Summer Gala #3 - August 2026

The Annual Gala continues to be one of the highlights of the HighFlight Bourbon calendar. For our biggest tasting of the year, we once again pulled out all the stops with three hard-to-find, top-shelf bourbons, a Mission BBQ feast, and another round of our increasingly competitive mini golf tournament. This year, we even added a few new obstacles to make things a little more challenging. Because apparently regular mini golf wasn't difficult enough for a group of bourbon drinkers. Fun was had by all, and sorry to those who were unable to attend. Hope to see you all at the next one!

For the tasting, we lined up Old Swagger 13 Year, Rare Character Limited Release Batch No. 1, and Barrell's Cigar Blend. All three brought something unique to the table, and with three premium bottles in the lineup, expectations were high.... maybe that influences the scoring, but, oh well. Let's look closer at these bourbons...

#1 Old Swagger 13 Year by Rising Tide Spirits

100 proof | 13 years | ~$175 MSRP

HF score: 3.56

Old Swagger 13 Year was the first pour of the evening and immediately set the tone for what was going to be a pretty serious bourbon lineup. As you may recall, last year we tasted the Old Swagger 12 which became our highest all-time rated bourbon thus far. That begs the million dollar question - is the 13 even better? The consensus says NO!? Listen, this is still great w

hiskey, easily 4+ in my book. However, I was surpised at the lack of high 3's and 4's amongst the group.

The nose was really nice; dark berries, almost a cherry cola sweetness, with oak and baking spice. The sip is where things changed for folks though. The baking spices had a little bitterness with oak tannins and a drier mouthfeel. The finish turned sweet again, with a long cherry sweetness that I really enjoyed. Overall, a nice sip with some sweet yet dry complexity.

#2 Rare Character Limited Release Batch No. 1

119.56 proof | Blend of 7-16 year barrels | ~$120

Sourced blend between Kentucky and Indiana

HF score: 3.63

Rare Character has made a name for itself by seeking out interesting and often hard-to-find barrels, and Limited Release Batch No. 1 certainly fit the bill for our Annual Gala lineup.

Scores started rising during this round. I haven't had much Rare Character, but each have seemed to be very unique. This one packs a little more punch, but supported by great flavors.

The nose was immediately sweet, like butterscotch and honey nut cheerios. Some Earthy notes come through as pipe tobacco and leather to my nose. During the sip, the sweetness continues with creme brulee topped with a pinch of cinnamon. The sweetness is balanced by the warmth of the 119 proof, finishing with maple syrup notes that fade into charred oak. This was my favorite sip of the evening - really a fantastic pour. If you can find one, snag it. Its a limited release, so not sure how many are still floating our there to be had...

#3 Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend

111.2 proof | 7.5 - 18 year blend | ~$85

Blend from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. It is finished in a unique combination of Madeira, Armagnac, rum, and Hungarian oak casks

HF score: 3.68

The final pour and WINNER of the evening was Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend, and it was arguably the most appropriate bourbon to close out an Annual Gala. This is a big, bold bourbon designed to stand up to the kind of flavors you'd expect from its namesake. And not surprisingly, it was a few notches better with a cigar as the sweetness became much more prevalent!

The nose was quite full with oak and rye spice. However, there was an interesting floral smell, some described this as a tropical fruitiness as well. The sip brings more rich fruit, with sweet cherries, molasses, dates, and spice. The finish was warm with lingering oak tannins, chocolate, and spice.

I'm guessing the cigar helps mute some of the drier and spicier notes, which really allows your taste buds to dial in on the sweetness. It was really like tasting 2 separate bourbons! And for $85, this can hang with the big dogs.