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We lay out a practical plan for managing a growing bourbon collection, from storage and oxidation to what to revisit and what to finish. We taste and score Booker's Kentucky Tea 2023-03 to show how proof, time, and a splash of water change the glass.

• why open bottles get forgotten and how to prioritize revisits
• hangovers, mash bills, and why rye can hit harder
• rickhouse aroma as the benchmark bourbon profile
• oxidation’s role in softening heat and boosting flavor
• storage best practice: upright, cool, dark, consistent
• why low-fill bottles need to be finished first
• decanting, splitting, and simple ways to preserve
• rotation, revisit shelves, and kill-a-bottle nights
• trading, gifting, and letting go of hype bottles
• Booker's Kentucky Tea tasting notes and scoring
• proofing with water and how flavor shifts
• shelf space offenders and smarter organization

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Ever stare at a wall of whiskey and think, “I’ve got nothing to pour”? We’ve been there. This episode is a practical guide for collectors who want less overwhelm and more great glasses. We map out how to manage a growing bourbon stash, why certain bottles bloom after months, and the storage choices that keep open pours tasting their best.

We start with the real reasons bottles get forgotten—new release chasing, seasonal pours, special-occasion hoarding—and how oxidation can be your friend. You’ll learn why weeded bourbons often soften into caramel and vanilla, how high-rye mash bills can bring spice and hangover risk, and why the rickhouse aroma is a north star for what bourbon should smell like. Then we get hands-on: upright storage, cool and dark placement, and the “quarter-bottle rule” for finishing low-fills before they fade. We also share easy strategies to reduce inventory without regret: monthly rotations, revisit shelves, bottle shares, trades, and gifting bottles you don’t reach for.

To prove how time matters, we revisit Booker's Kentucky Tea 2023-03 at barrel strength and score it live. The nose opens to vanilla bean and light florals when you nose high in the glass. The body is thick and coating, the palate leans vanilla-cherry cola, and the finish runs long and sweet with oak. A few drops of water shift it toward wood and balance the heat—an object lesson in proofing to taste. Along the way, we swap stories about vintage finds, shelf-space offenders, and the difference between shelf trophies and true drinkers.

If your bar looks like a rickhouse, this is your nudge to make it work for you. Drink what you love, share more, hoard less, and revisit before you replace. If you enjoyed this one, subscribe, leave a five-star review on Apple or iHeart, and share it with a friend who needs a better plan for their bourbon shelf.

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We map how the American whiskey market cools from a frenzy to a focused, data-driven industry and why that’s a win for drinkers. More barrels, smarter releases, and price corrections point to a year of better access and stronger value.

• bourbon boom meeting reality in 2026
• production ramps, tech upgrades, and inventory management
• allocations easing and core labels returning to shelves
• drink less, drink better mindset shaping demand
• price fatigue, SRP resets, and secondary dynamics
• aging strategies, finishes, and blending creativity
• exports, tariffs, and domestic shelf competition
• what smart forecasting means for future releases
• why availability and value improve for drinkers

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Want to know if the bourbon boom is ending or just evolving? We dig into the 2026 American whiskey outlook with straight talk on supply, demand, and what really determines whether a bottle sits on the shelf or vanishes on drop day. After years of aggressive expansion, major distilleries are moving from growth-at-all-costs to smart inventory management, strategic pauses, and tech-driven consistency. That shift, paired with a more selective “drink less, drink better” audience, is reshaping pricing, releases, and how brands earn trust beyond the hype.

We break down the big forces at work: millions of barrels finally maturing into wider availability, the return of core labels to shelves, and why allocations feel different when production catches up. Expect more thoughtful age-stated expressions, creative finishes that add depth rather than noise, and fewer shortcuts as producers compete on substance. We also unpack tariffs and exports, the tug-of-war between on-premise and retail, and the real metrics distillers use—velocity, demographics, and inflation—to plan what you’ll be able to buy two, five, and ten years from now.

For drinkers, the news is encouraging. Less artificial scarcity, more stable pricing on everyday winners, and a richer lineup of older and better-crafted releases mean you can skip the frenzy and focus on flavor. Whether you chase unicorns or value sleepers, the next chapter favors curiosity, patience, and honest drinking. If you’re ready for a clear-eyed look at where bourbon goes next—and how to make the most of it—pour a glass and join us. If this breakdown helped, follow the show, leave a five-star review, and share it with a friend who still thinks the hunt is the only game in town.

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Five heavy hitters enter a blind tasting; a tie forces a live tiebreak and the crown goes to Old Man Winter With a prestige French oak finish. We trade hype for flavor, argue proof vs. balance, and learn how availability shapes a worthy Scotchy Bourbon Boys “Bourbon of the year.”

• sponsors thanked and distillery updates shared
• lineup set for the blind: five bourbons, one wild card on the side
• simple scoring rules agreed, color coding to prevent bias
• first-pass notes on cola, peanut, vanilla, and fruit-forward profiles
• proof chat and how it affects palate, not just heat
• debate on noses vs palates, dryness vs sweetness
• tally confusion resolved, two-way tie identified
• audience tiebreak selects Old Man Winter as winner
• value and availability weighed against rarity and price
• honorable mentions and how oxidation changes bottles over time

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What happens when you strip away labels, lock in a scoring system, and let the glass do the talking? We gathered the full crew, poured five of the year’s most talked-about bourbons completely blind, and chased the truth through cola notes, peanut vibes, dessert-like vanilla, and bright, fruit-forward finishes. The lineup was stacked: Knob Creek 21, Russell’s Reserve 13 (2025), A Midwinter Night’s Dram, Cathedral French Oak, and Old Man Winter from Preservation. Expectations were sky high for the heavy hitters—but the scoreboard had other plans.

We walk you through the tasting rules, the early favorites, and the turning point when pour number three changed the room’s mood. Proof chasers met balance seekers as a silky 90s-proof contender outperformed its label, while a 110-proof nose bomb turned out more polarizing on the palate than predicted. Cathedral French Oak cast a spell on the nose. Knob 21 delivered oak-driven structure. Russell’s 13 flashed that rich sweetness many love. Midwinter offered juicy fruit and charm. But the question we kept asking was simple: which glass makes you want another pour?

By the end, scores tied between two colors and we pulled in a live audience to break it. The winner? Old Man Winter—an underdog that paired layered fruit, spice control, and a welcoming finish with the practical upside of being findable at retail. We dig into why availability matters for a “Bourbon of the Year,” what blind tasting reveals about our biases, and how time in the bottle can flip your rankings weeks later. Stick around for honorable mentions, lessons learned from oxidation, and a reminder that great whiskey doesn’t always wear the most expensive label.

If you enjoyed this blind battle, follow the show, share it with a bourbon friend, and drop your own top pick of the year in a review. Your palate belongs in this conversation.

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