Any time there's a new addition to the Beam lineup, I get a little excited—not necessarily because of what's in the bottle, but because it serves as a reminder of where my bourbon journey started. Back in college, my friends and I always seemed to have a handle of Jim Beam within arm's reach. It was our go-to pour, and in many ways it became the foundation of my appreciation for bourbon. Since then, I've made a point to try just about every corner of the Beam portfolio, from

While I've tried a fair amount of the Wild Turkey and Russell's Reserve lineup over the years, I can't believe I've never picked up a bottle of Rare Breed until now. It's not that I've been avoiding it. Truth be told, Wild Turkey 101 has been a staple on my shelf for most of my bourbon journey. More recently, I've found myself reaching for the 8-Year expression whenever I come across it. Somewhere along the way, Rare Breed kept getting pushed to the back of the list. That mak

This bourbon review may come with a small amount of bias, as I originally hail from Virginia and had the pleasure of discovering A. Smith Bowman Distillery nearly seven years ago. While I never had the opportunity to taste Batch #2, I've followed these releases closely and have enjoyed what the distillery has put forward so far. I'm certainly not alone in that sentiment. Over the years, the A. Smith Bowman releases have developed a loyal following among bourbon enthusiasts,