Barrel Proof Notes

13th Colony Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished With Maple Wood Spirals
Maple Without the Pancake Problem Maple-finished bourbon can go wrong fast. Too much sweetness and suddenly the glass starts feeling less like bourbon and more like breakfast syrup with a proof point. That is not what we want. Thankfully, 13th Colony Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished With Maple Wood Spirals takes a different road. This is not bourbon dumped into a used maple syrup barrel. According to 13th Colony, this release uses spiral-cut pieces of real maple wood placed inside the barrel. The idea is to pull character from the wood... Read more...
Buzzard’s Roost Double Oak Cigar Blend Bourbon
A Smoky, Oaky Cigar Blend That Actually Makes Sense Some whiskey labels make a big promise. Cigar Blend is one of them. It sounds rich. It sounds bold. It sounds like leather chairs, a slow evening, and a glass heavy enough to make a point. But as we covered in our Whiskey Nerd’s Guide to Cigar Blend Bourbon, “Cigar Blend” is not a legal bourbon category. It is a style term. At its best, it means the whiskey was built with enough depth, oak, spice, weight, and finish to stand... Read more...
Whiskey Nerd’s Guide to Cigar Blend Bourbon
What That Fancy Little Phrase Really Means Some bourbon labels are easy to understand. Single barrel? One barrel.Barrel proof? Bottled close to what came out of the barrel.Bottled in bond? Rules, history, and paperwork. Then there is Cigar Blend. That phrase sounds like it belongs in a dark leather chair beside a fireplace, with a heavy glass, a slow evening, and somebody telling a story that may or may not be completely true. But what does Cigar Blend actually mean on a bourbon label? Let’s make it simple. Cigar Blend... Read more...
A Whiskey Nerd’s Guide to Modern Bottle Closures
Corks, T Tops, and Screw Caps...Oh My! Every whiskey fan remembers at least one great cork pop. Unfortunately, we also remember the bad ones. The cork that split in half. The one that crumbled into the bottle.The one so dry it practically disintegrated the second you touched it. Nothing ruins the mood faster than performing emergency cork surgery over a special bottle while your friends stand there pretending not to enjoy your suffering. And if you’ve been drinking bourbon long enough, it’s happened to you too. Real Cork Tops Whiskey... Read more...
Pikesville Rye, A Comeback Story
Pikesville Rye, a comeback story Some rye whiskeys try to soften the edges. Others try to overwhelm you with spice.Pikesville Rye manages to walk the line beautifully between the two. At 110 proof, this Kentucky-produced rye from Heaven Hill Distillery delivers exactly what many rye fans are looking for: bold flavor, real spice, warmth, and enough sweetness to keep you coming back for another pour. And after tasting it neat, this one absolutely earns its reputation.   Read more...
A Whiskey Nerd’s Guide to Corks
A Whiskey Nerd's Guide to Corks There are few sounds in the whiskey world more satisfying than a good cork "POP". To casual drinkers, it’s just the beginning of the pour. To most people, a cork is just part of the packaging. To whiskey nerds, it’s part of the story. A heavy cork with a clean pop has became associated with premium quality, craftsmanship, and tradition. Every bourbon fan remembers certain pops...their first allocated bottle, the celebration pour, that dusty bottle discovered on a forgotten shelf, the special release opened... Read more...
Welcome to Barrel Proof Notes: Honest Scores for Your Pours
Welcome to Barrel Proof Notes: Honest Scores for Your Pours
Welcome, Bourbon and Whiskey Lovers!  We’re thrilled to introduce Barrel Proof Notes, a space dedicated to tasting, exploring, and sharing honest, unbiased opinions on the bourbons and whiskeys we actually... Read more...
A Whiskey Nerd Comments on Bottles
Why Bourbon, Rye, and Whiskey Bottles Look the Way They Do Before you ever smell the caramel…Before the first sip of vanilla, oak, or spice…Before the Kentucky hug shows up… You judge the bottle.  Every whiskey drinker does it. Some bottles look like they belong in a dusty frontier saloon. Others look like they should sit behind velvet ropes in a luxury hotel bar. Some are square and serious. Some are tall and elegant. Some look like chemistry equipment. And a few look completely insane. The whiskey industry has quietly... Read more...
Bluegrass Distillery Kentucky Straight Bourbon High Rye Blue Corn
A 7-Year Blue Corn Bourbon With Sweetness, Rye Structure, and a Smooth Kentucky Finish Some bourbons get your attention before the first pour because of the label. Others do it because of the proof, the age statement, or the distillery story. This one gets your attention because of the grain. Bluegrass Distillery Kentucky Straight Bourbon High Rye Blue Corn is built around a mash bill that immediately stands apart: 70% blue corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. That is not a typical Kentucky bourbon recipe, and that is exactly... Read more...
Belle Meade Reserve Bourbon
A High-Rye Pour with Nashville History and Indiana Backbone Belle Meade Reserve is interesting before the cork ever comes out of the bottle. The label on this bottle says 108.3 proof and states that it was distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana for Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery. That matters because Belle Meade Reserve sits squarely in the high-rye, sourced-bourbon tradition that helped make the Belle Meade name popular with whiskey fans in the first place. Bourbon Lens also identifies Belle Meade Reserve as a 108.3 proof high-rye bourbon distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana... Read more...
Bowman Brothers Pioneer Spirit Small Batch Bourbon
Smooth Virginia Bourbon With Revolutionary Roots Bowman Brothers Pioneer Spirit is not a loud pour.   It is not a proof monster.  It is not chasing the deepest oak, the boldest spice, or the biggest finish in the room. What it offers instead is something much quieter: a smooth, mild, approachable Virginia bourbon with real historical character behind the label. And in the year we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, that matters. Bowman Brothers Pioneer Spirit comes from A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Fredericksburg, Virginia — a name with deep roots in... Read more...
Old Dominick 8 Year Reserve Bourbon
Old Dominick 8 Year Reserve Bourbon brings Memphis history and 100 proof confidence to the glass. We found a spice-forward profile — cinnamon, pepper, clove — with a long finish, but less sweetness and balance than expected from an eight-year reserve. Scored 2.75/5. Read more...