Before becoming a whiskey enthusiast, I always thought that whiskey bars were divided into two distinct categories: the austere Scotch whisky bar, furnished in rich wood and dark leather, populated by bankers and politicians smoking fat cigars with their tumbler glasses, versus the dive American whiskey bar, sticky floors littered with cigarette butts, cowboys and rockers downing shots of Wild Turkey and Jack Daniels. And while places like the Brandy Library in NYC and the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in LA certainly still exist, most establishments that pride themselves in their whiskey selections fall somewhere in between. There are many bars with incredible Scotch selections whose decor is held together by duct tape (Delilah's in Chicago is a good example), and bourbon bars known for their jazz music such as this one in Seattle. So it should not be surprising that in my humble opinion the best overall whiskey selection in Charlotte prides itself on the number of plasma TV's on display as well as a drink mixer that specializes in Jack & Cokes.
Despite its name, Whiskey Warehouse (1221 The Plaza, 704-334-7005) is, in fact, a sports bar. Area hipsters may know it as the place where Creation once resided. Most of the staff are young women prone to wearing their shirts several sizes too small and they have a top-40 DJ who comes in on weekend evenings. They also have a well-rounded selection of Scotches, Americans, Irish, and Canadians that separates them from other bars. Let me explain.
It's been my experience that most bars, from upscale/bourgeois to urine-soaked hell-hole, tend to stock the same whiskeys. For bourbons, it seems to be enough to stock Jim Beam's Small Batch Bourbon Collection and Woodford Reserve in addition to mixers like Wild Turkey and Jim Beam's white label. For Scotch whiskies, you'll find a number of popular blends (such as a couple of the Johnnie Walker colors), big-budget Speyside single malts like the Macallan, Glenfiddich, and the Glenlivet, a Highland like Glenmorangie, and, if you're incredibly lucky, an Islay such as Ardbeg. Jack Daniels seems ubiquitous, as does Crown Royal to represent Canada. Ireland seems to be represented by Bushmills (usually white label, but sometimes Black Bush as well) and a number of the Jamesons range. For people who have already worked their way through those whiskeys seeking to expand their tasting experience, a bar that goes beyond this standard stocking practice is an establishment that can revisited several times without having to resort to imbibing potables previously tried. Whiskey Warehouse is such an establishment. Allow me to break down each category individually, starting with the areas in which they are merely a hair above average.
For me, a well rounded Irish whiskey selection should include selections from the Cooley Distillery, and I'm not just saying that because I visited one of their facilities recently. While Whiskey Warehouse doesn't stock anything not produced by the Irish Distillers Group or Bushmills in the North, they do stock three Irish whiskeys that don't include the words "Jameson" or "Bush". They are Tullamore Dew, Powers Gold Label, and (my fave Irish) Midleton Very Rare.
Most Canadian whiskies tend to be looked at as nothing more than mixers. Very few bars stock any of the premium Canadian sippers, but Whiskey Warehouse fortunately has one among its selections, specifically Crown Royal Reserve. And in addition to the everpresent Crown Royal, they also have supplies of others such as Canadian Club and Canadian Mist on hand.
Scotch whiskies. Yes, there are numerous expressions of the Macallan, The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and Glenmorangie available, as well as a handful of other Highland and Speyside single malts. But they also have numerous representations from the Western islands (not just Islay), including Isle of Jura and Lagavulin. And unlike most other whiskey bars, Whiskey Warehouse stands out by stocking Glenkinchie, one of three remaining Lowland Scotch distilleries (more on Lowland distilleries in a future "Scotch 101" post).
And finally, American whiskeys. I am very pleased that Whiskey Warehouse has separated the bourbons from the rest of the Americans appropriately, because all too often I see a "Bourbons" heading on a menu with Jack Daniels featured prominently at the top. Here, their three Jack Daniels selections (Old No. 7, Gentleman Jack, and Jack Daniel's Single Barrel) are grouped with their other Tennessee whiskey selections (both of George Dickel's offerings are available) as well as a blend, a whiskey-based liquor, and (joy!) two rye whiskeys (Ri-1 being the notable option), which most places don't find the need to have as an option.
Bourbons are (of course) stocked with the popular small-batch labels as well as the entry-level mixers, but they also have a number of other "bargain" brands available (such as Fighting Cock and Rebel Yell), two premium Wild Turkey options (Rare Breed and Russell's Reserve), and, to my extreme pleasure, great single barrel bourbons Elmer T. Lee and Blanton's from Buffalo Trace, and Elijah Craig 18-yr from Heaven Hill. In a baffling move, Beam's cherry-infused Red Stag is grouped with the bourbons even though it's technically a liquor.
Here's the downside to Whiskey Warehouse: it's a sports bar. I have yet to meet a member of the staff that can wax poetic about their whiskey stocks, much less make recommendations, and that includes the owner. Having a proper tasting is incredibly difficult due to the smells coming from the kitchen and the noise originating from either the televised sporting events or the top-40 DJ playing hits from the 80's, 90's and today. Pricing for a 1.5-ounce pour is perplexing at best: mid-level Scotch whiskies seem to have the highest priority, with anything labeled "single barrel" trailing right behind, while others that are more highly rated/regarded are wonderfully under-priced. Comparing their pricing schedule to the retail pricing guide at NC's ABC website is fairly amusing. There are numerous mis-spelled whiskeys on their menu; I'll usually let that slide if there were only one or two, but six mis-spellings (plus their pricing system) makes me think that maybe they don't really know what all they have in stock.
Overall, Whiskey Warehouse doesn't have the greatest selection of any one category. There are other local establishments with better stores of Scotches, some have more Irish whiskeys, and others pride themselves on their bourbon choices, but none of them have a better collective list of all the categories.
Next time, I'll discuss one such bar. Specifically, I'll sing the praises of the Charlotte bar that I feel is the best place for the serious Scotch drinker.
'Til then,
Salud.
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