September 2026: Eyes Wide Shut

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Sample A

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Dad's Hat Vermouth Finished Rye bottle on transparent background

Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Finished in Vermouth Barrels

$39.99 Member Price

$54.99 Regular Price

Distillery: Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey - Bristol, PA
Proof: 94 (47% ABV)
Age: 1 year old (A blend of 8+ months aged Rye in new charred oak quarter casks and 4+ year old straight Rye whiskey, finished 3+ months in Vya Sweet Vermouth Casks)
Mashbill: 80% PA Rye, 15% Malted 2-Row Barley, 5% Malted Rye
Color/Appearance: Deep Reddish-Brown

Fun Fact: This beautifully balanced dram is one of the only vermouth-finished whiskeys in all of North America, and comes to us from the first distillery founded in PA to restore the state’s lost legacy of rye!

Aroma

A warming and vibrant nose that jumps out of the glass, with notes of Manuka honey, orange zest, herbal potpourri, chocolate-covered hazelnuts, and dried plums
Taste

On the palate the spice kicks in, balanced perfectly by the honeyed botanicals of the sweet vermouth, with layers of licorice, clove-studded pears, freshly baked goods, ending with a pepper tingle
Finish

The balance of this welcome cocktail of a pour continues, with dry baking spices melding together with orange zest, rich vanilla, spicy cinnamon, and cardamom

Distillery Story

We know that our members aren’t surprised to see incredible rye whiskey coming from the great state of Pennsylvania, and we never get tired of sharing these stories! Much of the current success of PA rye is due to one man - Herman Mihalich, the Founder of Dad’s Hat. Herman is a born and raised “yinzer”, growing up in an apartment built over the bar his family owned (which may or may not have been established by his Grandpap as a speakeasy during Prohibition). With the Monongahela River visible from his bedroom window, he was surrounded by the culture of PA rye, which flows from the local agriculture. But the famous distilleries never recovered from Prohibition, and one by one moved out of the state, leaving PA without any whiskey production until Herman decided to reclaim his home state’s heritage. Founded in 2011 and named for his father and grandpap’s famed Stetson fedoras, Dad’s Hat is an inseparable part of the success story that is the resurgence of whiskey production in PA, with the state now boasting over 200 craft distilleries, 4th most in the country.

It’s an easy story to sell, because of how authentic it is. The Dad’s Hat team did a ton of research into historic mashbills before they settled on theirs, which utilized local grains from a farming family that’s been on their land since the early 1700s. As Herman says, “You get a better spirit when the stuff going into it is already very tasty.” They are as meticulous as they are transparent, with a purpose behind everything from their barley (2-row for more flavor), to their stills (made by Carl from Germany for most control over their award-winning white dog), to their casks (quarter casks vs full 53 gallons depending on the product). We fell in love with Vermouth-Finished PA Rye (secondarily matured in the legendary Vya sweet vermouth casks, ifkyk) from the start, with it being the perfect welcome pour for the whiskey lover: properly balanced, with excellent combination of spice, sweet, and botanicals, basically a cocktail in a bottle. In fact, the idea for the release came from the tradition that Herman and his co-founder, John Cooper, had of sipping Friday evening Manhattans out on their veranda and wondering if they could replicate it in a whiskey release. We think they crushed it, especially since, in Seabass’s mind, a proper Manhattan is always made with rye. Be sure and pop in and give them a visit, Herman is always willing to answer any questions you have! He says, “Our goal is to be as authentic as possible so they get the story straight from the horse’s mouth. I'll sit there and bore them to death if they want to go into the minutiae on what we're doing. I'm always happy to do so.” Take him up on that, Blind Barrels members! (Also, shout out to Matt from Vegas for this recommendation.)

Sample B

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Ironclad The Old Kernel Bourbon bottle on transparent background

The Old Kernel Straight Bourbon Whiskey

$49.99 Member Price

$74.99 Regular Price

Distillery: Ironclad Distillery - Newport News, VA
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: 6.5 years old
Mashbill: 78% Pungo Creek Heirloom Indian Corn, 12% Rye, 10% Malted Barley (all grains grown in Virginia)
Color/Appearance: Golden Amber

Fun Fact: This sample, coming from a distillery named after the famous Civil War Naval “Battle of the Ironclads” that occurred right off shore from their tasting room site, is made from an incredible heirloom Pungo Creek Indian corn grown in Virginia.

Aroma

The aroma of salted and buttered popcorn washes over you, with cotton candy, baked apples, peanut skins, and honey on freshly baked cornbread
Taste

This is what Christian calls “high corn bourbon happy land”, with the sweet corn notes balanced out by notes of black tea with honey, rich candied nuts, tobacco, and a touch of salinity
Finish

The finish keeps on going, rich and buttery caramel with a backing of perfectly ripe peaches, watermelon Jolly Rancher™, and a pleasant black tea astringency that invites another sip

Distillery Story

We got the opportunity to visit Ironclad Distillery during our annual Whiskey Discovery Roadtrip last year after a member highly recommended it (thanks, Chris from VA!), and were so thrilled to be able to get them into a box! They were maybe the most hospitable and enthusiastic distillery visit we’ve ever had, which makes sense once you get to know their family story. The King family started Ironclad in 2014 with the simple yet ambitious goal of creating the best bourbon from grain to glass, “like Grandma would have liked.” As Owen King, their distiller, puts it, “I always like to say that in our family everyone has a bourbon gene in them that gets turned on at some point.” Beginning with hillbilly stills and “urban moonshining” principles drawn from our good friend Colin Spoelman from Kings County Distillery, they were always whiskey focused, never putting out a clear product and committed to always putting what they made into their bottles. It’s easy to root for them, as they are putting out incredible liquid, in awesome-looking bottles, in a beautiful location. Their distillery and tasting room sits in a super cool old warehouse right on the harbor where aircraft carriers are built and refurbished for the Navy, and their name also taps into that military history, as the famous “Battle of the Ironclads”, the Civil War encounter that changed naval warfare forever, took place literally right off shore from their location, where the James River meets the Chesapeake Bay.

Back to that incredible whiskey, though. We loved everything we got to taste from Ironclad, but this Old Kernel Straight Bourbon really spoke to us! (Also, we love a good name pun.) Although every product they make truly represents Virginia terroir, as they not only decided to source all their grains in state, but also committed to exclusively use Virginia oak for their barrels, really solidifying their connection to the area, this Old Kernel takes it even further. They found an heirloom Indian corn from the Eastern Shore of VA called Pungo Creek, which provided unique and complex sweet notes even right off the still. They actually figured out the mash bill for this release by recreating the Maker’s Mark legend of making corn bread with the different combinations of grains and seeing which they liked best, which is how they landed on having the rye to balance out the sweetness of the heirloom corn. And it really delivers on flavor, with Christian raving about it as “high corn bourbon happy land”, but with the layers of black tea, honey, and fun fruit notes you don’t typically get in many bourbons. We knew our curious community would love this one, and look for more great stuff to come! Owen is planning many more heirloom grain releases, saying, “I'm really looking forward to continuing keeping these heirloom corns alive and growing strong, just because they are unique, they're different, and they are worth distilling.” They’re really nerds after our own hearts, “growing whiskey”, as Seabass puts it. Cheers to Ironclad, and, as they say, “Here’s to the brown-blooded!”

Sample C

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McKenzie Bottled-in-Bond Wheated Bourbon bottle on transparent background

McKenzie Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

$49.99 Member Price

$59.99 Regular Price

Distillery: Finger Lakes Distilling Company - Burdett, NY
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: 7 years old
Mashbill: 70% Corn, 20% Red Winter Wheat, 10% Malted Barley
Color/Appearance: Pale Copper

Fun Fact: This distillery has been on our list from the start of Blind Barrels, and we know you can taste why! This OG of the craft movement started back in 2007, and Bobby fell head over heels for their wheated BIB bourbon.

Aroma

Crisp and lively on the nose, with fruit sugars leading into caramel apple lollipops, creamy milk chocolate, forest floor funk (in a good way), and ripe coconut
Taste

Fresh and robust on the palate, with rich fruit sweetness giving way to hazelnut creaminess, oak spice, orange blossom, hay bales, and burnt sugar
Finish

A refreshing finish, with notes of orange, clove, baked quince, and baking spices sticking around

Distillery Story

Finger Lakes Distilling has been on our wish list from the start of Blind Barrels, and thanks to the recommendations of several members, we finally made it happen! The team at Finger Lakes are true OGs of the craft movement, located in beautiful upstate New York (and not Michigan, as Bobby thought for most of his initial call with them). Founder Brian McKenzie was born and raised here right by Lake Seneca, with a deep love of his home state and a knowledge of what the local agriculture brings to the table (plus a familial trait of entrepreneurism didn’t hurt). With something growing on every piece of land, and a flourishing wine tourism industry, Brian rolled up his sleeves, got some laws changed, and became the second licensed farm distillery in New York. Finger Lakes was so early to the craft game that when they went to purchase a small 12 inch column still Vendome wasn’t even sure they could make one that small! They are about as traditional as it gets, with their distillery modelled in the classic Scottish style (it’s seriously beautiful) and a nod to historical methods of production (more on that later).

This Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon is a perfect example of everything they’re doing right. Not only is there some serious age on it at 7 years, but also a depth of flavors that might surprise you coming from a wheated bourbon mash bill. There are a few factors contributing to this, from open top fermenters that Brian says “give it a sense of place” in picking up a variety of flavor profiles from wild yeasts, to incredibly low barrel entry proof (most go in close to 100 proof drawing from their historical research, making this the rare BIB that has almost no water added to it), to extra-seasoned oak for their casks that some of our friends may have called “ugly barrels” but really leads to a depth of flavor and complexity in maturation. All this goes to show that they aren’t just focused on efficiency but rather on the details of what drives the absolute best flavor in their products. Even their grain selection is intentional, as they’ve pledged to use New York State Agricultural products, with some grain being grown just 300 yards from their distillery, and most just a couple miles away. Bobby fell in love with this bourbon from the first sip, with a unique flavor profile balancing nuttiness, grain, and spice. Brian says, “You pick up on something that I think makes this one distinctive: that kind of spicy character that you wouldn't normally expect.” We love how transparent and genuine they are, and as they approach their 20th birthday, we know that there are more great things yet to come! Be sure to pop in for a visit if you’re in the area (remember, NEW YORK, not Michigan), and take advantage of that McKenzie hospitality.

Sample D

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Lucky Seven The Frenchman bottle on transparent background

The Frenchman - Starring Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in New French Oak Barrels

$54.99 Member Price

$74.99 Regular Price

Distillery: Lucky Seven Spirits - Shelbyville, KY
Proof: 113 (56.5% ABV)
Age: 6 years old
Mashbill: A blend of rye bourbon mashbills from Kentucky
Color/Appearance: Pure Maple Syrup

Fun Fact: Founded by a bourbon-hunting duo who basically lived “The Last Dance” in downtown Chicago during the Bulls dynasty, this brand is named for the iconic “Lucky Stage Seven” on the Warner Brothers lot in Hollywood on which multiple Best Picture winners (including Casablanca) were shot.

Aroma

Incredibly rich and luscious nose, with real maple syrup on top of banana pancakes, toasted marshmallow, warm cedar, and English toffee
Taste

Velvety texture on the palate, with smoked maple syrup, fresh cedar, and cinnamon sugar on toast evolving into strawberries dusted with cocoa, chocolate banana bread, and beautiful floral brightness
Finish

Silky and long, with fresh gingerbread, chili dark chocolate, pipe tobacco, vanilla extract, and the delicate tingle of French Oak spice

Distillery Story

Bourbon, movie references, and fun barrel finishes? It’s like Lucky Seven Spirits was made for us! Founded by Michael Lahalih and John Pals, best friends from college who basically lived “The Last Dance” as valet drivers in Chicago during the second Bulls three-peat, their story is pretty much the dream for any whiskey-hunting duo: making the jump from FaceTiming to see what allocated products are on shelves across the country, to wanting to buy just one barrel, to starting a brand that puts out incredibly delicious Kentucky Bourbon. Mike says, “It’s been an amazing ride for us. We think we got pretty lucky, no pun intended.” We say INTEND THAT PUN, because the brand name is just perfect for this movie-quoting pair (JP said they were quoting Chevy Chase’s “This is crazy, this is crazy, this is CRAZY” after they bought their first parcel of barrels), with the name Lucky Seven being taken from the name of the iconic “Lucky Stage Seven” in Hollywood, on which several Best Picture Winners, including Casablanca (“of all the whiskey joints, in all the towns, in all the world…”), were shot. But the luck also came with a lot of hard work and attention to details, especially in their amazing bottles, one of our all-time favorites, with a movie ticket front label, a harlequin pattern that serves as an homage to jockey silks, and sexy gold foil. For their early releases they even had short films made that you could watch from a QR code available once you peeled back the ticket stub on the bottle (and you can still watch them on their website).

But, as always, the most important thing is what’s INSIDE the glass, and that’s where Lucky Seven truly shines! Connections for good Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aren’t easy to come by, but they’re also adding so much complexity to what was already delicious juice. The Frenchman release is a perfect example of that, demonstrating Master Blender Ashley Barnes’ methodical artistry, taking different batches of various bourbon mashbills, blending and finishing to taste based on the season, taking advantage of their custom Kelvin barrels (in this case, French Oak from Napa tailored perfectly to their needs with final toasting and charring) to dial in the final product. The finish (3-5 months depending on the time of year) adds the right amount of extra nuance and complexity. This is truly the perfect way to end a Blind Barrels flight, a proper nightcap, with incredible mouthfeel and texture, and a flavor profile that just continues to keep opening up the longer it sits in the glass (we found it to be completely different after 45 minutes). The most beautiful whiskeys deserve the most time, and this is one you won’t want to rush! As Mike puts it, “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We know what’s good and we want to keep putting that front and center as often as we can.” As for what they’re excited about for the future (aside from making a short film for this release - Bobby suggests a “The French Connection” theme, while Seabass votes for a Wes Anderson-style “The French Dispatch” vibe), JP takes it back to the basics, saying, “What excites me is the the core group, the people that are your customers. That's how we started as a brand. As we got bigger, more people got to try it. But it always goes back to those core people.” So shout out to you guys, especially Laura from CA who made this rec, and sit back and enjoy this perfect Sample D!

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September 2026: Eyes Wide Shut

Play Whiskey Wizard!

Sample A

Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Finished in Vermouth Barrels

Distillery Story

Sample B

The Old Kernel Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Distillery Story

Sample C

McKenzie Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

Distillery Story

Sample D

The Frenchman - Starring Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in New French Oak Barrels

Distillery Story