Odd selection

[latech15]

First post! Not much for small talk so I'll jump right in.

The famy and I spent the week at Alys Beach in the Florida panhandle this past week. Really upscale place. They had a little coffee shop that had a few bottles of juice so I looked around. Pic below of their whiskey selection. With the upscale nature of the place, I really expected some good stuff. I honestly didn't recognize any of these offerings and upon researching them, none seem to be standouts. Just wondering if anybody has any experience with these I'd love to hear about it.

[Richnimrod]

There's a 'new' thread here about the Ola W. You may find some info there.

The Old Medley (Wathen's), I"ve had, and found it a little too mild and smooth for my tastes, especially at the price point.

I have no knowledge or experience with the others.

[squire]

I agree on the Medley/Wathens, nice enough but for the price I like others more. No tasting experience with the rest in the photo.

[flahute]

What you have there appears to be a lot of craft whiskey. It could be that to this "upscale" place that craft whiskey (perceived to be of higher quality in the same way that craft beer is) is more desirable to them then the "mass produced" whiskies from the major distilleries.

[unclebunk]

What you have there appears to be a lot of craft whiskey. It could be that to this "upscale" place that craft whiskey (perceived to be of higher quality in the same way that craft beer is) is more desirable to them then the "mass produced" whiskies from the major distilleries.

...which it isn't. You hit the nail on the head!

[PaulO]

It looks like someone went out of their way to get oddball stuff, probably without tasting it first. It's all from small distilleries, except the Wathen's is made under contract by one of the majors.

[squire]

Plus it may be easier to get that stuff than the real quality stuff.

[smokinjoe]

I remember the first time I saw a bottle of Reservoir a few years ago, I thought it was 13 (or whatever year it was) years old... That "year" thing is quirky...

[mbroo5880i]

If I had a small shop as part of a coffee shop/restaurant located in a tourist area, I would want to carry some of the standards (MM, JB, EW/HH, BT) including some of the BIBs and some decent reasonably priced ryes (e.g., RITT). Maybe a few special but regularly available items that would make the average bourbon drinker happy to find while on vacation...EWSB, EC12, MMCS. My guess is this other stuff probably just sits on the shelf. People on vacation aren't looking to spend a lot of money on booze unless it is a really special bottle. They certainly aren't going to fork over big bucks on mystery brands unless they are desperate (i.e., there are no other options in town). Locals already know where to get everyday stuff.

I wonder if the shop owner picked this selection or was directed toward these offerings by the distributers.

[tanstaafl2]

I remember the first time I saw a bottle of Reservoir a few years ago, I thought it was 13 (or whatever year it was) years old... That "year" thing is quirky...

[jvd99]

The Old Medley probably appeals to the coffee shop crowd because it's won like a bazillion gold medals in all kinds of spirits competitions.