The Bottle Shop prides itself in the variety and quality of products we offer. One great way to do this is through selecting single barrels from distilleries. Many distilleries offer these programs and will mail sample bottles for stores to pick from. While this is great for efficiency, we prefer to visit the distilleries when possible.

We feel this gives us better barrel options and a greater understanding of the product. Single barrel tasting profiles can vary quite a bit. Two barrels can age side by side for 6+ years and taste completely different. There are a variety of factors that affect a barrel while it’s aging, and no two barrels are ever the same. The wood used will be different stave by stave, and the char levels on the inside will vary.

This is part of the fun of selecting a single barrel. We always choose our barrels solely based on the liquid inside. Other stores always want the oldest barrel or the shortest filled barrel. We want the best tasting! We request no information about the barrels until after we’ve chosen the one we want. We take pride in our selection process and enjoy bringing a superior and unique product to our customers.