked grain and demerara syrup. Despite the simple aroma and tasting notes, this is brightly flavored, full-bodied whiskey that drinks way below its 133 proof. Our tasting team was surprised when we learned its ABV was that high. This is a terrific middle-aged sipping whiskey.

Barely Legal Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry Cask Finished

TASTING NOTES

We tasted three rounds of whiskey: four in the first round, three in the second, and two in the third. Since we taste everything blind, the fifth whiskey, i.e. the letter “E,” was a popular choice. Some jokingly called it, “Easily my favorite,” and not surprisingly, it withstood three other challenges. The nose is highly floral with confectioners sugar and cotton candy, a little baking spice, orange cream, tobacco, dried fig and cinnamon toast. On the palate came honey syrup, a wisp of smoke, bitter chocolate, orange marmalade and toasted marshmallow.

 Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

The bourbon, sourced from Barton 1792 Distillery, begins with toffee, cold creamed coffee, bright candied cherry and chocolate graham cracker, then leans into fresh peach and spring flowers. The palate is deep, dark and loaded with cooked stone fruit, toffee, dark caramel, a bit of leather and charred oak.

For Bourbon Nerds: Among the tasting table snacks were Dark Hershey’s Kisses, which when combined with this whiskey, created a nigh-magical chocolate-covered cherry note. Despite the haz-mat proof, it doesn’t drink anywhere near as hot as its 142 proof implies.

KBF Revere Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

The nose starts with a lovely blend of spice and floral notes bolstered by white pepper and lemon peel. Tobacco and vanilla taffy join the party before giving way to cherry Fruit Rollups. Vanilla taffy carries through to the palate along with orange cream candy and light caramel. The finish is long, herbal, fruity, warm and slightly dry.

For Bourbon Nerds: This bourbon’s barrel entry proof was 97.5 proof. Distiller Cody Turner expects the proof to increase only slightly prior to bottling.

Silk Velvet Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

The nose starts with a combination of black cherry, dried figs and dates that moves to cacao nibs and charred oak. Baking spice notes are ample, as is flamed citrus. As one might assume given its proof, it takes charge of the palate with cooked cherry and blackberry, dried fig and bitter chocolate. Toasted almond, cinnamon and flamed orange peel align nicely with the high, but neat-sip-worthy proof.

For Bourbon Nerds: Though made and aged in Kentucky at Green River Distilling Co., Jacob Call, who was master distiller there and is now master distiller and co-owner of Western Kentucky Distillery, sent this barrel and several others to age in Dallas for 3 years. As expected, Texas’s hot climate raised proof and intensified the whiskey’s darker notes.

Lux Row Estate Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

The lightly fragrant honeysuckle belies the richness of the palate. Brown sugar and spring stone fruits have their say, but they fail to hint and the rye spice and bitter chocolate that force their way to the center palate upon entry. Dried dates and figs join them there, as do toasted rye bread and a little Nutella.

For Bourbon Nerds: This release, a pet project of master distiller John Rempe, is made from estate grown corn. Whether I was “tasting” the story behind that, I don’t know, but it comes off incredibly rich and full bodied, which I’d credit to good corn. Sip it slowly neat or let it wrestle with grilled beef or a rich dessert.

Yellowstone Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

On the nose it’s classically Yellowstone: light and lively, nutty, malty, floral, ripe peach and warmed brown sugar. On the palate come caramel, honey syrup, dried flowers, tropical fruit and light spice. An easy and delicious Bottled-In-Bond sipper.

For Bourbon Nerds: If you drink seasonally (I don’t since, for me, every bourbon is always in season), this has spring and fall evenings all over it.

Kentucky Pot Distilled Rye Whiskey

TASTING NOTES

The nose is warm and welcoming with ample spice, oak, burnt citrus and magnolia blossom. On the palate, it’s complex and offers up lemon peel, toasted oak, sawn cedar, cinnamon, eucalyptus, a little wintergreen, light caramel, green apple and browned butter.

For Bourbon Nerds: This 7-year rye is made in one-barrel micro-batches on a potstill. The clean and bright flavors and crisp mouthfeel could fool many into thinking it was column distilled.

Bespoken Spirits

TASTING NOTES

The nose corrals aromas of cotton candy, cocoa powder, light caramel candy and some dark honey. On the palate, it’s beautifully fruity and floral, almost tropically so. Despite being mouth-coating, the finish is short but delightfully spicy and leaves behind loads of clover honey and butterscotch. 

Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

Notes of warm caramel and spring flowers bloom from this solidly reliable bourbon. The nose then moves onto milk chocolate, charred oak and a little stone fruit. This drinks well above its 110 proof and provides a sweet-and-spicy punch that invigorates the palate with cinnamon red hots, white pepper and cooked apples.

For Bourbon Nerds: This bourbon debuted at the 2025 KBF and drew rave reviews for its surprising complexity at only 4 years old. This year’s iteration is different, featuring a much fruitier presentation and lighter body. But it’s still a delicious bourbon.

Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

The nose starts as classic bourbon—caramel corn, baking spice, a little black pepper and citrus—before moving to candied lemon, honey and golden raisin. The caramel and candied notes echo beautifully on the palate and leave traces of honey and lemon in its wake.

For Bourbon Nerds: Make no mistake: This isn’t a toddy in the bottle. It’s lean and lithe and speaks confidently with its 121 proof. It is a great sipper, but it’ll be a cocktail boss for sure.

Maker’s Mark Private Selection Bourbon

TASTING NOTES

The nose leads with light caramel, wheat bread crust and bright notes of citrus and cinnamon. The palate starts off bold and busily spicy before softening and darkening toward tobacco and a little leather. The finish rounds out with dried stone fruit, toasted oak and vanilla. Like most Maker’s releases, this is created to be sipped neat, and some of our team members envisioned doing so by a campfire.

For Bourbon Nerds: After six tries, we settled on a stave combination of P2 (1), Cu (2), 46 (3), Mn (3) and Sp (1).

Copper & Kings American Brandy Co.

TASTING NOTES

The nose is potent and vividly bourbon laced liberally with notes of overripe apples and apple brandy. The palate is a great and balanced blend of youth and age to create a bourbon with baking spice, cinnamon, bitter chocolate, charred oak. But it’s the apple brandy notes that catch your attention and tap your memories of great apple crumble.

For Bourbon Nerds: This one is begging for a food pairing with, you guessed it, any dessert centered on apple or light bodied and fragrant tree fruit. It will also serve well in fruitier bourbon cocktails.