August - Bakers Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

Boys, the poker points have been updated. Next month, we will have a winner...provided DeeBakes, British Tony and myself show up. Any one of us could easily make it. 16 points is all Tony needs and since I made up for missing a month due to a faulty spinal column, it's anyone's game. Check out the points...

This month we sampled the Baker's Kentucky Bourbon. Aged only 7 years and coming in at 107 proof, all things were destined for a short trip through crazy town.

I'd tell you what an awesome night I had playing poker. Ya. Good times. Unlike last month, I rarely saw a hand and when I did, I couldn't hold on to a dominating lead. When 99 < 77, you know you run not so good. PokerFool made an appearance...he schooled us in the finer points of poker. 30 points in a single night. Crazy.

So, how was the Baker's? I'll be perfectly honest. It was $40 with tax and really quite good. When I pulled the cork, we immediately noticed the fruity aroma. Not sickeningly sweet, but very nice. 107 proof it said on the label but going down, it was very smooth. Much smoother than whiskeys far less strong. I think pretty much everyone was happy with this one. An excellent bourbon at a very reasonable price.

All in all, it was an fun night. Hope you all have a great weekend!

August - Ridge Distillery's Iowa Bourbon Review

Since the August meeting commences in a few hours, I think it's time to put my review in for July.

I went home to visit my family and celebrate my dad's and sister's birthday. We stopped at Hy-Vee to pickup a cake, and while there I decided to check out their whiskey selection (since you can actually by liqueur at a grocery store in Iowa), and see if the latest batch of Templeten Rye was out yet. Well it wasn't, but I found Cedar Ridge Distillery's Iowa Bourbon instead. Always on the lookout for something new, and supporting Iowa business, I picked it up.

Since I hadn't seen let alone heard of it before, I didn't know what to expect. The nose is distincly bourbon, with hints of nut and apricot. The taste is mildly fruity with overtones of vanilla and hints of marshmallow. Reminiscent of Jim Beam's Basil Hayden's. The finish is clean and quick.

Well worth the $35 price tag. I'm looking forward to trying their Single Malt Whiskey when it is released later this year.