We’ve reviewed endless bottles of bourbon around here, so it was only a matter of time before came up with our own personal list of some of the best bourbons to drink in 2022. Bottoms up. As Brostrick’s official bourbon taste-tester, I’ve purchased, tested, researched, and personally reviewed over 80 different bottles of some of […]
Marshall Headphones
Sound quality is important. Especially when it comes to our headphones. If you like to tune it, and tune everything else out, check out the amazing sound from Marshall. We love companies like Bose and, of course, Sonos but we consider the unsung hero of the headphone and speaker world to be Marshall Headphones. You […]
LensCrafters
Looking to replace your frames, or simply need an extra pair – just in case? Check out some of the amazing options and prices at LensCrafters. We’re not going lie. We totally geek out over our eyeglasses. Not only are they obviously helpful for us to see better, but they’ve basically become an accessory to […]
NFL Shop
it’s always a good idea to root for the home team, and the NFL Shop has everything any super fan would be looking for. Welp, we waited long enough, but it’s finally football season. In a year that’s been a complete dumpster fire, it’s refreshing to have the NFL back (even if it is a bit […]
Bonobos
If you’re always on the next for your next holy grail in skin care, we definitely recommend checking out Pat McGrath. They have such an amazing variety of products for every skin need and every skin type! As if you needed another reason to go and buy yourself something new to wear. Our latest obsession for […]
Raddish Kids
If you know a kid who really loves to cook, check out all the latest in recipe and food kits from Raddish Kids – and see if you can get them to tackle dinner tonight! It’s officially time to get your kids off their electronics and in to the kitchen to learn a little something, cook a […]
Chewy
Chewy is your online destination for all your pet needs – because they really are your best buddy. Check out the latest in pet supplies today. Since we’re all basically locked away in our homes forever these days, we’ve become obsessed with ordering all our dog supplies online from Chewy. And, before you yell at […]
You Won’t Believe What Your Elf on a Shelf Does While You’re Sleeping
In the exclusive expose from Brostrick.com find out the Shocking Truth. But be warned, you won’t be able to look at Christmas the same way. Oh those positions they’ll get into! Those pesky little elves have a lot of responsibility every year. I mean, they have to basically babysit your kids and then tattle […]
Pacific Coast Feather
If your bed is your happy place and you haven’t tried Pacific Coast Feather Company, check out the latest in comfy comforters! We’ll never review a product that we haven’t tested ourselves. And we really won’t write about it unless we’re obsessed with it, like, legit. Our latest obsession comes from the Pacific Coast company […]
7 Super Sales on Wine Refrigerators (and Coolers) this Prime Day!!
Quick Sale Picks Even if you are going to make a modest investment in wine to have a few bottles of good wine on hand when friends and family come over; it probably makes sense to also invest in a wine refrigerator (and decent one). You don’t have to go crazy with the price (sometimes […]
Proactiv
If you feel like you’re at your wits end with your skin care routine, check out all the latest from Proactiv, from cleansers and treatments to three step systems. Let’s face it, we could all use a little help when it comes to the skin department, especially our face. Even if we won’t have total acne […]
Skullcandy
If you’re looking to add a little splash of color and personality to your earbuds, check out some of the cool options over at Skullcandy. If you haven’t heard of Skullcandy yet, you’re totally missing out. They have some of the coolest headphones (and wireless earbuds) ever and for some of the best prices we’ve seen […]
Vans
Vans has everything from skate shoes and sneakers to clothing and accessories for men, women and kids. Check out all the latest. No matter how old we get (and we’re not that old) our favorite kicks always come from Vans. We’re a classic checkerboard slip on kinda guy, but there are a ton of other options […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon
A hands-on review of Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon. The good, the bad, and the delicious. Michter’s took the US*1 Bourbon and added it to a second barrel assembled from 18 month air dried wood that is toasted but not charred. The second barrel process is what creates the unique flavor in the US*1 Toasted Barrel […]
The 9 Best “Cheap” Bourbons All Under $50
Finding a really delicious and high-quality bourbon doesn’t have to break the bank. Check out our picks for some of the best “cheap” bourbons – most of which are $50 and under – so far this year. You shouldn’t have to drive all across Kentucky to find good, affordable bourbon. Production of bourbon is at […]
My Rye Thoughts: The Willett Family Estate 2-Year Small Batch Rye Review
A hands-on review of Willett Family Estate 2-Year. The good, the bad, and the delicious. Although Willett Distilling Company is in fact not a distiller at all, it has masterfully bottled some of the best bourbon and rye though its parent company, Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The company creates lots of amazing products under the Willett […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year Review
A hands-on review of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15. The good, the bad, and the delicious. The Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year is the younger brother of the Pappy 20 Year. Like its other family members, this is a wheated recipe. The 15 Year Pappy is is bottled at 107 proof. Today this […]
Bourbon Thoughts: The Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Strength Review
A hands-on review of Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Strength. The good, the bad, and the delicious. Bulleit makes a solid bourbon so I was intrigued when I ran across their new barrel strength product. This bottle is from Batch No. 2 and is bottled at 119 proof. It packs some hot heat with that high alcohol level […]
My Whiskey Thoughts: Parker’s Heritage Wheat Whiskey 13 Year
A hands-on review of Parker’s Heritage Wheat Whiskey 13 Year. The good, the bad, and the delicious. The Parker’s Heritage Collection Original Batch 2014 is made from a 51% wheat mash and aged in new, charred, oak barrels thus this is not bourbon at all but it is a wheat whiskey. It is cask strength so […]
The Best Bourbon Brands, According to Our Bourbon Drinking Editor
There are a lot of bourbon brands out there and many of these unique brands are distilled by the same folks. Check out my official list of the best bourbon brands so far in 2022! As you know, I’ve been reviewing major bourbon brands around here since 2014 and consider myself an aficionado on all […]
Bourbon Thoughts: The Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon Whiskey Review
A hands-on review of Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon. The good, the bad, and the delicious. Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon Whiskey is distilled by the folks at Buffalo Trace. No longer considered a single barrel bourbon because an automated assembly line replaced a manual bottling process which means certain bottles could contain two barrels […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Old Bardstown Estate Bottled
A hands-on review of Old Bardstown Estate Bottled. The good, the bad, and the delicious. Old Bardstown Estate Bottled is a another solid label created by the folks at Willett. Much like Johnny Drum it also comes with a reasonable price tag, if you can pick up a bottle. It is a well decorated product that […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: The Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Review
A hands-on review of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. The good, the bad, and the delicious. The Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is aged for 12 years and bottled without chill filtering, straight from the barrel. That unique bottling processes leads to the strong 140.2 proof and ultimately defines it as a Barrel Proof bourbon. The tasting notes […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 20 Years Old
It is that time of year, depending on what state you live in, to be on the look-out for the Fall Pappy Van Winkle release. The Pappy label is distilled at Buffalo Trace but is still created by the Van Winkle family, currently Julian Van Winkle III.
Bourbon Thoughts: Noah’s Mill
A hands-on review of Noah’s Mill Bourbon. The good, the bad, and the delicious. A Small Batch Bourbon distilled by the folks at Willet. It is a surprising smooth pour for a bourbon bottled at 114.3 proof. The nose is smokey and woody with some spicy rye notes showing through. The taste is filled with […]
My Not Really Bourbon Thoughts: James E. Pepper 1776 Brown Ale
This is not a bourbon review at all, but is a review of a beer finished much like a bourbon. James E. Pepper brewed an American Brown Ale and aged it in oak barrels. The Ale was aged in the same oak barrels in which James E. Pepper recently aged their 1776 Straight Rye Whiskey. The Ale is […]
Bourbon Thoughts: 2015 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
This is the 14th year that Old Forester released a Birthday Bourbon for their creator, George Garvin Brown. The bourbon is selected from a single day of production, barreled in 2003 and bottled at 50% abv. The 2015 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is one of the better years that I have tasted. The nose has a […]
Rye Thoughts: Willett 8 Year Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Rye
The 2 Year Rye from Willett, reviewed here, is the perfect everyday rye. The longer aged 8 Year Rye is cask strength and bottled at an 58.3% ABV. This particular tasting is from the barrel labeled 01A, note that each barrel will have different flavor profiles. The nose is full of spicy rye with some underlying sweet […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year
The Pappy Van Winkle 10 Year product is called Old Rip Van Winkle. It is bottled nearly at at barrel proof with a little water added to bring it down to 107 Proof.
My Bourbon Thoughts: Old Bardstown Black Label 90
Another excellent product from the house of Willett; a product that Robert Parker, the wine aficionado, claimed to be as close to Pappy as anything else he has tasted.
The Best Gifts For Bourbon Lovers
Maybe it seems as easy as buying a bottle of bourbon, opening the bottle, pouring a glass and drinking; but there are some products that can be helpful in pouring that perfect glass of bourbon. 1. Whiskey Stones – $9.95 The perfect product to cool down your bourbon without watering down the taste. 2. […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2014
Old Forester is the very first bottled bourbon in America, and has been bottled and sold here for more that 140 years. George Garvin Brown started the product so, for the last 13 years, on the anniversary of his September 2 birthday, they release the Birthday Bourbon. This bourbon is selected from a single day of […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon
Michter’s off the shelf, Rye, Bourbon, Sour Mash and Whiskey are all excellent but add 10 years of age and you get a superior product. The 10 Year Bourbon comes in limited quantities from a single barrel that is fire charred new American white oak. The nose has a pleasant vanilla quality to it. The […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year
The Van Winkle Reserve is aged 12 years to a rather low 90.4 proof. The bottle unfortunately doesn’t have the well recognized image of ‘Pappy’ smoking but the product inside is very recognizable.
My Bourbon Thoughts: George T. Stagg – BTAC
George T. Stagg is a part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The bourbon is aged in new charred oak barrels for at least 15 years. It is a powerful product that is packs a real punch because it is uncut and unfiltered, thus it is 138.1 proof. You can open it up with a a little […]
What is Bourbon?
It seems like an easy enough question but there are material differences between Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, Rye and Whiskey; there are requirements that must be fulfilled before a distiller can label a product as Bourbon. In 1964 Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson administration declared bourbon the America’s Native Spirit. In order to declare a product […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Four Roses 2014 Limited Edition Small Batch
Four Roses has 10 traditional recipes that they blend to create each of their bourbons. This year’s 2014 Limited Edition Small Batch is derived from the 13-year-old Bourbon from Four Roses’ OBSV recipe, 12-year-old OESV, 11-year-old OBSF and 9-year-old OBSK. It has a wonderful sweet nose to it coupled with an orange, citrus note. The sweet […]
Rye Thoughts: Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye
Michter’s released their Barrel Strength Rye in limited quantities. You can tell the year of the release by the barrel number tag on the neck, 2015 bottles start with ’15’. This particular barrel is bottled at 54.7% ABV. Michter’s takes the US*1 Rye straight from the barrel and enable us to sample it […]
Whiskey Thoughts: Clyde May’s
Clyde May’s is technically an Alabama style Whiskey, not a bourbon, distilled in Kentucky and bottled in Florida. A little bit of research reveals the use of dried apples or apple flavorings is what keeps it from being labeled a bourbon. The nose is fragrant with sweet apples. The taste is surprisingly spicy with a […]
Bourbon Thoughts: 2015 William Larue Weller
You might recognize William Larue Weller from some favorites like the W. L. Weller 12 Year. The William Larue Weller is a wheated bourbon and is one of five bottles that make up the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, arguably the strongest asset within the collection. Unfiltered and bottled at barrel proof the 2015 version […]
Rye Thoughts: Reservoir Rye
In 2012 the Reservoir Rye Whiskey won Double Gold in San Francisco at the World Spirit’s competition. The product was intriguing and unique because it is a 100% rye mash bill. The nose is full of sweet honey and vanilla. The taste is full of rye and the finish mellows with some of the wood […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Willett 11 Year Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Bourbon
As you might have guessed from the name, the Willett 11 Year Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Bourbon is not blended. Each bottle is from a unique barrel and, since each barrel can have different tasting notes, a review is less helpful unless you can track down a bottle from the particular barrel that is the […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Stagg Jr.
George T. Stagg, part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC), has become one of the more sought after bottles released every year. We reviewed it here and loved it. The folks at Buffalo Trace decided to release a ‘little brother’ version in the Stagg Jr. The bottle here is from the second release of […]
Bourbon Thoughts: Jefferson’s The Manhattan
The good people at Jefferson’s have created a barrel aged Manhattan with the help of the Editors of Esquire Magazine. Normally I would recommend mixing your own Manhattan but this cocktail is barrel aged in bourbon barrels from the Jefferson’s distillery; therefore it is understandable that you may not have room for a bourbon barrel […]
Bourbon Thoughts: Jefferson’s Groth Reserve Cask Finish
After aging their bourbon in new American oak barrels, the folks at Jefferson’s Reserve finish this bourbon for nine months in French oak barrels; these barrels once held Groth Cabernet Sauvignon. You can pick up any number of cask finished bourbons but usually they are finished in barrels from a sweeter wine or even a […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: W.L. Weller 12 Year
Tasting the W.L. Weller 12 Year product, there is a tangible relationship with Pappy Van Winkle. The folks at Pappy distilled the original Weller recipe and the rumor is that Weller shares the same juice as Pappy. The flavor profile of this wheated bourbon has a lot of the same DNA markers as Pappy. With 12 years on […]
My Favorite Ice For Bourbon
Most nice bourbons are meant to be consumed without ice, but maybe with a few drops of water to bring out the flavors. Sometimes an every day bourbon calls for ice. We love skull ice cubes, but not for bourbon. The perfect ice for bourbon is not a cube. Its is a big, round, sphere. They […]
My Bourbon Thoughts: Old Weller Antique
Old Weller Antique is another bourbon label distilled by the good folks at Buffalo Trace but most of the chatter you hear about Old Weller is its connection to Pappy.
Bourbon Thoughts: Four Roses 2014 Limited Edition – Single Barrel
I pulled out a bottle of Four Roses from last year, that is still a big winner. Not to be confused with the Four Roses 2014 Limited Edition. This particular bottle is from a single barrel, 47-3D; and bottled at barrel proof, 118 proof. The nose is spicy with a nice amount of orange […]
Bourbon Thoughts: Four Roses 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon
The Four Roses 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, as always, is a tough find but an exceptional product. This will be the last release under Jim Rutledge who is retiring as the Master Distiller at Four Roses for the last 49 years. There were 12,672 bottles distributed this year at a barrel proof ABV […]