🥃 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.
🪵 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. 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.
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. 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.