religion sucketh

If you’ve been following my blog for the past few months, you are already aware of the beer wall where I work. Back at the end of last summer, I was tasked with picking 24 craft and import beers from a list of 600 – that 24 grew to 48, then 54, and now we are currently sitting at 82 different selections on our beer wall, in addition to all the standard fare from AB, MillerCoors, Shiner, Sam, Sierra, Corona, Guinness, etc. So, if you haven’t figured out based upon the growth, the beer wall has been a huge success. Hilariously enough, we still get quite a few customers who are shocked by some of the prices on the beer wall, and even more shocked to hear many of the beers (including higher priced ones) sell out REGULARLY. There isn’t really much of a science behind it – the fact is, many people are willing to pay extra for something that tastes better. The craft beer industry proved this in the 1980′s and 1990′s, and the wine industry before that.

That being said, with the beer wall having found it’s niche, we’re moving on to other sections, specifically, the whiskies. Our Scotch section is already the best I’ve seen in North Louisiana, with a wide array of Single Malts and blends, and we’re looking to add a couple more in the weeks to come. Our Canadian Whisky section is also very robust; before starting this job, I didn’t realize Canada produced so many different whiskies – all I knew of was Crown Royal, but there are so many more, and several are even better than Crown. Our Irish Whiskey section will be growing soon as well, with the addition of several single pot still whiskies from the Midleton Distillery (producer of Jameson and Powers). We’ve even been looking at some Japanese Single Malt Whisky! But as much as I love all types of whisk(e)y, my heart still lies with bourbon. Maybe it’s because bourbon is the one great libation America is known for (it is the official drink of the United States). Maybe it’s because the realm of flavor possibilities is so diverse with bourbon. One thing I do know – bourbon is still my go to drink of choice. While not every bar or restaurant will have a decent beer, almost all will have a decent bourbon, which is why, if you see me out with friends, you’re likely to see me with a glass of bourbon nearby.

With all of that out of the way, I was tasked with finding 5 or 6 good, small batch bourbons to add to our selection. Mind you, much like our Scotch section, we already have the best bourbon section I’ve seen in North Louisiana. From the old standbys like Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark, to less expensive brands like Benchmark, to pricier names like Blanton’s and Van Winkle, we have all the bases covered. But, much like beer, bourbon can be a very diverse product, and the beer wall has shown us that people are willing to pay extra for something of a higher quality. So yesterday we added from Parker’s Heritage Collection a 10 year aged wheated bourbon at cask strength (124.2 proof for the 2 bottles we received). Parker’s comes to us via Heaven Hill Master Distiller Parker Beam (yes, THAT Beam family), and is a limited edition released annually. Parker has been known to change up what he offers each year, so once an edition is sold out, there is a strong possibility that it is gone for good. If the age and the rarity make this whiskey sound expensive, IT IS. I’m not going to give pricing info away on a public site like this, but it is pricier than Booker’s, which is my usual favorite for sipping (and also cask strength – I see a trend). That said, I did purchase a bottle, and can honestly report, this is among the best whiskies I’ve ever tasted. Being a wheated bourbon (like the Van Winkles and Maker’s Mark), this is an extremely smooth whiskey, even at 62% alcohol. Notes of fig, honey and molasses dominate the taste, and there is a heat, but it’s a warming heat rather than a burn. I shared Parker’s with a few regulars and all were shocked when I told them it was 124 proof. There’s already a few that are talking about purchasing our other bottle if it’s still available in the coming days, and I plan to make this a regular myself, or, at least when treating myself. And that’s just the beginning – we’re looking at adding more selections from the Van Winkles, plus Michter’s as well.

So, yeah, do I have an awesome job or what?