Buying in Missoula, MT, The Bay Area, and In Between

[Anwalt]

A friend in vice with ample luggage space is willing to buy starting in Missoula all the way to Bay Area.  He and his family are even willing to mule bottles to PR.

 

Any suggestions on buying in those areas?

[flahute]

K&L Wine & Spirits in San Francisco may have some good barrel picks.

[GaryT]

3 hours ago, flahute said:

K&L Wine & Spirits in San Francisco may have some good barrel picks.

And if you enjoy Scotch, they've had some epic independent bottles in the past.  Scanning their site now (no idea what would be available on the shelves), I'm drooling over a Glenrothes 16 yr Old Particular first fill Sherry butt cask strength, or a Longmorn 10 yr sherry butt cask strength, or a Benriach 15 yr cask strength port matured.  I think if I lived within a 3 hour drive of K&L, I'd have a serious problem!

[GeeTen]

1 hour ago, GaryT said:

And if you enjoy Scotch, they've had some epic independent bottles in the past.  Scanning their site now (no idea what would be available on the shelves), I'm drooling over a Glenrothes 16 yr Old Particular first fill Sherry butt cask strength, or a Longmorn 10 yr sherry butt cask strength, or a Benriach 15 yr cask strength port matured.  I think if I lived within a 3 hour drive of K&L, I'd have a serious problem!

 

Taxes, m'boy, we don't have to pay no stinkin' taxes !  

 

[fosmith]

K&L in SF and Ledger's in Berkeley have Frey Ranch barrel proof store picks that are reputed to be sensational.  I have one from a store near Sacramento that I got in a trade and it's amazing.  Both stores also have other great store picks and Ledger's has (or had) a EC CS private barrel.  In South San Francisco, Bitters and Bottles does some great store picks but, unfortunately, many of their best bottles are now only available to members of their whiskey club.  But you can check their web site to see what's available. 

 

Best way to shop K&L is to order online a week or so ahead of when you will be in the area and have it held in will call.  That way if there's something you want but it's only in stock at the Hollywood or Redwood City store, they'll have time to transport it to the SF store for pick up there. 

[mal00768]

6 hours ago, GaryT said:

And if you enjoy Scotch, they've had some epic independent bottles in the past.  Scanning their site now (no idea what would be available on the shelves), I'm drooling over a Glenrothes 16 yr Old Particular first fill Sherry butt cask strength, or a Longmorn 10 yr sherry butt cask strength, or a Benriach 15 yr cask strength port matured.  I think if I lived within a 3 hour drive of K&L, I'd have a serious problem!

A man after my own heart. +1 on this comment.

[Anwalt]

1 hour ago, fosmith said:

K&L in SF and Ledger's in Berkeley have Frey Ranch barrel proof store picks that are reputed to be sensational.  I have one from a store near Sacramento that I got in a trade and it's amazing.  Both stores also have other great store picks and Ledger's has (or had) a EC CS private barrel.  In South San Francisco, Bitters and Bottles does some great store picks but, unfortunately, many of their best bottles are now only available to members of their whiskey club.  But you can check their web site to see what's available. 

 

Best way to shop K&L is to order online a week or so ahead of when you will be in the area and have it held in will call.  That way if there's something you want but it's only in stock at the Hollywood or Redwood City store, they'll have time to transport it to the SF store for pick up there. 

Any recommendations for those of who like smooth & sweet?

[BottledInBond]

20 hours ago, Anwalt said:

A friend in vice with ample luggage space is willing to buy starting in Missoula all the way to Bay Area.  He and his family are even willing to mule bottles to PR.

 

Any suggestions on buying in those areas?

Montana can be interesting. I have had good luck there in the past but it’s very hit or miss. Still I’ve bought stuff like BTAC and Weller 12 off the shelf there a few times. The other nice part is the liquor stores are state-owned there so prices aren’t terrible. They also have had some things distributed there that aren’t distributed where I live, like Ancient Ancient Age, although it’s all 10* now. 

[fishnbowljoe]

Not being a smart ass. Really. I just had to share a cool memory. Greybull is a small town in the far north central part of Wyoming, about 40 miles or so from the Montana state line. It’s not in the mountains, but the elevation is higher than the population. There’s a liquor store there. Sorry, but I don’t remember the name. Chances are probably 99.9 % that it doesn’t really have anything of real interest. But it does have the first liquor store drive thru I ever saw. It was 1970, I was only 14 years old, and my older brother bought me my first Coor’s there. Man was it good!  

Biba! Joe

 

[Kepler]

12 hours ago, BottledInBond said:

Montana can be interesting. I have had good luck there in the past but it’s very hit or miss. Still I’ve bought stuff like BTAC and Weller 12 off the shelf there a few times.

Just to set expectations, I think its safe to assume this is no longer the case.   Social media and all.  Word spreads like wildfire these days.   2019-2022 Bourbon Taters are like swarms of locusts.  Literally.

 

 

[BottledInBond]

10 hours ago, Kepler said:

Just to set expectations, I think its safe to assume this is no longer the case.   Social media and all.  Word spreads like wildfire these days.   2019-2022 Bourbon Taters are like swarms of locusts.  Literally.

 

 

Indeed, hard to count on anything you’ve experienced anywhere previously anymore with how fast things change.
 

Other parts about what I posted are still worth noting though in terms of differences in which products are distributed state to state, and also the difference in gouge pricing in some states and not in others. Montana being a state where liquor stores are state-owned, if you do find something good it isn’t going to be a total ripoff. 

[fosmith]

On 6/21/2022 at 8:26 AM, Anwalt said:

Any recommendations for those of who like smooth & sweet?

Not sure if Larceny Barrel Proof meets your definition of smooth and sweet but I like it.  K&L currently has a bundle with A122, B522 and regular Larceny for $160.  It won't last long (probably not even the day) so, if that strikes your fancy, order it now on their website and have it held in will call at the SF store. 

[fosmith]

On 6/20/2022 at 1:38 PM, Anwalt said:

A friend in vice with ample luggage space is willing to buy starting in Missoula all the way to Bay Area.  He and his family are even willing to mule bottles to PR.

 

Any suggestions on buying in those areas?

K&L also has some interesting Dickel 15yr single barrel picks that are reported to be 17+yrs.  The ones I've had have been good to excellent.  They offer lots of complexity and flavor at a very reasonable $55 price point.  Don't let the low proof points scare you.  These are aged on the ground floor and go in at 115 entry proof so the concentration of flavor is amazing.

[Kepler]

8 hours ago, BottledInBond said:

Indeed, hard to count on anything you’ve experienced anywhere previously anymore with how fast things change.
 

Other parts about what I posted are still worth noting though in terms of differences in which products are distributed state to state, and also the difference in gouge pricing in some states and not in others. Montana being a state where liquor stores are state-owned, if you do find something good it isn’t going to be a total ripoff. 

Great points.  Thanks for the info! 

 

[fishnbowljoe]

Ten years ago this month, we went to Greybull Wyoming. Below is a pic of my haul from that trip. For some of you newer folks, we got rid of the ugly wallpaper and remodeled our dining room a couple of years after this picture.

 

Biba! Joe 

 

[Kepler]

21 minutes ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Ten years ago this month, we went to Greybull Wyoming. Below is a pic of my haul from that trip. For some of you newer folks, we got rid of the ugly wallpaper and remodeled our dining room a couple of years after this picture.

 

Biba! Joe 

 

 

Wallpaper?  What wallpaper.  Did somebody say wallpaper?  All I see are those HH8 and that Old Rip

[BottledInBond]

On 6/22/2022 at 7:49 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

Ten years ago this month, we went to Greybull Wyoming. Below is a pic of my haul from that trip. For some of you newer folks, we got rid of the ugly wallpaper and remodeled our dining room a couple of years after this picture.

 

Biba! Joe 

 

I wonder how many hundred bottles of that HH8 I went through in my 20s?

[fishnbowljoe]

37 minutes ago, BottledInBond said:

I wonder how many hundred bottles of that HH8 I went through in my 20s?

Well @BottledInBond, I actually found those in your state. We were on our way home from Wyoming and decided to take a small detour to visit Pipestone National Monument. I found them at a little store on the outskirts of a small town in the southwest corner of Minnesota. If I’d have known that the HH 8 was being discontinued I’d have bought a few more. FWIW, I gave @Vosgar one of the bottles pictured. 
 

Biba! Joe

[Anwalt]

Well, Oregon was annoying.  State stores, so the usual "Great price on certain things if you can find them at all, and you probably cannot".  Especially in Portland where Commie Hipsters like one little bit of capitalism if it involves them buying at State prices and reselling at actual market.  The state website is "meh" and I did not want to send a friend who is doing me a favor on a wild goose chase hoping to find "that bottle".

 

I did learn that I like K&L in SF a lot.

 

 

Given that my friend is willing to cart bottles back to PR, I was not feeling especially price sensitive.  So I bought all 8 bottles there, obviating the need for further "state store hope I get lucky" searches when he's back in MT.

 

I.W. Harper 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey $89.99

 

Heaven Hill 7 Year Old Bottled In Bond Straight Kentucky Bourbon (1 bottle limit) $49.99

 

Barrell Craft Spirits "Batch #32" Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey $79.99 x 2 $159.98 (I have yet to be disappointed by a BCS bottle)

 

George Dickel 15 Year 101.2 Proof Barrel #04B18-1580 Single Barrel Tennessee Whisky $54.992 x 2 = $109.98 (Special thanks to fosmith for mentioning the GD15 picks)

 

Barton Distillery 1792 "Full Proof" K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #7393 Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey $54.99 x2 = $109.98

 

They look like another store that picks well, looks like I'll find out.  After that glorious KC9 pick from WWW in Louisville, I am really thinking about those.  

 

Explained to the Wifey that I am protecting The Family from inflation by over-buying now.  Thankfully that explanation was over FaceTime.

[GaryT]

On 7/1/2022 at 4:15 PM, Anwalt said:

Well, Oregon was annoying.  State stores, so the usual "Great price on certain things if you can find them at all, and you probably cannot".  Especially in Portland where Commie Hipsters like one little bit of capitalism if it involves them buying at State prices and reselling at actual market.  The state website is "meh" and I did not want to send a friend who is doing me a favor on a wild goose chase hoping to find "that bottle".

 

I did learn that I like K&L in SF a lot.

 

 

Given that my friend is willing to cart bottles back to PR, I was not feeling especially price sensitive.  So I bought all 8 bottles there, obviating the need for further "state store hope I get lucky" searches when he's back in MT.

 

I.W. Harper 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey $89.99

 

Heaven Hill 7 Year Old Bottled In Bond Straight Kentucky Bourbon (1 bottle limit) $49.99

 

Barrell Craft Spirits "Batch #32" Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey $79.99 x 2 $159.98 (I have yet to be disappointed by a BCS bottle)

 

George Dickel 15 Year 101.2 Proof Barrel #04B18-1580 Single Barrel Tennessee Whisky $54.992 x 2 = $109.98 (Special thanks to fosmith for mentioning the GD15 picks)

 

Barton Distillery 1792 "Full Proof" K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #7393 Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey $54.99 x2 = $109.98

 

They look like another store that picks well, looks like I'll find out.  After that glorious KC9 pick from WWW in Louisville, I am really thinking about those.  

 

Explained to the Wifey that I am protecting The Family from inflation by over-buying now.  Thankfully that explanation was over FaceTime.

 

Let us know how that inflation argument goes   Looks like some nice pick-ups!  I've yet to be disappointed by a K&L pick (although I've only had a couple, but all have been pretty good to f#$%&ing incredible)