Coppercraft 9 Year Old Straight Bourbon

I’d like to thanks CraftCo and their PR team for sending me this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: A bottle of Coppercraft Distillery 9-Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 90.6 proof, from Holland, Michigan, sitting on a wooden railing with a blurred green yard and trees in the background.

When I first published a review of Coppercraft Bourbon back in May of ’24, most of the comments I received told me that if I ever got the chance to grab one of their 9-year-old single barrels, I should do it. Well, I never did see one of those, but I recently was offered a sample of their new 9-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon, which I happily accepted.

Coppercraft Distillery is a craft distillery in Holland, Michigan, a small city on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was founded in 2012 and is slated to reopen in August of 2025. It produces gin, vodka, applejack, rum, canned cocktails, a partially sourced rye, and sourced bourbons. Coppercraft is part of the CraftCo portfolio, which also includes Fox & Oden (reviewed here back in October of last year). CraftCo, in turn, is owned by the DeVos-backed Windquest Group based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. According to an email from their PR team, this bourbon is “Distilled in Indiana,” much like its portfolio mates. The company doesn’t provide much more information than that. However, I don’t know about you, but for me, “Distilled in Indiana” on an unknown bourbon is a plus. If it’s coming from MGP, it will probably fall somewhere between pretty darn good and great.

So what makes this different than any other bourbon sourced from Indiana? To find out, I asked their PR team about the “brandy-inspired” slow proofing of the barrels. They explained that it takes a few weeks to bring the whiskey down to proof, and they do this in the barrel by adding what is known in the cognac world as “petites eaux.” Not knowing what that was (I’m not the Cognac Guy, after all), I did some digging online and found what I believe to be a great definition.

“For an added layer of intrigue, there is something unique that can be used in place of or in combination with water called petites eaux. Petites eaux (“little water” in French) is water that has been placed to “age” in an empty, used Cognac barrel. The water will slowly pull any remaining alcohol out of the barrel staves. According to Nicholas Faith’s book ‘Cognac: The Story of the World’s Greatest Brandy,’ this water solution can get up to around 20% ABV after several months, which shows how much alcohol can potentially still be left inside the barrel staves. Petites eaux is used as a slower method of lowing the proof and, in a way, adding different aromas or flavors.” — CognacReverie.com, accessed July 23, 2025

So basically, it’s adding water to a barrel that previously held bourbon and using it to pull out more whiskey trapped in the wood. Essentially, they’re proofing it down with something akin to an extremely low-proof bourbon. Jim Beam uses a similar process for Devil’s Cut, which, in my opinion, is an improvement over standard Jim Beam White (or at least it was the last time I had either, which was a few years ago).

So, let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Coppercraft 9 Year Old Straight Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me by the producer, at no charge, for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $37.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.53

Details: 45.3% ABV. 9 years old. Distilled in Indiana (from PR email, not on bottle).

Nose: Nutty, vanilla, almond, green apple, baking spice, and a hint of wintergreen.

Mouth: Mint, green apple, caramel, cinnamon, and almond.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of wintergreen, vanilla, green apple, and almond.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn smiley face which denotes that I like the product.

Thoughts: Total mint bomb—but not in a bad way. If you’re sensitive to mint notes, skip it. However, if you don’t mind mint, this is quite tasty. You might notice that there is one thing I didn’t call out above that I thought I’d notice in there. And that is oak. At nine years old, I expected more of it, but nine years—while a decent length of time to age—isn’t twelve or fifteen, where oak tends to dominate. Overall, I like it. I especially appreciate seeing an age-stated bourbon for under $40.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Remus Babe Ruth Reserve, 2025

I’d like to thank Ross & Squibb Distillery and their PR team for providing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: A bottle of Remus Babe Ruth Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey sits on a weathered wooden railing, labeled as a 2025 media sample with 111 proof (55.5% ABV) and a medley of 3 mash bills, against a leafy green backyard background.

And I’m back. A day late, but not a dollar short. Or something. Completely forgot what day it was yesterday as I was traveling to get yet another tattoo. So, let’s jump right in and make sure you don’t have to wait any longer.

Remus Babe Ruth Reserve is the latest special release from Ross & Squibb Distillery. This time, they’ve teamed up with the Babe Ruth Family to release 8,399 bottles of bourbon—one for each of the Bambino’s at-bats. It carries a suggested retail price of $149.99, which, all things considered, isn’t bad for a limited release these days. The blend consists of three different high-rye bourbon mashbills: 73% of the blend comes from their 49% rye bourbon distilled in 2017, 15% from a 44% rye bourbon distilled in 2016, and the remaining 12% from their 36% rye bourbon, also distilled in 2017. The final product is bottled at 111 proof.

Quoting the producer now:

“We’re honored to pay homage to one of baseball’s icons with our latest collector’s release of Remus Babe Ruth Reserve,” said Ian Stirsman, master distiller of Ross & Squibb Distillery. “Our 2025 edition is masterfully crafted and is sure to give baseball fans and high-rye bourbon lovers a unique and memorable way to celebrate America’s pastime and its most legendary player.”

So, let’s see how it tastes.

Remus Babe Ruth Reserve, 2025

Purchase Info: This 200 mL sample was provided by the producer at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $149.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $10

Details: 55.5% ABV. Blend of Mashbills: 73% 2017 49% rye bourbon, 15% 2016 44% rye bourbon, and 12% 2017 36% rye bourbon.

Nose: Toffee, bubblegum, wintergreen, and oak.

Mouth: Nice and spicy. Notes of cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, and oak.

Finish: Warm and long. Notes follow the nose with caramel, bubblegum, wintergreen, cinnamon, and oak.

IMAGE: a hand-drawn smiley face that denotes that I like the product.

Thoughts: Whoooo boy, is this one spicy in the mouth. But in a good way—spicy enough that I picked out the finish notes before the ones on the palate because I needed to swallow first. Once you get acclimated, though, the sweet and spicy notes come through quite nicely. I'm a fan. It’s a little expensive for my budget, but if yours has more room in it than mine, this is mighty tasty.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, B525

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Bottle of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof bourbon, batch B525, labeled 11 years, 6 months old and 126.2 proof, sitting on a wooden deck with lush green trees in the background.

Headed off to the dentist in a little bit to get a tiny cavity filled before it turns into something worse. I’m assuming my face will be numb and I’ll be miserable afterward, so I’m trying to get this out before I need to leave. And there isn’t much time left, so let’s make this one short.

We’ve covered these releases many times before, so I think most of us already know what’s going on with them. But if you’re new, here’s the short, short version: Elijah Craig used to be a 12-year-old product. Just before it transitioned to a non-age-stated (NAS) version, a companion “Barrel Proof” offering was released. That product stayed 12 years old even after the NAS transition and became a three-times-yearly release. A few cycles ago, they dropped the 12-year age statement as a standard and now just list how old each particular batch is. Most have been right around 12 years, though at least one has been older. The batch code helps you track it: the letter (A, B, or C) tells you if the bottle in your hands is from the first, second, or third release of the year. The first number is the month of release, and the last two digits are the year.

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s dig in and see if it’s any good.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, B525

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $74.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.00

Details: 63.1% ABV. 11 years, 6 months old

Nose: Pretty typical Heaven Hill profile: vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, and oak.

Mouth: Hot and sweet with notes of cinnamon, wintergreen, vanilla, honey, and oak.

Finish: Medium length and warm with notes of honey, cinnamon, and oak.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn smile that indicates I like this particualr release.

Thoughts: I like the nose on this one. It smells like bourbon—like, if you were making a “bourbon-scented” item, this would be your template. The mouth is as warm as you'd expect at over 120 proof. Nice heat and sweetness. I’m digging the honey notes on both the palate and the finish, and the mouthfeel reinforces that with a thick, rich texture. This is quite good. I really like it.

Oh, and since I was whining about the price of the last Heaven Hill product I covered, I should mention that this one continues to be much more reasonably priced compared to Old Fitz Bonded. It’s only about $6.50 per year of age. Fair is fair, and I don’t want to be called a hypocrite for calling out high pricing without acknowledging the opposite.

Comparison to last time: A125 is much less cinnamon-forward than B525. The mouth on A125 is sweeter and oakier. As always, both of these are very tasty—but B525 has a little extra oomph that puts it over the top for us.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series Spring 2025

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Bottle of Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Spring 2025 Edition bourbon, labeled 100 proof and 9 years old, sitting on a wooden deck with green foliage and an American flag in the background.

Hello friends! I’m back! Hopefully, you noticed that I was away last week…

Anyway. I was in a very tiny RV, driving to and from Knoxville, TN. Now you may ask: Why Knoxville? There are so many other places in the country to drive a tiny RV to. Why would you not choose (insert your favorite place to drive a tiny RV here)?

Well, the answer to that is basically a giant shrug. I have no idea why we decided on Knoxville proper. We have our usual birthday/anniversary trip planned for September and wanted to test out our probable method of transportation. We had the idea that it would be fun to take a September trip to Northern California in a drivable RV. My wife has always had the fantasy that she’d enjoy the smallest vans made. You know—the super small kind that fits into a parking spot with little trouble. Something cute.

The issue with that is… they’re also super small on the inside. I found that out when I needed to pee, couldn’t actually fit in the toilet area (vertically at all or horizontally comfortably), and had to stand in the “kitchen/hallway” and just aim at the toilet to relieve myself. (I happen to be a very good aim, having had almost 50 years of practice.) Toss in assorted tripping and stumbling hazards and we realized that, if nothing else, the layout was just shit. But also that we really could use a bit more space—and a “lounging area” that wasn’t just the driver’s and passenger’s seats flipped around. After driving all day, those were the last seats we wanted to be in while trying to relax.

Now, as to why Knoxville? First off, there are a couple of National Park Units there. One of them is the second of three units in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. We visited Los Alamos around this time last year, so picking up the second of three interlocking passport stamps felt like a fun goal. But more importantly, this was a trial run that allowed me to test the various ways we plan to spend our overnights during the September trip. We tried Harvest Hosts, campgrounds, and hotels—just to see how Mr. Tiny would handle itself (that’s what I referred to the RV as in my head, don’t get any weird ideas just because I mentioned peeing earlier). And best of all, if something did go wrong (which it did), we were in a populated area—or at least more populated than Wyoming or the Nevada desert.

But the best part of going to Tennessee? We passed through Kentucky twice and had many opportunities to spend almost as much on bourbon as I did on the RV. We’ll probably have a lot of bonus posts this summer to go through the things I picked up. But for now, let’s get on to tonight’s bourbon—which I did not get while away.

Tonight’s bourbon is the latest release in Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series—this one being the Spring 2025 release. As always, this release uses the Heaven Hill wheated bourbon mashbill and meets the requirements to be labeled bottled-in-bond. It is nine years old and bottled at 100 proof.

Old Fitzgerald has a long history. It was the flagship product of the Old Stitzel-Weller distillery (of Pappy Van Winkle fame). After being purchased by Heaven Hill, it eventually slid down the ranks of prestige, having qualified for more than one Bottom-Shelf Bracket back when we adhered to strict pricing rules for that series. A few years ago, though, the bottled-in-bond version was relaunched as a prestige offering. The average price was about $10 per year of age—a big jump from the twenty-something dollars per bottle it had previously carried. These days, the price has increased even more to about $14 per year of age, which is quite the jump.

Disappointing as a frugal person, but not unexpected for someone who follows the bourbon industry. Anyway, let’s dig in and see if this is worth the price.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Spring 2025

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $129.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.67

Details: 50% ABV, 9 years old.

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, spearmint, and oak.

Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, leather, and oak.

Finish: Medium in both length and warmth. Notes of cacao nibs, vanilla, cinnamon, oak, and just a hint of spearmint.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn smiley face. This denotes a “like” rating.

Thoughts: Though I am not a fan of Heaven Hill deviating from their prior pricing plan of the MSRP being $10 per year aged, if you’re the sort of person willing to pay $130 for a bottle of bourbon, you won’t be disappointed in paying that for this one. If anything could be said to be worth that price, this would be. I’ve had far worse bourbon for more money. Because this is absolutely delicious—it’s rich and thick, and the oak-derived notes of leather and cacao are probably my favorite part of this one. Big fan.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength

I’d like to thank Jefferson’s Bourbon and their PR partners for sending this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Bottle of Jefferson’s Reserve Limited Edition Cask Strength bourbon, labeled 130 proof, sitting on a wooden deck with trees and greenery in the background.

It’s been a minute since we last looked at anything from Jefferson’s Bourbon. Not for any real reason—I usually like it. But many of their releases have been more of a “change of pace” bourbon for me, as they haven’t always lined up perfectly with my palate. Well, just having bourbon outside of a tasting has become a change of pace for me these days, so I don’t buy or consume nearly enough to warrant a "change of pace" product on the shelf. Because of that, I don’t buy their stuff as often as I probably used to, and as such, I don’t cover it as much either.

That said, they were nice enough to send me a sample to check out, so let’s dig in.

Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength is an 8-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon bottled unfiltered at 130° proof (65% ABV). This limited-edition release will be available starting April 2025 at select retailers, restaurants, and bars across the U.S., with a suggested retail price of $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle. Here is what the brand has to say about this release:

“For years, Jefferson’s Reserve has been our flagship bourbon, celebrated for its balance and sophistication. With this cask strength release, we’re peeling back the layers to reveal the whiskey in its most authentic form—untamed, uncut, and packed with intense flavor,” said Trey Zoeller, Founder and Master Blender of Jefferson’s Bourbon. “This is for those  who crave the full experience of a high-proof  bourbon that’s as big as it is drinkable.”

Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Jefferson's Cask Strength.

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me for review purposes at no charge. The Suggested Retail Price is $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67

Details: 8 years old, 65% ABV

Nose: Strong floral vanilla notes initially, followed by cinnamon, cherry, and oak.

Mouth: As hot as you would expect 130 proof to be. Follows the nose with vanilla, cinnamon, oak, and cherry notes.

Finish: Long and warm, with lingering notes of vanilla, cinnamon candies, and a bit of oak.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn smiley face. It denotes that I like the bourbon.

Thoughts: Holy shit! This may be my favorite Jefferson’s bourbon yet. It has all the heat you’d expect at 130° proof. Neat, it is thick, rich, spicy, and sweet. A touch of water tames some of the heat and brings out more oak, a little almond, and even more vanilla. Folks, I really like this one. And not just in a “change of pace” manner. If you see this one out in the wild, do yourself a favor and treat yourself — it’s worth the splurge.

BourbonGuy.com will be off next week due to a short vacation. Regular posts will return on May 21, 2025.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.