Bachelor on the Cheap

By Mike Thayer

Good sized squeeze bottle

I enjoy the occasional beer or glass of wine, but if I'm going to participate in cocktail hour, it's usually with a whiskey drink and my go-to is whiskey and water with a squeeze or splash of lime juice.

In the past I've just used a straight squeeze from a sliced lime and included the slice with my drink.  Sometimes I would use the RealLime brand juice from the bottle.  But realizing I didn't have anything lime at home during a recent trip to the liquor store, the liquor store guru working that night recommended Master of Mixes Lime Juice.  I had never used the stuff before and with my liquor store guru never having failed me with a recommendation I bought a bottle of it to try.

Made with key lime juice which is sweetened ever so slightly with pure cane sugar, this is a great add to any cocktail calling for lime juice.  It delivers on tart lime flavor with a touch of sweet.  And it's not just for cocktails either!  Use is to create Mocktails like mojitos, margaritas, and limeades.  I like to use it often when drinking ice water, because yes water can get boring.  And don't stop there!  It's a nice finishing touch on grilled fare, it's particularly good on BBQ, hitting the meat with a few squirts when letting the meat rest before serving.  Also excellent on street tacos, hit 'em up before applying your favorite taco sauce.

Costing me $3.29 for a 12.7 ounce bottle, I'm giving Master of Mixes Lime Juice 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's an easy repeat buy!

Pucker Up!

By Mike Thayer

Here's something a little different...

I ventured away from my norm - a flavored traditional whiskey - and recently tried some Apple Sour Moonshine (a.k.a. White Whiskey) from Ole Smoky.

I'm an Ole Smoky fan, they make a fantastic peanut butter flavored whiskey that's better than Skrewball!  I've also sampled their Ole Smoky Butter Pecan Moonshine which was quite tasty.    So in liking both those and kind of starting on a Moonshine trend, I decided to give their Apple Sour Moonshine a try.

Here's the description from the Ole Smoky website:  Take your sweet time enjoying this sour sensation. We took the tart, bright flavor of sour apples, added our moonshine, and gave it just enough sweetness to make it totally irresistible. Give your kisser something to remember.

White Whiskey is "new" whiskey, as in a raw, unfinished product, "unaged."  White Whiskey skips the aged in oak barrels step so what you get is naked grain alcohol - Moonshine!

This is good stuff!  You get the sour apple right away in the whiff, it's pleasant, not overpowering.  It delivers nicely on the sour apple in the sip without being too harsh, giving you just a bit of a pucker with a warm finish going down.

Costing me around $19 for a 750ml jar (can you say, "re-use?" Yes, yes you can!), I'm giving Ole Smoky Apple Pucker Moonshine 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  I like this better than DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker which in comparing the two, the DeKuyper comes off as too syrupy and simply not as clean of a shot.  Ole Smokey Sour Apple Moonshine is worthy of a repeat buy!

By Mike Thayer

I now have a new flavored whiskey favorite

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits remains on the rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks.  My favorite in all this tasting fun so far, has been Ole Smoky Peanut Butter flavored whiskey.  It's BETTER than Skrewball and it costs a lot less too!

Today's review is a taste of praline! I picked up a bottle of Bird Dog Praline flavored whiskey, making it a Super Bowl Sunday Sampler...

Here's the description from the Bird Dog Whiskey Website:  Folklore and fact intermingle to create the history of the praline candy, a southern favorite for generations. This classic confectionery treat is buttery, nutty, and sweet all at once, and we’ve managed to bottle it up with our Pecan Praline Bird Dog Whiskey. The unmistakable flavor of toasted pecans covered in a silky smooth candy coating complemented by the essence of vanilla and oak aging barrels of real Kentucky bourbon. Try it in our Praline Pointer, and you’ll feel like you’re walking to the streets of New Orleans - brass band not included.

I think I may have found a new flavored whiskey favorite.  Sampling this in a straight shot and on the rocks, if I had to pick between Ole Smoky Peanut Butter and the Bird Dog Praline, I'm going Praline.  This is a silky smooth whiskey that gives you pecan and brown sugar notes in the nose, delivers nicely on those flavors in the sip, followed by a delightful, warm, rich finish that is not overly sweet.  Bird Dog has very successfully put praline in a whiskey bottle.  This is a whiskey to truly savor, to have on hand for special occasions, it's that good.

Costing me $18.95 for an 80 proof 750ml bottle, I'm giving Bird Dog Praline 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  Reasonably priced, it's definitely a repeat buy and deserves a spot in your liquor cabinet.

By Mike Thayer

Straight Shot

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits remains on the rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks.  My favorite in all this tasting fun so far, has been Ole Smoky Peanut Butter flavored whiskey.  It's BETTER than Skrewball!

Today's review is a taste of maple!  I was gifted a bottle for Christmas, a very pleasant surprise.

Here's the short description from the Knob Creek website:  We blend this bourbon with natural smoked maple flavors for a unique, smoky sweetness. 

I sampled this whiskey in a straight shot and on the rocks.  In pulling the stopper, you get a nice whiff of maple with a hint of smoke.  At 90 proof, this bourbon is full-bodied, you get the maple at the front but it's not overly sweet and is followed by the smoke and complimentary notes of vanilla and caramel.  It's an excellent, warm, bourbon finish.  I enjoyed it best on the rocks, the ice elevating all the flavor notes in a cleaner sip if you will.

Retailing for about $30, Knob Creek Smoked Maple is a higher quality whiskey than say Jim Beam.  It's slightly sweet but not too maple forward, it's smokey smooth and deserves a spot in your liquor cabinet.  I'm giving it 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars. A great fall/winter sipping whiskey, I'm reserving this for special occasions and it's most definitely a repeat buy.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

Related: Drink Review: Jim Beam Maple Whiskey

By Mike Thayer

Rich and flavorful

Here's another fun shot to enjoy over the holidays!

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits remains on the rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks.  My favorite in all this tasting fun so far, has been Ole Smoky Peanut Butter flavored whiskey.  It's BETTER than Skrewball!

Today's review is a taste of honey!

Bottled as a liqueur, here's the description of Wild Turkey American Honey from the bottle:  Exceptionally smooth liqueur blended with pure honey and bourbon whiskey.

With a proof of 71 and aged 4 years, this blend of bourbon and honey has a great, fragrant nose, you get that sweet whiff of honey right away in taking the cap off the bottle.  The mouthfeel is rich and flavorful, delivering the honey in front followed by notes of vanilla from the Wild Turkey finish. 

Costing me about $14 for a 350ml bottle, I'm giving Wild Turkey American Honey 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's a bit pricey but it's quite delicious especially over ice.  A repeat buy, I also look forward to cooking with this, the blend of bourbon and honey will lend itself well to a number of dishes!

Related:  Five honey flavored whiskeys sampled, which one came out on top?

By Mike Thayer

It's a Reece's Peanut Butter Cup in a bottle!

Here's a fun shot to enjoy over the holidays!

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits remains on the rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks.  My favorite in all this tasting fun so far, has been Ole Smoky Peanut Butter flavored whiskey.  It's BETTER than Skrewball!

And BONUS:  Peanut butter flavored whiskeys lend themselves to some great chilled shot mixology:  A half shot of peanut butter and a half shot of Chambord raspberry liquer makes a wonderful PB&J shot.  Mix peanut butter and a banana liquer for an "Elvis" (his favorite sandwich was a fried peanut butter and banana).  And also quite good, mix the peanut butter and a chocolate liquer for a "Reece's Peanut Butter Cup."

But wait a minute!...  Ballotin got smart and put those "Reece's" flavors in ONE bottle!  No mixology required!  And it's DAMN good!  This is smoother than what you can create on your own in a mixed shot, as the chocolate and peanut butter flavors are all natural flavors blended in before bottling this whiskey at 60 proof.  These aren't harsh liquers added after the fact like some bottlers do.  What you get with Ballotin is a flavored blend that's perfectly balanced.  There's nothing harsh, nothing overpowering and more importantly it's not overly sweet.  You get the aroma of peanut butter with a hint of chocolate in the nose.  In the taste, It's Reece's, but with a hint of Butterfinger which is a good thing!  And the most important characteristic in a good flavored whiskey is a warm whiskey finish and this delivers just that.

Costing me about $29 for a 750ml bottle, I'm giving Ballotin Peanut Butter Chocolate Whiskey 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's a delicious flavored whiskey, enjoyable no matter the pour be it a straight shot, a chilled shot, served neat or on the rocks.  A bit pricey, it's still a repeat buy, this is something you'll want to have on hand, especially during the holidays.

By Mike Thayer

Watermelon and Whiskey is a good pairing

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits remains on the rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks.  My favorite in all this tasting fun so far, has been Ole Smoky Peanut Butter flavored whiskey.  It's BETTER than Skrewball!

Given how much I enjoyed the Ole Smoky Peanut Butter, I decided to give another one of their flavored whiskeys a try.

Today's tasting:  Ole Smoky Salted Watermelon

If a shot of whiskey can be refreshing, this is it!

You get the whiff of watermelon in the nose, the hint of salt kisses the tongue along with the fruity note and then there's the warm whiskey finish.  It's slightly sweet, not overpowering at all and it's balanced by that salt.  It's smooth and yes, refreshing! 

As always, I tried this whiskey neat, on the rocks and in a chilled shot. It's very good any way served. It would also lend itself well to mixology, adding a splash of ginger ale comes to mind.  A friend of mine recommended mixing it with lemonade which sounds real good. 

Costing me $19.99, Ole Smoky Salted Watermelon is definitely a repeat buy and gets 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars. 

By Mike Thayer

A chilled shot, is a great shot

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits remains on the rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks.  My favorite in all this tasting fun so far, has been Skrewball.

Today's tasting:  Ole Smoky Peanut Butter Whiskey

It's BETTER than Skrewball and BONUS - Cheaper too!

It hits all the peanut butter notes that Skrewball does and then some.  It's sweet, it's smooth, the whiskey finish is SO pleasantly warm.  Without question, without hesitation, Ole Smoky Peanut Butter Whiskey is a BETTER shot, it's better straight up, it's better chilled, it's better in mixology.

Try it combined with Chambord for a peanut butter and jelly shot.  AWESOME!  Try it with some Godiva Chocolate Liquor for a Reece's Pieces kind of thing.  And here's a fun one, combined with DeKuyper Creme de Banana, you get "The Elvis"....  a take on his favorite sandwich, the peanut butter and banana....

Costing me $19.99, Ole Smoky Peanut Butter Whiskey is BETTER than Skrewball and costs far less (comparatively, Skrewball costs around $30) and gets 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It is now my GO TO peanut butter flavored whiskey.

By Mike Thayer

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits remains on the rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks.  My favorite in all this tasting fun so far, has been Skrewball.

Today's tasting:  Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey

This is a deceptively GOOD whiskey!

Honey is SUCH a nice pairing with whiskey and Jack Daniel's has done things right by NOT making this overly sweet like other makers tend to do when it comes to flavored whiskeys.  The honey is subtle in the nose, there's nothing harsh about this at all and you get the nice Jack Daniel's whiskey finish.  This whiskey is almost, note I wrote 'almost' too smooth.  What a nice combo.

As always, I tried this whiskey neat, on the rocks and in a chilled shot. It's very good any way served.  It would also lend itself well to mixology, adding a splash of ginger ale comes to mind right away....

Costing me about $21 for a 750ml bottle, Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey is definitely a repeat buy and gets 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars!

By Mike Thayer

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits continues to rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks.  My favorite in all this tasting fun so far, has been Skrewball.

Today's tasting:  Jim Beam Orange Whiskey

I've sampled Jim Beam Apple, Jim Beam Red Stag, Jim Beam Honey,  Jim Beam Maple, and Jim Beam Peach.  Of the Jim Beam lot, my favorite so far has been the apple, with the others not really being repeat buys.

The description from the bottle:   Jim Beam Orange contains all the pride of the Beam family's 220-year history with a refreshing take on family tradition.  Our distillers have infused bright, flavorful Orange Liqueur with fine Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.  The perfect mix of orange and bourbon with hints of vanilla and oak.  Enjoy straight, or mix with soda water or enjoy straight. 

So how good is it you ask?

As usual, I served this up in a straight shot and on the rocks. I have to say based on my reviews of the other Jim Beam flavors, I wasn't expecting much, but the orange is pretty good.  You get a pleasant hint of orange in the nose, it hits you in the swallow but it's not overpowering, with the notes of vanilla and oak on the back end followed nicely by the warmth of the classic Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finish.  I can see this being the main pour in making an Old Fashioned and I'm looking forward to trying that.  I did try a chilled shot with a squeeze of lime, which I recommend - very nice!  

Jim Beam Peach Whiskey gets 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's an good flavored whiskey.  Priced at about $17 for a 750ml bottle, Jim Beam Orange is a repeat buy.