Barrels, Bottles, And The Stories Between Them; We Tried A 142.8-Proof Stagg And Lived To Tell It

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Rare pours belong in glasses, not on pedestals. We sat down with Jerry from Neat Or Stir to unpack how a Detroit-area bourbon club turns the chase into a craft: buying whole barrels, tasting blind, and building real relationships with stores to secure bottles worth opening. If you’ve ever felt burned by Michigan pricing or baffled by allocations, this conversation maps a smarter path from shelf envy to satisfying sips.

We start with the local reality—tight distribution and wild price swings across the Ohio line—then explore why club barrel picks deliver more value than camping for drops. Jerry walks us through the group’s process: 20-plus barrels a year, private blind flights, and a priority system that rewards participation without becoming elitist. Along the way we taste through an eight-year Old Louisville (Bardstown distillate) packed with brown sugar and spice, a Four Roses OBSV with high-rye bite and fruit-forward lift, and a standout Stagg single barrel that converted a skeptic. The crescendo is a generous pour of the 2025 George T. Stagg at 142.8 proof—dense cocoa, dried fruit, and an absurdly long finish with no nose-burn theatrics.

Expect practical wisdom you can use right away: how temperature and glass size change viscosity and aroma, why blind tasting beats label worship, what Four Roses recipes actually signal on the palate, and how to be the kind of customer stores want to call for special picks. More than anything, it’s a reminder that the best bottle is the one you share. When community meets curation, even hazmat-proof whiskey becomes welcoming.

If you love whiskey stories, crave better barrel picks, or want a clearer path through the allocation maze, you’ll feel right at home here. Hit follow, share this with a bourbon friend, and leave a review with your favorite single barrel of the year—we might feature it on a future tasting. Cheers.

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Jamie Flanagan @DJJamieDetroit

Matt Fox @fox_beazlefox

August Gitschlag @rawgusto

Merch www.WearingFunny.com