Luke is a Level I Certified Whiskey Specialist with a passion for exploring and unearthing the best whiskeys around. Luke has a preference for Rye whiskeys but has tasted over 250 different whiskeys to date varying from bourbons to scotches. He continues to expand upon his whiskey knowledge by tasting dozens of bottles monthly and reviewing them here on Barrel and Brew as he pursues his Masters of Whiskey certification.
I was wandering the liquor store on the morning of Cinco De Mayo looking for some tequila and beer. I already had the Pacifico’s picked out, and just needed some tequila for margaritas. I was looking for tequila reposado that was reasonably priced, or even cheap. That’s when I came across Don Ramon Tequila Reposado….
Every now and then I like to do a flavored whiskey or vodka review. It’s not something I like to drink neat or on the rocks, but they often make good cocktails, or at least creative ones. I recently reviewed Ole Smoky’s flavored moonshine and thoroughly enjoyed a lot of them. Well, when I saw…
Alright, so today we are trying some budget Canadian whisky. Windsor Canadian Whisky is less than $15 for a full 1.75L handle, and we’re going to find out if it’s any good or not. I don’t expect it to be, but maybe it’s better than Kentucky Deluxe. We’re going to briefly touch upon some history…
I’m disappointed it’s taken me this long to write a review on Four Roses Small Batch Select. They’re a unique whiskey brand that is extremely open and forthcoming about exactly how their whiskey is made and what it’s made of. We’ll touch on more of that in a second. In this Four Roses Small Batch…
I’m not a huge fan of buying Total Wine Spirits Direct whiskey, especially when the store and employees push it in your face so much. I understand why they do it, I understand that they have some pretty good options, I just don’t like it, and I don’t fully trust it. But, I decided to…
Our guide today is going to be a battle between two powerhouses of the bourbon and whiskey world – Elijah Craig vs Buffalo Trace. We’re going to find out which is better…. Well, at least by my opinion. Elijah Craig and Buffalo Trace both have a long history, and this battle will see one of…
Ole Smoky Distillery, located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, makes a lot of different flavored whiskeys, a straight bourbon, and canned cocktails. But, we’re not here to talk about that. We’re here to talk about Ole Smoky Moonshine…. and the 30 flavors they offer. Now, I’m not going to drink and review all of them, but I…
I’ve done a couple Irish whiskey comparison posts in the past, but I’ve never discussed the Irish whiskey founded by ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor. Proper Twelve will face off against Jameson in this comparison guide. We’ll see if some new blood can go toe to toe with one of the oldest and most celebrated Irish…
I must admit, one reason for this review is definitely the name – Hornitos. It’s also a vastly popular tequila under the Beam-Suntory umbrella, so it’s widely available and reasonably priced. I’ve never been a huge tequila drinker, outside of shots and margaritas, but it’s certainly something I’ve been drinking more and more of –…
Skatterbrain is essentially a Total Wine Spirits Direct version of Skrewball, the popular peanut butter whiskey. If you browse the internet a little bit, you’ll find 30 different articles of fun cocktails to make using Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey. However, Skatterbrain has 5 different flavored whiskey selections and a cream liqueur. This article is going…
I was browsing Total Wine looking for affordable cask strength and/or single barrel selections. I stumbled upon Heaven’s Door, which I recently reviewed, and Laird’s Apple Brandy Single Cask Selection. It was very reasonably priced, and I haven’t written much about brandy, other than Cognac’s such as D’usse and Hennessy. The standard expression of Laird’s…
Heaven’s Door is a whiskey that I’ve seen pop up more and more over the last couple years, but I suppose I’ve always overlooked it because I’ve yet to have it. One reason for it’s popularity is the co-creator of Heaven’s Door – Bob Dylan. For those of you that don’t know, Bob Dylan is…