All tastings are tasted three times blind. B6D was tasted three different times in January.

B6D Brother’s 1910,96.2 Proof, $68

Bourbon Whiskey, Sherry Cask Finish”

 About: Distilled in New York. Barrelhouse 6 Distillery purchased 2-year-old stock from Honey Eoye Falls at auction and aged it another 2 years to hit 4 years. Then aged in sherry casks for months.  . Federal label approval granted December 21, 2021.

Tasting notes: This is like walking into a field of strawberries. So much strawberry aroma. Then, honey. On the nose and the palate. Not the overly sweet kind of honey, but an earthy honey from your local farmers market. Then hints of grass, hay even, and lovely notes of black pepper. It finishes with a hint of wood and that lovely pepper note.

Score: 88

Whiskey Grading Scale

All grades are based on my assessment of color, aroma, taste and finish. After scoring three unique times on three different days, the final score is averaged on a 100-point scale.

When I started this method, I likened my scores to school. After all, most understood report cards and grades. Then, I had a kid enter elementary and learned that not everybody uses As or Bs, let alone give an F. So, I have to kick out that comparison, as the A & B model just wouldn’t be “satisfactory” for modern times. Therefore, I pulled from another avenue of grading—sports. Anybody who watches sports, at some point, has learned about scout grades, Hall of Fame voting and of course GOAT comparisons. If these comparisons don’t do it for you, well, just follow the numbers. I grade them higher the more I like them. But I am sure I will add additional comparisons, such as music, down the road. … I can get creative! 

In addition, products are scored within their category. For example, a corn whiskey or single malt will be graded differently than bourbon or rye, which has different rules and regulations. At the end of the year, I will take the highest grades and pit them against one another to form my Top 100.