"the nose and delivery are just about as good as it gets." - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2019 Sazerac Rye dates back to the 1800’s and symbolizes the tradition and history of New Orleans saloons. It was at the Sazerac Coffee House on Royal Street where local patrons were served toddies made with Rye whiskey and Peychaud’s Bitters. The libation became know as the “Sazerac” and America’s first branded cocktail was born. This 6 year-old version of the famous Sazerac Rye is produced at the scenic Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort (probably using a 'barely legal' rye recipe), home of numerous other whiskies such as Eagle Rare 10 year-old, Eagle Rare 17 year-old, Blanton's, Rock Hill Farms and George T. Stagg. The beautifully designed bottle harks back to the pre Civil War days when barrels of whisky were poured into ornately engraved decanters supplied by the distiller, displaying the colour of the whiskey to good effect. In what seems to be a company tradition, the price is nowhere near the kind of money many other ryes command. Our re-tasting since last visiting this stalwart in 2008 found moderate aromas suggesting caraway and oak shavings then green apple, orange zest, wood spice and sweet nutty/vanilla notes. This is a soft, plush 'fruity' style without compromising depth of flavour - dried apricots, apply rye and white pepper come counterpointed by light vanilla oak. The keynote grain isn't aggressive like some others, while the balance is near perfect, and there's dark rye bread, more pepper and a subtle muddled mint refreshing the fade. In short - Sazerac is a broad appeal whiskey with enough mid-palate sweetness, complexity and kick to convert one-eyed Bourbon nuts - or even the odd malt enthusiast. Keep this as the 'proper' choice for a Manhattan or Sazerac Cocktail. 45% Alc./Vol.

"One soaring, beautiful eagle." - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible We first tasted Eagle Rare in 2006 when it was labelled 'Single Barrel'. As of 2019, that changed to a multi-barrel blend with a ten year old age statement. It remains a standout value - an American whiskey with the unusual credentials of maintaining a reputation for exceptional quality while being relatively easy to come by. The profile confirms a #1 Mashbill from Buffalo Trace, which is reported to be low rye (10% or less), yielding notes of caramel, new charred oak, liquorice bullets, cocoa and peppermint rock lollies plus cinnamon in support. The complexity grows with time. Re-tasted from a 20ml sample, it's lean on entry, but fills out beautifully into a medium-bodied, chewy whiskey with muted rye spices before vanilla and Bounty Bar flood the finish, the sugars checked by balancing oak and more creamy vanillas. Ever reliable and better than many Bourbons at twice its price, Eagle Rare remains hard to beat. 45% Alc./Vol.

The Four Roses distillery is located in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on the banks of the Salt River in Anderson County. The distillery has a unique Spanish Mission-style architecture rarely seen in Kentucky and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The company attributes their products quality to several factors: A unique Limestone water source, the spring-fed Salt River; a high quality grain source (Four Roses are the only distillery using the same grain source for 45 years, paying a premium for quality); Two Mash Bills in daily production - one mash bill contains significantly more rye than any other Bourbon, resulting in a spicy, full-bodied taste; and five proprietary yeast strains, each producing uniquely different flavours. Tasting note: Polished brass gold. Aromas of lamington cake and cherry ripe interchange with peppermint and drying oak as damp cedar wood enters. Lots of American oak input in the mouth: anise infused honey, cocoa and cherry ripe. A splash of minty-rye to finish. Rounds off finely tannic/peppery with hints of Turkish Delight and caramel fudge in the aftertaste. Youthful, but surprises with its complexity. Solid value if you're looking for a rye-heavy Bourbon. 45% Alc./Vol.

Balance and complexity are made approachable and affordable in this offering created from four styles of bourbon that we marry together in small batches. The result is a slightly fruitier and surprisingly sophisticated flavour profile, finishing - as always - with a smooth, vanilla-infused elegance that demands another round.

A big value, one litre direct import of the Kentucky Bourbon standard. The Four Roses distillery is located in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on the banks of the Salt River in Anderson County. The distillery has a unique Spanish Mission-style architecture rarely seen in Kentucky and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The company attributes their product's quality to several factors: A unique Limestone water source, the spring-fed Salt River; a high quality grain source (Four Roses are the only distillery using the same grain source for 45 years, paying a premium for quality); Two Mash Bills in daily production - one mash bill contains significantly more rye than any other Bourbon, resulting in a spicy, full-bodied taste; and five proprietary yeast strains, each producing uniquely different flavours.

Rich gold in colour, Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit displays rich aromas of fruit, smooth caramel and delectable hints of spice and pepper. Vanilla, toffee and oak swim on the palate with a dry, citrus finish. Best enjoyed neat or on the rocks.

Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is distinguished from Bourbon because it must contain at least 51% rye. Wild Turkey Rye is rich and balanced with a unique toffee and peppery taste that makes it less sweet that Bourbon, but with similar tones of caramel and vanilla, and a warm, smoky flavour.

The art of making fine bourbon first took place on the site of the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark, in 1812. The perfectly balanced taste of our Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is comprised of more than 200 detectable flavour notes, from bold grain and wood, to sweet aromatics, spice, and fruit & floral notes.

"...you can buy me a dozen of these roses any day of the week." - breakingbourbon.com Produced from a mashbill of 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley, the strain of yeast used for the Single Barrel bottlings is Four Roses' version “V” which is described as being "delicately fruity, spicy, and creamy." (The distillery is unique in that it uses five different strains to create ten different whiskies). Ages will vary in this series, (a seven year minimum is cited by one source). Regardless, the aim is to bottle when the whiskeys are deemed to have reached their peak, with each barrel yielding approximately 180 bottles. Each release is individually marked with a warehouse and barrel number which is not predictable and subject to change without notice. It's also part of the fun: No two barrels create identical tasting Bourbons, thus the single barrel concept provides the opportunity to appreciate and compare whiskies from different barrels and aging locations. [Barrel RN 8-4R tasted] Bright burnished copper penny colour. A robust Bourbon sniff with a dense core of vanilla custard and caramel fudge overlaid with peppermint, balsa wood, cocoa and hints of cherry. Concentrated yet controlled with razor sharp sweet/dry balance; a burst of vanillan oak, honey and spiced peach, offset by a tangy, vibrant finish. Glace cherry is followed by late mint freshness. Text-book poise and length. As complete a Bourbon as you could expect to find in its category, this really over delivers. 50% Alc./Vol.

Mattingly & Moore's Bourbon is sweet on the nose with hints of caramel, oak and nutmeg followed by a soft, comfortable body and a warm, medium finish. This is a bourbon that will be a great addition to any Bourbon based cocktail like a mint julep or Manhattan.