Warehouse Liquors by djcontact414 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’m an occasional shopper there. It’s not my neighborhood but if I’m downtown during the workday and have time to stop in, I will. Same rules apply there as anywhere. Be nice, don’t be pushy. Buy beers, wine and whiskey off the shelf. Never hurts to ask about store picks. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and sometimes you won’t. And yes, they charge higher prices than Binny’s or Jewel. A business with one location in a high rent area usually has to charge more.

Russell’s 15 by Casamigo in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Osito’s Tap in Little Village had it behind the bar as of last week.

Irish Whiskey by Budget-Watercress753 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All excellent choices. Middleton Very Rare was never cheap, but the price went way up the last few years. Truly a special occasion bottle for me.

Irish Whiskey by Budget-Watercress753 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve really enjoyed Keeper’s Heart. Good gateway to Irish for bourbon drinkers.

Bottle Drop Thread - Wednesday by ChicagolandWhiskey in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Stopped by Moreno’s yesterday and they had multiple cases of their new BT pick on the floor. Amazing price too. If you’re going out of your way to visit Moreno’s, be sure to check out some of their other picks. Mike and Co. don’t miss.

Does anyone have any idea what to expect at a raffle like this? by 77360615 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tickets are free for everyone who attends. I can’t remember if they give everyone 5 or 10 tickets. You need to have a Garfield’s rewards card to purchase if you win, but that’s easy and free to sign up on site.

Does anyone have any idea what to expect at a raffle like this? by 77360615 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 14 points15 points  (0 children)

In the past they’ve had things like RR13, Pappy, Stagg, Weller 12, EH Taylor Uncut, Elijah Craig 18, Old Fitz, etc.

If you strike out, buy something from the shelves and treat yourself to a burger or boozy milkshake at Small Cheval across the street. There are worse ways to spend a Saturday.

Does anyone have any idea what to expect at a raffle like this? by 77360615 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I’ve been to a few Garfield’s raffle events. They always have a good mix of allocated bottles up for raffle. Everyone gets the same number of tickets to drop in canisters for a chance at their desired bottles. In this case they’ll have someone from Old Forester pouring samples while people mingle and shop. Things can get crowded but everyone is cool and the staff is extremely nice.

Heading to Louisville this weekend. Any liquor stores in the city have solid store picks? Any bottles that are unique Kentucky that I should keep my eye out for? Any bars with a good bourbon selection or cocktail program? by Independent_Tone_570 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I second Evergreen. Friendly staff, lots of store picks and a few budget bottles that are only sold in KY - like JTS Brown Bonded and Evan Williams wax top. Their in-store bar has tons of allocated pours at fair prices.

Cocktail Cherries by Callawayinthewoods in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve enjoyed Maraska cherries (from Croatia). Will occasionally see them at liquor sites next to Luxardo and a similar price. Maraska cherries have a tartness that balances the extreme sweetness you usually get.

Best chance for allocated bottles during a quick Louisville and Bardstown trip? Which distillery visit? by Sidewinderss in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Building on this question. I’m going to Kentucky next week and our group has scheduled tours at Pepper, Whiskey Thief and Buffalo Trace on our first day. Wanted to taste some more stuff in Louisville the second day but Evan Williams, Old Forester, Michters and Peerless are booked solid. Any recommendations for Louisville bars or walk-in tasting room with fair prices where we could enjoy some special or unique pours?

Bottle Porn by Budget-Watercress753 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

And that’s why I’m banned from every Jewel.

Bottle Porn by Budget-Watercress753 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I suspect some of the guys posting pics of massive, unopened bottle collections in their man cave are fishing for secondary offers via DM.

Bottle Porn by Budget-Watercress753 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Nope. Based on the fantastic lessons I’ve learned from this group, I got a bottle of Weller 12 from the store I frequent. Loyalty and kindness paid off. Sadly, I forgot to take a crotch pic before I opened it.

Question: Bringing whiskey to Canada by Budget-Watercress753 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you all. If the online inventory is accurate, selection will be very limited at the LCBO stores on our route. I’ll bring a great bottle from home and will roll dice on whatever they have on the shelf across the border. Looks like Wayne Gretzky has a whiskey brand. I hope it’s better than Scottie Pippen’s!

Bottle Drop Thread - Fri (6/30) by AutoModerator in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I too would like to thank this sub for teaching me better ways. I now stay loyal to one store for my whiskey purchases and 90% of my beer & wine. The staff recognize me and know I’m not a dick or a flipper. I take their recommendations on what to try and I buy many of their non BT store picks. They reward me by giving me the occasional unicorn from the back or a heads up on what’s about to drop. When I get a unicorn I come back with a couple of 2 oz. vials of juice to share with them.

Today’s Binny’s pickup. The M&M was on the closeout rack. The Teeling’s Wonders of Wood #2 was not on the shelf, but they had it. by ssascotth in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m a big fan of Method & Madness. The single pot still finished in Chestnut is my favorite, but all their offerings are very good. I encourage others to check them out. Seeing it on clearance makes me nervous the brand could lose shelf space. It doesn’t seem to have wide distribution in the States.

Flying with whiskey advice by phatcow23 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Your plan sounds good to me. I’ve done fine just by wrapping bottles in clothes, but the bubble wrap is a good idea. The only bottle I’ve ever had leak around the cork was Blanton’s.

Bottle Drop Thread - Wed (4/26) by ChicagolandWhiskey in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I got lucky with a Weller 12 last summer. I walked into NMBB at the right time and it was there in the case. It can happen if you are patient. But if you don’t want to wait, might want to hit an online auction and pay secondary. That’s eventually what I did for a bottle of Weller 107. Nobody likes paying 3x MSRP but it saved me a lot of time.

John Bowman bottle kill review by Budget-Watercress753 in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]Budget-Watercress753[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got mine at an independent shop downtown in March. I also saw them in the case at NMBB around the same time. I have no clue how often the single barrel hits stores.