The Liquor Store Podcast

  Generally regarded by tequila fans as the BEST tasting "celebirty" tequila, Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar's Santo Tequila comes from the relatively small 1107 NOM, producer of a slew of boutique and smaller brands via brick oven, stainless ferment, and small batch copper pot stills. In the case of Santo, NO ADDITIVES are employed, making it one of the most natural agave, fruit, and pepper tequila on...

Tasting Notes: This 35% high rye mashbill combined with the delicately fruity standard "V" yeast, aged 10yrs and 2 months, in the northern section of Warehouse T, rick #31, Tier 3 in position H (  and bottled at 113.8 proof presents subtle tropical fruit on the nose with sweet banana, passion fruit, and pineapple. The palate drips with delicate cinnamon and fine leather. The best of Four Roses sin...

Tasting Notes: Melon and vanilla tinged lightly aged Repo from NOM 1107. Some grassy, earthy notes, a touch of cinnamon & more sweet melon. On the palate, earth, orange, mint, & grass as well. Pepper on the finish. 

Matt talks to Bardstown Bourbon Single Barrel program director Vince Metcalf and chooses a perfectly balanced 6yr Barrel Proof Origins Series single barrel.

Tasting Notes:  Orange blossom honey, leather, and fruit roll up the nose. Chewable palate of Albanese gummies, foxy yeast, and another pile of candied oranges and real Corinthian leather! OGD 114 was ignored forever, and now that you can't get it, everyone wants it! So what's new? That being said, this is a steadfast sipper, really showing off that foxy beam yeast and orange note at a very approa...

Tasting Notes:  Another Casa Cuervo gem, NOM 1122, the Gran "Cent" Anejo has a big whiskey nose full of cinnamon spice, soft leather, and a touch of cognac rancio. On the palate, soft fruit, more lifted baking spice, a touch of cooked agave, and a long peppery finish persist throughout. The whiskeyesqe baking spice and the pepper finish really make this Anejo sing.  Whiskey Cinnamon with A Peppery...

Tasting Notes: Entered into the barrel at 110 proof, rather than 125, generally means a slower, more gentle extraction. In additiion to the lower barrel entry proof, Maker's has also added 10 Virgin Toasted American oak staves to the barrel as well. The result is a very mellow fruit forward but brown sugar toned whiskey. The nose presents Rainier cherries, lemon curd, vanilla syrup, and leather co...

Tasting Notes: From NOM 1613 this is a smokestack of vanilla on the nose, freshly scraped off the bean, followed by cooked agave and a touch of oak. On the palate, creme brulee and caramel followed by warming spice and a subtle fruit finish.  Vanilla Ice Cream Tequila

Tasting Notes:  From an undisclosed source, this is one of the most perfumed oak noses on the bourbon market. Other 10yr old bourbons do NOT smell like this much age. Rich varnish with intermittent apple skin and pear aromas. Some orange bitter and cherry as well. This tastes like the liquid version of the "bourbon candy" that seeps from the barrels in the warehouses. The 94 proof while maybe not...

Tasting Notes:  Patron sells so much blanco tequila their aged product sometimes gets overlooked, especially in the age of ULTRA luxury anejos like 1942 and Clase Azul, which is a mistake, because these well-aged Patron expressions are elegant, balanced, and insanely delicious! This Anejo presents a golden honey color with a lime and herbal nose giving way to caramel and cooked agave. On the palat...

Tasting Notes:  Patron Silver "Ahumado" which means "smoked" is one of Patron's latest innovation items, tequila with just a touch of smoke added during the agave roasting process. Think VERY light Islay whiskey with just a touch of tropical fruit sweetness. Light wood smoke on the nose with citrus and cooked agave notes. On the palate, very fruit-forward with grilled pineapple, papaya, and sweet...

Tasting Notes:  Differing from the Sazerac lineup of ryes, the EH Taylor Rye is ONLY made from rye and malted barley. (65 rye, 35 malt) NO CORN is used, so the spice level is much higher along with the maltiness. This mashbill and this brand in fact have really dialed it in recently with spice, fruit, brine, pepper, and clove balanced with caramel and toffee sweetness as well. The nose is highly p...

Tasting Notes:  From the Casa Cuervo NOM of 1122, makers of 1800 and Gran Centenario comes Kevin Hart's Gran Coramino Reposado Cristalino. A Repo rested in California Cabernet barrels and then double filtered to create a smooth, balanced, pepper-forward, and buttery soft repo with a touch of dark fruit and vanilla bean ice cream. Roasted agave nose with a bright grassy and citrus aroma. On the pal...

Tasting Notes: A blend of 5 distinct mashbills all sourced from Lawrenceburg, IN. OKI Reserve is a new day for "blended" bourbons exhibiting a new and exciting combination of flavors not found in a traditional mash bill. Spice is there, but so is a perfumed corn note, and a leather note as well. Sweet and spicy, but with a distinct tanginess like BBQ.

Tasting Notes: Only 10 proof higher than regular Blanton's, but same basic age. Blanton's Gold presents candied nuts, toasted almonds, orange, and apple fruit, along with worn leather on the nose. On the palate a sweet and spicy treat with traditional vanilla, toffee, and cinnamon emerges first, then a lashing of spice, then a final candy corn sweet finish. This one is LONG on flavor and very scar...

Tasting Notes: When a bourbon club turns into a brand and combines single-barrel picks transparently sourced and selected in collaboration with other bourbon clubs, you know you're getting the real deal. And Circle City's "Pennington" Tennessee Whiskey 6yr old single barrel selected by the "Bottle Cartel" is no exception. Bottled at 124.4 proof and aged 6yrs and 7 months from a 35% rye mash Tennes...

Tasting Notes: From the prolific 1137 NOM, comes a smooth sipping blanco bottled for Constellation. Brick ovens and a screw mill, stainless tank ferment with stainless pot with copper coil produces an agave forward, black pepper, and earthy tequila. More cooked agave on the palate with a light grassiness, and touch of citrus. Smooth as Silk

Tasting Notes:  Herradura Silver Tequila owes its distinctly sweet taste of agave and subtle oak notes to resting for an impressive 45 days beyond the industry standard in American White Oak barrels. The prolonged aging process creates a light straw color with a unique, robust aroma of cooked agave, vanilla and wood that leaves your mouth feeling smooth and refreshed. On the nose, a wonderful citr...

  From Scotch entrepreneur Steve Lipp and UFC Chairman Dana White comes a curious one off "banana" flavored bourbon that's one of a kind in the category. As is often the case in the spirits business, brands that don't have peers or analogs can often make a breakthrough and with enough money and promotion behind it, can end up getting acquired which is exactly what Howler Head did last year when Ca...

Tasting Notes:  A 95-proof single barrel from Buffalo Trace that's at least 4 years old and under $30? Yes, please! Leather whips and caramel popcorn on the nose. On the palate, the CYPB proof performs admirably. A flush of oak spice, followed by cinnamon butter, and a touch of tropical fruit due to the relatively young age. Sweet and spicy balance, young, but showing poise and depth. The epitome...

Tasting Notes:  Deep Eddy has always been a leader in the premium "flavored vodka" space producing some of the more natural-tasting products on the market. Acquired by Heaven Hill a few years ago, they've continued to win over customers with their easygoing and natural-tasting offerings, and Deep Eddy Lemon is one of the best. Hot off the heels of Ruby Red Grapefruit, their biggest hit and a home...

Tasting Notes: Here's an under the radar collaboration between Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe, and Japanese Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo.

Tasting Notes: The short, squatty stills of Strathisla, the spiritual home of the Chivas blend contribute a honey and heather rich single malt to this aged classic. The 12yr versions of Chivas and Dewar's are simply EXCELLENT values for the money. Massive floral and heather attack on the nose with honey and lemon. On the palate, creamy malt, a light earthy and floral note then a light alpine lique...

Tasting Notes:  Jim Beam and Sam Adams have joined forces to bring the world Twisted Tea Sweet Tea Whiskey, a combo of "real brewed tea" whiskey, and "natural" flavors! Of course, as the lines continue to blur between categories, we're going to see more innovation like this. On the nose, a familiar dry and mellow tea note, with a touch of lemon. Remarkably familiar and not overly artificial, on th...

Tasting Notes:  This single barrel is a combo of an 8yr 7month Willett bourbon with a 3yr 7 month 1792 bourbon bottled at 127.5 proof. How do we know...just look up the mashbills. They are unique to these distilleries only and they are listed on the label. It also says "distilled in Bardstown" which is technically true of both Willett and 1792. So, how's the juice? Incredible. Another win for Hirs...