Neeley Family Single Barrel High Rye, Barrel Strength
First Sip I love a family outfit that puts its name on the door and backs it up with the juice. Neeley Family Distillery is one of those hidden Kentucky…
Neeley Single Barrel Barrel Strength Wheated: First Pick, Right Call
First Sip I hit the Neeley Family Distillery on a day that started out like a quick pit stop and turned into a full-on hangout. John was our guide, and…
High Bank Small Batch – Batch #2: Easy Ohio Sippin’
First Sip I cracked this one on a Tuesday evening, the kind of calm where you can hear the cicadas tune up and the dog is trying real hard to…
Hidden Barn Small Batch Series One, Batch 23a: From Sweet to Spicy in One Glass
First Sip I grabbed this bottle of Hidden Barn Small Batch Series One, Batch 23a, after touring Neeley Family Distillery. Didn’t taste this particular batch on the tour, and you…
RD1 Small Batch Amburana Finished Bourbon, 110 Proof
First Sip I grabbed this bottle in Lexington over the weekend for about seventy-five bucks, which already felt like a win. First time I had it was back in the….
Leather & Oak Review: Young, Lean, and Showing Its Cards
First Sip I pulled this one from the backlog. Back before The Pourch was a twinkle in my eye, I was stuffing a little spiral notebook with quick notes, stains,…
Tom’s Foolery Ohio Straight Bourbon, 9 Years
First Sip I was flipping through my beat-up bourbon journal the other night, chasing down old scribbles and half-thoughts, and ran across this pour from Tom’s Foolery. I had jotted…
From the Journal: Minglewood Straight Bourbon
First Sip The reason you’re reading this at all started with a bartender at the Rackhouse Tavern in Lexington. I was scribbling in my little bourbon notebook like a kid…
White-Tail Pennsylvania Straight Bourbon, Batch 29: The One Keeping Me Sane This Season
First Sip It was one of those Saturday nights where the football gods woke up grumpy. Penn State’s Whiteout magic didn’t stick around like it used to, and by the…
Wigle Reserve Pennsylvania Straight Bourbon
Wigle calls this one Reserve, and they pitch it as Pennsylvania Straight Bourbon with roots in Pittsburgh. They even nod to the idea that bourbon’s spiritual birthplace is up that way.
Conviction Founders Reserve Single Barrel: Barrel #841 Nightcap
Sometimes the best pours happen when nothing special is going on. I grabbed this Conviction Founders Reserve, barrel #841, as a simple nightcap before bed. Lights were low, house was…
Conviction Straight Bourbon at the Whiskey Prison
I ran down to the Charlotte area in August to help my boy move back to school after his summer with a NASCAR team. We loaded boxes, argued about which…
Easygoing but Unremarkable: Old Elk Wheated Bourbon at the Buckeye Bourbon House
Stopped in after work at Buckeye Bourbon House in downtown Columbus for a midweek pour of Old Elk Wheated Bourbon. Golden in the glass with a light body, it offered fruit-forward sweetness on the nose and palate, finishing short and oaky. Smooth and easy, but not a standout—7/10.
Rich, Bold, and Built for Sipping: Bardstown Origin Series Bottled in Bond
A deep, comforting pour at the Granville Inn offers warmth, balance, and serious staying power.
Centennial Sip: Woodford Reserve Private Barrel at the Granville Inn
A special-label pick for a milestone occasion, this pour delivers subtle notes in a soft and familiar frame