A $95 8-Year Willett?! Onyx & Amber Review + Switch 2 Price Hike

This week on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, allocated whiskey season is heating up — and I’m reviewing an 8-year Willett-distilled single barrel that somehow sold for under $100. Sazerac kicks things off with Mr. Sam Tribute Whiskey Batch 4, a 131.08-proof blend of American and Canadian whiskey honoring Seagram legend Sam Bronfman. Then we look at Japan’s push for stronger geographic protection for Japanese whisky and what that could mean for consumers. Maker’s Mark also announced Cellar Aged 2026, blending 11-, 12-, and 14-year-old bourbons at 112.1 proof, while Bardstown Bourbon Company revealed two new fall releases: Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish and the latest Discovery Series, finished in Garryana oak. And on the gaming side: if you’ve been thinking about buying a Nintendo Switch 2, you may want to move quickly. The console is getting a $50 price increase to $499.99 on September 1. Then it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of Onyx & Amber 8 Year Single Barrel Bourbon, selected by fellow Whiskeytuber Indpndnt Joe in collaboration with The Barrel Tap. The bottle lists an undisclosed Bardstown distillery, but in the episode I identify the distillate as Willett. It’s 8 years old, 119.6 proof, aged in Colorado, and originally sold for just $95. Expect dark brown sugar, caramel, vanilla-bean ice cream, cinnamon, oak, tobacco, sweet cherry, muscadine grape, and a long, evolving finish. At that price, this one seriously impressed me. 🥃 Topics covered: Mr. Sam Tribute Whiskey Batch 4 Japanese whisky GI protections Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2026 Bardstown Bourbon Company Lochs of Jura Bardstown Discovery 2026 + Garryana oak Nintendo Switch 2 price increase Onyx & Amber 8 Year Willett single barrel review Would you pay $95 for an 8-year cask-strength Willett single barrel?   YouTube Chapter Markers: 00:00 Intro – Maker’s Mark, Mr. Sam, Switch 2 & Willett 00:30 Welcome + Allocated Whiskey Season 00:54 Mr. Sam Tribute Whiskey Batch 4 02:51 Japanese Whisky GI Protection 04:31 Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2026 05:55 Bardstown Bourbon Company Fall Releases 08:56 Nintendo Switch 2 Price Hike 09:50 Byte-Sized Review – Onyx & Amber 8 Year Willett Single Barrel 17:53 Heaven Hill Livestream + Outro