We reviewed Weller 12 and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked without using the most overused bourbon buzzwords on earth. No “smooth.” No “complex.” No fake whiskey poetry. Just honest bourbon talk, bourbon humor, and a hilarious look at modern bourbon review culture.

Blood Oath Pact No. 12 might be one of the best examples of modern bourbon culture: luxury packaging, annual releases, bourbon hype, and collectible whiskey all wrapped into one dramatic bottle. But is the bourbon itself actually worth it? In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, B and Heather dive into Blood Oath, Lux Row Distillers, bourbon marketing, and the premium bourbon boom.

Blanton’s Bourbon helped create the modern single barrel bourbon craze — but does it still deserve the hype in 2026? In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, Heather and B break down the history of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon, explore why it became one of the most collectible allocated bourbons in America, and put it through a blind tasting against easier-to-find competitors. From Buffalo Trace history to bourbon secondary prices, this episode asks the big question: is Blanton’s still worth chasing, or are bourbon drinkers paying for the horse topper and hype?

The 2015 Parker’s Heritage Malt Whiskey may be one of Heaven Hill’s most overlooked experimental releases. Long before American Single Malt became trendy, this 8-year-old 108 proof whiskey blended malted barley and corn into something bourbon drinkers didn’t fully understand — but whiskey nerds absolutely should revisit today.

Hirsch Single Barrel Double Oak bourbon review featuring a 117.6 proof store pick from Sam’s Whiskey Room. We break down this double oaked bourbon, unique 15% malted barley mash bill, tasting notes, barrel proof bourbon character, and whether this single barrel whiskey is worth buying.

Angel’s Envy Bottled in Bond Cask Strength flips expectations. Instead of the traditional 100 proof, this release delivers a bold, high proof bourbon experience while still carrying the Bottled-in-Bond name. In this review, we break down what makes it unique, full tasting notes, and whether this innovative bourbon is actually worth your money.

Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Rye is one of the most sought-after Bottled in Bond whiskeys from Buffalo Trace—but is it worth the hype? We break down tasting notes, mash bill, price, and whether this allocated rye whiskey is actually worth chasing

A 20-year-old Tennessee whiskey at cask strength sounds incredible—until you realize most barrels don’t survive that long without becoming over-oaked. We break down Ass Pocket Whiskey and find out if this rare release is legendary… or just a gamble that went too far.

We put New Riff Bottled in Bond—recently named best bourbon overall—up against Eagle Rare, Old Fitz, and Heaven Hill in a blind tasting. The results may surprise you.

A potential $15B Sazerac acquisition of Brown-Forman could reshape the bourbon industry. We break down the real financial math behind Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, and Old Forester—and what leveraged debt could mean for bourbon pricing, availability, and the future of American whiskey.

Two bourbons. Same distillery. Same Bottled in Bond label. Completely different expectations. We put Kirkland Bottled in Bond and 1792 Bottled in Bond head-to-head in a blind tasting to find out if price really matters.

Could Sazerac acquire Brown-Forman? We break down the bourbon industry rumors — then put Stagg Jr and Old Forester Barrel Strength head-to-head in a blind bourbon tasting.

We put Russell’s Reserve 10 Year up against Henry McKenna 10 Bottled in Bond in a true blind bourbon tasting — and the results might surprise you.

Penelope Havana Bourbon blends traditional bourbon with Caribbean rum cask finishing—but does it actually work? In this Tortured Bourbon review, we break down whether this unique finished bourbon is innovation or just hype.

In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, we break down bourbon hype using Weller Special Reserve, Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond 7 Year, and Very Old Barton 86 Proof. Three bottles, three different reasons for hype — and none of them tell you exactly what’s inside.

Buzzard’s Roost Double Oak Bourbon is a sourced MGP bourbon finished in toasted barrels and bottled at 100 proof. In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, we break down the mash bill, finishing process, flavor profile, and whether this double oaked bourbon can compete with Woodford Double Oaked or Old Forester 1910.

The bourbon world has been debating one question ever since Brown-Forman sold Early Times to Sazerac: did the new Early Times Bottled in Bond change? In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, we compare the original Brown-Forman Early Times BiB to the newer Sazerac-produced version in a side-by-side bourbon tasting to see which one deserves a place on your shelf.

What happens when you blend Wild Turkey 101 and Benchmark bourbon together to create a custom 95-proof bourbon? In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, we attempt a ridiculous but fascinating bourbon experiment we’re calling Turkey Trace — a budget bourbon blend inspired by Buffalo Trace style flavor.

In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, B and Heather line up four barrel proof bourbons that you can actually find on the shelf. From Larceny Barrel Proof to Wild Turkey Rare Breed and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof, we dive into a full bourbon tasting to see which cask strength bourbon delivers the best flavor, balance, and value.

Blind bourbon review of Maker’s 101 vs Wild Turkey 101. A full 101 proof bourbon tasting comparison of wheated vs high-rye Kentucky bourbon.