There can be only one king of whiskey and this is it, the #1 top selling American whiskey in the world: Jack Daniels. 12.5 million cases sold in 2018 (not including “ready to drink” varieties). Immortalized in song and so beloved by Frank Sanatra that he was buried with a bottle it is one of the most famous things that Tennessee produces. But is it any good?
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The Kentucky Mule is probably my favorite summertime drink here in Austin, Texas. It’s a great mix of competing flavors: cool ice versus warm bourbon, sweet ginger beer versus tangy lime juice, it’s got a lot of things going on. But for those who want to throw in just a little more complexity and maybe a little bit of fire thankfully Still Austin Whiskey Co’s Mother Pepper Whiskey offers the perfect solution.
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I realize that I’ve been taking about some local Austin whiskey recently and haven’t even touched some of the more recognizable brands. Today I’d like to talk about one of my favorite affordable and reliable bourbons: Woodford Reserve.
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The craft spirits market is absolutely booming in the US, with small shops opening up all over metro areas. Just to be clear, I’m not complaining — variety is the spice of life, and having more people involved in the process means more unique and interesting takes on the spirit. Here in Austin, Texas, one of those new (and definitely unique) distilleries is Still Austin Whiskey Co., and their “hot take” on whiskey is their Mother Pepper product.
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A friend of mine is in the process of doing a routine purge of his liquor cabinet, and I was lucky enough to be around when he was trying to find a new home for some of his bottles. Among the collection was a bottle of Old Forester Statesman, a label that I knew less from its renowned history as a good spirit and more for its prominence in a certain movie franchise.
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I’m continuing my journey along the bottom of the whiskey shelf. Today’s choice spirit: Kentucky Deluxe. The woman behind the counter at the liquor store tried to warn me and get me to pick something else, but this is my chosen profession: ruining my taste buds for the education and entertainment of others.
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Today I continue my trudge through the bottom of the whiskey shelf. But today’s offering isn’t usually found on the bottom shelf, although it probably deserves a permanent place there. Today we discuss the most popular whiskey in over 25% of U.S. states: Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.
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Ever since they were introduced in 1932, Zippo lighters have been the most iconic style of pocket lighter on the planet. Not only are their dimensions just right to fit comfortably in your hand, but there’s something strangely satisfying about the click that it makes when you open the lighter. And of course, the nearly infinite styles and designs that exist to suit every taste. There’s just one problem: they suck for cigars. Top-Z wants to fix that.
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I love bourbon. I love Scotch whiskey. I don’t love them for the same reasons.
But when I saw a bottle on the store shelves of my local liquor store that claimed to blend these two together I was intrigued. Could it be the best of both worlds? Or will it be the Thunderdome of flavor profiles? I needed to find out.
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A friend of mine is in the process of doing a routine purge of his liquor cabinet, and I was lucky enough to be around when he was trying to find a new home for some of his bottles. Among the ones I didn’t recognize was an older looking bottle labeled as a Belle Meade Bourbon. I was intrigued, and more than happy to find it a new home.
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