👔The Last Two Cufflinks Just Snapped into Place

💥 Opening Pour

On Tuesday, I promised you five bottles that sip like they’re on a first-name basis with the maître d’—but cost less than a steak dinner at the local diner.

Three made the cut. But two were still waiting in the wings, straightening their ties and dusting off their oak.

Let’s meet the rest of The Cufflink Five 🥃

📖 The Story

Some folks pick bottles by the price tag.

I pick ’em by the pour.

When I went hunting for the last two members of The Cufflink Five, I didn’t just want good value. I wanted character. I wanted bourbon that rolls across the tongue like it has a story to tell.

And these two? They’ve got tales for days.

Early Times Bottled-in-Bond was nearly forgotten not long ago—left in the shadows while flashier labels hogged the spotlight. But a few of us knew better. We remembered its cinnamon-sugar swagger, that cornmeal warmth, the old-school soul in every sip. When it returned with a proper bonded label? That was like a hometown hero walking back into the bar, grinning and already pouring shots.

Then there’s Benchmark Bonded. Born from the Buffalo Trace lineage, it used to be the “well bourbon” behind every dive bar in the Midwest. But not this version. The bonded version stepped out from the back shelf, straightened its shoulders, and started pouring like it had something to prove. And you know what? It proved it.

They made the cut not just because they’re cheap—but because they’re rich.

Rich in flavor. Rich in backbone. Rich in “wait, what bottle was that again?”

And now?

They’re yours to try.

🥇 The Weekly Pour

Bottle: Early Times Bottled-in-Bond

Price: ~$19
Proof: 100
Age: 4 years
Nose: Cornbread, caramel, fresh-split oak
Palate: Brown sugar, cinnamon, buttery grain
Finish: Crisp with baking spice and pepper

✅ Bottled-in-Bond status from a legacy label
✅ Cinnamon warmth that sips like fall on the porch
✅ A crowd-pleaser that punches well above its weight

🛒 Buy it now → $18.99 at The Barrel Tap

Bottle: Benchmark Bonded

Price: ~$25
Proof: 100
Age: NAS
Nose: Light toffee, apple skin, toasted cereal
Palate: Corn, mint, vanilla cream
Finish: Bright and short, like sweet tea with a twist

✅ Born from the Buffalo Trace family
✅ Proofed for backbone, priced for everyday
✅ A charming daily pour with Southern grace

🛒 Buy it now → $24.99 at Craft Spirit Shop

🍹The Art of Mixing

Cocktail: Kentucky Cinnamon Snap

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Early Times Bottled-in-Bond

• ½ oz cinnamon syrup

• 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

• Orange twist garnish

Instructions:

1. Stir ingredients over ice

2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass

3. Garnish with a curled orange twist

Tip: Try it with smoked cinnamon stick if you're feeling flashy.

🍖 Flavor Pairing Picks

Pair it with:

🍗 Candied bacon — Early Times’ brown sugar and cinnamon hug every crispy bite
🍑 Peach cobbler — Benchmark’s corn and mint ride smooth alongside that flaky crust
💨 Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 — Its creamy chocolate and spice match both bottles’ mellow finish

🧠 Big Lesson of the Week

It’s not just about finding what’s affordable.

It’s about finding what’s worth it.

🥂 Final Toast

Here’s to the underdogs in bow ties, with hearts of oak and stories worth sipping.

🥃 Repeatable Proverb

It’s not the cost—it’s the character.

📖 The Whiskey Journal Is Here

For those of us who believe every bottle tells a story worth writing down.

I finally released The Art of the Pour Official Whiskey Tasting Journal—the same one I use to jot down:

🖋️ Tasting notes, barrel picks, and “finally cracked it open” moments
🗓️ First pours with friends
🧠 Thoughts that hit halfway through a good pour

🎁 And because I love a good surprise, I’m throwing in a free printable Whiskey Tasting Wheel—yep, the one folks keep asking about from past newsletters.

Already a subscriber? You’re first in line.
👉 Get the Journal + Free Whiskey Wheel

Now Its Your Turn

🎯 What’s your go-to hidden gem under $30?
💬 Drop a reply with your bottle pick.
💾 Save this to your whiskey playbook.
📤 Share with someone still hunting for their budget-friendly best pour.

Cheers to smart sipping, good stories, and hidden gems,

Ethan “Neat” Whitmore

P.S. On Tuesday, we drop the curtain on a sneaky-smooth rye from a legacy label. It’s sweet, spicy, and comes with a twist. You’ll want to pour this one twice.