A friend invited me to a whiskey launch for Bull Run Distillery's new Unipiper Blend. I'm honestly not a big whiskey drinker, but I was really impressed with the quality of their product. I tasted The Unipiper batch from bottle 111, a Straight Rye Whiskey that had been aged 7 years. I love all of the information this distillery shares with customers as it makes the buying experience feel all the more special. I really appreciated the time and energy the sales folks put into explaining the complexities and flavor profiles of this batch, and also throwing one heck of a launch party as well. Now that Bull Run is on my radar, I'll be paying close attention to their line of products and launches in the future. read more

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My oh my I have found my new favorite distillery at Bull Run! Vermouth finished bourbon. Rum finished rye. Pinot finished whiskies. So. Much. More. Absolutely incredible and a beautifully intimate spot in NW Portland. But what really sealed the deal was my experience with Landon and Cam. Landon was my professor in the tasting room. He dropped knowledge left and right that was easy to understand and even more fun to sample. Genuinely passionate about his work Landon's interactions were informative and eye opening. I can't wait to go back and learn more. Also, Cam joined us when he realized I was so excited about their offerings and gave me a full tour of the warehouse where I learned even more on my tour. Just phenomenal. Thank you so much Landon, Cam and the entire Bull Run team! read more

What's up: Our last destination of our Portland distillery tour, we were excited to see that it was a whiskey distillery. So many distilleries to visit, but so little time to do so! Parking: They have a small lot up front for parking. There's also street parking if that gets filled, but it looks like we beat the crowd. Environment: There was a table out front that displayed information about the place as well as the menus. Walking in, it's a bit dim and cozy with the tasting counter straight ahead and the restrooms and merch counter on the right. The counter also has plexiglass hanging to divide the area. The staff member who helped us through our tasting was very friendly and knowledgeable. We got to choose our picks of what we wanted to taste and he provided comments and suggestions. Water was also provided. What was ordered: - Tasting Flight (5 tastings) - A bottle of the Carlton Straight Rye Whiskey Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay. I think this was one of the better tastings that we've enjoyed. The experience was nice and the staff member was pretty cool. The Carlton Straight Rye Whiskey was our favorite. Credit cards are accepted. read more

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Had the pleasure of receiving a complimentary tasting of 5 of their drinks so we asked for bartenders' choice. I could tell they really knew their stuff and personally thought 1/4 shot was plenty for 5 tastings in total as I'm not much of a whiskey gal. I will say that many of the flavors are smooth - I especially liked the maple whiskey for its sweeter and more unique flavor. Definitely an equivalent to a port wine or dessert drink in general, it would have been great paired with some ice cream purchased from New Seasons next door. They have a nice array of mixers to purchase if you're like me and need a chaser here and there (yeah, yeah gimme a break I've always liked cocktails over something neat). They also have a small area to purchase items to make cocktails at home. 4 stars for now just because of how intimate their tasting room is, makes it hard to feel comfortableto just chill and enjoy some tastings - felt a little transactional and rushed because of that. Would be interested to see how their renovation comes along. Will make a note to come back when they're at 100%.l amd the tours are up and running again. Glad to have found these folks via a Yelp Event and now they're on my radar for when I'm in need of a locally distilled whiskey. Cheers! read more

Bull Run Distillery - hand holding a shot glass - Distilleries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Great stop to kick off our first visit to Oregon. As others have mentioned, the tasting room and parking lot are small, so I could easily see it getting packed, but we lucked out and it wasn't. I took my time getting to know each pour in my flight as best I could, which is admittedly challenging with only 1/4-oz samples. I'm a whiskey head and a collector, so I sought out Bull Run because Nasa Liquor in the greater Houston area landed some incredibly memorable Bull Run single barrels a while back. I went in knowing they sourced some of their whiskeys, which is fine, but I was stoked to learn about their Oregon single malt, which I was not personally familiar with. I also had some of their sourced offerings in my flight, and the 15-year pinot-finished was my favorite. They sourced a 15-year whiskey (from MGP, I believe) then aged it for 8 months in a pinot cask, and the result is yumtastic. Fairly priced, too. But the star of the show was their single malt. Aged in "Oregon oak," a common name for Quercus garryana (also Oregon white oak). You'll see the "garryana" name used on some whiskeys from this region. After the others, the nose alone was instantly WOW worthy. I could nose it forever. The palate followed the nose - incredibly unique and rich and complex. I have a pretty extensive whiskey collection, but value is king, so the price tag made hesitate for sure (around $100). Aged 9 years - very respectable for a craft distillery - and using a regional oak that's more expensive... okay, I splurged for something that I can't get in Texas. But it was a tough call, as I'm strongly resisting the price trend that the whiskey industry has been setting (up up and up s'more). Oregon, you pissed me off with your ridiculous laws that don't allow a business like this to sell me a proper pour. Flights only? 1/4-oz pours only? Give me a break. Not Bull Run's fault, but FYI if you're from out of state like me. I was in complete disbelief. Patrick and John were great hosts. I sincerely hope I remembered their names correctly. If I didn't, I hope someone corrects me and I'll update my review! read more

Did a tasing at this distillery as part of the Portland Distillery Passport. The passport provided $5 off the tasting price and included a souvenir shot glass to add to my growing collection of souvenir glassware. They have a lot of varieties to select from for your tasting. You get to pick 5. I chose the straight bourbon whiskey, straight rye whiskey, maple whiskey, Pacific rum, and the barrel reserve gin. The standouts for me were the maple whiskey and the gin. I could definitely taste the maple syrup in the maple whiskey. Turns out they mix maple syrup directly with the whiskey. Quite different from others that might do some type of infusion where the flavor is more subtle. The gin had a distinct lime flavor which I found enjoyable. I don't remember our host's name but he was very friendly and knowledgable. The barroom itself is quite small so it may feel a bit cramped with more than 4-6 guests at a time but luckily for us, we were there by ourselves for most of our tasting. read more

We decided to walk around the city and came upon Bull Run and happy we did. Decided to do whiskey tasting with friends and we all had a great time at Bull Run. Young man who helped us was very knowledgeable and it blew my mind how much he knew. Tried a flight of different bourbons and whiskeys and we decided to purchase a bottle while we were there read more

Friendly service, okay whiskey, Odd atmosphere. Small, no where to sit, in & out quick deal for us.

nice little tasting room. great, broad selection of liquors, from whiskey to gin to rye to aquavit. everything was tasty - we got 2 tasting flights to cover most of what they had available. the server was very friendly, personable, & knowledgeable. we had a great time. read more

Look. All of us* could use some alcohol right now. We're watching the world low-key fall apart, and those of us who are local minded can't help but think of how devastating this will be to the mom and pop shops that surround us. Thankfully, I found a good way to drink my feelings AND support local: Bull Run Distilling. While their (awesome) tasting room is currently closed, they're doing what they can and providing curbside pickup of their spirits. They have a badass portfolio of whiskeys and bourbons, so if you like dark spirits (booze, not demons), then Bull Run has you covered. Prices are reasonable, too. I'm big into their Straight Bourbon Whiskey Chinato Barrel Aged, which I can make into a highball for the first drink, but usually end up just drinking straight. It's been aged in sweet vermouth barrels, so it definitely has a sweeter complexity than one might expect. And I love it. For those that like clear spirits, they also make vodka. Get you some. Once this coronavirus is over I suggest going in for a tasting. Until then, check their website for details on how they're managing curbside pickup. * Please disregard if you're under 21 or in recovery. read more

Bull Run Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Not much of a tasting room to look at but a pretty good deal if you like whiskeys. $10 gets you their main 5 whiskey fights and $20 gets you everything. The bartender at my hotel bar recommended Bull Run whiskey when i asked for something local. Really enjoyed it but didn't ask which type she poured. Therefore, I looked up the distillery and saw it was 2 miles from the hotel and so here I am. Went with the $20 for everything. Turns out that it must have been the bourbon or the single malt whiskey. Those were both the smoothest and best for my palate. The Pinot noir barrel aged bourbon was okay, but I'm not a Pinot noir fan so I guess I shouldn't be surprised I didn't love it. The barrel strength was 115 proof so a bit too much bite for me. The others all had similar issues. Good, but not for me. That said, I enjoyed the single malt and the bourbon enough to leave with a bottle. Also really liked the vodka. Exceptionally smooth and will do well as a sipping vodka. Grabbed a bottle of that too. The taste pourer (bartender?) was very friendly and knowledgeable and quick with the refills and water. A great place to stop if you're a whiskey lover and like tasting local distillers when you travel. Might not be much to look at but a good place to stop and taste. read more

Love the tastings here. All of the whiskeys I've tried have been incredible but what surprised me was the delicious vodka. Their Medoyeff vodka is delicious and even better is their Starka, which is Medoyeff that has been aged in Pinot Noir barrels. Delicious neat or in the rocks, Starka drinks like a light, smooth whiskey. It's a "vodka for whiskey drinkers". I usually buy either their American Whiskey or their Pinot Noir Finished American Whiskey for a couple extra bucks. Both are delicious neat or on the rocks. Smooth and with the Pinot one, an added complexity. I occasionally might use either in an Old Fashioned, but it's really too good to mix in anything. Enjoy. read more

Vodka, whiskey, and bourbon at 11am on a Sunday? Perfect! Only $5 standard flight tasting, or $10 for the premium. Either way its a good deal! If you're a drink-it-all kind of Yelper like me, you're gonna love everything. The whiskey and bourbons were tasty, and the vodka was surprisingly smooth. Bottles were reasonably priced at $25-35. If Alaska Airlines didn't charge $25 to check in luggage, I would've bought a couple bottles. read more

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My tasting experience at Bull Run was such a treat! I came in around 4-5 PM on a Saturday and was given a delightfully informative yet fun experience despite the aficionado behind the counter simultaneously helping another couple. They had plenty of knowledge about the spirits I tried but didn't try to sell me, which I appreciated. But I bought stuff anyway because the spirits were so good - and there are some fun bar cart goodies in there too! read more

Drats!! I was given a tasting of something that was like butter; rich and smooth and so good, you could just drink it all by itself - but, I forgot to get the name!! In looking at their website, I am pretty sure it was the Aquavit. We also had a few other tastings (single malt whiskey, American whiskey, straight bourbon whiskey), but we were in a rush to get to dinner so I didn't take my time with them like I should have. Our host was very knowledgeable about the whiskey's we tasted. I also learned from him that the main difference between scotch and whisky is geographic. Whisky - without an E - is made in Scotland, while bourbon is whiskey - with an E - made in the USA. Let's hope I get asked that at trivia! Anyone need a lifeline for that answer, I got it! A great thing about this tasting room is also the location. You do have to pay for parking, but it isn't as busy area as the Pearl, so we found a spot on a Saturday afternoon very easily. This distillery has also given tastings at a few YELP events I have attended in the recent past so I was familiar with their brand and knew I would be in for - another - treat. read more

I'm a bit conflicted on this one, star-wise, because while it was a neat chill little place, everyone there was super friendly and super excited about the products they're making and about telling people about their products, and *some* of the products were great, it was also the only place on the Portland distillery trail I wasn't totally blown away by. I didn't know that up-front, though, obviously, so I obviously paid the extra $5 to try everything (a tasting of half the lineup is comped with the Passport, it's $5 to try the rest). The vodka... really tasted to me like your ordinary cheap vodka. The bourbon, too, tasted like cheap bourbon. And their aquavit, wasn't bad, but definitely the least flavorful/exciting of the several aquavits I tried that weekend. On the other hand, the single malt was quite good (though not *so* good that I feel like I'd be likely to pay 50 bucks for it), as were the two whiskeys finished in interesting things (especially the chinato-finished, the one thing I was actually tempted to get a bottle of, as it was super unique, being surprisingly fruity without being sweet - they describe it as basically being a manhattan right out of the glass, just add the cherry, and yeah, that's pretty accurate. It was great.) And the mushroom-infused vodka... well, it was the only thing I spit-bucketed the whole trip, but the point of it was clearly not as a sipping spirit, but to put a splash in cocktails, and I do think it would be a great thing to have around for certain cocktails. It was by no means bad (it was actually pretty awesome), just clearly wasn't designed to stand on its own. I would've been a lot happier if they had had any minis for sale, because I would totally have loved to buy a few minis, but I wasn't going to buy full bottles of any of them (either because they were really pricey, like the single barrel or the chinato-finished whiskey, or because I couldn't possibly ever use a whole 750ml bottle, one little splash at a time in an occasional cocktail, in the case of the mushroom vodka.) read more

Don't waste your money or time... worst experience for a tasting I have done to date. The tastings were so micro you could barely taste them and the server helping us took away the tasting so fast we could not even finish each one..and when I asked if we could revisit or taste another one she said no... when I asked her what the difference was between whiskey and bourbon.. she honesty did not know???! We felt very rushed and could not even enjoy the tasting..also noticed their marketing labels are a knock off from Bend sticker labels and mcmenamins... truly a different experience.. read more

This is the first whiskey tasting I've ever been to. To be honest, I did not love it. I'm 22 and straight vodka or whiskey just makes me cringe. However, the tasting was a really fun experience and I'm so glad that I did it. The classic tasting is $5 and premium is $10. If you're there, you may as well just try them all. Even if you don't love straight spirits like myself, it's fun to experience the different flavors, and interesting to learn about how different barrel aging processes effect the taste. The staff here was very knowledgeable and helpful. Also, my bf and I don't like vodka but thought their vodka was pretty amazing. read more

My group and I really enjoyed the tasting room here. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly. It was convenient that they have their own parking lot. We didn't have to spend time searching or have to pay for a spot. Would recommend, come check them out. read more

Bull Run Distillery - Super cool presentation - Distilleries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Bull Run Distillery makes awesome spirits... Today was birthday celebration AND garage sale. Enjoyed the tour and tastings. read more

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Yum! We really enjoyed our tasting . The man who poured our rum was friendly and knowledgable.

Amazing tasting! We had sampled Bull Run in mixed drinks at Yelp events in the past but really wanted to take some time to think through what we wanted for a bottle. Megan, our tasting tour guide, was super friendly and knowledgeable about all of the options they had. My favorites were the straight bourbon, Starka, and single malt whiskey. I was in need of more hot toddy ingredients and went for the straight bourbon, but I'll have to come back some time for the Starka. I loved all the fun little touches on the shop ranging from the snapshots of history to the tiny knit caps. Definitely check this place out some time! You won't be disappointed. read more

Bull Run Distillery - Forgot to take photos really until we were leaving - Distilleries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We happen to be walking down 23rd street when I spied this place. We walked in and saw that they had free tastings. The person behind the counter was really friendly and did a good job of shuffling her attention between the many people in the tasting room. Although I didn't personally see their spirits as standing out amongst others that I have tasted before, my wife really liked a couple of them. And several other people were buying bottles after having tasted them, so maybe my tastebuds are the oddball here. ... So, for a free tasting, I say you should stop in and see if your taste buds more align with those of the other folks. :) As for me, if you see my McMenamins Edgefield review, you'll see the multiple bottles of spirits from their distillery that I enjoyed more than Bull Run. read more

Awesome tasting experience. Great customer service, great whiskey, great price... and you even get a souvenir glass to take home! :) We stopped in for a quick tasting after lunch and ended up staying awhile enjoying the different whiskey and bourbon they had to offer. $5 tastings with a souvenir glass. You just can't beat it! read more

Bull Run Distillery - We enjoyed our host just as much as all the whiskey :) - Distilleries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I think my +1 rated this number 2 on our 8 distillery tour stops. We started off on rocky ground going into this place. We walked in when it was closing in 20-25 minutes, which we know is probably a no no but we didn't think we would take more then 15 minutes because we've been to other ones. We walk in and ask if we can still do a tasting and the tasting guide was very rude and begrudging. He said yeah if you make it quick - very off putting to customers who want to try your product. We had the passport so that probably made him more mad. Not a good start. After a few minutes, my +1 started talking to him about the liquors and he warmed up because he knew what he was talking about. The first pour he gave was so half assed and then he got better about being nicer to us. He was very talkative and knowledgable about the alcohol. We were confused about one bottle that he said it's been sitting for so many years, yet the place hasn't been open that long so we didn't understand that. My +1 really enjoyed their whiskey and most of their products, we wanted to take one home but again, we only had carry on. They let you have the tasting glass which is awesome, free shit! Tasting room is pretty cool, rustic and 'old-timey.' I wasn't happy about the first impression we got from the guy but he warmed up, so I guess that's okay in my book. Sidenote: there is a small parking lot. read more

Bull Run Distillery - his favorite of the 5 places. - Distilleries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We were taking pictures near the distillery's exterior after some dinner at Casa Del Matador when we were invited in by an extremely friendly employee. She invited us to have a taste of their vodka and rum, as well as some gin and burbon that were brought in by friends of the business. All 4 spirits were delightful. The woman pouring our samples told the story of how each spirit was distilled, how the Bull Run distillery came to be, and why a relatively new distillery has a difficult time selling aged burbon (spoiler alert: because it hasn't aged yet). We laughed alot. I appreciate that. The prices are great - top-shelf quality with middle-shelf pricing. I was very impressed with the local, small-scale, high quality, and friendly distillery that I never set out to visit but happily stumbled upon. If I'm ever in the neighborhood again, I'll certainly drop by. read more

Bull Run Distillery - Yum! - Distilleries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Yum! I truly enjoyed it! Bought some while I was there in Portland and just ordered some more to be shipped to my house.

Bull Run was at the Yelp event, and I already have some Bourbon of theirs at home, cause I like it A Lot, so I was so happy to see them at this event. CHEERS TO THEM FOR MAKING QUALITY WHISKEY AND BOURBON!! #bullrundistillingcompany read more

So much fun and great price. Rebecca was so much fun and answered all questions. We all fell in love with the Single Malt which was reasonable priced read more

Bull Run Distillery - Rebecca made this tasting so much fun, full of energy - Distilleries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Stopped in here cause I have heard good things about Portland whiskey and I am quite the lover off the brown juice of the gods. Went in on a Wednesday morning and did a tasting of all their current offerings. The tasting room manager was very very knowledgeable about all the samplings and from the vodka to the cask strength bourbon it was all tasty stuff. I ended up buying the two bottles and may have to rethink the review once i get to have a full glass! Bonus points to them for the glasses they give away and the mini ice cubes they offered for someone like me that likes the high proof stuff on the rocks! read more

Bull Run Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We were in town for just a few hours and were overjoyed when we found Bull Run!! We used the Yelp Deal, but even without it, the tasting flight prices are well worth it! We even bought our dog sitters back home the "can of whiskey" so we could share the experience! My only suggestion would be to add bar service that served cocktails featuring the spirits! (But then we may have never left, so that's probably a good thing ) read more

I'm a huge fan of whiskey, and my only regret in visiting Bull Run is that I was not able to bring any bottles back with me to California (I did carry on only). The tasting room is small enough to create a feeling of intimacy and personalized service, but is certainly big enough to have a good crowd in there of course all enjoying the delicious spirits. Their flights were extremely reasonably priced and the girls were awesome about giving us suggestions and explaining the processes behind the different spirits they carry. And you get to keep your tasting glass! They also have another merchandise section with a bunch of locally made bitters which was actually something I was happily able to bring home with me and cannot wait to try! My hope is that this company continues to succeed and eventually distribute down here to San Diego! The only difficult part was deciding what whiskey I liked best. Great place and completely worth every bit of the walk to get there!!! read more

We had the best time at Bull Run! They are doing really interesting things with barrel aging, particularly the whiskey aged in pinot noir barrels. Tasting a whiskey that was made in Portland and aged in wine barrels from the Willamette Valley was just so unique. It was great that there were a few other distilleries we could go to on our visit and they had free parking. Oh, I almost forgot to mention how nice they were. Not only super knowledgable about the spirits but gave us great restaurant recommendations. We can't wait to go back. read more

I had tried Bull Run whiskey and vodka at several Yelp events and had been wanting to finally check it out. On a recent cold rainy/snowy day, my friend and I decided that drinking was the best thing to do and that we should finally check out Bull Run. Megan was our fantastic, friendly and knowledge tasting guide. For $5, we got to try the vodka, Starka, 9 year aged Whiskey, straight bourbon, and barrel strength bourbon. Megan explained the rules defining labeling as a bourbon and straight bourbon. The Starka, a vodka aged in Pinot noir barrels, and the straight bourbon were my favorites and I had a hard time choosing which bottle to get. The tasting room is also very cozy and cutely decorated. They are on the Portland distillery passport with a $5 coupon as well. They also make an Aquavit, which I am excited to come back for when it's ready. read more

I've only done wine tasting before and this was a pretty cool experience. I thought the pours were generous and the server was extremely knowledgeable about the vodka and whiskey being tasted. Her descriptions about the notes were spot on. My only negative comment was that it felt a bit rushed - it was a lot of alcohol to take in in a short period of time and definitely felt the alcohol walking out the door. Next time... I'll slow down the tasting pace :-) read more

Friendly staff, great free tasting. However, we feel mislead-- the implication was that all of the spirits were made in-house. After we purchased the $30+ bottle of Temperance Trader Bourbon, we flew home to realize that right there the back label states "Distilled in Tennessee & BOTTLED in Portland, OR." It also doesn't state who distilled it-- how do we know that it's not just un-filtered Jack Daniels etc.? The website says they are making an in-house distilled OR whiskey to be released in 2015, but there was no mention of that in person. Also disappointing; the flavor was significantly less smooth than what we had tasted. I guess that's the risk with purchasing single-barrel whiskey. 3 stars for being a fun spot; just read the back label before purchasing! read more

Last year in an attempt to gain love from my French parents-in-law I purchased a bottle called "The Temperance Trader Bourbon" made from the waters of Bull Run. I purchased in a liquor store based on recommendations and I was impressed as 2 months passed and a visit to their home revealed, the Bourbon was AMAZING. How'd I know? I didn't taste it, but these two French people finished the entire bottle in 2 months. They said it was the best thing they'd ever had. So I decided to go to the source. Jennifer was my hostess/taste guide and man did she know it all. She was definitely a bit tired, the air conditioning needed emptying... and I was hot as well. However we remedied that with the following tasters: -Temperance Trader Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($35.99) -Temperance Trader Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Ginger Beer -Temperance Trader Barrell Strength ($39.99) -Temperance Trader Barrel Strength and a splash of water -Pacific Rum ($27.99) -Aria Portland Dry Gin -Medoyeff Portland Vodka -A new whiskey that I totally forgot the name, but it was something about a rare barrel aging process or something... I took home: -2 bottles of the Straight Bourbon Whiskey -1 bottle of Pacific Rum Why: The bourbon was the most well balanced I've tasted in awhile. It had a soft taste, almost like a Cognac, and was definitely a whiskey I could drink straight. As said by the producer "ending in honey", and that it was. The rum was amazing. Made from Hawaiian cane sugar, it tasted like a slightly alcoholic version of a Cuban simple syrup. It was absolutely delicious and something I could drink mixed or straight. In France we do a nice drink called "Planteur", simply a spoon of sugar, a lime wedge crushed in the glass and a shot of rum- I can't wait to get home to try. read more

I knew Portland was the go-to place for beer and coffee. I didn't realize that there were lots of good distilleries here too! We found this place by walking by, but they had just closed. We made sure to come back the next day for tastings. The tasting room in small, and 4 people filled the tasting counter. The distillers themselves were doing the pouring - not hot chicks hired for the counter, like at some other places I've been to... The tasting menu was their vodka, gin, (white) rum, whiskey, and barrel-strength whiskey. All of it was good. Not just good - special and notable and unique and complex. It isn't at a price point to *only* be for sipping, but all of it was easy to appreciate by itself. They also had cocktail recommendations for all of it. If we weren't flying home on a plane, we would have bought some/all of it. Each bottle was at the price point that I'm used to buying, and much of it isn't available down in California yet. So we will just have to wait for it to make it down there, and request it at our local bars and liquor stores. read more

ive never been to a distillery tasting room! sample vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey at 10am after a night of heavy drinking? sure, why not. the lady behind the counter was super nice and the tastings are free. i dont typically sip spirits all on their own but i managed and I will say they have a nice selection. fun for a visit for sure. they give you some pretty nice coasters free for the taking as well! read more

This place is pretty cool! The girl serving was a bit stoned, I think, but I'm not sure. In any case, she was very nice. This tasting room is very cozy and has lots of character. From all the places we went to in Porkland, we would go back here again next time! YES -- I recommend going here if you are in Porkland! read more