Omaha bourbon?

[dinglefritz]

Where are the best places to buy good bourbon in Omaha? My Blantons source quit her job.. Personally I like Woodford double oaked as well but we have a retired Dr friend who is kind of a liquor snob so I’m looking for something he would say “um okay” to.

 

[Nuts McClanahan]

Jim Beam is my go to at the bar. Bottom shelf is where the fun is at. Tell your jack *** friend to bring his own booze.

 

[dinglefritz]

Jim Beam is my go to at the bar. Bottom shelf is where the fun is at. Tell your jack *** friend to bring his own booze.

He serves me extremely good bourbon and high end wines when he and his wife have us out for dinner. We have a nice wine collection but I’m running low on Blanton’s. The buddy who gave me my last 3 bottles of Blanton lost his source but he gave me a 1750ml bottle of Buffalo Trace for Christmas. It looks like Total Wine and Spirits might have the best selection of bourbons.

I have Jack but no JB in the cupboard. Jamison for one brother in law. I chuckled when another brother in law’s kayak buddies passed up Blanton’s for Jack. I had out Woodford Reserve double oaked, Knob Creek 10 year, and Buffalo Trace too.

After the COVID cluster, I’m a strong believer of 2 full freezers, full ammo boxes and a good selection of quality booze in the cupboard. And oh yeah, plenty of Charmin in the closet. I spent a small fortune mailing Charmin to my sister in Missouri back then.

 

[4plateBencher]

Where are the best places to buy good bourbon in Omaha? My Blantons source quit her job.. Personally I like Woodford double oaked as well but we have a retired Dr friend who is kind of a liquor snob so I’m looking for something he would say “um okay” to.

Costco and Sam's Club will have the cheapest prices usually. Their selection is decent.

Closest thing to Blanton's you MIGHT be able to find at a Total Wine or bigger liquor store is John Bowman Single Barrel. It's basically a higher proof Blanton's. Should cost around the same.

 

[Pennsyhuskers]

At least you have the luxury of shopping in real liquor stores. Try living in Pennsylvania where all hard liquor is purchased in the State run and controlled liquor stores. The booze selection in the stores is awful. I always stock up on good booze when I drive home to Lincoln to visit family.

 

[ct husker]

At least you have the luxury of shopping in real liquor stores. Try living in Pennsylvania where all hard liquor is purchased in the State run and controlled liquor stores. The booze selection in the stores is awful. I always stock up on good booze when I drive home to Lincoln to visit family.

Same hear in NC and VA. They are state run embezzling rings. NC ABC board and some of the regional managers are corrupt as they come. Things changed about 15 years ago(good ole boy network/nepotism), but not sure if it sort of went back, if so they stay under the radar after some scandals exposed.

All they are is a glorified grocery store operating as a monoply/state run Mafia. Grocery stores have 100x more sku's and pay their people a lot less vs what they pay ABC employees with salaries and benefits, not to mention the multi million dollar facilities/property. Either way, they would get the same tax revenue from traditional liquor stores but ABC and State officials work hand in hand to keep this cash cow going.

This is the tip of the iceburg on Billy Williams in Wilmington NC. He was never charged in bid rigging either. Then you have the actual board in Raleigh getting wined and dined for years and free gifts from the Distributors. This Williams guy got a slap on the wrist and kept is pension and benefits. His son, worked for him as a warehouse manager for like $150K a year(he quit when his dad got pinched).

https://www.wral.com/story/9070450/

 

[tro80]

Try online. Welcome to the 21st century. Might be a little pricey, but your friend is worth it.

 

[Shimmer003]

Look for the bottles that aren’t as sought after. There is a lot of good bourbon that people overlook. James E Pepper, Larceny barrel proof, Elijah Craig barrel proof, JD single barrel barrel proof, wild turkey rare breed, OF 1910 or 1920, four roses single barrel, and even craft distilleries like Still Austin and Redwood Empire make some fantastic, easy to find bourbon. I would take pretty much any bottle I listed above Blanton’s.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

At least you have the luxury of shopping in real liquor stores. Try living in Pennsylvania where all hard liquor is purchased in the State run and controlled liquor stores. The booze selection in the stores is awful. I always stock up on good booze when I drive home to Lincoln to visit family.

Utah is like that..when we go to Moab for our yearly mtn bike vacay, we stay across the street from literally from the only liquor store in all of town, but they're selection sucks. I asked one time why they don't at least have cold beer (warm only) and they said since they're the only game in town they don't have to spend money on refridgeration cause they know they'll sell it anyway.

We bring our own now.

 

[LBremser]

Sam's Club has Woodford Baccarat, a little pricy at $1650 but should get an "um, okay"!

 

[LouisK]

Look for the bottles that aren’t as sought after. There is a lot of good bourbon that people overlook. James E Pepper, Larceny barrel proof, Elijah Craig barrel proof, JD single barrel barrel proof, wild turkey rare breed, OF 1910 or 1920, four roses single barrel, and even craft distilleries like Still Austin and Redwood Empire make some fantastic, easy to find bourbon. I would take pretty much any bottle I listed above Blanton’s.

I haven't had all of these but ECBP is awesome. So is Rare Breed, OF 1910 and 1920, and Four Roses Single Barrel. Four Roses has some different recipes available and I highly recommend the OESK recipe. They had it at Wall to Wall Wine for $40. A steal.

 

[Laner2]

Look for the bottles that aren’t as sought after. There is a lot of good bourbon that people overlook. James E Pepper, Larceny barrel proof, Elijah Craig barrel proof, JD single barrel barrel proof, wild turkey rare breed, OF 1910 or 1920, four roses single barrel, and even craft distilleries like Still Austin and Redwood Empire make some fantastic, easy to find bourbon. I would take pretty much any bottle I listed above Blanton’s.

Yeah, Blanton's is top shelf but it's also a bit of a snob drink. By that I mean there are equally good bourbons that sell for less. Those listed above are examples but you could also go with Knob Creek 18 Y/O Kentucky bourbon for under $150 and I would argue most people would enjoy it.

 

[Shimmer003]

Yeah, Blanton's is top shelf but it's also a bit of a snob drink. By that I mean there are equally good bourbons that sell for less. Those listed above are examples but you could also go with Knob Creek 18 Y/O Kentucky bourbon for under $150 and I would argue most people would enjoy it.

Great bottle just at higher price point. There’s a lot of great bourbons outside of the hype machines. I got to try the 12 year van winkle this past weekend. It was fantastic but not so much better than anything else I’ve had to chase it or spend $1k for a bottle

 

[Vanhusker]

Utah is like that..when we go to Moab for our yearly mtn bike vacay, we stay across the street from literally from the only liquor store in all of town, but they're selection sucks. I asked one time why they don't at least have cold beer (warm only) and they said since they're the only game in town they don't have to spend money on refridgeration cause they know they'll sell it anyway.

We bring our own now.

Good, I hate that attitude. "Since we got 'em by the short hairs, let's f**k 'em some more"

 

[dinglefritz]

Yeah, Blanton's is top shelf but it's also a bit of a snob drink. By that I mean there are equally good bourbons that sell for less. Those listed above are examples but you could also go with Knob Creek 18 Y/O Kentucky bourbon for under $150 and I would argue most people would enjoy it.

Blantons isn’t normally 150.

 

[Laner2]

Blantons isn’t normally 150.

Exactly. If I recall the retail price (can't recall the size) of the last one I saw at a HyVee in Omaha was under $170, but the liquor manager said that they sold out in two hours and were being resold for over $200. Blantons is a damned good bourbon from what I hear but also a bit of a boutique liquor.

 

[dinglefritz]

Exactly. If I recall the retail price (can't recall the size) of the last one I saw at a HyVee in Omaha was under $170, but the liquor manager said that they sold out in two hours and were being resold for over $200. Blantons is a damned good bourbon from what I hear but also a bit of a boutique

My buddy was getting it for about 70$ from a HyVee liquor manager he’s friends with. Unfortunately she quit her job.

 

[Laner2]

Exactly. If I recall the retail price (can't recall the size) of the last one I saw at a HyVee in Omaha was under $170, but the liquor manager said that they sold out in two hours and were being resold for over $200. Blantons is a damned good bourbon from what I hear but also a bit of a boutique liquor.

Bonus story.....that same HyVee manager said that Trev Alberts used to buy his cigars there. Didn't know he lived in Omaha after taking the AD job in Lincoln.

 

[dinglefritz]

Bonus story.....that same HyVee manager said that Trev Alberts used to buy his cigars there. Didn't know he lived in Omaha after taking the AD job in Lincoln.

I’ll waste money on over priced bourbon. Quit buying cigars 45 years ago.

 

[Walleye 1]

I’ll waste money on over priced bourbon. Quit buying cigars 45 years ago.

I have one cigar a year. Usually during our last night in the north woods of Minnesota our last night there.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

I have one cigar a year. Usually during our last night in the north woods of Minnesota our last night there.

Smell great..taste like crappola

...but i love crusin the cigar shop in the Old Market...aroma is top shelf.

 

[Laner2]

Get yourself a nice Portofina and stilck the drawing side of the cigar in a snifter of Drambuie for just a sec or two and then draw down of that. Heaven's own tears!

 

[dinglefritz]

I have one cigar a year. Usually during our last night in the north woods of Minnesota our last night there.

Black flies and skeeters might be the only good reason to smoke cigars or cigarettes.

 

[dinglefritz]

Smell great..taste like crappola

...but i love crusin the cigar shop in the Old Market...aroma is top shelf.

99.9% of the time I detest cigarette smoke. .01% of the time I get a waft of tobacco smoke outdoors on a crisp fall day and it brings back high school football trips with my dad.