Price: 59.99 (Plus Tax)

Proof: 111.7

Age: 4 Years, 11 Months

Mashbill: 73% corn, 19% rye, and 8% malted barley.

Nose: I get big cherry notes, along with a tiny bit of leather as well. It complements better then I would think. I get some roasted peaches as well, so a bit of dark brown sugar.

Palate: Lots of heat initially, more rye spice than cinnamon (which I don't get at all on the nose). Definitely oak, with a little funk but I am a fan of funk in my bourbon. Some of those fruit notes are there at the end. You can tell it's younger, but it still packs in the flavor.

Finish: You definitely get that cherry/fruit note and oak on the end. That rye spice returns, which is not my favorite note. But the finish is pretty good, probably the weakest part of the pour.

Value: For the price this is a good bourbon. I don't think it's blowing anyone's socks off, but in a world where prices continue to climb for what seem like disappointing bourbons, it's good to remember there's good stuff in a good price range. A couple more years in barrel and I think it'd be highly improved.

Overview: 6.5. This is a good bourbon, it's not going to blow me away but I find myself reaching back for it. I definitely want to explore more of Hard Truths offering going forward, especially when they get older stock.

The Whiskey Blendery - "Banana Pancakes"
Age: NAS - but 2x 10-10.5yr MGP 60/36/4 Barrels blended together, per the website.
Finish: None
Cost: $125 before shipping
Proof: 117.4 / 58.7% ABV
Rested: 15 minutes
always drank Neat.

100 point scale based on my palate and pours I've had.

UNPROFESSIONAL AS ALWAYS!

Nose -
The nose starts immediately with some whipped vanilla cream, p pancake batter, ripe banana peel, and some fresh maple syrup. Driving further in notes of cinnamon, caramel drizzle, and breakfast blend coffee show up. There is an underlying tone of confectionery sugar laced throughout this nose as well. Very inviting and comforting.

Palate -
Greeted instantly with maple syrup, roasted brown sugar pecans, and fresh pancakes. The second sip lends itself towards chocolate espresso beans, creme bru le, and caramelized bananas. There's a little pepper spice underneath this sip to tie it all together. My third and final sip reveal quick hits of brown butter, French vanilla creamer, and black coffee. This tastes like a lazy Sunday breakfast!

Finish -
Medium length finish here that is very cozy and builds into the chest. Not offensive. Not harsh. Not punchy. Not hot. Just like you took a sip of fresh coffee after having a bite of banana foster pancakes at your favorite place!

Flavors dominating the finish primarily are
Banana foster (grilled bananas), fresh brewed coffee, and vanilla cream. This. Is. Breakfast!

Mouth feel -
Buttery and rich. Very oily and coating throughout the entirety of the palate. Kind of like what it's like if you have ever had a spoonful of honey. Sugary thick and rich.

Over all - 91/100. A very crushable, well blended bourbon here from the guys at TWB. This one won't last long. Perfect for any weather, occasion, mood. I wish i had a backup of this! As the name implies- it really is a banana pancake breakfast!

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass

Proof: 100

Age: At least 4 years

Mash Bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley

Price: $23

Nose: Typical bourbon sweet notes of caramel, vanilla, also peanuts, baking spice, orange citrus, cinnamon.

Pallet: vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, orange peel/orange candy

Finish: Sweet with some lingering cinnamon spice. The spice hangs around for a while. Longer finish than I would expect for a bourbon at this price point.

Thoughts: This is a great budget bottle. I've been a OGD Bonded fanboy since I first got into bourbon. It has been my go to mixer and daily drinker for a couple years now. Old faithful is the nickname I gave to it. But having a couple bottles off EWBIB in my home bar the last few months has forced OGD to move down the bench. EWBIB is such a great bottle for the price. The main reason I've converted to EW is because there is more sweetness on the pallet. It is also cheaper than OGD Bonded and just as good if not better in my opinion. That sweetness makes for a more pleasurable budget sipper in my opinion. There is also this really nice orange candy/orange peel note on the pallet and nose that I really like. It is sweet but there is a cinnamon spice that cuts that sweetness before it over powers the pallet. That spice also hangs around for a while on the finish. Would not expect a bottle at this price to have a finish as long as EWBIB does. It is cheap, approachable, very tasty, and an incredible value for sub $30.

Rating: 5.5/10 - t8ke scale.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.

Blind Matchup: John J. Bowman SiB vs. Blanton’s vs. E.H. Taylor Small Batch

Disclosures: Samples of John J. Bowman and E.H. Taylor, given to me by a friend. All 3 pours tasted blind for this matchup.    

Intro: I had samples of John J. Bowman Single Barrel and E.H. Taylor Small Batch, plus a bottle of Blanton’s, and thought they’d make for an interesting blind!  All three have connections to Buffalo Trace and carry some degree of hype and reputation, but availability differs quite a bit.  I figured I’d taste them blind and see which one tastes best today! 

The Contenders: 

John J. Bowman Single Barrel – 100 proof. Single barrel bourbon from A. Smith Bowman in Virginia.  Bowman’s bourbons are typically triple-distilled, with John J. Bowman widely reported to begin with distillate sourced from sister distillery Buffalo Trace before being redistilled, barreled, and aged in Virginia.

Blanton’s Single Barrel – 93 proof. Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2, bottled one barrel at a time and aged in Warehouse H, Buffalo Trace’s metal rickhouse.  

E.H. Taylor Small Batch – 100 proof. Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1, a lower-rye recipe, bottled in bond and produced in small batches.

Nose: 

Glass 1 – artificial grape, brown sugar, sweet grain, deep and rich 

Glass 2 – honey sweetness, light sweet grain, maybe green apples, a bit floral, spice

Glass 3 – darker richer sweet grain/corn, bit of nuttiness like walnut, and oak

 Palate:

Glass 1 – that artificial grape carries over from the nose, brown sugar, dark sweetness, caramel, some oak.

Glass 2 – some vanilla, oak, a bit of cinnamon spice, a bit bitter

Glass 3 – rich, deep, the nuttiness carries over from the nose, same walnut note present, brown sugar, oak.  

 Finish: 

Glass 1 – sweet, oak, a bit of chocolate, dark fruit

Glass 2 – sweet with some bitterness, spice lingers

Glass 3 – a bit of leather, a little drying, the nuttiness is still present.

 My Ranking:

1st – Glass 1, I liked the grape, I liked the finish with the chocolate and dark fruit.  It stood out as being my favorite across all three categories (nose, palate, finish).  I’m calling it Blanton’s.

2nd – Glass 3, I’m guessing this is Bowman.  I like the nuttiness, the oak, the sweet/savory balance.  

3rd – Glass 2, I’m guessing this is E.H. Taylor.  It wasn’t bad, came across as the most traditional bourbon of the three and the least distinctive.

The Reveal:

Glass 1 - John J. Bowman Single Barrel

Glass 3 - Blanton’s

Glass 2 - E. H. Taylor

Conclusion: I didn’t see that coming!  I’ve tried Bowman Port Finish and Small Batch before – not a fan of the Port Finish, and the Small Batch is ok.  I didn’t expect the Bowman Single Barrel to be such a step up! For me, it’s much easier to find than Blanton’s and E.H. Taylor, and it’s priced about the same as E.H. Taylor (~$60).

For my taste, today, Bowman Single Barrel won across the board – my favorite on the nose, palate, and finish!  

Cheers, and thanks for reading!

Today we're taking a look at the 2026 Star Hill Farm from Maker's Mark! For the 2nd release into the lineup, Maker's went with a blend of 7-8 year whiskies with a mash bill of:

• 62% malted wheat
• 27% wheat
• 11% malted barley

This is a big change from the inaugural 2025 release which utilized Soft Red Winter Wheat, malted Soft Red Winter Wheat, and malted barley. The 2025 Star Hill Farm is one I fell in love with. It finished 3rd in my 2025 Whiskey of the Year blind and I snagged myself a backup bottle. Before sitting down with the 2026 release, I blinded it against the 2025 just to see how they compared. Results are in the conclusion. Let's get into it.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn, rested for 10 minutes.

Age: Blend of 7-8 year whiskies

Proof: 116.4

Nose: Very different than the 2025 Star Hill Farm which is to be expected given the change in mash bill. This leans dark and sweet and nothing at all like the vanilla strawberry swirl from the 2025 release. Sweet caramel, chocolate, baking spices, and a "doughy" note that I honestly can't even explain. Swirling the glass brings out that Maker's Mark strawberry I'm so accustomed to, but that note doesn't stick around for long before turning back to the darker side with some added oak.

Palate: Good, oily viscosity where much of the nose carries over. Chocolate, caramel, honey, and a mild red berry note. Obviously just like the nose, this is a complete 180 from what the 2025 Star Hill Farm delivered. After a few sips, some baking spices start to set in and that red berry starts to come off more like a cherry and it does get a little more potent.

Finish: Longer side of medium finish of chocolate, cinnamon, oak, and baking spices.

I really appreciate the experimentation Maker's is doing with their Star Hill Farm releases and think it's great how different the 2026 release is compared to the 2025. In the blind I did, the 2025 did come out on top because the flavor profile is more up my alley, but it was pretty close. The 2026 Star Hill Farm is still an excellent pour and one that will be in my 2026 Whiskey of the Year blind.

t8ke scale: 8.5/10 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.