Ah, Valentine’s season – the time we’re reminded about love.
Sure, you could reject the consumerism and revolt against man-made holidays. But… you could also lean in, pop the cork, and make someone smile. Because let’s face it—life’s more fun when you let yourself enjoy it.
Y’all, I’m choosing the fun route. I may not be here for a long time, but I’m certainly here for a good time.
Whether you’re loving yourself better, nurturing relationships within your home, or sharing memes with friends at 2 a.m., love is universal. It’s never lost on anyone.
Do you know your love language—the way you naturally feel most loved? According to Gary Chapman, who developed the concept, there are five love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.
Some people give and receive love differently. One person may show love through Acts of Service (like actually putting away the clean laundry instead of leaving it on the chair) but feel loved when they receive Words of Affirmation (like hearing, “This is why I chose you over my ex.”).
Could you be curious enough to learn someone’s love language today? Understanding your own—and your partner’s—can deepen your connection. Oh là là!
If you haven’t taken the test, give it a go – 5 Love Languages Quiz – then let’s discover which whiskey matches your love style.
1. Words of Affirmation
Ever have those friends who don’t just hype you up, but level you up just by living life alongside you? The ones who speak your name in rooms filled with opportunities and genuinely want to see you win?
Those are kinfolk—the kind of people you trust because their words match their actions. Ya know, “don’t talk about it, be about it.”
That’s exactly what Taste Select Repeat e-commerce liquor store and OJ Lima embody. OJ sources barrels from his favorite independent distillers and blends them to perfection. With only three exclusive releases a year, each offered at Cask Strength and Preferred Proof, they’re open and transparent about sourcing and blending—because bold, honest words always win.
The bottle? Romantic, delicate, and artistic—thanks to OJ’s baddie wife, Ana Bravo Lima. A Mexican artist, art lover, and NYC librarian, Ana designed the bottle with a beautifully delicate hummingbird. The hummingbird represents OJ himself, moving from distillery to distillery like the bird spreading pollen, gathering the best whiskeys and blending them into something special. A whole vibe.
And the whiskey? Oh, if whispered sweet nothings and Words of Affirmations were bottled, they’d taste like this.
Kinfolk Trust American Whiskey is smooth-talking from the first sip—dripping in cane sugar, butterscotch, and just enough cinnamon spice to keep things interesting. It’s the kind of pour that knows exactly what you want to hear and says it with conviction.
At 108 proof, it’s silky, reassuring, and easygoing—the kind of lover who strokes your hair and tells you, you’re the best thing that ever happened to them. Crank it up to 125 proof, and it’s bolder, hotter, and lingers long after the moment is over—like a voice in your ear that you’re still thinking about the next day.
And honestly? You’ll feel a little sexy just pouring from this bottle alone.
Pairs well with: A crystal Glencairn and someone who talks you through your existential crisis and still tells you you’re the hottest person in the room.
2. Acts of Service
Some bourbons show up—Maker’s Mark steps up.
It’s the staple you can find almost anywhere, anytime. Reliable, consistent, dependable—and is never one to demand the spotlight.
But Maker’s doesn’t just serve you—it embodies Acts of Service on a much larger scale. As a certified B-Corp, they prioritize giving back to the world through sustainability and regenerative farming. B-Corps are businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Through their 100M Acres Initiative, by 2025, every grain in Maker’s Mark bourbon will come from Regenified Certified Farms. Because quality should leave a legacy, not just a lingering taste.
Planning a bourbon tour? Do yourself a favor and put Maker’s Mark at the very top of your list. The grounds are pure magic—beautiful, historic, and worth every winding road (seriously, don’t close your GPS or you’ll lose service and be lost in the hills).
When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by Wi-Fi, a gorgeous visitor center, a bar serving craft cocktails with garden-fresh garnishes, a restaurant, and yes—the iconic bourbon/Ale 8 slushes. Because who doesn’t love a slushy?
Stick with the classic Maker’s Mark for a killer Old Fashioned, or level up with a neat pour of their Cellar Aged edition when you’re ready to be fully served.
Pairs well with: Someone who rubs your shoulders while you rant about work and says, “Keep going, babe—I’m listening.”
3. Quality Time
A whiskey you savor, sip by sip.
A whiskey that unfolds slowly, deliberately—each sip revealing new layers, like a conversation so rich it leaves you feeling full. That’s Found North Whisky.
When I started selling finishing barrels for Midwest Barrel Co., I inherited the Found North Whisky team as clients. From day one, I knew these people meant business. They don’t just blend—they obsess. Every re-barreling, every finishing cask, every micro-detail is a study in precision. And yet, they’re also fun, sharp, and willing to invest where it matters. I respect the hell out of them.
Naturally, I was excited to spend more Quality Time getting to know their whiskey.
So when I needed something special for my seminar at the New Orleans Bourbon Festival this March, I asked them to send me a bottle to pour for the attendees.
The night it arrived, I was already cozied up in bed when my husband brought me a glass to taste. One sip, and my cozy bedtime haze vanished like i’d just been hit with divine intervention.
What. Did. I. Just. Drink?!
Thick. Dense. Chewy. The kind of whiskey that demands your full attention—clinging to your palate, making you work to break down every note, savor every layer.
That first sip transported me straight back to 2021, when I drove to Kansas to celebrate my friend Leslie’s Army promotion. To toast her success, she opened a bottle of William Larue Weller from the Antique Collection. The nose on that bottle was layered with jammy rhubarb—the kind baked into a pie—followed by savory notes that reminded me of pork tenderloin. Specifically, that rich, caramelized, juicy crust you get when you pull it from the oven and the juices have thickened into something magical.
You know exactly what I’m talking about, right?
Yeah… this Found North Hover Hawk First Flight whisky pour brought me right back to that tasting moment.
But then—tragedy.
I failed to protect the bottle.
Absent-mindedly, I put it on our “up for grabs” shelf. Weeks passed. Then one day, I noticed half the bottle was gone 🙂
My husband—blissfully unaware of its rarity, or even who Found North was at that time—had made it his nightly pour. (Bless his heart. Gotta love a man with boujee taste.)
Honestly? I couldn’t even be mad. With 300 bottles on our shelves, the fact that he kept choosing that one told me everything I needed to know.
And yes, I bought another bottle online.
$375. Painful.
But worth every penny. Because some experiences? You just can’t let go of.
Pairs Well With:
Quality time with friends: Host a full moon gathering under February’s Snow Moon (Feb. 12). Sip Found North, swap crystals, and write down your intentions for the new cycle. Let the moonlight work its magic—manifest those dreams.
Coupled up? Pairs perfectly with someone who tosses their phone aside, hands you a glass, and says, “Let’s binge Heist on Netflix—The Bourbon King (Parts 1 and 2) about the Pappy Van Winkle heist—and don’t forget the snacks.”
4. Physical Touch
Y’all bourbon taters, do not come for me with your “Blanton’s is overrated” takes.
Back off. This is my post.
Because that’s exactly why we’re here—my sensory, hedonistic, Physical Touch friends.
Those with Physical Touch as their love language feel loved through contact. Holding, grabbing, touching—even play fighting. Your hands aren’t just hands; they’re a love language of their own. Maybe you show love by helping carry someone’s baby around all day. Perhaps you can’t shop online because you have to touch the fabric first—feel the texture, the weight, the way it drapes.
And Blanton’s? It was made to be held.
Admired. Cherished. Used.
(I once threw a bottle at an ex. He caught it like a baseball. We both survived.)
Must be my Taurus sun, ruled by Venus—the planet of beauty, pleasure, and all things that feel good—but I don’t care. I love it.
Blanton’s is sensory pleasure in a bottle. The lighter proof, smooth velvety texture, and lingering warmth—it’s a full-body embrace that lingers in your chest. Maybe it’s the bottle, maybe it’s the bourbon. Either way, everything tastes better when it’s pretty.
Pairs well with: Someone who puts a hand on your thigh at dinner, lets it linger, and knows exactly what they’re doing.
5. Receiving Gifts
Does Receiving Gifts do it for you? The Henderson family, founders of Angel’s Envy, have done it again—this time gifting us another brand to love: True Story Whiskey
Because what’s better than one gift? Two.
The True Story set delivers a duo of finished whiskeys—one bourbon, one rye—each with a story to tell and a finish worth savoring.
And let’s talk about this bottle.
Nothing says “special occasion” like a custom-painted, opaque masterpiece that feels like art on your shelf and pleasure on your palate. There’s something about the way that golden amber liquid spills from the bottle’s shadowed glass—it’s a little reveal, a little mystery, dare I say, a little gift every time you pour?
And while I won’t get too sentimental here because I won’t stop yapping, the Henderson family has been a gift in my own life. Local, authentic, transparent, and deeply invested in the art of finishing barrels, they’ve taught me more than they know.
True Story isn’t just another bourbon — it’s a reminder that the best gifts aren’t just poured, they’re shared. Whether it’s the whiskey in your glass, the people at your table, or the stories that unfold with every sip, the best things in life are meant to be savored. And this? This is one worth raising a glass to.
Pairs well with: Someone who surprises you with front-row concert tickets, a weekend getaway at the Kentucky Castle (the brand home of True Story), tickets to The Kentucky Bourbon Festival—or better yet, a bottle (or two) of this exact bourbon.
Love & Whiskey Are All About Connection
At the end of the day, bourbon—like love—is personal. It’s about finding what speaks to you, what lingers, what warms you from the inside out. Whether you crave bold intensity, smooth reliability, or something rare and worth the wait, there’s a pour that matches your rhythm.
So, sip slow, love deep, and for the love of all things barrel-aged—find someone who knows how to pour your favorite bourbon just right.
Cheers 💛
Jessica Ann Zimlich is Senior Barrel Specialist & Strategic Partnerships Manager with Midwest Barrel Co.
