I was under the apparently mistaken impression that someone associated with the shop offering the barrel pick actually selected the barrel. Come to find out very few of those selections are actual "store picks". I guess it makes sense that with the current popularity and availability of "exclusive" whiskies more shops are depending on the old distribution chain to select their barrels.
There are more regional labels - "selected for the tastes of Louisiana" or rums from Panama and Central America with barrel pick labels.
I recently received an e-mail blast selling a barrel pick rum for $50 a bottle. The exact same rum and bottling was available at another shop for $30. After asking around a bit I was surprised to learn just how few premium priced shop offerings are shop exclusive.
For those of us that spend a lot of time looking for whiskies and developing relationships with store owners and managers it may not be a bad idea to actually ask them how the bottle got to their shop.
There are more regional labels - "selected for the tastes of Louisiana" or rums from Panama and Central America with barrel pick labels.
I recently received an e-mail blast selling a barrel pick rum for $50 a bottle. The exact same rum and bottling was available at another shop for $30. After asking around a bit I was surprised to learn just how few premium priced shop offerings are shop exclusive.
For those of us that spend a lot of time looking for whiskies and developing relationships with store owners and managers it may not be a bad idea to actually ask them how the bottle got to their shop.