The Bottom Shelfers

We had high hopes for Benchmark Top Floor, but... We both went with 1.5 and were maybe a bit generous. The Yellowstone is pretty good! One caveat though... Rick got it for $30 which makes it a good buy. For Todd at $37, not such a bargain.

Neither of us had heard of these two before... The Kentucky Vintage, well... sadly, it's going under the sink. The Remus wasn't too bad at all, but not a big favorite. We took one for the team on this one!

Heading to a lower shelf set of bourbons this time... Old Bardstown 90 Proof vs. Benchmark Bonded. While the Benchmark #8 did not impress, some of the other expressions - like this one - are pretty good!

Got a pair of 90-proofers this time around. LOTS of similarities between these two... The biggest difference is the rye spice in Bowmans. We both called these "classic mid-tier" bourbons. Both have a great mouth feel with the edge going to Eagle Rare. We recommend the Bowmans neat and the Eagle with a big cube. Two winners here!

The Bottom Shelfers have a theory... Using a smoker (from Smokeshow) it is possible to turn mediocre - or even bad - whiskey into something quite palatable. Rick has been a fan for quite some time. FINALLY, Todd gives it a try!

An Independence Day special!!! Woodson, a 6-month "accelerated-aged" Kentucky Bourbon was... eh..., but the 13th Colony was quite a pleasant surprise. Not exactly true bottom shelf picks, but the GA product is a winner in any case.

The Tin Cup cup hexagonal bottle with the literal tin cup lid is very cool. That said, it's a 1. It's going under the sink. Not offensive by any means, but unremarkable. The Breckenridge was a good bit better, but only earned a 2 rating.

Rick & Todd are warning you away from these two. Although if you find Breckenridge for $25 or so, that would be a decent buy.

Oh.... Here's a link to Todd's choice for a large ice cube tray!

Sticking with the Small Batch designation and welcoming the first guest on The Bottom Shelfers. Welcome to Mark!

While our guest couldn't get hold of the 1792, he kept Rick & I in line. All three of us were clear fans of the Knobb!

The Devil's Cut from Jim Beam was OK. Maybe a little gimmicky marketing... The Old Forester 100 though! One of us just might put this one on the "my everyday bourbon list." Pricey in NJ at $34, but a great deal in GA at $23.