Drink the Bottles

  Chicken Cock Whiskey Core Collection There are whiskey brands built on marketing stories, and then there are whiskey brands that have actually lived through American history. Chicken Cock Whiskey belongs firmly in the second category. Founded in 1856 in Paris, Kentucky, Chicken Cock has survived just about everything the whiskey industry could throw at it — Prohibition, changing tastes, distillery fires, and decades of disappearing from shelves altogether. Today, the brand has reemerged as one of the more fascinating names in American whiskey, blending deep heritage with a willingness to evolve. And now, as the brand celebrates its 170th anniversary, Chicken Cock is entering another new chapter with a complete refresh across its core lineup. A Brand That Refuses to Blend Into the Crowd Chicken Cock has never looked like every other bourbon on the shelf — and honestly, that’s part of the appeal.  The distinctive bottle design has long nodded to the brand’s Prohibition-era hi...

  The Schlatter family has owned Merryvale Vineyards for about three decades and this property is rich in history.  The iconic winery was the first winery built in Napa after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.  The European and Bordeaux-inspired wines are the heart of the brand, resulting in rich and luscious Cabernet Sauvignons.  That is certainly the case here with the  2021 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley . Smaller yields were the result of a second year of drought in Napa Valley, creating more robust flavors and highly concentrated wines.  Overall, the 2021 vintage is highly rated with exceptional wines.  This wine is raisin colored with eggplant streaks.  Juicy blackberry, dried spices, stewed plum and flower bouquet on the nose.  The full bodied mouthfeel is immediately noticeable with solid tannins and balanced flavors of black cherry, tomato leaf, clove, blackberry and freshly sawn cedar plank.   This wine spent 16 ...

Two Icons of Craft and Character Announce a Landmark Partnership A wide-ranging creative collaboration spanning a co-branded capsule collection, original content, live events and cultural programming, built not just for golfers but for anyone who believes that how you play matters as much as whether you win. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — May 28, 2026. MANORS Golf, the independent golf apparel brand rewriting what it means to look and feel at home on the course, and Gentleman Jack, the double-mellowed Tennessee Whiskey from the Jack Daniel Distillery, today announce A Gentleman’s Guide to Golf : a landmark creative partnership launching May 2026. The collaboration brings together two brands bound by more than aesthetics. Both are defined by character: a commitment to craft, an uncompromising standard, and the conviction that the way you carry yourself matters as much as what you produce. The result exists at the intersection of golf, style, and culture; not a marketing exercise, but a genuine ...

Bardstown, KY ( May 26, 2026) - Instead of leaving annual volume loss to the angels, Bardstown Bourbon Company has found a way to fill the empty space in its latest Distillery Reserve.  Distillery Reserve Mars Single Malt Japanese Blend , is a pioneering release that bridges Kentucky bourbon and Japanese whisky traditions in an entirely new way.  It is available in extremely limited quantities beginning May 29, 2026.   Developed in collaboration with Japan's Mars disilleries, this limited release represents a first-of-its kind co-aging proces, uniting two distinct whisky cultures within a single barrel. Japanese single malt whisky from Mars Komagatake and Tsunuki distilleries was shipped to Bardstown, Kentucky, where it was introduced into barrels containing mature bourbon.  Rather than a traditional finishing approach, the Japanese whisky and Kentucky bourbon were aged together in-barrel.  This allowed the spirits to fully integrate and evolve, emerging tw...

Some bottles earn attention because of age statements. Others because of rarity or allocated status. Then there are bottles like Charbay Doubled & Twisted — a whiskey that immediately makes you stop and ask, "Wait… they made this from what?" Charbay has built a reputation around doing things differently, and this bottle might be one of the clearest examples of that mindset. While many distilleries spend years refining a traditional formula, Charbay seems perfectly comfortable stepping outside the lines and creating something that doesn't fit neatly into familiar categories.  And after learning the story behind the distillery itself, that approach starts making a lot more sense. Charbay isn't a new craft distillery chasing trends. The Karakasevic family traces its winemaking and distilling roots back to 1751 in Europe. Multiple generations were involved in the family trade long before Charbay ever existed in California. Founder Miles Karakasevic eventually brought ...

  There’s a growing category of whiskey that refuses to stay inside traditional boundaries — and Koopers Whiskey has quietly become one of the more interesting names leading that movement. Founded in Texas, Koopers Whiskey built its reputation around blending and finishing American whiskey with a more culinary mindset. Rather than relying solely on age statements or proof points, the brand focuses heavily on secondary maturation — taking already mature whiskey and layering in additional complexity through carefully selected finishing casks. And that philosophy is on full display with the Koopers Cognac Cask Finished Rye. This bottle begins with a 7-year-old straight rye whiskey distilled in Indiana, built on a high-rye profile known for structure, spice, and intensity. The mash bill is Corn (45%), Rye (51%) and Barley (4%).   After aging in new American oak barrels, the whiskey undergoes an additional 11-week finishing period inside French Cognac casks. Unlike many wine o...