Barrel Proof Notes

13th Colony 113 Rye Finished With Maple Wood Spirals
A High-Proof Rye That Does Not Come Out Swinging Some ryes announce themselves with a sharp elbow.  This one takes a different route. Thirteenth Colony Distilleries out of Americus, Georgia has built a strong reputation around South Georgia aging, bold proof points, and a willingness to experiment with wood finishing. Their 113 Rye Whiskey Finished With Maple Wood Spirals fits squarely into that lane. It is a 113-proof rye, aged 5 to 6 years, with a 95% rye and 5% malted barley mash bill, then refined with maple wood spirals. ... Read more...
Boone’s “Homegrown” Bourbon
Big Proof, Young Whiskey, and a Pour That Needs More Time Some bourbons are young and exciting. Some are young and promising.  And some are young in a way you can smell before you even take the first sip. Boone’s “Homegrown” Bourbon falls into that last category. This is a 117-proof, cask-strength bourbon associated with American singer/songwriter Tyler Boone. The mash bill is listed as 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley, which puts it comfortably within bourbon territory from a grain standpoint. The label’s age statement says it has... Read more...
Broad Branch "Big Winston" Cider Finished Bourbon
Barrel Finished Series — Barrel #0148 | 105 Proof  Barrel Proof Notes Rating: 3.25 / 5 Stars Some bourbons play it safe. This is not one of them. Aged 5 years 10 months and finished for 3 months in a hard cider ex chardonnay barrel. from Botanist and Barrel, the only natural cidery in the South, Broad Branch Distillery out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina has been building a serious whiskey reputation with its Big Winston bourbon line, and this particular bottle — Single Barrel Barrel Finished Series Big Winston, finished... Read more...
Whiskey Nerd discovers a lost legend, the Swamp Fox Distilling Co.
The Buena Vista Whiskey Story That Quietly Became a Georgia Craft-Spirits Footnote Some distilleries announce themselves with bright lights and big-city polish. Swamp Fox Distilling Co. did something different. It set up shop in Buena Vista, Georgia, in a renovated 1908 cotton warehouse on the town square, leaned hard into local history, and built a small-batch whiskey identity around grain-to-glass production, Southern storytelling, and a name tied to one of the Revolutionary War’s most elusive figures. Georgia Grown described Swamp Fox as a grain-to-glass distillery with a lineup that included... Read more...
Augusta Distillery Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Cask Strength
Augusta Distillery Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Cask Strength Batch 26-13 | 119.7 Proof This was our first pour from Augusta Distillery, and it definitely got our attention. Some bottles win you over with complexity. Some do it with balance. And some make their point before you ever take a sip. This one did exactly that. The color is deep, rich, and inviting — the kind of appearance that immediately tells you this bourbon means business. Frankly, it looks like what you want a quality bourbon to look like in the... Read more...
Sword & Sash small batch
Ironclad Distillery Co. — Newport News, Virginia Let’s start here:  This is not your typical bourbon. And that’s exactly why it works. Sword & Sash is a collaboration tied to The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina — which adds a meaningful personal connection for us. But this review isn’t about the story on the label. It’s about what’s in the glass. And what’s in the glass is… different. From the very first sip, one note stands out immediately — malted barley.  That malty character gives the bourbon a... Read more...
Copper & Kings Straight Bourbon — American Apple Brandy Barrel finished
This is something we rarely say because we’re not usually finished-bourbon fans.But this one? This one works. Copper & Kings absolutely nailed the landing with the American apple brandy cask finish. It comes across sweet and crisp—bright, clean, and never overpowering. No candy coating. No artificial “dessert bourbon” energy. Just a smart, well-placed accent that lifts the whole pour. And the proof? 111, but it drinks under its number… right up until the end, when it leaves that perfect Kentucky hug after each sip. Barrel Proof Notes Appearance: Dark, pleasant color—looks... Read more...
1792 Bottled in Bond
Some bottled-in-bond bourbons come at you like they have a point to prove. This one does not.  Officially, 1792 Bottled in Bond is a limited-edition 100-proof release.  The 1792 brand itself leans into spice, charred oak, mint, caramel apple, coffee, and black pepper. Other published reviews often describe Bottled in Bond as spicier and oakier than the 1792 Sweet Wheat which tends to come across sweeter, lighter, and thinner on the palate.  1792 Bottled in Bond has a color is light that is attractive in the glass. The aroma is... Read more...
Heaven Hill Distillery 90th Anniversary Bourbon
Let’s make this simple: if you love Heaven Hill, this bottle is going to make you smile. Some anniversary releases feel overbuilt. Too much hype. Too much packaging. Too much “special occasion” and not enough actual payoff in the glass.  Not this one. Some bottles chase hype. This one earns respect.  This bourbon tastes like the best version of what Heaven Hill does so well. From the start, it showed class. The appearance was rich and inviting. The aroma was exactly what you want from a quality Heaven Hill pour—pleasant, mature,... Read more...