I kept hearing good things about Ben Holladay bourbons so I decided to buy one. This is their 6-year-old, Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottled in bond. I love the additional info they include on the bottle. Bottled in Bond requires the season to be shown but it isn't often placed…
We've missed sipping with you all on Friday over the summer. It's time to talk about what is going on and what will be going on (or not) in the future. We wanted something special and you all know that Deerhammer is special to us so I'm grateful that Lenny…
In this episode, I'm thrilled to share my experience with a barrel-proof Jack Daniels store pick from Hazel's in Boulder, Colorado. These picks are known for their high proof and rich flavor. As you may know, I have a fondness for Tennessee whiskey, especially Jack Daniels and Dickel. As I…
In this episode, we visit with Zach from The Whisk(e)y in Fort Collins, Colorado. The bar, known for its extensive whiskey selection, boasts over 2,800 different bottles. We dive into the process of selecting whiskeys for the bar and how they strike a balance between quality and affordability. Starting with…
These days, most liquor stores that cater to American whiskey enthusiasts almost always have a few store picks on the shelf. Store picks or private barrel picks are when a store, club, or individual purchases an entire barrel of a commercially available spirit. Single barrel whiskeys are generally considered better…
I had a big bike event to figure out and Dan and I had some other bike projects going that required our attention over the last few weeks. Frankly, we both needed some time not being drunk on Friday afternoons too. Now, it's time to get back to Friday Sips…
Our new Dump Glass and Friday Sips glasses have arrived! Aaron from Las Cut Crystal - search Last Cut Crystal store on Etsy - did an amazing job to capture our silliness and wrap it in beautiful, hand-cut, crystal whiskey delivery vessels. Finally, we'll know for sure when Dan pours…
We find ourselves at odds over the Russell's Reserve Single Rickhouse bourbon. Remember, it's the one I said I would pay $250 for and then I paid $250 for it the absolute first chance I got. Dan likes it a lot and I think it's ok but not good enough…
We've been wanting to try this Wild Turkey produced limited bourbon. I don't know much about it so I won't bother making up a bunch of words. Dan found a couple bottles today so we'll open one up and compare it to other Wild Turkey produced bourbon. Cheers! On a…
A while back, a generous Friday Sips watcher shared a Stagg store pick sample with us which we dropped into a blind tasting with other whiskeys. It turned out that it didn't wow us as we'd expected. So today, we'll open up Dan's Stagg Jr Batch 17 and compare it…
We started this whole thing, The Practical Still, on the premise that you don't have to spend crazy money, hunt whiskey, or stand in lines to enjoy the hobby of drinking bourbon, rye, and Scotch whiskies. But more and more lately, we end up on Friday sipping expensive booze but…
We had spring here on the front range of Colorado for a couple of days and then it snowed again. I know we should be drinking Irish whiskey on St. Patrick's day but cold weather and rye whiskey go together like me and Dan so let's line up a few…
Remember when I said that I wouldn't spend $250 on a bottle of Russell's Reserve Single Rickhouse Bourbon? You do? Good. Then do you remember when, at the very first opportunity, I bought one anyway? Of course, you do. Well, today is the day that we find out how it…
It's no secret that we love Booker's Bourbon. We usually have a current favorite batch and it's fun to compare that favorite against new batches that might take the title. That's what we'll do today. We'll open up the reigning favorite, Bardstown Batch, and see how it stacks up to…
Thanks to Larry for the topic of today's Friday Sips LIve! Let's go back to our own shelf and talk about whiskeys that have surprised us in one way or another. Better than we thought they'd be, better than the price might suggest, or of course, disappointing in some way.…
Dan had a couple of really great bottles that needed to be put out of their misery so we decided to do that live! We also took a look at a new glass and compared it to some old favorites. We are sad to see that 2020 George T Stagg…
This week Dan feels better but I'm sick so we're Friday Sipping remotely. Booker's Bardstown batch is a favorite but the recently released Kentucky Tea is getting rave reviews. We can't sip them together this week since one it at Dan's house and one is at mine but we'll talk…
We've sent and received so many samples lately and it's been fun to have everyone sipping on some of the same whiskey during Friday Sips Live. Today, we'll take some of the samples we've received and taste them blind and live! I came up with what I think is a…
How about something a little different? Japanese Single Malt whisky has long rivaled Scotch Single Malts in some drinkers' minds. It's still early in 2023 so let's try something different - The Hakushu Single Malt Whisky, aged 12 years. Cheers! On a non-whiskey note. You probably know that we also…
Today we sip some lovely rye whiskeys from Willett, Kentucky Owl, Knob Creek, and of course, Wild Turkey/Russell's Reserve. They were all tasty and even more enjoyable while sipping from new Last Cut Crystal (@lastcutcrystal on Instagram) rocks glasses with our logo etched on the bottom. You can see the…
#shorts - Blanton's is always a single barrel bourbon. How much more, if anything, should we expect from a store pick or private barrel of Blanton's? These days, most store picks are chosen from samples sent from the distillery rather than by a team of seasoned barrel-picking veterans from a…
Leiper's Fork Distillery Bottled In Bond 4-Year Old Bourbon Whiskey On a recent trip back to Alabama from Colorado, a last-minute change of plans put me in close proximity to a distillery I've been wanting to learn more about, Leiper's Fork Distillery. We had a long drive ahead of us…
It was a year! While we had a few stinkers, we've talked enough about those. Let's talk about the whiskey we really enjoyed. The no-brainers and the surprises. The ones we spent too much on and the ones we didn't have to break the bank on. We're still happy to…
Blanton's was the first commercially available single barrel offering back in 1984, it even says 'The Original Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey on the neck tag'. Others followed suit soon thereafter, like one of our favorites, Wild Turkey Kentuck Spirit. For many years, Blanton's sat on shelves at $25, ignored by…
