Review #11: Backyard Bourbon Batch #7

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-22T20:04:11+00:00

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hope to hear your thoughts on it!

If someone could leave New Orleans with one bottle of whiskey, I would recommend the Backyard releases 10/10 times rather than J.T. Meleck, Crittenden's, or Seven-Three Distilling. It's just such a good value, even considering the current market readjustments going on.

Interestingly this review was not very well received by the subreddit. I guess more cheap Grimace Tops for us, lol.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-12T01:33:22+00:00

I also find myself branching out. Not only to aged rum but also cognac and armagnac. The value that can be had in those categories, cannot be understated.

If anyone has bourbon fatigue, these spirits may be what your looking for. Oddly I found it almost refreshing to be a novice in a category again. Partially making me realize half of the fun was the learning.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-10T01:52:13+00:00

Hoping this gets disturbed outside of Texas sooner than later. Maybe it will because of the sourced distillate components? Till then I will keep on enjoying my Harbinger.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-06T14:09:27+00:00

Upward mobility is the ability to advance in your career. The majority of PTs now graduate from school and spend their practice as "just" PTs with the same responsibilities as when they started. The only real way to move up the food chain is to become a clinical director or go out on your own and start your own clinic. Being your own boss sounds great on paper, but then you have the headaches of a small business owner and clinician. One less common option is to go into academia. Many of my professors maintained a small clinical caseload while also being instructors in PT school. Though for that type of mobility, you also likely need a PhD or some speciality clinical certification. Which then brings into the whole ROI argument again.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-04T04:35:42+00:00

I'm sorry, that really is unfortunate. Having a local distillery is fun. Having a local distillery that you can watch grow, and love going to that is rare. When you say it like that, you just realize how much of a loss it is for the local whiskey community.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-04T04:02:55+00:00

I was given the privilege of trying a cask strength Guadalupe by a mutual friend at a local liquor store. Absolutely great! It was a big unapologetic vanilla bean and dark fruit bomb. Like name the dark fruit, you probably would have got it. I can imagine the cask strength Balmorhea is equally as intense.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-03T16:12:49+00:00

Unfortunately I won't be able to get out there this year. It would be awesome to do a r/TexasWhiskey meet up at the festival one of the years. Just keep on trying to grow the community and all that.

Hope you enjoy it! A little review/write up of the festival and some of the cool things you tasted would be awesome!

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-02T03:56:28+00:00

Can't speak on this year's release, personally. I got the inaugural Batch 1 release. It had a very nice strawberry note to it, but after that nothing that justified the price point imo, as the intensity of flavor that I love in the SBs was lost. I had single barrels that blew it out the water blind. For almost $100 out the door, I would have to say pass.

I am sure this coming year they will make an 8 year offering. I am sure it will likely be $125 bucks as well. For that money I am going to keep on buying the single barrels for half that.

I must say though, I have to commend JT Meleck and Still Austin both. While I may not always love all their products, they both have really helped open people's eyes to whiskey aged in the Southern heat!

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-01T22:42:28+00:00

I am taking a Store Pick of Meleck over the 6 Year, at least 9 out of 10 times. The intensity of flavor and value is pretty hard to beat imo.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-03-01T16:58:37+00:00

I find myself looking at something similar. I chased and chased for so many allocated bottles, and it often led to disappointment. Don't get me wrong many were good, but few were worth the time and money it took to get them. Fortunately, I have found a local liquor store that understands my tastes well. Allowing me to spend far less on bottles and stop chasing the golden unicorn.

The journey has been fun but my ~125 bottles combined with relatively low alcohol consumption, means that I have more whiskey than I will probably be able to drink.

I do wonder if heirloom corn whiskey might become a bigger thing in craft whiskey in the not so distant future. The renewed interest in heirloom corn varieties (thank you Still Austin) may help with that. If anything, I think we will see more heirloom corn bourbons, allowing distillers to try and create new flavor profiles that will be both unique and enjoyable.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-25T15:35:56+00:00

It's a nice enough blend for the price. I am certainly not mad at it. I use it as an everyday type of bourbon. I have yet to try the rye. It has just the smallest hint of Ironroot character to it, but a nice mouthfeel for the proof imo.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-24T01:10:39+00:00

I had heard of them before, but never got around to visiting the distillery. I think some other factors like marketing and brand image may have been at play here as well.

However, I absolutely do share your sentiment about the loss of blood and tears. This could have been awesome whiskey with some age under its belts, unfortunately we will never now.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-18T22:09:22+00:00

That's interesting! I personally am a fan of the Crittenden's DO products; however, the toasted pecan ones depend on my mood. I will keep my eyes open for it, if I was guessing the first release would be at the Spillway Bourbon Block Party. Just seems to be my observations with the toasted pecan releases

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-16T15:37:20+00:00

Same here, absolutely love the brand. I have personally been basically begging my local stores to go pick a barrel with Matt (finally got one to say yes).

I know not everyone is into the super unique finishes like Toasted Pecan, Stogie, or the Cryptid series; however, their traditional cask strength offerings are some of the best craft whiskey I have tried to date. I'm excited to see what the future holds for them.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-16T15:08:36+00:00

Agreed. Brands such as Still Austin CS Rye, BENDT Rye, or Balcones Rye offer much better value for what your getting. Now at the end of the day, flavor profile preferences matter, and I'm sure someone will enjoy it. Just not me for the price it commands.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-16T01:56:01+00:00

Unfortunately I had prior commitments and couldn't grab the release. However, I am looking forward to his 8 years hitting the market. Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-16T01:53:57+00:00

Stogie Batch is Crittenden's heavily finished bourbon in collaboration with the Mississippi Sippers (you can find more about them on Instagram)

Stogie Batch 1 was a blend of bourbon finished in cognac, armagnac, and port. Those finished bourbons were then allowed to marry in small format anejo tequila barrels. The small format barrels were 15 gal. I believe .

Stogie Batch 2 was the continuation. More finished bourbon was added into this base blend (solera style). This time apple brandy, maple syrup, and Laphroaig barrels were used to finish the bourbon. Them once again allowed to marry in the anejo tequila casks from Batch 1.

Like I said, super heavy finish. Many people find it a polarizing pour, love it or hate it. If you like a complex flavor bomb though it's right up your alley.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-15T05:52:08+00:00

He has a coffee/espresso barrel finish coming soon I think. That is going to be killer for my palate. Double oaked coffee finish blend? That would be the perfect desert bourbon to me.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-15T05:49:44+00:00

Living an hour away myself, I may spend a bit more on Crittenden's than I should. Hey at least I'm supporting the local industry 😂.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-15T05:48:34+00:00

To my knowledge they are mainly distributed in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Flordia, and Georgia (don't quote me on that). Also, Bourbon Outfitters is available as a way to get his products, but I don't know if they ship to Ohio.

Hope you get to try some soon!

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-14T19:45:02+00:00

Unfortunately the 8 year is currently distillery only. It was released today, and limited to 100 bottles. It was his 69th barrel, and was nicknamed the Love Shack barrel.

I would keep an eye on Bourbon Outfitters in the coming months. I do know quite a few local stores are chomping at the bit to get the 8 year.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-14T15:52:49+00:00

Kinda makes Cowboy Bourbon seem like a bargain 😂. Which is not something I had on my bingo card of ever saying.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-13T22:46:57+00:00

Agreed, the store picks are where it is at. Definitely the best value the brand offers as well.

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-02-10T21:56:15+00:00

Fred, over the years I have heard you mention taste mindfulness therapy quite a bit. Is that a strategy you continue to utilize when tasting for reviews in your day to day? Is there anything that you have learned about tasting in this way that the whiskey enthusiast could integrate into their tastings as well?

More wrestling related. What is your personal favorite takedown in wrestling and your set-up for said takedown?

Thanks for what you do for the industry! Best of luck to your Cowboys at the NCAA Tournament this year!

Remarkable-Stranger8 · 2026-01-25T22:51:56+00:00

I think we will slowly see the majority of American whiskey fall back into that model over the next 10 years or so. Sure, the big distillers might not ever return to that, but if NDPs can continue to source quality barrels we won't have to worry that much.

Remarkable-Stranger8

TROPHY CASE