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We crack open a Baker’s 13 Kentucky Bourbon Festival pick reportedly selected by Baker Beam at 90 years old, then put it head-to-head with another Baker’s 13 to see how much single barrel bourbon can vary. Along the way, we dig into Baker Beam’s real distillery story, why 107 proof works so well, and what makes this particular barrel taste like straight-up caramel-cherry magic.
• upcoming whiskey events, charity picks, and bourbon travel plans
• who Baker Beam is, his Beam distillery career path, and why the name matters
• how Booker Noe created Baker’s Bourbon in the Small Batch Collection
• the 2019 shift from small batch to single barrel and why rickhouse location changes flavor
• what Baker’s 13 is, why it returns as an annual limited release, and why each barrel tastes different
• our barrel knocks scoring system across nose, body, taste, and finish
• detailed tasting notes on the Baker-selected barrel, including Luxardo cherry, caramel, brown sugar, roasted peanut, and a long finish
• side-by-side comparison with another Baker’s 13 showing more oak, spice, leather, and tobacco tones
• quick check-in with Baker’s 7 and why the mouthfeel lands thinner next to 13-year barrels

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A signed bottle is cool. A signed bottle you actually open and share is the whole point. We sit down with Baker’s 13-year-old single barrel bourbon at 107 proof, including a Kentucky Bourbon Festival selection reportedly hand-picked by Baker Beam himself at 90 years old. That detail sends us down the rabbit hole of who Baker Beam is beyond the label, how he came up through the Clermont distillery, and why Baker’s feels different when the name belongs to someone who spent a lifetime making Beam whiskey, not selling a brand.

From there, we trace the evolution of Baker’s Bourbon inside the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection, including the big 2019 switch from small batch to single barrel. If you’ve ever wondered why one “same” bottle can taste nothing like another, this is the heart of it: rickhouse placement, aging conditions, and barrel-to-barrel personality. We also talk through the widely reported mash bill details, what 107 proof does for balance, and why older barrels can deliver incredible texture without turning into an oak bomb.

Then we taste. Using our barrel knocks system, we score the festival pick with big notes of caramel, Luxardo cherry, brown sugar, and roasted peanut, plus that oily, velvety mouthfeel Baker’s fans chase. We compare it to another Baker’s 13 that leans more oak, spice, and leather, and we cap the night with a quick reality check against Baker’s 7.

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We chase the real origin story of Russell’s Reserve, comparing Wild Turkey’s official timeline with Greg Schneider’s account of how an inventory problem may have forced a new premium bourbon brand into existence. Then we pour Russell’s Reserve 13 (45th anniversary) at barrel proof, score it with our barrel breakdown, and talk about what age, proof, and non-chill filtration do to the experience.
• why the question of “who created Russell’s Reserve” still sparks debate
• how Wild Turkey’s late-1990s inventory shaped a premium brand strategy
• the official Russell’s Reserve timeline versus Greg Schneider’s version
• why romantic marketing stories often win over messy operations history
• Russell’s Reserve 13 “2.0” and why proof can vary by batch
• our barrel bottle breakdown method and the final 17.5/18 score
• tasting impressions including caramel-toffee sweetness, heavy viscosity, and a finish that fades faster than the palate
• non-chill filtration and the oily mouthfeel factor
• the 45-year connection from Jimmy’s tribute to Eddie’s anniversary release
• comparing Russell’s Reserve 13 with Russell’s Reserve 15 and how oak changes with age
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Somebody wrote down the “official” origin story of Russell’s Reserve, but we’re not convinced that’s the whole truth. Tiny goes solo and heads down a bourbon history rabbit hole to answer a question that matters to any Wild Turkey fan: who actually sparked the Russell’s Reserve line, and was it born from a heartfelt tribute, an inventory crisis, or both?

We lay out the brand’s published timeline, then stack it against Greg Schneider’s firsthand account from inside Wild Turkey management in 1998. Greg’s version centers on a very unglamorous problem: too much mature bourbon aging in the warehouses when the market wasn’t chasing 10+ year whiskey. From there we talk strategy, “premiumisation,” and why corporate storytelling often turns complicated business decisions into a cleaner, more romantic father-son narrative.

Then we get to the glass. We pour Russell’s Reserve 13 year (including the 45th anniversary release at 121.2 proof), discuss the shift away from the classic 114.8-proof expectation, and run our barrel bottle breakdown across nose, body, taste, and finish. We dig into non-chill filtration, that oily mouthfeel, the caramel-toffee sweetness, and where the finish lands, plus a quick comparison with Russell’s Reserve 15 to show how extra age can push oak forward.

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We taste and rate Brown-Forman’s Kentucky Boy, a resurrected historic label released to honor Chris Morris’s 50-year legacy, and we push past the hype to see if the pour earns the story. We also unpack what’s known and unknown about the blend, why the Kentucky Bourbon Festival was the perfect debut stage, and what bourbon fans should demand from “commemorative” bottles.
• Kentucky Boy release details, 100 proof, $99.99 MSRP, one-time limited release
• Why resurrecting a dormant label from Brown-Forman’s archives changes the story
• Chris Morris’s impact on Old Forester and Woodford Reserve innovations
• The mentorship angle with Elizabeth McCall and Caleb Trigo creating the whiskey
• What “unprecedented blend” means when components and ages are not published
• Tasting notes and Barrel Bottle Breakdown scoring, ending at 16.5/18
• Open it or collect it, and whether Brown-Forman should keep Kentucky Boy alive
• How the Kentucky Bourbon Festival has evolved and why that matters
• Second Stride charity tie-in and the thoroughbred theme connection
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A bourbon name that vanished for generations suddenly comes roaring back and it’s not just a label stunt. We’re tasting Kentucky Boy Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a one-time limited release from Brown-Forman that revives a historic brand the company acquired in 1923 and uses it to honor Chris Morris and his 50-year legacy in Kentucky whiskey. The bottle debuted at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, with Chris Morris signing bottles and the whole release feeling like a real moment in modern bourbon history, not just another shelf drop.

What makes Kentucky Boy more than a commemorative keepsake is who built it. Brown-Forman handed the project to two of Morris’s protégés: Elizabeth McCall of Woodford Reserve and Caleb Trigo of Old Forester. The official story calls it an unprecedented blend inspired by whiskeys Morris helped shape, often linked to Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, King of Kentucky, and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, but the company doesn’t publish component percentages or ages. We talk about what that transparency gap means for serious bourbon fans and why mentorship might be the most meaningful “ingredient” in the bottle.

Then we get to the only thing that ultimately matters: the pour. Our Barrel Bottle Breakdown pulls big banana pudding and banana cream pie on the nose, backed by baking spice, apple, and sweet oak. The body shows thick legs and a surprisingly rich mouthfeel for 100 proof, the palate stays flavorful without harsh heat, and the finish keeps that sweet banana note rolling. We score it 16.5/18 and debate the real questions: would you open it or collect it, does resurrecting Kentucky Boy improve the story, and should Brown-Forman keep the label alive for future milestones?

If you enjoy bourbon tasting notes, Brown-Forman history, Old Forester and Woodford Reserve deep cuts, and honest talk about festival culture and hype, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a bourbon friend, and leave us a five-star review so more listeners can find the show.

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