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Blue Note Honey Bourbon Cask 2025 Release

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Blue Note Honey Bourbon Cask 2025 Release
Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Honey Barrels

56.93% ABV
$65
Website
Blue Note Honey Bourbon Cask 2025 Release
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 Bourbon™, the award-winning whiskey portfolio which is artfully crafted to honor the rich blues music that is synonymous with Memphis, has brought back its wildly popular Honey Bourbon Cask, which sold out in a matter of days last year.

The expression began its journey by embracing the art of fusion. American oak barrels used for finishing were repurposed to produce delicious, barrel-aged honey. The team then returned the whiskey, which was aged for a minimum of three years, to the honey-infused casks for another round of aging to create a distinct and harmonious profile. Crafted in Memphis, the new expression features a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley, which was bottled at 113.86 proof (56.93% ABV), unfiltered.

Honey Bourbon Cask Tasting Notes
Nose: Vanilla, cedar, and nut
Taste: Leather, pear, cedar, wildflower, and honey
Finish: Gentle and warm with lingering hints of wildflower and honey

Blue Note Honey Bourbon Whiskey is now available for purchase online at BlueNoteBourbon.com and in select U.S. markets. Only 1,800 bottles are available for the suggested retail price of $64.99.

Blue Note’s whiskey portfolio is distilled in partnership with Lofted Spirits (parent company of Green River Distilling Company) and then aged just north of downtown Memphis where the Mississippi and Wolf Rivers collide. The long summers filled with infamous Memphis heat and cooler evenings forces the whiskey deep into the oak, creating an unmistakably rich flavor that’s bold yet smooth.

Technical Details
AGED: A minimum of three years
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: 115.7 Proof, Unfiltered

What Gary Says

Nose: Charred oak, honey, vanilla, caramel apples and rye spice.
Palate: Honey with vanilla sponge cake, cinnamon, caramel, hint of pear and pepper spice.
Finish: Moderate in length with cinnamon and honey.
Comments: The honey influence on this one is significant; if you’re not a big fan of honey it could be overpowering. Thankfully I’m not in that camp! This is a really nice, sit on the back porch and sip over a cube while summer fades away kinda dram. At first it drank a tad hot for 115.7 but with a cube or even a few drops of water it eases back. Hands down this has been my favorite selection from Blue Note, and one I hope they continue to offer every year forward!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 9 Years

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Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 9 Years

50% ABV
$130
Website
Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 9 Years
We would like to thank Woodinville Whiskey for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

On August 23, 2025 Woodinville Whiskey will celebrate its 15th Anniversary and release of Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 9 Years, the distillery’s oldest age statement yet.

Best friends, Orlin Sorensen and Brett Carlile created Woodinville Whiskey under the mentorship of the late David Pickerell, an industry icon and the former Master Distiller for Maker’s Mark. 15+ years ago Brett and Orlin took a leap, cashing out their 401ks and savings accounts, and started crafting whiskey under Dave’s tutelage in the unlikely state of Washington.

Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 9 Years has been aging in Woodinville’s barrelhouses in Quincy, WA since 2016, in heavily toasted, lightly charred barrels made from 24-month open-air seasoned staves by Independent Stave Company. It has a mashbill of 55% corn, 35% rye, and 10% malted barley, which differs from Woodinville Flagship Straight Bourbon’s mashbill.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Butter cookie & fresh citrus.
Palate: Dried mango, milk chocolate, spice drop candies & caramel nougat.
Finish: Toffee with a hint of nutmeg spice.

The first 500 numbered bottles of Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 9 Years will be available Saturday, August 23, 2025 at 10:00am at Woodinville’s annual Harvest Release and 15th Anniversary event. It will be sold online at www.woodinvillewhiskeyco.com/collections/allproducts and nationally on August 25, 2025. When this whiskey sells out, it’s gone. Only 500 cases were made.

“We’re following our 2024 8-year limited release with this 9-year – and a 10-year will follow in 2026,” says Woodinville co-founder and Head Distiller, Brett Carlile. “It’s incredible to see the impact of the unique barrel toast/char finish on this bourbon, along with additional time in those ISC barrels. We’re excited to share it so you can taste what we’ve been tasting as we’ve been checking in on it in our barrelhouses. It’s a tough job!”

What Gary Says

Nose: Toasted oak, orange zest, toffee, salted caramel and almond cookie.
Palate: Chocolate, black cherries, cinnamon, coconut, cloves and nutmeg.
Finish: Moderately long, slightly drying with oak, honey, cocoa and baking spices.
Comments: This is a delicious, spicy and robust bourbon. While it’s quite nice neat, a bit of water brings the fruit forward on the nose and thickens the mouthfeel (while bringing out a bit of pears and apples too!) I think what I enjoyed just as much (or almost as much) as sipping this bourbon was reading about the experimental approach that Brett and Orlin took. Mad respect for conducting tests like they did over a period of years. Is this THE best barrel for aging bourbon? I can’t say, but this is a lovely result – which goes to show you that many of the best things just take time.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$100
Website
Rebel 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

ST. LOUIS (July 10, 2025) – Bardstown, Kentucky-based Rebel Bourbon announced the annual release of award-winning Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon. Aged for a full decade, Rebel 10-Year is bottled one barrel at a time – a process that creates a rich and rebellious flavor profile unique to each barrel. Bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV), a limited allocation of 2,600 (6-in) cases of 750mL bottles arrive on shelf this month at a minimum suggested retail price of $99.99.

Handcrafted according to Rebel’s original, time-honored wheated recipe since 1849, Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel features a mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat and 12% malt. With a golden amber glow, Rebel 10-Year opens with a nose of vanilla and dark fruits followed by subtle citrus and oak. Flavors include traces of caramel and citrus, and a velvety smooth finish with just a hint of spice.

“This year’s 10-Year Single Barrel is a testament to the legacy of Rebel Bourbon,” said Rebel Bourbon Master Distiller John Rempe. “From the unique mash bill through the 10-year aging and single-barrel bottling process for robust flavor, Rebel 10-Year is made for sipping, and ready to be enjoyed by anyone ready to let their spirit be heard.”

Each bottle of Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel includes a bold black Rebel Bourbon label featuring the 10-year age statement front and center in silver lettering and the specific barrel number and aged-since date.

Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel recently won many prestigious spirits industry awards:
• Double Platinum medal at the 2025 ASCOT Awards
• Double Gold medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
• Double Gold medal and Consumer’s Choice Award at the SIP Awards
• Gold medal and Single Barrel American Whiskey of the Year at the 2025 Bartender Spirits Awards

The product locator to find Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel and the full portfolio of award-winning Rebel Bourbon varieties is here.

TASTING NOTES: Hints of caramel and citrus on your first sips. But continue drinking and it morphs into a velvety oak flavor with unabashed spice.

What Gary Says

Nose: Coffee cake w/ caramel frosting, oak, vanilla, honey, dried mint and toasted orange zest.
Palate: Round mouthfeel with caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, but of dark chocolate and honey.
Finish: Short to moderate in length with caramel, tobacco and rye spices.
Comments: The nose is classic Luxco for fans of theirs (and at 10 years old, we know this wasn’t distilled at Lux Row Distillery yet). This is all around a solid bourbon, although as a single barrel it will have variation. While I enjoyed it, the premium pricing seems off to me. When I scan the shelves, there aren’t a ton of 10 year old bourbons out there, but the few I see are less (and in some cases nearly half the price).

Rating: Stands Out

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Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye Whiskey

47% ABV
$45
Website
Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye Whiskey
We would like to thank Minden Mill and Raptor Communications for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

MINDEN, NV (July 21, 2025) – Minden Mill Distilling announces the nationwide release of its Single Estate Nevada Straight Rye Whiskey – a flavorful expression that aims to take American rye in a new direction with a focus on balance over spice. A true representation of Nevada’s high desert terroir, the 94-proof, non-chill filtered four-year-old whiskey is crafted with grains harvested from local fields carefully cultivated and overseen by Minden Mill, and distilled at the state-of-the-art estate distillery, which was recently named Nevada Distillery of the Year by the New York International Spirits Competition.

Master Distiller Joe O’Sullivan produces Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye Whiskey using a distinctive mash bill of 80% rye, 10% soft white wheat and 10% estate-malted barley. Minden Mill’s Rye reflects the high-desert environment—where dramatic temperature swings and a tight 90-day growing season deliver a rye with an earthy, nutty flavor profile and natural depth. The distillate is cut with snowmelt-fed water sourced from the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe.

As a member of the Estate Whiskey Alliance and a licensed Nevada Estate Distillery, Minden Mill is among a select few U.S. distilleries committed to full grain traceability and oversight at every stage of production that happens on its 1,200-acre estate. The distillery exceeds both the Nevada state and Estate Whiskey Alliance standards by sourcing 100% of the grains from within five miles of the distillery from land under Minden Mill’s control. With every step—milling, fermentation, distillation, maturation, and bottling—taking place on-site, the distillery is an innovator in expressing American whiskey terroir, particularly in the often-overlooked rye category.

“Very few producers own the full process from grain to glass, and that’s where Minden Mill Rye starts to stand apart. We don’t just distill the whiskey – we grow it,” says Master Distiller O’Sullivan. “Unlike most rye whiskeys, you won’t find any spice bombs here. It’s far more savory and balanced than most people expect. This mash bill was designed to highlight the candied orange peel character that is our house style.”

Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye is distilled through a combination of a single Headframe continuous stripping still and a state-of-the-art Christian CARL hybrid still, both housed in a former 100+ year-old creamery onsite. The whiskey is aged in Seguin Moreau New American oak barrels with a #3 char in traditional wooden rickhouses calibrated to mimic the temperature and humidity of Kentucky’s Nelson County, ensuring a consistent, gradual maturation. The result is a rye whiskey that balances bold oak influence with mature complexity.

Tasting Notes:
Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye Whiskey offers aromas of bright orange peel and toasted spice, dancing with warm vanilla. On the palate, succulent cherry syrup and crème brûlée enter the conversation, mingling with orange zest, baking spices and soft, subdued oak. The finish is long and lingering, replete with candied fruit, warm graham cracker, and a pleasant minerality balanced by spice and sweetness.

Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye Whiskey is available nationally with an SRP of $45 and online at mindenmill.com. The Minden Mill single estate whiskey portfolio also includes an American Single Malt Whiskey and a Nevada Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruity with sour apple candies, grapefruit, charred oak, mint, honey, anise and cinnamon.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel with grapefruit, honey, black cherry, vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, mint and oak.
Finish:  Moderately long with anise, apple and pepper spice.
Comments:  A damned nice rye, with a spiciness and bite that don’t leave you wondering about if this is one of those ‘barely legal ryes’ with 51% rye. I’m not usually a grapefruit fan, but don’t mind it in this. Appreciate the non-chill filtering, which shows up in the mouthfeel. This is one that I wouldn’t add any water to – neat from the bottle as the distiller intended, it shines quite well at 47% (although I did find a few drops of water amps the honey and caramel notes on the nose, thins out that lovely thick mouthfeel a bit and brings the cherry notes forward on the palate). Also appreciate that they were very responsive to questions (clarifying that they use French Oak barrel heads on their 53 gallon casks which might bring a little more spice to the party). This is my first experience with Minden Mill, and it’s a strong start.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Bib & Tucker Gold Roast Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Bib & Tucker Gold Roast Bourbon
Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Infused With Coffee Beans

46% ABV
$50
Website
Bib & Tucker Gold Roast Bourbon
We would like to thank Bib & Tucker and CREATE ENTERTAINMENT for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

At the crossroads of heritage and innovation comes a new signature expression from Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon: Gold Roast Bourbon, a 6-Year Tennessee Bourbon artfully finished with whole roasted Arabica coffee beans using a refined cold extraction method.

Gold Roast Bourbon is a celebration of two time-honored American traditions. Inspired by the turn of the century, when bourbon and coffee were rituals of connection, comfort, and craft, this release reimagines those traditions for the modern drinker.

Crafted using coffee beans from Muletown Coffee Roasters, a Tennessee-based purveyor of fine coffee, Gold Roast Bourbon begins with Bib & Tucker’s award-winning 6-Year bourbon. Aged in new American oak barrels and passed through the Lincoln County Process for added smoothness, the bourbon is infused in its final stage with cold-steeped, custom-roasted Arabica coffee beans sourced from the Agalta region of Honduras. The result: a distinctively smooth and complex spirit with layered notes of roasted coffee, vanilla, milk chocolate and oak.

“With Gold Roast Bourbon, we set out to honor the timeless relationship between coffee and bourbon, two American rituals that have gone hand in hand since the turn of the century,” said Alan Kennedy, Master Blender at Bib & Tucker. “Starting with our signature mash bill of corn, rye, and barley, we carefully crafted a spirit that could carry the richness of a proprietary Arabica coffee roast without overpowering the delicate character of our 6-Year Tennessee Bourbon. The result is a finish that delivers the perfect balance of smoothness and roasted coffee complexity. It’s refined, nuanced, and unmistakably Bib & Tucker,” he adds.

Every element of the Gold Roast process was meticulously designed to create a harmonious blend of whiskey tradition and coffee sophistication:

The bourbon is first filtered through sugar maple charcoal in the traditional Lincoln County Process for added smoothness.
It is then aged for a minimum of six years in new American oak barrels.
Muletown’s Arabica coffee beans are then roasted to Master Blender Alan Kennedy’s specifications and introduced during the final stage of maturation.
Using a cold extraction method, we steep this proprietary blend in our cask-strength whiskey, infusing the spirit with deep aromatics and roasted complexity.
Finally, the finished bourbon is expertly blended into the full batch for a smooth, balanced expression worthy of the Bib & Tucker name.
“Partnering with our neighbors Muletown Coffee was a natural choice for us,” adds Kennedy. “Like our team, they’re deeply committed to a small-batch, artisan approach. They work with farmers to source direct trade coffee, valuing quality over quantity. Locally owned and rooted in Tennessee, Muletown’s attention to craft and origin mirrors our own, making them the ideal partner to bring this bourbon-coffee expression to life.”

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Deep inviting aromas of freshly brewed coffee and rich molasses complemented by subtle notes of sweet corn and spice
Palate: A layered profile of vanilla and young oak, blend with milk chocolate
Finish: Medium-long and balanced, with lingering notes of oak and vanilla, accented by a hint of dark roast coffee and brown spice
Color: Deep amber with a hue reminiscent of walnut or brown sherry

What Gary Says

Nose:  Corn flakes with caramel, brown sugar, medium roast coffee with an underlying mineral note.
Palate:  Milk chocolate with caramel, toffee, vanilla, bit of cinnamon with a hint of citrus zest.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with chocolate and spice notes of cinnamon and pepper.
Comments:  I’ve tried infusing bourbon with coffee before; threw a few beans into a bottle and let it sit for a bit. The result was overpowering and bitter. Thankfully, this is NONE of those things! This is really well done, giving just a hint of coffee on the nose and palate. A few drops of water brought the coffee forward on the nose, along with a lovely note of graham cracker. It also tamped the pepper spice on the palate and gave a nice thickness to the mouthfeel. While only 46% ABV, I found I actually preferred this with a bit of water (although it is quite nice neat as well. I also found that this makes a really nice Old Fashioned, giving it just a little something different!
Now before the whiskey purists start screaming – this is labeled very clearly (and doesn’t contain ‘straight’ in the label). If this isn’t your thing – so be it, but if you enjoy coffee and bourbon as much as I do, I’d look to give it a try before passing judgement.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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