Yeah, most of the other bourbon hunting videos are just people scanning shelves trying not to draw attention. Kind of creepy. I like that TJ engages with the employees and makes it fun.
I currently live in Georgia but was born and raised in Shreveport. I can confirm that daiquiris thru the drive through window is definitely a huge thing! I’m sure the better bourbon selection would be in the Broadmoor, Elleebe Woods, Stoner Hill and South Highlands areas
It has nothing to do with this video, but I met with the guys from Thirteenth Colony yesterday and we talked about you a bit! Seems like they had a great time! Excited about that barrel pick!
A few good stops Louisiana would be Nunu's down in Youngsville, maybe Rouses, or Marcello in Lafayette. Nunu's is always getting new stuff in and they have helpful employees.
Moved to Shreveport/Bossier City about 4 years ago for work. It's slim pickings in these parts for Bourbon and Scotch whisky as far as the basic usual fare. Drive an hour east on I20 to Longview, Tx and its a whole other world. Way more interesting bottles and brands available
The first minute was the most classic Louisiana thing based on my travel experiences. Closed early on Sunday night, and drive thru / to-go daiquiri shops! Love these videos, though. They're fun and it's great when you get some insight/stories from shop owners and employees.
If you see those old label High West Rendezvous Ryes from 2017 or earlier (the first 2 digits of the batch are the year) they are definitely worth a pickup. Those blends include 16+ year old Barton rye and are phenomenal.
Decent hall. I had an epic week hunting. Picked up JD twice barreled heritage rye for $75, 3 bottles of Weller 12 year for $42 each and an EH Talor barrel proof batch 12 for $80. It was a good week.
The Last Batch LA1 whiskey came out of a closed distillery, Donner-Peltier, by my house. The actually started out making rum with sugar grown in the sugar cane fields in Louisiana, the distillery had sugar cane fields across the street. They were also making vodka and gin using rice grown in Louisiana. They were very tied in with the community as well supporting local festivals and teaming up with restaurants
I live in the Shreveport area and just recently got into whiskey and Cuban and Tony are pretty solid stores with solid selections. The thrifty you went to, think it was on Youree is ok. The one out by the fancy grocery store has an amazing selection. There was also a liquor store in a gas station next to the convenient store near where you were that has a top notch selection. Hidden gem.
We went to New Orleans in June. Found Sazerac Rye everywhere for $24-$29, and a bottle of Eagle Rare for the not-too-terribly-inflated price of $50 (I bought it to have in the hotel room). Granted, we were mostly in high-tourism areas, but every other allocated bourbon I found was exorbitantly priced. Blanton’s for $300, Stagg for $700, Weller Full Proof for $1700, etc.😮
Personally, I enjoy your videos because you are entertaining, personable and simply a nice person. I tend to like what you seems to like, bottled in bond, local products, and non-MGP. The only things I would like to see more are the products on the shelves. It is very interesting to see what is available in other parts of the country and how they obtain their products. For instance, Buffalo Trace was on the bottom shelf of the Cuban place. In any store around me, that would mean standing in line before the store opens lol.
As a whiskey enthusiast myself I love this channel. This is the first video I can say I saw something for you to try. I have a bottle of the broken barrel California oak. Mine has CA cabernet staves instead of port but the bottle is almost dry after one weekend if that says anything.
Spirits of French Lick is doing fantastic stuff - definitely have to be into the minutiae of distillate. Their motto is 'respect the grain' for a reason and they use a #2 char to that end. Definitely a worth a drive up to Indiana (you could do them and Starlight in the same trip)
That mezcal selection was the best I have seen in any video. Neta, 5 Sentidos, siembra metl, El jolgorio, lolacura,Mal Bien, yuu baal, Vago & Rey campero... I wish TJ would just spend a few seconds in the tequila aisle every now and then.
I just moved to Shreveport 6 months ago u are spot on about Tony's I go there for the cheap stuff they way over price the good stuff but it does move witch is sad someone is paying that
So I got the Middle West that you picked up it Cuban Liquor. The smell might be the best I have ever bought. The pallet, kinda meh...Your mileage may vary as some of their other stuff is amazing
I know I’m late to this video, but I’m in the Lafayette area and I’ve gotta say the second store that said everything sits on that I-10 line is just not right. I only found eagle rare after searching for it intentionally for a year in this area. Don’t even think of trying to find Weller, Stagg, Taylor, or any other highly sought after allocated bottles. I can’t even find ECBP
If you jump into Irish whiskey, get a Redbreast Cask Strength. The regular Redbreast 12 is fantastic, but it’s only 80 proof. The Cask Strength is pricey, but worth it.
I just recently visited Louisiana and I can confirm that you can get a daiquiri on every corner. I can’t wait to go back. Great content as usual @Brewzle!
Brewy---if you are down Austin way swing through Bastrop and check into the Copper Shot distillery..You may find something there that will interest you..
Great episode, keep them coming. Love all the content. I enjoy the shorts and the lives. I just catch what I can because you put out more content than I can keep up with.
I picked Brothers Bond Cask Strength and Fox and Oden #1 and #2 in a 6 way blind over Stagg Jr, Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength, Weller Antique 107 and Filibuster. Blinds are awesome. Since doing the blind, I picked up both of those #1 and #2 bottles. 🥃
As a newcomer to scotch whiskey the bottle you missed in the first store was the Glendronach 12 had that one for around a month or more and I loved it I’d recommend you try it for a new comer to scotch so missed out there but hopefully you can get a bottle to try it out but if you like that I’d recommend the 15 as well witch I have at home right now but love the vids can’t wait to see more bourbon hunting videos
Louisiana is unique because every gas station and grocery store sells liquor. I live in South Louisiana and the best place to get any type of alcohol is Rouse's grocery store which is a huge chain store. At some of the bigger stores they have a full time attendant who will help you and if they don't have something you are looking for they will order it for you.
Us locals, that know, usually don’t visit Tony’s or The Cellar. Because of the prices. LA1 is NOT Good in my opinion. JT MELECK is the local to Louisiana whiskey you want to get. It’s phenomenal. Both the small batch and the Single Barrel Cask Strength Cuban is a fantastic place to shop!!! They do a monthly drop the first Friday of each month!
I live in Lafayette Louisiana and the main issue with anything allocated is that the only places I find the stiff regularly is at the grocery store chain Rouse's and they put every single allocated bottle in bourbon gift boxes for $75 bucks which isn't bad when they get a eh taylor or a blantons but they will have regular bittle of weller reserve for $75 with a bunch of tequila shots or crappy wine
Glennfiddich 14 is a great option if your looking for a scotch! Love the channel, slowly getting a higher bottle selection. These vids are great helping me with what to look for.
My local gave me a box just because I got two high dollar bottles. They said they didn't want me to break anything given the prices. North GA is the best! (Shout out to Acworth Tobacco & Liquor)e
I’m not a huge scotch fan at all. I’m a bourbon guy like you with a slight tastes for specific ryes that are more bourbon forward but you need to get your hands on Glenlivet enigma. The peet is almost not there and the flavor is delicious. The latest batch I’ve been buying is 120.6 but it barely drinks 100. It’s a fantastic scotch
Haven’t seen you looking for Japanese whiskey. That last one had a Hakushu 12 that’s phenomenal. Green box. Retails for about $150 but it’s incredible.
Good folks over at Cuban. You should have went to the Thrifty on Ellerbe Rd instead. It’s in a high end neighborhood and they have a little bit more bourbon selection.
This would take some prep work but it might be cool. You could pick like 10-20 staple bottles and compare availability and price between stores/states to see which is the best for bourbon hunting. It could be a March Madness style bracket
1:28 Stranahan's yellow and black label (top shelf on right). American single malt (barley). I like Scotch and ASM is more interesting to me than bourbon. Yellow Stranahan's is their mainstream offering; it's smooth as silk. Black label is finished in ex-Irish whiskey casks and has some smoky/peaty notes. They also make a Sherry cask finished whiskey (red label) which is fantastic. Stranahan's is one of the few distilleries where, if I see something from them I haven't tried, I'm buying b/c I know it'll be good.
I’m from Louisville, that video was awesome! Especially Top Hat in St. Matthews, but a few good spots in Southern Indiana. Starlight is about 20mins from Louisville. Maybe try outside of Louisville ie Bardstown, Lexington etc.
Cuban is going to be the best place to shop if you ever make it back through.. EVERYTHING is at retail and Grant and Andrew do a great job at keeping the monthly allocated drops fair and of course all bottles are sold at retail.. Store picks are always amazing as well!! Don’t waste your time going to any other store in Shreveport!! Cuban Liquor is where it at!!
I'm an American living abroad and very interested in the pricing back in the states. It's great how you show the Irish and Scotch whisky quickly, but in the future could you kind of "scan/pan" then pause the camera for a half second in different spots so I can hit pause and check out all those prices? The slow scan lets me see what's available (which is cool) but not the cost. Enjoy your channel, and these adventures. Creative content.
Personally, I’d have picked up that Sazerac Rye store pick at Cuban. I really enjoy the standard Baby Saz and it’d be interesting to taste how their pick differs from it.
Hey Brewzle i’m from louisiana and if you ever get the chance to come to New Orleans to hunt you HAVE to, the selection and variety different types of stores makes it such a good place for whiskey hunting
That KC12 is in every bourbon hunt video, but despite it coming around recently, I've never seen it in Ohio. I buy multiple bottles of Antique 107 every month tho. Weird how distribution works.
That Widow Jane was probably The Vaults 14 year. I am a big fan of the 10 year so was excited to find the Vault 2022 for MSRP. The store was wanting MSRP for it so that was not a bad find. I have not cracked it but I am excited to finally get to it.
