The Bottom Shelfers

These two need to be on everybody's shelf! Buffalo Trace at $30-ish is a solid, all-around choice. You can't go wrong with it. As for the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked... There's a reason it's known as "Dessert in a glass." Wow! Stick with it neat, though. While it does hold up well to ice, it's just plain better solo!

Two choices with really interesting back stories this time... Horse Soldier, named for the Green Berets who fought in Afghanistan after 9/11, and Redwood Empire that sources distillate from four different states. Two solid sippers here, with the west coast offering winning by a nose!

A pair of light, easy-sippers this time. We both rated both at 3.0 and recommend against using them in cocktails. For sure, neat is the best option, although the Yellowstone Toasted on a big rock is a solid choice.

We both got pretty excited about this episode! The High West was a nice surprise, and we gave it a solid "2" rating. The big winner, however, was the Early Times Bottled In Bond. We both agreed on a "3" rating and that, for certain, it earns the "Great bourbon at a reasonable price" designation. A Bottom Shelfer Winner! Any good 750 ml bottle for $25 is a deal, and this ET was a full 1 liter!

A word of caution... Brown-Forman was the original Early Times producer, but sold the brand to Sazerac in 2020. There are three different versions of the Early Times Bottled In Bond. The original Brown Foreman produced stuff is no available at retail. We got the "transition era" stuff, distilled by Brown Foreman, than aged and finished by Sazerac. That's the round bottle blue cap version. Going forward, Sazerac kept the blue cap but swapped in a square bottle. So bottom line, The Bottom Shelfers give a gold star to the round bottle blue cap. In our quest to serve humanity, we're going to need to do an episode with the square bottle blue cap stuff.

Watch this space!

Two winners this time. The Dickel 8 Year is quite simply a solid sipper. It's not going to blow you away, but it's solid stuff at a great price point. Heaven Hill BOB earned a permanent spot in Todd's Office Bar. It might even make it up to the main stash periodically!

Wow! The Bottom Shelfers strayed pretty far from the bottom shelf this time. We tasted Todd's (former) favorite bourbon, Weller Antique 107, as well as his new favorite, Bluegrass Toasted Oak. Rick & Mark did not declare any favoritism, but both agreed with the 4.0 rating for the Weller and 4.5 for the Bluegrass.

Also, we need to give Shane, our Bluegrass tour guide, another shout-out. By far the best tour on our recent foray to Louisville!

The Bottom Shelfers hit the road to Louisville! Thomas, Mark, Matt & Josh joined Rick & Todd for in-depth research in the heart of bourbon country. More on the trip coming in the next few episodes.

Shrotly after arrival, we headed out to Angel's Envy following a quick stop in the hotel's watering hole. The Bottled In Bond was the consensus favorite. Dinner at Doc Cro's was amazing. Get the mac & cheese!

Back at the ranch that evening, we opened up some Monk's Road and Daviess County Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Ummmm..... Not great choices - earning a consensus 1 & 2 rating respectively.

Bourbon bus tomorrow morning!

This time we tried something we never tried before, a wheat whiskey! The 51% wheat really came through. A very low-key, easy-sipping experience. I say, "Drink it neat!" Also... Do NOT forget to grab a bottle of the BlueNote Crossroads. Great stuff!

A step up for the boys this time. Penelope Wheated & 1792 Bottled In Bond. Both are winners! Stock up for your Holdiay guests! The 1792 BIB struck us both as an especially good choice.

Woodinville is a great everyday bourbon choice. Solid sipper both neat on a rock. The Benchmark Full Proof might be better used as a stain remover or paint thinner. WAY to hot! ...even on ice.