PODCAST · arts
The Practical Still
by Mark Still & Dan Cavallari
Whiskey hunting and collecting has gotten crazy but there are still wonderful bottles of bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys waiting for you on store shelves if you just know a little bit about what to shop for. The Practical Still is about finding value in whisky to drink and share. Whiskey was never meant to sit on a shelf. Open the Bottle and enjoy it. We don't do detailed reviews, we just help you understand and enjoy the whiskey you can drink today.
Episodes
-
Aaron Gooding of Last Cut Crystal - hand cut crystal whiskey glasses
If you've paid any attention at all over the last couple of years, you know that I'm a sucker for nice glassware. Wine glasses, coffee cups, and in particular, whiskey glasses are as much a part of my drinking experience as the liquid that is sipped from them. So, when I ran across Aaron…
more -
Double Oaked and Toasted Whiskey - It won't save bad bourbon but it can sometimes make for interesting whiskeys
Double oaked and toasted barrel-finished bourbons are quite popular lately. It seems like a similar process to finishing in barrels that previously held other liquids but also different and more like a second maturation than a typical finish. New barrels are expensive so these second-barrel...
-
What did we learn about whiskey and ourselves in 2022?
Every year around this time, we look back and ask ourselves what we learned about whiskey. In 2022, the big takeaway is that we should really focus on bourbon, rye, and scotch whisk(e)y that we really like. Saving $5 on a bottle on Elijah Craig Small Batch is no reason to stock up. It isn't going...
-
It's allocated bourbon release season, who cares? Allohatred season is more like it.
Every year in the fall, whiskey geeks decent upon every store hunting for bottles from Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection (BTAC), Pappy van Winkle, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, and others. It's like a zombie apocalypse. Many, if not most, of those bottles will never be opened by the original...
-
TINCUP Whiskey founder, Jess Graber
Jess Graber started distilling in the early 1970s as a hobby. A chance encounter with a neighbor named George Stranahan opened the door to take his moonshine hobby and eventually turn it into Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. As the co-founder of Stranahan's, Jess was at the start of what is now one…
more -
What are we drinking? Where have we been?
We started The Practical Still as a podcast and then quickly added a video component that began to monopolize our time and then we even decided to produce a weekly live stream of us drinking and discussing whiskey. That stream has turned out to be the most rewarding part of The Practical Still…
more -
Other whiskey options if you like Jameson Irish whiskey
Stacey Moses joins me again and we talk about options for her longtime go-to whiskey, Jameson Irish Whiskey. Other Irish whiskey such as Redbreast 12 is certainly an option but there are Scotch, Japanese, and American whiskeys that would make nice choices too. We also debunk Stacey's belief that...
-
My friend Stacey has some whiskey questions.
My friend Stacey Moses has some whiskey questions. Until just a few months ago, we'd worked together in various capacities for many years, and during that time, we also became friends. On balance, I feel as if I've learned far more from Stacey in our professional relationship than she ever…
more -
How practical can $85 bottles of whiskey be?
We were working on some other productions for Dan's Slow Guy on the Fast Ride cycling content and we decided to take a few minutes and sip some whiskey. I brought two sample bottles with some Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond 8 year old and an Old Forester Barrel Proof store pick for Dan to blind...
-
Drinking Some Islay Scotch Whisky
There are so many delicious whiskies to drink from around the world that no one person will probably ever come close to tasting them all but we should try to expand our palates, shouldn't we? Not that we stretch all that far but we have gotten hung up on bourbon and rye whiskey lately so back to...
-
Are practical whiskeys waiting for us even in this crazy bourbon market?
We started The Practical Still podcast about 18 months ago with the premise that there are wonderful bottles of bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys waiting for us on shelves any day of the week. We don't need to chase unicorn bottles, camp out in parking lots, or pay inflated secondary market...
-
Do we really need so many bottles to be happy whiskey drinkers?
Dan and I always say that we don't have whiskey collections. We just have bottles of whiskey we haven't opened yet. The reality is that we do have quite a few bottles of bourbon lying around regardless of what we call it. So, do we really need so many if we aren't planning to keep them all…
more -
Finding whiskey away from home and alcohol control states
Shopping for whiskey can be very different depending on where you are. The biggest difference you'll see is when states where the government controls retail sales, known as 'control states'. ABC stores in those states are the primary retail outlet and while they can still be package stores in…
more -
Finished versus Matured Whiskey: Is there a difference?
Maybe it's just splitting hairs but there is a difference between a whiskey finished in a barrel that previously held wine, sherry, port, rum, or some other product versus a whiskey that was matured in a sherry or port or whatever barrel. It gets a little complicated when talking about rum or...
-
Deerhammer Distillery Visit: After Drinking from all the Barrels
After we recorded an introductory podcast (if you haven't listed to it yet, it's a good idea to pause this episode and give it a listen here) in the rack house at Deerhammer Distillery, owner Lenny Eckstein took us through a few tastings of his smoked corn whiskey, bourbon, rye, and American…
more -
Deerhammer Distillery Visit: Before the Drinking Started
Owner, co-founder, and head distiller of Deerhammer Distillery in Buena Vista, CO, Lenny Eckstein invited us up to visit after hearing the podcast episode where we talked about young whiskey. Lenny felt that he could offer some valuable experience to us that would improve our understanding of...
-
Are whiskey brand stories worth anything to us when deciding which bottles to buy?
I've decided something important. At least it is important to my whiskey drinking enjoyment. I'm going to pledge from this moment forward to only judge a whiskey by the actual whiskey and how much I like said whiskey. Not by the hype. Not by the story. Not by the appropriated history. Not by the...
-
Whiskey Resources: It's about more than just money
Dan and Mark talk about resource considerations for whiskey consuming enthusiasts beyond just the money. Space on the shelf, what to do with the bottle of bourbon, rye, and scotch that you just don't care for, and more. They also sip on some Blanton's, Eagle Rare, and Wild Turkey Master's Keep...
-
Young Whiskey: Sometimes surprisingly good but more often, not.
Why is it that some very young whiskeys can be surprisingly tasty while other are about what we'd expect, bad? Could it be that skilled distillers know how to aim at two or three year target better than others? Is it all about fermentation? Is it luck? Maybe it's just our tastes. And when it's…
more -
How should we welcome new people into whiskey?
Every hobby faces the same dilemma - how do we welcome new people into our world without scaring them off before they even have a chance to figure it all out? That's what we tackle today. We were all new to whiskey at one point so how did we make it past all the jargon and nonsense? What are some...
-
Where is our whiskey?
It has been a while since Dan and I published a podcast episode. Why? Who knows. We've been busy with other projects but probably, the truth is closer to it just isn't as fun to produce these things remotely as it is passing bottles back and forth and sipping whiskey together. It just wasn't safe...
-
Has the pandemic changed the way you enjoy your whiskey?
The pandemic is changing how we relate to all sorts of life events, hobbies, and other things we perhaps took for granted before. Has the isolation changed how you enjoy your whiskey? It sure has changed our relationship with the spirits we love to drink. The most beautiful part of whiskey is...
-
The price of bourbon and rye whiskey just keeps going up and up and up!
It sure seems as if bourbon and rye whiskey prices are continuing to accelerate. Bottles that one day are gathering dust are gone from the shelf the next and doubling price the very next time you see them again. It's more important than ever to know what you're drinking and what it's worth to…
more -
Goodbye 2020, hello 2021 and more whiskey and maybe rum and tequila too!
Dan and Mark talk about starting The Practical Still in 2020 and what's coming up in 2021. There will be guests on the podcast and new topics for the YouTube channel too. There will still be lots of whiskeys but maybe some rum and tequila too. Any spirits are fair game ... that's why it's called...
-
Only one brand of whiskey for the rest of your life. Which would you choose?
If you could only drink one brand of whiskey for the rest of your life, which one would you choose? You still have to pay for it and you're still subject to marketing conditions such as pricing and availability so if you choose poorly you may never again sip bourbon or rye or single malt whiskey...
-
Does the color of a whiskey tell us anything useful about that whiskey?
What, if anything, can be learned simply from the color of whiskey? We all talk about the color when we find new whiskey and color is evaluated along with the nose and taste but what should whiskey shoppers know about whiskey color and what can it dependably tell us? For some, myself included, we...
-
A $1,000 whiskey budget for an entire year? I learned a lot.
For years, I didn't pay much attention to how much money I spent on whiskey. 2019 was just a mess where I bought whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it and it was just too much. So, for 2020, I put myself on a $1,000 annual budget for whiskey - well, for sipping whiskey - and it helped on many...
-
What should you do with that last little bit of whiskey in the bottle?
I don't know why but I often end up with quite a few bottles with just a little bit of whiskey left in them. For some reason, I'll just let them sit that way for too long. Usually, the last sip is my favorite so maybe I just don't want the good times to end. In this episode, we talk about…
more -
Where did all the Scotch whisky go?
One day, we looked at our whiskey shelves and noticed there were no open bottles of Scotch. What happened? Why did we suddenly stop buying and opening bottles of single malt Scotch whisky? And, when we finally did open up what should have been a lovely Bunnahabhain 12, did it take a while to...
-
What is sourced whiskey and why should we care?
If you've been into whiskey for even a little while, you've likely learned that some brands don't distill their own whiskey and instead buy the liquid in their bottles from other brands and companies that do own distilleries. That's what is known as sourced whiskey. Distilleries such as MGP in...
-
Older whiskey is best, right? Then why are some of our favorites not so old?
We got to wondering if older whiskey is always better, why are some of our favorite bottles not very old? We love Booker's and it's only 6 to 7 years old. What about Pikesville Rye at 6 years, Wild Turkey 101 without an age statement but known to be 6 to 8 years old, or the well regarded Willet...
-
Surprisingly good whiskey over this year so far
Surprisingly good whiskey over this year so far by The Practical Still Podcast episodes, videos, and livesteams are available at thepracticalstill.com. Join us for Friday Sips Live, Fridays at 2:30pm MT All the socials @ThePracticalStill Questions for us? Email [email protected]. Whiskey...
-
Does packaging in whiskey matter?
Dan and Mark discuss packaging in the retail whiskey industry. Specifically, does it even matter to the experience and enjoyment of sipping on bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys? Cardboard and wooden boxes, tubes, stoppers, toppers, wax, plastic, ribbons, and beautifully crafted stories…
more -
Can we build a $100 whiskey bar that's good?
Dan and Mark work through the whiskey styles and supporting components to put together a $100 whiskey bar to hopefully satisfy bourbon drinkers, rye drinkers, scotch drinkers, and cocktail consumers. Is that even possible? Give episode 7 a listen and find out. Then, let us know what you think....
-
Blind tasting a bunch of whiskey
Dan and Mark did an informal blind tasting a few weeks back. Episode 6 sees them back at Dan's house, recording together for the first time in months, and reviewing those blindly tasted whiskeys after some time to think about them. Podcast episodes, videos, and livesteams are available at...
-
What's better, single barrel or small batch?
Whiskey bottles bandy a lot of terms about, and small batch and single barrel appear pretty often. What do these terms mean? Which one is better? Mark and Dan talk about what makes a single barrel pick and a small batch bottle, where you can get them, and what you can expect from them. Podcast...
-
Back To The Bottle: Woodford Reserve and a bonus
Mark had a couple of bottles open, and as it turned out, both of them were a bit disappointing. Here's what he thought of the Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Chocolate Malted Rye, and Breakers wheated bourbon.If you haven't already seen the Open the Bottle video, take a look....
-
Back To The Bottle: Old Ezra 7
Mark has had a bottle of Old Ezra 7 open for a bit, so it's time to revisit to find out if it holds up after several drams.If you haven't already seen the Open the Bottle video, take a look. https://www.thepracticalstill.com/post/open-the-bottle-old-ezra-7-barrel-strength-bourbon Podcast…
more -
Do Age Statements Matter?
On this episode of The Practical Still podcast, Mark and Dan get to the root of age statements: do they matter? Does a 10 year old whiskey age statement necessarily mean it's better than a 7 year old whiskey? And just how old is all the stuff that goes into the bottle anyway? Find out on this...
-
Why is it sometimes difficult to tell the difference between rye and bourbon whiskey?
Mark and Dan get down to the nitty gritty: what's the difference between bourbon and rye, and why do some of the latter taste like the former? It turns out, there's a lot of subtle differences that make a huge impact on flavor. But really, as with most things whiskey, it all comes down to the…
more -
Does Glassware Matter?
In this week's episode of The Practical Still Podcast, Mark and Dan discuss the different types of glassware for enjoying your whiskey — and whether the type of glass you're drinking from even matters. Podcast episodes, videos, and livesteams are available at thepracticalstill.com. Join us for...
-
Back To The Bottle: Old Forester 1920
Mark and Dan do a quick recap of Old Forester 1920, several days after popping the bottle open. Do the flavors hold up? Is it worth the price? Listen to find out.If you haven't already seen the Open the Bottle video, take a look....
-
I have $25. Can I buy a good bottle of bourbon?
Episode 1 of the Practical Still podcast gives listeners a sense of what to look for when you're on the hunt for an excellent bottle of bourbon that won't cost you top-shelf prices.Mark and Dan discuss the terms you need to know to get started on your bourbon hunt so you can find quality bottles…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Whiskey hunting and collecting has gotten crazy but there are still wonderful bottles of bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys waiting for you on store shelves if you just know a little bit about what to shop for. The Practical Still is about finding value in whisky to drink and share. Whiskey was never meant to sit on a shelf. Open the Bottle and enjoy it. We don't do detailed reviews, we just help you understand and enjoy the whiskey you can drink today.
HOSTED BY
Mark Still & Dan Cavallari
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Practical Still have?
The Practical Still currently has 43 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Practical Still about?
Whiskey hunting and collecting has gotten crazy but there are still wonderful bottles of bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys waiting for you on store shelves if you just know a little bit about what to shop for. The Practical Still is about finding value in whisky to drink and share. Whiskey was...
How often does The Practical Still release new episodes?
The Practical Still has 43 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Practical Still?
You can listen to The Practical Still on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Practical Still?
The Practical Still is created and hosted by Mark Still & Dan Cavallari.
URL copied to clipboard!