🥃 Rickhouse Rants: Is 1792 Single Barrel Just Pretty Packaging — or Premium Pour?
1792 Single Barrel might dress like Gatsby, but does it drink like greatness? In this rant, B dives into the packaging, positioning, and pour behind Barton’s bid to rival Woodford — with sarcasm, caramel notes, and a touch of plum.
Walking in Memphis: Blue Note Juke Joint Bourbon Review – Born on Beale or Just a Col. Parker Promotion?
Blue Note Juke Joint leans heavy on Memphis blues marketing — guitars, juke joints, and a promise of aging in the sweltering Mississippi Delta. But peel back the label and what you’ve got is Kentucky juice, probably from Green River in Owensboro, with a Memphis blues jacket. In this Rickhouse Rant, I put the story to the test with a full review: nose, palate, and finish.
Cooper’s Craft Bourbon – The Workhorse We Don’t Talk About Enough
Cooper’s Craft 100 Proof is Brown-Forman’s overlooked workhorse. A bourbon that’s light but oaky, sweet with cinnamon spice, and always ready with a Kentucky hug.
“Weller Antique 107 Review: The Vintage Bourbon You Have to Play, Not Just Display”
Weller Antique 107 is the Rubber Soul of bourbon—coveted, collectible, and too good to leave sealed. Once a bottom-shelf dusty, this wheated gem now commands crazy secondary prices, but its true value comes when the cork is popped. At 107 proof, it delivers warmth, caramel, cherry, and oak that deserve to be poured, not displayed.
JYPSIs, Tramps and Thieves – Whiskey JYPSI The Tribute
I didn’t want to like Whiskey JYPSI The Tribute—but I do. Sweet, smooth, and downright Southern, this bourbon brings caramel, cornbread, and a fine finish that puts it right in competition with everyday classics like Buffalo Trace.
“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.