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Swirls wrote:Were they just airplane shot sized bottles, or a little bigger?

It was... maybe an ounce?

Here's the dram sizes next to a tasting glass:

JL21 wrote:

Swirls wrote:Were they just airplane shot sized bottles, or a little bigger?

It was... maybe an ounce?

Here's the dram sizes next to a tasting glass:

Oh, they're the drams they use for their dram club? I checked it out on their site, each dram is 30 mL, which is exactly 1 liquid ounce. So they're a little more than half the size of an airplane shot (they're 1.7 oz).

There's a bunch of Willett stuff, ie Johnny Drum and Noah's Mill at Randall's at Jefferson and 44. Don't see it much around here.

Guys I need help. I'd like to buy a bottle of whiskey for someone and I'm looking to spend around $100. I'm a bit out of the drinking game so I'm lost. I know he likes whiskey, but I don't really know his tastes.

Michael wrote:Guys I need help. I'd like to buy a bottle of whiskey for someone and I'm looking to spend around $100. I'm a bit out of the drinking game so I'm lost. I know he likes whiskey, but I don't really know his tastes.

Are you thinking scotch or Kentucky bourbon?

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Several pages ago I asked for recommendations for a friend's birthday gift, and settled on Booker's Noe (I believe Thrill and middle54 both highly recommended it... and I treat middle54's bourbon recommendations as gospel). The bottle comes in a fancy wooden case. It was like ~$75ish. I was told there's not a lot at that $100 or so price point; you have good stuff at like $75 and then to hit the next real step up in quality you have to go to like $150.

Bourbon has become remarkably hard to get, if you want the good good. There's a liquor store in Chicago with Weller 107 and Weller 12 Year locked in a glass case behind the register and they're selling both for $199.99 a bottle. Basically cutting out the aftermarket. They paid under $35 wholesale for both those bottles. They're not flying off the shelf but their stock was lower 3 days ago than it was 4 weeks ago. So unless you fall into something, like you hit a dusty old shop that has some bottle sitting on the shelf that they don't know what they have (also increasingly hard to do now with the bourbon hunters out) you're going to get the most bang for your buck with scotch, which I've been buying and drinking more of lately. If your guy is a scotch man, let me know and I'll post some recommendations.

It's tough to make a bourbon recommendation because so much of what is really great for $100-ish is not going to be sitting on shelves, while a LOT of what's $100 in that category is still on shelves for a good reason. Stuff like Koval and Journeyman and J. Henry--the local/organic/craft/new brands--you're just paying for the label and their overhead and marketing. Lots of marketing. So you could collect recommendations but you'll head to Binny's or wherever and find that none of them are on the shelves. A good spot is In Fine Spirits in Andersonville, he as a very good selection usually. Almost always has a Willet bottling or something else that's fun.

One very good craft bottle is Widow Jane from Brooklyn, runs about $60 and Binny's shows it in stock or limited availability at a few Chicago locations. Sounds hipstery and crappy but it's really good. Some of the more unique Jefferson's bottlings are very nice and would make a great gift.

Many thanks for all the suggestions.

33anda3rd I was hoping you'd weigh in. Your post was super helpful and confirmed what I already suspected - the bourbon market has gotten pretty insane. My plan was to go to Binnys, but I love your idea of In Fine Spirits which is right up the street from me. Their 58 dollar bottle of Noah's 15 Yr on their website is a bit below my budget, but certainly fits the bill.

I don't believe he drinks scotch, but I am unsure. It's for a co-worker of my wife's and she going to do some reconnaissance. The office literally has a whiskey room.
He's actually a pot head which, ahem, is the reason for this gift.

Michael wrote:Many thanks for all the suggestions.

33anda3rd I was hoping you'd weigh in. Your post was super helpful and confirmed what I already suspected - the bourbon market has gotten pretty insane. My plan was to go to Binnys, but I love your idea of In Fine Spirits which is right up the street from me. Their 58 dollar bottle of Noah's 15 Yr on their website is a bit below my budget, but certainly fits the bill.

I don't believe he drinks scotch, but I am unsure. It's for a co-worker of my wife's and she going to do some reconnaissance. The office literally has a whiskey room.
He's actually a pot head which, ahem, is the reason for this gift.

I was going to chime in yesterday and say even if he's not normally a scotch guy, who wouldn't appreciate a good bottle of 15 yr Maccallan or 18 yr Oban or something??