My 10 most memorable bourbons

March 27, 2025The Bar Belle Leave a comment

To commemorate International Whiskey Day, I’ve decided to list the top 10 most memorable pours of bourbon I’ve ever had. It’s hard to narrow this down to 10, but people always ask me for my favorites, so here they are in no particular order.

1) William Larue Weller — I was still new to unicorn bourbons, but I was able to try the 2016 WLW the year it came out for $28 an ounce. I was blown away that a whiskey at 135.4 proof tasted as smooth as butter.

2) Four Roses Al Young 50^th Anniversary — I’m lucky to have called Al a friend, and he signed this bottle to me personally. It’s a memory I will keep forever. And the bourbon inside is a masterpiece in blending.

3) King of Kentucky — I’m not really sure I have a favorite year of this Brown-Forman release because they’re always solid pours. I just wish it didn’t cost the price of a castle to worship the King.

4) Old Crow Chessman Decanter — I was fortunate to get a pour of this rare bourbon from the late 1960s at the secret Vintage Library inside Bardstown Bourbon Company. I spent at least 30 minutes sipping less than an ounce of whiskey, and I’ll never forget it.

5) Michter’s 20 Year Bourbon — Michter’s president Joe Magliocco isn’t afraid to pull out some amazing stuff sometimes, especially if you’re visiting with other members of the media. This 20-year bourbon blew my mind and my taste buds. It continues to haunt me in dreams — in a good way.

6) Belle Meade Honey Bourbon — Back when Belle Meade used MGP bourbon, this nectar of the gods featured straight bourbon finished in Trubee honey casks. The bottle I have is 116.4 proof, so it packs quite a punch. But that faint whisper of honey is perfection.

7) Jack Daniel’s 14 Year — Just released this year, the buzz is real. I love that they kept it at barrel strength, as my sample I was fortunate to try was a whopping 126.3. It should taste like fire, but instead it’s Grandma’s country biscuits lathered in honey, butter and banana.

8) Russell’s Reserve 15 Year — I’ll always be a Wild Turkey girl at heart, so this latest unicorn release from the legendary distillery doesn’t disappoint. I just wish my last name was Russell and I had keys to their rickhouses.

9) Maker’s Mark Denim Bottle — Made to celebrate the University of Kentucky basketball team winning the NCAA Championship in 1996, this highly sought-after prize is a butterscotch bomb through and through. I don’t know what they did back then that they don’t do now, but it is simply marvelous.

10) Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year — Yes, I’ve had the complete vertical of Pappy products, but my favorite to this day remains the 15-year-old. Perfectly balanced and intricately nuanced, the wheated bourbon has just enough oak influence you want without going overboard.

KY Bourbon Fest bound? Keep an eye out for these new releases

September 13, 2024The Bar Belle Leave a comment

The sold-out Kentucky Bourbon Festival (KBF) starts today and continues through Sunday. If you are lucky to have scored tickets, here are some special new bottles to keep an eye out for. They might be at each distillery’s booth for a taste, or some might even choose to sell them there as well.

I’ll be posting from the KBF every day on the Bourbon Country social media platforms (@justaddbourbon), so be sure to follow my bourbon-soaked shenanigans. I will try and behave myself for the most part, and if you’re there on Sunday, Sept. 15, stop by the Bourbon:30 panel discussion on bourbon journalism with myself and some very cool writers in the industry. It runs from 1:30-2 p.m.

Four Roses 2024 Limited Edition Small Batch

OK, so this one will most likely NOT be at the KBF, but it is being released at the nearby Cox’s Creek Four Roses Warehouse & Bottling Facility as well as the Lawrenceburg distillery on Saturday, Sept. 14. It’s first-come, first-serve, so you’ll have to line up early. I believe they’ll start letting people in line around 3 a.m. Shoo!

This year’s release features bourbon aged 12-20 years old and is bottled at 108.2 proof and non-chill filtered. I received a media sample and can say with 100% certainty that it’s delicious and worth the time in line. I get a lot of citrus and vanilla notes from this one, as well as a lovely baked cherry note, some of that Four Roses spice, and also an underlying flavor of toffee and creme brûlée.

Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024

This one WILL be for sale each morning at the KBF while supplies last. This year’s Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged release clocks in at 119.3 proof and comes from a blend of 12- and 13-year-old bourbons.

If you recall last year’s inaugural release, it’s created from taking fully mature barrels of Maker’s Mark (4-6 years old) and then relocating them inside the Maker’s cellar for extra aging. The moderate conditions inside the cellar allow the bourbon to age gracefully, and in turn, they’re not losing as much to the angels.

It’s tasty, as always, and is everything I wanted added to my standard Maker’s Mark: age and proof.

Angel’s Envy Triple Oak

For the first time in over 10 years, Angel’s Envy is adding a third bottle to its signature, everyday lineup, in the form of a Triple Oak bourbon. It’s a is a blend of whiskeys finished in three types of barrels: Hungarian Oak from Hungary, Chinkapin Oak from Kentucky, and French Oak from — you guessed it — France. It’s bottled at 92 proof.

This bottle will eventually be distributed throughout the U.S., but if you just can’t wait, it’ll be available at the Louisville distillery on Saturday, Sept. 14, as well as at the KBF that morning, too. Master Distiller Owen Martin will be at the festival as well, and I hear he’ll be doing a tasting of it on Friday. So if you’re interested, head to the AE booth and ask for details.

The Triple Oak bourbon is rich and nuanced, and I seem to taste something different every time I try it. (Full disclosure: I was given a media sample to review.) Sometimes I get milk chocolate and coffee, while other times I get a nice oak toast and cinnamon.

Booker’s Bourbon “The Reserves”

If you’re a fan of Booker’s, this release is like a “very special episode” of Booker’s. It blends bourbons that are 8-14 years old and will be released in smaller quantities because of the rare nature of these bourbons. The 2024 release spans eight production dates and eight different warehouses, and it is bottled at 125.9 proof.

I’d like to get a taste of this before I commit to buy, but deep down I know it’s going to be amazing — especially since I’ve never met a Booker I didn’t like. Hopefully I can taste it at KBF, where I’ll be stalking Freddie Noe for his country ham.

Little Book “The Infinite: Edition 1“

And speaking of Freddie Noe, he has a new Little Book release just in time for the KBF and National Bourbon Heritage Month: “The Infinite: Edition 1.” This is the first-ever brand extension from Little Book that features whiskey laid down by three generations of the Noe family: Booker, Fred and Freddie.

The whiskey ranges in age from 7-20 years old, and each is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon. It’s bottled at 119.3 proof. I haven’t tried this one yet either, but here are some details from the news release:

“Edition I: The bourbon distilled by Booker Noe lays the groundwork with notes of oak, char, and smoke. Fred Noe’s bourbon brings in rich flavors of dark fruit, cherry, and brown sweets. And it’s all rounded out with bourbon Freddie Noe made where caramel, vanilla, and spice notes really shine through. Perfectly balanced yet unlike anything made before.”

I’m hoping they’ll have both the Booker’s and Little Book at the KBF, but I don’t have confirmation. So we’ll just mosey on over there and pray for a miracle.

Other bottles to look out for …

Now that distilleries can sell bottles at the KBF, I’d say most of them will come with something special. My advice would be to head to your favorites as soon as you get in the gate and find out what they have. Heaven Hill always brings some great bourbons, as does Bardstown Bourbon Company, Green River and Lux Row.

Also, remember that the KBF has partnered with most of the distilleries involved and picked special single-barrel releases in honor of the festival. These will also be for sale at each distillery each day. So your chances of scoring a great bottle of bourbon are extremely high. Hopefully higher than the rain chances this weekend!

See you there!

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2022

Four Roses’ 2022 Limited Edition Small Batch will be up for grabs through a lottery

August 22, 2022The Bar Belle 1 Comment

I’m not sure what I’m more excited about: the cool weather and crisp leaves of fall or a boatload of new bourbon releases. Either way, both will be here soon, and one of the first big releases (besides King of Kentucky and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon) is the annual Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch.

The 2022 iteration features four recipes hand-selected by Master Distiller Brent Elliott that range in age from 14 to 20 years. For all those Four Roses fanatics out there, the recipes are:

14 year-old OESF
14 year-old OESV
15 year-old OESK
20 year-old OBSV

Last year, Four Roses released a special 20-year-old single barrel at the distillery, so I know how special and tasty those older bourbons can be.

“From the beginning of crafting this year’s Limited Edition Small Batch bourbon, two particular batches stood out to me as potential candidates to go into the blend: a 14-year-old recipe batch that is remarkably smooth and rich on the palate, and a 20-year-old recipe batch that exhibits the best fruit barrel and spice qualities of extra-aged bourbon,” says Elliott in a news release. “The test blends revolved around those two batches until we landed on a liquid with a perfect balance that is unique, layered, mellow and elegant.”

I was fortunate to receive a small press sample of the bourbon, and I can attest to its nearly perfect balance and mellowness, even at 109 proof. On the nose I get a bowl full of cherries and a slight black peppery spice. And on first sip, I get tingles of banana, brown sugar, creme brûlée and plum, finishing off with some of that lingering spice from the high-rye recipes.

The 2022 LE Small Batch will be released around the country on Sept. 17 at a suggested retail price of $179.99. There are approximately 14,100 bottles.

Since they don’t want people camping out at the distillery, they’re opting for the public lottery draw via the Four Roses website. You can enter to win the rights to purchase a bottle from Aug. 22-26, and if you win, you must pick up the bottle yourself.

You can better believe I’m entering for a chance. Fingers, toes, arms, legs, nose hairs crossed!

Four Roses debuts its expansive new Visitor Center

December 8, 2021The Bar Belle Leave a comment

It had been quite some time since I last visited the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Ky., so when I pulled into the long driveway, I shocked to see a brand new Spanish mission-style building sitting right alongside the rest of the distillery like it had been there all this time — since 1910, that is.

Obviously that new building is the reason why I was there — it was a day of celebration as the media was invited to gather with state and local politicians and industry leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the brand new 14,446-square-foot Visitor Center.

Gov. Andy Beshear was one of the first to take the podium, and spoke with both enthusiasm and optimism for the future. Despite making it through the last grueling year of COVID and crisis, Beshear said, “What is in front of us is as bright as the commonwealth has ever seen. This new Visitor Center is another exciting accomplishment for Four Roses, the Anderson County community and Kentucky’s $8.9 billion tourism industry.”

A highlight of the ceremony was a toast led by Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott, which included a pour of the single barrel he hand-selected for the occasion: a 20-year-old OBSV recipe bourbon that was simply incredible. (The lucky guests at the ceremony were able to purchase a bottle of this special release, and the rest went on sale Wednesday morning when the Visitor Center opened to the public for the first time.)

After the ribbon cutting, we were ushered inside to check out all the fancy new bells and whistles. The size of the retail space alone is breathtaking and beautiful, made with white oak floors and ceilings, as well as 100-year-old reclaimed wood from a barn on site.

Off to the left is Bar 1888, named for the year Four Roses was first trademarked, where I found myself a Maple Old Fashioned — hey, they offered! Visitors will be able to get cocktails here while they wait for their tour, as well as tastings from all Four Roses expressions as well as the brand’s Limited Edition Small Batch series.

And on the right side of the retail space, you’ll find the Al Young Archive Collection featuring an interactive display showcasing the range of bottles and memorabilia from the bourbon’s 133-year history. I was lucky enough to call Al a friend, and although he is no longer with us, I know he would have absolutely loved this archive, especially since he helped unearth most of it throughout his 50+ years at Four Roses.

The Visitor Center also has four seated tasting rooms as well as a 3,850-square-foot outdoor covered patio and cocktail area.

If it’s been a while since you’ve visited Four Roses, it’s definitely time to book a tour and check this out for yourself. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.

Here are some photos of the event:

Gov. Andy Beshear speaks at the ceremony. | Photo by Sara Havens

Master Distiller Brent Elliott and Gov. Andy Beshear — Gov. Andy Beshear speaks at the ceremony. | Photo by Sara Havens

Four Roses 2021 LE Small Batch will be highest proof yet

August 31, 2021The Bar Belle Leave a comment

During a Zoom press conference Monday, Four Roses Master Distiller walked me and fellow spirits writers through a quick tasting of the 2021 Limited Edition Small Batch, which will be released in late September in select stores and through an online lottery system on the Four Roses website.

The annual release is highly anticipated in the bourbon world, and this iteration is no joke. At 114.2 proof, it’s the highest proof yet to be released — and it’s quite tasty, as you might have guessed.

Elliott described his process of assembling the LE Small Batch. He explained he basically looks at previous releases and sets out to evoke a different flavor profile. Since Four Roses uses two different yeasts and creates 10 distinct bourbon recipes, it’s a lot of trial and error since he’s working with mature barrels that are usually distinct in various flavors.

For all the Four Roses geeks out there, here is the specific blend for the 2021 release:

16-year-old OESV: 58%
12-year-old OESK: 23%
16-year-old OESV: 13%
14-year-old OBSQ: 6%

The robust bourbon packs quite a punch, especially on the first sip. But once your tastebuds settle down, you can truly experience the nuance of baked fruit, caramel, chocolate, baking spices and even a dash of cinnamon on the finish.

“Hand-selecting the barrels to make up our annual limited edition bottling is one of my most rewarding experiences each year,” Elliott said in a news release. “The ability to work with 10 bourbon recipes each with distinct characteristics opens up endless possibilities. This year’s release brings a proof higher than any of the past Limited Editions, creating robust complexity and layers of flavors resulting from the variety of constituent batches and recipes.”

Let’s just face it: Four Roses can really do no wrong, especially when they’re using mature barrels for limited edition products like this one. If someone were to lock me inside one of their rick houses, I’d be happy as a clam sampling through their inventory like I was at Costco.

Signups for the bottle lottery will start today and continue through Sept. 12. You can only enter once, and if you win, you’ll get the right to purchase the bottle for a suggested retail price of $150. Only 14,500 bottles will be released

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2020 drops in September via public lottery

August 25, 2020The Bar Belle 1 Comment

So you’re saying there’s a chance …

Each September, the Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch comes around like a cool autumn wind, jumpstarting a bottle mania of bourbon fans far and wide. These releases are always delicious — and include some pretty old bourbons by industry standards — and often are pretty limited, with just a little more than 14,000 released worldwide.

2020 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch

You win my love.

So when I got wind of the 2020 release trickling out next month, with a public lottery draw due to pandemic safety measures (usually a shit ton of people camp out at both the Four Roses Distillery and the Bottling Facility), I was actually pretty damn happy, because maybe this year I would have a chance to purchase the precious juice.

But first, let’s talk about the bourbon.

This year’s release is proofed at a whopping 111.4 and is non-chill filtered. It includes four different ages and recipes of Four Roses bourbon, which breaks down like this:

12-year-old bourbon from the OBSV recipe (30%)
12-year-old OESV (25%)
16-year-old OESK (25%)
19-year-old OBSK (20%)

I joined Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott on a Zoom call on Monday, and he filled me in on some of the interesting aspects of this year’s LE Small Batch. He noted that the goal is always to make something smooth, mellow and, most importantly, unique — so this year’s should taste vastly different from previous years.

He also explained that each batch could have stood on its own as a single barrel offering, but the magic of the process came in the blending.

“In this case, the sum is even greater than the parts — as together these bring a perfect balance of bright, vibrant flavors and aromas from the 12- and 16-year-old barrels combined with the oak tones and aged expressions from the 19-year-old batch,” Elliott said.

Because he chose to include a mature 19-year-old bourbon in the blend, Elliott said a big challenge came with working with the dominant oak notes in a bourbon that old, although this one aged like a fine wine — meaning, yes, there is an oak presence, but it’s not dominating or overwhelming.

And it plays well with others.

I was fortunate to get a small sample-sized taste of the 2020 LE Small Batch, and I could certainly detect those oak notes, but so many more flavors popped on my palate, including orange peel, cherries, honey, pear, spice from the high-rye mash bill, and of course those warming flavors of vanilla, toasted marshmallow and caramel.

Let’s just say I’ll be a happy camper if my name gets selected to purchase a bottle. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy this sample and not share it with anyone. #SorryNotSorry

There are 14,040 bottles up for grabs this year in the United States, so fingers crossed we all get lottery lucky or find one at our local liquor store (yeah, right). The bottle should retail for around $150.

I guess I’ll be nice and share the link to the lottery sign-up: Click here.

→ → OK, OK, sorry. I mean click here. ← ←

Four Roses’ annual Flower Hour is tonight at Nanz & Kraft!

February 7, 2020The Bar Belle Leave a comment

See, Four Roses Flower Hour is fun!

If you’ve never been to a Four Roses Flower Hour before, you’re definitely missing out — take my word for it! So what if you’re not into flowers. Are you into bourbon? Are you into meeting master distillers? Are you into cheese???

This annual event, which takes place tonight — Friday, Feb. 7 — at Nanz & Kraft Florists, includes all of that for a low, low price of $10, which benefits the American Heart Association. Basically from 5:30-8 p.m., you mingle, grab handfuls of cheese, imbibe cocktails and/or Four Roses bourbon and rub shoulders with Master Distiller Brent Elliott.

Plus, there are all sorts of other snacks and coffee tastings, live music from Swing Theory, and an array of silent auction items that includes rare Four Roses bottles!

If you want to go the fancy route, pay $20 at the door for a VIP ticket, and you’ll receive a goody bag full of all sorts of delicious stuff.

Think of it as happy hour on steroids — with flowers.

Nanz & Kraft is located at 141 Breckenridge Lane in St. Matthews.

Motor boating, pitching tents and much more at this week’s Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow!

January 19, 2020The Bar Belle Leave a comment

I’ve crashed the Louisville Boat Show in my day! It’s pretty damn fun!

Sure, January is a pretty crappy month. It’s cold, it’s dark and all your friends are on damn diets! It’s hard to find much to do, let alone people to do it with you.

But thankfully, mid-January is the perfect time to start plotting for summer adventures. And what better way to dream about oceans and lakes and warm weather than at the annual Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow, which returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center at the Fairgrounds starting Wednesday, Jan. 22, through Sunday, Jan. 26.

I’m on a boat!

Now what does this have to do with drinking, you ask? Well, for one, Four Roses will have a presence at the Boat Show in the form of a pop-up bar of sorts. You’ll find the Four Roses Bourbon Lounge on the show floor, right near all the big-ass boats and RVs that cost more than my bar tabs ever will.

If you’ve never been to the Boat Show, I can attest it’s pretty entertaining to walk around and look at all the toys you could own if you won the lottery. Plus, there’s an entire section of free stuff! You know, candy, pencils, Band-Aid holders, beer koozies and lots more!

Here’s a quick overview of some of the special events going on during the show, courtesy of the press release:

The Hawg Trough, an interactive 5,000-gallon aquarium, will provide a unique, underwater view of how fish react to different techniques, bait and lures. Top anglers from around the area will demonstrate their fishing and casting skills in the tank during daily, free seminars.
The kids’ area is returning, with a number of family-friendly activities in one place. Yogi Bear™ will be at the show for meet-and-greets and autographs in the Bear Cave Fun Zone, hosted by Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ Camp Resort Mammoth Cave. Kids can also enjoy free catch-and-release fishing in the Trout Pond, get crafty at the Create-a-Crankbait station and more.
Attendees can test their boating abilities with the Boating Skills Virtual Trainer from America’s Boating Club.
Super Thursday festivities will take place on Thursday, Jan. 23, including one-day-only special offers and meet-and-greets with superheroes. Kids are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters — those in costume will get a free, handmade, ice cream sandwich from Ehrler’s Ice Cream!
For the first time, the show will feature a Career Day on Friday, Jan. 24. High school and college students can learn about careers in the boating, RV and fishing industries.
The Poker Run will take over the show floor on Friday night for those 21 and older. As the winners are crowned, Nick’s Boat Dock will keep the party going at their booth. Don’t miss the chance to mingle with professional wakeboarders during this time.

And that’s the gist of the Louisville Boat Show. Admission is $12 for adults. Who knows, maybe it’ll inspire you to pitch a tent or invest in a pontoon — and we all could gather, drink beer and float in a lake. Boat up!

Al Young: A bourbon legend, an industry champion and my friend

December 26, 2019The Bar Belle 1 Comment

Al loved to ham it up when events got a little stagnant. | Photo by Sara Havens

“Brent (Elliott) said, ‘We’re coming out with a limited-edition release for your anniversary, and I need to know what you want it to be. I was honored they even decided to do it. So I thought for a while, and then I set the perimeters of what I was looking for.” —Al Young, on his 50th Anniversary Four Roses Small Batch

This morning as I scrolled through my Facebook feed, I expected to see photos of unwrapped presents, of families gathering around the tree, of special bourbon bottles being open and shared. But what I didn’t expect to read was the gut-punching news that the bourbon industry had lost a legend on Christmas Day: Al Young, brand ambassador extraordinaire of Four Roses Bourbon.

As confirmed by his daughter on his personal Facebook page, Young was 77 and is survived by his lovely wife Gretchen and three children.

Al and me at the Nov. 9 Barrel Through Hunger event.

I had just run into Al on Nov. 9 at the Barrel Through Hunger event, and I actually sat right next to him and his wife Gretchen for the dinner portion of the evening. He was as lively as ever and was looking forward to some time off for the holidays.

In recent years, Al has traveled far and wide touting Four Roses — a role he was destined for and that brought him back to his love of theater.

In 2017, when Four Roses released the Al Young Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Small Batch Bourbon, I met up with Al for a feature story on his career, his new bourbon and his thoughts on the booming industry.

We chatted for over an hour — and sampled his delicious bourbon — about everything from his first internship at Actors Theatre to his rise through the distillery and his recent role of ambassador and storyteller.

You can read that story here, if you’re interested. Gretchen told me that night in November that she often pulls up my story to show friends and family — a compliment that means so much more than any Facebook “like” ever could.

No matter where I ran into Al — whether it was at Churchill Downs during Thanksgiving or an official Four Roses event — he always seemed genuinely happy to see me, to talk bourbon with strangers and to champion for the industry that defined his career. It’s cliche, but I don’t think Al ever met a stranger.

Al will be missed by so many. I know he had a million stories left to tell, and no doubt those stories he did share will continue to be passed on through everyone he spent five or 105 minutes with.

I had Al sign my bottle that night, even though I have several signed by the legend. Since he was sitting next to me, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for another autograph. Most distillers simply scribble their names, but Al paused a moment and wrote, “For Sara: Be mellow! Al Young 2019.”

Sure, “Be mellow” is a brand saying, but I was impressed he knew the correct spelling of my name and left that pesky “h” off. Attention to detail was one of his assets for sure.

It’s a gift I will forever cherish, although I can hear Al telling me that bourbon should be drank and I should open the damn bottle!

Cheers, Al. You will be forever remembered in my heart and the hearts of millions.

Justins’ House of Bourbon opens in Louisville, plus Four Roses’ NuLu Cocktail Challenge starts Saturday

November 27, 2019The Bar Belle Leave a comment

Did you really think I’d let the Night Before Thanksgiving — Louisville’s biggest night to go out and chug Claws/compare lives with former high school classmates — go by without a word from your tried and true Bar Belle? Hell no!

Because I’ve got some news you can use that is all about booze.

First of all, what the heck happened over at Left Field Lounge? Looks like someone crashed into the little dive bar that sits just off Bardstown Road in the Highlands. That’s one of my favorite spots, so hopefully they’ll get it patched right quick and we can get back to droppin’ dollars in the juke box and sippin’ on Old Fo Sig.

Secondly, be safe out there tonight so you can stuff your face tomorrow. Here’s a Lyft code for you to plug into your phones RIGHT NOW ($10 off a ride), courtesy of the Kentucky Distillers Association and SafeRideKY: THANKSGIVINGKY19. Don’t say I never gave you anything!

OK, now for the news …

Justins’ House of Bourbon opens Louisville location

Introducing Justins’ House of Bourbon!

If you’ve never been to Justins’ House of Bourbon in Lexington, now you don’t even have to get on a highway to visit the newest location, smack dab in the middle of downtown Louisville. It’s part liquor store, part liquor museum (with dozens of vintage bottles) and part bar — featuring both cocktails and tastings.

The guys behind this also run The Bourbon Review magazine (which I am proud to write for now, so go get those subscriptions!) and also put on The Bourbon Classic, which will be here before you know it. So they’re champions for bourbon and the bourbon industry, and they’ve been so for years.

There have been some rumblings in the bourbon community that the everyday shelf prices of some of the bottles at Justins’ House are a bit pricey. And that’s true. Just remember, not all small-business owners can charge low rates for stuff and keep the lights on. Plus, I guarantee people are willing to pay it. There’s not a big selection of liquor stores downtown, so something about supply and demand applies here — I just wouldn’t know, because I got a C in Economics.

So stop your bitchin’ and stop in for a nice pour of something special. The prices at the bar are great, and they’ve got some bottles you can’t find most places. Plus, they do lots of store picks, and those you can get for a fairly reasonable price.

Justins’ House of Bourbon is located across from the White Castle, at 101 W. Market St.

Here are some more images:

Lots to drink!

My heart be still.

A secret speakeasy room

Many vintage bottles are on display.

Four Roses’ NuLu Holiday Cocktail Challenge starts Saturday

This one looks promising: Taj’s Night at the Movies

My ears tend to perk up when I get wind of a neighborhood cocktail challenge, because while the handful of contestants duke it out over who has the best cocktail, I just sit back and guzzle them all down. Case in point: Four Roses’ fifth annual NuLu Holiday Cocktail Challenge, which starts Saturday, Nov. 30.

Five bars are competing with holiday-themed cocktails, and it’s our job to go around and sample them all, and then vote at the link above. This event always seems to produce some great cocktails, and here’s a look at all five:

Against The Grain: Chai Need a Holiday
Garage Bar: Thurman Murman
Nouvelle: Winter’s Heart
Taj: A Night At The Movies
Rye: There Goes Christmas

While the competition will go through Dec. 20, there is the NuLu Days Sip & Stroll this Saturday as well, from 5-9 p.m. The event is a partnership between Four Roses, Do502 and Lyft, and you can even get a 10% discount on a Lyft ride home that night with the code: SIPNSTROLL.

So I’ll see you all on Saturday, sippin’ through NuLu.

The Bar Belle

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