I know this post is a few days late, as the actual anniversary of Bourbon Bossman® is November 28th. Now I could say I was too busy at work or because of the holiday I had no time, but those would all be lies. I just forgot about the anniversary until WordPress, my website, congratulated me on 3 years of posting. I am not sure why I forgot this year, but it’s not because I am bored or because I am not enjoying this blog anymore. Perhaps upon reflection, this might have to do more with the fact that Bourbon Bossman™ is now integrated as part of my daily life.
Even though I say this, I still ask myself almost weekly, how did I choose to start a blog about bourbon? Honestly, I never thought I would get back into websites and writing after I changed careers, and I definitely never thought that three years later my reviews would be read by real people, I would have subscribers to my website, and the views on my website continue to nearly double every year thanks to my 2024 Bourbon Release Calendar page; nonetheless, here we are.
First, I want to deeply thank the love of my life, Mrs. Bourbon Bossman®, for supporting me on this crazy adventure. She has always been a huge supporter of mine, especially in taking up writing again. Sometimes, I even think she now enjoys hunting for bourbon across NoCo on the weekends, maybe not the money part, but seeing how excited I get when finding that next bottle.
Secondly, I want to thank everyone crazy enough to follow my bourbon reviews, visit this website, and like the posts I make on social media platforms. I never intended these reviews to be read by people, but rather more as a creative outlet for writing while enjoying bourbon, and I absolutely never thought that this website would be viewed by over 500 people daily now; I am so grateful for this, so thank you all.
Typically I also use this annual post to take a little time and rant about the state of the bourbon industry. Now I could say the same things I have in past years, such as the prices are too high, the products are not as good as they used to be, or the industry overall is headed in the wrong direction.
Now this is not to say that my previous comments were not true, as prices are indeed being increased every year and some products are being released more hastily. However, I do believe everything in this world we live in today is becoming more expensive to produce and harder to navigate. So instead, going into 2025 I want to focus more on positive intent rather than projecting negative connotations about something I love to review and write about.
With that said, there are so many distilleries releasing amazing products right now, and for the most part relatively on par with cost. A great example of this is that right now I am working on a post and blind sampling for my top 5 bourbons of 2024 and the list is currently at eight bottles, probably soon to be ten and I am not sure how I will pick a winner; they are all so amazing!
Right now, I love all the products coming from Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, and Jack Daniel’s, which are all killing it with limited and special releases, and my favorite, Bardstown Bourbon Company, can not release a bad bottle right now!
As every year passes I feel more and more comfortable talking about bourbon, and I know I am nowhere close to being an expert on the subject. Yet when it comes to tasting or reviewing bourbon, I sure continue to have fun doing it! I am grateful to say that Bourbon Bossman™ is now truly a part of me, and my life, and will continue forward for many years to come.
I will continue to be honest when it comes to reviewing, regardless of where the bottle or sample comes from, maybe more from distilleries if I am lucky, and I will always follow my very simple one to five rating scale of; Pour It, Donate It, Mix It, Drink It, or Save It. So if you are curious about bourbon like I am, and enjoy reading reviews and possibly the occasional rant, please feel free to subscribe and follow my continued adventures into 2025.
Please remember, drinking bourbon is a personal adventure, so do not be afraid to drink it neat, with ice, or add some water. It’s your bourbon, you bought it, and you should enjoy it how you want to enjoy it!
Cheers! Prost! Sláinte!
Bourbon Bossman®
