July 31, 2025 • 21 mins
This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, Clifton takes you behind the blue wax to review the Maker’s Mark Champion Selection, handpicked by the Los Angeles Dodgers to celebrate their 2024 World Series win. He dives into hot whiskey headlines—Buffalo Trace's bold Weller 18 release, heirloom corn making waves at craft distilleries, and Old Forester’s 1910 Extra Extra Old. Plus, find out which distillery just dominated the 2025 New Orleans Spirits Competition.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Today on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, Buffalo Trace yet again releases two new wheat whiskies,
we talk about some distilleries getting nerdy with their corn varieties,
and Heaven Hill wins big at the 2025 New Orleans Spirits competition.
Plus, we'll find out if the Los Angeles Dodgers
Maker's Mark Champion Selection is a foul ball or a home run.
(00:31):
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Bourbon Bytes Podcast,
whiskey reviews with a gaming twist. I'm your host Clifton and welcome to the week of Thursday,
July 31st. Just like I said last week, the summer is flying by, but hopefully you guys are enjoying
it. I just went to the Orange County Fair over the weekend, had to have some fair food with some
fried pickles and some fried Oreos and a lot of carne asada. I always feel like the fair rejuvenates
(00:55):
me a bit. I guess maybe just because I've been going since I was younger, but I just like going
right around sunset, you know, people watching, just kind of enjoying the vibe. So I don't know,
are you a fair person or are you a absolutely not fair person? Because I feel like there's two
different types of people, right? Either you're really excited about the really greasy, bad for
you food, or you think you're too good for it. Okay, not really like that, but I don't know,
(01:17):
I get what some people may not like it, but for me, I do enjoy to indulge a little bit when I can.
Kind of reminds me of the South and all the great eats we had back there. Although I don't think
California fairs compete on the level of state fairs in the South or maybe even the Midwest. I
think we kind of have that area beat, but everything else I think, you know, entertainment wise is
better out here. But I got to say a Southern fair in the fall is just, you know, my happy place.
(01:43):
But we're not here to talk about that. We are here to talk about the latest and greatest news
in the world of whiskey and review something cool. And I think this bottle is very appropriate
for me to be talking about California vibes because later on in the review, I'll be reviewing
the special edition LA Dodgers Champion Selection from Maker's Mark. I saw this bottle go on sale
(02:04):
and I thought it was just a fancy wax, but no, there is much more to it. So we'll get into that
later. We got some news to get into first. So pour yourself a glass or a cup of coffee, depending on
when you're listening to this and stay tuned for the news. I feel like we start off every week with
the Buffalo Trace story, but they're just really coming out with a ton of news around the time that
I'm restarting this podcast. So last week, we talked about the new E.H. Taylor Distiller's
(02:25):
Council release. Well, Buffalo Trace is back at it again with a brand new, not one, but two releases
announced this week, including Weller 18, which is the oldest age stated whiskey in the Weller
lineup to date. Now, this isn't your ordinary Weller. This one comes in a very special box.
It's very reminiscent of the Double Eagle Very Rare presentation, beautiful glass decanter. It
(02:49):
is coming as a travel retail exclusive coming in at 90 proof and aged 18 years. It's only going to
be available at select international airport duty free shops, including LAX, which I happen to live
right by JFK and LHR. But what's unique is Weller 18 is not the same mash bill as the traditional
Weller. So it's not the same high wheat bourbon mash bill that we see in like Weller 12, Weller
(03:13):
Special Reserve, Antique. Now, this is technically a wheat whiskey, which means it's made with at
least 51% wheat in the mash bill. Buffalo Trace isn't going to reveal the mash bill just like they
don't own most of their products. But we do know that it's legally a wheat whiskey and that it's
different than the other well-known weeded bourbons like Weller and Pappy and things like that. It's
its own mash bill. Now, Harlan Wheatley, who is Buffalo Trace's master distiller, says that Weller
(03:38):
18 is the culmination of curiosity, tradition and time. Wheat has a softness that can sometimes get
lost with age. But here it's evolved into something rich and beautifully expressive. We're
extremely proud of the resulting whiskey, which showcases the versatility and potential of a wheat
forward mash bill. I think it's interesting that they did stray away from the traditional
(03:58):
weeded bourbon mash bill that they have on other Weller products. I guess it's good that they
went with a different bottle design, because if this had just been like a Weller 12, but they
changed the 12 to an 18, they colored it purple, I don't know, whatever color that would come up next.
I think people would be very confused about why it's a different mash bill. But this one comes in
a crystal decanter, very similar to the one for the Weller Millennium, which we'll talk about in
(04:20):
just a second. And it has a sliding presentation case, which is kind of what reminded me of the
Double Eagle Very Rare. So it's not quite that level of presentation, but it's definitely very
unique looking. Suggested retail on it is $499 for a 700 milliliter bottle. What can I say about
Weller? It's so hard to kind of get a read on if that's a good price or a bad price. I know people
(04:40):
pay a ton of money for other Weller products. I think retail on like the Full Proof was supposed
to be $50, but I've seen, you know, picks of it going for like $80 to $100. $500 for an 18 year
old Weller. To me, I think I'll pass on it, you know, unless you guys really convince me next time
I'm in LAX and you guys are like, Clifton you have to try it for the podcast or the stream,
(05:01):
then maybe you'll convince me. But otherwise, I think I'll pass on it. But it is an interesting
release. And it's not the only one, because like I said, they're coming out with the Weller
Millennium 2. This is their second release ever of the Weller Millennium lineup. It was introduced
last May as the most premium bottle in the entire Weller lineup with a suggested retail price of
$7,500. Yes, you heard that right. $7,500 retail. Now we don't know what that's going to go for on
(05:30):
secondary, if it will have a secondary market. I don't know. It's always difficult with these
really high aged products to tell if they're going to, you know, be a huge success. I mean,
I just got an email from Total Wine recently about a Double Eagle Very Rare, which is probably
why it's top of mind. They were selling it a bit over retail, but they had it in stock. So it's
like, are these really selling? Or are they just kind of selling to the select few mega rich
(05:52):
collectors out there? Because there's a chance that that's the case too. But I don't know. I
think it's interesting that they're releasing these at the same time. Because one, you know,
once you hear that this one's $7,500, you look back at that $499 of the Weller 18, you're like,
oh, that's not that bad. And they do come in a similar bottle too. So it's like, it kind of
depends. Like, what is your level of collector? To me? I don't know. I'm a bourbon drinker versus
(06:13):
a bourbon collector. I think I won't be picking up either of them. But yeah, if I was going to buy
one just to have, I'm definitely more in the $499 range than the $7,500 range. This year's release
features a marriage of whiskeys distilled in 2001, which is 2.9% of it. 2003, which is 46.5%
of it. And 2006, which is 50.6% of it. I'm not good at math, but that does seem to add up to
(06:38):
100. So they do tell you what all is in it. They don't tell you how much of that is the wheat
whiskey and how much of it is the weeded bourbon. But it is coming in at 99 proof. Now, the way to
differentiate this between the Millennium No. 1 release is that one had a white label on it,
whereas this one has a gold label that kind of gives you the details on what's in it. Now,
according to Andrew Duncan, who is their global brand ambassador, they think that this edition
(07:00):
takes things a step further with a blend that they humbly, humbly, as they release this product,
believe is an improvement over the well-regarded first edition. It says they have revisited a
chapter in the distillery's history that shaped who they are today with these older whiskeys
being part of the blend. Now, as with almost every Buffalo Trace release, this one is going to be
highly allocated. They're going to have it available at the Buffalo Trace gift shop along with Legacy
(07:24):
de Forge, which is an online platform created through a collaboration between Sazerac and
BlockBar. I'm looking at the Legacy de Forge website and it does have the listing for the
Weller Millennium No. 2. Their auction is live now, actually. There's a bid. The starting bid
is $8,000, which is interesting. Wow. Okay. I need to do a little bit more research on this Legacy
(07:46):
de Forge website. It seems like they're kind of auctioning off some Buffalo Trace products. So
that's a topic for another day. I won't speak on what I don't know. That's my lesson for today.
But what I do know very well is Old Forester's 1910 Extra Old Bourbon. But we're not talking
the initial release from back in 2021. This is a new addition to the 117 Series, which is their
(08:07):
more limited, usually they're sold in 375ml bottles, releases. And they're calling this one 1910 Extra
Extra Old. So it's taking everything that Old Forester fans love about the 1910 expression
and doubling it. So it's the same process. They're going to do an extra age on it. So a double
barreled whiskey, but this one is aged for an additional 24 months in heavily charred secondary
(08:30):
oak. So that's the same kind of process as the standard 1910, but for a much, much longer
period of time. They say that this bourbon exemplifies our innovative spirit at Old
Forester by taking something great and making it even better. The additional maturation levels to
this release unlocked incredibly robust and distinctive flavor. So fun fact, or I guess not
(08:51):
so fun fact. The 1910 series is named after a fire that struck the Old Forester distillery back in
1910, and they actually had to take the whiskey out of the existing barrels and put them into a
new barrel before bottling because of all the fire damage. So that re-barreling process is what
the 1910 Old Forester 1910 on the Whiskey Row series is named after, but this release as well.
(09:13):
It's supposed to be everything we love about 1910, but with a bolder oak influence and richer flavor,
and I'm here for it. I will say the one that I love the most out of the Whiskey Row series was
the Old Forester 1924. To me, that one was a different mash bill and it just had a whole
overall different flavor profile that I really, really fell in love with. But after spending some
time with it and going back to the 1910, I saw a lot of similarities that I appreciated from the
(09:36):
1924 in the 1910. So I think in terms of standard releases, the 1910 is still the way to go for
me, but I will definitely be seeking out a bottle of this extra, extra old 1910. Now it's going to
retail for $64.99 and 93 proof. It's going to be sold in limited quantities at the distillery and
select Kentucky retailers, but it's also available for customers in DC, Kentucky, Nebraska, New
(09:59):
Hampshire, and North Dakota at shop.oldforester.com. So unfortunately, it's not one that I can go out
and grab today, but I hope one day to get a taste of it because like I said, someone that loves a
big, bold, rich, oaky flavor. This sounds right up my alley and you know, anything with extra
oak and extra maturation, I'm going to be here for. So let me know if you guys get a chance to
try it and let me know how it compares to 1910. I'd love to do a side-by-side, but if you're able
(10:23):
to do so, let me know how you think. Do you think it's worth the extra price or the limited release,
or are you happy just sticking with the original 1910? Would love to know your answer. Now here's
an interesting one. I came across a fun article from shortlist.com talking about how corn or more
specifically heirloom corn is making a comeback in the world of whiskey. And this kind of resonates
(10:45):
with my home state of South Carolina and the city that I fell in love with and went to college in
Charleston. High Wire Distilling has been doing a red corn whiskey for years. I mean, they did it
back when I lived there. So we're talking almost a decade. This heirloom corn is called James
Island Red. So the bourbon they released is called Jimmy Red. It's a hundred percent corn bourbon made
(11:07):
from that corn. And I think things like that are what make these distilleries stand out. Even amongst
a sea of craft distilleries, bringing back something that has tradition and has relevancy
to the region where it's, you know, made is a way to introduce people, one, to the culture and the
history of the region, and two, to the unique flavors of, you know, the area. I mean, I love
(11:29):
Charleston culture. I love Charleston cuisine. So when I saw that they were making a whiskey out of a
red corn that was grown just there on James Island, to me, I had to buy a bottle. Actually, I still
have a bottle that I haven't opened of a single barrel I bought from them. So maybe one day
I'll open that. I don't know why I've been holding on to it. I think it just looks really cool and
it's just kind of a nice conversation piece. I'll find a day to open it sometime soon. It's not like
(11:49):
something super special, but I just think it's kind of cool that, um, to have that in my collection.
And there's a quote from Scott Blackwell, who's the one that runs that distillery, and he says
he thinks that there's a potential for corn and bourbon to be explored in ways akin to the
appreciation of flavor notes in wine or chocolate, products that, as consumers, we have so much more
knowledge about, and especially since corn is the primary ingredient for the drink. But Highwire
(12:11):
Distilling, of course, isn't the only one using heirloom inherited corn in their, uh, whiskey.
Jeptha Creed, who has been making Bloody Butcher, um, whiskey for a long time, as well as Bruce's
Blue Corn, but now they're experimenting with a new variety, or new to the world of whiskey variety,
called Hickey King Corn. So I love to, I would love to sit down and try a flight of all these
(12:32):
different whiskeys made the exact same way, aged the same amount of time, and see how much that
corn can influence the flavor. Because we know grains matter. I mean, we look at a lot of distilleries
that source, you know, local grains, and there's a huge variation in flavor between, like, a rye
whiskey source from New York or a rye whiskey source from Canada. I mean, there's, there's
such a flavor variation in that alone that I think it's so fun to see. Let's get more nitpicky. Let's
(12:55):
not just say, corn, tell me about the corn. Where's it from? You know, is it have a historical
significance to where it's being grown? And, and, you know, play a part into the whiskey culture of
Oklahoma or wherever you're making it. I love seeing new things like this. It's not like
changing the world of whiskey. We're not like adding weird things into whiskey to make it
taste different. We're just experimenting with different, you know, strains of, of the grains
(13:17):
that go in it. And I'm all here for that. Let me know what's the craziest, um, whiskey ingredient
you've heard of being added to a whiskey. I know there's some distilleries that do some
things with some rice. There's some distilleries that do, oh gosh, lots of, lots of interesting
things, but let me know what's the craziest grain you've seen put in a whiskey that can still
legally be called whiskey. I'd love to know. Leave a comment on my Discord channel, which,
(13:40):
by the way, if you're not yet on, you can join at bourbonbytes.com completely free. But if you
are a member of our Byte Club, which is our membership program, you get access to some
exclusive rooms like our VIP lounge, our gaming sessions, our monthly movie nights,
our tasting parties for certain tiers and higher. It's just a great community of whiskey loving
friends. It's a relatively small community. So don't feel like you're going to go in and get
(14:00):
overwhelmed by, you know, thousands of people. There's only a good active 10 to 15 on the
regular. And then of course, plenty more that come in and out, but, um, yeah, relatively small group
would love to have you a part of it. We're always looking for new members and, uh, come drink with
us. It's a lot of fun. So bourbonbytes.com is where you can join the Discord as well as join the Byte
Club, which is like I said, the membership program. So, but wherever you choose to support
(14:22):
me, just make sure you're following me on your favorite social media platform @bourbonbytes
and your favorite podcast app, which you're hopefully listening to this on now. Now one
quick last piece of news, um, just cause I want to highlight an achievement from one of my favorite
distilleries. Heaven Hill was actually named the distillery of the year at the 2025 New Orleans
Spirits competition. This is held every year and they have a slew of winnings this year of best
(14:45):
category. So I'll just run through them real quick. They got best bottled in bond bourbon
with Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond, best non-age stated bourbon with Evan Williams 1783 - great
bottle for the price, by the way, that's been kind of like a sleeper. I think in their lineup
best bourbon five to 10 years old, um, was actually the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass
Wheated Bourbon. I haven't had a chance to try that, but I've heard good things about that
Speaking of corn, best corn whiskey, Mellow Corn. Of course, it's more of a staple in the
(15:10):
world of corn whiskey, not heirloom or anything crazy like we just talked about, but, um, yeah,
best corn whiskey, maybe one of those other brands will bring in some competition in a future years.
I'd love to see, you know, as much as I love Mellow Corn, I'd love to see something beat it
out a bit. Sorry. Love you, Bernie Lubbers. Love you about Heaven Hill. Uh, but yeah, we definitely
need some more corn whiskey. I I'm here for it. They also won for best finished bourbon with
(15:32):
Elijah Craig toasted barrel and surprisingly best Anejo tequila with Tequila Ocho Anejo.
And I've heard good things about that as well. So congratulations to the folks over at Heaven
Hill brands. Um, you guys continue to knock it out of the park. There's a reason you're
my favorite distillery, but you know, I'll have a little competition here and there.
So let's see, let's see who brings it in the 2026 New Orleans spirits competition.
(15:52):
All right. Well, that does it for the hottest news of the week that I was able to find. At least
if I find anything else I'll post it on the discord server. Um, but I think it's time for
our Byte Sized review. Now, like I said, this one is a very, very relevant one for me living
(16:13):
in Southern California. This is a collaboration between maker's Mark and the Los Angeles Dodgers
Foundation. Um, it's a limited edition bourbon commemorating the team's 2024 World Series
victory. Now I did not attend that game. I'm not the biggest, you know, sports person,
if you wouldn't have guessed that already by now, but I do know that that was probably one
most watched things that anyone I know has ever seen. I mean, I remember when the wind happened,
(16:38):
I was sitting, um, I think it was sitting on my apartment balcony, just kind of like hanging out.
And I just heard like screams from all over cheers. Like I kind of was scared at first. I'm
like, Oh my God, what is happening? Why is screams coming at me from every direction everywhere? And
then of course fireworks. And it was just, it was a crazy moment, but like not knowing what it was
freaked me that freak out. But once I realized what it was, which was very, very quick, um,
(17:00):
I, uh, I was very excited for my city. So yeah, this release officially, uh, came out, um, this
summer I saw it hit the stores. And like I said, I ignored it because I was like, Oh, it's just a
blue wax makers. I've seen that before, but no, no, this one actually it's one, it's a unique
product, which we'll talk about, but two, the proceeds from it are supporting wildfire relief
(17:20):
efforts across Los Angeles. If you remember, of course, earlier this year, we had some devastating
wildfires across the Malibu area, Altadena, but more about this bottle retail on it is only 74
99. And I say only because I feel like something like this is a high collectible item. And I'm
surprised that it was still available when I grabbed it this past weekend. And what's really
cool about this one, like I said, it's called maker's Mark champion selection hands selected
(17:43):
by the Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 world champions. It has a dark blue wax, which makes it very,
very unique. It definitely stands out on the shelf. Now underneath the wax is still the standard,
red cork. Yeah, this one comes in at one 12.1 proof or 56.05. It is Kentucky straight bourbon
whiskey barrel finished with 10 oak staves. So you guessed it. It's basically the maker's private
(18:07):
selection process, but hand selected by the Dodgers and the Oak bill for this. If you're
curious about what staves they use, they use three of the baked American pure number two,
five of the seared French cuvee, one of the Maker's Mark 46 and one of the toasted French
spice. So that was the custom oak staves used for this release. Now it's a little confusing
(18:28):
because it does say that the first barrel of this was approximately 275 bottles and has been
donated to the LA Dodgers foundation for charitable auctions and events. And those proceeds will go to
wildfire relief and recovery efforts. So I, I can't tell if they're saying there was only 275
bottles of this. I mean, there's a chance. I mean, they went really fast. That just seems
relatively, uh, relatively low for, um, the amount of Dodgers fan. You would think they
(18:52):
would have done like at least a few different picks, but, um, I don't have any clarifying
information on that. If someone happens to know if there's more, maybe I just got one of the very
limited bottles, but if it is, I'm still happy that I'm opening it and sharing with you guys,
instead of putting it in the closet and forgetting about it and becoming a millionaire in several
years, we'll not think about that. We're going to, we're going to enjoy it while we can. So let's
(19:12):
go in and get that bottle opened. Nice appropriate quirk pop for a baseball bourbon. Let's give it
a nose. Okay. You know, not what I expected from a typical maker's mark. I've been enjoying the
2025, uh, keepers release, and this one definitely goes a different direction than that one. I
reviewed that previously, by the way, check out that replay, but the nose of this it's sweet.
(19:34):
It's definitely in the milk chocolate category, maybe a little bit of peanut brittle there as
well. You know, it's almost making me think of a, uh, baseball baseball stadium. Um, I I'm reading
the description here and they do say caramel coated popcorn and spiced peanuts. So it almost
seemed like that was intentional. They were going for a real, uh, full Dodgers experience. Now I'm
just hoping this doesn't taste like a Dodger dog, um, but notice it's, it's great. It's sweet. It's
(19:57):
deserty. It's, um, yeah, it definitely doesn't scream Maker's Mark. Doesn't scream wheated
bourbon. Let's go in and give it a taste. Cheers and go Dodgers.
Oh yeah. You know what? Maybe I've convinced myself now because the first thing I thought
of on the pallet was Cracker Jacks. I mean, I've never had Cracker Jacks at a baseball game,
but I figured that's what one does in 1950s Americana. Um, but yeah, it is like caramel
(20:19):
popcorn. That was their note that they gave on their press release, but absolutely. That's so
like dominant of a note on the palate. Wow. I mean, it's got a nice spice to it too. It's not
all caramel. There's a nice, um, bit of a baking spice on the back end of that. So it's not one
note at all. It's really complex. That second sip to me was spicier, still sweet, but a lot more
(20:40):
of the Oak and the spices came out on second set. It's a buttery finish. So it's not the longest,
but it's definitely a medium finish, but it's sweet. It's like buttery and it brings it right
back to that caramel corn note, um, that we got at the top of it. Wow. What a good Maker's Mark
selection. Well done. Los Angeles Dodgers. Who knew you had it in you? The Dodgers totally hit
(21:00):
it out of the park with this one. Sorry. Couldn't resist. All right. Well that does it for this
week's episode. Thank you all so much for listening. Make sure to leave a rating and
review on your favorite podcast platform. I promise I will try to read them out on an upcoming
podcast. Always great to see you guys leaving feedback on the podcast and the YouTube channel.
Of course, speaking of YouTube, I go live every Thursday night, 7 PM Pacific, 10 PM Eastern.
(21:22):
Come say hello. Say you're from the podcast. I would love to meet some of you that I don't
interact with more regularly, but until next time, this has been the Bourbon Bytes Podcast,
a whiskey podcast with a, I guess, baseball twist this week. I don't know.
Cheers. And I will talk to you guys next episode.
Today on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, Buffalo Trace yet again releases two new wheat whiskies,
we talk about some distilleries getting nerdy with their corn varieties,
and Heaven Hill wins big at the 2025 New Orleans Spirits competition.
Plus, we'll find out if the Los Angeles Dodgers
Maker's Mark Champion Selection is a foul ball or a home run.
(00:31):
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Bourbon Bytes Podcast,
whiskey reviews with a gaming twist. I'm your host Clifton and welcome to the week of Thursday,
July 31st. Just like I said last week, the summer is flying by, but hopefully you guys are enjoying
it. I just went to the Orange County Fair over the weekend, had to have some fair food with some
fried pickles and some fried Oreos and a lot of carne asada. I always feel like the fair rejuvenates
(00:55):
me a bit. I guess maybe just because I've been going since I was younger, but I just like going
right around sunset, you know, people watching, just kind of enjoying the vibe. So I don't know,
are you a fair person or are you a absolutely not fair person? Because I feel like there's two
different types of people, right? Either you're really excited about the really greasy, bad for
you food, or you think you're too good for it. Okay, not really like that, but I don't know,
(01:17):
I get what some people may not like it, but for me, I do enjoy to indulge a little bit when I can.
Kind of reminds me of the South and all the great eats we had back there. Although I don't think
California fairs compete on the level of state fairs in the South or maybe even the Midwest. I
think we kind of have that area beat, but everything else I think, you know, entertainment wise is
better out here. But I got to say a Southern fair in the fall is just, you know, my happy place.
(01:43):
But we're not here to talk about that. We are here to talk about the latest and greatest news
in the world of whiskey and review something cool. And I think this bottle is very appropriate
for me to be talking about California vibes because later on in the review, I'll be reviewing
the special edition LA Dodgers Champion Selection from Maker's Mark. I saw this bottle go on sale
(02:04):
and I thought it was just a fancy wax, but no, there is much more to it. So we'll get into that
later. We got some news to get into first. So pour yourself a glass or a cup of coffee, depending on
when you're listening to this and stay tuned for the news. I feel like we start off every week with
the Buffalo Trace story, but they're just really coming out with a ton of news around the time that
I'm restarting this podcast. So last week, we talked about the new E.H. Taylor Distiller's
(02:25):
Council release. Well, Buffalo Trace is back at it again with a brand new, not one, but two releases
announced this week, including Weller 18, which is the oldest age stated whiskey in the Weller
lineup to date. Now, this isn't your ordinary Weller. This one comes in a very special box.
It's very reminiscent of the Double Eagle Very Rare presentation, beautiful glass decanter. It
(02:49):
is coming as a travel retail exclusive coming in at 90 proof and aged 18 years. It's only going to
be available at select international airport duty free shops, including LAX, which I happen to live
right by JFK and LHR. But what's unique is Weller 18 is not the same mash bill as the traditional
Weller. So it's not the same high wheat bourbon mash bill that we see in like Weller 12, Weller
(03:13):
Special Reserve, Antique. Now, this is technically a wheat whiskey, which means it's made with at
least 51% wheat in the mash bill. Buffalo Trace isn't going to reveal the mash bill just like they
don't own most of their products. But we do know that it's legally a wheat whiskey and that it's
different than the other well-known weeded bourbons like Weller and Pappy and things like that. It's
its own mash bill. Now, Harlan Wheatley, who is Buffalo Trace's master distiller, says that Weller
(03:38):
18 is the culmination of curiosity, tradition and time. Wheat has a softness that can sometimes get
lost with age. But here it's evolved into something rich and beautifully expressive. We're
extremely proud of the resulting whiskey, which showcases the versatility and potential of a wheat
forward mash bill. I think it's interesting that they did stray away from the traditional
(03:58):
weeded bourbon mash bill that they have on other Weller products. I guess it's good that they
went with a different bottle design, because if this had just been like a Weller 12, but they
changed the 12 to an 18, they colored it purple, I don't know, whatever color that would come up next.
I think people would be very confused about why it's a different mash bill. But this one comes in
a crystal decanter, very similar to the one for the Weller Millennium, which we'll talk about in
(04:20):
just a second. And it has a sliding presentation case, which is kind of what reminded me of the
Double Eagle Very Rare. So it's not quite that level of presentation, but it's definitely very
unique looking. Suggested retail on it is $499 for a 700 milliliter bottle. What can I say about
Weller? It's so hard to kind of get a read on if that's a good price or a bad price. I know people
(04:40):
pay a ton of money for other Weller products. I think retail on like the Full Proof was supposed
to be $50, but I've seen, you know, picks of it going for like $80 to $100. $500 for an 18 year
old Weller. To me, I think I'll pass on it, you know, unless you guys really convince me next time
I'm in LAX and you guys are like, Clifton you have to try it for the podcast or the stream,
(05:01):
then maybe you'll convince me. But otherwise, I think I'll pass on it. But it is an interesting
release. And it's not the only one, because like I said, they're coming out with the Weller
Millennium 2. This is their second release ever of the Weller Millennium lineup. It was introduced
last May as the most premium bottle in the entire Weller lineup with a suggested retail price of
$7,500. Yes, you heard that right. $7,500 retail. Now we don't know what that's going to go for on
(05:30):
secondary, if it will have a secondary market. I don't know. It's always difficult with these
really high aged products to tell if they're going to, you know, be a huge success. I mean,
I just got an email from Total Wine recently about a Double Eagle Very Rare, which is probably
why it's top of mind. They were selling it a bit over retail, but they had it in stock. So it's
like, are these really selling? Or are they just kind of selling to the select few mega rich
(05:52):
collectors out there? Because there's a chance that that's the case too. But I don't know. I
think it's interesting that they're releasing these at the same time. Because one, you know,
once you hear that this one's $7,500, you look back at that $499 of the Weller 18, you're like,
oh, that's not that bad. And they do come in a similar bottle too. So it's like, it kind of
depends. Like, what is your level of collector? To me? I don't know. I'm a bourbon drinker versus
(06:13):
a bourbon collector. I think I won't be picking up either of them. But yeah, if I was going to buy
one just to have, I'm definitely more in the $499 range than the $7,500 range. This year's release
features a marriage of whiskeys distilled in 2001, which is 2.9% of it. 2003, which is 46.5%
of it. And 2006, which is 50.6% of it. I'm not good at math, but that does seem to add up to
(06:38):
100. So they do tell you what all is in it. They don't tell you how much of that is the wheat
whiskey and how much of it is the weeded bourbon. But it is coming in at 99 proof. Now, the way to
differentiate this between the Millennium No. 1 release is that one had a white label on it,
whereas this one has a gold label that kind of gives you the details on what's in it. Now,
according to Andrew Duncan, who is their global brand ambassador, they think that this edition
(07:00):
takes things a step further with a blend that they humbly, humbly, as they release this product,
believe is an improvement over the well-regarded first edition. It says they have revisited a
chapter in the distillery's history that shaped who they are today with these older whiskeys
being part of the blend. Now, as with almost every Buffalo Trace release, this one is going to be
highly allocated. They're going to have it available at the Buffalo Trace gift shop along with Legacy
(07:24):
de Forge, which is an online platform created through a collaboration between Sazerac and
BlockBar. I'm looking at the Legacy de Forge website and it does have the listing for the
Weller Millennium No. 2. Their auction is live now, actually. There's a bid. The starting bid
is $8,000, which is interesting. Wow. Okay. I need to do a little bit more research on this Legacy
(07:46):
de Forge website. It seems like they're kind of auctioning off some Buffalo Trace products. So
that's a topic for another day. I won't speak on what I don't know. That's my lesson for today.
But what I do know very well is Old Forester's 1910 Extra Old Bourbon. But we're not talking
the initial release from back in 2021. This is a new addition to the 117 Series, which is their
(08:07):
more limited, usually they're sold in 375ml bottles, releases. And they're calling this one 1910 Extra
Extra Old. So it's taking everything that Old Forester fans love about the 1910 expression
and doubling it. So it's the same process. They're going to do an extra age on it. So a double
barreled whiskey, but this one is aged for an additional 24 months in heavily charred secondary
(08:30):
oak. So that's the same kind of process as the standard 1910, but for a much, much longer
period of time. They say that this bourbon exemplifies our innovative spirit at Old
Forester by taking something great and making it even better. The additional maturation levels to
this release unlocked incredibly robust and distinctive flavor. So fun fact, or I guess not
(08:51):
so fun fact. The 1910 series is named after a fire that struck the Old Forester distillery back in
1910, and they actually had to take the whiskey out of the existing barrels and put them into a
new barrel before bottling because of all the fire damage. So that re-barreling process is what
the 1910 Old Forester 1910 on the Whiskey Row series is named after, but this release as well.
(09:13):
It's supposed to be everything we love about 1910, but with a bolder oak influence and richer flavor,
and I'm here for it. I will say the one that I love the most out of the Whiskey Row series was
the Old Forester 1924. To me, that one was a different mash bill and it just had a whole
overall different flavor profile that I really, really fell in love with. But after spending some
time with it and going back to the 1910, I saw a lot of similarities that I appreciated from the
(09:36):
1924 in the 1910. So I think in terms of standard releases, the 1910 is still the way to go for
me, but I will definitely be seeking out a bottle of this extra, extra old 1910. Now it's going to
retail for $64.99 and 93 proof. It's going to be sold in limited quantities at the distillery and
select Kentucky retailers, but it's also available for customers in DC, Kentucky, Nebraska, New
(09:59):
Hampshire, and North Dakota at shop.oldforester.com. So unfortunately, it's not one that I can go out
and grab today, but I hope one day to get a taste of it because like I said, someone that loves a
big, bold, rich, oaky flavor. This sounds right up my alley and you know, anything with extra
oak and extra maturation, I'm going to be here for. So let me know if you guys get a chance to
try it and let me know how it compares to 1910. I'd love to do a side-by-side, but if you're able
(10:23):
to do so, let me know how you think. Do you think it's worth the extra price or the limited release,
or are you happy just sticking with the original 1910? Would love to know your answer. Now here's
an interesting one. I came across a fun article from shortlist.com talking about how corn or more
specifically heirloom corn is making a comeback in the world of whiskey. And this kind of resonates
(10:45):
with my home state of South Carolina and the city that I fell in love with and went to college in
Charleston. High Wire Distilling has been doing a red corn whiskey for years. I mean, they did it
back when I lived there. So we're talking almost a decade. This heirloom corn is called James
Island Red. So the bourbon they released is called Jimmy Red. It's a hundred percent corn bourbon made
(11:07):
from that corn. And I think things like that are what make these distilleries stand out. Even amongst
a sea of craft distilleries, bringing back something that has tradition and has relevancy
to the region where it's, you know, made is a way to introduce people, one, to the culture and the
history of the region, and two, to the unique flavors of, you know, the area. I mean, I love
(11:29):
Charleston culture. I love Charleston cuisine. So when I saw that they were making a whiskey out of a
red corn that was grown just there on James Island, to me, I had to buy a bottle. Actually, I still
have a bottle that I haven't opened of a single barrel I bought from them. So maybe one day
I'll open that. I don't know why I've been holding on to it. I think it just looks really cool and
it's just kind of a nice conversation piece. I'll find a day to open it sometime soon. It's not like
(11:49):
something super special, but I just think it's kind of cool that, um, to have that in my collection.
And there's a quote from Scott Blackwell, who's the one that runs that distillery, and he says
he thinks that there's a potential for corn and bourbon to be explored in ways akin to the
appreciation of flavor notes in wine or chocolate, products that, as consumers, we have so much more
knowledge about, and especially since corn is the primary ingredient for the drink. But Highwire
(12:11):
Distilling, of course, isn't the only one using heirloom inherited corn in their, uh, whiskey.
Jeptha Creed, who has been making Bloody Butcher, um, whiskey for a long time, as well as Bruce's
Blue Corn, but now they're experimenting with a new variety, or new to the world of whiskey variety,
called Hickey King Corn. So I love to, I would love to sit down and try a flight of all these
(12:32):
different whiskeys made the exact same way, aged the same amount of time, and see how much that
corn can influence the flavor. Because we know grains matter. I mean, we look at a lot of distilleries
that source, you know, local grains, and there's a huge variation in flavor between, like, a rye
whiskey source from New York or a rye whiskey source from Canada. I mean, there's, there's
such a flavor variation in that alone that I think it's so fun to see. Let's get more nitpicky. Let's
(12:55):
not just say, corn, tell me about the corn. Where's it from? You know, is it have a historical
significance to where it's being grown? And, and, you know, play a part into the whiskey culture of
Oklahoma or wherever you're making it. I love seeing new things like this. It's not like
changing the world of whiskey. We're not like adding weird things into whiskey to make it
taste different. We're just experimenting with different, you know, strains of, of the grains
(13:17):
that go in it. And I'm all here for that. Let me know what's the craziest, um, whiskey ingredient
you've heard of being added to a whiskey. I know there's some distilleries that do some
things with some rice. There's some distilleries that do, oh gosh, lots of, lots of interesting
things, but let me know what's the craziest grain you've seen put in a whiskey that can still
legally be called whiskey. I'd love to know. Leave a comment on my Discord channel, which,
(13:40):
by the way, if you're not yet on, you can join at bourbonbytes.com completely free. But if you
are a member of our Byte Club, which is our membership program, you get access to some
exclusive rooms like our VIP lounge, our gaming sessions, our monthly movie nights,
our tasting parties for certain tiers and higher. It's just a great community of whiskey loving
friends. It's a relatively small community. So don't feel like you're going to go in and get
(14:00):
overwhelmed by, you know, thousands of people. There's only a good active 10 to 15 on the
regular. And then of course, plenty more that come in and out, but, um, yeah, relatively small group
would love to have you a part of it. We're always looking for new members and, uh, come drink with
us. It's a lot of fun. So bourbonbytes.com is where you can join the Discord as well as join the Byte
Club, which is like I said, the membership program. So, but wherever you choose to support
(14:22):
me, just make sure you're following me on your favorite social media platform @bourbonbytes
and your favorite podcast app, which you're hopefully listening to this on now. Now one
quick last piece of news, um, just cause I want to highlight an achievement from one of my favorite
distilleries. Heaven Hill was actually named the distillery of the year at the 2025 New Orleans
Spirits competition. This is held every year and they have a slew of winnings this year of best
(14:45):
category. So I'll just run through them real quick. They got best bottled in bond bourbon
with Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond, best non-age stated bourbon with Evan Williams 1783 - great
bottle for the price, by the way, that's been kind of like a sleeper. I think in their lineup
best bourbon five to 10 years old, um, was actually the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass
Wheated Bourbon. I haven't had a chance to try that, but I've heard good things about that
Speaking of corn, best corn whiskey, Mellow Corn. Of course, it's more of a staple in the
(15:10):
world of corn whiskey, not heirloom or anything crazy like we just talked about, but, um, yeah,
best corn whiskey, maybe one of those other brands will bring in some competition in a future years.
I'd love to see, you know, as much as I love Mellow Corn, I'd love to see something beat it
out a bit. Sorry. Love you, Bernie Lubbers. Love you about Heaven Hill. Uh, but yeah, we definitely
need some more corn whiskey. I I'm here for it. They also won for best finished bourbon with
(15:32):
Elijah Craig toasted barrel and surprisingly best Anejo tequila with Tequila Ocho Anejo.
And I've heard good things about that as well. So congratulations to the folks over at Heaven
Hill brands. Um, you guys continue to knock it out of the park. There's a reason you're
my favorite distillery, but you know, I'll have a little competition here and there.
So let's see, let's see who brings it in the 2026 New Orleans spirits competition.
(15:52):
All right. Well, that does it for the hottest news of the week that I was able to find. At least
if I find anything else I'll post it on the discord server. Um, but I think it's time for
our Byte Sized review. Now, like I said, this one is a very, very relevant one for me living
(16:13):
in Southern California. This is a collaboration between maker's Mark and the Los Angeles Dodgers
Foundation. Um, it's a limited edition bourbon commemorating the team's 2024 World Series
victory. Now I did not attend that game. I'm not the biggest, you know, sports person,
if you wouldn't have guessed that already by now, but I do know that that was probably one
most watched things that anyone I know has ever seen. I mean, I remember when the wind happened,
(16:38):
I was sitting, um, I think it was sitting on my apartment balcony, just kind of like hanging out.
And I just heard like screams from all over cheers. Like I kind of was scared at first. I'm
like, Oh my God, what is happening? Why is screams coming at me from every direction everywhere? And
then of course fireworks. And it was just, it was a crazy moment, but like not knowing what it was
freaked me that freak out. But once I realized what it was, which was very, very quick, um,
(17:00):
I, uh, I was very excited for my city. So yeah, this release officially, uh, came out, um, this
summer I saw it hit the stores. And like I said, I ignored it because I was like, Oh, it's just a
blue wax makers. I've seen that before, but no, no, this one actually it's one, it's a unique
product, which we'll talk about, but two, the proceeds from it are supporting wildfire relief
(17:20):
efforts across Los Angeles. If you remember, of course, earlier this year, we had some devastating
wildfires across the Malibu area, Altadena, but more about this bottle retail on it is only 74
99. And I say only because I feel like something like this is a high collectible item. And I'm
surprised that it was still available when I grabbed it this past weekend. And what's really
cool about this one, like I said, it's called maker's Mark champion selection hands selected
(17:43):
by the Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 world champions. It has a dark blue wax, which makes it very,
very unique. It definitely stands out on the shelf. Now underneath the wax is still the standard,
red cork. Yeah, this one comes in at one 12.1 proof or 56.05. It is Kentucky straight bourbon
whiskey barrel finished with 10 oak staves. So you guessed it. It's basically the maker's private
(18:07):
selection process, but hand selected by the Dodgers and the Oak bill for this. If you're
curious about what staves they use, they use three of the baked American pure number two,
five of the seared French cuvee, one of the Maker's Mark 46 and one of the toasted French
spice. So that was the custom oak staves used for this release. Now it's a little confusing
(18:28):
because it does say that the first barrel of this was approximately 275 bottles and has been
donated to the LA Dodgers foundation for charitable auctions and events. And those proceeds will go to
wildfire relief and recovery efforts. So I, I can't tell if they're saying there was only 275
bottles of this. I mean, there's a chance. I mean, they went really fast. That just seems
relatively, uh, relatively low for, um, the amount of Dodgers fan. You would think they
(18:52):
would have done like at least a few different picks, but, um, I don't have any clarifying
information on that. If someone happens to know if there's more, maybe I just got one of the very
limited bottles, but if it is, I'm still happy that I'm opening it and sharing with you guys,
instead of putting it in the closet and forgetting about it and becoming a millionaire in several
years, we'll not think about that. We're going to, we're going to enjoy it while we can. So let's
(19:12):
go in and get that bottle opened. Nice appropriate quirk pop for a baseball bourbon. Let's give it
a nose. Okay. You know, not what I expected from a typical maker's mark. I've been enjoying the
2025, uh, keepers release, and this one definitely goes a different direction than that one. I
reviewed that previously, by the way, check out that replay, but the nose of this it's sweet.
(19:34):
It's definitely in the milk chocolate category, maybe a little bit of peanut brittle there as
well. You know, it's almost making me think of a, uh, baseball baseball stadium. Um, I I'm reading
the description here and they do say caramel coated popcorn and spiced peanuts. So it almost
seemed like that was intentional. They were going for a real, uh, full Dodgers experience. Now I'm
just hoping this doesn't taste like a Dodger dog, um, but notice it's, it's great. It's sweet. It's
(19:57):
deserty. It's, um, yeah, it definitely doesn't scream Maker's Mark. Doesn't scream wheated
bourbon. Let's go in and give it a taste. Cheers and go Dodgers.
Oh yeah. You know what? Maybe I've convinced myself now because the first thing I thought
of on the pallet was Cracker Jacks. I mean, I've never had Cracker Jacks at a baseball game,
but I figured that's what one does in 1950s Americana. Um, but yeah, it is like caramel
(20:19):
popcorn. That was their note that they gave on their press release, but absolutely. That's so
like dominant of a note on the palate. Wow. I mean, it's got a nice spice to it too. It's not
all caramel. There's a nice, um, bit of a baking spice on the back end of that. So it's not one
note at all. It's really complex. That second sip to me was spicier, still sweet, but a lot more
(20:40):
of the Oak and the spices came out on second set. It's a buttery finish. So it's not the longest,
but it's definitely a medium finish, but it's sweet. It's like buttery and it brings it right
back to that caramel corn note, um, that we got at the top of it. Wow. What a good Maker's Mark
selection. Well done. Los Angeles Dodgers. Who knew you had it in you? The Dodgers totally hit
(21:00):
it out of the park with this one. Sorry. Couldn't resist. All right. Well that does it for this
week's episode. Thank you all so much for listening. Make sure to leave a rating and
review on your favorite podcast platform. I promise I will try to read them out on an upcoming
podcast. Always great to see you guys leaving feedback on the podcast and the YouTube channel.
Of course, speaking of YouTube, I go live every Thursday night, 7 PM Pacific, 10 PM Eastern.
(21:22):
Come say hello. Say you're from the podcast. I would love to meet some of you that I don't
interact with more regularly, but until next time, this has been the Bourbon Bytes Podcast,
a whiskey podcast with a, I guess, baseball twist this week. I don't know.
Cheers. And I will talk to you guys next episode.
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