Bourbon Bytes Podcast

Green River Wheated Full Proof Bourbon Review — Does It Live Up to the Hype?

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, I’m covering major whiskey headlines from around the world — including:
🥃 A new cask strength Ardbeg release🥃 A wine-finished Redbreast from Ireland🥃 An 18-year-old hazmat release from Barrell Craft Spirits
And then… we get to the main event.
Last year, Green River Full Proof Bourbon was my #1 whiskey of 2025. Now they’ve released a Wheated Full Proof Bourbon — and I’m giving my honest, independent take; breaking down the nose, palate, finish, value, and whether this one earns a spot on my shelf.
Is it a worthy follow-up? Does swapping rye for wheat change the magic? And can it live up to the hype?
Let’s find out.
🎧 Listen now and join the conversation in the Discord: bourbonbytes.com
 
Chapter markers:
00:00 – Welcome + Episode Overview
01:32 – Ardbeg 10 Cask Strength Committee Release
02:57 – Redbreast Muscatel Finished Irish Whiskey
04:17 – Barrell Craft Spirits 18-Year Hazmat Curacao Finished Whiskey
06:04 – Byte-Sized Review: Green River Full Proof Wheated Bourbon
15:37 – Listener Shoutout & Where to Follow

Copperworks Tequila Cask Finish Review and the Return of Whiskey Fan Favorites

This week on Bourbon Bytes, I’m digging into a tequila-finished American single malt from Copperworks Distilling and breaking down whether this experimental cask finish actually works.
I also cover whiskey headlines, new releases, and industry chatter before delivering a full ‘Byte-Sized Review’ of the Copperworks American Single Malt finished in Arette tequila casks. From malt-forward sweetness to chocolate notes and surprising agave influence, I share exactly what stood out and where this bottle lands on my scale.
If you love experimental finishes, American single malt, or just honest tasting notes beyond the hype, this one’s for you.
Join the conversation in our Discord and tell me what you think: bourbonbytes.com
 
Timecodes:
00:00 Welcome to Bourbon Bytes  
1:51 Whiskey News: Garisson Brothers 6yr Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon
3:56 Whiskey News: Return of New Riff Balboa Rye Whiskey
5:01 Whiskey News: Rebel Root Beer Whiskey Returns
5:51 Whiskey News: Buffalo Trace's 'Charred and Chilled Festival'
7:28 Video Game News: Ubisoft Cancels Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake
10:07 Video Game News: Microsoft's New 'Fable' Revealed
11:10 Byte Sized Review: Copperworks Arette Tequila Cask Finished American Single Malt Whiskey
20:32 Final Thoughts & Outro

Bardstown Bourbon Company's Bold Rebrand Sparks Debate + Bottled-in-Bond Review

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, we’re getting into the Bardstown Bourbon Company rebrand that has the whiskey internet fully divided — and I’m using it as a jumping-off point to talk bottle redesigns across the industry.
Then it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of Bardstown Bourbon Company Bottled-in-Bond (6-year wheated bourbon, 100 proof) — and… yeah, it surprised me in the best way.
💬 Join the conversation (and see label comparisons): bourbonbytes.com → Discord📩 Contact: contact@bourbonbytes.com📱 Social: @bourbonbytes
 
Timecodes:
00:00 Cold Open: Bardstown’s controversial rebrand + what’s ahead00:31 Welcome (Week of Jan 29, 2026)03:17 Bardstown Bourbon Company Bold Rebrand12:20 Rapid-fire rebrand takes (Weller, OF 1920, WT101, etc.)21:06 Byte-Sized Review: Bardstown Bourbon Company Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

George Dickel x Leopold Bros Rye Whiskey Review + RuneScape Turns 25!

This week on Bourbon Bytes (a whiskey podcast with a gaming twist), I’m covering a couple big whiskey headlines, a Lunar New Year Scotch release, and some gaming news that has me genuinely hyped.
🥃 Whiskey News
Knob Creek drops a new Eli Manning single barrel collab
Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked (2026) expands beyond distillery-only (but that price…)
Tomatin Year of the Horse 14 Year (PX sherry butt, cask strength) sounds dangerously good
🎮 Gaming News
RuneScape turns 25 (year-long celebration)
New Life is Strange: Reunion details + release date
Ranger’s Path: National Park Simulator looks like my exact kind of cozy chaos
⭐ Byte-Sized ReviewI review the George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend Three Chamber Rye and break down the unique floral profile, value at MSRP, and why it became a killer Manhattan rye.
Listen, rate, and drop your takes in the Discord: bourbonbytes.com
 
See timecodes below to navigate the episode:
00:00 Cold Open: Knob Creek, Woodford, RuneScape + the Rye Review00:30 Welcome + What’s in this episode01:02 Knob Creek x Eli Manning Single Barrel03:22 Woodford Double Double Oaked 202606:31 Tomatin Year of the Horse 14 Year (2011)07:30 Gaming News: RuneScape turns 2508:59 Gaming News: Life is Strange: Reunion10:38 Gaming News: Ranger’s Path National Park Simulator12:55 Byte-Sized Review: George Dickel x Leopold Bros Three Chamber Rye21:52 Wrap-up + where to follow

Van Winkle Special Reserve 'Lot B' Bourbon Review + First Whiskey News of 2026

I'm back from a short break and kicking off the new year with a packed episode of the Bourbon Bytes Podcast! This week we're catching up on the biggest whiskey stories you may have missed — including a brand new Old Fitzgerald from Heaven Hill, a cask strength release from High West, and a look at the highs and lows of Irish whiskey through the end of 2025.
But the star of the show is a very special viewer-sent sample: Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B. I finally sit down to give this legendary bourbon an honest review — no hype, no pressure, just my genuine thoughts on whether Lot B still earns its place in the modern bourbon world.
Navigate the full episode below using the chapter markers!
 
00:00 – Episode Teaser: Bourbon News + Lot B Review00:33 – Welcome Back from the Mid-Season Break01:39 – Whiskey News #1: Old Fitzgerald Fall 2025 (11 Year BIB)03:18 – Whiskey News #2: High West Cask Strength Bourbon Announced05:21 – Whiskey News #3: Frey Ranch 100% Barley Whiskey07:28 – Whiskey News #4: Wyoming Whiskey National Parks #5 – The Tetons09:52 – Irish Whiskey Boom vs Teeling’s 91% Profit Drop13:20 – Van Winkle Lot B Bourbon (Byte-Sized Review)22:03 – Final Score: Van Winkle Lot B22:55 – Outro: Thanks, How to Listen, and Share Bourbon Bytes

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Bourbon Review & Whiskey Dreams for 2026

The final Bourbon Bytes Podcast episode of 2025 is here, and it’s a big one.
In this episode, Clifton wraps up the year with honest reflections on the future of Bourbon Bytes, the bourbon industry heading into 2026, and a "Byte-Sized Review" of the brand-new Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year Cask Strength Bourbon.
Willett is one of the most polarizing names in whiskey, and this new four-year-old, cask strength release has sparked plenty of debate. Is it a promising step forward for Willett’s own distillate, or does the price and presentation lean too hard on hype?
Clifton breaks down the nose, palate, finish, value, and expectations while also sharing broader thoughts on availability, pricing, and what bourbon drinkers may see more of in the coming year.
Whiskey news, honest reviews, and real talk to close out 2025.
Cheers, and see you in 2026 🥃
00:00 – Welcome & Final Episode of 2025
02:30 – End-of-Year Reflections & 2026 Outlook
04:32 – Where Bourbon Bytes Is Headed Next
08:06 – Thoughts on the Bourbon Market in 2026
12:20 – Byte-Sized Review: Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year Bourbon
23:05 – Listener Questions & Closing Thoughts

Copperworks Kilt Lifter Whiskey Review & Huge New Whiskey Releases Coming in 2026!

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, Clifton breaks down a massive wave of upcoming whiskey releases for 2026 — including the rumored return of Knob Creek 12-Year Cask Strength, a newly labeled 7-Year Old Grandad 114, Penelope’s new Madagascar Cognac Finish, Blood Oath Pact 12, Lou Gehrig Remus Reserve, a permanent Templeton Rye Double Oak, and a special 250th Anniversary Rittenhouse 10-Year Bottled-in-Bond.
Then, it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of one of the most unique American Single Malts of the year: Copperworks Kilt Lifter Whiskey — a collaboration decades in the making between Copperworks Distilling and Pike Brewing. A wild pine-forward nose gives way to a layered palate with floral brightness, cinnamon oatmeal, and a sweet Cinnabon-like finish. At $60 and 100 proof, Clifton calls it one of the most “recognizable and memorable” whiskeys he’s tried all year.
Plus: Civilization VII gets a major free DLC update, and two new games hit the market this week — Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on Switch 2 and Microsoft Flight Simulator (PS5), complete with its new Stranger Things “Hawkins” expansion.
 
00:00 - Intro & Why 2026 Whiskey Releases Are Exploding
01:20 - Knob Creek 12 Cask Strength: The Return?
03:03 - Old Grandad 114 Single Barrel (7-Year!)
04:12 - Penelope Madagascar Cognac Release
04:43 - Blood Oath Pact 12 Red Wine Finish
05:49 - Remus “Lou Gehrig” Reserve Mashbill Breakdown
07:24 - Templeton Rye Double Oak Announcement
08:23 - Rittenhouse 10-Year Bottled-in-Bond for 250th Anniversary
09:57 - Whiskey of the Year: Elijah Craig Barrel-Proof Rye
11:58 - Gaming News: Civ VII Free DLC + Huge Updates
14:47 - Gaming News: Metroid Prime 4 & Microsoft Flight Simulator Stranger Things Pack
15:52 - Byte-Sized Review: Copperworks Kilt Lifter Whiskey
23:46 - Closing & Tease for Next Week’s Tequila Cask Review

An Islay Rye?! Bruichladdich Laddie Rye Review + Big Whiskey & Gaming News

This week, Clifton covers some of the final big whiskey drops of 2025, including new releases from Clyde May’s, Central Waters’ new Great Blue line, State Line Distillery’s debut 5-year rye, and the dramatic relaunch of Copper & Kings under new ownership. Then it’s time for one of the most surprising pours of the year: Bruichladdich Laddie Rye — a 100-proof, 7-year Islay-grown rye-and-barley hybrid that tastes like nothing else on the market.
Plus: Palmer Luckey’s newest retro console — the ModRetro M64 — might be the most exciting gaming hardware of the year.

Best 2025 Black Friday & Cyber Monday Whiskey Deals + Town Branch Imperium Bourbon Review

It’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday Week, and I’m sharing the best whiskey deals, distillery sales, merch discounts, and bottle drops worth your money this season. Whether you’re stocking your bar or shopping for bourbon lovers, I’ve got the highlights you need so you don’t have to scan every mailing list yourself.
Then, I crack open the 2025 Town Branch Imperium Bourbon — a 105-proof, wheated bourbon blend with notes of dark chocolate–covered cherry, caramel, and cedar-driven oak tannin. Is it worth the $120 price tag? I share my honest verdict.
Episode includes:🥃 Dark Arts Cellar Sale details🥃 Deanston 15 Year Tequila Cask Black Friday Drop🥃 Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam & High West Merch Discounts📘 Whiskey Advocate 2-Year Subscription Deal🔥 Byte-Sized Review: Town Branch Imperium Bourbon (MMXXV)

Is the Bourbon Boom REALLY Over? + Ben Holladay BIB Review

This week, Clifton digs into one of the biggest questions in whiskey: Is the bourbon boom finally over? After years of price hikes, expansions, and dwindling enthusiasm from younger drinkers, the numbers might finally be catching up. In this episode, he breaks down why the boom may be slowing — and why that might actually be good for bourbon fans.
Then stick around for a Byte-Sized Review of a bottle he’s never tried before: the Ben Holladay 6-Year Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon. This Missouri-made BIB surprised him with dusty vintage notes, toasted sweetness, and a mash bill that might be one of the most exciting non-Kentucky profiles in years.
Plus: new whiskey releases from Buffalo Trace, Barrell Craft Spirits, Blade & Bow, and more.