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My wife locked me in the mudroom

My wife locked me in the mudroom

Danny Bauer
December 16, 2025

Hey Barrelhead 🥃 —

My wife locked me in the mudroom this weekend with nothing but a pry bar and a hard deadline. It sounds like a hostage situation, but it actually taught me a surprising lesson about how to properly enjoy your next glass of bourbon.

So if you’re wondering why this email was late (now you know). My apologies and thank you for being a loyal reader of Rickhouse.

PROOF OF GENIUS

In March 2025, a single bottle of American Whiskey shattered the all-time auction record, selling for a mind-melting $125,000. It wasn't a pre-prohibition dusty or a diamond-encrusted gimmick bottle. Which bottle was it?

THE WEEKLY POUR

🔥 November Bloodbath: November went full chaos. Garrison Brothers dropped a 146-proof Cowboy. Heaven Hill celebrated 90 years with a legit 9-year. Michter’s casually asked $1,200 for a 20-Year. If you blinked, you missed something expensive.
🎄 Holiday Hit List: Louisville’s Courier-Journal dropped a Christmas cheat sheet loaded with flex bottles and sleeper picks. Blade & Bow’s 30-Year leads the “mortgage required” tier, but Rabbit Hole’s maple-brûlé rye and Copper & Kings’ brandy-finished bourbon quietly steal the value crown. Not everything here needs a second mortgage — just good timing.
🛣️ History, Bottled: Wilderness Trail went full Kentucky heritage with a 10-Year Wheated Bourbon honoring the Wilderness Road’s 250th anniversary. Barrel-proof. Visitor-center only. Three hand-selected barrels and that’s it. This is the kind of bottle you open once, talk about forever, and never see again.
🎙️ Inside Jack: Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Chris Fletcher sat down for a no-BS podcast. Real talk on scaling whiskey without ruining it, how new releases actually get approved, and why “innovation” isn’t just marketing copy. Worth the listen — especially if you love Tennessee juice.

TOP SHELF

What a home demo project teaches you about bourbon

True story:

My wife locked me in the mudroom this weekend.

Okay, she didn’t actually turn the lock. But she might as well have.

Here’s what happened:

We scored a great deal on a new washer and dryer for Black Friday. I was feeling pretty good about myself for saving some cash.

But then my wife asked the dangerous question:

"Since the new washer and dryer are coming... how about we replace the floors?"

To which I replied:

"Yes. Yes we can."

Spoiler alert: I didn't realize what I was signing up for.

Suddenly, a simple delivery turned into a full-blown renovation.

I went into full demo mode:

Ripping off the old baseboards
Tearing out the old floor
Painting a new accent wall
Installing new click-and-tile flooring
And installing new baseboards …

It was a race against the clock 😰

I was sweating. I was tired. I was wondering if the delivery guys would show up while I was still holding a pry bar.

But I got it done.

I finished the final piece of trim just before the truck pulled into the driveway.

The moral of the story is simple: You can’t put a new upgrade on a rotten foundation.

We could have just shoved those shiny new machines onto the old, scratched-up linoleum. It would have been faster. It would have been easier.

But it wouldn't have been right.

To get the full value of the new asset, we had to do the dirty work of preparing the environment first.

I’ve found this applies perfectly to enjoying a good glass of bourbon, too.

We often just want to get to the "drinking" part.

But the real magic of a great pour isn't just the liquid in the glass. It’s the context. It’s the environment you create to enjoy it.

It’s about settling into a leather chair after a week of hard work, turning off the noise, and actually tasting what’s in the glass.

The bourbon tastes better when you’ve earned it.

And after that mudroom renovation? You better believe that Old Fitz 7 tasted like victory.

If you’re looking to upgrade your collection and find the perfect bottle to celebrate your own hard wins ...

Then keep your eyes peeled for this Sunday’s list of our favorite bourbon tastes in 2025.

Cheers 🥃

P.S. My back is still sore from the flooring. But the mudroom looks incredible. Reply and let me know—what’s the one bottle you pour when you finish a massive project?

POUR DECISIONS

LAST CALL

Last week we asked:

In 2025, which bourbon won Best Overall Bourbon at the Top Shelf Awards Gala, thanks to its rare Japanese oak finish?

Knob Creek 21
Stagg Jr. Batch 23A
Starlight Mizunara Reserve
Four Roses 2025 Limited Edition Small Batch

Starlight Mizunara Reserve took the 2025 crown because Mizunara oak is basically the boss level of barrel finishing — rare, expensive, and a pain in the ass to work with.

But when you nail it, you get that wild sandalwood-and-coconut profile the judges couldn’t stop talking about. Starlight aged it seven years, hit it with a Mizunara finish, and suddenly a craft Indiana distillery was dunking on legacy brands. That’s why this bottle vanished faster than a “BT drop at Kroger” text.