Bourbon Bytes Podcast

Clifton McDaniel | Bourbon Bytes
  • 4.4 (14)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

Bourbon and whiskey news, reviews, and tastings 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!

  1. 3d ago

    Bulleit ’87 Review: Is This the Best $30 Whiskey of 2026?

    Bulleit ’87 Review: Bulleit just added a $30 bourbon-and-rye blend to its permanent lineup — and I did not expect to like it this much. Before we get to the review, this week’s Bourbon Bytes is packed with seriously interesting whiskey news. Dark Arts Whiskey House is releasing a massive 19-year-old Kentucky bourbon finished for seven years in Japanese Mizunara oak. The six-barrel Chief Alchemist Reserve comes in at 115 proof and a staggering $500. Jim Beam is also bringing back Baker’s 13 Year Single Barrel for 2026. It’s bottled at 107 proof and priced at $150, giving Beam fans another well-aged option alongside Knob Creek and Booker’s. Then Willett takes one of its most recognizable — and most divisive — bottles and gives it a serious upgrade. Willett Pot Still Reserve Cask Strength is coming nationwide for around $67, which might finally convince some skeptics to give the famous bottle another chance. And this might be the most Bourbon Bytes story of the week: A new Lord of the Rings whiskey is coming from New Zealand. Pōkeno Ringbearer celebrates the 25th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings with whiskey matured across first-fill bourbon, virgin oak, Muscat, and Manuka honey casks. At around $109, it might be one of the coolest nerd-culture whiskey releases of the year. Copperworks also celebrates Craft Malt Month with a high-proof American single malt supporting the Craft Maltsters Guild, while Pursuit Spirits and Shortbarrel team up for a spooky-season bourbon-and-rye blend called Found Footage. Then it’s time for this week’s Byte-Sized Review: Bulleit ’87. This new core release blends Kentucky bourbon and Indiana rye whiskey, with both components aged at least four years before being finished with toasted American and French oak staves. It’s bottled at 90 proof and costs just $30. Expect sweet corn, marshmallow fluff, vanilla, orange citrus, baking spice, toasted oak, and enough rye spice to keep everything from becoming overly sweet. For the money, this might be one of the strongest new everyday American whiskey releases I’ve tried this year. 🥃 Topics covered: Dark Arts 19 Year Mizunara Bourbon Baker’s 13 Year Single Barrel 2026 Willett Pot Still Reserve Cask Strength Pōkeno Ringbearer Lord of the Rings Whiskey Copperworks Craft Malt Month release Pursuit x Shortbarrel Found Footage Bulleit ’87 bourbon-and-rye blend Would you give Bulleit ’87 a shot at $30? YOUTUBE CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro – $500 Bourbon, Willett & Lord of the Rings Whiskey 00:29 Welcome + Episode Setup 01:07 Dark Arts 19 Year Mizunara Bourbon 03:22 Baker’s 13 Year Single Barrel 04:33 Willett Pot Still Reserve Cask Strength 06:06 Pōkeno Ringbearer Lord of the Rings Whiskey 07:52 Copperworks Craft Malt Month Release 09:29 Pursuit x Shortbarrel Found Footage 11:17 Byte-Sized Review – Bulleit ’87 19:01 Outro

    Bulleit ’87 Review: Is This the Best $30 Whiskey of 2026?

  2. Sep 24

    Blue Note Cherry Wood Cask Bourbon Review + Whiskey Made With VENISON?!

    Blue Note Cherry Wood Cask Review: This week I’m tasting the brand-new Blue Note Cherry Wood Cask Volume 1, a cask-strength bourbon finished in wild cherry wood from France — but first, the whiskey world somehow gets even weirder. Beam has two major releases on the way. The second-ever Booker’s rye takes things in a completely unexpected direction with apple brandy cask finishing and cinnamon infusion, while Little Book The Infinite Edition III continues Freddie Noe’s infinity experiment with whiskey including a 23-year-old Knob Creek component originally distilled under Booker Noe. Chicken C**k is also celebrating its 170th anniversary with an 8-year, 115-proof bourbon and a seriously cool vintage-inspired ceramic rooster decanter. Then we get to one of the strangest whiskey stories I’ve covered all year: Tamworth Distilling’s Deerslayer Whiskey, a venison-flavored whiskey made with red deer meat. Yes. Actual venison. On the other end of the spectrum, the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired partnered with Northside Distilling on a limited Braille Bourbon featuring a tactile Braille label and raising money to support people adapting to vision loss. Blue Note also announced wider distribution for its Honey Bourbon Cask and Honey Rye Cask releases, which leads perfectly into this week’s Byte-Sized Review. Blue Note Cherry Wood Cask Volume 1 is a 119.4-proof, unfiltered bourbon finished for four months in wild cherry wood casks sourced from the Jura region of eastern France. And an important distinction: these barrels didn’t contain cherries. The flavor is coming from the cherry wood itself. The result genuinely surprised me. Expect bright red fruit, cherry and red apple skin, fresh oak, vanilla, caramel, sweetness, spice, and a finish strong enough that it almost gives me Manhattan vibes without actually tasting artificially flavored. At about $65, this ended up being one of my favorite finished bourbons I’ve had in quite a while.   On the gaming side, I also break down Microsoft’s latest Xbox restructuring, Activision taking a larger role with Halo, and Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT moving from PlayStation publishing to Xbox. 🥃 Topics covered: Booker’s 2026 rye release Little Book The Infinite Edition III Chicken C**k 170th Anniversary Tamworth Deerslayer Venison Whiskey Braille Bourbon Blue Note Honey Bourbon and Honey Rye Xbox restructuring and Halo Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT Blue Note Cherry Wood Cask Volume 1 review Would you try cherry wood-finished bourbon — and would you EVER drink whiskey made with venison? YouTube Chapter Markers: 00:00 Intro – Venison Whiskey, Little Book & Blue Note 00:30 Welcome + Whiskey Gets Weird 01:02 Booker’s Rye + Little Book Infinite Edition III 03:37 Chicken C**k 170th Anniversary Decanter 05:45 Deerslayer Venison Whiskey?! 08:26 Braille Bourbon 10:45 Blue Note Honey Bourbon + Honey Rye 12:09 Xbox Restructuring + Halo Moves to Activision 13:44 Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT Moves to Xbox 15:15 Byte-Sized Review – Blue Note Cherry Wood Cask Volume 1 23:03 Byte Club + Outro

    Blue Note Cherry Wood Cask Bourbon Review + Whiskey Made With VENISON?!

  3. Sep 17

    Redwood Empire The Hyperion Whiskey Review: Is the Inaugural Batch Worth $99?

    Redwood Empire 'The Hyperion' Whiskey Review: I’m getting an early taste of Batch 001, one of Redwood Empire’s most ambitious releases yet — but first, Pappy season is officially here and the whiskey news gets weird. The Van Winkle family has announced the 2026 Pappy lineup, with six expressions ranging from Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year all the way up to Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year and the 13 Year Family Reserve Rye. Retail prices continue to creep upward, but they’re still nowhere near what these bottles command on the secondary market. Then MGP steps out from behind the curtain with Chapter One: Out of the Shadows, its first whiskey ever released under the MGP name. It’s a 10-year, 111-proof bourbon aged in Lawrenceburg, Indiana — and at just $70, it might be one of the most interesting values of LE season. Neeley Family Distillery also debuts PaPaw’s Legacy Reserve, a 10-year cask-strength wheated bourbon with a unique Solera-style story and a much more intimidating $300 price tag. We’ve also got 2XO Rapper’s Delight, a collaboration between Dixon Dedman and The Sugarhill Gang, plus one of the strangest releases of the year: WhistlePig Boss Hog XIII: The Golden Pharaoh, finished with Egyptian black honey and tiger nuts. Yes, tiger nuts. Then it’s time for the main event: my review of Redwood Empire The Hyperion Batch 001. This new annual limited edition combines FOUR different categories of whiskey: 🥃 32% Bourbon Whiskey 🥃 30% Rye Whiskey 🥃 25% Wheat Whiskey 🥃 13% Single Malt Whiskey The blend pulls together more than 10 mash bills, whiskey aged from 7 to 14 years, and distillate from multiple states before being re-barreled in freshly toasted char #3 barrels. At 110 proof and $99 MSRP, it sounds incredibly ambitious. But does it actually work? Would you rather spend $100 on an experimental blend like Hyperion, or stick with a traditional limited-edition bourbon? YOUTUBE CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro – Pappy, MGP, WhistlePig & Hyperion 00:27 Welcome + LE Season 00:53 Pappy Van Winkle 2026 Lineup 02:42 MGP Chapter One: Out of the Shadows 04:11 Neeley PaPaw’s Legacy Reserve 06:09 2XO Rapper’s Delight 07:47 WhistlePig Boss Hog XIII: The Golden Pharaoh 09:48 Redwood Empire Hyperion Whiskey Review 17:43 Outro

    Redwood Empire The Hyperion Whiskey Review: Is the Inaugural Batch Worth $99?

  4. Sep 10

    Elijah Craig Ryder Cup Review + Ocarina of Time Remake?!

    Bourbon Heritage Month is officially heating up, and this week’s Bourbon Bytes is packed with limited-edition whiskey news, a huge Nintendo surprise, and a fall-ready Elijah Craig review. Heaven Hill kicks things off with the 20th Parker’s Heritage Collection: a 14-year Kentucky straight bourbon made using rye backset during fermentation. Bottled at 118 proof and limited to just 100 barrels, this is one of the releases I’m most excited to hunt this fall. Brown-Forman is also bringing Kentucky Boy Bourbon back from the dead for a special release honoring master distiller Chris Morris’ 50-year career, while Four Roses is blending a massive 23-year-old OESK component into its 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch. Then Woodinville finally reaches double-digit age with its first 10 Year Bourbon, and Ardbeg adds a new permanent 15-year-old expression, Trudernish, to its core lineup. On the gaming side, Nintendo dropped one of the biggest nostalgia bombs of the year: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is getting a full Nintendo Switch 2 remake. We’re talking modernized visuals, fully voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, orchestral music, and a November 5 release date. As someone who grew up with classic Nintendo, this one hit me right in the nostalgia. Then it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of the 2025 Elijah Craig Ryder Cup Limited Edition. This 94-proof bourbon takes classic Elijah Craig and finishes it with toasted sugar maple and applewood staves as a nod to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York. The result surprised me. Expect oak, brown sugar, caramel pie crust, cinnamon, baked apple, maple sweetness, and a rich dessert-like profile that immediately made me think of warm apple pie at Thanksgiving. Originally released around $70 and now showing up in some markets for considerably less, is this forgotten Ryder Cup bottle actually worth grabbing? 🥃 Topics covered: Parker’s Heritage 14 Year Bourbon Kentucky Boy Bourbon returns Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch Woodinville 10 Year Bourbon Ardbeg Trudernish 15 Year The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake Nintendo Switch 2 Elijah Craig 2025 Ryder Cup Limited Edition review Is this the best Elijah Craig Ryder Cup release yet?   Chapter Markers: 00:00 Intro – Parker’s Heritage, Zelda & Elijah Craig 00:30 Welcome + Bourbon Heritage Month 01:35 Parker’s Heritage 14 Year Rye Backset Bourbon 03:10 Kentucky Boy Bourbon Returns 05:01 Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch 06:44 Woodinville 10 Year Bourbon 08:27 Ardbeg Trudernish 15 Year 09:27 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake 11:32 Byte Club + Bourbon Bytes Update 12:29 Byte-Sized Review – Elijah Craig 2025 Ryder Cup 18:35 Outro

    Elijah Craig Ryder Cup Review + Ocarina of Time Remake?!

  5. Aug 27

    Stetson Made a Bourbon… Is It More Than a Pretty Bottle?

    Beautiful bottles and brilliant blends are the unofficial theme of this week’s Bourbon Bytes Podcast. Jim Beam is bringing back one of its most collectible pieces of bourbon history with the Ten-Pin Decanter. Inspired by the bowling-pin bottles that date back to the 1950s, the new release holds 10-year-old, 100-proof Jim Beam bourbon and will be available in limited quantities at the American Outpost in Clermont. Brough Brothers is also celebrating Louisville history with two new bottles created in partnership with the Belle of Louisville, the world’s oldest operating Mississippi River steamboat. The 96-proof Captain’s Cut and 118-proof Cask Strength releases feature commemorative artwork, with proceeds helping support preservation of the historic ship. Then things get experimental. Redwood Empire The Hyperion Batch 001 combines four different styles of whiskey — bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and single malt — using more than 10 mash bills and whiskey ranging from 7 to 14 years old. And Cedar Ridge’s 2026 Anniversary Edition takes finishing to another level, combining bourbon finished in Madeira, Napa Cabernet, PX Sherry, Tawny Port, and Tokaji casks. On the gaming side, I’m also breaking down some of my favorite announcements from Gamescom Opening Night Live, including RollerCoaster Tycoon: Wonderworks, Age Twisters, new Mega Man and Rayman games, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, and a free Witcher 3 remaster upgrade. Then it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of Stetson Kentucky Straight Bourbon. This new collaboration between Stetson, Green River Distilling Co., and Bardstown Bourbon Company is a 100-proof high-rye bourbon blended by Dan Calloway after a three-year sourcing and tasting process. The whiskey carries a reported average age of seven years and comes in one of the most striking bottles I’ve seen all year. But does the bourbon inside live up to the presentation? Expect milk chocolate, caramel, fudge, peanut butter, oak, dark red fruit, baking spice, and a sweet candy-shop profile that stays impressively balanced at 100 proof. 🥃 Topics covered: Jim Beam Ten-Pin Decanter Brough Brothers x Belle of Louisville Redwood Empire The Hyperion Cedar Ridge 2026 Anniversary Edition Gamescom Opening Night Live highlights RollerCoaster Tycoon: Wonderworks Final Fantasy VII Revelation The Witcher 3 Remastered Stetson Bourbon review What matters more to you: a beautiful bottle, or what’s actually inside it?   Chapter Markers: 00:00 Intro – Jim Beam, Redwood Empire, Gamescom & Stetson 00:30 Welcome + Episode Setup 00:58 Jim Beam Ten-Pin Decanter Returns 01:53 Brough Brothers x Belle of Louisville 02:50 Redwood Empire The Hyperion 04:13 Cedar Ridge Five-Cask Anniversary Bourbon 05:20 Gamescom Opening Night Live Highlights 07:40 Byte-Sized Review – Stetson Bourbon 14:34 Outro

    Stetson Made a Bourbon… Is It More Than a Pretty Bottle?

  6. Aug 20

    A $95 8-Year Willett?! Onyx & Amber Review + Switch 2 Price Hike

    This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, allocated whiskey season is heating up — and I’m reviewing an 8-year Willett-distilled single barrel that somehow sold for under $100. Sazerac kicks things off with Mr. Sam Tribute Whiskey Batch 4, a 131.08-proof blend of American and Canadian whiskey honoring Seagram legend Sam Bronfman. Then we look at Japan’s push for stronger geographic protection for Japanese whisky and what that could mean for consumers. Maker’s Mark also announced Cellar Aged 2026, blending 11-, 12-, and 14-year-old bourbons at 112.1 proof, while Bardstown Bourbon Company revealed two new fall releases: Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish and the latest Discovery Series, finished in Garryana oak. And on the gaming side: if you’ve been thinking about buying a Nintendo Switch 2, you may want to move quickly. The console is getting a $50 price increase to $499.99 on September 1. Then it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of Onyx & Amber 8 Year Single Barrel Bourbon, selected by fellow Whiskeytuber Indpndnt Joe in collaboration with The Barrel Tap. The bottle lists an undisclosed Bardstown distillery, but in the episode I identify the distillate as Willett. It’s 8 years old, 119.6 proof, aged in Colorado, and originally sold for just $95. Expect dark brown sugar, caramel, vanilla-bean ice cream, cinnamon, oak, tobacco, sweet cherry, muscadine grape, and a long, evolving finish. At that price, this one seriously impressed me. 🥃 Topics covered: Mr. Sam Tribute Whiskey Batch 4 Japanese whisky GI protections Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2026 Bardstown Bourbon Company Lochs of Jura Bardstown Discovery 2026 + Garryana oak Nintendo Switch 2 price increase Onyx & Amber 8 Year Willett single barrel review Would you pay $95 for an 8-year cask-strength Willett single barrel?   YouTube Chapter Markers: 00:00 Intro – Maker’s Mark, Mr. Sam, Switch 2 & Willett 00:30 Welcome + Allocated Whiskey Season 00:54 Mr. Sam Tribute Whiskey Batch 4 02:51 Japanese Whisky GI Protection 04:31 Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2026 05:55 Bardstown Bourbon Company Fall Releases 08:56 Nintendo Switch 2 Price Hike 09:50 Byte-Sized Review – Onyx & Amber 8 Year Willett Single Barrel 17:53 Heaven Hill Livestream + Outro

    A $95 8-Year Willett?! Onyx & Amber Review + Switch 2 Price Hike

  7. Aug 13

    Weller Single Barrel Review: Worth the Hunt? + Elmer T. Lee Goes Cask Strength

    This week on the Bourbon Bytes podcast, Buffalo Trace has one of the most talked-about releases of the year on the way — and I finally got my hands on a Weller bottle I’ve somehow never reviewed. Garrison Brothers kicks things off with its 2026 Cowboy Bourbon, an 8+ year Texas bourbon bottled at a massive 141 proof, along with the first cask-strength single-barrel version of Laguna Madre. Then Buffalo Trace brings the heat with the Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Cask Strength, an uncut and unfiltered 127.8-proof release using Mash Bill #2 — putting it in very rare company alongside Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel. Jameson is also expanding its U.S. lineup with Distiller’s Batch, matured across five different oak types and arriving this September. And because Bourbon Bytes is whiskey news with a gaming twist, I’m also running through some of the biggest August game releases, including Big Walk, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2, Grounded 2, and the very Star Fox-inspired Wild Blue Skies. Then it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of Weller Single Barrel Bourbon — the elusive orange-label Weller. I finally found one at retail for about $69. At 97 proof, this single-barrel wheated bourbon surprised me with considerably more oak than expected, plus honey-coated oatmeal, vanilla, dried fruit, caramel, brown sugar, and a profile that reminded me of an older, proofed-down Weller Antique 107. But rarity doesn’t automatically make a whiskey worth chasing. 🥃 Topics covered: Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2026 Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre Cask Strength Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Cask Strength Jameson Distiller’s Batch Big Walk Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2 Grounded 2 Wild Blue Skies Weller Single Barrel Bourbon review Weller Single Barrel vs. Antique 107 Final score and whether it’s worth secondary prices Would you buy Weller Single Barrel at retail — and how much is too much for the orange label?   YouTube chapter markers 00:00 Intro – Garrison Brothers, Elmer T. Lee, Games & Weller 00:28 Welcome + Episode Setup 01:09 Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon + Laguna Madre 03:39 Elmer T. Lee Cask Strength 05:14 Jameson Distiller’s Batch 06:23 Byte Club Shoutout 07:19 August Video Game Releases 07:24 Big Walk 08:39 Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2 09:05 Grounded 2 09:49 Wild Blue Skies 11:12 Byte-Sized Review – Weller Single Barrel 19:49 Outro

    Weller Single Barrel Review: Worth the Hunt? + Elmer T. Lee Goes Cask Strength

  8. Aug 6

    J.P. Wiser’s 23 Year Cask Strength Review: Still One of Canada’s Best?

    This week on the Bourbon Bytes podcast, we’re turning up the proof with hazmat brandy, cask-strength rye, coconut-inspired Scotch, a potentially huge win for retro gamers, and a throwback review of one of the best Canadian whiskies I’ve ever tasted. Copper & Kings is making several former distillery exclusives available online, including a 10-year rum-finished apple brandy at 147.6 proof, a 9-year apple brandy at 145.4 proof, and a 12-year American brandy at 119.2 proof. Old Overholt is also back with a new 11-year Cask Strength Rye. The 2026 release comes in at 125.6 proof, making it notably stronger than the previous 11-year edition. Then The Macallan closes out its Harmony Collection with two coconut-inspired releases: Inspired by Fresh Coconut and Inspired by Toasted Coconut. They are not flavored whiskies, but their tasting profiles promise coconut milk, lime, tropical fruit, crème caramel, white chocolate, charred pineapple, and frangipane. On the gaming side, a leaked Xbox plan could be a major win for physical media collectors. The rumored disc-to-digital program would let players register physical Xbox One games as digital copies, with Xbox 360 support potentially following later. Finally, it’s time for a throwback Byte-Sized Review of J.P. Wiser’s 23 Year Old Cask Strength Canadian Whisky. Originally released in 2019, this blend of 23-year-old corn and rye whiskies was bottled at a massive 128.6 proof and originally sold for around $149 Canadian—approximately $106 US at the time. Seven years later, it still delivers bright citrus, blueberry, caramel, vanilla, rye bread, syrupy honey texture, cinnamon-roll sweetness, subtle oak, vintage tobacco, and an exceptionally long finish. Is this still one of the best Canadian whiskies ever released? 🥃 Topics covered: Copper & Kings hazmat apple brandies Old Overholt 11 Year Cask Strength Rye The Macallan Harmony Collection coconut releases Xbox’s rumored disc-to-digital game program J.P. Wiser’s 23 Year Cask Strength review How the whisky holds up seven years later Final score and whether anything comparable exists today What older bottle would you most like to revisit with your current palate?   Chapter Markers: 00:00 Intro – Hazmat Brandy, Old Overholt, Xbox & J.P. Wiser’s 00:34 Welcome + Episode Setup 00:56 Copper & Kings Hazmat Brandy Releases 02:48 Old Overholt 11 Year Cask Strength Rye 03:48 The Macallan’s Coconut-Inspired Whiskies 06:01 Xbox Disc-to-Digital Leak 08:39 Throwback Review – J.P. Wiser’s 23 Year Cask Strength 16:27 No Livestream This Week + Outro

    J.P. Wiser’s 23 Year Cask Strength Review: Still One of Canada’s Best?
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About

Bourbon and whiskey news, reviews, and tastings 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!

Information

  • Creator
    Clifton McDaniel | Bourbon Bytes
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Bourbon Bytes Podcast

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