A bearded man in a wide-brimmed hat stares out from a red ribbon banner, flanked by the words "Grand Old Mac" - a name invented for a saloon that never stood anywhere in the American West, only in the imagination of a German importer's marketing department.

Expert's Description

Grand Old Mac Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an American Straight Bourbon Whiskey matured in charred white oak casks and bottled at 40%.

The neck seal reads "Over 6 Years," and the label states it was distilled and aged under United States government supervision - Product of USA. But the reverse label carries a second, quieter line: "Ausländisches Erzeugnis in Deutschland fertiggestellt," meaning the bottling itself was finished in Germany. This points to a whole genre of mid-century bourbon that isn't much talked about today: American whiskey shipped in bulk to Germany and bottled locally under invented cowboy brand names for a German audience hungry for a taste of the Wild West.

The distillery behind the liquid is not stated on the label and appears to be lost to history - Grand Old Mac was distributed by Freiherr von Waldenfels Spirituosen-Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, based in Köln-Junkersdorf, a company that has since disappeared from the German business register. What's left is the bottle itself: a small, stubborn piece of postwar drinking culture, marketed as "Very Smooth and Very Mild" and meant to be mixed into "all popular mixers, in cocktails or straight," as the original English-language back label puts it.

Specifications

Name: Grand Old Mac Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottler: Freiherr von Waldenfels Spirituosen-Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH
Country: USA
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: Over 6 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Charred white oak casks

Investment Potential

Medium. Grand Old Mac is a discontinued, distillery-unidentified export bottling with a genuinely obscure production history, which gives it real appeal among collectors of vintage American whiskey ephemera and Wild-West-themed European bar memorabilia - a niche but persistent corner of the collector market.

Did You Know?

The German back label doesn't just translate the American one - it adds a line the U.S. version never needed: a confirmation that the bourbon was "finished" on German soil, a legal formality from an era when a great deal of American whiskey crossed the Atlantic in bulk before ever seeing a label.

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There was a time when almost every American home bar had a bottle like this one standing out in the open, not tucked away, ready to pour straight from the neck thanks to its built-in spout. Seagram's Seven Crown was the everyday whiskey people reached for without thinking twice, and this oversized bottle was practically the symbol of that habit.

The Expert's Description

Seagram's Seven Crown is an American Blended Whiskey bottled at 40%, here in the large 1.75 litre format with a carrying handle and built-in pourer, a bottle that was as much a piece of bar furniture as it was a whiskey.

Seven Crown was created by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and grew into one of the best-selling whiskey brands in American history, with sales peaking at around 32 million cases a year in the early 1970s. It is a blended whiskey, combining a smaller share of straight whiskey with neutral grain spirit, a style built for easy, uncomplicated drinking rather than sipping complexity. The label still carries the old crest with the crown and the line "Distillers since 1857", a nod to the Seagram name's Canadian origins, long before the brand became an American household fixture.

Bottles like this one were sold by the millions for home use and bar service in the decades after the Second World War, and the handle-and-pourer format was built specifically for pouring straight from the bottle without any fuss. Today it is the kind of bottle collectors look for more for the history and design than for what's left inside.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft brown sugar and a touch of vanilla meet a mild grainy sweetness, with no sharp edges.

Palate

Round and lightly sweet, with caramel and a hint of honey carried by a mellow grain character.

Finish

Short and warm, with a last trace of vanilla that fades quickly.

Specifications

Name: Seagram's Seven Crown 1.75 L
Bottler: Joseph E. Seagram & Sons
Region/Country: USA
Type: American Blended Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 175 CL

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Soft · Vanilla · Light · Grainy

Did You Know?

The built-in pourer set into the neck wasn't just a novelty — it was designed so you could pour straight from the oversized 1.75 litre bottle without a separate stopper or decanting into something smaller, exactly the kind of practical detail that made Seven Crown a fixture of the American home bar.

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Some bottles never tell the whole story themselves. Half the label on this one has peeled away, the rest has yellowed behind decades on some bar shelf, and yet the name Haller's S.R.S. still peers out through the cracks – an echo from an America that poured its whiskey out of half-gallon jugs and never thought twice about it.

The Expert's Description

Haller's S.R.S. Special Reserve Stock is an American Blended Whisky bottled at 43%. Behind the name sits the now-defunct brand W.A. Haller Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and according to the original label, the whiskey is made up of 30% straight whiskies with a stated age of 8 years, blended with 70% grain neutral spirits – a completely ordinary recipe for the budget and bar blends of its era, where the goal was a smooth, easy-drinking whiskey rather than a complex sipping experience.

The bottle is a Half Gallon at 175 cl, a size that was common on the American market through the 1960s and 70s, when a larger bottle simply meant better value for the home bar or the local watering hole. The glass's base markings and the absence of a barcode point to a bottling from roughly that period. Haller's S.R.S. is discontinued today, and the brand changed hands between several different American producers over the decades, which makes it hard to say with certainty which distillery stands behind this particular bottle.

The label carries a small crowned coat of arms reading "Duke of Haller" alongside the year 1894 – a classic marketing trick from the golden age of American whiskey, when brands would borrow noble symbols and invented lineages to lend an ordinary blend a veneer of tradition and prestige.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft and fairly neutral, with a touch of grain and a mild sweetness, typical for a blend built on a high share of neutral spirit.

Palate

Round and lightly sweet, without sharp edges – several people who have tasted older bottles of Haller's S.R.S. describe it as surprisingly smooth and well suited to a classic Manhattan.

Finish

Short and mild, with a faint grain and caramel note that fades quickly.

Specifications

Name: Haller's S.R.S. Special Reserve Stock Blended Whiskey
Bottler: W.A. Haller Company
Region/Country: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Type: American Blended Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 175 CL

Flavour Profile

Mild · Smooth · Lightly Sweet · Round

Did You Know?

The small crowned emblem at the top of the label reading "Duke of Haller" was a common trick in the American whiskey industry in the early 1900s: brands invented a noble past for themselves to seem more exclusive, even when the whiskey behind the label was an entirely ordinary blend made for everyday drinking.

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There was a time when almost every American home bar had a bottle like this one standing out in the open, not tucked away, ready to pour straight from the neck thanks to its built-in spout. Seagram's Seven Crown was the everyday whiskey people reached for without thinking twice, and this oversized bottle was practically the symbol of that habit.

The Expert's Description

Seagram's Seven Crown is an American Blended Whiskey bottled at 40%, here in the large 1.75 litre format with a carrying handle and built-in pourer, a bottle that was as much a piece of bar furniture as it was a whiskey.

Seven Crown was created by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and grew into one of the best-selling whiskey brands in American history, with sales peaking at around 32 million cases a year in the early 1970s. It is a blended whiskey, combining a smaller share of straight whiskey with neutral grain spirit, a style built for easy, uncomplicated drinking rather than sipping complexity. The label still carries the old crest with the crown and the line "Distillers since 1857", a nod to the Seagram name's Canadian origins, long before the brand became an American household fixture.

Bottles like this one were sold by the millions for home use and bar service in the decades after the Second World War, and the handle-and-pourer format was built specifically for pouring straight from the bottle without any fuss. Today it is the kind of bottle collectors look for more for the history and design than for what's left inside.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft brown sugar and a touch of vanilla meet a mild grainy sweetness, with no sharp edges.

Palate

Round and lightly sweet, with caramel and a hint of honey carried by a mellow grain character.

Finish

Short and warm, with a last trace of vanilla that fades quickly.

Specifications

Name: Seagram's Seven Crown 1.75 L
Bottler: Joseph E. Seagram & Sons
Region/Country: USA
Type: American Blended Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 175 CL

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Soft · Vanilla · Light · Grainy

Did You Know?

The built-in pourer set into the neck wasn't just a novelty — it was designed so you could pour straight from the oversized 1.75 litre bottle without a separate stopper or decanting into something smaller, exactly the kind of practical detail that made Seven Crown a fixture of the American home bar.

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In the 1870s, a young Julius Kessler travelled from saloon to saloon in the mining town of Leadville, Colorado, selling his own whiskey out of his own hands. He sold more than anyone else of his time, and the name stayed on the bottle for well over a century afterwards.

The Expert's Description

Kessler American Blended Whiskey is an American Blended Whiskey built on neutral grain spirit and matured straight whiskies, bottled at 40%.

The brand was founded in 1888 and quickly earned a reputation as an easy-drinking, gentle whiskey under the slogan "Smooth as Silk" – Kessler's own description of his whiskey, and one the brand has carried on the label since the end of Prohibition. In 1935 Kessler became part of Seagram, and this particular 1.75-litre bottle carries the marks of that era: the label shows Julius Kessler's portrait and facsimile signature alongside a horse-drawn stagecoach in front of a small mountain town, while the cap still bears an old paper excise strip marked "Export". The bottle was filled across three different Seagram plants – Lawrenceburg in Indiana, Dundalk in Maryland and San Francisco in California – the way large American producers of the era spread production across several sites.

The blend itself is a classic American blended whiskey: mostly neutral grain spirit, with straight whiskies aged at least a couple of years blended in, and it's exactly that combination that gives the brand its light, "silky" style. After Seagram, the brand has changed hands several times and today sits with Suntory Global Spirits.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe apples and baking spice meet a touch of liquorice and a light caramel sweetness.

Palate

Soft and round, with caramel, vanilla and a streak of citrus peel, carried on a light, dry spirit character.

Finish

Short to medium, spiced and slightly leathery, without any heavy cask influence.

Specifications

Name: Kessler American Blended Whiskey 175 cl
Bottler: Kessler (Julius Kessler Company)
Region/Country: USA
Type: American Blended Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 175 CL
EAN no.: 0 87000 20075

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Caramel · Citrus · Medium-bodied · Soft

Did You Know?

Before Julius Kessler made his own whiskey famous, he served as president of the Distillers Securities Corporation – better known under its far less flattering nickname, the "Whiskey Trust".

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Most bottles of Jack Daniel's are a blend of many barrels. This one is from just one — and you can taste it.

Expert description

Single Barrel Select is drawn from a single barrel rather than a blend of many, giving a more intense, barrel-driven profile than Old No. 7. Barrels for this range are selected from the top floors of the warehouses, where temperature swings are greatest. Jack Daniel's Distillery was founded in 1866 by Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and is officially registered as America's first distillery. All production still happens on the same site, where the whiskey is filtered drop by drop through nearly 3 metres of sugar maple charcoal before going into new, charred oak barrels — the Lincoln County Process that defines Tennessee Whiskey.

Bottled at 45%, it carries extra power compared to the core range's 40%.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers bold caramel, burnt sugar and toasted oak, more intense than Old No. 7.

Palate

The palate is full-bodied with vanilla, caramel and spiced oak, backed by the higher strength.

Finish

The finish is long and warm, with lingering oak spice and caramel.

Specifications

Name: Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select
Distillery: Jack Daniel's
Region/Country: Tennessee, USA
Type: Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Size: 5 CL
Distillation method: Column distilled, Lincoln County Process
Edition: Single Barrel

Flavour profile

Bold · Barrel-driven · Caramel · Spiced · Full-bodied

Investment potential

Low — the single-barrel range varies in availability but isn't a dedicated collector's series on the level of annual special releases.

Did you know?

The name Lincoln County Process comes from the original county line: the distillery sat in Lincoln County until 1871, when it became part of the newly formed Moore County — but the name for the filtering method stuck.

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A green label, a little gold foil and not one word too many. Behind the quiet packaging sit seven summers in fresh charred oak and a bottling that never met a drop of water. Old Ezra comes out of Lawrenceburg, Indiana — a river town once known as Whiskey City, because nobody else in America handled rye quite like this.

The Expert's Description

Old Ezra 7 years Full Proof is an American Straight Rye Whiskey matured for seven years in new charred American oak casks and bottled at 57%.

It arrived in November 2022 as the rye counterpart to Old Ezra 7 years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which had just been named Best Overall Bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition that same year. Old Ezra is the heavyweight branch of the Ezra Brooks family, and this was the first rye ever released under the name.

The whiskey is distilled and matured in Indiana at Ross & Squibb Distillery — the plant formerly known as MGP — and bottled by Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky. It says so in small print at the bottom of the label, and it is worth reading. Lawrenceburg has been distilling rye since 1847 and still supplies rye spirit to a sizeable slice of the American whiskey trade.

Two mashbills are married together here. One is built on 95% rye and 5% malted barley, and it carries the sharp, peppery rye edge. The other runs 51% rye, 45% corn and 4% malted barley, laying sweetness and body underneath. Between them they explain why the whiskey tastes unmistakably of rye while still coming across rounder than most people expect at this strength.

The casks are new and charred, exactly as the law demands of a Straight Rye Whiskey. Seven Indiana summers pull vanilla, caramel and dry oak spice out of that burnt layer, and because the whiskey goes into the bottle at cask strength, none of it gets diluted away again. Before bottling the spirit is charcoal filtered, the same treatment the whole Ezra Brooks range receives, which takes the roughest corner off without flattening the whiskey. Gold at both ASCOT and SIP in 2024.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dry oak and earthy rye spice lead. Then it loosens up: caramel, vanilla, a hint of dark cherry. Give it a quarter of an hour in the glass and tobacco and old leather come forward.

Palate

Spiced honey and toffee arrive first, soft and thick. Then the rye asserts itself properly with black pepper, cinnamon and a sharp streak of orange peel. The 57% is clearly there, but it warms rather than burns.

Finish

Long and dry. Oak, pipe tobacco and a peppery heat that sits around well after the glass is empty.

Specifications

Name: Old Ezra 7 years Full Proof Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Ross & Squibb Distillery
Bottler: Lux Row Distillers
Region/Country: Indiana, USA
Type: Straight Rye Whiskey
Age: 7 years
ABV: 57%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New charred American oak casks
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Full Proof
EAN no.: 0088352139449

Flavour Profile

Spicy · Vanilla · Caramel · Oak · Tobacco · Cask strength

Did You Know?

The Squibb half of Ross & Squibb comes from William Squibb's distillery of 1869. In 1921 it was bought by George Remus, the bootlegger they called the King of the Bootleggers, and one of the figures F. Scott Fitzgerald is said to have had in mind when he wrote The Great Gatsby.

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There's only one place on earth where this whiskey is born – Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace in Kentucky, where Kentucky's brutal summers and cold winters push bourbon and oak together harder than almost anywhere else on the property. From here, the whiskey is pulled straight out of the barrel, no water, no filter. This is Blanton's at its rawest.

Expert's Description

Blanton's Straight From The Barrel is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey matured in new charred American oak barrels and bottled at barrel proof of 64.25%.

This expression is uncut and unfiltered, dumped straight from the barrel with no adjustment to strength or appearance. It shares the same high-rye mash bill (Mash Bill #2) as the rest of the Blanton's range, but where Original and Gold Edition are cut down to 46.5% and 51.5% respectively, Straight From The Barrel keeps the whiskey's full, natural barrel strength.

For years this bottle was only available outside the U.S., mainly in Japan, where the rights to Blanton's belong to Takara Shuzo. Buffalo Trace Distillery still distills and ages every Blanton's expression, no matter where it ends up being sold. Since 2020, a small allocation has also reached the U.S. market, though it remains a bottle worth hunting for.

Because each bottle comes from a single barrel, the proof shifts from one dump to the next, typically somewhere between 125 and 135. This particular dump lands at 128.5 proof, and the barrel's dump date is printed right on the label, so no two bottles are quite the same.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark chocolate and caramel meet an earthy hint of walnut and hazelnut, with the heat to come already announcing itself.

Palate

The barrel proof unfolds into warm vanilla, oak and toasted nuts, spicy and intense, with a trace of butterscotch and honey underneath.

Finish

Long and warming, with spice and oak lingering well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Blanton's Straight From The Barrel
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Region/Country: Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 64.25%
Cask Type: New charred American oak barrels
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural color: Yes

Flavor Profile

Full-Bodied · Spicy · Sweet · Oak-Driven

Investment Potential

Medium. Blanton's is one of the most collected bourbon names in the world, and Straight From The Barrel is the most concentrated expression in the lineup, recently named Best Single Barrel Bourbon at the World Whiskies Awards. That said, it's a recurring part of Blanton's core range rather than a one-off release, which keeps the potential at medium rather than high.

Did You Know?

Blanton's was created in 1984 by master distiller Elmer T. Lee as his personal parting gift to the industry. It was the world's first commercially available single barrel bourbon, and it single-handedly created an entirely new category: super premium bourbon.

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There's only one place on earth where this whiskey is born – Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace in Kentucky, where Kentucky's brutal summers and cold winters push bourbon and oak together harder than almost anywhere else on the property. From here, the whiskey is pulled straight out of the barrel, no water, no filter. This is Blanton's at its rawest.

Expert's Description

Blanton's Straight From The Barrel is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey matured in new charred American oak barrels and bottled at barrel proof of 65.15%.

This expression is uncut and unfiltered, dumped straight from the barrel with no adjustment to strength or appearance. It shares the same high-rye mash bill (Mash Bill #2) as the rest of the Blanton's range, but where Original and Gold Edition are cut down to 46.5% and 51.5% respectively, Straight From The Barrel keeps the whiskey's full, natural barrel strength.

For years this bottle was only available outside the U.S., mainly in Japan, where the rights to Blanton's belong to Takara Shuzo. Buffalo Trace Distillery still distills and ages every Blanton's expression, no matter where it ends up being sold. Since 2020, a small allocation has also reached the U.S. market, though it remains a bottle worth hunting for.

Because each bottle comes from a single barrel, the proof shifts from one dump to the next, typically somewhere between 125 and 135. This particular dump lands at 130.3 proof, and the barrel's dump date is printed right on the label, so no two bottles are quite the same.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark chocolate and caramel meet an earthy hint of walnut and hazelnut, with the heat to come already announcing itself.

Palate

The barrel proof unfolds into warm vanilla, oak and toasted nuts, spicy and intense, with a trace of butterscotch and honey underneath.

Finish

Long and warming, with spice and oak lingering well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Blanton's Straight From The Barrel
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Region/Country: Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 65.15%
Cask Type: New charred American oak barrels
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural color: Yes

Flavor Profile

Full-Bodied · Spicy · Sweet · Oak-Driven

Investment Potential

Medium. Blanton's is one of the most collected bourbon names in the world, and Straight From The Barrel is the most concentrated expression in the lineup, recently named Best Single Barrel Bourbon at the World Whiskies Awards. That said, it's a recurring part of Blanton's core range rather than a one-off release, which keeps the potential at medium rather than high.

Did You Know?

Blanton's was created in 1984 by master distiller Elmer T. Lee as his personal parting gift to the industry. It was the world's first commercially available single barrel bourbon, and it single-handedly created an entirely new category: super premium bourbon.

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In Bardstown, Kentucky's self-declared bourbon capital, a thirteen-metre copper still runs around the clock. Here, at Lux Row Distillers, a recipe dating back to 1957 gets to be raw, undiluted, and completely unapologetic.

Expert description

Old Ezra 7 Year Barrel Strength is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottled straight from the barrel with no water added, at a barrel strength of 58.5%.

Where many barrel strength bourbons turn harsh and bracing at high proof, Old Ezra does the opposite. It's aged for seven years in new, charred American white oak barrels, and the result is surprisingly rounded even at 117 proof. The mash bill runs 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye, distilled according to a recipe tracing back to the birth of the Ezra Brooks brand in Kentucky. The whiskey is charcoal filtered after distillation for its trademark smoothness, but it's neither chill filtered nor coloured, so what lands in the glass is as close as it gets to what came out of the barrel.

Old Ezra 7 isn't an anniversary release or a one-off drop. It sits in Ezra Brooks' permanent lineup, and it's earned its keep, landing at number 7 on Whisky Advocate's Top 20 Whiskies list and picking up several double gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition along the way.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet caramel and vanilla meet toasted oak and brown sugar, with a hint of dark chocolate and baking spice underneath.

Palate

Rich and spicy, with brown sugar, cinnamon, and dried fruit carried by oak and a touch of black pepper that bites just enough without taking over.

Finish

Long and warm, with caramel, oak, and a last flicker of citrus that lingers as the alcohol fades.

Specifications

Name: Old Ezra 7 Year Barrel Strength
Distillery: Lux Row Distillers
Bottler: Ezra Brooks
Region/Country: Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 7 years
ABV: 58.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New, charred American oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Mash bill: 78% corn, 12% malted barley, 10% rye

Distillery: Lux Row Distillers
Bottler: Ezra Brooks

Flavour profile

Spicy · Caramel · Oak · Full-bodied · Barrel strength

Did you know?

There has never been a real person named Ezra Brooks. The name was invented in 1957 by businessman Frank Silverman as a rival to Jack Daniel's, at a time when a name on the label signalled heritage and authenticity, whether or not the story behind it was true.

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Jack Daniel’s Blackberry Tennessee 70 cl 35%

Jack Daniel’s Blackberry is a fruity and smooth whiskey liqueur based on the classic Tennessee Whiskey, enhanced with natural blackberry flavour. At 35% ABV, it delivers a style that blends the warmth of whiskey with a sweet, juicy berry profile.

The taste is soft and rounded, with clear notes of ripe blackberries, vanilla and a hint of oak from the whiskey base. It is less intense than traditional Jack Daniel’s, making it ideal for those who prefer a more accessible and fruit‑forward experience. The finish is mild, sweet and gently warmed by the underlying whiskey character.

It works beautifully served over ice, in simple cocktails or as a sweet element in long drinks. A great bottle for summer drinks, dessert cocktails or for anyone exploring whiskey liqueurs with a fruity twist.

Distillery: Jack Daniel’s Blackberry
Age: NA
Type: Tennessee whiskey liqueur
Alcohol: 35%
70 cl
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Seven years in a single barrel — Ezra Brooks' rye whiskey at its most concentrated.

Expert description

Ezra Brooks 7 Year Mac Y Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey comes from a single, hand-selected barrel and has matured for 7 years, bottled at 57%. Ezra Brooks was founded in 1957 by Frank Silverman and was originally distilled at the Hoffman Distilling Company by two of Kentucky's most respected distilling families, first the Ripy family and later the Medley family. The brand changed hands several times over the years, most recently to Luxco in 2006, and since 2018 Ezra Brooks has been distilled at the family's own distillery, Lux Row Distillers, in Bardstown, Kentucky — known as the capital of bourbon.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is intense with spiced rye, pepper and caramel.

Palate

The palate is powerful and spicy with rye, caramel and pronounced oak spice.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spicy.

Specifications

Name: Ezra Brooks 7 år Mac Y Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Lux Row Distillers
Region/Country: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 57%
Size: 70 CL
Age: 7 years

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Rye · Warm

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Penelope composes its bourbons the way an architect draws a house — layer upon layer of cask types.

Expert description

Penelope Architect Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a batting of several different cask types, composed to create balance between sweetness, spice and wood, bottled at 52%. Penelope Bourbon was founded in 2018 by Mike Paladini and childhood friend Danny Polisse to celebrate the birth of Paladini's daughter, Penelope. The whiskey is distilled at MGP's historic distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, founded in 1847, as well as at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky, and is then composed as battings of several cask types.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is full with caramel, vanilla and a hint of spice.

Palate

The palate is round with brown sugar, toasted oak and a hint of fruit.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and lightly peppery.

Specifications

Name: Penelope Architect Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottler: Penelope Bourbon
Region/Country: Indiana/Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 52%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Caramel · Spiced · Warm · Full-bodied

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Penelope undiluted — raw power straight from the barrel.

Expert description

Penelope Barrel Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey is bottled directly at barrel strength with no added water, giving a more concentrated and powerful version of the house battings, bottled at 57%. Penelope Bourbon was founded in 2018 by Mike Paladini and childhood friend Danny Polisse to celebrate the birth of Paladini's daughter, Penelope. The whiskey is distilled at MGP's historic distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, founded in 1847, as well as at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky, and is then composed as battings of several cask types.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is intense with caramel, toasted wood and dark fruit.

Palate

The palate is powerful with brown sugar, spice and a hint of pepper.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spiced.

Specifications

Name: Penelope Barrel Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottler: Penelope Bourbon
Region/Country: Indiana/Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 57%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Intense · Warm

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Four grains meet in this softer, wheat-forward edition from Penelope.

Expert description

Penelope Wheated Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a mash bill with four grains, including wheat in place of the more traditional rye, giving it a softer, rounder character, bottled at 47.5%. Penelope Bourbon was founded in 2018 by Mike Paladini and childhood friend Danny Polisse to celebrate the birth of Paladini's daughter, Penelope. The whiskey is distilled at MGP's historic distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, founded in 1847, as well as at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky, and is then composed as battings of several cask types.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is soft with honey, bread and a hint of fruit.

Palate

The palate offers brown sugar, wheat bread and a soft sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, soft and lightly nutty.

Specifications

Name: Penelope Wheated Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottler: Penelope Bourbon
Region/Country: Indiana/Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 47.5%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Soft · Wheat-forward · Sweet · Round

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An extra trip through toasted oak gives this Penelope edition its signature sweetness.

Expert description

Penelope Toasted Straight Bourbon Whiskey is finished in toasted (not charred) oak casks, giving it an added sweetness and a softer caramel character, bottled at 50%. Penelope Bourbon was founded in 2018 by Mike Paladini and childhood friend Danny Polisse to celebrate the birth of Paladini's daughter, Penelope. The whiskey is distilled at MGP's historic distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, founded in 1847, as well as at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky, and is then composed as battings of several cask types.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is sweet with caramel, toasted wood and vanilla.

Palate

The palate offers brown sugar, honey and a hint of spice.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, soft and sweet.

Specifications

Name: Penelope Toasted Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottler: Penelope Bourbon
Region/Country: Indiana/Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Sweet · Caramel · Soft · Vanilla-forward

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Some whiskies are born in a mountain pass in Scotland, where time is the only ingredient that matters. Stateless was born somewhere else entirely — in a laboratory, chasing the restlessness of the travelling circus and the sweetness of an overripe banana.

Expert's Description

Stateless Banana Flavored Whiskey is an American Whiskey with a natural banana flavor, created through molecular flavor technology and bottled at 40%. Behind the bottle is the Hong Kong-based company Milestone Beverages, which has taken a radically different approach to whiskey production. Instead of years spent in a cask, the company's scientists analyze the molecules found in classic American whiskeys and then recreate them in the lab, fine-tuning flavor, aroma and texture down to the smallest detail. The base is a traditionally made whiskey, which only afterwards gets its banana character added through the molecular process.

The name Stateless is borrowed from the old travelling circus, where the troupe never had a fixed home but moved from town to town, building their own world wherever they pitched the tent. That same restlessness runs through the brand, which presents itself as unbound by the usual rules of origin and ageing. The producer also claims the molecular method uses less water, grain and storage time than classic whiskey production — a claim that is part of how the brand tells its own story, though it hasn't been independently verified. Banana Flavored Whiskey is one of several expressions in the range, which also includes a classic Kentucky Blended Bourbon and apple and peach variants, and the bottle has found its way onto shelves across Asia and Europe since launch.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is sweet and full from the first sniff, heavy with overripe banana alongside scorched brown sugar and a hint of vanilla. Underneath sits a lightly toasted oak note, a reminder that there's still a whiskey in here somewhere.

Palate

On the palate, a soft, vanilla-spiced sweetness arrives first, quickly followed by caramelized banana and a touch of maple syrup. The whiskey's own spice and a trace of toasted wood keep it from tipping into cloying territory.

Finish

The finish is medium-length and creamy, with baked banana the last thing to linger, spiced by a warm, dry whiskey close.

Specifications

Name: Stateless Banana Flavored Whiskey
Distillery: Stateless
Region/Country: USA
Type: American Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Sweet · Vanilla-Forward · Creamy

Did You Know?

Molecular whiskey isn't a Stateless invention. The technique was first developed by the California foodtech company Endless West back in 2018 for its own product, Glyph, long before Milestone Beverages applied the same approach to the Stateless range.

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A rye whiskey that draws its character from rum casks and worldwide blending.

Expert description

Barrell Craft Spirits Seagrass American Rye Whiskey is a blend of selected rye whiskeys, partly finished in rum casks, bottled at cask strength, 59.6%. Barrell Craft Spirits was founded in 2013 by Joe Beatrice, who, unlike most American whiskey brands, didn't start by building his own distillery. Instead, he and his team sought out extraordinary casks from more than 65 different producers around the world, which are then brought back to Kentucky for careful maturation and blending. The approach is inspired by Scotland's long tradition of independent bottlers and has changed the perception of what 'blending' can mean in American whiskey.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is complex with spiced rye, tropical fruit and a sweet rum tone.

Palate

The palate is powerful and layered with rye, caramel and a hint of rum sweetness.

Finish

The finish is long, spiced and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Barrell Craft Spirits Seagrass American Rye Whiskey
Bottler: Barrell Craft Spirits
Region/Country: Kentucky, USA
Type: American Rye Whiskey
ABV: 59.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Strength, partly finished in rum casks

Flavour profile

Spiced · Complex · Sweet · Rye

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Several whiskey styles woven together in one powerful, high-strength blend.

Expert description

Barrell Craft Spirits Dovetail American Whiskey is a complex blend of several American whiskey styles from different sources, bottled at cask strength, 62.7%. Barrell Craft Spirits was founded in 2013 by Joe Beatrice, who, unlike most American whiskey brands, didn't start by building his own distillery. Instead, he and his team sought out extraordinary casks from more than 65 different producers around the world, which are then brought back to Kentucky for careful maturation and blending. The approach is inspired by Scotland's long tradition of independent bottlers and has changed the perception of what 'blending' can mean in American whiskey.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is intense with caramel, dried fruit, spice and a hint of oak.

Palate

The palate is powerful and layered with caramel, honey and pronounced spice.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and complex.

Specifications

Name: Barrell Craft Spirits Dovetail American Whiskey
Bottler: Barrell Craft Spirits
Region/Country: Kentucky, USA
Type: American Whiskey
ABV: 62.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Strength

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Complex · Oak

Investment potential

Dovetail releases are limited batches that often vary in composition, which can make them sought after by Barrell Craft Spirits collectors.

See our full range of Barrell Craft Spirits

Batch 036 — another chapter in Barrell Craft Spirits' ongoing story of blending the best from multiple distilleries.

Expert description

Barrell Craft Spirits Bourbon Whiskey 7.5 Year Batch 036 is a blend of selected bourbons aged 7.5 years, bottled at cask strength, 57.2%. Barrell Craft Spirits was founded in 2013 by Joe Beatrice, who, unlike most American whiskey brands, didn't start by building his own distillery. Instead, he and his team sought out extraordinary casks from more than 65 different producers around the world, which are then brought back to Kentucky for careful maturation and blending. The approach is inspired by Scotland's long tradition of independent bottlers and has changed the perception of what 'blending' can mean in American whiskey.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is full with caramel, dried fruit and spiced oak.

Palate

The palate is powerful with caramel, honey and pronounced oak spice.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spicy.

Specifications

Name: Barrell Craft Spirits Bourbon Whiskey 7,5 år Batch 036
Bottler: Barrell Craft Spirits
Region/Country: Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 57.2%
Size: 70 CL
Age: 7.5 years, Cask Strength

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Full-bodied · Oak

Investment potential

Barrell Craft Spirits' numbered batches vary in composition, making each batch a unique experience often sought after by collectors.

See our full range of Barrell Craft Spirits

An independent bottler puts the spotlight on Westland's raw power in this multi-vintage edition.

Expert description

The Whisky Trail Westland Distillery Multi Vintage American Single Malt Whiskey is an independent bottling combining whisky from several distillation vintages from Westland Distillery into one powerful edition, bottled at 56.5%. Westland Distillery was founded in 2010 by Matt Hofmann and Emerson Lamb in Seattle's SoDo neighbourhood with the ambition of creating an American single malt that could stand alongside the world's best whiskies. The distillery was acquired by Rémy Cointreau in 2017 and uses exclusively malted barley fermented with a Belgian Saison yeast, after which the whiskey is matured in a mix of new American oak, ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is intense with caramel, toasted wood and dark fruit.

Palate

The palate is powerful with brown sugar, spice and a hint of nut.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spiced.

Specifications

Name: The Whisky Trail Westland Distillery Multi Vintage American Single Malt Whiskey
Distillery: Westland Distillery
Region/Country: Seattle, Washington, USA
Type: American Single Malt Whiskey
ABV: 56.5%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Multi Vintage

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Intense · Nutty

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Each year Limestone Branch assembles a unique batting for Yellowstone's limited edition.

Expert description

Yellowstone Limited Edition 2018 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is that year's release of the distillery's annual limited release, composed as a batting of several cask types and ages, bottled at 50.5%. Yellowstone Bourbon was introduced in 1872 by the J. B. Dant Distillery and named after the American national park established that same year. After decades outside the family's hands, the brand was acquired by Luxco in 1993 and transferred to Limestone Branch Distillery in 2015 — a distillery founded in 2010 by brothers Stephen and Paul Beam, who as seventh-generation members of the Beam and Dant families can trace their distilling heritage back to their great-great-uncle Jacob Beam, who distilled bourbon as early as 1794.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is full with caramel, dried fruit and a hint of spice.

Palate

The palate offers brown sugar, toasted wood and dark fruit.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spiced.

Specifications

Name: Yellowstone Limited Edition 2018 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Limestone Branch Distillery
Region/Country: Lebanon, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50.5%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Limited Edition 2018

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Full-bodied · Fruity

Investment potential

Medium

Did you know?

As an annual limited release with a unique batting each year, the 2018 edition differs from earlier and later vintages and draws collector interest among bourbon enthusiasts.

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Ezra Brooks' classic profile gets a sweet, fruity lift from the port cask.

Expert description

Ezra Brooks Port Cask Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the brand's core expression finished in port casks, bottled at 49.5%. Ezra Brooks was founded in 1957 by Frank Silverman and was originally distilled at the Hoffman Distilling Company by two of Kentucky's most respected distilling families, first the Ripy family and later the Medley family. The brand changed hands several times over the years, most recently to Luxco in 2006, and since 2018 Ezra Brooks has been distilled at the family's own distillery, Lux Row Distillers, in Bardstown, Kentucky — known as the capital of bourbon.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers red berries, caramel and a hint of port sweetness.

Palate

The palate is fruity and full with berries, caramel and spiced oak.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, sweet and lightly wine-toned.

Specifications

Name: Ezra Brooks Port Cask Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Lux Row Distillers
Region/Country: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 49.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in port casks

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sweet · Full-bodied · Wine-toned

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A spiced rye from Texas's first commercial whiskey distillery.

Expert description

Yellow Rose Texas Rye Whiskey is the distillery's rye-forward expression, bottled at 45%. Yellow Rose Distilling was founded in 2010 by neighbours and friends Troy Smith and Ryan Baird together with Randy Whitaker, none of whom had prior experience in the spirits industry. In 2014 the distillery opened the first legal whiskey distillery and tasting room within Houston's city limits, making Yellow Rose the city's first commercial whiskey distillery.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is spiced with pepper, grain and a hint of fruit.

Palate

The palate offers rye, spice and light sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, dry and peppery.

Specifications

Name: Yellow Rose Texas Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Yellow Rose
Region/Country: Houston, Texas, USA
Type: Rye Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Spiced · Peppery · Grainy · Dry

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Apple wood smoke gives this rye whiskey an unusual, fruity complexity.

Expert description

Widow Jane Apple Wood Rye 2023 Blended Straight Rye Whiskey is a blend of rye whiskeys, proofed with the Widow Jane Mine's mineral water, bottled at 46.5%. Widow Jane was created by aerospace engineer Daniel Preston in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where the distillery is now housed in a former chocolate factory. The whiskey's name and signature water come from the Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale, New York, a historic limestone mine whose cement was used to build both the Brooklyn Bridge and the base of the Statue of Liberty. The mine was named after Jane, wife of the tough mine owner A.J. Snyder, who was beloved by the local community for her kindness. Rosendale limestone contains a higher mineral content than that typically found in Kentucky, and the distillery uses this naturally filtered spring water to proof down each batch.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers spiced rye, apple and a hint of smoky wood.

Palate

The palate is spicy and full with rye, caramel and a light smoky nuance.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, spiced and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Widow Jane Apple Wood Rye 2023 Blended Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Widow Jane Distillery
Region/Country: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Type: Blended Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 46.5%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: 2023

Flavour profile

Spicy · Rye · Smoky · Full-bodied

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Undiluted strength and two extra years in the barrel give this edition more bite.

Expert description

Rossville Union 7 Year Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey has matured for 7 years and is bottled directly at cask strength, 58.5%. Rossville Union is named after the Rossville Distillery, founded in 1847 by George Ross in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, during rye's golden age. Ross built his distillery atop a water reservoir, providing limestone-filtered water that prevented sulphur and iron compounds from harming the whiskey's flavour. After Prohibition, the distillery was bought by Canadian company Seagram in 1933, and after several changes of ownership, MGP took over the site in 2011. Rossville Union Rye, launched in 2018, was MGP's first rye product under its own name, after decades of supplying rye whiskey to other brands.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is intense with spiced rye, caramel and dried fruit.

Palate

The palate is powerful with rye, honey and pronounced spice.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spicy.

Specifications

Name: Rossville Union 7 år Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Ross & Squibb Distillery
Region/Country: Lawrenceburg, Indiana, USA
Type: Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 58.5%
Size: 70 CL
Age: 7 years, Cask Strength

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Rye · Warm

Limestone-filtered water and over 170 years of rye heritage from Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Expert description

Rossville Union 5 Year Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey has matured for 5 years, the brand's core expression, bottled at 47%. Rossville Union is named after the Rossville Distillery, founded in 1847 by George Ross in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, during rye's golden age. Ross built his distillery atop a water reservoir, providing limestone-filtered water that prevented sulphur and iron compounds from harming the whiskey's flavour. After Prohibition, the distillery was bought by Canadian company Seagram in 1933, and after several changes of ownership, MGP took over the site in 2011. Rossville Union Rye, launched in 2018, was MGP's first rye product under its own name, after decades of supplying rye whiskey to other brands.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers spiced rye, caramel and a hint of citrus.

Palate

The palate is spicy and full with rye, honey and a hint of fruit.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, spiced and lightly peppery.

Specifications

Name: Rossville Union 5 år Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Ross & Squibb Distillery
Region/Country: Lawrenceburg, Indiana, USA
Type: Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 47%
Size: 70 CL
Age: 5 years

Flavour profile

Spicy · Rye · Full-bodied · Pepper

Caribbean rum meets Kentucky bourbon in this entry from Yellowstone's Special Finishes Collection.

Expert description

Yellowstone Rum Cask Finish 100 Proof Special Finishes Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is finished in casks that previously held rum, bottled at 50%. Yellowstone Bourbon was introduced in 1872 by the J. B. Dant Distillery and named after the American national park established that same year. After decades outside the family's hands, the brand was acquired by Luxco in 1993 and transferred to Limestone Branch Distillery in 2015 — a distillery founded in 2010 by brothers Stephen and Paul Beam, who as seventh-generation members of the Beam and Dant families can trace their distilling heritage back to their great-great-uncle Jacob Beam, who distilled bourbon as early as 1794.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is sweet with molasses, tropical fruit and a hint of spice.

Palate

The palate offers brown sugar, rum and a light tropical sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, warm and sweet.

Specifications

Name: Yellowstone Rum Cask Finish 100 Proof Special Finishes Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Limestone Branch Distillery
Region/Country: Lebanon, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Special Finishes Collection – Rum Cask Finish

Flavour profile

Sweet · Tropical · Spiced · Molasses-driven

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One single barrel, undiluted strength — Driftless Glen's rawest, most direct expression.

Expert description

Driftless Glen Single Barrel Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey comes from a single, hand-selected barrel and is bottled without vatting or dilution, at cask strength 58 %. Driftless Glen Distillery was founded in 2012 in Baraboo, Wisconsin, by Brian and Reneé Bemis, who scoured the country for a place with the right grain and water for bourbon and rye — and found it in the Driftless Area, a part of Wisconsin the glaciers of the last ice age bypassed. The distillery is housed in a restored 1800s building on the Baraboo River, near Circus World, and produces its whiskey grain-to-glass from local grain and water.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is intense with rye, caramel and spiced oak.

Palate

The palate is powerful and concentrated with rye, sweetness and pronounced oak spice.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spicy.

Specifications

Name: Driftless Glen Single Barrel Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Driftless Glen Distillery
Region/Country: Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 58 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask Strength

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Concentrated · Oak

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One single barrel, undiluted strength — Driftless Glen's rawest, most direct expression.

Expert description

Driftless Glen Single Barrel Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey comes from a single, hand-selected barrel and is bottled without vatting or dilution, at cask strength 60,5 %. Driftless Glen Distillery was founded in 2012 in Baraboo, Wisconsin, by Brian and Reneé Bemis, who scoured the country for a place with the right grain and water for bourbon and rye — and found it in the Driftless Area, a part of Wisconsin the glaciers of the last ice age bypassed. The distillery is housed in a restored 1800s building on the Baraboo River, near Circus World, and produces its whiskey grain-to-glass from local grain and water.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is intense with rye, caramel and spiced oak.

Palate

The palate is powerful and concentrated with rye, sweetness and pronounced oak spice.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spicy.

Specifications

Name: Driftless Glen Single Barrel Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Driftless Glen Distillery
Region/Country: Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 60,5 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask Strength

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Concentrated · Oak

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