Barrel Raised

Hey Tatertot, just because it has secondary market value doesn't mean it tastes better 💁‍♂️ ● I'm curious - what are some examples of cheap that blew you away, or inflated that were a let down? ● This bottle has been super polarizing for those who've tried it - I know people that absolutely hate it, and personally, I get some unique flavors out of it (I love weird, so I'm all about it). In either case, I've seen people drop more than 25x MSRP on this Franken-whiskey. Absolutely. Brutal. In the last few years, EHT releases have gone nuts. Astronomical. I've tried most of them. Good whiskey, to be sure. Worth a few mortgage payments a bottle? Uhh... I know some are honest about it - we want the bottles for pretty collections. Collectors. Completionists. Cool! Do your thing! The disservice is convincing the up-and-comers in whiskey that these bottles fetching crazy prices, or can't be found, are the only way you can taste good whiskies. Can't reiterate enough - taste has almost zero correlation to inflated pricing 😬😅. Chase away (it's fun), but don't be lead to believe you have to give up a kidney for the 'good stuff'! #ehtaylor #eht #ehtaylorbourbon #buffalotracebourbon #buffalotracedistillery #ehtgotg #tater #limitedrelease #bourbon #barrelraised #whiskey #whiskeyporn #bourbonhunting #bourbonhunters #bourbongram

Old Carter American has been one of my favorite whiskies, and I finally figured out why! I've been working on nightly blind tastings to try to figure out my palate, and one night, Batch 2 was in the mix. Aside from being fantastic, it tookme a hot second to figure out what I was smelling and tasting - then it smacked me in the mouth! EGGNOG! Thick, rich, creamy, melted vanilla custard with some spice and heat. I love eggnog, so maybe that's just my brain doing its thing (currently have 5 different recipes aged for over a year in my fridge 🤷‍♂️), but these throw down in flavor! I've been on the hunt for something else with these flavors since (preferably attainable). The search continues... #oldcarter #oldcarterwhiskeyco #oldcarteramericanwhiskey #americanwhiskey #whiskey #whiskeywednesday #blindtasting #bourbon #bourbonhunting #flavor #eggnog #whiskeytasting #whiskeyporn #whiskeygram

"Gimme a fern - it needs that depth!"..."Don't worry about that sap all over my a$$"...This is normal, I'm sure of it 😆 #influencersinthewild #barrelraised #snuteglass #glenmorangie #whisky #whiskeygram #productphotography #goldenhour #thisisnormal #singlemalt #scotch #ataleoftheforest #imbibe #photography #dusk #forestphotography

Sometimes it takes the right environment to get the most out of an experience! 'A Tale of the Forest' from Glenmorangie was named for one of those environments - smells, sights and sounds of the woods. Botanicals - juniper berries & birch bark - were a part of drying the malt, and it shows. It's almost like a hint of gin intermingled with the whisky for something a little bit off the beaten path. I'm still not sure I'm sold on the equivalent of gin botanicals being used in place of peat. With northern Arizona being packed full of juniper & birch trees, we at least took it all in as it was imagined! It raises the question - what else could malt be dried with? How do you feel about experiments like this in whiskies? #barrelraised #glenmorangie #ataleoftheforest #glenmorangiedistillery #flagstaff #woods #forest #goldenhour #botanicals #whiskey #whisky #singlemalt #singlemaltwhisky #limitededition #scotch #scotchporn #drinkstagram #imbibe

Real talk. If it's in your control, don't leave it up to chance. Now, I'm no financial advisor or economist, but the 'on the ground' reports aren't looking the greatest. If you've been paying attention, finding something to point the finger at for the current situation - unbridled govt spending, a war in Ukraine, political agendas, rigged capitalism, Covid, supply chains, etc (pick your poison) - makes no difference now. The analysis of why things are in motion will happen, but now, as individuals, is a decent time to get our shit in order. Businesses and consumers alike have been feeling it, and this ride is only getting bumpier. Supply costs, fuel costs, costs for everyday living - all going up. The regulating bodies in the US have the choice now - either beat down inflation or tank the economy - in the short-to-medium term, finding a win-win situation is slim (this will be felt globally too). If in the position, try to look for ways in your own sphere of influence to manage the potential cascade of shit on its way. For me, that looks like a little more asset diversification (I'm feeling heavier on intrinsic value right now) and keeping some extra essentials on hand. I'm sure most of us have enough whiskies to last us a while already 😅. #realtalk #barrelraised #bruichladdich #bruichladdichdistillery #bruichladdich30 #silver #gold #bullion #battleraised #wallstreetsilver #selfreliance #financialfreedom #personalfreedom #personalresponsibility

Another Business Birthday in the books! I have so many of you to thank (too many to name, really) for keeping this ball rolling - clients, supporters, suppliers, friends - all make it possible. Statistically, there was a 3 in 5 chance of folding by this point, but I'll keep putting out the best products that I can and pushing at those odds for as long as I can! Cheers to all of you that played a part in my journey so far🥃🥃 #barrelraised #businessbirthday #businessanniversary #birthday #birthdaybourbon #oldforesterbirthdaybourbon #business #smallbusiness #smallbusinesslife #entrepreneurship #businesslife #bourbon #milestone #keepgoing

#whiskeyblackoutchallenge on Friday the 13th - Bruichladdich Black Art seems appropriate... Nominated by @bearded_basterd_aktewally on this one. Let's see what you can do with your photo wizardry 👉 @scotchnsniff @drinkingcaveman @chasingbourbon @thecharredcask @singlemaltsavvy @bermansbourbon @slainte_ruben #fridaymood #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephoto #bruichladdich #bruichladdichblackart #blackart #whisky #islay #islayscotch #islaywhisky #scotch #singlemalt #whiskyporn #drinkstagram #imbibe #photography

Freedom Friday! Freedom - in the world we're living in, it feels like there is a whole lot less of that going around. On Instagram, this page has mainly revolved around whiskey and my business (@barrelraised ). I will still be touching on those regularly, but business & personal are now splitting - should you stick around here, I'll be speaking my mind a bit more, starting with this. The United States was built on the ideal of Personal Freedoms. It wasn't always executed well, and there have been a whole lot of rough patches, but I think the intent was always there. It feels like these freedoms have been eroding more and more as time goes by. It seems more and more responsibility is being granted to politicians/conglomerates to decide what is best for us - it's certainly easier and more convenient, but in doing so, we lose more and more of our own abilities to exercise decisions. Freedoms of Choice. Financial Freedoms. Freedoms of Expression & Speech. Freedoms of Privacy. You name it. I don't align with any politcal party or leaning - in a country formed around Personal Freedoms, those things shouldn't be negotiable. I am, however, a strong believe in personal autonomy, regardless of the side of the aisle someone is one. That means it is our responsibility to do as we see fit within our lives, so long as we aren't stopping anyone else from doing the same with theirs. Leaving more and more responsibilities with outside entities, historically, is a dangerous path to walk - you just never know when you'll be left 'holding the bag'. We are currently deep in unprecidented territory domestically and globally - how the next few years play out will likely transform things for a generation. Now, more than ever, is a time to learn to fight our own battles. Actually take some time to realize what you want/need, what that will take, and then work on making it happen. Protect yourself, your family, your health, your finances, and your future. You'll thank yourself later.

To peat, or not to peat - that is the question! If you like whiskies but don't do peat, I'm convinced you just haven't found the right one yet... Now, this is not one I would recommend for someone trying to ease into peated whiskies. Matured in ex-bourbon casks, ex-bourbon quarter casks, and ex-pedro ximenez sherry hogsheads, then served up at cask strength - it hits hard on flavor. The peat smoke is rounded off with a taste of sweet dried dark fruits and a syrupy texture. For me, I don't find many flavor combinations in whiskies that I like more than peat and sherry 🤷‍♂️.

Blanton's...HYPEBEASTS! What do they have going for them? Do they fall short? What made them iconic? If you know anything about Bourbon, I almost guarantee you recognize these bottles. For at least the last decade, they have been showing up on TV and in a movies. For me, it's one of the best looking bottles in the game, no question. Is that enough though? Was the product placement happening because of how good it was? Or, did it become such a big deal because of how much product placement it was getting? Chicken or the egg, anyone?? I do feel that anyone saying it is bad bourbon is just being salty, but I'm also pretty confident that the taste doesn't nearly match up to the hype it gets (that's most bourbon at this point though 😅). Where do they fall for you? Still grab them anytime you see them at a reasonable price, or are you over it?? #blantons #blantonsbourbon #blantonsgold #blantonssinglebarrel #blantonsstraightfromthebarrel #blantonssftb #sftb #bourbon #barrelraised #barrelproof #whiskey #bourbonhunters #bourbonhunting #bourbonporn #whiskeywednesday #buffalotracedistillery #whiskeyporn #drinkstagram

Does packaging really influence your buying decisions? Same liquid, different bottle 🤷‍♂️. The artwork and gold foil are beautiful touches, but people be losing their damn minds trying to get these. Lucky for me, cases of the pretty one sat on a shelf at Costco for a while, so it wasn't a hard decision. I know packaging has a pretty significant impact on the wines I buy (since I don't know nearly as much about wine), but I wonder if the same applies when buying spirits!? #hibiki #hibikiwhisky #hibikiharmony #hibikilimitededition #hibikisuntorywhisky #suntory #suntorywhisky #suntorytime #beamsuntory #japanesewhisky #thirstythursday #barrelraised #whiskyporn #whiskeyporn #whisky #drinkstagram #limitededition #whiskylover #whiskygram #packaging #packagingdesign

What was your first barrel proof experience like?? For me, it was batch 8 of Stagg Jr. All I could think was "wtf...this is straight gasoline". Did my mouth just fall off? I couldn't figure out how people drank or liked it willingly... Here we are though. Now, it's rare for me to find something where the heat feels like it's too much. I just assume that's a function of acclimation? Or maybe my taste buds have melted off 😆 #barrelraised #stagg #staggjr #gts #georgetstagg #buffalotrace #buffalotraceantiquecollection #buffalotracedistillery #buffalotracebourbon #bourbon #caskstrength #barrelproof #bourbonporn #whiskeyporn #whiskey #bourbonhunting #bourbonlife

Would you consider these bottles as equal? Why are they even being compared? Read on... A few months ago, I put a bottle of 2018 GTS up for trade for scotch (2017 is pictured, I know - close enough). It went, straight across, for this bottle of Laphroaig 30yr. A 15yr cask strength bourbon at ~125 proof vs a 30yr cask strength Islay scotch at 107 proof. The 2018 GTS release was close to 40,000 bottles, so as far as limited releases go, it wasn't a small number (compared to the 1,500-2,000 bottles of ER17 that usually release annual). In my mind, these two things shouldn't even exist at the same valuation. Here we are though! The massive hype for bourbon has pushed a $90 bottle to a valuation over $1000. I just can't wrap my head around how that might have happened as rapidly as it has - demand is the easy answer, but 'why' is the hard question... What do you think is driving bourbon higher and higher?? #barrelraised #georgetstagg #gts #2018gts #btac #buffalotrace #stagg #staggjr #buffalotraceantiquecollection #laphroaig #laphroaig30 #islay #islaywhisky #islayscotch #scotch #bourbonhunters #bourbon #bourbonhunting #bourbonporn #whiskyporn #singlemalt #oldwhisky

Weller CYPB is nearly impossible to find. Worth the hype?? Which is your favorite Weller? This one has been pretty divisive! With people chosing their 'perfect bourbon' on Buffalo Trace's website, for 'enthusiasts', it was odd that the ideal was low proof. When factoring in the average population that doesn't handle high proof, it makes a bit more sense to though 🤔 When I got my first bottle, I was pretty excited despite the proof. Tasting it, flavor wise, it was my favorite of the Weller line at the time. It just fell short being pretty thin. If this were put out at 107 or higher proof, I imagine it would be my winner, hands down! #barrelraised #wellerbourbon #wellercypb #weller #wellerfullproof #weller107 #weller12 #bourbon #bourbonhunting #bourbonhunter #wellerwednesday #whiskeywednesday #buffalotrace #wheatedbourbon #cypb #bourbonporn #bourbongram