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Continue reading →: COCKTAIL SERIES: Passion Fruit Suffering BastardA tropical twist on the Suffering Bastard bourbon-gin cocktail: (1) Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice & shake until well chilled. (2) Pour in a glass over fresh ice & top with a splash of ginger beer (I used Fever Tree). Stir with the knife…
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Continue reading →: NEW BOTTLE HIGHLIGHT SERIES: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Heritage Barrel Toasted Tennessee WhiskeyThis is part of the ongoing “New Bottle Highlight Series.” See past posts in this series HERE. I’m broadening this series to include highlights of not only newly acquired bottles but also newly opened bottles, either for the first time or new replacement bottles (including initial tasting notes thoughts and…
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Continue reading →: SHORT REVIEW: Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel Bourbon (Barrel #2480)Produced by one of the “first families” of bourbon, the Russells, Kentucky Spirit, like all Wild Turkey whiskies, uses non-GMO grains, the family’s original yeast strain from over 60 years ago, No. 4 “Alligator Char” American White Oak barrels, and limestone-filtered Kentucky River water. It is bottled at 101 proof…
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Continue reading →: SHORT REVIEW: Código 1530 Blanco Tequila – The Evolution of My Tequila PalateThis blanco was one of the first traditionally-made tequilas that I tried and initially it was a bit rough – but my palate has evolved a lot over two years and now it’s one of my favorite blancos. Named after Los Códigos (traditional customs), Código 1530 uses Jerusalem Cross from…
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Continue reading →: Spirits Are About Community & Sharing: A Retrospective on Not Letting Bad People Change YouI stopped drinking all forms of alcohol mid-way through college and didn’t have a drop until just under two years ago. One of the best things for me about spirits are the communities built around them, most of whose members are good, generous folks who enjoy talking about spirits. I’m…
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Continue reading →: SHORT REVIEW: Maker’s Mark – 2025, The Keepers ReleaseThe latest release from Maker’s Mark’s ongoing Wood Finishing Series, this bottle is dedicated to the distillery’s warehouse team. Bottled at 109.2 proof (54.6% ABV) cask strength, it uses Maker’s normal mash bill of 70% corn, 16% red winter wheat, and 14% malted barley. It is aged for 6-7 years…
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Continue reading →: SHORT REVIEW: Tequila Ocho Reposado Barrel Proof – Las Raíces (2024 field)Produced at distillery Tequilera Los Alambiques (NOM 1474) in Arandas, Jalisco, by master distiller Carlos Camarena, this high proof reposado, like all of Tequila Ocho’s releases, is made with mature, 7-10-year-old Blue Weber agave cooked in stone/brick ovens (hornos) for 48 hours. The aguamiel is extracted using a roller mill…
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Continue reading →: My Gift Bottles for a Graduate Student’s PromotionOne of my graduate students is being promoted soon, marking a major career and life achievement. His seminar group colleagues are getting him a very nice bottle of peated Islay scotch, the Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured – 2023 Release, since he really enjoys peated scotches. I’ve grabbed him a…
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Continue reading →: Picking Up a Gift Bottle to Mark a Graduate Student’s PromotionOne of my graduate students will soon be promoted and to mark this major achievement and career milestone, his colleagues-seminar classmates are getting him a gift. In coordination with them and after doing some of my own research and chatting with a couple of friends who are into and know…
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Continue reading →: “Operation Beyond Beam White Label” – Samples Sharing Turns to Rye WhiskiesSample sharing with my buddy from work continues as part of “Operation Beyond Beam White Label,” named after one of his favorite easy sipping whiskies, the standard Jim Beam White Label. So far, he’s experimented with a variety of cask finishes, stave finishes, and double barrel/double oak bourbons and one…
Documenting my journey into agave spirits along with a smattering of other spirits after many, many years away – This blog is meant to take note of this journey including tasting notes, bottle photography, and other related topics.
Agave Spirits+ Journey 