Gary

Managing apostle and whiskey enthusiast

Knob Creek Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon, Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Knob Creek Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch
Single Barrel Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon

58.2% ABV
$70
Website
Knob Creek Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon, Eli Manning's Bold Pick: 2026 Batch
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says:

As the 2025-2026 football season reaches its pinnacle, Knob Creek®, the founding spirit of the James B. Beam Small Batch Bourbon Collection™ and a leader in American Whiskey, announces its second limited-edition barrel release, Knob Creek® Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon, Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch. Available nationwide, the special edition rounds out its season-long partnership with the legendary quarterback.

Hand-selected by Manning at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, KY, this unique cask-strength expression is bottled straight from the barrel, with proofs ranging from 112.2 to 121.6, unfiltered and uncut. The result is a bold, robust bourbon that opens with flavors of rich vanilla and toasted oak, unfolds into layers of roasted nuts and warm spice, and finishes with a long, full-bodied warmth. A true expression of Knob Creek®’s signature depth and intensity, it’s crafted to be savored during the season’s biggest game-day moments – whether celebrating a fantasy championship or cheering on a team through the final stretch.

“Football teams are built on trust – trusting your picks, your preparation, and your instincts, whether you’re on the field or managing your fantasy lineup,” said Freddie Noe, eighth generation master distiller. “That same mindset guides how we make bourbon. Working with Eli last year set a high bar and bringing him back this season raised it. We put some of our finest barrels in front of him, and this one stood out right away. Bottled at cask strength, it delivers more intensity and more flavor – a full-bodied bourbon built for game day.”

What began as fantasy football advice rooted in making bold calls and trusting one’s gut has grown into a celebration of seeing hard work pay off. Throughout the season and continuing through the postseason, Knob Creek and Eli Manning are continuing to share bold picks on the biggest matchups and ways to celebrate – from hosting the perfect watch party to raising a glass with Eli’s Gameday Old Fashioned, best crafted with the 2026 Batch.

“At this point in the season, you’ve made your calls, and it’s now about seeing them through,” said Eli Manning. “Hand-picking this barrel was a bold pick of its own – balanced, uncompromising, and full of character. It held up every time I came back to it, and that’s exactly what I expect from Knob Creek® when it counts most: a bourbon worthy of the biggest moments.”

TASTING NOTES
COLOR: Dark amber
AROMA: Expansive notes of vanilla and caramel, slightly smoky, slightly oaky
TASTE: Bold and complex vanilla, nuts and oak
FINISH: Lingering warm, full flavor

What Gary Says

Nose: Salted caramel, dark chocolate, brown sugar, black cherry, charred oak and candied pecans.
Palate: Bold and warm with caramel, cinnamon, chili oil, gingersnap cookies, dark chocolate, walnuts and orange zest.
Finish:  Moderate in length, spicy with cinnamon and pepper spice over vanilla.
Comments: I’ve enjoyed plenty of Knob Creek single barrels, and this one is definitely in the ‘bold’ column for sure! Spicy, and a bit on the hot side although with any single barrel (and more so with cask strength offerings) it may vary. I had the pleasure of picking a barrel of Knob Creek with the Georgia Bourbon Society many years ago, and this is a bourbon that really shines at cask strength (although with this particular bottle, a couple drops of water opened it up nicely!) I did try Eli’s Gameday Old Fashioned but believe the bottle of bitters I bought was a bad batch (although swapping for another bitters, I’d recommend upping the Brown Sugar Syrup from 1/4 oz to 1/2 or even 3/4 oz; this bourbon has enough spice and punch to stand up to that).

Rating: Stands Out

Knob Creek Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon, Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch Read More »

Delord Armagnac 25 Years

/ / Other Spirits, Review / ,

Delord Armagnac 25 Years

40% ABV
$80-$100
Website
Delord Bas Armagnac 25 Years

What the Distillery Says

Armagnac 25 years
Elegant on the nose, with its peppery and spicy notes, it is on the palate that it reveals all its complexity.

What Gary Says

Nose: Coffee, cocoa butter, caramel, vanilla, allspice, clove, bit of ginger and grapefruit.
Palate: Dried fruit with grapes, raisins, prunes, apricots, grapefruit and sultanas, citrus zest, honey and a hint of caramel.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with tobacco, oak, walnuts and fading fruit notes.
Comments:  Similar to brandy – not super familiar with Armagnac. But as a whisk(e)y drinker, I found this to have a lot of complexity for 40% ABV, and a solid flavor intensity. 25 years I’m sure brings that kind of complexity to the party, and doesn’t break the bank either. Just nosing and sipping this neatly in my Glencairn left me quite content.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

Delord Armagnac 25 Years Read More »

Jacoulot Petit Brandy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Jacoulot Petit Brandy
Brandy de Bourgogne

45% ABV
$35
Website
Jacoulot le Petit Brandy

What the Distillery Says

Jacoulot, located in Romanèche-Thorins, a village in the heart of France’s Burgundy region, is a haute couture distillery that has been transforming the region’s signature pinot noir grapes into rich, complex brandies since 1891. The Jacoulot trademark is a distinctive and unique combination of aromatic complexity, finesse, and elegance achieved by distilling and aging hyper-local fruit spirits in their historic cellar, notable for its consistently cool and humid temperature. Jacoulot rose to fame in the bouchons of Lyon for producing the region’s finest grape-based eau de vie – their iconic L’Authentique Marc de Bourgogne.

Philippe Vançon and Anne Pascal, the current owners and team behind Jacoulot, have taken this historic house to new heights with an intense focus on quality, utilizing the bounty of local ingredients native to the Burgundy and Rhône regions. They are true craftspeople, meticulous in their production methods and thoughtful innovations, consistently delivering exquisite, handcrafted brandies from one of the great viticultural and gastronomic regions of the world.

Production – Petit Brandy is a completely fresh and innovative take on Jacoulot’s classic French grape spirits, distilled exclusively from Burgundian pinot noir. Petit Brandy, a blend of equal parts three-year-old Marc and three-year-old Fine, is one of the first brandies to merge both pomace and wine distillates, highlighting the best attributes and subtleties of both styles. The base eaux de vie are single-distilled in Jacoulot’s mobile alembic still, then aged in 228L, 600L, and 700L French oak barrels in their cool, humid cellar. The Marc and Fine are then married into old 10,000L French barrels before being bottled at 45% ABV, ideal for both sipping and mixing. Jacoulot Petit Brandy captures the full spectrum of the Pinot Noir grape, creating a completely new, deliciously complex brandy profile.

Tasting Notes – Aromatic, integrated notes of milk chocolate, coffee, red plums, golden raisins, and cinnamon. The palate is lush and chewy, with a long, elegant finish.

Usage Notes – Use in brandy-based classics such as a French 75, Sazerac, or Champs-Élysees for dynamic, world-class cocktails with a notably Burgundian character.

  • Distilled pinot noir pomace and wine from Côte de Beaune
  • Single-distilled in a mobile alembic still
  • Blend of brandies aged 3-4 years in 228L barriques and 600-700L demi-muids
  • Notes of milk chocolate, coffee, red plums, golden raisins, and cinnamon
  • Use in classic brandy-based cocktails for an unmistakable pinot noir elegance

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich, milk chocolate, raisins, honey, citrus, bit of a funk I can’t quite put my finger on.
Palate: Honey with candied orange, lemon, raisins, grapefruit.
Finish:  Moderate in length with honey and vanilla.
Comments:  Wow, not being that familiar with brandy I wasn’t sure what to expect – but this surprised me! The honey is pretty heavy, in fact this reminds me a bit of a honey liqueur (not QUITE that honey intensive, but close). Fruit forward which I expected, but the richness of the nose surprised me as well. A bit of water brings out some floral and pineapple notes on the nose. This really shines as an aperitif; think summer orchard stroll in a glass. Nicely balanced and nuanced, at least to me. Again, someone with a lot of brandy experience, but I really enjoyed just sipping this one neat.

Rating: Must Try

Jacoulot Petit Brandy Read More »

E&J XO Brandy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

E&J XO Brandy

40% ABV
$16
Website
E&J XO Brandy

What the Distillery Says

Bold and seductively smooth, nothing complements the night quite like E&J XO, which is charcoal-filtered to create the ultimate drinking experience.

Tasting Notes
Barrel-aged for a minimum of two years
Charcoal-filtered for the ultimate smooth finish
Balanced sweet and toasted flavor

What Gary Says

Nose: Heavy vanilla, subtle floral notes with a bit of cocoa, maple and cherry.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, caramel creme candy, vanilla, sugar cookies, nutmeg, a bit of cinnamon and a hint of cherry cola.
Finish: Short in length, sweet with notes of cherry cordial.
Comments: This is nice, very smooth. On the nose, it’s like vanilla extract in terms of the weight of the vanilla – but if you work past that you get some other notes. I bought a 50 mL mini of this just to benchmark some other brandies against, and glad I did as previously I had E&J VS for our ‘cooking brandy’ and I’ll definitely replace it with this!

Rating: Stands Out

E&J XO Brandy Read More »

E&J VS Brandy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

E&J VS Brandy

40% ABV
$14
Website
E&J VS Brandy

What the Distillery Says

E&J VS entered the scene in 1975 and has been an OG fan-favorite ever since. Sip it straight-up, or mix it up as a cocktail.

Tasting Notes
Barrel-aged for a minimum of two years
Hints of apple, toasted oak, and vanilla
Crisp and light-bodied

What Gary Says

Nose: Bright, crisp, subtle floral, perfume with grapes.
Palate: Round mouthfeel, light, grapes, bit of baking spices with vanilla and a hint of pears.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, slightly drying with caramel and fading spices.
Comments: Compared to E&J XO Brandy, this is brighter but thinner. Shows that the XO age absolutely makes a difference. For only a dollar or two more, I’d definitely go for the XO and skip this one all together. Don’t get me wrong – this wasn’t bad or anything like that, but just pales in comparison for my money.

Rating: Average

E&J VS Brandy Read More »