Blue Note Honey Rye Cask 2026 Release

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Blue Note Honey Rye Cask 2026 Release
Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Honey Casks

59.8% ABV
$65
Website
Blue Note Honey Rye Cask 2026
We would like to thank B.R. Distilling Co and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Blue Note Honey Rye Cask brings bold rye spice and natural sweetness into perfect harmony. We finish our whiskey in American oak barrels seasoned with barrel-aged wildflower honey, creating a soulful fusion of flavor and craft. Once rich with honey character, the casks welcome the rye back for an encore. Golden honey, baking spice, toasted oak and subtle caramel layer every sip, while Blue Note’s signature rye remains vibrant, balanced and smooth—a harmony finished with soul.

Technical Details
Product Type: Straight Rye Whiskey
Mash Bill: 95% Rye and 5% Malted Barley
Proof & Filtration: 119.6/ 59.8 % ABV, Unfiltered
Crafted in Memphis, TN

Sensory Notes
Nose: Very Light Apricot, Vanilla, All Spice, and Oak
Taste: Caramel, Hints of Apricot, Oak, Floral Finish, All Spice.
Finish: Soft and Balanced, Light texture with lingering hints of Wildflower and Honey

What Gary Says

Nose: Honey, light caramel sauce, vanilla, citrus notes and subtle spice notes.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel with honey, caramel, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, apricots and baked apple.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with honey, rye spice and subtle oak.
Comments: Another really nice pour! From memory, this is very much in line with last year’s release. Honey remains front and center, with enough rye spice to keep things in balance. If anything, the spice seems a touch more assertive, which suits me just fine. I still lean toward the rye of these two. At around $65 it isn’t an inexpensive bottle, but as a limited release that’s less of an issue. This remains one I’d keep an eye out for.

Rating: Must Try

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Blue Note Honey Bourbon Cask 2026 Release

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Blue Note Honey Bourbon Cask 2026 Release
Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Honey Cask

58.9% ABV
$65
Website
Blue Note Honey Bourbon Cask 2026
We would like to thank B.R. Distilling Co and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Blue Note Honey Bourbon Cask brings bold bourbon and natural sweetness into perfect harmony. We finish our whiskey in American oak barrels seasoned with barrel-aged wildflower honey, creating a soulful fusion of flavor and craft. Once infused with rich honey character, the casks welcome the bourbon back for an encore. Golden honey, warm spice, toasted oak and caramel layer every sip, while Blue Note’s depth delivers a beautifully balanced pour—both bold, smooth and finished with soul.

Technical Details
PRODUCT TYPE: Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Honey Cask Crafted in Memphis, TN
MASH BILL: 70% Corn 21% Rye and 9% Malted Barley
PROOF & FILTRATION: 117.8/ 58.9% ABV, Unfiltered

Sensory Notes
NOSE: Vanilla, Cedar, and Nut
TASTE: Leather, Pear, Cedar, Wildflower, and Honey
FINISH: Gentle, Warm Finish. Light texture with lingering hints of Wildflower and Honey

What Gary Says

Nose: Honey, vanilla, oak, caramel apples, brown sugar and a hint of berry sweetness.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel with honey, caramel, milk chocolate, cinnamon, pepper, oak, clove and a bit of pear.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with hot honey, oak and cocoa.
Comments: Having enjoyed last year’s release, I’m happy to find this stays pretty close to what I remember. The honey is still prominent, which works for me – but honey-finished bourbons can easily tip over into overly sweet liqueur territory, and Blue Note continues to walk that line with confidence. There may be a little more pastry sweetness this time around, but the familiar honey, vanilla and cinnamon are what keep me coming back. This is a really nice back porch pour as summer gives way to fall, and one I’d happily enjoy over a cube. If you liked last year’s, I think you’ll find plenty to like here.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel (vintage 2020)

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel (vintage 2020)
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

45% ABV
$150
Website
Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel

What the Distillery Says:

Bottled solely from the contents of one expertly chosen barrel, this expression of Elijah Craig is the pinnacle of Bourbon craftsmanship. Bold, robust, and incredibly complex, 18-Year-Old presents a rare and unique opportunity to sip some of the oldest Bourbon in Kentucky.

Bourbon-making is an exercise in patience & perseverance. Out of the millions of barrels aging in Kentucky, only a small fraction are allowed to age as long as 18-Year-Old. In the beginning, we don’t know which barrels will be worthy of consideration. But time & expertise will tell. As they age, our barrels are meticulously sampled by our master tasters. Even after 18 years, some barrels won’t meet their high standards. Each single barrel is then individually dumped & bottled. The barrel number & bottling date is handwritten on the label.

TASTING NOTES
Color: Warm, deep leather.
Aroma: Aged oak, spiced vanilla, with notes of mint and chocolate.
Taste: Richly textured, nutty, and semisweet. Initial bursts of honey give way to toasted wood and pleasant char.
Finish: Lively and engaging, then lingers with vanilla and pepper.

What Gary Says

Nose: Toasted oak, vanilla, dark chocolate, honey, musty notes with a hint of citrus zest and leather.
Palate: Vanilla bean, caramel, oak, cocoa, black cherry, honey, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with oak, cocoa and tobacco.
Comments: I remember buying this back in 2012 for $50 (Richard reviewed it back in 2010, and noted it was ‘Widely Available’), and thinking it was too oaky for my palate. Still big oak, but my palate has evolved since and I’m better able to appreciate it. A lovely, balanced dram, although at current prices isn’t one I’ll be picking up again (but if you’re offering a pour of yours – I won’t necessarily say now!)

Rating: Stands Out

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Tallbird Whiskey of the Golden Age

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Tallbird Whiskey of the Golden Age
A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies

46.5% ABV
$25
Website
Tallbird Whiskey of the Golden Age
We would like to thank Wanderfolk Distillery and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Wanderfolk Distillery, Oklahoma’s first legal distillery and an original producer of unique craft spirits that spark curiosity and make a meaningful impact, has announced the launch of Tallbird American Whiskey.
Crafted to be as affordable and approachable as Whiskey of the Golden Age, Tallbird American Whiskey is a blend of fine, straight, seven-year-old bourbons distilled in Kentucky (Bardstown Bourbon Company) and Tennessee (TN Distilling), then aged in Guthrie, Oklahoma, in 53-gallon, New American White Oak barrels with a Level 3-4 char. Bottled at 93 proof (46.5% ABV), Tallbird delivers a shot of Americana and rich and approachable whiskey that was tailor-made for classic cocktails, like Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and Sours.
“We’re committed to creating spirits as unique and distinctive as those who enjoy them,” said Jeffrey Cole, Head Distiller, Wanderfolk Distillery. “Tallbird is a Whiskey of the Golden Age – a time when a well-aged bourbon wasn’t something you paid a premium for and when quality was something could expect without a sky-high price tag. Good doesn’t have to be expensive.”
Cole is the heart and soul of Wanderfolk Distillery, a pioneer in the Oklahoma craft beverage industry, serving as the founding president of both the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG), OKC and the Oklahoma Distillers’ Guild. Jeffrey has opened over a dozen bars across the Midwest, dedicated to pushing the boundaries of spirits and hospitality. He leads a collective of passionate creatives, blending mastered skills from various backgrounds, that is focused on re-inventing and pushing the boundaries of craft spirits in Oklahoma.

On the nose, Tallbird exhibits notes of sweet marzipan and cardamom with a splash of citrus and tropical mango. The palate reveals rich butterscotch, crunchy graham crackers and a hint of leather. The finish is luscious and sweet with the creaminess of a tres leches dessert.
The Tallbird name references nicknames given to aircraft during the sonic boom tests in the 1950’s and ’60s. The bottle’s label features an American cowboy riding one of these aircraft as if it were a mechanical bull, showcasing the brand’s Oklahoma roots and playful side.
Tallbird American Whiskey is now available for purchase online through the brand’s website and at fine craft spirits retailers in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma, for a suggested retail price of $25 per 750ml bottle.
Visitors will be able to visit the company’s Tasting Room, located at 124 E. Oklahoma Avenue, in Guthrie, Oklahoma, later this fall. For more information, visit www.wanderfolkspirits.com and follow the brand on Instagram.

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel, toasted oak, vanilla and a hint of orange zest.
Palate: Rich and creamy mouthfeel with butterscotch, caramel, honey, citrus, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Finish: Medium length and drying with caramel creme candy, cinnamon and pepper.
Comments: I’ll admit – when I read the description and saw the price point, I was skeptical. Whiskey prices have been on a one-way street in the other direction. I’m thrilled to report that this was a pleasant surprise! A pretty solid, straight down the middle bourbon, which a better mouthfeel than average. I tried their ‘Gold Fashioned’ cocktail, and thought it was OK, but this did really well in my own Old Fashioned recipe (pretty simple – 2 oz of this plus ½ oz of simple syrup, 1 dash of orange bitters and 2 dashes of Angostura aromatic – stir together with a cube and call it a day).

Rating: Must Try

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Penelope Cigar Sessions Chapter 02 American Whiskey

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Penelope Cigar Sessions Chapter 02
American Whiskey

58.7% ABV
$80
Website
Penelope Cigar Sessions Chapter 02 American Whiskey
We would like to thank Luxco and The Brand Guild for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says:

Penelope Whiskey has partnered with Alec Bradley, the master cigar blenders behind some of the most celebrated sticks in the premium cigar world, to craft something neither could create alone: a whiskey purpose-built for the ritual of the smoke.
Meticulously blended to pair with the nuanced complexity of a medium to full bodied cigar, Cigar Sessions: Chapter 2 is the result of two obsessive crafts meeting in the middle, with every decision made around a single question: does it make the session better?
The answer is in the glass.
Bourbon Facts:
• Type: 36% Rye Bourbon, Barley Malt, and American Light Whiskey
• Proof: 117.4
• Age/Barrel Char: 6 Years
• Mash Bill: 69% Corn, 19% Rye, 12% Malted Barley

Tasting Notes:
• Aroma: Toasted oak, dark caramel, leather, baking spice
• Body: Charred brown sugar, sweet corn, cocoa, creamy malt
• Finish: Dark chocolate, seasoned oak, warm spice, lingering sweetness

What Gary Says

Nose: Toasted oak, caramel, cigar paper, chocolate fudge, worn leather, and subtle baking spice notes
Palate: Rich mouthfeel, caramel, butterscotch, honey, oak, milk chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon and pepper.
Finish: Medium to long, drying with oak tannins, chocolate, pepper spice and smoke.
Comments: The non-chill filtration shows up in the mouthfeel. While I am not a cigar smoker, I can imagine this would pair nicely (and had a friend test-drive this with a cigar, and thought it worked well). It definitely has some similar qualities and leaves me thinking about cigars. I enjoyed this with a bit of water, bringing more honey and caramel corn to the nose, and tamping the pepper on the palate while amping up the butterscotch.

Rating: Stands Out

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