If you've paid any attention at all over the last couple of years, you know that I'm a sucker for nice glassware. Wine glasses, coffee cups, and in particular, whiskey glasses are as much a part of my drinking experience as the liquid that is sipped from them.

So, when I ran across Aaron Gooding's work on Instagram @lastcutcrystal, I was intrigued. I've got quite a variety of nosing glasses but the most visceral whiskey-drinking experience comes from my heavy, Waterford crystal old fashioned or rocks glasses I have. I just love the heft and the way it feels as my fingers caress the varied grooves as my clear ice sphere rumbles around in the bourbon as I roll the glass in my hand. I've got a set we received as a wedding gift 32 years ago, I've got a 6-ounce set I used mostly for Boulevadiers and Sazerac cocktails, and a couple of giant double old fashioned glasses that are, of course, my go-to for Old Fashioned cocktails. 

The opportunity to buy glasses hand cut by a creator building a business around art was too compelling to pass up. Having our infamous logo etched in the bottom sealed the deal and I ordered two Old Fashioned glasses with a fairly traditional pattern carved into the crystal. Then I thought, why not see if Aaron wanted to be on the podcast and he did so here's me talking to Aaron Gooding of Last Cut Crystal.

Cheers!

You can see and order Aaron's work from his Etsy Store and watch him in action on Instagram.

Podcast episodes, videos, and livesteams are available at thepracticalstill.com.
Join us for Friday Sips Live, Fridays at 2:30pm MT
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Questions for us? Email mark@thepracticalstill.com.

Whiskey isn't all we do.
Slow Guy on the Fast Ride
Dawn Patrol MTB
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Double oaked and toasted barrel-finished bourbons are quite popular lately. It seems like a similar process to finishing in barrels that previously held other liquids but also different and more like a second maturation than a typical finish. New barrels are expensive so these second-barrel products seem to spend more time in the second barrels than many wine or rum-finished whiskeys. 

For some, like Old Forester 1910, the second barrel is charred to within an inch of oblivion while others use heavily toasted barrels for that second stretch of aging. In either case, just like other finishing techniques, good whiskey going in can make for good whiskey out but the process won't usually save bad whiskey. We've encountered some terrible examples of double oaked bourbons lately and even if this process is popular, it can't save poorly produced whiskey. 

Are you a fan? Is Woodford Double Oaked or even Double Double Oaked your jam? Do you get all the confectionary notes of that super charred second barrel in Old Forester 1910? What about the new kids, Kentucky Peerless, and their Double Oak? Would you spend $175 on a Wild Turkey Master's Keep One and its toasted barrel treatment like I did? It's pretty tasty.  

Or is all of this just marketing hype and sketchy tactics to try and cover up the fact that so many whiskeys come from a giant distillery in Indiana or that grains have less flavor than just a decade or two ago?

Cheers!

Podcast episodes, videos, and livesteams are available at thepracticalstill.com.
Join us for Friday Sips Live, Fridays at 2:30pm MT
All the socials @ThePracticalStill
Questions for us? Email mark@thepracticalstill.com.

Whiskey isn't all we do.
Slow Guy on the Fast Ride
Dawn Patrol MTB
Mental Healthlete

Every year around this time, we look back and ask ourselves what we learned about whiskey. In 2022, the big takeaway is that we should really focus on bourbon, rye, and scotch whisk(e)y that we really like. Saving $5 on a bottle on Elijah Craig Small Batch is no reason to stock up. It isn't going anywhere.

I'd made a pledge not to buy any more pedestrian whiskey until I drank all of the pedestrian whiskey I already had in the house. I'm still drinking but that pledge means I'll end the year with fewer bottles than I started for the first time ... ever. At least I think that's the case. I don't count or keep records of which bottles I'm stocking at home so I could be wrong. It is a change in philosophy for sure whatever the case. 

Bourbon prices continue to rise so it seems to make more sense to refrain from buying bottles that aren't really good and direct some of that budget to the ones we really like. Booker's, Russell's Reserve, Wild Turkey, Barrell, and the like. We aren't suggesting only buying $100+ bottles but as much as we like Wild Turkey 101 and Rittenhouse, Rare Breed Bourbon and Rye are just better so why not live a little?   

Dan had a tough year with his favorite store's club program that requires him to purchase the monthly pick sight unseen. So far, he's 1 for 11 with 1 pick to go. That's not a good ratio so he'll step away from that next year. He's happy to commit to spending every month as long as he can pick what he buys.   

So, 2023 will be about fewer bottles that we choose based solely on the enjoyment factor. We rarely get the chance to buy unicorns but that in-between land of $50-80 feels like a better range to shoot for regularly to ensure every pour is worth the sip.

Cheers!  

Podcast episodes, videos, and livesteams are available at thepracticalstill.com.
Join us for Friday Sips Live, Fridays at 2:30pm MT
All the socials @ThePracticalStill
Questions for us? Email mark@thepracticalstill.com.

Whiskey isn't all we do.
Slow Guy on the Fast Ride
Dawn Patrol MTB
Mental Healthlete