Love that you shopped around Nashville! Cool Springs Wine and Spirits in Franklin TN was probably one of the ones he meant by “down 65”, they’ve got an unbelievable selection (and an entire craft beer room)
That Hudson "Bright Lights, Big Bourbon" is in my Top 3 worst bottles I've ever had. 1. Balcones Single Barrel Cask Strength Rye (135 proof) 2. Hudson "Bright Lights, Big Bourbon" 3. Castle & Key (Batch 2)
It not Nashville it’s a little south but Elixir spirits in Spring Hill isn’t far of I65. They have a ton of picks and a huge selection for a small store! Worth stopping next time you are around for sure!
Midtown is good, out east vintage wine and spirits is great, down south cool springs wine and spirits is good further south elixir is amazing small store with Soo much in it. Frugal is good for not marked up prices imo.
Next time you all are up 65 do your self a favor and stop in Spring Hill Tn and tour the Parkway store . Large selection , several barrel picks , will not disappoint...
Here in the Phoenix area we have great liquor stores that have bottles all mixed together in each section. Alot of really old metal shelving unit style. You have to get down on your knees sometimes and move the front facing shelf bottles to get to dusty treaure bottles that could be lurking in the shadowy corners on the shelves. It is kind of a free-for-all here. You never know what bottles are hidden behind the standard bottles....that is all part of the fun of it for me. Then you get to blow the dust off a treasure bottle you found sitting there for who knows how long.Could be hidden back there for years. There could be a rare bottle hidden behind a half row Jack Daniels,it makes it like a true hunt fun time.
Bourbon hunting video idea: Have someone else go in and pick their top 5 bottles. Then you go in and pick your top five bottles. Then compare and buy. Won't be able to get to too many stores though.
Hey chief, i work at Hudson Whiskey, and I will say Bright lights isnt our best product, but its a good bourbon. Our 7 year is a worlds better neat, wheras bright lights is a cocktail whiskey that can be drank neat. Its come way a long way from baby bourbon, and should have some credit for being the first NY whiskey since prohibition and starting distilleries throughout NY. Adding to that, that Hillrock is phenomenal. As said by other people their finishes are delicious, it's a bold rye that is one to try.
Mr Whiskers and CorkDorks had some good selections. I just got Obtainium Canadian Whiskey 77.2 ABV and 26 year old. It was distilled in 1995. The year I got married and and also the year my first child was born.
I’m very picky with ryes because I’m much more of a bourbon guy but I will tell you that I always have a bottle of rare breed rye. To me it’s strangely more smooth than the rare breed bourbon which I always have a bottle of that. Both worth always having a bottle on the shelf. Buy the rare breed rye. You won’t regret it
Missed opportunity on the hill rock. They can be pricy but they do some creative stuff with finishing. I can’t remember if they make their own juice or source though
You were just 2-3 miles from our front door during this one! Since you asked, Nashville is a store pick heavy town and those store wouldn’t rank high for us. We don’t visit them at all. For shelf available products Frugal MacDoogal isn’t too bad though (even though Total Wine now dominates the shelf available category in the area). Nashville Daily Spirits and Brinkmann’s were close by and two of the best stores for picks in the area.
We talked about visiting those stores, but J and Will were gassed from the derby week. You're right, Daily and Brinkmann's do some really great picks. Maybe another time!
more shots of the store selection, more talk to the shop owners about how they handle allocations and etc. For the shops that charge stupid prices start asking them why their prices are so high and how much they sell at that insane price.
My local liquor store’s barrel pick of Penelope Toasted is not good. The owner, the workers, and all the guys in my bourbon club all agree that it was subpar. Maybe worth $25 but definitely not worth the $70 price tag.
FYI, you can do barrel picks through Southern Collective Spirits or Nashville Barrel Company if you're looking for high quality MGP, Heaven Hill, or NC-based Southern Distilling.
If you head a little west to the Bellevue area, Iroquois Wine and Spirits was featured in the bourbon documentary “Neat”. They have a really good bourbon selection.
Love your videos man, I find them very entertaining. I’m a tequila collector myself and I love just going to liquor stores and browsing and seeing what they have.
I’ve been dying to try weller antique 107, ive had two bottles of the special reserve and multiple pours from places around town. Weller special reserve has been my favorite for a while since i got it at MSRP but i have never been able to find a bottle of the antique in the wild for less than $100. Hopefully someday I can try it.
So I use to love bourbon but after I got diagnosed with celiacs disease I’ve noticed I get sick every time I try it so I’ve switched to gin but I know nothing on gin I would love to see you do gin and gin drink reviews
I’d highly recommend trying to do a bourbon hunt in Australia or Japan. There’s a ton of export-only bourbon brands there that aren’t sold in the US, like Wild Turkey 101 12 year in Japan.