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

Today on the Bourbon Bites Podcast, Maker's Mark drops the 2026 edition of Cellar Age, SADRAC unleashes a 131-proof cross-border blend, and Nintendo gives us a two-week warning on a massive Switch 2 price hike. Plus, I'm pouring up a bite-sized review of Onyx & Amber Bourbon Whiskey. Hello everyone and welcome to the Bourbon Bites Podcast. I'm your host Clifton, and this is the week of Thursday, August 20, 2026, and we are starting to get our allocated whiskey drops of the year. So I have a few of them to tease here tonight on the podcast, but stay tuned to future episodes because it's getting that time of year where we're going to have tons of these to talk about. One of which is a whiskey that I've heard amazing things about, but haven't had a chance to try myself. This is the Mr. Sam Tribute Whiskey, and I've seen this bottle before. I had no idea it was associated with SADRAC, but this is a allocated blend of that combines American whiskey and Canadian whiskey. Not only that, but it's bottled at 131.08 proof for this batch number four, and it comes in at a retail price of $299.99. So you can see why I've kind of not really followed the story of it. SADRAC does do Canadian whiskey. I mean, we see the Caribou Crossing single barrel that looks very similar to Blanton's, but I really didn't know details about this release other than the label itself. Apparently it's a tribute to Mr. Sam Bronfman, who is the leader of Seagram's, and it's been blended by Drew Mayville, who is the former final master blender of Seagram's. Now, while details about what actually went into this blend are scarce, we do know that this tasting profile is leaning towards the dark fruits and rich toffee notes. If you listened to a recent podcast, you know I'm starting to enjoy cast strength Canadian whiskey even more. So this is something I'd be very interested in if I knew a little bit more about what went into it. You know, I think this would be a fantastic product if they did kind of like what Remus does and shows you the percentage breakdown of what went in it. Of course, Barstone Bourbon Company does the same with their releases. I just feel like SADRAC is kind of pulling a SADRAC where like, we don't have to tell you this, you'll buy it anyways. But for me, not so much. I feel like it sounds like it's probably a pretty fantastic whiskey, but for 300 bucks, that's definitely a try before I buy type situation. Now, looking back on other websites, these previous batches rate extremely highly. I'm looking at the bourbonculture.com and they've given the past two batches a perfect score of 10 out of 10. So there's obviously a huge market for these. And again, it's definitely one I would love a chance to try. But if you've tried any of these releases, let me know how they are. Well, speaking of international whiskey, I did want to highlight this one talking point that I saw about Japanese whiskey GI protection. So GI is a geographic indication status for Japanese whiskey and the Japan Spirits and Liquor Makers Association is pushing a new initiative to secure this, similar to how bourbon and champagne are protected by international law. So they want to push back against brands labeling things as Japanese style whiskey that wasn't actually produced in Japan. And I think this is great. You know, one of my favorite things about bourbon is how strict they are with what is considered a bourbon. Even further, things like bottled and bond bourbon have even stricter regulations. So I think this is fantastic for the overall industry, right? Like, we want to know what's going in the bottle, kind of like what I just said about the Mr. Sam's, but I think having more protections in place by specific wording on the bottle is just better for the consumer. Now with bourbon, of course, there's things about listing age if it's younger than a certain amount. I'm not sure if they're going to go that deep, but they want to very much protect the fact that something is actually made in Japan. I know American Single Malt just recently got a definition given to them by the TTB, which was a big win for the industry. I think people are looking for those certifications to be able to say, hey, this is what we're making here. They're protecting their mark on the spirits industry. People aren't just claiming they're making American Single Malt and importing it from Scotland. So I think more definitions and regulations actually do help the consumer more than anyone. But curious to hear what you guys think about that. Well, while Japan is protecting its heritage, two of Kentucky's biggest names are pushing the boundaries of aging and barrel finishing. So I got to talk about these next. The first of which is the latest release from the Maker's Mark Cellar Age Collection. They just announced it this week, and this is the 2026 edition. It combines a 49% of an 11-year-old, 33% of a 12-year-old, and 18% of a 14-year-old bourbons. These are then blended and bottled at cast strength or 112.1 proof, and it's going to hit shelves this September for a suggested retail price of $175. Now, me in particular, I'm very much looking forward to this release because I've actually collected samples of the past three releases of this. I think I have the 23, 24, and 25. So I would love to do a head-to-head of all of those versus the 2026. So if any of you happen to have a lead on this new one, please let me know. I'd love to swap samples with you so I can get a chance to try it. I've been holding off on doing this. I think I did a smaller stream when I did the Cellar Age up to 2025, but I still have those samples available to do a 2026 version of that. So check out the YouTube channel, youtube.com slash bourbon bites, and subscribe to be notified when that comes out because it's definitely what I'm planning to do once I get my hands on it. Unfortunately, the Cellar Age is really hard to find, at least in my area. I see a lot of the other specialty releases like the Keepers release and the Stewards release and the Heart release, but I never really see Cellar Age, at least in my local retailers. So you guys got to let me know where you're getting that because I never find bottles. I always just get samples of it from friends, which is great, but I'd love to find a bottle of it. All right. And lastly, Bardstown Bourbon Company has just announced their new fall releases and they're doing a lot of experimenting here this year. One of the releases is called Locks of Jura Barrel Finish Whiskey. So they say that this one is a blend of straight bourbon and rye whiskeys that have spent an additional 32 months in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks that had been sourced from Scotland's remote island of Jura. Now I've heard of Jura Whiskey, but I don't know if I've had a chance to try it. I don't have any of my collection, but I do love whiskey from the islands of Scotland. So I would be curious to see how much of an impact these ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks have had from that single malt scotch that's been aging in it. Now, according to them, they say the cask contributes layers of ripe fruit, soft malt, subtle smoke, and a maritime character while preserving the American whiskey's rich bourbon foundation. So that's really exciting to see. Listen, I love when we see rye whiskeys and even bourbons that have been finished in ex-scotch casks. I think it brings a lot of nuance and flavor, especially smoke when we're dealing with some of those peated scotch whiskeys. I would be really curious to see how this affects a blend. I usually think that rye whiskey takes on way more character from a finish. But with this being Barstow Bourbon Company, they're nothing less than excellent when it comes to blending and really letting those casks shine. So this is one I'm absolutely going to be on the lookout for. Now, another one they just announced was the 2026 release of the Discovery Series. It's a blend of 7, 10, and 11-year-old bourbons. And they say that these high-floor barrels were selected for their balance of fruit and oak, making them perfect to take on the extra structure and sugar of double-barreling. It says a 4-month finishing period in custom-made Gariana oak barrels adds subtle layers of spice and structure. Now this one's coming in at 112.8 proof. And it's the second Barstow Bourbon Company release to explore Gariana oak, referencing the distillery reserve Cascadia that came out earlier this year. I reviewed that release and it was one of my most favorite Barstow Bourbon Company releases of all time. So if this is anywhere near as good as that Cascadia release is, we are in for a treat. I actually still saved that bottle because I'm going to consider it one of my top whiskeys of the year. But if I get a chance to try this new Discovery Series, I'm going to have to do them side by side because as much as I love that Gariana, a lot of people are hesitant about it, especially when they think it might overtake the flavor. Not as much as some of the other experimental wood casks, but it still does have a distinct flavor. But I think with the blend of different whiskeys and just a four month finish, it might actually be pretty subtle. So I'd be very curious to give that a try. Now both the Discovery 2026 and the Lox of Jura barrel finish will be available nationwide in limited quantities beginning this weekend and offered at a suggested retail price of $139.99 for each bottle. So both ones that I would absolutely buy if I saw on the shelves, particularly that Discovery Series, because I really like that Cascadia release from earlier this year. So keep an eye out for those two. All right, well, before we get into our bite size review, I do have a little bit of a public service announcement when it comes to video games. The Nintendo Switch 2 is about to increase in price. So if you've been thinking about getting one, make sure to do so before September 1st. It's going to get a $50 price hike, bringing it up to $499.99. Now, of course, this is due to the shortage of components, the price of storage going up. We're seeing it across the board from PlayStation, Xbox to PC. I just bought a very expensive gaming PC that was way more expensive than it would have been a year or two ago. So if you have had the Switch 2 on your list and you've been debating whether you pick it up or not, maybe you're waiting on certain games to come out. If you don't want to take on that price hike, make sure to get it ordered before September 1st. Fortunately, we've had one for a while and we do enjoy the heck out of it. So I just want to give you that PSA. Grab one if you've been thinking about it. All right. Well, that does it for this week's news. Now it's time to get into our bite-sized review. All right. Well, today we have a very special bite-sized review because this bottle was actually picked by my good friend and fellow whiskey tuber, Independent Joe. So this was a collaboration he did with The Barrel Tap, and it's a single barrel straight bourbon whiskey from Onyx and Amber. Now, this is a brand that I've actually never heard of, so I had to do a little bit of digging about where they're from and what they're all about. So they're actually based out of Colorado, but what they do is they source some pretty incredible single barrels and bottle them for different brands or retailers. And they have a really cool system of showing you, you know, what each single barrel is all about. If you go to their website and you click on our whiskey and then click single barrel formation, it tells you how to decode their single barrel formation. So you can see where the whiskey's the type of whiskey, the run, and the barrel number. So I think that's pretty incredible. I love how transparent they are, especially because they're sourcing from so many different distilleries. It sounds like normally they source from MGP, Middle West, Wild Turkey, and Kentucky Artisan Distillery. However, this single barrel from The Barrel Tap and Independent Joe is actually a Will It single barrel. Now, of course, they don't label that on the website. They say it's an undisclosed Barstown distillery. But if you know, you know, this is actually Will It distillate. Not only that, but it's an eight year single barrel bourbon at 119.6 proof. So that's probably the oldest Will It bourbon I've seen on the market outside of the Purple Top, you know, the exclusive limited releases from the brand. Now, this one surprisingly only went for on their website. Unfortunately, it's sold out as of now. Shout out to Joe who gave me a heads up that this was coming soon. But this was available to his patrons and his community. So I'm really excited to give it a try, not only because I love Joe and everything he does with his channel, but also I've not had a chance to try Will It eight year bourbon before. So I'm very, very excited to give this a try and first impression review for you guys. Now, if you remember earlier this year, Will It announced their four year old bourbon to their family estate line. That one was 125 proof and $70. So for this one, we're getting it also a cast strength, a little bit more money, like I said, a closer to $95. But still, I think that's pretty incredible. Looking back at my review of the four year Will It, I give it an okay score of about six out of 10. I reviewed it on the podcast about eight months ago. So I'm really excited to see what this tastes like at twice the age. Let's go in and give this onyx and amber a nose. Okay, yeah, that's nice. There's definitely not that funky thing that Will It sometimes give me. It's really rich and you know, dark sugars on the nose, quite a bit of caramel, brown sugar, for sure. It's definitely like a darker, richer type of sweetness, not like a confectionery sugar or anything like that. Definitely goes deep with those notes, but it's it's sweet. Nevertheless, there's quite a bit of vanilla there as well. Like vanilla bean ice cream, like natural hand churned ice cream. Really, really sweet and deserty on the nose. Again, something I'm not super familiar with with a Will It flavor profile. So that's exciting. There's some spiciness happening. I don't know exactly the mash bill they're using for this, but I assume it's probably a high rye mash bill. Really beautiful nose. I mean, that's exactly what I want a bourbon to smell like. Let's see how it tastes. Cheers. Okay, yeah, that's a little more in line with what I'm used to with like the Will It flavor profile. Quite a bit more ogey than I remember the four-year-old being, which is great. I think, you know, Will It has this particular flavor profile to me that is a bit nuanced. It's quite a bit different than any other Bardstown bourbon whiskey distilleries because I'm a fan of almost all the ones that are based in that region. But Will It always has a distinct flavor profile to it. This one doesn't have as much of like the malty flavor that sometimes they give off, especially on their rye whiskey. But it does have a unique aspect that I think is very uniquely Will It. It's got a lot of cinnamon spice on the palate. I mean, it's not nearly as sweet as it is on the nose, but it actually goes even darker than the sweetness of the nose. So I'm getting some darker, little bit of tobacco notes here as well. Again, this age is really, really great for this bottle. I think it's a huge improvement on what I've tasted from younger Will It. I'm starting to see the hype behind some of those purple top bottles that go for the several hundred dollars. I mean, if they're anywhere as close to this, I see why those are so hyped because this is such an elevated bourbon than their family estate line. Of course, like I said, this is a single barrel, so you're not going to always find something like this. You know, what's interesting is there's a bit of a sherry note on the finish. I almost had to double check to see if this was a finished bourbon, but I'm not seeing anywhere on the bottle that it was. But it does have a very distinctive, bright fruitiness on the back end of the palate, almost like a muscadine grape. It's very juicy and very sweet, but it's not finished. It just says it's distilled in Kentucky, aged in Colorado and aged in new charred oak. So maybe it's the Colorado climate that's impacting that fruitiness on it. But I mean, this drinks like a delicious pour. It does have some of those nuanced flavors and those sweet. I guess maybe I almost want to say cherry, but it's not like a sour tart cherry. It's like a sweeter cherry. That's why I kind of went toward like the muscadine wine, but really, really flavorful and long finish. I do like the finish on this. It's distinct from the nose and the palate. And I love when a whiskey takes me on a journey. You know, the nose on this one is like those dark brown sugars. The palate is a little bit of that oak, that cinnamon, a little bit tobacco. And then, of course, that finish. I get that fruitiness like that muscadine grape thing, just like a really long finish. Really, really nice. I am a big fan of this. Wow. Of course, I already knew that Joe had an amazing palate, so I didn't doubt this in any capacity. But for the price of what you're getting here for like $100 or less, I mean, this is pretty incredible. I don't know how often you come across a deal like this. So here on the Bourbon Bites podcast, I like to just give one review. You know, I understand not everyone can get their hands on this bottle. And I do know that it's sold out at the moment. But that being said, this is incredible for the price. I mean, I think I'm going to give this a solid 9 out of 10. Not only is it a distillery that you don't get often some nicer single barrels at an older age, but it's a new label for me and something entirely new for me to try altogether. So with that being said, this is a solid 9 out of 10 for me. This is really, really great. Of course, I'd probably bump that up to a 10 if it was something I could readily get on the shelves or if it's something that was, you know, not just like a one-off pick. If it were like a everyday pick where you could just go to the store and grab any bottle of this, then that would be maybe a 10 out of 10. But for a single barrel select of Will It, this is a solid 9 out of 10. If you are sensitive to a little bit of Will It funk is what I like to call it, it's still there. But I think it's complemented by so many nice flavors like the oak and like I said, that raisin grape thing. It really doesn't distract from this being a good whiskey. It's not like an everyday drinker for me. It's definitely a unique flavor profile, but it delivers on everything I think it should. So yeah, 9 out of 10. Well done to Joe and the folks over at The Barrel Tap. This is a fantastic single barrel pick and I will be on the lookout for more, not just from Independent Joe, but from The Barrel Tap because they do some good stuff. This is pretty awesome. Now, like I said, normally Onyx and Amber bottles whiskey from Wild Turkey, Middle West, and MGP, but maybe they're always changing that up and getting new barrels. So I'm going to follow them. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for their single barrel pick program. If y'all ever want to see a bourbon bites pick, maybe this would be the place to go through because this is pretty damn impressive. All right, well, that does it for this week's podcast. Thank you all so much for listening. If you're listening the day this comes out, make sure to tune into the live stream tonight. I'm doing a fun Heaven Hill flight where I compare the new Bottled and Bond double mash to the original Bottled and Bond bourbon and the old fit seven years. So it should be a good time. Make sure to tune in if you're listening to this in the future. Thank you for coming. There's a lot more episodes where this came from. Make sure to follow. Give me a like on your favorite podcast platform. And until next time, this has been the Bourbon Bites podcast, a whiskey podcast with a gaming twist. Cheers, and I'll talk to you next episode.