Bourbon Bytes

Home
Bourbon Bytes

Live bourbon reviews, whiskey news, bottle talk, and Thursday night tastings with Clifton from Bourbon Bytes. Join the community and pour a dram.

Bourbon Bytes delivers whiskey reviews, bourbon news, live tastings, and gaming-infused whiskey culture. New live streams Thursdays at 7PM PT. Join the Byte Club community.

27/08/2026

This might be one of the best-looking bourbon bottles I’ve seen all year… but does the whiskey actually live up to it? 👀🥃

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, beautiful bottles and brilliant blends are taking over:

🎳 Jim Beam brings back its iconic Ten-Pin Decanter with 10-year bourbon
🚢 Brough Brothers teams up with the historic Belle of Louisville
🌲 Redwood Empire blends bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey AND single malt into The Hyperion
🍷 Cedar Ridge somehow fits five different cask finishes into one bourbon
🎮 Plus my biggest takeaways from gamescom Opening Night Live

Then I crack open the brand-new John B. Stetson Bourbon, created with Green River Distilling Co. and Bardstown Bourbon Company.

100 proof. Reported seven-year average age. Candy-shop sweetness, chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, oak and dark fruit.

And yes… the bottle is ridiculously cool.

🎧 Listen now at the link in the comments.

What matters more to you when buying bourbon: the whiskey inside, or can a killer bottle design sway you too?

20/08/2026

An 8-year Willett single barrel for $95?! 🥃

Yeah, that got my attention too.

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast:

🥃 Sazerac drops a 131-proof Mr. Sam Tribute Whiskey
🇯🇵 Japan wants stronger protections for real Japanese whisky
🥃 Maker's Mark announces Cellar Aged 2026
🥃 Bardstown Bourbon Company goes wild with Jura and Garryana oak
🎮 Nintendo is raising the Nintendo Switch 2 price by $50

Then I review an Onyx & Amber 8 Year Single Barrel, selected by Indpndnt Joe and The Barrel Tap.

And this thing absolutely delivered.

🎧 Listen now at the link in the bio.

Would you pay $95 for this… or save up for an actual Willett purple top?

13/08/2026

I finally found the orange-label Weller at retail. 🟠🥃

Weller Single Barrel is one of those Buffalo Trace bottles I’ve somehow never been able to get my hands on — until now.

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast:

🔥 Garrison Brothers drops a 141-proof Cowboy Bourbon
🥃 Elmer T. Lee is finally going cask strength at 127.8 proof
🇮🇪 Jameson has a new five-oak Distiller’s Batch
🎮 Big Walk, Oblivion Remastered, Grounded 2 & Wild Blue Skies
🟠 And I finally review Weller Single Barrel

The funny part? It tasted nothing like I expected.

But does being rare actually make it worth secondary prices?

🎧 Listen now at the link in the comments.

Would you buy Weller Single Barrel at $70? What about $150?

Instagram caption

06/08/2026

A 23-year-old whiskey.
128.6 proof.
And it originally cost around $100 US.

Yeah… we’re probably never getting that deal again.

This week on Bourbon Bytes:

🔥 Copper & Kings releases hazmat apple brandies up to 147.6 proof
🥃 Jim Beam returns with a stronger 11-year Cask Strength Rye
🥥 The Macallan unveils coconut-inspired Scotch
🎮 A leaked XBOX feature could be a huge win for physical game collectors

Then I revisit J.P. Wiser's 23 Year Cask Strength Canadian Whisky seven years after its original release.

Bright citrus, blueberry, honeyed texture, cinnamon-roll sweetness, vintage to***co, and a finish that just keeps going.

Does it still deserve its reputation as one of the best Canadian whiskies ever?

Listen now at the link in the bio.

What discontinued or older bottle would you love to revisit today?

30/07/2026

Beyoncé just took full ownership of SirDavis Whisky… and whiskey AI is officially here 👀🥃

This week on Bourbon Bytes:

🥃 The 15-month Scotch tariff is finally dead
🤖 A new AI tool wants to help collectors research whiskey
🥃 Beyoncé takes full ownership of SirDavis
🥃 Bib & Tucker goes bottled-in-bond
🥃 Bulleit blends bourbon and rye together

Then I review Locke + Co. Big Blaze Bourbon, a Colorado-finished Kentucky bourbon supporting firefighters and first responders.

It’s finished with charred Aspen discs sourced from the East Troublesome Fire area and brings toasted oak, vanilla, muscadine grape, bitter chocolate, and a really meaningful story.

Listen now at the link in the comments.

Would you use AI to research whiskey, or is that taking the fun out of it?

23/07/2026

I revisited one of my favorite barrel-strength rye whiskeys of all time… and it did NOT taste how I remembered.

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast:

🥃 New Riff releases its oldest Headliner blend yet
🍍 Bardstown Bourbon Company goes tropical with pineapple-finished whiskey
🥃 Yellowstone brings back its limited edition bourbon with port cask finishing
🥃 Heaven Hill unveils a Double Mash Bottled-in-Bond bourbon

Then I review a 2016 Michter's Barrel Strength Rye — one of the earlier releases of a whiskey I’ve loved for years.

It’s herbal, minty, oaky, spicy, a little vintage, and honestly… more complicated than I expected.

Listen now at the link in the comments.

Have you ever revisited an old favorite and realized your palate changed?

09/07/2026

I tried something completely new this week: baijiu whiskey 👀🥃

This episode of the Bourbon Bytes Podcast covers:

🥃 1792 Bourbon is launching its first rye and a 15-year cask-strength bourbon
🥃 Pursuit Spirits officially joining the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
🎮 Microsoft announcing a massive XBOX restructuring

Then I review two new SHĀNG whiskeys — a first-of-its-kind blend of Chinese baijiu tradition and Kentucky whiskey aging. Shoutout to KLG Public Relations for providing samples for review.

Listen now at the link in the comments!

Have you tried baijiu before?

02/07/2026

Maker’s Mark made something that is NOT bourbon… and I had to try it.

This week on Bourbon Bytes:

🥃 Bulleit drops a 20-year, 137-proof rye
🥃 Redwood Empire releases a new $40 wheated bourbon
🥃 Dragon Con has an official bourbon now
🥃 Sweetens Cove releases Father’s Finish
🎮 Star Fox finally comes to Switch 2

Then I review **Maker's Mark Star Hill Farm 2026**, an American wheat whiskey made with estate-grown grain and no corn.

It’s sweet, dessert-forward, and genuinely interesting… but at around $120, is it actually worth buying?

Listen now at the link in the comments.

Would you try Maker’s Mark’s wheat whiskey experiment, or stick with their bourbon?

25/06/2026

100 episodes... I can’t believe it. 🥃

This week is a special milestone episode of Bourbon Bytes, and I saved a special bottle for the review: Little Book The Infinite: Edition II.

This bourbon blends together:

🥃 22-year bourbon distilled by Booker Noe
🥃 10-year bourbon distilled by Fred Noe
🥃 7-year bourbon from Freddie Noe

Three generations of Jim Beam distillers in one bottle.

I also cover new whiskey stories from Willett, Teeling, Four Roses, Blade & Bow, and Frey Ranch Distillery… plus whether the “day cap” is just Gen Z rebranding happy hour.

But the real story is the review. This Little Book might be one of the best bourbons I’ve ever had on the podcast.

Listen now at the link in the comments.

And seriously — thank you for helping me get to 100 episodes.

22/06/2026

Is this $110 Mezcal worth the price tag?! 🤯🥊🧀 We are tasting Mezcal Mal Bien (50.2% ABV). I expected a unique experience, but it completely broke my palate with a wild, cheesy dairy note right out of the gate.

The crazy part? It transitions beautifully into sweet pineapple and coconut, handling the high proof perfectly. This is a major drinking buddy score if you want a totally unique flavor journey! Would you pay $110 for a savory, cheesy, tropical mezcal, or is that too far out there for your home bar? Let me know! 👇

Address

Website

http://BourbonBytes.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Bourbon Bytes posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Bourbon Bytes:

Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Country:

City: