The world of bourbon is complex and cultivated, something that intimidates some and excites others. Just like Pokémon card collectors or thrift store flippers, many bourbon lovers live for the thrill of the hunt for exclusive, quality items. Single barrel bourbons and, more importantly, private single barrel bourbon picks, are bottles you’ll likely find on any bourbon connoisseur’s wish list.
The world of bourbon is complex and cultivated, something that intimidates some and excites others. Just like Pokémon card collectors or thrift store flippers, many bourbon lovers live for the thrill of the hunt for exclusive, quality items. Single barrel bourbons and, more importantly, private single barrel bourbon picks, are bottles you’ll likely find on any bourbon connoisseur’s wish list.
Read on for your complete guide to single barrel bourbon picks, what makes them so desirable and why you may want to add one of these bottles to your bourbon shelf.
When you buy your typical bottle of bourbon off the shelf, you’re usually tasting a blend of different whiskeys from different casks with different flavor profiles. This blend comes together for the consistent tasting experience you expect from your go-to bottle of Maker’s Mark, Four Roses or Woodford Reserve.
But when you buy a bottle of single barrel bourbon, you’re tasting just that – bourbon that was matured in only one single barrel. The white oak barrel isn’t just a handy receptacle for storing and transporting your favorite spirit, it’s also the wood that imparts a unique flavor profile to the whiskey aged inside of it. The distiller searches their rickhouses (aging warehouse) for the golden goose of barrels to be the ultimate pick to bottle as a single barrel bourbon.
Therefore, a bottle of single barrel bourbon from your favorite distiller won’t taste the same as a regular bottle of blended bourbon; each bottle of single barrel bourbon expresses the singular characteristics of the cask it was aged in. For bourbon nerds who love developing their palates and dissecting the barrel’s unique flavor profile, single barrel bourbons are a dream come true.
Standard single barrel bourbon is controlled entirely by the distiller and shipped out across the country. But what if you wanted to go a step further, to get something that was handpicked and available only in your area or your store?
Welcome to the world of private single barrel bourbon picks.
If single barrel bourbon is a delicious Wonka chocolate bar, a private single barrel bourbon pick is the golden ticket to Wonka’s chocolate factory.
As opposed to regular single barrel bourbons where the distillery oversees production and distribution, private single barrel picks are entirely up to the barrel purchaser, which is usually an alcohol retailer, restaurateur or other purveyor of fine whiskey. The buyer gets control of exactly which barrels they choose.
Essentially, the buyer travels to the distillery, samples bourbon from anywhere between 3 to 15 different barrels that the distillery deems worthy of a single barrel pick, decides on the best one and places an order for their barrel of choice, which yields about 200 bottles of bourbon.1 The buyer then distributes these bottles as they see fit.
ABC experts travel across the country to visit bourbon distilleries and decide on a private single barrel pick from each one. ABC team members sit down and go through multiple sampling rounds, painstakingly ensuring they're selecting the absolute best barrel pick to bring back home to ABC stores in Florida.
The process is long and highly technical, but a bourbon enthusiast’s dream come true. Our team meets with the master distiller, gets a behind-the-scenes look at how they make their whiskey and often heads into the distillery’s rickhouse to sample bourbon straight from the barrel. The tasting team checks each other’s personal taste preferences to always stay focused on finding the barrel ABC guests will enjoy the most.
ABC is delighted to offer private single barrel bourbon picks at several stores located throughout the state. You can find select bottles at these locations:
Our beautiful, brand-new Winter Garden store is a bourbon lover’s paradise; it boasts a huge bourbon selection, including single barrel and private single barrel bourbon selections, and a tasting center so you can taste bottles you’ve been eyeing for a test drive before adding them to your cart. You can even see some of the barrels themselves from past private barrel picks decorating the walls of the store’s expansive bourbon section. And it doesn’t stop at bourbon! ABC offers private barrel picks from a range of spirits.
If you’re just getting into bourbon and private barrel picks are still a bit over your head, no worries! Every ABC store is equipped with everything you need to start your bourbon collection, including staple bottles, glassware, bar tools and friendly, knowledgeable team members willing to guide you to your perfect bottle (or just geek out with you). Stop into your local ABC to get rolling on your next single barrel pick.
