LALO's original expression built a following on clean, honest agave flavor at a price that didn't require an occasion. The High Proof expression asks: what if that same philosophy was dialed up to full intensity? Crystal and Roger revisit LALO to find out. Bottle Specs Spirit: LALO High Proof Tequila Category: 100% Blue Weber Agave Blanco Tequila NOM: 1466, Highlands, Jalisco ABV: Higher than standard LALO (~55% — varies by batch) Price: ~$55–65 Additive status: Additive-free

Still Austin describes their Cask Strength as 'the grain to glass journey, undiluted.' Crystal and Roger take that description seriously and put this Texas straight bourbon through a proper evaluation to see if the cask strength heat serves the whiskey or just amplifies its flaws. Bottle Specs Spirit: Still Austin Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey Distillery: Still Austin Whiskey Co., Austin, Texas (grain-to-glass) ABV: ~60–62% (cask strength, no water added) Mashbill: 7

Hochatown Distilling Company is building something special in southeastern Oklahoma, and their Loyal & True Reserve Bourbon is the bottle that makes that case most clearly. Crystal and Roger have been watching this brand develop, and this review is the moment they put the liquid to the test. Bottle Specs Spirit: Hochatown Loyal & True Reserve Bourbon Distillery: Hochatown Distilling Co., Broken Bow, Oklahoma Category: Oklahoma Straight Bourbon Whiskey Age: Reserve expression

Part 2 of the Sorel conversation goes deeper — past the founding story and into the practical questions every drinker wants answered: How do you actually use Sorel? What does it mix with? What are the cocktails that show off its unique hibiscus and spice character? Jackie Summers delivers. Episode Highlights Guest: Jackie Summers — founder, Sorel Liqueur Spirit: Sorel Liqueur — hibiscus, sorrel, and warm spice Focus: How to drink Sorel — cocktail applications and pairings ABV

Jackie Summers didn't set out to create a cocktail ingredient. He set out to recreate a flavor he remembered from his Caribbean grandmother's kitchen — sorrel tea spiced with hibiscus, ginger, clove, and cinnamon. What he created was one of the most culturally resonant liqueurs in American spirits. Episode Highlights Guest: Jackie Summers — founder, Sorel Liqueur (Singani 63 partner) Spirit: Sorel Liqueur — hibiscus, West African sorrel, warming spices ABV: 15% Price: ~$30 Fo

The flavored whiskey category exists largely to make people forget they're drinking whiskey. Frisky Whiskey is different — it's using flavor to enhance the spirit, not hide it. Crystal and Roger make the case that it's time to put down the Crown Royal apple and pay attention to what this category can actually be. Bottle Specs Spirit: Frisky Whiskey Premium Flavored Whiskey Distillery: Oklahoma-produced Category: Flavored American Whiskey Key flavors: Natural flavoring profile

Barrel-aged gin occupies a fascinating middle ground between the botanical world of gin and the oak-forward world of whiskey. Woodworks Distilling has been doing this seriously, and Crystal and Roger bring their barrel-aged expression to the Library to see how the aging changes what makes gin interesting. Bottle Specs Spirit: Woodworks Barrel Aged Gin Distillery: Woodworks Distilling, Oklahoma Category: Barrel Aged Gin Base: Gin distilled from grain with botanical bill Aging:

What happens when you pair a Caribbean rum with purpose-designed glassware? Crystal and Roger team up Planteray Originalé Rum with the Glasvin glass to find out how container shape changes the experience of a spirit that's already worth paying attention to. Bottle Specs Spirit: Planteray Originalé Rum (formerly Banks Rum) Distillery: Planteray (Plantation) — multi-country blend Category: Blended Premium Rum Blend: Caribbean and South American rums ABV: ~41.2% Price: ~$30 Glas

Yéyo's Reposado 2024 Tropical Edition is a limited seasonal release that raises a pointed question: when does tropical fruit influence in a rested tequila enhance the category, and when does it just make something that isn't really tequila anymore? Crystal and Roger dig in. Bottle Specs Spirit: Yéyo Reposado 2024 Tropical Edition Category: Reposado Tequila — seasonal/limited release NOM: Highlands Jalisco production Age: Minimum 2 months in oak (reposado) ABV: ~40% Price: ~$5

Rye and rum shouldn't work together — or so the conventional wisdom goes. RY3 uses a rum cask finish to challenge that assumption, and Crystal and Roger evaluate whether the result is a clever innovation or a case of two good things that cancel each other out. Bottle Specs Spirit: RY3 Rum Cask Finished Rye Whiskey Category: Straight Rye Whiskey — secondary cask finish Rye mashbill: High rye content Cask finish: Caribbean rum barrels ABV: ~46% Price: ~$55–65 What Rum Cask Fini

Crystal and Roger take an unexpected turn and get hands-on with spirit production — specifically, the process of converting corn whiskey into what it needs to become bourbon. This deep dive into production education is one of the most instructive episodes in The Liquor Connoisseur's catalog. Episode Highlights Topic: Corn whiskey to bourbon — the production requirements Legal standard: Bourbon must be made from 51%+ corn in new charred oak The gap: What separates corn whiskey

New Dawn Distilling's 6-Year New York Bourbon arrives with owner Dawn Shalvey at the table to explain what six years of aging means in the climate of upstate New York — and why this sustainable distillery's approach to bourbon is producing something genuinely worth tracking down. Bottle Specs Spirit: New Dawn Distilling 6-Year New York Straight Bourbon Distillery: New Dawn Distilling, New York State Founder: Dawn Shalvey Age: 6 years — significant for a craft producer Sustain

Before the Liquor Connoisseur became what it is today, Crystal and Roger had to figure out what it was going to be. This episode pulls back the curtain on the process of building a spirits review and education brand from scratch — the decisions, the failures, the framework, and the mindset that made the podcast what it is. Episode Highlights Topic: Building a spirit review and education podcast from the ground up Hosts: Crystal & Roger — founders of The Liquor Connoisseur The

One year in and The Liquor Connoisseur goes back to the bottle that launched everything — LALO Tequila Blanco. Crystal and Roger revisit their very first review to see if their palates have grown, whether LALO holds up, and what a year of intentional drinking has taught them. Bottle Specs Spirit: LALO Tequila Blanco (original expression) NOM: 1466 — Highlands Jalisco Production: 100% Blue Weber Agave, additive-free ABV: 40% (80 proof) Price: ~$45 Anniversary milestone: 1 year

Crystal and Roger take The Liquor Connoisseur on the road to The Catnip Cabin — a unique venue setting that pairs up spirits appreciation with live music from Roger Cline and The Peacemakers. It's one of the most personal and joyful episodes in the catalog. Episode Highlights Location: The Catnip Cabin — unique event venue experience Music: Roger Cline and The Peacemakers (featured performers) Hosts: Crystal & Roger (personal connection to the event) Theme: The intersection o

Days 2 and 3 of the Taste of Black Spirits festival bring Crystal and Roger deeper into one of the most important events in the spirits calendar — The Liquid Forum, a series of industry conversations, and the Tasting of Greats, where access to rare and significant bottles is the main event. Event Highlights Event: Taste of Black Spirits — Days 2 & 3 Features: The Liquid Forum (industry conversations) + Tasting of Greats Location: Brooklyn, New York Focus: Black-owned and Blac

The Taste of Black Spirits festival brought Crystal and Roger to Brooklyn for one of the most important events in the spirits world — a three-day celebration of Black ownership, Black creativity, and Black excellence in the spirits industry. Day 1 sets the stage for everything that follows. Event Highlights Event: Taste of Black Spirits — Day 1 Location: Brooklyn, New York Purpose: Celebrating and supporting Black-owned and Black-founded spirits brands Format: Industry event

Fawn Weaver's 'Love & Whiskey' tells the story of Uncle Nearest — the enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, and whose legacy was erased for over a century. Crystal and Roger review the book right after its release and share why it's required reading for anyone who takes American whiskey seriously. Book Highlights Title: Love & Whiskey by Fawn Weaver Author: Fawn Weaver — founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Subject: Nathan 'Nearest' Green — the

The Hochatown Distilling story gets deeper in Part 2 — Crystal and Roger go further into what makes this southeastern Oklahoma distillery special, exploring more of the operation, tasting through more expressions, and understanding the long-term vision Tommy has for the brand. Episode Highlights Distillery: Hochatown Distilling Co., Broken Bow, Oklahoma Format: Distillery tour continuation — Part 2 of 2 Focus: Production depth, additional expressions, long-term brand vision L

Hochatown Distilling Company is hidden in the forests of southeastern Oklahoma, but what they're building isn't hidden at all — it's one of the most interesting craft distillery stories in the region. Crystal and Roger sit down with founder Tommy for the first of a two-part exploration of a distillery that's doing things right. Episode Highlights Distillery: Hochatown Distilling Co., Broken Bow, Oklahoma Founder: Tommy (owner and head distiller) Location: Broken Bow, McCurtai