“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.’
“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.
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. 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.