The Best Pours of 2023: Crystal and Roger's Year in Review

Behind the Pour

At the end of every tasting year, Crystal and Roger sit down without a bottle in front of them and just talk — working through what stayed with them, what surprised them, and what they'd reach for again. The Best Pours of 2023 is that conversation: an honest accounting of which spirits from across bourbon, tequila, rum, cognac, Scotch, vodka, and gin earned a place on the list after a full year of serious tasting.

What You'll Discover

• The year's standouts across categories: Crystal and Roger's specific picks from 2023's full catalog — the bourbon that surprised them, the tequila that outperformed its price, the rum that most people walked past, the Scotch that deserved more attention.
• Why a year-end list carries more weight than a single review: A best-of list at year end reflects cumulative tasting — bottles evaluated in context of everything else that came through the Liquor Library that year. The list's value is its calibration against the full range.
• The bottles that did not make it: Sometimes more revealing than the picks — the bottles Crystal and Roger expected to recommend but could not, and what that says about the category trends they saw in 2023.
• How to use the list: A practical guide for new listeners building a first shopping list, for returning listeners checking whether their own favorites made the cut, and for gift givers who want a verified recommendation.
• Category observations from the full year: What 2023 taught Crystal and Roger about where the spirits industry is heading — category growth, pricing trends, and which segments delivered the best value.

A Moment of Pourspective

The best bottle of any year is the one you remember most clearly — not necessarily the most expensive or the most hyped. Build your own list as you taste. Ours is a starting point, not a verdict.

Explore the Conversation

The Best Pours of 2023 episode is one of TLC's most listener-practical productions. Crystal and Roger do not just name their favorites — they explain why each made the list, which gives the audience useful context for evaluating whether the recommendation applies to their own palate and preferences. The no-bottle format is unusual for TLC and deliberate. A year-end conversation without a glass in front of them is a different kind of episode — more reflective, less analytical, and more honest about what the year actually produced. The category observations section is the episode's most forward-looking content. Crystal's read on where the spirits market is heading — based on a full year of conversations with founders, distributors, and serious drinkers — gives the episode shelf life beyond the specific bottle picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Best Pours of 2023 episode? A year-end roundup where Crystal and Roger identify their top bottles and most memorable tastings from the full 2023 TLC catalog — no new tasting, all conversation.
• Are all the bottles from 2023 releases? Not necessarily — 'Best Pours' reflects bottles TLC tasted during 2023, which includes releases from earlier years that Crystal and Roger encountered for the first time.
• Is there a 2024 Best Pours episode? Yes — TLC releases a year-end roundup annually. Search the TLC catalog for the most recent version.
• How should I use the list? As a starting point for your own exploration. Crystal and Roger's picks represent their palates and preferences — take the ones that match your own taste profile and investigate from there.

Episode at a Glance

• Hosts: Crystal and Roger
• Runtime: 17 minutes, 41 seconds
• Category: Spirits Education
• Format: Year-end roundup — no tasting, all conversation