Bourbon Bytes Podcast

Bourbon is getting strange… and expensive.

This week on Bourbon Bytes, I'm breaking down some of the wildest whiskey news stories of the moment: from Costco’s viral “hot dog bourbon” to Knob Creek’s new Blender’s Edition, Buffalo Trace’s latest experiments, and Angel’s Envy pushing further into ultra-premium territory.

But after all the hype, the real question is… do we actually need all this innovation?

To find out, I review the n...

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, I'm breaking down some of the biggest whiskey news stories of the moment—plus a first impression review of a brand new Bardstown Bourbon Company release.

🔥 Topics include:

• A $549 Daniel Weller experimental release… is this getting out of hand?
• Jack Daniel’s 10, 12, and 14 Year lottery system
• A new Peerless 10-Year Bourbon
• Evan Williams’ Collegiate Single Barrel Series
• New TTB labels fro...

This week on Bourbon Bytes, I’m breaking down one of the biggest trending topics in bourbon right now — recent news and rumors surrounding Green River’s master distiller.

What’s actually confirmed? What’s speculation? And what could it mean for the future of the brand?

Then, I dive into a full review of the brand-new Sazerac Full Proof Rye Whiskey from Sazerac.

Buffalo Trace fans have been waiting for a higher-proof version of this...

On this week’s Bourbon Bytes Podcast, we’re covering some of the biggest whiskey news stories of the week before diving into a cult-favorite bourbon review.

Topics include:

🥃 Remus Experimental Series Wheat Whiskey 🥃 Maker’s Mark 2026 Wood Finishing Series 🥃 Heaven Hill’s Deatsville campus release

Then for this week’s Byte-Sized Review, I’m tasting Evan Williams 12 Year Red Label Bourbon, a Heaven Hill export that’s become a fav...

On this week’s episode of the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, I’m catching up on the latest whiskey and gaming news before diving into a unique bottle that raises an interesting question…

Can Kentucky make good tequila?

Today’s Byte-Sized Review features the Nulu Extra Añejo Blue Agave Spirit from Prohibition Craft Spirits — distilled in Tequila, Mexico but aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. It’s a fascinating crossover between the worlds of...

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, I’m diving into the brand-new Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask Edition — the latest release in the Iberian Series — to see if this sweet Spanish cask finish lives up to the hype.

Does Moscatel bring bold citrus and floral complexity… or is it too dessert-like for a classic single pot still Irish whiskey?

I break down the nose, palate, finish, value, and where this release ranks among other Iberia...

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, I’m covering major whiskey headlines from around the world — including:

🥃 A new cask strength Ardbeg release 🥃 A wine-finished Redbreast from Ireland 🥃 An 18-year-old hazmat release from Barrell Craft Spirits

And then… we get to the main event.

Last year, Green River Full Proof Bourbon was my #1 whiskey of 2025. Now they’ve released a Wheated Full Proof Bourbon — and I’m giving my honest, ...

This week on Bourbon Bytes, I’m digging into a tequila-finished American single malt from Copperworks Distilling and breaking down whether this experimental cask finish actually works.

I also cover whiskey headlines, new releases, and industry chatter before delivering a full ‘Byte-Sized Review’ of the Copperworks American Single Malt finished in Arette tequila casks. From malt-forward sweetness to chocolate notes and surprising ag...

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, we’re getting into the Bardstown Bourbon Company rebrand that has the whiskey internet fully divided — and I’m using it as a jumping-off point to talk bottle redesigns across the industry.

Then it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of Bardstown Bourbon Company Bottled-in-Bond (6-year wheated bourbon, 100 proof) — and… yeah, it surprised me in the best way.

💬 Join the conversation (and see label ...

This week on Bourbon Bytes (a whiskey podcast with a gaming twist), I’m covering a couple big whiskey headlines, a Lunar New Year Scotch release, and some gaming news that has me genuinely hyped.

🥃 Whiskey News

• Knob Creek drops a new Eli Manning single barrel collab

• Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked (2026) expands beyond distillery-only (but that price…)

• Tomatin Year of the Horse 14 Year (PX sherry butt, cask strength...

I'm back from a short break and kicking off the new year with a packed episode of the Bourbon Bytes Podcast! This week we're catching up on the biggest whiskey stories you may have missed — including a brand new Old Fitzgerald from Heaven Hill, a cask strength release from High West, and a look at the highs and lows of Irish whiskey through the end of 2025.

But the star of the show is a very special viewer-sent sample: Van Winkle S...

The final Bourbon Bytes Podcast episode of 2025 is here, and it’s a big one.

In this episode, Clifton wraps up the year with honest reflections on the future of Bourbon Bytes, the bourbon industry heading into 2026, and a "Byte-Sized Review" of the brand-new Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year Cask Strength Bourbon.

Willett is one of the most polarizing names in whiskey, and this new four-year-old, cask strength release has sp...

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, Clifton breaks down a massive wave of upcoming whiskey releases for 2026 — including the rumored return of Knob Creek 12-Year Cask Strength, a newly labeled 7-Year Old Grandad 114, Penelope’s new Madagascar Cognac Finish, Blood Oath Pact 12, Lou Gehrig Remus Reserve, a permanent Templeton Rye Double Oak, and a special 250th Anniversary Rittenhouse 10-Year Bottled-in-Bond.

Then, it’s time for ...

This week, Clifton covers some of the final big whiskey drops of 2025, including new releases from Clyde May’s, Central Waters’ new Great Blue line, State Line Distillery’s debut 5-year rye, and the dramatic relaunch of Copper & Kings under new ownership. Then it’s time for one of the most surprising pours of the year: Bruichladdich Laddie Rye — a 100-proof, 7-year Islay-grown rye-and-barley hybrid that tastes like nothing else...

It’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday Week, and I’m sharing the best whiskey deals, distillery sales, merch discounts, and bottle drops worth your money this season. Whether you’re stocking your bar or shopping for bourbon lovers, I’ve got the highlights you need so you don’t have to scan every mailing list yourself.

Then, I crack open the 2025 Town Branch Imperium Bourbon — a 105-proof, wheated bourbon blend with notes of dark chocolate–...

This week, Clifton digs into one of the biggest questions in whiskey: Is the bourbon boom finally over? After years of price hikes, expansions, and dwindling enthusiasm from younger drinkers, the numbers might finally be catching up. In this episode, he breaks down why the boom may be slowing — and why that might actually be good for bourbon fans.

Then stick around for a Byte-Sized Review of a bottle he’s never tried before: the Be...

This week, Clifton dives into the newest limited-edition release from the Lone Star State: the Garrison Brothers Sonora Bourbon, a seven-year, 108-proof expression finished in rye barrels. Crafted under the guidance of Samantha Olvera, Texas’s first female Latina distiller, Sonora is more than just a whiskey, it’s a celebration of women shaping the future of bourbon.

Plus, he covers the biggest whiskey headlines of the week, includ...

This week, Clifton dives into one of the most talked-about limited releases of the year — the 2025 Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Bourbon. Is the $200 price tag justified, or is nostalgia doing the heavy lifting?

Plus, there’s a full flight of whiskey news, including:

• Jack Daniel’s massive new 3-liter bottle
• Glencairn Glass celebrating 25 years
• Big new Scotch and single malt releases from Arran, Cutty Sark, and East London Liquor C...

Clifton closes out Bourbon Boos 2025 with a bang — and a cloud of smoke! 💨 This week’s spooky pour is Smokehead Islay Single Malt Scotch, a bold, affordable peated whisky that just might be the surprise of the series. For under $40, does it hold its own against bigger Islay names?

Plus, new whiskey announcements from around the world: 🥃 Heaven Hill’s Grain-to-Glass Specialty Barrel Series 🌴 The Glenlivet 12-Year Jamaica Edition ...