The IWSC awarded Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond a remarkable 98-point Gold Outstanding rating, making it the highest-scoring straight bourbon at the 2026 Kentucky judging. We were skeptical, so we put it to the ultimate test: a blind tasting against Evan Williams Bottled in Bond and Fighting Cock. Did the award winner live up to the hype, or did another $20 bourbon steal the show? Read on to find out.

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.

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.

Two seven-year Bottled-in-Bond bourbons. Same proof. Same distillery. Very different personalities. Old Fitzgerald 7 faces off against Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond in a wheated vs rye showdown you can actually taste.

This week on Tortured Bourbon, we plug in the electric guitar and crank up the chaos as we dive into New Riff—tasting their Bottled-in-Bond (100 proof) and Single Barrel (117.3 proof) bourbons. Both are high-rye Kentucky classics with serious spice, bold oak, and enough caramel to keep us coming back. We break down mash bills, nosing notes, palate surprises, and run them through our Tortured Bourbon scale. If you love bourbon with attitude—and a little guitar showboating—this one’s for you. Cheers y’all, and stay tortured! 🥃