I’m not sure that this opinion will be the most popular in the bourbon community, but I am a firm believer that barrel picks are typically a better purchase than an allocated or rare bottle of bourbon. I think there is more character, more uniqueness, and more adventure when you purchase a store barrel pick than when you buy a bottle of Eagle Rare. I’m not discounting the awesome of some special bourbons on the market, but I want to provide an argument on why you should stop bourbon hunting and start hunting for amazing liquor stores with great barrel picks.

What Is A Barrel Pick?

I think we all might have a general idea of how the aging and blending process works in the bourbon world. If not, here’s a crash course. For bourbons you can find on the shelf at any time, master distillers take multiple barrels (100+) and blend them together to get a constant flavor that is repeatable and predictable. It’s the McDonald’s version of bourbon. If you stop at a McDonalds in Kentucky or in California, you can expect a double cheeseburger and fries to taste exactly the same in both places. The same is true when you crack open a bottle of Jim Beam or Maker’s Mark. These are going to taste like the same bourbon you had the last time and the next bottle you open will taste the same as well. This constant flavor and taste is what gives comfort to most bourbon or whiskey drinkers. They know what they are going to get when they order a specific bourbon.

It’s like a choir. Some members (or barrels) might suck, but the good ones make everything sound great.

That’s where single barrel or barrel select bourbons come into the picture. It’s like picking the best singer in the choir to sing a solo. You are in essence highlighting a specific barrel of bourbon that stands out among the rest of the barrels. You don’t need to blend it because it has enough unique character on its own.

This whole concept was brought to light for me when I did a tasting at Three Boys (now Whiskey Thief Distilling) years ago. I stoped for a tasting and for an extra $10 I could taste bourbon straight from 4 different barrels. The first 3 barrels I tried were not great at all. One had too much spice, one was a little harsh, and the other was pretty mellow. Blended together, these barrels would have most likely made a good tasting bourbon. When I tasted the 4th barrel, I was blown away. It was freaking amazing. The crazy part was all of the barrels had the same exact liquor (mash bill included) in the barrel. There was literally nothing different than the wood and the location of the barrel. But yet somehow, the bourbon tasted completely different.

All things being the same, each barrel is not even close to the same.

Sometimes the bourbon gods intervene and make a specific barrel better than the rest. There is no rhyme or reason (there can be things that encourage certain traits) and it takes a special talent to be able to identify these special barrels. And the people (or liquor stores) who pick these barrels, they are the reason barrel picks are fun.

In short – Barrel picks are the selection of a specific barrel from a distillery for special distribution to your customers. You pick the barrel and you get to sell it. No one else will ever get to taste that magical barrel unless they buy your pick. Typically – A barrel has 180-220 bottles of bourbon inside (depending on age) and a distillery sells the entire barrel to a customer.

That’s what a barrel pick is. Now let me tell you why this is one of the best things in the bourbon world.

Why I Like Barrel Picks Better Than Allocated Bourbon

When we look at allocated bourbons, we tend to fall in two different categories.

1. Bourbon that is highly sought after because it’s great taste.
2. Bourbon that is limited in nature.

It really comes down to the that dreaded supply and demand curve that you might have learned about in economics. When supply is limited and demand exceeds the supply, there is a need for a rationing device (aka allocation). Rationing can take many forms, but it tends to land with a rationing technique like a lottery, a wait, insider knowledge, or even a higher price (aka a shift in the demand curve).

That’s why it is so hard to find allocated products. There is just literally not enough bourbon to go around. You either have to get lucky or you have to pay a price. It’s just straight economics.

That’s why I love barrel picks way more than these allocated products.

Don’t get me wrong. I am never going to pass up an 18 year Knob Creek or a bottle of Weller Full Proof or even Pappy. It is known that this is amazing bourbon and if I could get my hands on it, I’ll always make the purchase (within reason).

But those opportunities just don’t happen on a regular basis.

And as a bourbon drinker, I think you need to come to a realization that you can search for gold, but sometimes you enjoy the silver that is plentiful all around you.

Barrel picks are my silver and my go to when I go to purchase bourbon. They are the unique picks that area always going to surprise me and possibly the best bourbon I’ll ever have and only have a chance to have it once.

I love barrel picks (or store picks) for a few specific reasons:

1. The person (or people) who pick determine the quality of the selection. If you happen to find a liquor store that has a taster who is completely in line with your tastes, you have hit the jackpot. You have a person who is going to pick exactly what you like and surprise you time and time again. I know in my area that I align with the Indiana Liquor Group crew and the Batesville Liquor Store. I know these people enjoy bourbon similar to what I like and I trust them when I pick up a bottle at my local liquor store.
2. They are easier to find. I’m not going to walk into my local liquor store and find a bottle of Pappy on the shelf. I am going to walk in and find a few different options when it comes to barrel selects. I don’t have to go searching for bourbon, I can simply walk in and grab an amazing bottle.
3. The price point isn’t going to break the bank. A Knob Creek 18 year is going to run my $180 if I get a chance to buy it as MSRP. That’s not likely and I’m going to have to sell my kidney to get a taste of something like that. That’s not the case with the barrel selects. This happens because the audience is smaller. Everyone knows of EH Taylor, but not everyone knows of the Batesville Liquor Store in a small town in Indiana (nor do they know the person who picked the bourbon). The target market is so reduce and the quality might actually be the same or better. I’ll play those odds with the lower cost option. I don’t have to pay for rarity and a great marketing scheme.
4. I’ll never have the same bottle again. I’m not a collector of bourbon, I’m a consumer of bourbon. When I buy a bottle, I plan on drinking that bottle with friends and family as soon as I can. Tomorrow is never promised and I want to enjoy the best things I can. And once the bottle is gone, I want to look forward to the next bottle and the next experience. That’s why barrel selects are so amazing. I can grab one and it can be amazing. I can grab another and have one of the best nights ever with my friends and family members. I can love the bourbon or I can hate it, but I’ll never have another bottle like it again. When I open that bottle, I’m going to experience something I’ve never experienced before and something I’ll never experience again. And that’s something that is incredible and amazing about barrel select bourbons.

Conclusion

I’m not going to sit here an argue that allocated bourbon isn’t extremely tasty. It is. I just think there is a hidden gem when you start taking a look at barrel select bourbons from stores and places you love. It’s there way to bring an amazing expression of bourbon to you without you having to empty your bank account to try it.

I hope to one day start a group where we work together to select a barrel and then share that barrel with the group. If this is of interest to you, please join our email list (right hand side bar) or our Facebook group. I don’t think this is happening soon, but I can’t wait to make it a reality. If you are a distillery or a distributor that could make this happen, shoot me an email at chris@thebourbonmaster.com.