Monthly News & Updates

January 2025 | Issue 8

This Month's Newsletter

Well I would say this has been a typical Mississippi start to the year. We usually get are daily rotations of warm and cold with a couple really cold days scattered in. This is not the typical. Lots of snow on the gulf coast and temps in the teens for several days and as we all know the winter flu's are going round (if you have little ones you know). Well it is toddy season. Everyone stay warm fix a nice soul warming drink and enjoy it before we are back to the norm of 100% humidity and 100 degree plus heat indexes.

Cocktail Corner

Hosted by Janice Weaver

Store bought Pistachio Syrup works great in this drink but it’s seriously sweet. You can make your own with our without salted pistachios. Use equal parts sugar (1/4 cup) and water or honey and water with a handful of pistachios. Boil, simmer, cool.

@colettescocktailsThe Sunny Side up is made with Creme' De Pamplemousse but I'm using regular Pamplemousse which is a grapefruit liqueur.

Infuse 6oz of espresso with a chai teabag. The flavors of chai are fantastic with bourbon. Can you use regular coffee? Yes, but only use 3oz of coffee with your teabag.

1oz Coffee liqueur

1.5oz Dirty Chai Tea

2oz Bourbon

1.5 cream/creamer of your choice

Over ice combine your Dirty Chai Tea, bourbon and coffee liqueur. I’m using Dettling Bourbon but you can use whatever your man is drinking. Give that a good stir with a cinnamon stick if you have one.

I’m going to float my creamer on the top, but you don’t have to. Get creative with whatever creamer (or flavored creamer) you like.

Garnish with a cinnamon stick or Star anise if you like. This drink screams autumn 🍂. Cheers!

Courtesy of Janice Weaver

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LOVE of the LEAF

Pairing by Bobby McClellan

The garage time Relaxation.

We all enjoy are cigars at different time. some are on the boat, some on the patio, some on the golf course, and some yes in the garage tinkering. There is always a good time for a dram and a cigar. Sitting here getting ready for warming sunny weather it is time for the motorheads to get the cars ready. So that is what I am doing tiding up some things having a cigar and a dram. I chose of all things Punch Chop Suey and The Usquaebach 15 year. Punch cigars have a wide portfolio but the chop suey is a favorite. The Punch is a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with Nicaraguan and Dominican filler. If is a peppery stick with hints of black pepper and for me hay. if is a woody little cigar The 15 year blended scotch is subtle and soft. which mellows the bite on the cigar and and sweeten the palate. I really like the cigar and wanted to choose something that did not hide the cigar flavor in any way.

The cigar is a nice short smoke that lasts about 30 or so minutes which was just enough for the time I had available not to lon not to shorty just right. I am a sucker for the Usquaebach line. It is an often overlooked whisky. I have had several diehard bourbon lover try it and it always goes over well.

If you get a change give the pairing a whirl. good solid stick and a nice balanced our. what do you have to loose?

Views on the Industries We Follow

There has been a lot of stuff happening in the business of alcohol and tobacco. Some things we have been saying would happen some are huge that no one liked to hear.

In the tobacco side of things we have this. STG (Scandinavian Tobacco Group) purchased Sutliff / Mac Baren Tobacco. Both were powerhouses in the pipe tobacco business. Everyone was on a wait and see on it for how it would shake out. Well we have heard. as STG stated the plans. Basically that are canceling all of the Sutliff and Mac Baren tobacco blends possibly keeping a couple names but all other will cease. They stated it would not be phased but once the inventory is gone that's it. This also is all of the Sutliff that other makers purchase for their own blends. I guess we will have to wait and see and look for new blends from out favorite blenders.

On the alcohol side you see all kind of news of inventory sales from the producers, cutting of production, and even layoffs. The layoffs are the worst but we have said that they distilleries are way over producing for a "Boom" market. We see it being even worse for the NDP (Non Distilling Producers) as they will be offered lots of inventory on the cheap but sales will be down. It will be hard for them to purchase and hold onto the inventory when many of them already are on super thin margins. We hate to say it but we can see some of the NDPs shuttering.

It is not just on the US side. Waterford Irish Whisky went into receivership this year. That is basically the UK version of bankruptcy. Last we heard was no one was stepping in to purchase them so that distillery will be liquidated. If you do not know Waterford they were limited releases that came in a very beautiful blue bottling.

As for scotch is it harder to say I have seen where the sales are also down. The difference is scotch distilleries have a habit of producing and barreling the production then closing the doors for several years until the whiskey is ready then they fire up the line and bottle and start the process over. It will be interesting to see how that side pans out.

Coming Soon

We just heard that the folks over at The Country Squire have a special release pipe tobacco was released on January 3, 2025. Dark Holler is a blend from the mind and artistry of Mr. Quinn Crawford. is will be limited quantity and limited purchase so be sure to get it when you can.

We have finalized the blend and finishing for Stogie Batch 2. Look for it to be released April 2025! We are doing a larger run of batch 2 and everyone involved in the creation of this batch is excited.

We want to say congratulations to you good friends at Distillerie Acadian for becoming the first American Single Malt Whiskey filed with the TTB under classification code 166: Distillerie Acadian Bon Vale Single Barrel Cask Strength American Single Malt Whiskey. Kudos to our friend and we may or may not already have a single barrel picked with our name!

Thoughts from Brandon Carlton of Brewtally Honest Bourbon

𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒚: Crafting Excellence in Kiln, MS

If you haven’t yet experienced Crittenden Distillery and their Cut Above Whiskey, you’re missing out on one of Mississippi’s finest hidden gems. Located in Kiln, MS, Crittenden has been steadily building a reputation for producing top-tier, six-year-old whiskey that delivers bold flavors and exceptional depth.

One standout from their lineup that I absolutely love is their 𝑫𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑶𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝑩𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒏—a rich, complex pour that showcases their skill in aging and finishing. The extra time in the second barrel adds layers of sweetness, spice, and depth that make it an easy favorite in my collection.

Beyond their core releases, Crittenden Distillery has been pushing the boundaries of whiskey innovation through their collaboration with the 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊 𝑺𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔. Together, they’ve crafted a series of unique finished whiskeys, including:

Cigar Blends – Bold, robust, and perfect for pairing with a good smoke.

Pecan Finishes – A distinctly Southern twist, adding a nutty, toasted character.

Persimmon Wood Finishes – A rare and intriguing element that brings out rich, earthy notes.

If you’re a fan of well-crafted whiskey with big flavors and creative finishes, Crittenden Distillery is absolutely worth checking out. Their dedication to quality and innovation is making Mississippi a serious player in the world of craft whiskey.

Have you tried any of Crittenden’s whiskeys? Let me know your favorites!

Visit Brewtally Honest Bourbon on Instagram

SPIRITS of the MONTH

Mead / Wine

Scarlet Noir

Queens Reward

Mississippi Mead

26 Proof 13%ABV Mississippi Native Honey, Yeast and water.

Distillery tasting Notes:

CHARACTER - Mississippi Honey and California Pinot noir grape juice that has been fermented together to form a flavorful mead that starts like a pinot noir and finished smooth.

NOSE - Red apples and dark fleshy fruits at first, accompanied by fragrant blossom notes with sweet and woody undertones. Spices of clove and light dustings of nutmeg along with subtle hints of almond slowly come to the fore, complementing the fruits.

PALATE -Crossover to more of a Pinot Noir.

FINISH - Smooth with soft sweet mouthfeel.

Sippers Take:

We want everyone to go look for Queens Reward at their local store. This Meadery is the first in Mississippi in Tupelo. We love the family and the end product from them is phenomenal. with Valentines around the corner you really need this. The is the quintessential crossover from a traditional Pinot to the Mead. It has all of the flavor from a Pinot Noir but is very approachable for the non red drinker to venture into the reds. They have a complete line of option and if you go up to the Meadery they have a beautiful tasting room and offer cocktails based on the meads. if you go tell them we said hi!

Scotch

Usquaebach Cask Strength

Blended Scotch

Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

114.2 Proof 57.1%ABV / 100% Natural Color

Distillery tasting Notes:

CHARACTER - Usquaebach ‘An Ard Ri’ (“The High King” in Gaelic) is an expertly crafted blend of over 20 single malt whisky casks from the Highlands. Crafted from a variety of aged malts, the oldest of which is 21 years of age, the final blend is married and finished in sherry casks.

NOSE - Raw Cacao. Toasted Almonds. Freshly Baked Pastries. Dark Cherries.

PALATE - Dark Fudge. Worn Leather. Sherried Wood.

FINISH - Luxurious. Prominent with dark chocolate & hazelnut praline.

Sippers Take:

Usquaebach is a slipper of a brand. The Cask Strength is the most surprising of the line. This bottle we like and it is not overly malty but has a nice sweetness from the sherry barrel finish. The thing we have to warn you is that the 114 proof whisky drinks soft more inline with the core range from them which comes out around 86 proof. So Be careful and to not to large pour you will not realize it until it is too late! If this bottle is too a little out of your budget go for the 15 year you will thank us.

Bourbon / Rye Whiskey

A. Overholt

Monongahela Straight Rye Whiskey

James Beam Distilling

Rye

95 Proof 47.5%ABV Rye Whiskey

Distillery tasting Notes:

NOSE - Caramel, subtle layers of sandalwood

and caraway

PALATE - Brown butter, honeysuckle, clove, seasoned oak

FINISH - Pleasant, lingering notes of warm rich baking spice

Sippers Take:

So if you say you do not like ryes we think this would be the rye to change your mind. We know we know ryes are ryes but this is an exception. The mash bill on this is 80% rye and 20% Malted Barley. this drink more like a traditional whiskey that a rye whiskey. you do not get the mint notes that most people equate to rye whiskey. This is a rounded sweetness and has enough proof to not feel week but not so much as to overpower the palate.

Vodka

Hoodoo Expresso

Flavored Vodka

60 Proof 30%ABV

Distilled in Jackson Mississippi by Cathead Distillery

Combined Distillery / Sippers tasting Notes:

NOSE - Caramel custard, dried fruit, and dark chocolate

PALATE - Chocolate, arabica, syrup

FINISH - Fruity, dark chocolate and a touch of caramel sweetness

Sippers Take:

Do not hold this one against us. We were skeptical at first. First of all it is flavored so why would you want that. Lets be frank we all thought that. We have to say we were WAY wrong. The Hoodoo Expresso has to be the best thing we have had from the Cathead Vodka line. this is literally Coffee with a hint of vodka! Really all you have to do is pour in a shaker of ice and give it a good shake strain into a martini glass and freakin enjoy! We all love an Irish Coffee but use this instead and call it a eastern European Coffee! if you are old enough to remember the chocolate covered coffee beans this is that in a liquid form. We see a cigar pairing in the future.

ATTENTION!!!!!

Crittenden's Distillery Now Available online!

Great news if you are a fan of Crittenden's Cut Above. It is now offered through BourbonOutfitters.com.

If you have followed us you know we do a lot of work with Matt and are over the moon that many of the Custom blends and finished will be available in limited quantities online.

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