π₯ Rickhouse Rants: Is 1792 Single Barrel Just Pretty Packaging β 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 Bartonβs bid to rival Woodford β with sarcasm, caramel notes, and a touch of plum.
Cooperβs Craft Bourbon β The Workhorse We Donβt Talk About Enough
Cooperβs Craft 100 Proof is Brown-Formanβs overlooked workhorse. A bourbon thatβs light but oaky, sweet with cinnamon spice, and always ready with a Kentucky hug.
βWeller Antique 107 Review: The Vintage Bourbon You Have to Play, Not Just Displayβ
Weller Antique 107 is the Rubber Soul of bourbonβcoveted, 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 β Whiskey JYPSI The Tribute
I didnβt want to like Whiskey JYPSI The Tributeβbut 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.
πͺ΅ Redwood Empire Lost Monarch β Bourbon & Rye in a Redwood Forest
This ainβt your grandmaβs Kentucky bourbon tale. Redwood Empire Lost Monarch is a rye-forward blend from Californiaβs redwood country β bright, spicy, a little minty, and balanced by sweet toffee and brown sugar. Affordable, young, and dangerously sippable, itβs proof you donβt need dusty shelves to find a forest of flavor.
The Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 5 β Elijah Craig Small Batch: Age is Just a Number (Unless Youβre a Bourbon)
This oneβs for the bourbon that doesnβt need a legend to be legendary. Elijah Craig Small Batch may have lost its 12-year age statement, but it hasnβt lost its soul. A spice-sweet balance, a proper Kentucky hug, and a price thatβll make you wonder why youβre paying $60 for lesser bottles. The myth of Elijah Craig might be fictionβbut the greatness in this glass is real.
The Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 3 β Knob Creek 9 Year: The Blue-Collar Brawler of Bourbon
Knob Creek 9 Year isnβt here to win any fashion contests β itβs 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 thatβs more grit than glamour. It may not be Bakerβs 7, but itβs the blue-collar brawler of the Beam family β and it deserves more respect than it gets.
βThe Rickhouse Rant, Vol. 1 β Rabbit Hole Heigold: Graham Crackers & Desert Spiceβ
Bβs first official rant hits the ground running with Rabbit Hole Heigoldβa charming, high-rye bourbon that tastes like graham cracker crust met a spice storm from Arrakis. Itβs warm, layered, and a little too easy to like. Just like B, but with more nuance.