Tito's Handmade Vodka is the benchmark that every American craft vodka gets compared to. Crystal and Roger bring Black Momma Vodka into that exact conversation — is this Black-owned craft vodka worth the comparison, and does it win? Bottle Specs Spirit: Black Momma Vodka Distillery: Black women-owned and operated Category: Premium American Craft Vodka Base: Grain vodka ABV: 40% Price: ~$25–30 The comparison: Tito's Handmade Vodka at ~$20–25 The Tito's Standard Tito's Handmade

Cincoro was founded by five NBA team owners, including Michael Jordan. Crystal and Roger ask the uncomfortable question that any honest spirits review has to ask: when a celebrity-backed tequila comes with a premium price tag, does it earn that premium on the liquid, or is it just paying for the name? Bottle Specs Spirit: Cincoro Tequila (Blanco, Reposado, Añejo reviewed) Founders: Five NBA team owners including Michael Jordan Production: Highlands and Lowlands agave blend, N

The 3,000-bottle vault reaches its grand finale — the bottles that were held back for last, the pours that tested Crystal and Roger's descriptive vocabulary, and the closing verdict on one of the most memorable experiences in Liquor Connoisseur history. Episode Highlights Series: Holy Grail of Whiskey — 3,000-Bottle Vault | Part 4 of 4 Vault owner: Private collector (identity held by host) Bottles featured: Final, highest-tier expressions from the vault Theme: Completion of a

The 3,000-bottle vault goes deeper in Part 3 — and the bottles get more significant. Crystal and Roger push past the initial awe of the collection to ask harder questions about what these bottles represent, why someone builds something like this, and what the act of preservation means in the context of spirits that were made to be consumed. Episode Highlights Series: Holy Grail of Whiskey — 3,000-Bottle Vault | Part 3 of 4 Format: Continued vault exploration with higher-tier

In Part 2 of the sherry cask conversation, Crystal and Roger and their wine expert guest move from theory to application — tasting through specific sherry-cask-finished whiskies and discussing exactly what the sherry influence does to each expression. Episode Highlights Series: Sherry Cask Deep Dive — Part 2 of 2 Guest: Wine connoisseur with sherry expertise Focus: Tasting sherry-cask-finished whiskeys and analyzing the sherry influence Key expressions: Range of sherry-finish

Sherry casks are one of the most consequential variables in whisky aging — responsible for the dried fruit, Christmas spice, and rich sweetness in some of the world's most beloved expressions. Crystal and Roger bring in a wine connoisseur with genuine sherry expertise to understand this from both sides of the oak. Episode Highlights Series: Sherry Cask Deep Dive — Part 1 of 2 Guest: Wine connoisseur with Sherry expertise Focus: What sherry casks are, where they come from, how

Penelope Bourbon built its identity on grain diversity — a four-grain mashbill that adds wheat and malted barley alongside the standard corn and rye. The Rosé Cask Finish takes that foundation and asks: what does French rosé wine barrel finishing do to a bourbon that already has that much complexity? Bottle Specs Spirit: Penelope Rosé Cask Finished Bourbon Distillery: MGP production for Penelope Bourbon Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — secondary finish Mashbill:

The Vault Gets Even More Incredible Crystal and Roger's visit to Patrick Doris's legendary 3,000-bottle whiskey vault continues in Part 2. After an astonishing first episode, this installment goes deeper into the collection — uncovering more rare, vintage, and downright unbelievable bottles that most whiskey lovers will only ever see on a screen. Deeper Into the Collection In Part 2, the conversation gets more specific. Patrick walks Crystal and Roger through standout acquisi

Inside the Most Insane Whiskey Collection We've Ever Seen What does a 3,000-bottle whiskey vault look like? Crystal and Roger found out firsthand when they visited ultimate collector Patrick Doris for a four-part series that will make any whiskey lover's jaw drop. This is Part 1 of a deep dive into one of the most extraordinary private whiskey collections in America. About Patrick Doris & The Collection Patrick Doris has spent years curating a whiskey collection that is nothi

Don't Buy Any Rum Until You Watch This Ten to One Caribbean White Rum arrived on the scene with a bold promise: to change the way people think about white rum. Crystal and Roger took that challenge seriously, bringing the bottle to their tasting table to find out whether this Black-owned spirit brand has the goods to back up the claim. About Ten to One Rum Founded by Marc Farrell, Ten to One sources rum from Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic — and blends

When Spirits Meet Street Food Crystal and Roger teamed up with the OKCFoodEater for a special cocktail session featuring Cinnamon Girl Whiskey — the Oklahoma-born spirit that's been turning the flavored whiskey game on its head. What happens when a food influencer meets a whiskey brand in a fly session? Pure entertainment. About Cinnamon Girl Whiskey Cinnamon Girl is a flavored whiskey crafted in Oklahoma that strikes the rare balance between approachable and genuinely delici

What does a tequila serenaded by classical music actually taste like? Crystal and Roger dive into Yéyo's origin story — a brand that claims classical music is played during fermentation to influence the final spirit — and taste their way through the question of whether the music makes a difference. Bottle Specs Spirit: Yéyo Tequila Blanco NOM: Highlands Jalisco, Mexico Unique claim: Classical music played during fermentation Production: 100% Blue Weber Agave ABV: ~40% Price:

Widow Jane makes bold claims about their Apple Wood Rye — this is a rye that backs up its positioning with production specificity and genuine character. Crystal and Roger evaluate whether the statement holds up and whether this is worth the space it demands on a shelf. Bottle Specs Spirit: Widow Jane Apple Wood Finished Rye Whiskey Distillery: Widow Jane Distillery, Brooklyn, New York Category: American Straight Rye Whiskey Finish: Apple wood stave finishing ABV: ~45.5% Price

Preservation Estate does something rare in bourbon — they grow their own grain on an actual working farm, use a pot still for distillation, and sell a wheated bourbon that tastes like nothing else in the category. Crystal and Roger meet a woman-founded farm distillery that's redefining what grain-to-glass actually means. Bottle Specs Spirit: Preservation Estate Pot Still Wheated Bourbon Distillery: Preservation Estate — woman-founded working farm distillery Production: Grain

Volans 106 Proof Blanco is a tequila for people who take their agave seriously. Crystal and Roger bring this high-proof expression to the library and evaluate whether the extra proof serves the spirit or just makes it hot. Bottle Specs Spirit: Volans 106 Proof Blanco Tequila Category: 100% Blue Weber Agave Blanco Region: Jalisco, Mexico ABV: 53% (106 proof) Price: ~$50–65 Additive status: Additive-free NOM: Casa San Matías, Highlands-leaning expression Why 106 Proof for a Bla

The American Single Malt category is still finding its definition, but Rivalist is making the argument early and clearly: this is what American Single Malt looks like when the production philosophy is serious. Crystal and Roger evaluate whether the category has arrived. Bottle Specs Spirit: Rivalist American Single Malt Whiskey Category: American Single Malt — 100% malted barley Distillery: American craft producer Production: Single distillery, single grain (malted barley) AB

New Dawn Distilling's 10-Year Wheated Bourbon is a statement of intent — a decade of aging at a sustainable New York farm distillery, producing a wheated bourbon that challenges what you expect from American whiskey made outside Kentucky. Bottle Specs Spirit: New Dawn Distilling 10-Year Wheated Bourbon Distillery: New Dawn Distilling, New York State Founder: Dawn Shalvey Age: 10 years — remarkable for a craft producer Mashbill: Wheated bourbon (wheat replaces rye as secondary

When a bourbon wins 'World's Best' at a major competition, it invites scrutiny. Crystal and Roger apply exactly that scrutiny to Frank August Small Batch — tasting with fresh eyes, honest palates, and zero deference to the award. Bottle Specs Spirit: Frank August Small Batch Bourbon Distillery: Frank August (sourced production, Kentucky) Award: 2025 World Whisky Awards — World's Best Bourbon Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ABV: ~45% Price: ~$65–80 Mashbill: High c

PonFEIGH Cask Strength Single Barrel Rye arrives at 120 proof — a Pennsylvania Monongahela-style rye that demands attention. Crystal and Roger evaluate whether this level of intensity serves the spirit or overwhelms it. Bottle Specs Spirit: PonFEIGH Cask Strength Single Barrel Rye Whiskey Style: Pennsylvania Monongahela Rye — high rye mashbill tradition Category: American Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey ABV: ~60% (120 proof — cask strength) Price: ~$60–75 Character: Bold,

A 15-year Armagnac for $65 sounds too good to be true. Crystal and Roger investigate Eric Artiguelongue's Bas-Armagnac XO and find out if the value proposition is real or if something has been sacrificed to hit that price point. Bottle Specs Spirit: Eric Artiguelongue Bas-Armagnac XO 15-Year Region: Bas-Armagnac, France (most prestigious Armagnac sub-region) Age: 15 years minimum Category: Armagnac — France's oldest eau-de-vie tradition ABV: ~42% Price: ~$65 Why it matters: C