Remus Repeal Reserve Series IX

I’d like to thank Ross & Squibb and their entire PR team for providing this with no strings attached.

Seventy-second Congress of the United States of America;
At the Second Session,

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, the fifth
day of December, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-three

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JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

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Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is hereby proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by conventions in three-fourths of the several States:

"Article —

"SECTION 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

"SECTION 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

"SECTION 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress."

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And so, just shy of 92 years ago, the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution—and National Prohibition—was repealed. All in all, it’s a short piece of law. The introduction is longer than the amendment itself. What it lacked in size, it made up for in consequence. First and foremost, it allowed the Federal Government to get out of the way of a citizen's ability to have a drink. There were, of course, other consequences. The one most pertinent to tonight's post is that it also allowed the murderous scofflaws and bootleggers of the Prohibition era to fade into the sort of romanticized characters that only the distance of time can allow—people such as George Remus: pharmacist, bootlegger, lawyer, and murderer. 

Remus was a pharmacist turned Chicago criminal defense lawyer. In Daniel Okrent's book Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, Remus is described as having an inside look at the workings of Prohibition and the immense profits to be made outside the law. His plan was far more sophisticated than a smash-and-grab. He ended up buying both distillery stocks and brands (including names like Fleischmann's and Jack Daniel's), as well as a pharmacy where he could sell those stocks as medicinal products.

He would legally withdraw bourbon from bonded warehouses, but on the way to his pharmacy, the trucks would sometimes be “hijacked.” Of course, they were hijacked by his own men. Why would he divert the booze into an illegal market when he could profit from both the sale of liquor to his pharmacy and to the public? Well, that's pretty easy when you think of why he got into it in the first place. The profits are higher on the black market since there are no taxes to be paid on it.

On May 17, 1922, The New York Times reported that Remus was charged with conspiring to violate Prohibition laws. He and 13 others were sentenced to the Atlanta penitentiary for terms ranging from a year and a day to two years, depending on the defendant. Okrent notes that Remus’s cell was posh—decorated with flowers, where he was even waited on by servants. During his time behind bars, his wife took up with another man, and together they burned through the fortune he had accumulated. (Some stories claim this man was the agent who put Remus behind bars; others say he was an undercover agent in the prison who learned of Remus’s wealth and took advantage of the situation.)

In either case, newspaper reports state that his wife’s affair drove him temporarily insane—long enough that he had his chauffeur chase down the car she was riding in so he could shoot her in front of her daughter from a previous marriage. Even in the earliest trial reports, though, there’s an undercurrent suggesting what truly enraged him was the loss of his money. For this crime, he was committed to an insane asylum for a very short time (about three weeks) before he “proved” he was sane and was released.

After that, he lived in Cincinnati for the rest of his life and, as far as I can tell, stayed on the right side of the law. Today, he gets mentioned in discussions of Prohibition but is otherwise mostly forgotten—aside from having a bourbon brand named after him. He may not be the sort of person who deserves celebration. Although maybe he’s not the type of person who should have been celebrated.

The bourbon, though, is well worth celebrating—especially the yearly Remus Repeal Reserve. So let’s talk about this year’s release, shall we? Series IX is bottled at 104 proof, the highest yet for one of these editions. As always, it’s a blend of mashbills and ages: 7% 18-year-old MGP 21% rye bourbon, 26% 11-year-old MGP 36% rye bourbon, 23% 10-year-old MGP 36% rye bourbon, and 44% 10-year-old MGP 21% rye bourbon. 

So let’s see how it tastes.

Remus Repeal Reserve Series IX

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $99.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.67

Details: A blend of 18-year-old MGP 21% rye bourbon (7%), 11-year-old MGP 36% rye bourbon (26%), 10-year-old MGP 36% rye bourbon (23%), and 10-year-old MGP 21% rye bourbon (44%). 52% ABV.

Nose: Oak, stone fruit, cotton candy, vanilla, almond, and a hint of baking spice underneath.

Mouth: Spicy and sweet with a good bit of oak. Notes of vanilla, caramel, baking spice, almond, stone fruit, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth with notes of oak, baking spice, and a touch of almond.

Thoughts: Another delicious release in a long line of delicious Remus Repeal Reserve releases. I'm really digging the rich and thick mouthfeel. There is a lot of oak throughout, but not so much that it is overwhelming. The baking spice and vanilla give it a" classic bourbon" flavor profile that the stone fruit elevates. All in all, I will be buying this if and when I see it, so I think it is safe to say I like it. 

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Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, 2025

I’d like to thank Four Roses and their PR team for sending this sample with no strings attached.

It’s that time of year again when we look forward to bourbon that most of us will never taste. It’s the annual Autumn Release Season, when Kentucky distilleries put out products designed to get people talking about their brand. Though many of us have salivated at the thought of trying these releases, everyone involved knows they’re primarily marketing tools. You hear glowing reviews from folks like me, can’t find a bottle, and maybe you’ll pick up one of the brand’s standard offerings instead.

Honestly, I’m sure that’s still the rationale. But more and more, I’m hearing people scoff at the price rather than salivate over the opportunity. For example, I bought my first two bottles of the 2009 edition of Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch in 2011 for $80 each. They sat on shelves that long. In fact, the first bottle I picked up was at a bourbon tasting hosted by a local distributor trying to clear out the inventory so they could make room for that year’s release.

In the years since—and noting that $80 was the retail price in my area, which tends to be higher than MSRP due to local taxes—the price of the release has jumped an eye-popping 311%. If it had only kept pace with inflation, that $80 would be $117.35 today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator. At $249 per bottle, I can see why people are scoffing. In fact, I got this comment on last year’s review that sums up what I’ve been hearing perfectly (edited slightly for clarity):

I last purchased Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition in 2014 for $75.00. It became harder to find, and once the price exceeded 125? I tapped out. I would enter the yearly Mellow Moments Club raffles mostly for fun, and if I happened to get picked? Good excuse for a quick trip to KY LOL!! These days, the prices are so out of whack (Four Roses certainly wasn’t losing money in ‘14 @75 bucks !!), I refuse to be gouged, and that’s what these prices are. This is no longer a cool release geared toward enthusiasts, but instead a pure profit and marketing gimmick aimed at flippers. I, too, am a Four Roses fanboy, but these days I’ll stick to the standard shelf releases (all excellent IMO) while the hoards swarm to Single Barrel Barrel Proof (an absurd $100 these days when Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is $75-$80) and the Limited Edition. I lament no longer seeking Single Barrel Barrel Proof as 10.5 years old is my personal sweet spot, and several recipes are all time favorites. I sincerely hope that at some point, many of these sit on shelves and rot as consumers wake up, and perhaps producers will restore sanity to at least the Single Barrel Barrel Proof pricing. Even with inflation, the Single Barrel Barrel Proof price should not exceed the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof price level in the current inflationary market. The gouging is simply unacceptable to this long-time Four Roses consumer.

In an era of distillery closings, bankruptcies, and industry layoffs, continuing to price your core customers out of the market doesn’t seem like the best strategy. And I know that if the folks actually making the whiskey had their say, they’d want everyone who wanted a bottle to get one. That’s one reason why this year’s release includes over 16,500 bottles for the U.S. market alone. In fact, Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott addressed this during the media call Q&A. Here’s a transcription of his answer—with bracketed text showing my best guess of some garbled audio:

I don't really ever hear criticism, but maybe [there’s] a negative outlook for the future of the category. I try to stay positive. I mean, we're still, as a brand, we're growing out of [a category that’s] facing a lot of challenges. And whether those are, you know, is it cyclical? Is it economic? Is it [a] post-COVID wake-up call because that sort of artificially inflated everything? Is it all that? Is it a little bit of all these things? I don't know. But obviously, it's a more challenging environment than it was even three years ago. So I just tell everyone, don't worry. You know, we're not going anywhere. We're still going to be [here]. We're actually probably more energized and offering more unique expressions than ever before. So, you know, speaking from Four Rose's perspective, nothing but positivity, you know, no worries here.

At a time when more consumers are turning to non-alcoholic options or increasingly legal cannabis products, raising the price from $220 last year to $249 this year feels like quite a choice. But it is what it is. And though I can’t swing $250 a bottle, I know some of you can—so I’ll stop here and get to the review. Because at the end of the day, this is delicious bourbon, and I’m lucky my wife and I each got a taste. I know that’s a privilege many folks don’t have.

Before we jump into the tasting notes, let’s look at the details from the media call. This year’s release was built around two batches of 13-year-old bourbon, both using the V yeast (one OESV, one OBSV). Master Distiller Brent Elliott wanted to capture a bit of the “classic Four Roses flavor profile.” Famously, the flagship Four Roses Single Barrel uses that V yeast (and if you want to know more about that whole Four Roses yeast bit, check out last year’s review where I focused on that exclusively). The V strain typically brings notes of apricot, pear, and sweet barrel characteristics like vanilla. Building on that, the final blend also includes a 19-year-old OESV for added oak influence and a 13-year-old OBSK to bring in spice and depth. Here’s the final blend:

• OBSV 13 year old = 38%

• OBSK 13 year old= 17%

• OESV 13 year old= 35%

• OESV 19 year old= 10%

And now, after all of that, let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, 2025

Purchase Info: This 100 mL sample was provided at no cost by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $249 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $16.60

Details: 54.5% ABV. A blend of 38% 13-year-old OBSV, 17% 13-year-old OBSK, 35% 13-year-old OESV, and 10% 19-year-old OESV.

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, stone fruit, JuicyFruit gum, herbal mint, and oak.

Mouth: Follows the nose with notes of stone fruit, herbal mint, JuicyFruit gum, cinnamon, caramel, allspice, and oak.

Finish: Medium in warmth and length. Notes of clove, allspice, cinnamon, and oak.

Thoughts: I’ve already covered my feelings about the price. And I’ve mentioned how tasty this is. But let’s dig a little deeper. When I think of Four Roses, I think of stone fruit and JuicyFruit gum—the flavor it had back in the '80s and '90s when I was a kid chewing it (not really sure if that has changed in the intervening years). This was built around those flavors, and it shows. Last year, I said the bourbon was good, but I wouldn’t have identified it as Four Roses by taste alone. This year? No question. It’s Four Roses through and through. It’s a really good bourbon. But if, like me, you can’t—or won’t—pay the premium, go grab a bottle of Single Barrel or Small Batch. They’ve never let me down.

And as a final word on price, Four Roses are not the only ones that are following what seems (to this consumer) to be a strange pricing strategy for the time we are living in, they all are. I fear that the industry I love will increasingly price the people who built it out of the market and that there won’t be a following group of consumers to pick up the slack so that we still get yummy bourbons into our old age. So I feel like I should mention that Four Roses is actually putting out some special releases that are more affordable. Their 100 proof Single Barrel Collection (Red Labels) is MSRP of $50 each, if you can find it and your retailer is able to sell it for that. I bought two in July while traveling in Chicago so I know they’re out there.

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Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Bourbon Whiskey, 2nd Edition

So, about a month ago we talked about Heaven Hill’s second edition of their Grain to Glass Rye. I was extremely happy to taste that product. So much so that I was already checking to see if it was in stock anywhere while I was doing the tasting. A very unusual occurrence for me, especially with a bottle that retails for what that one did.

Well, not only did Total Wine have the Rye, but they also had the Bourbon (though not the Wheated Bourbon). And my wife enjoyed the Rye enough—shocking in itself, as she isn’t the biggest rye fan—that she felt obligated to grab the bourbon as well. The thought being that if the Rye was good enough to buy, that the Bourbon should be even better.

But before we see if she was correct, let’s see what the producer has to say about it.

Heaven Hill Grain to Glass represents our long-standing commitment to craft, transparency and quality. Each year, we select a specific corn seed varietal, which we proudly display on the label alongside the unique mashbill. The corn seed varietal chosen for the second edition was Beck’s 6225. Distilled in 2018, the second edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass went into the barrel at 107 proof and aged for six years in rickhouses W5 and W6 on the third, fourth, and fifth floors. It was bottled without chill filtration at barrel proof, 105 proof.

Alright, let’s dig in, shall we?

Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Bourbon Whiskey, 2nd Edition

Purchase Info: $114.99 for a 700 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.21

Details: Mash bill: 35% rye, 52% corn, 13% malt. Corn varietal: Beck's 6225. Barrelled at 107 proof. Bottled at 52.5% ABV. Distilled in 2018. Six years old.

Nose: Floral vanilla, cinnamon, caramel corn, and oak.

Mouth: Caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, red fruit, oak, and just a touch of mint.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes follow the mouth with sweetness, cinnamon, and oak.

Thoughts: This is just a delicious bourbon. It’s sweet and spicy, with enough oak influence to positively affect the flavor without overpowering it. I'd describe it as lively—it almost dances on your tongue. As I said about the Rye, this is expensive. But if you can swing it, it’s another worthwhile splurge. I really like it. Though if I had to choose one, I like the Rye better. There is more of a difference between the Grain to Glass Rye and other Rye Whiskeys than there is between the Grain to Glass Bourbon and other Heaven Hill Bourbons.

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Revisited: Rebel Bourbon Single Barrel, 10-Years-Old

I’d like to thank Lux Row Distillery and their PR team for providing this sample with no strings attached.

Hey folks! It’s bonus post time!

This one would have warranted its own main post, but this is one of those times that my aging memory got the best of me. See, I just revisited this just over a year ago. And I really don’t have much to say beyond what I said then. However, they were nice enough to send it over when I asked so I figured I should at least give it the proper tasting treatment. So here are 2025’s tasting notes for Rebel 10-year-old Single Barrel.

Rebel Bourbon Single Barrel, 10-Years-Old

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer at no cost. The suggested retail price is $99.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.67

Nose: Oak, cinnamon candies, caramel, vanilla, menthol/mint, and just a hint of cherry under it all.

Mouth: Nice spice, but not too hot. Notes of Cinnamon, mint, oak, and cherry.

Finish: Warm and medium length. Notes of cinnamon, caramel, and oak.

Thoughts: This is one of the more reliable bottles that I've picked up over the years. And yes, I do pick it up whenever I see it on the shelf. Just finished a bottle from our May trip to Kentucky. It is always delicious, and this sample is no exception. Thick and rich in the mouth with nice spice but not so much heat that you need to add water or ice. A finish that hangs around long enough to think about without fading to unpleasantness. A year later, and I still really like this.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Woodinville Whiskey Co. 9-year-old Bourbon

I’d like to thank Woodinville Whiskey Co. and their PR team for providing this bottle with no strings attached.

I’m watching a four-and-a-half-month-old puppy this week, so I’ll be heavily cribbing from the press release while trying to keep both eyes on him and still type something at least mostly coherent. Luckily, the producer was nice enough to send over a separate press release that provides a detailed explanation of exactly what went into the barrel this bourbon was aged in, so I’ll be reproducing that in its entirety below. Because while I have a healthy disdain for marketing in all its forms from having worked in various agencies and corporate marketing departments over the years, I thought this was a pretty informative read. Just keep in mind that while producers don’t typically lie, the story they tell is usually crafted to flatter themselves. And as knowing that is just part of being media-savvy, I’m sure you already knew that. But I thought I’d mention it just in case. Anyway, here it is.

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24 Month Open-Air Seasoned, Heavy Toast Light Char
Could it be the best bourbon barrel ever?

Over a decade ago Woodinville founders Brett Carlile and Orlin Sorensen set out to establish, once and for all, what kind of barrel would make the best bourbon in the world.

This would not be a quick or typical process. Methods? Everything on the table. Industry norms? Goodbye. Budget? None. Woodinville was still a young distillery then but Brett and Orlin saw this quest as an investment. Since it’s generally accepted that over 70% of the flavor and character of a bourbon comes from its barrel, it seemed to them they’d need the best barrel in the world if they wanted to make the best bourbon in the world.

Woodinville’s partners at Independent Stave Company, the foremost barrel cooper in America, were game. Let’s run a test, they suggested, and see what happens. ISC presented eight different barrel types:

• #1 Char Standard Kiln-Dried

• #2 Char Standard Kiln-Dried

• #3 Char Standard Kiln-Dried

• #4 Char Standard Kiln-Dried

• #3 Char 18-Month Open-Air Seasoned

• #5 Char 18-Month Open-Air Seasoned

• Heavy Toast/Light Char 24-Month Open-Air Seasoned

• Thin-Stave Barrel

Whiskey industry standard is a kiln-dried barrel at #3 or #4 char. Chars #1 and #2 are rarely used in bourbon, and because of the extra time it takes, “open-air seasoning” costs way more than a kiln-dried barrel. Extra time is on-brand for Woodinville, a distillery that refused to sell its flagship bourbon until it was a minimum of five years old, so this open-air method seemed promising. It involves exposing the staves (the wood planks used to build a barrel) to rain, sun, wind, everything the elements can throw at them. This process promotes a deterioration of the wood polymers, creating smaller molecules that can be more efficiently transformed during charring and toasting. (Non-scientific translation: It basically gives you more of the “good stuff”.)

After ISC’s coopers turn those seasoned staves into a barrel, the careful art of toasting and charring begins. Toasting is the process of setting the barrel cylinder over a fire for 30 to 45 minutes without the fire ever actually touching the wood, During toasting, the inside of the barrel is heated, which caramelizes the natural sugars and creates a “red layer” in the wood. When you take a sip of whiskey and detect notes of vanilla, caramel, and toffee, what you’re tasting is the result of the toasting process.

Charring, on the other, is done by lighting the inside of the barrel on fire for 20 to 60 seconds. This creates a layer of char on the surface of the wood, which acts as a filter for the young whiskey, as well as adding color and notes of dried fruit, oak, and spice.

Brett and Orlin filled the eight test barrels with new-make whiskey and waited. And waited. And waited. Four-and-a-half-years later, the whiskies were ready for analysis by gas chromatograph at ISC. The heavily toasted, lightly charred barrel made from 24-month open-air seasoned staves was found to have significantly higher amounts of whiskey’s favorite core compounds: furfural (sweetness, almond, baked bread), vanillin (vanilla, creaminess), and phenols, namely guaiacol (smoky, spicy) and 4-methyl guaiaco/ (sweet, candy, clove, leather). But they couldn’t declare their mission complete just yet.

Brett and Orlin noted the whiskey from this barrel had a slight “graininess,” attributed to its light char. (Think of the carbon filter in your fridge’s water dispenser.) They decided if the barrel could be aged a little longer, that grain character would soften and transform into desirable flavor compounds. A little longer meant four more years. For all those who aren’t tracking the math, that’s two years of stave aging, four and a half years of initial aging, and five additional years in the barrel. 2 + 4½ + 5 = 11½ years of work, patience, and hope represented in this liquid, one of the most balanced, complex, refined bourbons you will ever taste.

An 8 Year version of this bourbon with its unique mashbill of 55% corn, 35% rye, and 10% malted barley mashbill was released last year. Brett and Orlin call this limited release Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years. The bourbon will be available at www.woodinvillewhiskeyco.com/collections/all-products. And watch for a 10 Year statement of it in 2026, offering whiskey collectors a unique opportunity to acquire all three editions.

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Ok, so now that the producers and marketers have had their say (and thank goodness they sent that along, the puppy has been getting into absolutely everything while I was putting this together), let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Woodinville Whiskey Co. 9-year-old Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer at no cost. The suggested retail price is $129.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.67

Nose: Caramel, nougat, mint, and an earthy oak note.

Mouth: Follows the nose with notes of caramel, chocolate, nougat, nutmeg, allspice, and earthy oak.

Finish: On the longer side of medium and warm. Notes of caramel, nougat, nutmeg, allspice, and oak.

Thoughts: This is an interesting one. It’s very allspice- and nutmeg-forward, which threw me for a second. My cooking is never that heavily spiced with either of those, so it caught me off guard. But just because the flavor profile took me a moment to adjust to doesn’t mean it isn’t good. In fact, once I got past my preconceived notions of how I expected it to taste, I really liked it. This one’s going on the fancy shelf as a “change of pace” bourbon. I won’t want it all the time, but on a cold December evening? It’ll be perfect.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Hail M Cocktail Infusions: Old Fashioned Single-Use Classic

I’m a big comic book nerd from way back. I first fell in love with superheroes watching Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno play the Incredible Hulk on TV. That love grew with the Spider-Man strip in my grandpa’s Sunday paper, and by the time I saw Christopher Reeve fly across Metropolis as Superman, I was hooked.

I loved the idea of a truly good person with amazing powers who just wanted to help. Superman rescuing a cat from a tree in that first movie might be campy, but it showed that helping people was his goal—a goal instilled by his loving, if adoptive, parents. My father once threatened, in front of guests, to “cut off that little pecker” of mine because he was worried I might be gay. (Gotta show that he’s a big tough man in spite of the rather bookish and effeminate oldest son somehow, I guess.) As someone from a broken home with that kind of parent, seeing loving adoptive parents on the big screen meant a lot. Living up to those kinds of values became something I wanted for myself. And Spider-Man? “With great power there must also come great responsibility.” Yeah, that was right up my alley too.

Unfortunately, the Superman movies after the first one never quite measured up, and the less said about later attempts, the better. Even the one in theaters now is only a shadow of that 1978 original. Don’t get me wrong—I saw the new one last night, and it was a pretty good movie, visually stunning, lots of action—but it assumed we all still remembered Superman as a fundamentally good person without actually showing it. Given how cynical the last round of DC movies—and the world in general—have been, I’m not sure anyone actually does.

So yeah, I went to the movies to see a superhero flick last night. I plan to see another one, Fantastic Four, tonight. And the best part of my closest theater? They’ve got beer and bourbon behind one of the concession counters. I usually grab a beer, but I might go for bourbon tonight. I like a cocktail during a movie. Now, don’t get me wrong—I don’t trust them to actually make one—but I think it would be easy enough to bring along the (supposed) subject of tonight’s article and make my own.

Yes, I’m aware that the intro is longer than the review. I’m a nerd. I get passionate about superheroes.

I first learned about Hail M Cocktail Infusions from a social media ad shown to my wife (I’m about 99% tuned out from social media these days). As someone who travels a lot, I was intrigued. Tossing a tea bag filled with cocktail ingredients into a glass of bourbon sounded too good to be true. If it lived up to the promise, I could see using it on an airplane or in a hotel room. Heck, my last vacation was in an RV, and the next one will be as well. And I don’t know about you, but those covers on Angostura Bitters bottles always seem to leak all over my stuff, so I never bring them along.

So I bought a bag of five from their website, HailMCocktails.com, for $22.99 plus shipping. It’s more than I usually spend per cocktail, but this isn’t meant for “everyday use.” It’s for people stuck in a hotel room (or RV) who didn’t bring all the fixings. The Hail M kits are made with dehydrated fruit and, at least in the case of the Old Fashioned, a bitters-soaked sugar cube. It’s all packed into a tea bag, and you just toss it into your bourbon for five to ten minutes.

We’ve covered a lot of premade cocktails and cocktail kits in the past, and most of them were lackluster at best. So I hear you asking: “Does it work?” And the answer, surprisingly, is: yes. The longer you let it steep, the better it tastes. I tend to go with the ten-minute mark before starting to sip, and then I leave the bag in the glass to pull even more flavor as I finish. I wouldn’t bother buying this for in-home use, but for on the go? A “just-add-bourbon” solution that actually tastes good is a welcome addition to my luggage. I like this one. And I have one left—I do believe it will come along with me to the movies tonight so I can have that cocktail during Fantastic Four.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Coppercraft 9 Year Old Straight Bourbon

I’d like to thanks CraftCo and their PR team for sending me this sample with no strings attached.

When I first published a review of Coppercraft Bourbon back in May of ’24, most of the comments I received told me that if I ever got the chance to grab one of their 9-year-old single barrels, I should do it. Well, I never did see one of those, but I recently was offered a sample of their new 9-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon, which I happily accepted.

Coppercraft Distillery is a craft distillery in Holland, Michigan, a small city on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was founded in 2012 and is slated to reopen in August of 2025. It produces gin, vodka, applejack, rum, canned cocktails, a partially sourced rye, and sourced bourbons. Coppercraft is part of the CraftCo portfolio, which also includes Fox & Oden (reviewed here back in October of last year). CraftCo, in turn, is owned by the DeVos-backed Windquest Group based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. According to an email from their PR team, this bourbon is “Distilled in Indiana,” much like its portfolio mates. The company doesn’t provide much more information than that. However, I don’t know about you, but for me, “Distilled in Indiana” on an unknown bourbon is a plus. If it’s coming from MGP, it will probably fall somewhere between pretty darn good and great.

So what makes this different than any other bourbon sourced from Indiana? To find out, I asked their PR team about the “brandy-inspired” slow proofing of the barrels. They explained that it takes a few weeks to bring the whiskey down to proof, and they do this in the barrel by adding what is known in the cognac world as “petites eaux.” Not knowing what that was (I’m not the Cognac Guy, after all), I did some digging online and found what I believe to be a great definition.

“For an added layer of intrigue, there is something unique that can be used in place of or in combination with water called petites eaux. Petites eaux (“little water” in French) is water that has been placed to “age” in an empty, used Cognac barrel. The water will slowly pull any remaining alcohol out of the barrel staves. According to Nicholas Faith’s book ‘Cognac: The Story of the World’s Greatest Brandy,’ this water solution can get up to around 20% ABV after several months, which shows how much alcohol can potentially still be left inside the barrel staves. Petites eaux is used as a slower method of lowing the proof and, in a way, adding different aromas or flavors.” — CognacReverie.com, accessed July 23, 2025

So basically, it’s adding water to a barrel that previously held bourbon and using it to pull out more whiskey trapped in the wood. Essentially, they’re proofing it down with something akin to an extremely low-proof bourbon. Jim Beam uses a similar process for Devil’s Cut, which, in my opinion, is an improvement over standard Jim Beam White (or at least it was the last time I had either, which was a few years ago).

So, let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Coppercraft 9 Year Old Straight Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me by the producer, at no charge, for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $37.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.53

Details: 45.3% ABV. 9 years old. Distilled in Indiana (from PR email, not on bottle).

Nose: Nutty, vanilla, almond, green apple, baking spice, and a hint of wintergreen.

Mouth: Mint, green apple, caramel, cinnamon, and almond.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of wintergreen, vanilla, green apple, and almond.

Thoughts: Total mint bomb—but not in a bad way. If you’re sensitive to mint notes, skip it. However, if you don’t mind mint, this is quite tasty. You might notice that there is one thing I didn’t call out above that I thought I’d notice in there. And that is oak. At nine years old, I expected more of it, but nine years—while a decent length of time to age—isn’t twelve or fifteen, where oak tends to dominate. Overall, I like it. I especially appreciate seeing an age-stated bourbon for under $40.

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Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Rye Whiskey, 2nd Edition

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample with no strings attached.

Five point four inches of rain fell into my rain gauge last night. In twelve hours! That’s right, I’m the kind of old guy who now has a rain gauge. It’s handy for knowing whether I need to water the new tree in my front yard, but honestly, it’s also just satisfying to see how much that so-called “heavy” rain actually amounted to. You know, typical old guy stuff. Though I think this is still within the limits of acceptable behavior for an almost 50-year-old, but if my yard starts looking like a scientific outpost before I hit 68, someone step in, okay?

Anyway, as I wait for the waters to subside in my backyard, we might as well talk about whiskey. And tonight’s whiskey is a doozy. I’m just going to come right out and say that I was debating the rating of this one right up until I started typing.

See, tonight’s whiskey is the Second Edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, a limited release for 2025. This rye is made from a mashbill of 63% rye, 24% corn, and 13% malted barley. And they’re quick to point out that this is a higher rye content than Heaven Hill’s traditional rye whiskey. The corn used was Beck’s Hybrids 6225, sourced from Peterson Farms in Nelson County, Kentucky. The whiskey was distilled in 2018, entered the barrel at 107 proof, and was aged for over six years at Heaven Hill’s Cox’s Creek rickhouse. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at barrel proof, 105.2 proof (52.6% ABV).

Here is what the company has to say about the release:

“With this second edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye, we’re proud to showcase not only the art of rye whiskey making but the full story behind every drop—from seed to barrel to bottle,” said Conor O’Driscoll, Master Distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery. “The unique mashbill and higher rye content bring a bold complexity, while the transparency we provide—from the corn varietal to the barrel entry proof—gives whiskey lovers an authentic connection to the process. This is a rye whiskey that speaks to our team’s dedication to precision and passion for innovation.”

Let’s dig in, shall we?

Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Rye Whiskey, 2nd Edition

Purchase Info: This sample was sent at no charge by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $99.99 for a 700 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $7.14

Details: Mash bill: 63% rye, 20% corn, 13% malt. Corn varietal: Beck's 6225. Barrelled at 107 proof. Bottled at 52.6% ABV. Distilled in 2018. Six years old.

Nose: Oak, almond, black tea, and orange zest.

Mouth: Oak, cinnamon, black tea, orange zest

Finish: Warm and on the lounger side of medium length. Notes of black tea, orange zest, a hint of peppermint, oak, and vanilla.

Thoughts: Halfway through the tasting, I checked to see if any of the local liquor store websites had this listed as "In Stock." There is one, and I’ll be picking it up if it remains there. (Notice I’m not saying where that is…)

This is a very, very good rye whiskey. It has enough sweetness to accent all the lovely flavors, but not so much that it overpowers them. I’m really digging the notes of black tea and orange zest. As far as I’m concerned, this is my favorite rye that I’ve had in a very long time. I don’t love the price, but if you can swing it, this is a worthwhile splurge. It is very interesting in the best way possible.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.