Of all the bourbons we’ve been drinking this past year – for the record, there’s a lot of them – Bulleit bottles might be drained the quickest. For a number of reasons: 1) it’s good; 2) it’s moderately priced; and 3) it’s accessible. For an everyday whiskey, that trio’s hard to beat. Bulleit Bourbon traces its roots back to the 1830s, when founder Augustus Bulleit first produced the whiskey in Kentucky. After his untimely disappearance, production ceased, and the market was Bulleit-less until 1987, when great-great-grandson Tom Bulleit stepped in to revive the family legacy. For many years it was only...

Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon is a 10-year-old straight bourbon from Kentucky. It is distilled and distributed by Buffalo Trace. Eagle Rare first hit the market in 1975 as a 101 proof straight bourbon, and since its inception has changed hands a number of times – from Seagram to Old Prentice to The Sazerac Company. The current iterations of Eagle Rare include a 90 proof 10-year-old expression (the focus of this review) and a 90 proof 17-year-old expression. Dive into Eagle Rare Single Barrel for aromas of toasted bread, vanilla, charcoal and almonds. Take a sip to find a very...

Woodford Reserve recently announced the newest addition to its lineup – Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. Available in March, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked isn’t a limited time release or part of the brand’s Master’s Collection; it’s a permanent line extension. The new whiskey gets its name from its double aging process. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is first aged in toasted, charred barrels created at Woodford’s cooperage. This initial maturation provides much of the color and flavor, but the second step is what makes the spirit unique. It’s moved to another custom barrel – one that’s been toasted twice as long as the...

With the introduction of Heaven Hill’s Red State and Blue State bourbons, voters can now wear their political affiliations on their whiskey bottles. The new bourbons are identical except for packaging, so the politically apathetic can choose based on color or animal preference. Heaven Hill hopes the dueling bourbons will create a lot of buzz going into the 2012 Presidential elections. Chances are good, as political doublespeak and lofty campaign promises often drive people to drink. Whether Red State and Blue State bourbons will fuel the fire or create a more mellow atmosphere for conversation is unclear. But we’ve yet...

What this cocktail lacks in a respectable name, it more than makes up for in boozy stoutness and balanced flavor. The Fancy Free follows the tried-and-true formula of spirit, liqueur and bitters that, more often than not, results in a tasty drink. The components present in this one are bourbon, maraschino liqueur, Angostura bitters and orange bitters. The result? A spirit-forward cocktail tempered by the sweetness of the maraschino liqueur and further balanced by the addition of bitters. The Fancy Free is very simple to make at home, and while it’s somewhat obscure, the easy-to-make recipe makes it an accessible call...

Angel’s Envy Bourbon is a newish whiskey from Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson, a 40-year veteran of Brown-Forman and a member of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. It’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about bourbon, and he’s putting that knowledge and passion into Angel’s Envy. Angel’s Envy Bourbon is aged for nearly five years at the highest levels of the rickhouse and then transferred into port barrels for another six months. The whiskey has a brilliant amber to copper hue and presents aromas of vanilla, toasted nuts and maple syrup. Take a sip to find standard...

Jefferson’s Bourbon is a very small batch whiskey produced by Kentucky’s McLain and Kyne Distillery. True to its “very small batch” designation, just eight to 12 barrels of various aged bourbons are handpicked and then blended together for bottling, a number much smaller than the industry standard. Jefferson’s Bourbon is composed of corn, rye and malted barley. It doesn’t carry an age statement. On the nose, Jefferson’s has aromas of vanilla, toffee, spice and oak. It hints at toasted grains in the background as well as some citrus fruits. Take a sip to taste more of the same – toffee, vanilla...

The Buck is a style of cocktail that mixes ginger beer or ginger ale with citrus and spirit. So bourbon, ginger beer and citrus create a bourbon buck, while gin, ginger beer and citrus form a gin buck. And so on. Perhaps my favorite of the bunch is a bourbon buck. And while bourbon, ginger beer and citrus make a fine drink indeed, the buck template is a great basis for modifications. For example, San Francisco bartender Erick Castro’s well-publicized Kentucky Buck adds muddled strawberry and bitters to bourbon, lemon juice and ginger beer for good effect. Muddled peach is another...

Wild Turkey Rare Breed is a barrel proof bourbon, which means that it’s bottled straight from the barrel, with no added water to lower the proof or dilute the whiskey. It’s composed of six, eight and 12-year old Wild Turkey stocks, which combine to form a very lush, flavorful bourbon. On the nose, Wild Turkey Rare Breed has some alcoholic top notes, so give it a few minutes to open up before diving in. The alcohol eventually gives way to aromas of oranges, tobacco, oak and spice. Take a sip to find sweeter flavors and a smoother spirit than the...

Arkansas' Rock Town Distillery just announced the debut of its first whiskey – Arkansas Young Bourbon Whiskey. It is pot distilled from a mash of Arkansas corn and wheat, and unlike most bourbons, there’s no rye grain in the mash bill. It's called a "young" bourbon because, well, it’s young, spending just three to six months in oak. It’s aged in small five and 10 gallon barrels, which accelerates the spirit’s maturation process. Arkansas Young Bourbon Whiskey was handmade in very small batches, and only 114 cases were bottled on this first release. Some will go to Illinois and Tennessee as...