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The Art of Pairing.
Independent tasting notes, pairing guides, and honest reviews — for the enthusiast who drinks with intention.
Latest Reviews & Guides
Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey: Sazerac’s $300 Bottle That Argues With Itself
Sazerac’s annual homage to the last great Seagram blender mixes Canadian and American whiskey into something that shouldn’t work — and mostly does.
Old Forester Triple Char: The 117 Series Just Found Its Best Idea Yet
Old Forester’s first fully Main Street-distilled bourbon triples its char time — and the result is the best release the 117 Series has put out yet.
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust 10th Jubilee: Steve Saka’s Anniversary Smoke Delivers
Ten years after walking away from the corporate cigar world, Saka’s first national release with an Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed wrapper might be the most complete cigar Dunbarton has ever put out.
CAO Amazon Basin 2026: The Rainforest Blend That Still Delivers, 12 Years In
CAO’s canoe-shipped Bragança tobacco returns for another lap — bold earth, cocoa sweetness, and a five-country blend that still earns its cult following.
Yellowstone Limited Edition 2026: Two Port Casks, One Grand Canyon, and a Bourbon Worth the $99
Stephen Beam blends 7- and 14-year Kentucky bourbons finished separately in Ruby and Tawny Port before marrying them at 101 proof — the 11th release in this series might be the best one yet.
Davidoff Year of the Horse 2026: A Beautiful Box, A Good Cigar, Not a $65 Cigar
Davidoff’s second lap through the Year of the Horse brings a gorgeous humidor and a genuinely interesting Ecuadorian-heavy blend — but the price tag is writing checks the burn can’t quite cash.
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon 2026: The “Year of Wheat” Opens Strong
Heaven Hill declares 2026 the “Year of Wheat” and opens its most transparent series with a $100 bottle you can trace back to the exact field the corn grew in.
Blade and Bow 12-Year Solera Reserve: A Wheater Goes to Europe and Comes Back Different
Diageo runs a 12-year Stitzel-Weller-blooded bourbon through a four-wine solera system, and for $65 it doesn’t taste like a gimmick.
Old Forester 117 Series High Angels’ Share Rye: A Triple-Char Experiment Worth Chasing
Old Forester triples the char time on this small-batch rye — and instead of ash, you get toffee.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye A126: Heaven Hill’s Best-Kept Secret
At nearly 12 years old and 120.4 proof, the first 2026 batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye is the sleeper hit of the year — and it’s sitting right next to the bourbon on the shelf, largely ignored.
Indian Motorcycle 125th Anniversary Cigar: A Limited American Icon Worth the Hunt
Five hundred boxes. A Pennsylvania broadleaf wrapper. Dominican fillers aged five-plus years. Indian Motorcycle’s anniversary smoke might be the most interesting $20 stick of 2026.
Rocky Patel Sapphire 2026: The Crown Series Hits Its Stride
Over 100 prototypes, tobacco aged back to 2014, and a San Andrés wrapper that delivers the kind of sweetness you used to have to pay $25 for — the third gem in Rocky’s crown series is worth the hunt to your local retailer.
Maker’s Mark Star Hill Farm 2026: When the Mashbill Changes, Everything Changes
The second release of Maker’s Mark’s wheat whiskey experiment arrives at 116.4 proof with a radically different grain bill — fruit-forward, fascinating, and worth the $100 even if it makes you miss last year.
601 La Bomba Warhead: Independence Day 250 Years
Espinosa’s limited 4th of July commemorative is a full-bodied Nicaraguan powerhouse that earns its place in a once-in-a-generation celebration — light one on the 4th.
Old Fitzgerald Spring 2026 Decanter: The Best $150 Bottle Heaven Hill Makes Right Now
The 17th release in the Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series arrives with 10 years of age, 100 proof, and tasting notes that remind you why this brand used to be impossible to find.
Brick House Maduro Commodore: The $11.50 Cigar That Commands Your Evening
J.C. Newman’s bold new 5.5 x 70 just started shipping — and it might be the best-value maduro released in 2026.
Still Austin Bottled in Bond Red Corn 2026: Texas Goes Seven Years Deep
The Austin distillery’s 2026 Bottled in Bond release adds another year to the barrel and keeps doubling down on Jimmy Red Corn — a heritage-grain story that’s finally got the age to back it up.
Lost Lantern 1776 Edition: The First Bourbon Blended From All 13 Original States
For America’s 250th anniversary, Lost Lantern sourced straight bourbon from every one of the original colonies — 1,776 bottles, 121.4 proof, and a concept so good it almost upstages the whiskey itself.
Perdomo Legacy Father & Son Shade Grown: PCA 2026’s Breakout Cigar Is Already Worth the Hunt
Perdomo’s first limited edition is a father-son collaboration — and the Shade Grown just took top honors at the PCA Trade Show in New Orleans.
Elijah Craig 21-Year-Old Single Barrel: A Legend Returns After More Than a Decade
Heaven’s Hill rarest single barrel just came back from the dead — and at 21 years and 94 proof, it was worth the wait.
E.P. Carrillo Deep Blue 2026: Limited, Layered, and Worth the Hunt
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s most ambitious limited edition in years delivers a 6x56 Nicaraguan powerhouse that reveals new layers with every inch — and it might be the best cigar of 2026.
Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Rye 2026: A Premium Rye Worth the Annual Hunt
At 92.8 proof and $210 a bottle, Michter’s most anticipated rye is back — exceptional nose, complex palate, and a pairing with the Arturo Fuente Opus X that earns a slow evening.
Booker’s Milkshake Batch 2026: A 124-Proof Tribute to Booker Noe
The second Booker’s release of 2026 carries a backstory straight from the Noe family kitchen — and tasting notes that might be the sweetest, creamiest pour in the lineup’s 35-year history.
Garrison Brothers Ranch Reserve: Texas Bourbon Finally Gets Its Sherry Moment
Eight years in American oak, four more in Spanish sherry casks — the new Ranch Reserve series is the most ambitious thing out of Hye, Texas yet, and I think they pulled it off.
Daniel Weller Spelt Wheat: Buffalo Trace Rewrites the Wheated Playbook
The second chapter of the Daniel Weller experimental series uses one of the world’s oldest grains — and at $550, the results are genuinely worth the conversation.
Blood Oath Pact No. 12: Italy Meets Kentucky (and a Liga Privada to Seal the Deal)
Lux Row finishes Kentucky rye bourbon in Montepulciano and Sangiovese casks — the result is one of the most distinctive limited releases of 2026, and it pairs beautifully with a Liga Privada No. 9.
Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition: The Legend Gets a Worthy Successor
Wild Turkey’s inaugural Austin Nichols Archives release honors the cult “Cheesy Gold Foil” era with a 16-year, 120-proof barrel proof that earns the $400 asking price.
Sweetens Cove Father’s Finish 2026: Wine Barrels, 98 Proof, and a Cigar for Dad
Peyton Manning’s bourbon brand drops a Father’s Day limited edition finished in cuvée wine barrels — we pour it neat, light a My Father Le Bijou, and see if this one earns a spot in the gift rotation.
Little Book Chapter 10 “All the Wiser”: Ten Years In, Freddie Noe’s Best Yet
The 10th anniversary release blends six Beam bourbons at 122.6 proof — and paired with the right cigar, it might be the most interesting bottle of 2026.
Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 22 Year: The Oldest One Yet
Heaven Hill’s 2026 annual release hits 22 years of age and 129.2 proof — and it might be the most serious bourbon they’ve ever put in a bottle.
Russell’s Reserve 13 Year: The 2026 Release Is Worth Every Penny
Wild Turkey’s tribute to Eddie Russell’s 45 years drops at barrel proof 121.2 — and paired with a Tatuaje Black Label, it might be the best $200 you spend on bourbon this year.