Welcome to Nice Sipper
Trader Joe’s Kentucky Bourbon
Private labeled Buffalo Trace or 1792 Bourbon? Or just another internet tinfoil hat theory? Today we sip the very affordable Trader Joe’s Kentucky Bourbon to see if what people are saying is too good to be true or not.
Penelope Architect Build No. 2
French Oak finished and/or aged whiskey seems to be my preferred picks, does Penelope Architect Build No. 2 meet the standard?
Weller Special Reserve
After quite a bit of a hiatus, Nice Sipper is back with a review of the much hyped (and price inflated) Weller Special Reserve. Is it worth all the fuss? If so, at what cost?
Thomas S. Moore Bourbon Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Casks
We will be tasting another release from Thomas S. Moore, this time the Cabernet Sauvignon finish. These bourbons were first aged for 5-6 years in the traditional American Oak casks and then underwent an “extended cask finish” for up to 4 additional years, making the unofficial age statement in the 9-10 range (plus or minus). I liked the Chardonnay Cask Finish, but thought it was a little overpriced, let’s see how the big bold Napa Cab interacted with the core 1792 bourbon.
Maker’s Mark Private Selection
Next up is Maker’s Mark Private Selection by @TheWhiskyGuys of Gordon’s Wine. The private selection program at Maker’s allows you to pick a combination of 10 staves from 5 different stave groups. This creates 1,001 possible combinations of staves….click to read more about this alchemy….
Sam Houston 15 Year Bourbon (Release 7: Batch MA-2)
Our second Exclusive Content review will finish up our two-part series comparing aged bourbons. For this review, we’ll be sipping Sam Houston 15 Year old from Release 7 Batch MA-2. After seeing iterations of this bottle on the shelves for a while, I decided to break down and take the plunge. Let’s see how it tastes….
Knob Creek 9 Year
Knob Creek 9 is, what I would refer to, the higher end entry level bottle for the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection. At 100 proof, it’s a also affordable. But does it taste good? Let’s find out….
Remus Repeal Reserve V
Our first Exclusive Content review will the the first part of a two-part series comparing aged bourbons. The second part to come later this week will review Sam Houston 15 Year.
Woodford Reserve Bourbon
Our next review stars an up-and-coming young talent, Joey the Horse. Joey and I hung out the other week and decided to crack open a bottle of Woodford Reserve Bourbon. He had read that this was the preferred bourbon of the Kentucky Derby and while he never had what it takes to make it to The Run for the Roses, a horse can have its dreams….
Bulleit Bourbon “Frontier Whiskey”
Today’s post is a trip down memory lane for me. Bulleit Bourbon is, largely, my bourbon origin-story, to put it in comic book parlance. Prior to this, I hadn’t purchased a bottle of Bulleit in a long time, but it was about time that I did a review on this staple release.
Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A122
Today’s post is for a bourbon made with wheat as its flavor grain, colloquially referred to as a “wheater”, Heaven Hill’s Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A122. While bourbons with rye are by far the historical “norm”, the wheaters came into fashion when everyone began losing their minds about Pappy…and every major distillery who has a wheated bourbon in their lineup seems to go out of their way to tie the root of their release to Pappy itself. Who knew there were so many Junior Pappy’s out in the market? Sigh….but let’s see how Larceny does with this release…..
Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond Bourbon Aged 10 Years
We are going to the back of the whiskey shelf again to review a bottle that I have had and sadly neglected for far too long…Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond 10 Year Old Bourbon….
1792 Aged 12 Years
We have taken a sip of the 1792 Small Batch and Single Barrel releases so far, but we got our hands on a bottle of the 12 Year old, let’s see how this “premium” release matches up with the more affordable staples….
Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye (Bottled in 2009)
Continuing to clean out some old bottles that need reviewed. Today is one that I’ve had for a bit, the Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye Bottled in 2009. This was a “limited release” a while back and I finally cracked it open to give it a sip….
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
Bourbon shot to punish your friends while you were in your early 20’s? Or a great value bourbon sipper to enjoy in adulthood?
Jefferson’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
What better bottle to review on Independence Day than a bottle named after the man who wrote the document declaring America’s independence….Jefferson’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon.
Old Forester Rye
Old Forester Rye has a surprising mash bill given the flavor profile….and why do I think of it as a “Mullet Rye”? And what exactly is a “Mullet Rye”? All that and more awaits you…..
Pinhook High Proof Bourbon “Bourbon Heist” 2021
Pinhook is a newer brand that I have seen on the shelves for the past couple of years but never purchased a bottle. I relented a few weeks back when one of my local stores sold me a bottle of Weller Special Reserve for a whopping $30 and then pointed out this Pinhook Bourbon Heist, so I felt obligated to pick it up….
RY3 Rum Cask Finish
Next up is a newer expression of a rye that I have really enjoyed over the past year or so – RY3 Blended Rye Rum Cask Finish. For those unfamiliar with this brand, get familiar with it! I really enjoyed the core release, which is a blended rye and I purchased a bottle of the Cognac Finish release for my Dad for his birthday this past Spring, so when I saw the Rum Finish, I had to give it a sip….
Putnam Rye & Putnam Rye Red Wine Barrel Finish
In honor of Father’s Day, the next review is for Putnam Rye made by Boston Harbor Distillery. I first had this bottle when my wife took me to the distillery for a tasting on my first Father’s Day after my oldest was born…On the 6 year(ish) Father's Day anniversary of my first visit, I thought it appropriate to do a double tasting of the rye and rye finished in red wine barrels….