Hard Truth finished a six-year-old, cask-strength wheated bourbon in rare Japanese Mizunara oak. Heather calls it “Japanese wood.” B attempts to justify buying it. We find out whether either description matters once the bourbon reaches the glass.

Is Barrell Cigar Blend really bourbon made for cigars? B and Heather crack open this 111.2-proof blend of 7.5- to 18-year-old bourbons finished in Madeira, Armagnac, rum, and Hungarian oak casks. With serious age, wild finishes, and plenty of awards behind it, we find out whether Cigar Blend delivers in the glass—or if somebody just invented a great excuse to light a cigar.

What happens when your neighborhood bar decides the bourbon on the shelf isn’t enough and picks its own barrel? Bedford Food & Drink did exactly that with a 7-year-old wheated Wilderness Trail private barrel — and Tucker absolutely nailed it. Heather and B taste the Bedford selection, break down the whiskey, and explain why this neighborhood bourbon earned a rare Tortured Bourbon 10/10.

We went back to three bourbons from our earliest Tortured Bourbon reviews—Widow Jane Baby Jane, Uncle Nearest 1884, and Larceny Barrel Proof A124—and tasted them completely blind. Two years later, did our palates change, did the rankings move, and were we wrong the first time?

Blade & Bow 12-Year-Old Solera Reserve brings together serious age, 104 proof, Stitzel-Weller history, and a unique finishing process using vintage Cognac, Bordeaux, Moscatel, and Port vats. We dig into the legend behind Blade & Bow, explain what Solera actually means, and find out whether this $65 limited release is truly the key to great bourbon.

Three barrel-strength titans. One blind tasting. Stagg, the Four Roses 2025 Limited Edition, and The Reveries 16-Year go head-to-head in an epic showdown where reputation means nothing and only the whiskey in the glass matters. Which bourbon earns the title of Cock of the Walk, and which one leaves bourbon lovers questioning the hype? Welcome to High Test Bangers—only on Tortured Bourbon.

Is Hudson Baby Bourbon worth buying? In this honest Tortured Bourbon review, we explore the history of New York’s pioneering craft bourbon, its unique 100% New York corn mash bill, small-barrel aging, tasting notes, value, and whether this historic whiskey deserves a spot on your shelf—or if you’re better off passing on it. Buy or Bypass? We put it to the test.

Does aging bourbon at sea actually make a difference, or is Jefferson’s Ocean one of the greatest marketing stories in whiskey? We put Jefferson’s Ocean Voyage 34 head-to-head against Jefferson’s Reserve to find out. From the science behind ocean aging to the flavors in the glass, this honest comparison separates fact from hype to answer the question every bourbon fan wants to know: Is the voyage worth it?

Three toasted barrels. One ambitious idea. But does Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Toasted Triple Finish actually deliver a better bourbon, or is it another bottle riding the toasted whiskey trend? Join B and Heather as they break down the unique French, Hungarian, and Garryana oak finishing process, explore the mash bill, and find out if this innovative release earns a spot on your shelf—or our highest Tortured Bourbon ranking. We suffer through bourbon so you don’t have to.

Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with Yellowstone’s limited-edition Hand Picked Single Barrel Collection. We dive into the history, the whiskey, and whether this patriotic bourbon is worth the hype—or just another collector’s bottle.

Every bourbon fan has heard the phrase, “Every single barrel is different.” But how different can three bottles really be when they’re the same bourbon, the same proof, and come from the same distillery? In this episode of Tortured Bourbon, we put three Old Forester 100 Proof Single Barrel selections head-to-head to see if one barrel truly stands above the rest. From warehouse floors to flavor profiles, we’re finding out whether barrel location really matters—or if it’s all just bourbon folklore. 🥃

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.

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.

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.