“Concerts, Cornbread & Cheap Bourbon: Benchmark Top Floor Rant”
Not every day deserves a $50 bourbon. Benchmark Top Floor is my $20 ticket to keep the good times rolling — tailgates, Offspring concerts, or Tuesday night smash burgers. It’s simple, easy, and perfect for when your wallet says ‘slow down, champ.’
“The 80s Were Weird — Thank God for Knob Creek 12 Year”
Vodka ruled the neon-soaked 80s, but Booker Noe had other ideas. Knob Creek 12 Year is his bold middle finger to bland whiskey — a peanut, caramel, and char bomb that’s unapologetically big, oaky, and American. Forget smooth. This is bourbon done right.
🪵 Redwood Empire Lost Monarch – Bourbon & Rye in a Redwood Forest
This ain’t your grandma’s Kentucky bourbon tale. Redwood Empire Lost Monarch is a rye-forward blend from California’s redwood country — bright, spicy, a little minty, and balanced by sweet toffee and brown sugar. Affordable, young, and dangerously sippable, it’s proof you don’t need dusty shelves to find a forest of flavor.
“If It Ain’t Artisan, Kiss My Corn”: William Dalton BIB Bourbon & The Spirits of French Lick
In a world ruled by six bourbon giants, sometimes you need a pour that tastes like the dirt it grew from — sweet, earthy, and proud of it. Enter William Dalton Bottled in Bond from Spirits of French Lick: a farm-forward, artisan bourbon that’ll make you rethink everything you know about Indiana whiskey. If it ain’t artisan… well, you can kiss my corn.
The Rickhouse Rant Vol X: Bib & Tucker – “Sourced, Styled, and Perfectly Fine”
Bib & Tucker isn’t a distillery — it’s a lesson in sourcing, marketing, and why we sometimes care way too much. This beautifully bottled bourbon is soft, sweet, and downright friendly, perfect for a Wednesday wind-down. But it also opens up a bigger debate: do we buy bourbon for the taste, the story, or the illusion of craftsmanship? Pull up a chair, pour a glass, and let’s rant about what makes bourbon… bourbon.
B’s Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 9 – Baker’s 7: The Spoiled Society Sandwich Bourbon
Baker’s 7 is the bourbon hiding in plain sight. Age-stated, single barrel, 107 proof, and available for $50—no passwords, no lotteries, no nonsense. In a world obsessed with hype and scarcity, this Beam sleeper delivers rich flavor, a cozy Kentucky hug, and a peanut butter sandwich of a finish. Maybe it’s time we stop chasing unicorns and start appreciating the bottle right in front of us.
The Rickhouse Rant, Vol.8 – Mellow Corn: Cult Classic or Corn Catastrophe?
Mellow Corn: cult classic or corn catastrophe? In this Rickhouse Rant, B takes aim at the most bizarre bottled-in-bond whiskey on the shelf. From its highlighter-yellow label to its chalk-dusted, hay-bale flavor, this is one pour that sparks debate—and maybe a backyard fire. Spoiler: it’s not good.
The Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 7 – Old Forester 1920: Bourbon So Good It Should Be FSA Eligible
Old Forester 1920 might just be the best $60 you can spend in bourbon. It’s bold, rich, and unapologetically spicy—like the bourbon equivalent of a brown bear hug. But before we dive into tasting notes, let’s talk about the man who bottled trust, rebranded a doctor, and helped create one of the most enduring whiskey legacies in America. This rant has history, heat, and more cinnamon than your grandma’s spice rack.
B’s Rickhouse Rant Vol. 6-Traveller Whiskey & the Chris Stapleton Collab
Curious what happens when a powerhouse songwriter like Chris Stapleton lends his name to a whiskey—and why that familiar face might have you reaching for your standard Buffalo Trace instead? In our latest B’s Rickhouse Rant, we unpack Traveller Whiskey: a smooth, sweet‑forward 90‑proof blend that plays it safe—and maybe too safe—for its own good. We break down the flavors (or lack of), question the marketing, and challenge you to ask: is this collaboration a crowd‑pleasing homage… or just vanilla in disguise? Click through for the full take.
The Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 5 – Elijah Craig Small Batch: Age is Just a Number (Unless You’re a Bourbon)
This one’s for the bourbon that doesn’t need a legend to be legendary. Elijah Craig Small Batch may have lost its 12-year age statement, but it hasn’t lost its soul. A spice-sweet balance, a proper Kentucky hug, and a price that’ll make you wonder why you’re paying $60 for lesser bottles. The myth of Elijah Craig might be fiction—but the greatness in this glass is real.
Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 4 – Buffalo Trace: Soup, Cigars, and Cowboy Coats
What would a bourbon rant be without Buffalo Trace? This isn’t just a bourbon—it’s an entire lifestyle brand, bottled, labeled, and slapped on soup cans, cologne, and (checks notes)… Wrangler jackets? Urban cowboys unite. But behind all the scent-infused marketing and nostalgia-laced mystery lies a $26.99 bottle that actually delivers. Smooth, low-rye, sweet, and shockingly versatile for the price. It’s not wheated, it’s not rare, it’s not revolutionary—but damn if it isn’t reliable. Just don’t pay more than $35, and don’t call it a buffalo. They’re bison. So yeah—Bison Trace.
The Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 3 – Knob Creek 9 Year: The Blue-Collar Brawler of Bourbon
Knob Creek 9 Year isn’t here to win any fashion contests — it’s here to work. In a bourbon market drunk on limited releases and experimental finishes, this 100-proof, 9-year-aged bruiser from Jim Beam punches in daily and pours out classic Kentucky character. Toasted oak, roasted nuts, and a hint of dark cherry ride shotgun through a palate that’s more grit than glamour. It may not be Baker’s 7, but it’s the blue-collar brawler of the Beam family — and it deserves more respect than it gets.
The Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 2 – Oaklore Straight Rye: The Best Rye You’ve Never Heard Of
“Oaklore Straight Rye might be my favorite rye whiskey. Ever. Period. End of sentence. Roll credits.”
In Rickhouse Rant Vol. 2, B heads to North Carolina to uncover one of the best-kept secrets in American whiskey. Oaklore is a small-batch rye that hits like a heavyweight but hugs like a southern grandma — bold, complex, and smoother than it has any right to be at 92 proof and 6+ years old.
Miss this one, and you’re missing the rye that’s quietly redefining the category.
“The Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 1 – Rabbit Hole Heigold: Graham Crackers & Desert Spice”
B’s first official rant hits the ground running with Rabbit Hole Heigold—a charming, high-rye bourbon that tastes like graham cracker crust met a spice storm from Arrakis. It’s warm, layered, and a little too easy to like. Just like B, but with more nuance.