The Kentucky Bourbon Festival celebrated its 35th anniversary over the weekend with more than 70 distilleries, over 200 whiskey brands and no shortage of limited releases competing for collectors’ attention. Festival exclusivity, however, does not automatically create lasting demand. Some special releases disappear into collections. Others return to the market at only a modest premium. […]
The longer I’ve been around bourbon, the more I’ve realized that collectors aren’t nearly as different as we think we are. Sure, we all have our favorite distilleries. Some of us chase Buffalo Trace, others swear by Wild Turkey, and there are always a few people quietly buying bottles that nobody else seems to notice. […]
Last weekend, I spent part of the day doing something I’ve done countless times over the years. My father-in-law Jeff and I loaded up and spent the afternoon stopping at liquor stores, convenience stores, and gas stations to see what might be hiding on the shelves. For bourbon enthusiasts, the hunt has always been part […]
There’s a moment every bourbon collector eventually has. You open your cabinet, scan the shelves, and ask yourself: “What is all of this actually worth?” That’s one of the reasons the Bourbon Blue Book® exists inside Bourboneur — not just to help collectors avoid overpaying, but to help them understand what they’ve built over time. […]
There comes a day each year when even the most disciplined bourbon drinker is tested. It doesn’t happen at a raffle. It doesn’t happen when someone offers you Weller Special Reserve for $120. It happens on Cinco de Mayo. Suddenly, the world shifts. Your group chats are filled with “margs?” Your coworkers are talking about […]
There’s a moment every bourbon drinker runs into—usually somewhere between bottle hunting, a tasting flight, or a late-night rabbit hole online—where the language stops making sense. Someone describes a whiskey as an “oak bomb.” Another swears they’re getting “cherry notes.” And then there’s the person who says, very confidently, that a pour has “dusty funk.” […]
Austin isn’t short on great food or strong pours—but if you know where to look, it quietly punches above its weight as a bourbon destination too. I just got back from a guys weekend that managed to hit all the right notes: rare whiskey, zero pretense, standout food, and a distillery visit that actually delivered. […]
For years, bourbon enthusiasts have relied on weak arguments like: “It’s rare.” “They don’t make this anymore.” “It’s basically an investment.” But today, we move beyond emotional appeals and into hard science. After extensive research conducted in garage bars and man caves across America, we are proud to unveil: The Official Justification Formula™ […]
There are cruises for partying. There are cruises for families. And then there are cruises where the average bedtime is 9:17 p.m. and the best bourbon on board is… Woodford Reserve. Welcome aboard. I recently found myself on an MSC cruise—sun, ocean views, endless buffets, and a passenger demographic that skewed decidedly “retired early and […]
Tax season has a funny way of making bourbon decisions feel… justified. That refund hits, and suddenly the internal debate starts: Do I spread this across a case (or two) of reliable daily sippers? Or do I swing for a single, memorable bottle—the kind you don’t just pour, you plan around? At Bourboneur, we’ve always […]
