Maryland Bourbon Dad

Peerless Cognac Barrel Finished — Tasting Note

The Quick Take: Just OK at $225 — and "just OK" at that price is the definition of overpriced.

🥃🥃 — Special occasion (at this price, only because the price makes it one)

The Stats

Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. (Louisville, KY)
Proof: 112.1 (barrel proof — no water added)
Type: Bourbon finished in cognac barrels
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Price Paid: $225

The Verdict

Worth Buying At: $130-150 max. At $225, overpriced for what's in the glass.
Worth Hunting For: No.
Pair It With: A nice meal — but nothing this bottle pairs with is going to be cheap, so the math gets worse.
Compare To: A well-picked Peerless store pick at $100 punches harder — same distillery, same proof range. Store pick wins on dollars-per-quality every time.
Who's This For: Peerless collectors. People who want a fancy-looking bottle on the shelf. Not for value-conscious drinkers.

The take: I want to like this more than I do. Peerless can absolutely deliver — their store picks are some of the best craft bourbon you can buy. But the Cognac Finished at $225 is a reminder that craft distilleries aren't immune to pricing themselves above what's in the bottle. Save it for two store picks instead.

Peerless Small Batch Rye — Tasting Note

The Quick Take: Just OK. Nothing wrong with it — but at $120, "just OK" doesn't cut it. Would only buy this one again under $90.

🥃🥃🥃 — Better than the price suggests... at the right price (see below)

The Stats

Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. (Louisville, KY)
Proof: 110.6 (barrel proof — no water added)
Type: Small batch rye whiskey
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Price Paid: $120

The Verdict

Worth Buying At: $90 or under. At $120, there are better ryes.
Worth Hunting For: No — unless it shows up well below MSRP.
Pair It With: A Manhattan. An old fashioned. This is a cocktail-tier pour at this price, not a sipper.
Compare To: Sazerac Rye, Pikesville, Wild Turkey 101 Rye, Knob Creek Rye — all good ryes in the $25-50 range. Peerless doesn't do enough more to justify the gap.
Who's This For: Peerless completionists. Folks who already love the brand and want to fill out the lineup.

The take: Not a bad whiskey. But "not bad" at $120 means I'd rather drink something else for half that, or save the $120 toward a Peerless single barrel that actually earns the price.

Peerless Single Barrel "Bananas Foster" — Tasting Note

The Quick Take: A genuinely well-named single barrel. Dessert profile lives up to the label, and at $110 it's a solid entry in the Peerless single barrel program.

🥃🥃🥃🥃 — Buy it if you see it

The Stats

Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. (Louisville, KY)
Proof: 109.9 (barrel proof — no water added)
Type: Single barrel, named for its flavor profile
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Price Paid: $110

The Verdict

Worth Buying At: $110 is fair. Solid value in the Peerless single barrel lineup.
Worth Hunting For: Yes, especially if you like sweeter, dessert-forward bourbons.
Pair It With: Vanilla ice cream. Bread pudding. A fall evening.
Compare To: Stronger value than most shelf-pick Peerless single barrels at this proof and price.
Who's This For: Drinkers who like sweet bourbons and aren't afraid of barrel proof. A great gateway to Peerless's single barrel program.

The take: Delivers what the label promises — which is more than I can say for some "themed" single barrels.

Peerless Toasted — Tasting Note

The Quick Take: Third-best Peerless I've had, and one I'd buy again. The extra char on a second toasted barrel adds depth without overwhelming the bourbon underneath.

🥃🥃🥃🥃 — Buy it if you see it

The Stats

Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. (Louisville, KY)
Proof: 109.4 (barrel proof — no water added)
Type: Toasted barrel finish — bourbon aged in new charred oak, then finished in a custom toasted barrel
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Price Paid: $120

The Verdict

Worth Buying At: $120 is fair for what's in the bottle. Wouldn't go much higher.
Worth Hunting For: Yes — especially if you like the depth a toasted finish adds.
Pair It With: A cigar. Dark chocolate. A grilled steak.
Compare To: Plays in the same space as Maker's Mark 46 or Woodford Double Oak. Beats Woodford Double Oak in my book — though it costs roughly twice as much.
Who's This For: Drinkers who already like Peerless and want to see where they push the profile.

The take: Out of the Peerless lineup I've worked through, this is comfortably my number three. Worth the shelf space.

Peerless Single Barrel "Mangonada" — Tasting Note

The Quick Take: Just OK. Pleasant single barrel, well-made, but doesn't do enough to justify $120. Would buy again under $90.

🥃🥃🥃 — Better than the price suggests... at the right price

The Stats

Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. (Louisville, KY)
Proof: 112.9 (barrel proof — no water added)
Type: Single barrel, named for its flavor profile
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Price Paid: $120

The Verdict

Worth Buying At: $90 or under. At $120, the lineup has better single barrels for the same money.
Worth Hunting For: No, unless it shows up below MSRP.
Pair It With: Spicy food — the fruit-forward profile holds up against heat better than most bourbons.
Compare To: Sits below Bananas Foster and well below the Maryland store pick in the Peerless single barrel hierarchy I've worked through.
Who's This For: Peerless completionists. Drinkers exploring the single barrel program who don't mind paying a slight premium to do it.

The take: Decent juice, but in a Peerless lineup that includes a $100 store pick punching way above its weight, this one gets crowded out at $120. Save the money toward a better barrel.

Peerless Single Barrel — Maryland Store Pick — Tasting Note

The Quick Take: Outstanding. The bottle that proved Peerless can absolutely deliver when the right barrel hits — and a reminder that store picks beat shelf picks more often than people admit.

🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃 — Hunt it down

The Stats

Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. (Louisville, KY)
Proof: 111.8 (barrel proof — no water added)
Type: Single barrel — Maryland store pick
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Price Paid: $100
Where I Got It: Maryland local store pick

The Verdict

Worth Buying At: $100 was a bargain. Up to $130 for this barrel quality without flinching.
Worth Hunting For: Yes — specifically Maryland store picks of Peerless single barrels, not the regular shelf bottles.
Pair It With: A cigar on a fall evening. Dark chocolate. A nice steak.
Compare To: The best of the Peerless single barrel program. Outpunches their shelf single barrels at the same proof.
Who's This For: Drinkers ready to pay a fair premium for genuinely premium juice.

The take: This is exactly why I chase store picks. Same distillery, same product line, but a barrel someone actually tasted and chose. Worth paying attention to which Maryland stores have a buyer who knows what they're doing.