Unlike most bottles that land on my shelf, this one doesn't come with decades of history or a long list of previous releases to compare it against. In fact, 1792 Kentucky Straight Rye is the first-ever straight rye whiskey to join the brand's permanent lineup, making it one of the newest additions to the 1792 family. Rather than simply putting a rye mash bill into production, Barton 1792 took a thoughtful approach to developing this whiskey. Master Distiller Ross Cornelissen

Buying for a whiskey lover can be intimidating. Once someone has a shelf full of bottles, it's hard to know what they don't already own.

Named for a stretch of rich farmland along the Kentucky River, Rock Hill Farms is one of Buffalo Trace's most elusive single barrel bourbons. Like Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee, Hancock's Reserve, and Ancient Age, it's built from the distillery's famous Mash Bill #2—a higher rye bourbon recipe that Buffalo Trace has never officially disclosed but has become legendary among bourbon enthusiasts. For years, Rock Hill Farms quietly lived in the shadow of Blanton's and Elmer T. Lee, yet

The stall, the bark, the Texas crutch — a no-fluff BBQ glossary built to skim at the smoker, not read like an article.

Uncle Nearest finally finds a buyer, Sazerac sweeps the International Whisky Competition, new distilleries open their doors, and the James Beard Awards crown a new class of restaurants. Plus: BBQ festivals and bourbon events on the calendar this weekend.

Ask most people what makes Tennessee whiskey different from bourbon, and you'll get a shrug or a guess about geography. The real answer is more specific, and it's written into state law: the Lincoln County Process.

Okay, this one is going to be a little different. I'd never heard of Crittenden Distillery before getting a pour of this at a bottle share, and honestly, they don't seem to have much of an online presence yet outside of Meta. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes word of mouth travels faster than searching for something you don't even know exists yet.

I hadn't planned on picking up a bottle of Green River Honey Finished Bourbon. Truth be told, I'm still a little skeptical of the flavored whiskey boom that's swept through bourbon over the last few years. Some releases have been better than others, but few have left me wanting to buy a bottle, let alone recommend one.

Thor's Hammer humbled me. After a 12-hour smoke ended in frustration, tacos, and one of my worst barbecue failures, I let six months pass before trying again. This isn't a guide from someone who got it right the first time—it's the story of what changed, what I learned, and why sometimes the hardest part of barbecue is giving yourself another shot. (

This bottle was shared with me, as I'd never sampled—or purchased—a Blood Oath release before. I went into this tasting completely blind. Other than knowing the brand was produced by Lux Row, I really didn't know what to expect.

A busy week for bourbon watchers — Sazerac closed a $20 million deal to acquire the former Garrard County Distilling property in Kentucky, Buffalo Trace dug into Prohibition-era history, and the industry handed out its mid-year awards. Here's everything worth knowing.

If you've never had a proper burnt end, you're missing one of barbecue's best inventions — one that started as literal scraps nobody wanted to sell.