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Elijah Craig’s PGA Championship Bourbon + Old Forester & Four Roses Drop 2025 Limited Editions!
May 9, 2026
Clifton dives into some of the hottest whiskey news of the year: Old Forester shakes things up with a sweet mash Birthday Bourbon, Four Roses unveils its 2025 Limited Edition Small Batch, and Elijah Craig tees off with the PGA Quail Hollow Championship Edition. How does this commemorative release stack up against past special collaborations? Plus, we celebrate the end of the SAG-AFTRA video game strike and what it means for the future of gaming. 0:00 Intro & Welcome 1:01 Old Forester’s 2025 Birthday Bourbon Goes Sweet Mash 4:44 Four Roses 2025 Limited Edition Small Batch Revealed 6:26 Video Game News: SAG-AFTRA Strike Resolution 10:04 Elijah Craig PGA Championship Edition Review (Quail Hollow 2025) 18:48 Community Shoutouts, Call-In Line & Closing Cheers
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0:00
Today, on the Bourbon Bites Podcast, Old Forrester announces their new 2025 Birthday Bourbon
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But they're not alone, because Four Roses also introduces their 2025 LE Small Batch
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Plus, I'm reviewing the PGA Quail Hollow Championship Edition from Elijah Craig
0:16
hello everyone and welcome back to the bourbon bites podcast i'm your host clifton and this is
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the week of thursday august 21st 2025 thank you for tuning in to another episode appreciate all
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the great feedback that's been coming in around the podcast lately glad you guys are enjoying the
0:44
bite-sized reviews and uh today is no different because we have some really cool news in the world
0:49
of whiskey and video games today plus a review of a bourbon that is a special edition release
0:54
for 2025 that i had to pick up just for you guys but we do have some news to talk about
1:00
the first of which is breaking news from old forester they just announced their 2025 birthday
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bourbon. This year's expression is a 12 year old bourbon at 92 proof but there's something unique
1:14
about this release that's never been done before for birthday bourbon. Now if you listened to last
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week's episode you know I reviewed Shinx Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey and Sour Mash is actually the
1:25
process that Old Forrester has done for all of their birthday bourbon releases. However this year
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they are doing a sweet mash bourbon whiskey. This means that they didn't use the setback from a
1:37
batch of whiskey during fermentation. They claim that this allowed the yeast to express its full
1:43
character, creating a flavor profile that's both delicate and complex. Now this is in honor of their
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25th birthday bourbon release, which is this year's batch. It was drawn from 210 barrels
1:53
aged in Warehouse K, floors 1 and 5. Now what's interesting is all of these barrels were made in
2:01
one day's production back on April 5th, 2013. And they were selected by master distiller emeritus
2:07
Chris Morris and assistant master distiller Caleb Trigo. They claim that this 92 proof release is an
2:13
anomaly and it resulted in a silky and sweet flavor profile that shines at its proof. And I'll
2:19
be honest, there really isn't much in this press release. I mean, there are tasty notes and nosing
2:23
notes, but that's really all we know. It's like I said, a 12 year old 92 proof sweet mash bourbon
2:28
whiskey. Birthday bourbon has been one to me that I always appreciate seeing and hearing about
2:35
but it's not one that I seek out. I say that having owned two birthday bourbons in my collection that
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have not been opened, but that's because I've had a chance to buy them at retail and my ultimate
2:45
goal is to trade them for something that I actually want to drink. I feel weird about this and this is
2:50
something that I've talked about with a lot of whiskey friends, but not necessarily on the podcast or on YouTube, I would really like to make a good trade for my birthday bourbons. My issue is I don't
2:59
feel comfortable trading with strangers online. I don't know. I see a lot of groups on Facebook
3:04
where people trade bottles or they sell bottles. And even when you avoid all the legalities of that
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I just get really nervous. I guess it comes from me, you know, in the past trying to sell things
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online and kind of getting scammed or almost had my iPhone stolen years ago when I went to go meet
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someone to sell it. I'm just really hesitant. And then when it comes to the Old Forrester birthday
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bourbon bottle. I mean, look at it. It is the most oddly shaped bottle you could ever try to mail
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someone. So even shipping something like that is just, it's so intimidating. So I've kind of let my
3:34
anxiety get the best of me where I'm just holding onto these bottles and I'm rotating them every now
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and then just to kind of make sure that the corks don't, you know, go bad or anything. But ultimately
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I'd like to trade them for other, you know, limited edition releases that I would prefer to drink
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Old Forrester has really not been a flavor profile that's been a favorite of mine. There have been a
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few exceptions of course which if you watch my reviews you know I do have some really great old
3:56
forester experience but when I've tried birthday bourbon in the past it's been good but it's not
4:01
been something that I seek out so will I seek out this 2025 birthday bourbon most likely not but if
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I get a chance to buy it at retail I'm not going to turn it down I would hope to be able to trade
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it for something that I will drink whether it be a limited release from Buffalo Trace or Heaven Hill
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something that I know I'm going to love I think that's what I would rather have than a bottle of
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birthday bourbon but if you get your hands on this one and you want to prove me wrong and tell
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me how exceptional this release is please do i welcome it and if you ever want to send me a
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sample um i'd love to review it but let me know if you guys have a chance to try this if it's worth
4:34
me taking the splurge on maybe opening a bottle we'll see we'll see probably not but you know i
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do what you guys ask this is all for you guys so let me know all right well speaking of limited
4:45
editions four roses actually just announced their 2025 LE as well this is the 2025 small batch four
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roses they come out with one every year it's released at barrel strength and this year is
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built around two standout 13 year old batches delivering luscious notes of apricot vanilla and caramel they also say they added in a bold 19 OESV and OBSK casks to bring in layers of antique oak rye and depth for a truly balanced and complex profile
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So we got some really old Four Roses in this batch. It's not new to the Four Roses Ellie
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They've always included older bourbons in there, but it's interesting that this is just limited to
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that 13 and 19 years old and now it's being bottled at 109 proof which is on par with previous
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releases just for reference last year's 2024 release was 108.2 proof the year before that was
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108 proof and before that 109 proof so still in that same territory we haven't had a high proof
5:45
release since the 2021 limited edition small batch that one was 114.2 proof but yes this one
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is 109 like I said 13 years and 19 years I love to see it kind of similar to how I feel at Old
5:58
Forest or it's like those two I know that they are highly sought after uh special releases that
6:03
come out every year but they're just not ones that I seek out myself I it just they're not my
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favorite flavor profile not to say they're not going to be exceptional bourbons but I'd rather
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leave those for people that enjoy those flavor profiles and if I have a chance to try this I'd
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love to um but it's not a ball that I'm going to seek out for myself but I had to tell you guys
6:20
about it because I know a lot of you guys are huge Four Roses fans. Looking at you Alfonso
6:26
All right and lastly I do want to give a huge shout out for the fact that the SAG-AFTRA video
6:32
game strike is over. Now this is something that ended back in July but I didn't really talk about
6:37
it because at that point I wasn't really focusing on video game news as much. I work in the television
6:43
and film industry so I saw another side of a SAG-AFTRA strike you know just a couple years ago
6:48
I'm so glad to see that both parties found a deal that worked for them this one particularly had to
6:55
do with AI and using AI in place of human performers it's kind of when generative AI
7:00
kind of blew up in the you know a couple years back and rightfully so voice actors were scared
7:06
they were scared they were going to use their you know personas they built for these games and just
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continue to use an AI version that way they don't have to hire them for for lines which is really
7:15
scary and sad because voice actors make games. I'll say my partner is a huge fan of the Genshin
7:22
Impact game and I know that there are so many quests and scenes in that game that aren't voiced
7:28
because of the strike itself and I don't mind reading captions on a video game but when you
7:34
know that that line could have been voiced by an actual actor and the only reason they're not
7:37
voicing it is because of this strike and they're fighting for their rights to their own IP, their
7:43
own voice it makes you really feel for that industry it's something that we don't really
7:48
talk too much about in general unless you're a bit of a gamer or like as in the tv or movie industry
7:53
but you're right to your voice i mean that's something that i think voice actors particularly
7:58
hold dearly so when these big studios are saying like hey well we can take your voice model and we
8:04
can you know manipulate it in a certain way to add dialogue to games but not pay you which is the
8:09
biggest issue. That's what some people had issues with, but I'm glad to see that voice actors have
8:14
finally reached a conclusion where they're feeling they're being treated fairly. The agreement that
8:18
was reached in July says that SAG-AFTRA members would be guaranteed annual wage increases for
8:24
three years, increased compensation for union games, and some guardrails to prevent American
8:29
game companies from giving their work to AI, including consent and disclosure requirements
8:34
for AI digital replica use and the ability for performers to suspend consent for the generation
8:40
of new materials during a strike. I'm sure there's way more details to it than that, but
8:45
it is worth mentioning. It's the big issue. As much as I do love the ever-evolving AI use across
8:53
you know, not just the industry, but society, you got to be careful with it because sometimes
8:57
you know, I'm not for AI taking jobs, especially in the creative fields, whether it's a photographer
9:02
a you know graphic designer a voice actor or even a screen actor I don't want AI to kind of take that
9:11
place and I I don't think we're there yet as a society but we're getting pretty dang close so
9:15
I think it's important to set up these guardrails now and prevent people's likenesses and their
9:20
voices to be taken from them and them not getting any kind of compensation or you know consent to it
9:26
that's the biggest issue and I'm glad to see there's a resolution so like I said a little bit
9:30
of old news but I wanted to mention it because now that we're talking video game news is something
9:34
that's been on everyone's minds lately so yeah congratulations to those members and I hope to
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continue to see more voice acting reappear in games that it was kind of missing in the past
9:45
because of the strikes so yes get out there do work get paid all right well that does it for
9:51
the news portion of this podcast now it's time to get into our bite-sized review
10:00
All right well I am very excited for this week Bite Size review because it is reminiscent of one that I reviewed back in 2023 that blew my mind with how good it was for the price So back in 2023 Elijah Craig partnered with the Ryder Cup to release a special edition small batch bourbon that was aged with
10:24
toasted European oak casks and that whiskey if you if you check back on my channel was one of my
10:30
favorite whiskeys of the year. So I saw there was a new collaboration with the PGA this year and I
10:38
had to pick it up. Now doing further research I see that last year they did a similar collaboration
10:44
and this one kind of follows a similar format to last year versus the 2023 release. So last year
10:52
they actually picked whiskeys from Heaven Hill Rickhouses P, 1G, and A to symbolize PGA. So they
11:00
took the letters of the rickhouses and used it to make a small batch from those specific rickhouses
11:06
Now, I didn't have the 2024 release, but I'm saying they're doing something a little bit similar here in 2025 with this PGA release
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This one is for PGA Quail Hollow in 2025. 94 proof, just like all the others
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But this year, they are pulling bourbons selected from Rickhouse's Q and H1, aka QH Quail Hollow
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So I will say it's not quite as exciting as doing a special European toasted oak like they did with the release from back in 2023
11:39
But it's still exciting to see a exclusive blend of a small batch of Elijah Craig, especially coming from the distillery
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I have high hopes for it. Maybe not as high of hopes as I had for them back in 2023 with the Writer's Cup edition
11:54
But I had to pick it up because I love that one so much. I want to see if they're keeping up the quality with this one. So let's go in and pour the 2025
12:04
PGA Championship Elijah Craig Small Batch. Now, of course, this is a commemorative bottle
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so it has a special gold icon on the top of the cork. This is PGA Quail Hollow 2025
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Now, the reason for this release and other previous releases is Elijah Craig is the official
12:23
bourbon of the PGA championship. They've been a sponsor for several years now, but I do appreciate
12:29
them doing a little bit something different, you know, rather than just being the sponsor and not
12:32
doing a special release. I do commend them for that. And fun fact, Quail Hollow Club is in
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Charlotte, North Carolina, which being born and raised near Charlotte, North Carolina my entire
12:42
life, I've never heard of Quail Hollow Club. That just shows what tax bracket I wasn't in
12:47
This does have a little bit of a special place in my heart because of that, but I don't know
12:51
is it bad that I feel like I'm already starting to feel like it's a little gimmicky with it being
12:57
from Rickhouse's Q and H1 to honor Quell Hollow I don't know I'll reserve my judgment until I have
13:04
a taste of it because maybe these are their best Rickhouses I mean this could be a coy heel situation
13:08
you know you never know but let's go ahead and give this small batch Elijah Craig a nose
13:14
oh yeah classic Elijah Craig that's really good I mean listen as much as I joke around about this
13:21
you know kind of feeling a bit gimmicky you gotta you gotta admit classic elijah craig is no joke
13:26
for the price i mean it is one of my favorite uh i wouldn't say bottom shelf but like a lower
13:31
priced bourbon under 30 elijah craig always gets my recommendation i've been a fan of it since
13:37
i first started my whiskey journey and then even now yes i do prefer the cast strength releases
13:42
at a barrel proof but i will say elijah craig is one that i recommend to so many people that
13:47
looking to get into bourbon. My mom, who is a beginner bourbon drinker, all she really drinks
13:53
is Elijah Crack small batch. I mean, that's just kind of like what she goes to. She gravitates
13:56
towards it. She found it and she likes it. And there's nothing wrong with that. So no dissing
14:01
on Elijah Crack at all. And I will say I did only pay, I think, $30 for this special edition of it
14:07
It's not like it's a special finish or a special toast. But nonetheless, it's a cool bottle with
14:13
a really cool label on it and a little gold placard in their cork. So let's go ahead and give
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this special 2025 release a taste because the nose, it's good. I mean, it's classic Elijah Craig
14:27
It's caramel. It's sweet. It's a little bit of like a bakery note, which is something I always
14:31
get with Heaven Hill products. I will say not too much oak on the nose. I mean, it's leaning more
14:36
towards like a younger flavor profile. Again, I don't have an age statement on this. It reads a
14:40
little young on the nose, but let's see how it tastes. Cheers. Yeah, that's just solid Elijah
14:49
Craig. I mean, it's hard to say anything bad about it. This tastes, you know, in line with other
14:55
Elijah Craig small batches I've had. I've had a lot of single barrels, even at the lower proof of
14:59
94, that have been a bit more complex, a bit more nuanced than this one. And I do know that they
15:05
pulled this from warehouses q and h1 you know in tribute to the pga but i will say that flavor
15:11
wise i'm not detecting anything special about this even reading the press release there's not
15:15
anything specifically about flavor notes it just about being a special release um you know being a tribute to quail hollow i go in for another taste and let see if it has anything different But yeah this is classic Elijah Craig and there nothing wrong with that
15:29
I mean, if anything, it almost has less of an oak impact than other Elijah Craigs I've had
15:33
And maybe that's because certain single barrels pull out those flavors more. When I'm looking at
15:37
a store that does a single barrel store pick that's not a castor, I trust them for looking
15:41
for those notes that really make this a standout bourbon. Elijah Craig, I think, always has a nice
15:46
oakiness to it. This one, not so much, but again, we don't know the age of this. We assume it's the
15:51
regular age statement of their small batch. I mean, this is a crowd pleaser. It's sweet. It's a little
15:56
bit of like a toasted baked good note that I always get when Heaven Hill products. If you've
16:00
been following for a while, you'll know that's not anything groundbreaking at all. This is standard
16:05
Heaven Hill distillate, but that's not bad by any means, especially at 94 proof and only 30 bucks or
16:11
less. I mean, I think that's what you expect with paying this amount of money. You know, I wouldn't
16:16
say it's that long of a finish. It's definitely more of like a medium to short finish, but it has
16:20
a lot of bit of like a toasted vanilla that I think really lingers on the back end of it and
16:26
really just all the way through this bourbon. I think vanilla and caramel and toffee, everything
16:31
you expect from a classic bourbon are here. They're definitely not the most expressive compared
16:35
to some single barrel releases, but they are there. They are good. And yeah, there's not much
16:40
to complain about. I hesitate to say this is really a step up from Elijah Crack Small Batch
16:45
It really does feel like a very, very similar bourbon to that. But again, you're paying a similar
16:49
price point. If you see this for retail, like I said, MSRP on it was $36. I found it for $30
16:55
Check your area. Don't overpay for this one by any means. I will say that special release from 2023
17:01
the Ryder Cup, to me, was worth a premium. It just had a very unique flavor profile. It just
17:07
was a really special release and one of my top whiskeys of 2023 this doesn't compare this doesn't
17:12
compete and I don't think it's necessarily trying to I think it's supposed to be more of a commemorative
17:16
special release from the distillery to honor their partnership with the PGA and I think if that's all
17:21
it's meant to be it it does a good job I mean it it's it's solid I could see them having bottles
17:27
of this to buy at the you know the tournament or cocktails made with it or whatever again wasn't
17:31
there I don't know what they did with it but it's a solid release and I feel like I I kind of owe it
17:36
a score based on price and availability and, you know, limited release-ness of it. And, um
17:43
I think this is right in the middle of the road. I think to me, like, Elijah Craig is
17:47
an exceptional bourbon at the price. I think I would give regular Elijah Craig for the price
17:52
you know, a 6 out of 10, really. But I think this being a special release, being a special bottle
17:58
a really cool label, I would probably bump it up to a 7 out of 10 for the price, you know
18:02
if you're only paying $30, $36, it's worth picking up, especially if you are an Elijah Craig fan or a
18:07
fan of the PGA or you just want a commemorative bottle with a good story. I think, you know
18:12
there's nothing wrong with it. Don't go out of your way to buy it. Trust me, there are other
18:15
bottles where I'm like, yeah, spend a little bit more than retail. This one, I don't think it's
18:19
worth it unless you really, really care about that game. Maybe you were there. Maybe you got engaged
18:24
during the game or, you know, who knows? Other than having a commemorative value, I think this
18:29
is perfectly priced at the 30 to 36 dollar point i give it a 7 out of 10 i i just think it's a good
18:36
bourbon good price cool story i guess if you really care about it um i mean if you see this
18:41
for the same price as a regular elitra crag give it a try i think it's similar in flavor but you
18:45
have a cool bottle to come with it so there's that all right well that does it for this week's bite
18:50
size review um they're not all going to be hitters and i think that's something i want to acknowledge
18:54
i feel like i've been highlighting a lot of really good bourbons on this podcast and i want to say
18:58
that there's some times where something doesn't quite, you know, exceed my expectations. This is
19:03
the perfect example of something not quite meeting my expectations based on a previous release, but
19:07
meeting my expectations of the brand. So nothing too crazy, nothing too groundbreaking, but I hope
19:12
you enjoyed listening to this week's episode. Quick reminder, you can call in and leave your comments
19:16
or question for any future podcast. I had one a couple weeks back, but I haven't had one in a while
19:21
You can call in at 916-642-9837 or, easy to remember, 916-64-BYTE. You can leave me a message, ask me a question, just make a comment
19:33
I will respond to it on next week's episode. You can also leave a message on Discord if you're not yet a member of our community
19:40
Why not? It's an amazing community of whiskey-loving friends. BourbonBytes.com has all the links
19:45
There's a link to the Discord there as well as our Instagram, our YouTube, our podcast
19:49
everywhere you can find me on the web bourbonbites.com but most of all i want to say thank you
19:54
so much for listening to this week's episode it really does mean a lot to me make sure to follow
19:58
me on whatever platform you are listening on thank you for giving me another opportunity to
20:02
give an episode to you cheers i will see you this thursday night on my live stream
20:07
and otherwise i will talk to you guys next episode this has been the bourbon bites podcast
20:12
cheers and i'll talk to you next week bye
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