David Tao

Brooklyn

Co-Founder and CEO at BarBend

Drinks Writer at Freelance

Producer 🎥 🎭📺 | Spirits Writer, @vinepair @drinkhacker @forbes 🥃 | @ForbesUnder30 for Media | Kentucky Colonel

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Articles

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525

2 days ago | vinepair.com | David Tao

The Details Rating 93 Style Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey Produced In Kentucky United States ABV 63.1% Availability Limited Price $75.00 Reviewed By Reviewed Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 Review Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon is released thrice per year, and you could calibrate a calendar to its cadence, with new batches dropping each January, May, and September. Today, we’re looking at the second release of 2025, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525. In this case, the “B” stands for the...
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 Marks a Shift Back Toward Older Stock

5 days ago | foodandwine.com | David Tao

Credit: Food & Wine / Elijah CraigElijah Craig Barrel Proof B525 is the second 2025 release, aged 11 years and 6 months and bottled at 126.2 proof — the oldest since 2023. It’s made from Heaven Hill’s traditional bourbon mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. According to the distillery, B525 features a rich flavor profile with notes of toasted oak, dark fruit, butterscotch, and peppery spice, and retails for $75.
Review: Bhakta 2011 Bourbon

5 days ago | drinkhacker.com | David Tao

Perhaps best known for highly aged Armagnac, Vermont-based Bhakta Spirits has gradually diversified to bottlings beyond brandy, ranging from rum to rye (often blended with brandy varieties or finished in brandy casks). Their latest whiskey is the third in their single vintage bourbon series, a Tennessee bourbon aged 12 years and 10 months finished in — very on brand — a variety of Armagnac casks from the company’s 1970s and 1980s vintages.
Review: The Last Drop Kentucky Straight Bourbon 27 Years Old

6 days ago | drinkhacker.com | David Tao

Near the upper echelons of Sazerac’s spirits portfolio sits The Last Drop, a boutique bottler of “the world’s most remarkable spirits.” Over the years, The Last Drop’s releases have featured Scotch, bourbon, Irish whiskey, blended whisky, Armagnac, Cognac, rum, and more, virtually all of which boast remarkable age statements and rarities. While The Last Drop started as an independent bottler, Sazerac acquired the brand in 2016.
Review: The Dalmore Luminary No.3 The Collectible 17 Years Old

1 week ago | drinkhacker.com | David Tao

Now in its third iteration, The Dalmore‘s annual Luminary release comprises two whiskies: The Collectible and The Rare, none of which we have reviewed to date. This year’s The Rare is a 52 year old Scotch limited to just a handful of bottles. Significantly more obtainable is The Collectible, our subject today and a 17 year old single malt with a release size of 20,000 bottles globally.
Angel's Envy Cellar Collection Rye Finished In French Oak Extra Añejo Tequila Barrels

1 week ago | vinepair.com | David Tao

The Details Rating 90 Style Rye American Whiskey Whiskey Produced In Indiana United States ABV 52.1% Availability Limited Price $270.00 Reviewed By Reviewed Angel's Envy Cellar Collection Rye Finished In French Oak Extra Añejo Tequila Barrels Review Angel’s Envy is back with the fifth iteration of its innovative Cellar Collection release. Available for the first time nationwide, Cellar Collection Series Volume 5 is a blend of Indiana-distilled rye whiskeys, some of which have undergone...
W.L. Weller Antique 107 Is Named 'Spirit of the Year' at the 2025 London Spirits Competition

1 week ago | foodandwine.com | David Tao

Credit: Food & Wine / Buffalo Trace Distillery / London Spirits Competition Key pointsW.L. Weller Antique 107 won Spirit of the Year at the 2025 London Spirits Competition, earning 99 points and outperforming highly regarded bourbons like Weller 12 and William Larue Weller. This marks a major win for an accessible, fan-favorite bourbon, signaling a shift away from ultra-rare bottles toward high-quality, more attainable options in the whiskey world.
It Took 51 Tries To Nail This Delicious Yuzu Matcha Martini

1 week ago | forbes.com | David Tao

When it comes to crafting new cocktails from scratch, even the best mixologists may need to try dozens of times before finalizing a recipe. And it took a Japanese bartending legend over 50 tries to create one the better ready-to-serve cocktails on the market. Hidetsugu Ueno of Tokyo’s famed Bar High Five was tasked with crafting two new, shelf-stable cocktails for a new collaboration between On The Rocks Premium Cocktails and The House of Suntory.
We Tasted Tamdhu’s New $16,000, 43 Year-Old Speyside Scotch Whisky

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | David Tao

Scotland has over 150 distilleries, and it can be tricky for even the most ardent whisky fanatic to keep track of each and every one. Among Speyside single malt producers, operations like Macallan, Glenfiddich, and Balvenie garner quite a bit of media attention, especially among American drinkers. But a lesser-known, privately held producer just released an exceptional 43 year-old Scotch. And we got an early taste.
There’s Now A National Bourbon Week. Here’s Where And How To Celebrate

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | David Tao

Whiskey lovers: There’s a new, weeklong celebration for you. The second annual National Bourbon Week is set to return in 2025, with a full schedule of festivities taking place in the Bourbon Capital of the World. From June 9th through 15th in Bardstown, Kentucky, distilleries will partner with restaurants, hospitality groups, musical acts, and more to celebrate bourbon and the community surrounding it.