Claim OwnershipBourbon Bytes Podcast
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Whiskey news & reviews with a gaming twist! Each week, Clifton McDaniel brings you the latest bourbon releases, industry stories, and ‘Byte-Sized’ tastings—alongside the hottest video game news and discussions. Cheers, and Game On!
67 Episodes
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Whiskey heists, billion-dollar gaming buyouts, and a rare single malt review? This week’s episode of the Bourbon Bytes Podcast covers it all. Clifton dives into the jaw-dropping $1 million Westland Distillery heist, breaks down the shocking $55B buyout of Electronic Arts, and closes things out with a Byte-Sized Review of Single Cask Nation’s Westland American Single Malt. It’s whiskey news, gaming drama, and one of the fruitiest American single malts I’ve ever tasted. Cheers, and Game On! 🥃🎮
This week on Bourbon Bytes, Clifton reviews the Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon — recently crowned World’s Best Bourbon at the 2025 IWSC. At 100 proof and $70 retail, does this sleek decanter hold a whiskey worthy of the title, or is transparency (or lack thereof) its biggest flaw? Tune in for a full breakdown, tasting notes, and final score.
Also in whiskey & gaming news:
🏎 Jim Beam teams up with Cadillac’s F1 Team for 2026
🍁 Canada drops retaliatory tariffs on Kentucky bourbon
🎮 Civilization 7 dev Firaxis hit by layoffs after launch
🎵 Daft Punk enters Fortnite with a 31-song experience
This week on Bourbon Bytes, Clifton reviews the 2025 Weller Full Proof Bourbon — a rich, wheated Buffalo Trace release bursting with fall bakery notes, buttery pie crust, and toasted vanilla. Does it live up to its hype (and price tag) compared to Weller 107 and other wheated bourbons? Tune in for the full breakdown and rating.
Also in whiskey & gaming news:
🥃 Buffalo Trace unveils the 2025 Pappy Van Winkle Collection (including a one-of-a-kind 25-year-old bottle)
🔥 Elijah Craig drops its youngest barrel proof batch ever at just 9 years old
🎮 The September Nintendo Direct delivers huge announcements: Super Mario Galaxy movie & bundle, a new Yoshi game, and Pokémon Pokopia — the cozy Pokémon life sim we never knew we needed!
This week on Bourbon Bytes, I take a deep dive into the 2015 Parker’s Heritage 8-Year Malt Whiskey - a rare and experimental Heaven Hill release that was way ahead of its time. How does it hold up nearly a decade later, and why didn’t Heaven Hill continue down the malt path?
Also in whiskey news:
🥃 Booker’s The Reserves 2025 gets a bold tequila barrel finish
🌳 Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection “Sweet Oak” rolls out in rare chinquapin oak barrels
🌾 Heaven Hill Grain-to-Glass Wheated Bourbon with a unique mash bill
🏭 Angel’s Envy drops two distillery-only exclusives
🎟️ Buffalo Trace Elmer T. Lee Charity Sweepstakes offers an incredible behind-the-scenes prize
This week on Bourbon Bytes, I dive into the world of Scotch with a review of Compass Box’s Transatlanticism (2024 release) — a limited-edition blend crafted with help from whiskey reviewer T8ke and industry veteran Will Schragis. How does this $199 bottle stack up against Compass Box favorites like Orchard House and Glasgow Blend?
Plus:
🥃 Woodford Reserve surprises with its first-ever 12-Year American Single Malt
🏆 Michter’s named “Most Admired Whiskey in the World” (again)
🐉 Catoctin Creek goes full fantasy with DracoMalt, a dragon-inspired American single malt collab
🎮 And in gaming: Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launches + a stacked September of new releases!
This week on Bourbon Bytes, I review the brand-new 2025 High West Bourye, the annual limited release blending straight bourbon and rye whiskey. How does this year’s edition stack up against past favorites, and is it worth the hunt? Plus, big whiskey headlines: Maker’s Mark brings back its Cellar Aged Bourbon, High West launches its first Bottled-in-Bond release aged at 4,000 ft, and Penelope Bourbon reveals a premium 2025 Estate Collection.
Clifton dives into some of the hottest whiskey news of the year: Old Forester shakes things up with a sweet mash Birthday Bourbon, Four Roses unveils its 2025 Limited Edition Small Batch, and Elijah Craig tees off with the PGA Quail Hollow Championship Edition. How does this commemorative release stack up against past special collaborations? Plus, we celebrate the end of the SAG-AFTRA video game strike and what it means for the future of gaming.
It’s a head-to-head battle of Michter’s 2025 Legacy Series releases — the sweet and delicate Shenk’s Homestead (91.2 proof) vs. the bold and oaky Bomberger’s Declaration (108 proof). I break down their unique cask choices, share full nose/palate impressions, and crown my pick for the better buy. Plus, two distilleries step up big to support flood relief in Kentucky and Texas — proof that good bourbon can do good in the world.
Clifton breaks down one of the boldest store picks he's tried in a while: a 128-proof Knob Creek Cask Strength Single Barrel from K&L Wine Merchants. Along the way, he dives into hot whiskey news, including the experimental 2025 Parker’s Heritage release, a Hungarian oak-aged "bourbon" from A. Smith Bowman, and legendary game developer Hideo Kojima’s critique of the modern video game industry. Plus, a listener call-in asks what releases Clifton’s most excited for in the second half of the year.
This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, Clifton takes you behind the blue wax to review the Maker’s Mark Champion Selection, handpicked by the Los Angeles Dodgers to celebrate their 2024 World Series win. He dives into hot whiskey headlines—Buffalo Trace's bold Weller 18 release, heirloom corn making waves at craft distilleries, and Old Forester’s 1910 Extra Extra Old. Plus, find out which distillery just dominated the 2025 New Orleans Spirits Competition.
This week on Bourbon Bytes, Clifton dives into some of the hottest headlines in the whiskey world—from Buffalo Trace’s surprising new 100-proof Sazerac Rye to their bold move into sustainable distilling. Plus, Hidden Barn adds a new Master Taster to their team. But the star of the show? Clifton’s first-ever sip of TINCUP 6-Year American Whiskey—a bold, oak-forward blend of bourbon and Colorado single malt that left a lasting impression.
In this jam-packed episode, Clifton dives into the latest bourbon headlines — from Buffalo Trace’s mysterious E.H. Taylor Jr. Distiller's Council release to A. Smith Bowman’s award-winning rye and Starlight’s 10-Year debut. But the main event? A first sip of the brand-new Louisiana Senator Bourbon, a bold 8-year whiskey from the creators of Kentucky Senator, crafted in collaboration with Potter Jane Distillery.
Is this small batch release the next cult classic? Tune in for a Byte-Sized Review and find out what makes this one unforgettable.
This week on Bourbon Bytes, Clifton is diving deep into high-proof territory with a first-time review of Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel — the most elusive (and explosive) bottle in the Blanton’s lineup. How does it hold up to the hype, and is it worth chasing down?
Also on the table: three six-year bourbons you need to know — a Single Barrel Selection from New Riff, Castle & Key’s Small Batch Six-Year Bourbon, and Garrison Brother's 2025 Guadalupe Bourbon supporting Texas conservation. Whether you’re all about barrel strength or on the hunt for value, this episode’s got you covered.
In this episode of Bourbon Bytes, Clifton dives into the 2025 Old Soul Single Barrel Bourbon—a bold cask strength pick from Mississippi's oldest distillery… or is it? With transparency under the spotlight, Clifton uncovers what’s really inside the bottle, and why it might just be the sleeper hit of the summer.
Plus, he breaks down the latest in the bourbon world: the new Michter’s Legacy Series releases, a Pinhook Rye that’s winning big, and some exciting cask strength news from Knob Creek. And for bourbon lovers who love to travel—he spotlights Bardstown’s new luxury hotel, complete with a speakeasy and spa.
This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, Clifton dives into one of the boldest Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series bottles to date — the 2025 Keeper’s Release, packed with ten toasted American oak staves. Is it a worthy successor to The Heart, or an over-oaked detour?
Also in the mix: a fascinating experiment in climate-aged bourbon from Milam & Greene, a tribute to military valor via Four Branches Bourbon, and a breakdown of the bold new Little Book Chapter 9 from Jim Beam. As always, expect strong pours, hot takes, and a splash of comfort in the middle of a chaotic world.
In this week’s pour of Bourbon Bytes, Clifton dives into the hottest release yet from Wild Turkey: Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Bourbon is back — and this time, it’s clocking in at a blistering 123.8 proof. Is it the best Wild Turkey yet, or just another hard-to-find unicorn?
We also explore the return of Stitzel-Weller with a jaw-dropping 24-year-old release priced at $1,600, and check in with Laphroaig’s 2025 Cairdeas — a cask strength version of their beloved Lore.
Then, in this week’s Byte-Sized Review, Clifton finally uncorks the new Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond wheated bourbon. Can this $60 Heaven Hill release live up to its decanter-clad cousins?
After a three-year hiatus, Bourbon Bytes is back with a brand-new season and a barrel full of whiskey news. Clifton breaks down the surprise announcement of Eagle Rare 12 — is it a smart move or an unnecessary twist? He also dives into the ultra-limited Remus Babe Ruth Reserve and some game-changing distribution news for Old Forester fans outside of Kentucky. Finally, he gives a sweet and spicy byte-sized review of Rock Hill Farms Bourbon — a rare pour that reminds him of home… and Krispy Kreme donuts. Short, sharp, and spirited — this relaunch is everything you’ve missed and more.
To celebrate the 50th episode of the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, I’m reviewing William Larue Weller bourbon, a part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (2021). This epic conclusion to Season 1 of the Bourbon Bytes Podcast is a tribute to the Patreon supporters and listeners of the podcast who have supported me over the past year.
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Today I'm reviewing a cask strength craft rye whiskey from Dog and Shrub Distillery out of Lake Mills, WI. This was sent to me by Edd from The Rotgut Review, who happens to work at Dog and Shrub. I'm also touching on some upcoming whiskey news, including the new Woodford Reserve Honey Barrel Finish Distillery Series, Wild Turkey Master's Keep, and Heaven Hill's 20 Year Old Corn Whiskey. Plus, sharing the title for the Breath of the Wild sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom!
Barrell Vantage is a 114.4 proof bourbon from Barrell Craft Spirits consisting of a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys finished in three distinct expressions of virgin oak: Mizunara, French, and toasted American oak casks. I'm reviewing this new BCS release and enjoying it both neat and on the rocks during the California heat wave.
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