The Liquor Store Podcast

Tasting Notes El Milagro hails from the Scottish company William Grant, makers of Glenfiddich, Sailor Jerry, and Hendrick's Gin. It's NOM 1559 and is triple distilled, Highlands single estate tequila made with brick ovens, roller mills and stainless steel pot stills resulting in a mild pepper, cooked agave, light citrus, and a touch of earthiness that makes this perfectly suited for a top shelf ma...

Tasting Notes: #1. Green Spot Irish Whiskey - this single pot still Irish whiskey is made with up to 30% unmalted barley, aged for 7-10 years in a variety of new and used bourbon barrels with some sherry barrels as well. The blend is powerfully flavorful with malt, fruit, cereal and citrus all pinging off the charts. #2. Bushmill's 10yr Single Malt represents the "malt" style whiskey which is made...

Tasting Notes: Most Mysterious Whiskey in the World Michter's Sour Mash. With new distilleries sometimes bending over backwards to reveal the source and make of every aspect of their products, it's a weird throwback to encounter a product like Michter's Sour Mash. It's not a bourbon. It doesn't have a published mashbill. It doesn't say where it's distilled. It doesn't have an age statement. As a s...

Tasting Notes: Fuzzy's Vodka when it initially launched was produced in Bend Oregon and heavily associated with the Indy 500 and race, however in the last few years the brand has relocated bottling to Bloomington, changed their juice contract to an Indiana producer known as Central Indiana Ethonal, and increased in quality 10 fold. Buttery soft, with no discernible flaws. Silky mouthfeel, and lite...

Tasting Notes: One of the first releases of product 100% distilled and aged at Bardstown Bourbon Company, DSP KY-20037. This is a 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley 6yr Bottled in Bond 100 proof straight bourbon whiskey. The nose starts with a lot of soft orchard fruit, think apple skins and ripe pears, then a touch of red fruit and some walnuts and peanuts. On the palate, distinctly spicy, no...

Tasting Notes: Long considered one of the world's most premium vodkas, Stoli Elit is quartz sand filtered, freeze filtered, and birch wood charcoal filtered before being proofed down with 200m well water. What's the point of all this? It's as pure and clean of a spirit as you can get. The flavor, though legally 'nothing,' presents as soft and smooth, with a silkiness and depth not often found in g...

Tasting Notes:  There aren't that many legacy value brand bottom shelf bourbons out there anymore, especially for under $15. That's why VOB (Very Old Barton) 86 is still completely satisfying. Cheaper than Beam white, but in the 4yr age range. The nose is light butterscotch, candy corn, and cinnamon mint. The palate is soft fruit followed by a big hit of cinnamon spice. You get this on the 1792 si...

Tasting Notes I LOVE a whiskey like Bernheim Wheat, something that's steadily been available and flying below the radar for years and in light Heaven Hill's recent announcement of a barrel strength version I've decided to take another look. Citrus and fresh baked sourdough on the nose with a touch of apricot. On the palate, aged leather, soft fruit, and a bready, yeasty hit of wheat. Try this in a...

Tasting Notes This triple distilled blend of three different whiskies is also aged in three different types of cask for the ultimate BLEND! Single Malt, Single Pot Still, and Grain whiskey combine at 80 proof to make one a most approachable tipple. Soft candied fruit, juicy pot still grassiness, and soft malty biscuit are all at play. If you've only ever tried Jameson, you're missing out on a slig...

Tasting Notes Casa Dragones Blanco is a stainless steel fermented, diffuser cooked, twice column distilled, 100% agave tequila from the Los Valles area of Jalisco. Nose of cooked agave, citrus, and white pepper. On the palate, light licorice, mint, citrus and fruity pepper to end. The lively pepper and spice mixed with the overall drinkabilty (i.e. smooth!) makes it a super premium blanco worth tr...

Watch for these Four Roses Single Barrels to arrive in 2023

Tasting Notes The Macallan 12yr sherry oak is arguably the single most valuable scotch SKU in the world. Short, squatty stills produce a rich, biscuity, malty, rich spirit which gets aged for twelve years exclusively in sherry seasoned casks from Spain. The result is a big, brawling, oily, malty single malt fused inextricably with the dried red fruit aromas and flavors of a sherry cask. It's rich...

Tasting Notes  The Botanist Gin is a dry style gin distilled on Islay at the Bruichladdich distillery using 9 base botanicals and 22 additional hand-foraged island botanicals. The profile is sweet and spicy with mint, savory herbs, and a touch of chamomile. The palate is citrus forward with delicate herbal and floral notes. This is SLOWLY distilled and the result is an elegant, balanced, and flavo...

Tasting Notes This "blended bourbon" is a combo of MGP 21% rye boubron, 95% rye, and 14yr old Light Whiskey, bottled at 110 proof. Nose is fresh fruit, cinnamon gum, and light vanilla. Palate is soft and sweet for 110 proof with apricot and juicy vanilla bean emerging. This is a FANTASTIC whiskey which would be really easy to dismiss. The older addition of Light Whiskey bends the flavor in such a...

Tasting Notes 95% rye finished in rum casks and bottled at 100 proof, the Angel's Envy Rye has long been the sweetest, most dessert like and decadent rye on the market, and this current bottling is no exception. Cotton candy, spice, and leather on the nose. One the palate, a quick hit of baking spice, then Big League Chew bubblegum, mint, and a touch of vanilla cream. Sweet and spicy, and just abo...

In this episode Matt reviews Widow Jane 10yr Bourbon.  Tasting Notes:  A blend of non-chill filtered 10yr old straight whiskies from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee proofed down with pure limestone mineral water from the Rosendale mines in New York. Sweet cookies and cream on the nose with a touch of tropical fruit and soft Tennessee leather. On the palate, a burst of juicy fruit to start, fairly...

In this episode, Matt tastes Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr.  Tasting Notes  A 10yr old, wheated bourbon produced with the Weller recipe and hand-selected by the Van Winkle family. I think it's the BEST one of the bunch because it's 107 proof, it's not overoaked as some of the other expressions can be from time to time, and it's not a trophy like the others. On the nose, boiling toffee, tea tree oil, and...

In this episode, Matt tastes Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A123. Tasting Notes Batch A123 starts with lifted saddle leather, cotton candy, and a sweet floral note on the nose. On the palate, candy corn, nutty spice, and a concentration of vanilla and butterscotch. Perfectly balanced oak to sweetness ratio from start to finish. This is as traditionally good as it gets.

In this episode, Matt tastes Calumet Farm 8yr.  Tasting Notes:  Calumet Farm 8yr. With a 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% barley mash bill, Western Spirits' Calumet 8yr is "LIKELY" but not confirmed Barton juice, aka VOB, AKA 1792, bottled here at 90 proof with an 8 year age statement. So, if you want to buy an age-stated VOB for $50 and like smooth but spice driven Kentucky sour mash, this is the whiske...

In this episode, Matt tastes Stranahan's Colorado Single Malt.  Tasting Notes Stranahan's Colorado Single Malt was one of the first purveyors of a style that many American distillers are now touting as the next big thing. Bottled at 94 proof from a blend of 5, 6, 7, and 8 year old barrels and non-chill filtered, Stranny's exhibits biscuity malt notes, cherry syrup, butterscotch, and cinnamon on th...

The number of fantastic bottles of bourbon you can buy right off the shelf at a fair price has not changed. In fact, it's only expanded in recent years, despite folk's insistence that they can "never find the good stuff." The truth is, more people than ever want a pool of very scarce products. That being said, here are three bottles you can go get off the shelf RIGHT NOW for under $40. If you can...

In this episode, Matt tastes Huber Starlight Rye Single Barrel.  Tasting Notes: Huber Starlight Rye Single Barrel 114 proof. 4yr, barrel proof Huber Starlight single barrel rye. Sweet mint and earth on the nose, saddle leather, Cinnabon, and maple. On the palate, wildly juicy rye, succulent almost with more mint infused with apricots, and candied orange peel. Do not over look this barrel!

In this episode, Matt tastes Old Tub Bottled in Bond.  Tasting Notes Old Tub Bottled in Bond Bourbon. Here's the deal, for $10 this is the BEST BOURBON DEAL of 2023. It's 4yr Jim Beam Bottled-in-Bond at 100 proof and non-chill filtered. Soft corn and orange zest on the nose with a distinct yeasty kick. On the palate loads of honey, fritos, sour lemon drops, and sweet apple.

In this episode, Matt tastes Rebel Cask Strength Single Barrel Tasting Notes Looking for a 5yr wheater at Cask Strength for $50? Look no further. If you think Larceny Barrel Proof is a deal at $80, here's a single barrel same mashbill for $30 less. Crushed peanuts and tea tree oil on the nose, On the palate, soft and floral with a touch of spice on the finish. This is the lighter side of a cask-st...

Nulu Toasted Bourbon World Single Barrel. Toasted version of Nulu, this is MGP finished in toasted barrels for 1 to 4 weeks, and comes in at 115proof. Chocolate, candy corn and mint on the nose. On the palate it begins with nice spicy note and then finishes like a chocolatey hazelnut dessert.