Castle & Cairn

An officially licensed product in partnership with America250, the non-partisan commission established by Congress to plan the nation's 250th anniversary, this commemorative bottling from Heaven Hill showcases the strengths of their huge production capacity and excellent unit economics. Only a fitting 250 barrels were selected which puts my estimate for total yield around 40-45K bottles. All barrels were personally selected by Master Distiller Conor O'Driscoll. As part of the promotion of this offering, Heaven Hill donated $75K to Folds of Honor which provides educational scholarships to the family of fallen or disabled US Service members and first responders.  🛒 Sourced: $39.99 for 750ml from Smyrna World of Beverage, April 2026. This is my first time seeing it on the shelf in market, though Georgia tends to be a bit late to new releases. With the lower proof Vintage appearing in the $30-$32 range, this bottle is also likely one of the stronger values on the market. Pricing...

After a decade plus of extreme brewing, consumer palates seem to have began to fatigue even as the desire for lifestyle alignment and elevated experience have remained strong. While total beer sales in the US saw a 3% drop in the last year, the "Domestic Super Premium" segment is one of the few categories seeing consistent growth. Consumers seem to be returning to "beer flavored beer" while still wanting to feel connected to the brand, setting the stage for a new wave of storytellers and celebrity marketers to move brews in huge quantities. Not to be left behind, the heritage brewers are crafting new offerings or updating marketing on premium favorites like Michelob Ultra, Heineken Silver, and Corona Premier which set the blueprint for the category. In general these beers have similar characteristics: Calories : 90-110, traditionally within the light beer segment. This seems to be the consumer's mental best fit range, comfortably below that of sodas and RTDs, a...

Released in September of 2025, Batch A925 (A for the first batch of the year, 9 for September, and 25 for 2025) is the first mass market release for Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye.  There had been a previous distillery exclusive bottling of the Rye Barrel Proof (Y725 - 132 proof NAS) which was much higher alcohol and closer to the 2026 A batch that has just started rolling out. I had the pleasure to try Y725 which was good, but I ended up taking home the ECBP Bourbon . Heaven Hill plans to roll out three batches of ECBP rye each year alongside the bourbon releases. In the months since its launch, Whiskey Advocate has named Batch A925 its "2025 Whiskey of the Year".   “As Whiskey fans know, barrel proof is kind of like that famous box of chocolates, in not knowing what you’re going to get until the barrel dumps. In this instance, we got a 108 proof treat that drinks bolder than its number would suggest.” -  Conor O'Driscoll, Master Distiller, Elijah Craig Bourbon Whi...

Released in the first quarter of 2026, the Kirkland Sparkling Energy Drink lineup features three flavors: Orange , Tropical  Fruit, Peach (this one). Modeled after Celsius Energy, the packaging evokes a "clean" lifestyle veneer with no high fructose corn syrup, GMO ingredients, or artificial colorings.  🛒 Price: $16.99/24 ~$.7/each - Costco. Celsius is normally around $20/12 without sales, so figure around 95 cents savings per can vs. full sticker which is around 58% savings. I am seeing sales across CPG, including from Celsius but Costco's pricing advantage is strong.  ✨Calories: 10 , 12oz. can 🍵 Caffeine: 200mg, around a third more than a cup of coffee, more than Monster and Red Bull - similar to Celsius. 👅 Flavor: Yep that's peach - it tastes like the peach flavor you commonly find in flavored teas, not overly natural yet not terribly artificial. There is a slight minerality towards the finish but it is manageable. Compared to the other two flavors, peach is s...