This week on Bourbon Bytes, Clifton is diving deep into high-proof territory with a first-time review of Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel — the most elusive (and explosive) bottle in the Blanton’s lineup. How does it hold up to the hype, and is it worth chasing down?
Also on the table: three six-year bourbons you need to know — a Single Barrel Selection from New Riff, Castle & Key’s Small Batch Six-Year Bourbon, and Garrison Brother's 2025 Guadalupe Bourbon supporting Texas conservation. Whether you’re all about barrel strength or on the hunt for value, this episode’s got you covered.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Today on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast - it's sixes all around with a new six-year-old single barrel
(00:05):
selection choice from New Riff, a six-year small batch bourbon from Castle and Key,
and a special review for the first time ever of Blanton's Straight from the Barrel.
you don't want to miss this
(00:28):
hello everyone and welcome back to the Bourbon Bytes Podcast I’m your host Clifton and today
is Thursday July 10th 2025 I hope you all had an amazing July 4th weekend if you're in the US
celebrating Independence Day or wherever you are hope you just had an amazing weekend
like I mentioned last week we made a trip to Las Vegas um ended up not seeing the concert
(00:51):
that we were planning to see we had tickets to the opening night of Kelly Clarkson’s residency
unfortunately, she canceled about an hour before showtime which was super disappointing and I
told myself I wasn't going to rant about this but I’ll take a little second you know we got
some time at the top of the podcast to kind of just chill out get in the mood hopefully you
(01:11):
guys are settling into wherever you're listening and uh hear me out listen I live in Los Angeles
there are concerts all the time but when I see an artist is launching a brand new residency
in a city that I love visiting on July 4th weekend I can't help but buy tickets to go
I’ve always been a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson and her music I think she's an amazing inspirational
(01:33):
person I think her voice is one of the best in our generation and I gotta say I’m a little more
than let down about the last minute cancellation and I get it right things happened but to like
post two hours before your live staying like can't wait for tonight and then post photos
from rehearsal to be like releasing a statement about why you're postponing your first few set
(01:55):
of concerts I don't know I’ll read the statement here just so you guys have a little bit more
context so literally an hour before the doors opened she made a post saying that they've been
working hard to make the studio sessions tour the most intimate and extraordinary experience
with and for my incredible fans the preps and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice I want
(02:17):
the shows to be perfect for y'all and I need to protect myself from doing serious damage so I’m
taking this weekend and next week to rest up so that we can deliver what you all deserve
and listen again I know that artists that do concerts they they do have to print their voice
because a lot of time performing night after night after night can take a huge toll on your voice and
(02:37):
we saw what happened with people like Adele I mean having to cancel her shows because of it it was
you know but but when that happened people were kind of outraged that it was like a last minute
cancellation so I feel like history is repeating itself a little bit here I don't know I mean
again I don't know the full details of the situation it feels a little bit like diva behavior
I would have much preferred a more stripped-down version of the concert if she did hurt her voice
(02:57):
or if she was sick I’d totally understand but to be like no I need to protect my voice so I’m just
gonna delay it a week and a half and see what happens I don't know maybe I’m just taking a
little personally because I was excited for the show which I mean can you blame me but it feels a
little you know suspicious especially on a holiday weekend it makes me feel like maybe she got
invited to a party or something it's just like well my voice you know it's not the best it could
(03:19):
be so but don't want to make any accusations it just I was pretty bummed by that I had the choice
to keep my tickets for a rescheduled date or to request a refund I requested a refund I’m not
willing to kind of take that risk again and I’m a big fan of her but uh it definitely brought me
the wrong way and I don't think I’ll be uh clamoring to see her again anytime soon again not doubting
(03:40):
her talent and there probably is more to the story than what I’m seeing I’m just saying the statement
was a little tone deaf to release that an hour before the doors open have you know hundreds if
not thousands of us lined up at the door to go into the concert and be like yeah I just I don't want
to hurt my voice so um I’m not going to perform anyways that's not what you guys are here for y'all
are here for a bourbon podcast don't worry we got lots of bourbon and whiskey news to give you as
(04:04):
well as a review of a whiskey it's my first time owning a bottle of this and I’m really really
excited because I’ve had samples of it before but never have I owned a bottle of it until now
now if you saw the thumbnail for this podcast or the description you know I’m talking about
Blanton's Straight from the Barrel - I just got a bottle as part of a bundle from my local store
K&L Wine and Spirits it was a very decent price for that and the Blanton's gold having never had
(04:28):
the chance to own it I figured why not buy the bundle I’m gonna definitely use them for a stream
in the near future but today I’m gonna give you a first impression of my bottle of Blanton's
Straight from the Barrel. But we got some news to get into before that and funny enough I was
looking through these stories and I had bookmarked throughout the week and they all have a common
theme which is a little ominous um I’ll just say it as I was preparing to record this I was like
(04:50):
wait a minute these are all six-year-old bourbons that's pretty cool or ominous I don't know you
guys decide but the first of which comes to us from New Riff distilling one of my favorite um
i guess I would consider it craft distilleries it feels like New Riff doesn't even qualify as
craft because it's been around for so long but when you look at their story you look at their
facility you look at you know really how specialized they are at what they do I would still consider
(05:14):
New Riff a craft distillery and they just announced this week that they are going to be offering a
six-year-old bourbon barrel for barrel selection so when you're doing a barrel pick and new riff
you can now choose between four to six-year-old bourbons to pick up as well as a six-year-old
rye whiskey. So being someone that's followed New Riff since the very very early days this is so
(05:37):
exciting to see you know I’ve tried some of their eight-year product it's been fantastic but I’ve
been drinking their stuff since it was four-ish years old um so seeing that their single barrel
pick program lets you now pick a six-year-old bourbon and a six-year-old rye is really really
exciting you know I’ve looked into doing a barrel pick at New Riff um they're one of the few that
kind of lets you pick between like a half barrel a quarter barrel split it with a store or a different
(06:01):
you know whiskey influence or whatever so they definitely one that have caught my eye unfortunately
living in southern California it makes it very very difficult to do a barrel pick and be able to
get it back to um California and then get it out to you guys it's a whole thing I unfortunately don't
have those connections yet to make that happen but New Riff is absolutely one of the brands that
(06:21):
I’ve always wanted to do a pick at I just think their whiskey is so unique it's one that kind of
went viral for a minute and I feel like people have been sleeping on it lately but when they do
that it just continues to get older and older and older which is why I think we now have access to
these four to six-year-old bourbons and a six-year-old rye let me know if you guys are starting to see
some of these older bourbon picks hitting your area it says like the rye pick may have been out a
(06:44):
little bit longer but the six-year bourbon is brand new as of this week so if you have a pick coming
up at New Riff let me know if they start rolling out those six-year-old barrels love to hear how
they are and continuing with our roll of sixes with our new stories Castle and Key actually just
announced a six-year-old small batch bourbon and it's interesting because Castle and Key just came
(07:06):
up in my last podcast talking a little bit of some of their contract distilled product like Pinhook
which I reviewed recently but I’ve not had a castle and key labeled bourbon but now that I’m
seeing that they're coming of six years old really makes me interested in trying some of their own
distillate now they announced their four-year-old expression back in 2022 I always am hesitant to
(07:27):
a distillery at their first release and I know saying that right after talking about New Riff
is kind of contradictory but I do think that castle and key was a lot harder to get your hands
on out here I just don't think they had the distribution that new riff had at the time
i saw it but it was often inflated in price and I kind of heard mixed things so I decided to hold
off on it but now that I see they have a six-year release this one's coming in at 101 proof which
(07:51):
is an interesting proof choice refer to my recent live stream where I did a bunch of 101 proof
whiskeys all from wild turkey blinded them and found out my favorite but this uses the same
mashbill of their four-year expression 73 percent white corn 10 percent rye and 17 percent malted
barley of course to go through all the tasty notes here but I like to skip those until I’ve had a
chance to try a whiskey right now this is only available in three locations one of which being
(08:16):
the distillery of course in Frankfurt, Kentucky. They also have a Castle and Key 502 retail store
in louisville kentucky and you can buy it online at castleandkey.com for $39.99 now you can check
out their website to see if they're able to ship to your area they have a slight number of states
that they can ship to I see that California actually is a state that they can ship to so
(08:39):
i would definitely be considering buying from there if it doesn't hit my area soon but being
a brand that I’ve kind of fell in and out of love with over the past couple years you know
i did a distillery tour back in 2018 fell in love with the grounds of course I knew the previous
story of you know Marianne Eaves and all that I know the brand has evolved significantly since then
Pinhook releases have been kind of hit or miss for me but I’ve not tried anything under their
(09:03):
Castle and Key brand in terms of bourbon so i'd love to get a bottle of that maybe do a stream
with that and their rye again the rye I know kind of has mixed opinions as well but I hope some of
you would be interested in hearing my thoughts on it so if you are leave a comment on this podcast or
me on any social media platform at bourbon bites would love to know if you guys are interested in
(09:23):
hearing my thoughts on this new six-year-old castle and key release or any of the castle
and key releases I’m always up for new content and suggestions from you guys well on the topic
of new we do have one new six-ish year old release to talk about this is the new Garrison Brothers
2025 Guadalupe Bourbon now this was actually announced last month but this is a re-release
(09:47):
of a brand that's kind of had some popularity amongst garrison brothers fans now it's named
after one of the most beautiful rivers in Texas apparently but it is a multi-award winning bourbon
whiskey finished in port wine barrels they're only releasing 8600 bottles of this and the first
1000 have to be claimed on release day at the distillery so this one's going to go quick so
(10:10):
this is actually the fifth annual release of Guadalupe but this one is a four-year-old bourbon
aged in white american oak casks that has been finished for two years in tawny port casks so you
see what I’m saying about it being kind of six years old I think legally they have to call it
a four-year-old bourbon finished for two years so but in the scheme of things if you if you are a
(10:31):
true bourbon lover you know that basically means it is a six-year-old whiskey whether or not we
can call that officially on the TTB label that's up to them but for me that is a pretty old Texas
bourbon and what makes this even more interesting is uh not only do they mention that texas has
wild temperature swings which we all know um but this one's actually been proofed down with
(10:51):
rainwater that was harvested from their 68 acre ranch and they're saying the devotion to clean
environment is a big part of what makes Garrison Brothers legendary it's interesting because as
someone that's kind of followed Garrison Brothers for a while I wouldn't have thought that that's
one of their focuses but apparently that's what they're highlighting with this Guadalupe release
so the standard release is going to come in at 107 proof and be released at $149.99 however
(11:18):
1000 bottles of this whiskey will be proofed at cast strength so ranging from 123.9 to 129.8 proof
and those bottles are going to be 220 but it's exciting to see that they're going to take 50
from each of those cast strength releases and donate it to Gulf Trust which is affiliated
(11:40):
with the texas parks and wildlife foundation and has a big focus on protecting texas's coast and
gulf and while it's not directly related to the flash floods that just happened I think this is
a fantastic time to support a cause like this I love seeing that they're being transparent and
they don't just say you know a portion of the proceeds go to support this they're saying 50
(12:01):
from every bottle of their cast strength will go towards it so yes the bottle is $220 but the
additional amount on top of the retail is basically going straight to a local organization I think
that's amazing and with everything going on right now in texas and their ecosystem what a great cause
to support I would love to buy a bottle if I have a chance to um it tells me this is going to go
(12:21):
pretty fast at the distillery though so I probably won't um but if you get a chance to try or buy a
bottle let me know how it is I might have to look for the standard release don't think I’ll get my
hands on the cast strength but you never know all right well I think that does it for my news so i
think it's time for us to get into my Byte-Sized Review. All right well as I hinted at earlier on
(12:48):
this podcast I got my first bottle of Blanton's Straight from the Barrel and I know that makes
me sound full tater but I will say I’ve had this before I’ve tried samples from friends I’ve tried
a bunch of the Blanton's lineup actually but I’ve never owned a bottle of Straight from the Barrel
so I’m very very excited to get my hands on this one um this was part of a bundle like I said but i
(13:09):
don't think I overpaid too much for it it came with this and the gold which I’ll be doing a
live stream on YouTube soon comparing them to the standard Blanton's release if you guys are at all
interested in that you can go to youtube.com/bourbonbytes I go live every thursday almost at
7 p.m pacific 10 p.m eastern with a live stream about an hour long comparing different whiskeys
(13:31):
interviewing different distilleries lots of fun stuff like that so if you're not yet subscribed
on youtube definitely consider that that's where I put out the majority of my content
in addition to the podcast so if you want to see more of me or hear more of me check me out there
if not just just don't even bother but yes this bottle I pre-ordered months and months ago but it
just came in today this one was dumped on august 29th of 2024 from barrel number 795 warehouse H
(13:57):
rickhouse number 105 at 123.8 proof this isn't one of the highest proof releases of this that I’ve
seen but I think you know I they didn't reveal the proof when I bought it I was willing to take a
gamble with it so I’m excited to give it a try again equated to basically retail for this bottle
at least here in the u.s right around 150 dollars as part of the combo it actually was a little bit
(14:21):
cheaper closer to 120 125 but I couldn't resist the opportunity to get it so easily and to pre-order
it and know that it's guaranteed for me to receive so shout out to the folks at knl wine and spirits
who made that possible thank you for the opportunity and I know we're on the theme of
sixes actually Blanton's is aged between six to eight years on average so I think this kind of
(14:42):
counts towards our rule of sixes that's happening on this week's episode again not planned I am not
affiliated with the devil but um if I was I would be drinking this whiskey so you know we'll see
we'll see where this whiskey takes me let's go ahead and uh give it a crack and if you're curious
which horsey I got this is the b so um if you're looking for a b horsey hit me up just kidding i
(15:04):
don't really collect them I i do have a collection of all my Blanton’s toppers but it's because i
keep cool looking toppers in general I have like a Crown Royal bag at the bottom of my um sample
drawer where I keep them mostly to replace corks to get that get um broken or cracked or anything
like that but I do keep certain uh toppers that uh look really cool so I’ll be glad to add a b to
(15:25):
my collection let's go ahead and pop that cork nice all right let's get this Blanton's Straight
from the Barrel poured and let's see what we think of it if you've been listening to the podcast I
recently did a review of Rock Hill Farms which is another um mash bill from Buffalo Trace that's the
same mash bill as this and it's one that I’ve consistently said is my favorite product of
(15:46):
mash bill number two from the distillery but we'll see if this one changes my mind let's give it a
nose oh interesting you know even though it does present those typical you know kind of honey notes
that I get from buffalo trace mash bill number two it's a lot darker and I’ve heard rumors that
sometimes these straight from the barrel picks are a little bit older than the standard Blanton's
(16:07):
releases again Buffalo Trace doesn't reveal in this info it's not on the bottle everything says
it's from six to eight years old so I’m gonna have to believe that I will say though on the nose
there's definitely quite a bit more oak than what I’m used to from other Blanton's and other releases
from that mash bill now if you're unfamiliar with the different mash bills of Buffalo Trace they
basically have two main ones mash bill number one which is a lower rye and mash bill number two which
(16:28):
is a higher rye some estimate that it's between 12 to 15 percent rye in the bourbon mash bill
um but yeah that's kind of their their shtick I guess I would say but yeah really um dark and
deep notes on the nose I mean it kind of reminds me of a uh I’ve used this note quite a few times
on the channel like a Cow Tales candy or like one of those caramel candies with a cream in the center
(16:52):
that you used to get from your grandma that's a note that I’ve often got on mash bill number two
and this is no exception but it does know it's quite a bit richer than what I expect from
um a note like that it's definitely those darker richer roasty deep caramel notes almost like a
molasses level I wouldn't say so much on the nose it's still sweeter than I think like a molasses
(17:15):
would do molasses goes really dark and not savory but molasses has like a extremely dark a little
bit of a bitter quality to it this is still in the the caramel territory not bitter just very very
sweet up front creamy and uh a little bit of oak on the back end man this smells delicious I can't
wait to give it a try so let's go for it cheers y'all wow okay yep that is that is cask strength
(17:39):
for sure let me check the proof of that and what I say it was 123.8 so coming in at 61.9 abv so
not you know low proof by any means about on par with a lot of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases or
you know more than a Knob Creek single barrel pick so it's up there and proof probably one of
the higher bourbons I have in my collection at the moment so definitely comes through with that proof
(18:01):
but what I find interesting is there's a lot more fruitiness on this than I’ve gotten on any other
mash bill number two products sometimes with those I get a little bit of like a uh like a pear or
like a peach I think um on the Rock Hill Farms I reviewed a few weeks back it kind of came across
as like a pear cobbler like a peach cobbler this one is a little darker a little bit more in the
red fruit territory which is something I usually associate with mash bill number one so I’m throwing
(18:26):
off a little bit here all right hold on there is a little bit of a difference with mash bill number
one things like Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace or Stagg, I get a dark black cherry note like a very
rich deep cherry flavor this one's giving me cherry but it's a little bit more in the artificial
cherry category of cherry it's very subtle like it's not the point where it's overpowering where
(18:46):
it tastes like cough syrup or anything like that but when I’m trying to dissect that cherry note
it's definitely more in the sweeter more candied cherry note like when someone makes you an
old-fashioned with a maraschino cherry compared to a Luxardo cherry there's a big difference and
this is this is about the same amount of difference that I get between those two not to say
that it's not good but when I’m looking for that sweeter red fruit note it's definitely more of a
(19:08):
sugary um sugar-soaked red fruit and interestingly enough at that higher proof the rye does show
itself I mean they're giving a little bit of that like minty kind of sweetness again when
combining mint with sweet I always think peppermint it's kind of in that realm where it's
like not quite like minty like herbal or herbaceous or anything like that but a little bit more like
(19:28):
a candy that has a little bit of like a menthol kind of note to it mouthfeel wise it's pretty
coating especially at the front end of the palate, it kind of lingers and falls off a little bit
towards the finish honestly I was expecting a little bit longer of a finish with this release
this one really does excel at the mid palette but once it goes into the finish it kind of lingers
with a little bit of that like peppermint note and kind of goes on your throat like you just
(19:52):
swallowed a sweet piece of candy it doesn't linger with the heat but it lingers with kind of like the
the sweeter menthol kind of characteristics to it let me let me take another sip just to focus
on the finish yeah I mean I even want to go a little bit toasty with that finish as well it
kind of leads into like a bit of a pie crust but very very sweet like a sweet glazed pie crust on
the finish not bad by any means I just think it feels a little bit light of a finish at least
(20:16):
this particular straight from the barrel release now a lot of people consider Blanton’s Straight from
the Barrel equivalent to some of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection releases. I think with
this particular bottle right here I wouldn't put it on par with that I think it's great I think it's
one of the best expressions from mash bill number two that I’ve had that wasn't BTAC. um I’m not
(20:36):
disappointed at all about having a chance to try a bottle I’m excited to see if it opens up quite a
bit and I’m also excited to share it with other folks that are curious to try this like I said
i kind of want to do a Blanton's stream where I taste this the Gold the um regular Blanton's a
store pickled of Blanton's we'll do the whole thing we might throw in another random mash bill number
two product in there as well so you guys make sure to subscribe because not only do I go live
(20:58):
on Thursdays I also do a surprise Saturday night live stream every now and then so check it out but
yeah I’m not mad about that I I would love to try it next to the gold but I’m gonna wait till I do
that stream for that so stay tuned all right well before I go I just want to give a quick shout out
to all of my supporters over on bourbonbytes.com which is my home on the internet it's where you
(21:18):
can join the Byte Club if you know you know you get access to some fun things like our movie
nights which are happening this week our after parties which happen after every Thursday night
live stream and our monthly sample tasting at the higher tiers can't speak too much about this
on the podcast but if you go to bourbonbytes.com you can find out all the details there but you
(21:39):
also support the channel for as little as two dollars a month however you feel comfortable
supporting the channel now if you don't want to go to bourbonbytes.com you can also go to
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fun things like discounts on merch so lots of advantages to join at bourbonbites.com but if
(22:05):
that's not your jam feel free to get me a follow on your favorite social media platforms I’m
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(22:27):
you enjoy the show or what suggestions you have to improve the show because I’ll be back every week
all right cheers y'all thank you so much for listening until next time this has been the
Bourbon Bytes Podcast, a whiskey podcast with an 80s twist. I’m your host Clifton and I’ll talk to
you guys next episode!
Today on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast - it's sixes all around with a new six-year-old single barrel
(00:05):
selection choice from New Riff, a six-year small batch bourbon from Castle and Key,
and a special review for the first time ever of Blanton's Straight from the Barrel.
you don't want to miss this
(00:28):
hello everyone and welcome back to the Bourbon Bytes Podcast I’m your host Clifton and today
is Thursday July 10th 2025 I hope you all had an amazing July 4th weekend if you're in the US
celebrating Independence Day or wherever you are hope you just had an amazing weekend
like I mentioned last week we made a trip to Las Vegas um ended up not seeing the concert
(00:51):
that we were planning to see we had tickets to the opening night of Kelly Clarkson’s residency
unfortunately, she canceled about an hour before showtime which was super disappointing and I
told myself I wasn't going to rant about this but I’ll take a little second you know we got
some time at the top of the podcast to kind of just chill out get in the mood hopefully you
(01:11):
guys are settling into wherever you're listening and uh hear me out listen I live in Los Angeles
there are concerts all the time but when I see an artist is launching a brand new residency
in a city that I love visiting on July 4th weekend I can't help but buy tickets to go
I’ve always been a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson and her music I think she's an amazing inspirational
(01:33):
person I think her voice is one of the best in our generation and I gotta say I’m a little more
than let down about the last minute cancellation and I get it right things happened but to like
post two hours before your live staying like can't wait for tonight and then post photos
from rehearsal to be like releasing a statement about why you're postponing your first few set
(01:55):
of concerts I don't know I’ll read the statement here just so you guys have a little bit more
context so literally an hour before the doors opened she made a post saying that they've been
working hard to make the studio sessions tour the most intimate and extraordinary experience
with and for my incredible fans the preps and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice I want
(02:17):
the shows to be perfect for y'all and I need to protect myself from doing serious damage so I’m
taking this weekend and next week to rest up so that we can deliver what you all deserve
and listen again I know that artists that do concerts they they do have to print their voice
because a lot of time performing night after night after night can take a huge toll on your voice and
(02:37):
we saw what happened with people like Adele I mean having to cancel her shows because of it it was
you know but but when that happened people were kind of outraged that it was like a last minute
cancellation so I feel like history is repeating itself a little bit here I don't know I mean
again I don't know the full details of the situation it feels a little bit like diva behavior
I would have much preferred a more stripped-down version of the concert if she did hurt her voice
(02:57):
or if she was sick I’d totally understand but to be like no I need to protect my voice so I’m just
gonna delay it a week and a half and see what happens I don't know maybe I’m just taking a
little personally because I was excited for the show which I mean can you blame me but it feels a
little you know suspicious especially on a holiday weekend it makes me feel like maybe she got
invited to a party or something it's just like well my voice you know it's not the best it could
(03:19):
be so but don't want to make any accusations it just I was pretty bummed by that I had the choice
to keep my tickets for a rescheduled date or to request a refund I requested a refund I’m not
willing to kind of take that risk again and I’m a big fan of her but uh it definitely brought me
the wrong way and I don't think I’ll be uh clamoring to see her again anytime soon again not doubting
(03:40):
her talent and there probably is more to the story than what I’m seeing I’m just saying the statement
was a little tone deaf to release that an hour before the doors open have you know hundreds if
not thousands of us lined up at the door to go into the concert and be like yeah I just I don't want
to hurt my voice so um I’m not going to perform anyways that's not what you guys are here for y'all
are here for a bourbon podcast don't worry we got lots of bourbon and whiskey news to give you as
(04:04):
well as a review of a whiskey it's my first time owning a bottle of this and I’m really really
excited because I’ve had samples of it before but never have I owned a bottle of it until now
now if you saw the thumbnail for this podcast or the description you know I’m talking about
Blanton's Straight from the Barrel - I just got a bottle as part of a bundle from my local store
K&L Wine and Spirits it was a very decent price for that and the Blanton's gold having never had
(04:28):
the chance to own it I figured why not buy the bundle I’m gonna definitely use them for a stream
in the near future but today I’m gonna give you a first impression of my bottle of Blanton's
Straight from the Barrel. But we got some news to get into before that and funny enough I was
looking through these stories and I had bookmarked throughout the week and they all have a common
theme which is a little ominous um I’ll just say it as I was preparing to record this I was like
(04:50):
wait a minute these are all six-year-old bourbons that's pretty cool or ominous I don't know you
guys decide but the first of which comes to us from New Riff distilling one of my favorite um
i guess I would consider it craft distilleries it feels like New Riff doesn't even qualify as
craft because it's been around for so long but when you look at their story you look at their
facility you look at you know really how specialized they are at what they do I would still consider
(05:14):
New Riff a craft distillery and they just announced this week that they are going to be offering a
six-year-old bourbon barrel for barrel selection so when you're doing a barrel pick and new riff
you can now choose between four to six-year-old bourbons to pick up as well as a six-year-old
rye whiskey. So being someone that's followed New Riff since the very very early days this is so
(05:37):
exciting to see you know I’ve tried some of their eight-year product it's been fantastic but I’ve
been drinking their stuff since it was four-ish years old um so seeing that their single barrel
pick program lets you now pick a six-year-old bourbon and a six-year-old rye is really really
exciting you know I’ve looked into doing a barrel pick at New Riff um they're one of the few that
kind of lets you pick between like a half barrel a quarter barrel split it with a store or a different
(06:01):
you know whiskey influence or whatever so they definitely one that have caught my eye unfortunately
living in southern California it makes it very very difficult to do a barrel pick and be able to
get it back to um California and then get it out to you guys it's a whole thing I unfortunately don't
have those connections yet to make that happen but New Riff is absolutely one of the brands that
(06:21):
I’ve always wanted to do a pick at I just think their whiskey is so unique it's one that kind of
went viral for a minute and I feel like people have been sleeping on it lately but when they do
that it just continues to get older and older and older which is why I think we now have access to
these four to six-year-old bourbons and a six-year-old rye let me know if you guys are starting to see
some of these older bourbon picks hitting your area it says like the rye pick may have been out a
(06:44):
little bit longer but the six-year bourbon is brand new as of this week so if you have a pick coming
up at New Riff let me know if they start rolling out those six-year-old barrels love to hear how
they are and continuing with our roll of sixes with our new stories Castle and Key actually just
announced a six-year-old small batch bourbon and it's interesting because Castle and Key just came
(07:06):
up in my last podcast talking a little bit of some of their contract distilled product like Pinhook
which I reviewed recently but I’ve not had a castle and key labeled bourbon but now that I’m
seeing that they're coming of six years old really makes me interested in trying some of their own
distillate now they announced their four-year-old expression back in 2022 I always am hesitant to
(07:27):
a distillery at their first release and I know saying that right after talking about New Riff
is kind of contradictory but I do think that castle and key was a lot harder to get your hands
on out here I just don't think they had the distribution that new riff had at the time
i saw it but it was often inflated in price and I kind of heard mixed things so I decided to hold
off on it but now that I see they have a six-year release this one's coming in at 101 proof which
(07:51):
is an interesting proof choice refer to my recent live stream where I did a bunch of 101 proof
whiskeys all from wild turkey blinded them and found out my favorite but this uses the same
mashbill of their four-year expression 73 percent white corn 10 percent rye and 17 percent malted
barley of course to go through all the tasty notes here but I like to skip those until I’ve had a
chance to try a whiskey right now this is only available in three locations one of which being
(08:16):
the distillery of course in Frankfurt, Kentucky. They also have a Castle and Key 502 retail store
in louisville kentucky and you can buy it online at castleandkey.com for $39.99 now you can check
out their website to see if they're able to ship to your area they have a slight number of states
that they can ship to I see that California actually is a state that they can ship to so
(08:39):
i would definitely be considering buying from there if it doesn't hit my area soon but being
a brand that I’ve kind of fell in and out of love with over the past couple years you know
i did a distillery tour back in 2018 fell in love with the grounds of course I knew the previous
story of you know Marianne Eaves and all that I know the brand has evolved significantly since then
Pinhook releases have been kind of hit or miss for me but I’ve not tried anything under their
(09:03):
Castle and Key brand in terms of bourbon so i'd love to get a bottle of that maybe do a stream
with that and their rye again the rye I know kind of has mixed opinions as well but I hope some of
you would be interested in hearing my thoughts on it so if you are leave a comment on this podcast or
me on any social media platform at bourbon bites would love to know if you guys are interested in
(09:23):
hearing my thoughts on this new six-year-old castle and key release or any of the castle
and key releases I’m always up for new content and suggestions from you guys well on the topic
of new we do have one new six-ish year old release to talk about this is the new Garrison Brothers
2025 Guadalupe Bourbon now this was actually announced last month but this is a re-release
(09:47):
of a brand that's kind of had some popularity amongst garrison brothers fans now it's named
after one of the most beautiful rivers in Texas apparently but it is a multi-award winning bourbon
whiskey finished in port wine barrels they're only releasing 8600 bottles of this and the first
1000 have to be claimed on release day at the distillery so this one's going to go quick so
(10:10):
this is actually the fifth annual release of Guadalupe but this one is a four-year-old bourbon
aged in white american oak casks that has been finished for two years in tawny port casks so you
see what I’m saying about it being kind of six years old I think legally they have to call it
a four-year-old bourbon finished for two years so but in the scheme of things if you if you are a
(10:31):
true bourbon lover you know that basically means it is a six-year-old whiskey whether or not we
can call that officially on the TTB label that's up to them but for me that is a pretty old Texas
bourbon and what makes this even more interesting is uh not only do they mention that texas has
wild temperature swings which we all know um but this one's actually been proofed down with
(10:51):
rainwater that was harvested from their 68 acre ranch and they're saying the devotion to clean
environment is a big part of what makes Garrison Brothers legendary it's interesting because as
someone that's kind of followed Garrison Brothers for a while I wouldn't have thought that that's
one of their focuses but apparently that's what they're highlighting with this Guadalupe release
so the standard release is going to come in at 107 proof and be released at $149.99 however
(11:18):
1000 bottles of this whiskey will be proofed at cast strength so ranging from 123.9 to 129.8 proof
and those bottles are going to be 220 but it's exciting to see that they're going to take 50
from each of those cast strength releases and donate it to Gulf Trust which is affiliated
(11:40):
with the texas parks and wildlife foundation and has a big focus on protecting texas's coast and
gulf and while it's not directly related to the flash floods that just happened I think this is
a fantastic time to support a cause like this I love seeing that they're being transparent and
they don't just say you know a portion of the proceeds go to support this they're saying 50
(12:01):
from every bottle of their cast strength will go towards it so yes the bottle is $220 but the
additional amount on top of the retail is basically going straight to a local organization I think
that's amazing and with everything going on right now in texas and their ecosystem what a great cause
to support I would love to buy a bottle if I have a chance to um it tells me this is going to go
(12:21):
pretty fast at the distillery though so I probably won't um but if you get a chance to try or buy a
bottle let me know how it is I might have to look for the standard release don't think I’ll get my
hands on the cast strength but you never know all right well I think that does it for my news so i
think it's time for us to get into my Byte-Sized Review. All right well as I hinted at earlier on
(12:48):
this podcast I got my first bottle of Blanton's Straight from the Barrel and I know that makes
me sound full tater but I will say I’ve had this before I’ve tried samples from friends I’ve tried
a bunch of the Blanton's lineup actually but I’ve never owned a bottle of Straight from the Barrel
so I’m very very excited to get my hands on this one um this was part of a bundle like I said but i
(13:09):
don't think I overpaid too much for it it came with this and the gold which I’ll be doing a
live stream on YouTube soon comparing them to the standard Blanton's release if you guys are at all
interested in that you can go to youtube.com/bourbonbytes I go live every thursday almost at
7 p.m pacific 10 p.m eastern with a live stream about an hour long comparing different whiskeys
(13:31):
interviewing different distilleries lots of fun stuff like that so if you're not yet subscribed
on youtube definitely consider that that's where I put out the majority of my content
in addition to the podcast so if you want to see more of me or hear more of me check me out there
if not just just don't even bother but yes this bottle I pre-ordered months and months ago but it
just came in today this one was dumped on august 29th of 2024 from barrel number 795 warehouse H
(13:57):
rickhouse number 105 at 123.8 proof this isn't one of the highest proof releases of this that I’ve
seen but I think you know I they didn't reveal the proof when I bought it I was willing to take a
gamble with it so I’m excited to give it a try again equated to basically retail for this bottle
at least here in the u.s right around 150 dollars as part of the combo it actually was a little bit
(14:21):
cheaper closer to 120 125 but I couldn't resist the opportunity to get it so easily and to pre-order
it and know that it's guaranteed for me to receive so shout out to the folks at knl wine and spirits
who made that possible thank you for the opportunity and I know we're on the theme of
sixes actually Blanton's is aged between six to eight years on average so I think this kind of
(14:42):
counts towards our rule of sixes that's happening on this week's episode again not planned I am not
affiliated with the devil but um if I was I would be drinking this whiskey so you know we'll see
we'll see where this whiskey takes me let's go ahead and uh give it a crack and if you're curious
which horsey I got this is the b so um if you're looking for a b horsey hit me up just kidding i
(15:04):
don't really collect them I i do have a collection of all my Blanton’s toppers but it's because i
keep cool looking toppers in general I have like a Crown Royal bag at the bottom of my um sample
drawer where I keep them mostly to replace corks to get that get um broken or cracked or anything
like that but I do keep certain uh toppers that uh look really cool so I’ll be glad to add a b to
(15:25):
my collection let's go ahead and pop that cork nice all right let's get this Blanton's Straight
from the Barrel poured and let's see what we think of it if you've been listening to the podcast I
recently did a review of Rock Hill Farms which is another um mash bill from Buffalo Trace that's the
same mash bill as this and it's one that I’ve consistently said is my favorite product of
(15:46):
mash bill number two from the distillery but we'll see if this one changes my mind let's give it a
nose oh interesting you know even though it does present those typical you know kind of honey notes
that I get from buffalo trace mash bill number two it's a lot darker and I’ve heard rumors that
sometimes these straight from the barrel picks are a little bit older than the standard Blanton's
(16:07):
releases again Buffalo Trace doesn't reveal in this info it's not on the bottle everything says
it's from six to eight years old so I’m gonna have to believe that I will say though on the nose
there's definitely quite a bit more oak than what I’m used to from other Blanton's and other releases
from that mash bill now if you're unfamiliar with the different mash bills of Buffalo Trace they
basically have two main ones mash bill number one which is a lower rye and mash bill number two which
(16:28):
is a higher rye some estimate that it's between 12 to 15 percent rye in the bourbon mash bill
um but yeah that's kind of their their shtick I guess I would say but yeah really um dark and
deep notes on the nose I mean it kind of reminds me of a uh I’ve used this note quite a few times
on the channel like a Cow Tales candy or like one of those caramel candies with a cream in the center
(16:52):
that you used to get from your grandma that's a note that I’ve often got on mash bill number two
and this is no exception but it does know it's quite a bit richer than what I expect from
um a note like that it's definitely those darker richer roasty deep caramel notes almost like a
molasses level I wouldn't say so much on the nose it's still sweeter than I think like a molasses
(17:15):
would do molasses goes really dark and not savory but molasses has like a extremely dark a little
bit of a bitter quality to it this is still in the the caramel territory not bitter just very very
sweet up front creamy and uh a little bit of oak on the back end man this smells delicious I can't
wait to give it a try so let's go for it cheers y'all wow okay yep that is that is cask strength
(17:39):
for sure let me check the proof of that and what I say it was 123.8 so coming in at 61.9 abv so
not you know low proof by any means about on par with a lot of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases or
you know more than a Knob Creek single barrel pick so it's up there and proof probably one of
the higher bourbons I have in my collection at the moment so definitely comes through with that proof
(18:01):
but what I find interesting is there's a lot more fruitiness on this than I’ve gotten on any other
mash bill number two products sometimes with those I get a little bit of like a uh like a pear or
like a peach I think um on the Rock Hill Farms I reviewed a few weeks back it kind of came across
as like a pear cobbler like a peach cobbler this one is a little darker a little bit more in the
red fruit territory which is something I usually associate with mash bill number one so I’m throwing
(18:26):
off a little bit here all right hold on there is a little bit of a difference with mash bill number
one things like Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace or Stagg, I get a dark black cherry note like a very
rich deep cherry flavor this one's giving me cherry but it's a little bit more in the artificial
cherry category of cherry it's very subtle like it's not the point where it's overpowering where
(18:46):
it tastes like cough syrup or anything like that but when I’m trying to dissect that cherry note
it's definitely more in the sweeter more candied cherry note like when someone makes you an
old-fashioned with a maraschino cherry compared to a Luxardo cherry there's a big difference and
this is this is about the same amount of difference that I get between those two not to say
that it's not good but when I’m looking for that sweeter red fruit note it's definitely more of a
(19:08):
sugary um sugar-soaked red fruit and interestingly enough at that higher proof the rye does show
itself I mean they're giving a little bit of that like minty kind of sweetness again when
combining mint with sweet I always think peppermint it's kind of in that realm where it's
like not quite like minty like herbal or herbaceous or anything like that but a little bit more like
(19:28):
a candy that has a little bit of like a menthol kind of note to it mouthfeel wise it's pretty
coating especially at the front end of the palate, it kind of lingers and falls off a little bit
towards the finish honestly I was expecting a little bit longer of a finish with this release
this one really does excel at the mid palette but once it goes into the finish it kind of lingers
with a little bit of that like peppermint note and kind of goes on your throat like you just
(19:52):
swallowed a sweet piece of candy it doesn't linger with the heat but it lingers with kind of like the
the sweeter menthol kind of characteristics to it let me let me take another sip just to focus
on the finish yeah I mean I even want to go a little bit toasty with that finish as well it
kind of leads into like a bit of a pie crust but very very sweet like a sweet glazed pie crust on
the finish not bad by any means I just think it feels a little bit light of a finish at least
(20:16):
this particular straight from the barrel release now a lot of people consider Blanton’s Straight from
the Barrel equivalent to some of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection releases. I think with
this particular bottle right here I wouldn't put it on par with that I think it's great I think it's
one of the best expressions from mash bill number two that I’ve had that wasn't BTAC. um I’m not
(20:36):
disappointed at all about having a chance to try a bottle I’m excited to see if it opens up quite a
bit and I’m also excited to share it with other folks that are curious to try this like I said
i kind of want to do a Blanton's stream where I taste this the Gold the um regular Blanton's a
store pickled of Blanton's we'll do the whole thing we might throw in another random mash bill number
two product in there as well so you guys make sure to subscribe because not only do I go live
(20:58):
on Thursdays I also do a surprise Saturday night live stream every now and then so check it out but
yeah I’m not mad about that I I would love to try it next to the gold but I’m gonna wait till I do
that stream for that so stay tuned all right well before I go I just want to give a quick shout out
to all of my supporters over on bourbonbytes.com which is my home on the internet it's where you
(21:18):
can join the Byte Club if you know you know you get access to some fun things like our movie
nights which are happening this week our after parties which happen after every Thursday night
live stream and our monthly sample tasting at the higher tiers can't speak too much about this
on the podcast but if you go to bourbonbytes.com you can find out all the details there but you
(21:39):
also support the channel for as little as two dollars a month however you feel comfortable
supporting the channel now if you don't want to go to bourbonbytes.com you can also go to
patreon.com/bourbonbytes same thing there just bourbonbytes.com not only supports me the
creator more more the percent goes to me from your monthly contribution but you get access to
fun things like discounts on merch so lots of advantages to join at bourbonbites.com but if
(22:05):
that's not your jam feel free to get me a follow on your favorite social media platforms I’m
@BourbonBytes on Instagram TikTok Facebook YouTube wherever you want to find me you can find me if
you have any questions or comments about the show you can reach me at contact@bourbonbytes.com
most of all feel free to leave a rating on your favorite podcast platform letting folks know why
(22:27):
you enjoy the show or what suggestions you have to improve the show because I’ll be back every week
all right cheers y'all thank you so much for listening until next time this has been the
Bourbon Bytes Podcast, a whiskey podcast with an 80s twist. I’m your host Clifton and I’ll talk to
you guys next episode!
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