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.

We tasted four bourbons ranging from roughly $25 to $200 without seeing the bottles. Could we identify the expensive whiskey—or would price prove absolutely useless?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Is sweet mash bourbon just marketing hype — or does it actually change the flavor? We review Hard Truth Sweet Mash Bourbon, break down sweet mash vs sour mash, and decide whether this under-$50 grain-to-glass bourbon hunts… or heads to clearance.

Green River Bourbon is back — and we’re putting both the Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Wheated Bourbon through a full Tortured Bourbon tasting and ranking. At $35, is this historic Kentucky bourbon the best value on the shelf?