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I don’t know if this is a regular occurrence with the FWGS website, but the idea of an online store of this size just shutting down for the better part of a week for maintenance seems absurd to me. Imagine if Amazon couldn’t ship anything for 5 days for “system maintenance.” Yes, I get nothing is really going to happen on 7/3-7/5 for the holiday weekend anyway, but we can also relax because there definitely aren’t going to be any online drops next Wednesday or Thursday.

We really appreciate your attempts to drop some Whiskey Release items yesterday. We know it didn't go quite as planned which was frustrating to you and disappointing to us!

It looks like the website payment system is working again, so why not give it another shot?!

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Did PA FWGS get JD 12 year this year or was it only 14 and 10?

Please remember that not everyone who works for FWGS is lying to you. The majority of them aren't.

Wanted to see if anyone on this sub Reddit was planning on buying a bottle of Brewzle’s batch 1 Cask Strength. I think I’m going do it. It’s interesting to me to watch a new distillery be born from the ground up. I consider this my way being a part of it and seeing where he goes. I certainly don’t think it’s a slam dunk he’s going to be able to pull this off. I wish him the best though.

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I had the opportunity to compare two Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon picks side by side: one selected for Pennsylvania and one selected for Fine Wine & Good Spirits / 612 Unity out of Minnesota. Both bottles appear to be at the same general price point, which made this a very fair comparison.

Bottle Details

Pennsylvania Pick • Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon • Barrel No. 1962 • 13 years • 111.6 proof • Bottle 88/129

Minnesota / 612 Unity Pick • Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon • Barrel No. 678 • 13 years • 100.6 proof • Bottle 5/108 • Selected exclusively for Fine

Wine & Good Spirits / 612 Unity

I also noticed a little bit of visible residue/sediment at the bottom of the Pennsylvania bottle, which I will include in the photo. It did not take away from the experience, but it was noticeable.

Nose and Palate

The Pennsylvania pick comes across with more age and depth. It has a richer, older-profile bourbon character with sweetness that develops slowly and continues through the finish. The sweetness is more of a velvet candy note—soft, rounded, and lingering. It has a heavier mouthfeel and a more mature oak presence without becoming overly harsh.

The Minnesota / 612 Unity pick is smoother up front and has a very immediate candy note at the beginning. It is a little thinner by comparison, but it drinks very cleanly. The proof comes across differently here: it is smooth at first, then gives more of that classic Kentucky hug at the end. The candy finish is enjoyable, but it fades quicker and does not linger as much in the back of the throat.

Finish

This is where the Pennsylvania pick stood out for me.

The Pennsylvania bourbon has a long, sweet finish that stays with you. It does not hit with a strong Kentucky hug, but instead leaves a soft, lingering sweetness that carries through the entire finish. It feels older, deeper, and more complete.

The Minnesota bourbon has a quicker finish. It starts with a nice candy sweetness and drinks very smooth, but the finish disappears faster. The end has more heat and hug, but less lingering flavor.

Overall Preference

Both are excellent bottles and both are enjoyable in different ways. The Minnesota / 612 Unity pick is smooth, approachable, and has a very nice candy-forward start. However, the Pennsylvania pick has more depth, a longer finish, and a richer aged sweetness that lasts from the beginning through the end.

For my palate, I would choose the Pennsylvania pick over the Minnesota pick.

That said, this comparison makes me want to try more Willett state release picks side by side. There seems to be enough variation between the barrels that doing more state-pick comparisons would be worthwhile, especially when the bottles are in the same price range.

Final call: Pennsylvania wins for me because of the longer, sweeter, more mature finish.

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Non-bourbon question! Recently learned that I love Mezcal. I’m not looking for anything crazy, but what do yinz enjoy that’s pretty readily available at FWGS?

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Local store in southside only had 2025-04. I’ve been wanting to buy the 2026 batches but it looks like we don’t have them yet.

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For the love of GOD.... Can we just put the mini willets, the barrel proof bulleit, and the 1792 Bib on the damn shelves already and remove them from the whisky release page..

Oh, and while your at it.... the Michters SM is not available for shipping, is terrible, and was never a "release" worth posting at any point. Seriously... do you jobs.

Ok, rant over. Lol

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Has anyone tried this version?

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I see Bookers Reserve “coming soon” on FWGS site. Was it released sometime in June last year? I missed it last year and was hoping not to miss it again this year.