The Old Fashioned is the oldest cocktail in the American whiskey canon. It's also the most frequently made wrong. Crystal and Roger break down exactly how to make one — and which bourbon to use. Why Wild Turkey 101 Is the Right Bourbon for an Old Fashioned An Old Fashioned requires a bourbon with enough backbone to stand up to sugar and bitters without being overwhelmed. Wild Turkey 101 at 101 proof has that backbone. The high-rye mashbill adds spice that complements Angostur

Hochatown Distilling Co. is the most complete craft distillery operation Crystal and Roger have visited. Located in Broken Bow, Oklahoma — two hours southeast of Oklahoma City in the Ouachita Mountains — it's worth the drive. Here's the complete guide to visiting. Getting There Hochatown Distilling Co. is located near Broken Bow, Oklahoma in the heart of the Hochatown tourism corridor — the same area known for cabin rentals, Beavers Bend State Park, and the Ouachita National

You don't need to spend $50 to drink great bourbon. Crystal and Roger have reviewed dozens of expressions at every price point — here are the best bourbons under $30, ranked honestly by value and quality. 🥇 #1 — Wild Turkey 101 (~$28) | The Undisputed Champion 101 proof, high-rye Kentucky straight bourbon, distilled by Eddie and Jimmy Russell — the longest-tenured father-son distilling team in bourbon history. More flavor, more complexity, more bourbon character than anythin

Two of Kentucky's most recognized wheated bourbons. Both accessible, both beloved, both constantly recommended to beginners. Crystal and Roger break down which one actually deserves the recommendation. The Bottles Maker's Mark: Loretto, Kentucky. Wheated bourbon — wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain. 90 proof standard, 101 proof for Maker's 101. Sealed with distinctive red wax. ~$30 (standard), ~$35 (101). Brown-Forman owned. Woodford Reserve: Versailles, Kentucky. Trip

This is the most culturally significant comparison in American whiskey right now. The man who taught Jack Daniel to distill — Nathan 'Nearest' Green — now has his own brand. Crystal and Roger have reviewed both. Here's how they actually compare. The History You Need to Know Nathan 'Nearest' Green was a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel the Lincoln County Process of charcoal filtering whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee. For over a century, his name was erased from the

Two of the most debated value bourbons in the category. Wild Turkey 101 at $28. Buffalo Trace at $25-30 (when you can find it). Crystal and Roger have tasted both extensively and the answer might surprise you. The Bottles Wild Turkey 101: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. High-rye mashbill (13% rye). 101 proof. Distilled by Eddie and Jimmy Russell — the longest-tenured father-son distilling duo in bourbon history. ~$28. Buffalo Trace: Frankfort, Kentucky. Lower-rye mashbill. 90 proof.

National Bourbon Day is June 14th — the one day a year the entire spirits world tips its glass to America's native spirit. Crystal and Roger have reviewed more bourbon than any other category on The Liquor Connoisseur®. Here's how to celebrate properly. The Bottle to Open on National Bourbon Day If you could only open one bottle: Frank August Small Batch Bourbon. Named 2025 World's Best Bourbon by the IWSC. Grain-forward, high-rye, non-chill filtered. This is the bottle that

Oklahoma has one of the most underrated craft distillery scenes in the country. Crystal and Roger have visited and reviewed multiple Oklahoma distilleries on The Liquor Connoisseur® — here's the complete guide to what's worth knowing, visiting, and buying. Hochatown Distilling Co. — Broken Bow, Oklahoma Located in the Ouachita Mountains of southeast Oklahoma near Broken Bow, Hochatown Distilling is one of the most complete craft distillery operations in the state. Crystal and

The most-asked bourbon questions — answered by Crystal and Roger of The Liquor Connoisseur®. What is the difference between bourbon and whiskey? All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. Bourbon is an American whiskey that must be made from at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak containers, distilled to no more than 160 proof, and produced in the United States. There's no requirement that it be made in Kentucky — though most is. Does bourbon have to be made

The Liquor Connoisseur has reviewed bourbon from Kentucky, Texas, New York, and Oklahoma — across every price point, mashbill style, and proof level. This is our definitive ranked list of the best bourbons we've reviewed, updated as we add new episodes. Every bottle on this list has been tasted blind or on-camera by Crystal and Roger with full tasting notes published. No paid placements. No hype. Just the bottles that earned it. 🥇 #1 — Frank August Small Batch Bourbon | 2025

Bardstown Bourbon Company's Stave & Finish series is built around a deceptively simple idea: take a good bourbon and finish it in a secondary cask to add a layer of complexity. Crystal and Roger put this Small Batch expression through its paces and report back on whether the extra step earns its price premium. Bottle Specs Spirit: Bardstown Bourbon Company Small Batch Stave & Finish Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Distillery: Bardstown Bourbon Company, Bardstown,

Most distillery tours show you the shiny copper stills. Crystal and Roger went to Bardstown Bourbon Company for the real tour — behind the barrels, into the rick house, where the actual aging happens and where the character of bourbon is built over time. Episode Highlights Location: Bardstown Bourbon Company, Bardstown, Kentucky Type: Rick house tour — barrel aging facility Featured: Multiple expressions at various stages of aging Key theme: How barrel placement and warehouse

Still Austin describes their Cask Strength as 'the grain to glass journey, undiluted.' Crystal and Roger take that description seriously and put this Texas straight bourbon through a proper evaluation to see if the cask strength heat serves the whiskey or just amplifies its flaws. Bottle Specs Spirit: Still Austin Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey Distillery: Still Austin Whiskey Co., Austin, Texas (grain-to-glass) ABV: ~60–62% (cask strength, no water added) Mashbill: 7

Hochatown Distilling Company is building something special in southeastern Oklahoma, and their Loyal & True Reserve Bourbon is the bottle that makes that case most clearly. Crystal and Roger have been watching this brand develop, and this review is the moment they put the liquid to the test. Bottle Specs Spirit: Hochatown Loyal & True Reserve Bourbon Distillery: Hochatown Distilling Co., Broken Bow, Oklahoma Category: Oklahoma Straight Bourbon Whiskey Age: Reserve expression

New Dawn Distilling's 6-Year New York Bourbon arrives with owner Dawn Shalvey at the table to explain what six years of aging means in the climate of upstate New York — and why this sustainable distillery's approach to bourbon is producing something genuinely worth tracking down. Bottle Specs Spirit: New Dawn Distilling 6-Year New York Straight Bourbon Distillery: New Dawn Distilling, New York State Founder: Dawn Shalvey Age: 6 years — significant for a craft producer Sustain

Penelope Bourbon built its identity on grain diversity — a four-grain mashbill that adds wheat and malted barley alongside the standard corn and rye. The Rosé Cask Finish takes that foundation and asks: what does French rosé wine barrel finishing do to a bourbon that already has that much complexity? Bottle Specs Spirit: Penelope Rosé Cask Finished Bourbon Distillery: MGP production for Penelope Bourbon Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — secondary finish Mashbill:

Preservation Estate does something rare in bourbon — they grow their own grain on an actual working farm, use a pot still for distillation, and sell a wheated bourbon that tastes like nothing else in the category. Crystal and Roger meet a woman-founded farm distillery that's redefining what grain-to-glass actually means. Bottle Specs Spirit: Preservation Estate Pot Still Wheated Bourbon Distillery: Preservation Estate — woman-founded working farm distillery Production: Grain

New Dawn Distilling's 10-Year Wheated Bourbon is a statement of intent — a decade of aging at a sustainable New York farm distillery, producing a wheated bourbon that challenges what you expect from American whiskey made outside Kentucky. Bottle Specs Spirit: New Dawn Distilling 10-Year Wheated Bourbon Distillery: New Dawn Distilling, New York State Founder: Dawn Shalvey Age: 10 years — remarkable for a craft producer Mashbill: Wheated bourbon (wheat replaces rye as secondary

When a bourbon wins 'World's Best' at a major competition, it invites scrutiny. Crystal and Roger apply exactly that scrutiny to Frank August Small Batch — tasting with fresh eyes, honest palates, and zero deference to the award. Bottle Specs Spirit: Frank August Small Batch Bourbon Distillery: Frank August (sourced production, Kentucky) Award: 2025 World Whisky Awards — World's Best Bourbon Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ABV: ~45% Price: ~$65–80 Mashbill: High c

Brown-Forman — the parent company behind Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, and Old Forester — doesn't talk about Coopers' Craft nearly enough. Crystal and Roger bring this Barrel Reserve expression to the spotlight it deserves. Bottle Specs Spirit: Coopers' Craft Barrel Reserve Bourbon Distillery: Brown-Forman, Louisville, Kentucky Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aging: Barrel Reserve — filtered through beech and birch charcoal ABV: ~50% (100 proof) Price: ~$35–45