Good local whiskey not wiggle.

Submitted by matty_m t3_zlejit in pittsburgh

My girlfriend’s dad likes whiskey. I got him some wiggle whiskey last year, but I am looking to find something different. I am not a big drinker so I am putting it out to Reddit for any recommendations.

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uglybushes t1_j04xybf wrote

Never wiggle.

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Jeepers_Meeperz t1_j04yxq5 wrote

I don’t care if it’s local, Wigle is straight garbage.

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Legal_Potato8958 t1_j0503cq wrote

😂 they don’t age it right? I got it for my dad too

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nicksloan t1_j055hz8 wrote

They do, but they have only been around ~10 years so there’s a ceiling. I think the bigger problem is that they’re just not great at it.

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talldean t1_j055z1y wrote

They had one with a green label that was better, but it was only around for like two months, once.

Other than that, it all tastes like corn.

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CL-MotoTech t1_j058x4e wrote

It tastes a lot like the shine my family makes, which is sad, because we don't like our shine.

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ongoingbox t1_j08h4gl wrote

I tend to like the small batch bourbon stuff Wigle does. I remember liking the Ginever and the Coffee Liqueur. Curious about those newish Amari. Not much of a fan of the basic whiskeys.

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[deleted] t1_j050z5q wrote

Ya I got it and was excited cuz the bottle looked nice but really underwhelming

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uglybushes t1_j0513sv wrote

It could be the greatest whiskey ever made. However it’s owned by the grifter bob nutting. I would like to see him lose all his money

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[deleted] t1_j051j4t wrote

God fucking damnit, pissed I gave that scumbag my money

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nicksloan t1_j0553hu wrote

The Nutting thing is somewhat recent. You might be in the clear.

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lefthandb1ack t1_j06mry3 wrote

I thought it was just that I was unsophisticated. I mean I am, but it’s good to know I’m not the only one that doesn’t like Wigle. And it starts with the pronunciation of the name. I grew up on phonics so gtfooh with your double g sound on one g. FOH

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lifes_nether_regions t1_j051bfk wrote

Out of all the local bourbons, Liberty Pole is my favorite

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hedbutter t1_j053qev wrote

Second liberty pole

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Rook22Ti t1_j06mtpp wrote

I must have gotten a bad bottle from them because people recommend them very often here. The rye tasted like what I can only describe as "pungent."

I went back to Rittenhouse or Bulleit but I'll have to give them another shot.

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lifes_nether_regions t1_j06qt9m wrote

I'm not a huge fan of Rye but I'll drink it here and there if someone offers it. I've only had Liberty Pole's Straight Bourbon

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AttorneyOwn8130 t1_j06hpry wrote

Liberty Pole get the rye whiskey but all is good from a local in Washington Pa and in state stores

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mamallamam t1_j04xh16 wrote

Check out PA Libations in the strip

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hooch t1_j06whw8 wrote

Seriously, can't recommend this store enough. There are lots of good whiskeys local to SW PA that I've never heard of. And they'll let you taste just about anything.

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kk14258 t1_j04wr6n wrote

McLaughlin’s!!!

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chartreuse6 t1_j05ivu9 wrote

I love them. Fun flavors too. And their little tour is interesting too

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weerock4ammy t1_j055x6c wrote

That was the first distillery my husband and I went to when we first moved to the area. They let him take a picture that looked like he was drinking straight from the still (in a sanitary manner naturally). One of the best moments for him. Love that place!

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Ph4ntorn t1_j06h80e wrote

As a cool gift option, McLaughlin’s will even let you bottle your own and put the label on and everything.

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weerock4ammy t1_j06hn9g wrote

We've seen that :) It's definitely on our bucket list!

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MiniRems t1_j05pq94 wrote

And the baby barrel bourbon is $10 off through the 14th!

We made aged eggnog with the 3799 last year and it was spectacular!

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Polishwiz14 t1_j051h0h wrote

Not local to PGH, but local to PA... I went in to PA Libations in the strip and asked a similar question 3 years ago. What is your best sipping Whiskey? Their answer, Stoll and Wolfe. We buy it annually for my FIL now, and it is fantastic! Warning: $80 price tag. Still worth it.

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Onepopcornman t1_j06icch wrote

It’s aged in PA? But I think it’s distilled in Indiana. Might need to double check that but that is what I remember.

Edit: Looks like there Rye is now distilled here and their bourbon for at least some of their projects is still MGP.

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ginselfies t1_j06f9p2 wrote

I love that place. I’m not a liquor person but I’ve gone there a few times to get gifts for my dad and the guys there have always been really helpful.

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[deleted] t1_j0526sk wrote

[deleted]

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hairyemmie t1_j065bvf wrote

you can see the remains of the old overholt distllery if you float the yough from connellsville to dawson :)

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DIY_Creative t1_j06it7q wrote

Was just waxing ecstatic about this rye this weekend as my go to affordable rye that is actually really good! Very underrated!

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Whiplash_666 t1_j05631z wrote

You would think an area of the country known for the whiskey rebellion we’d have something worth mentioning here

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Self_Hating_Dentist t1_j067yrg wrote

Up until about a decade ago the PA laws prevented commercial distilleries from having tap rooms so while your point is fair, there isn’t a whole lot of precedent for whiskey making/selling in PA since potential distillers were never able to easily sell their product. As a result there were very few distilleries up until coincidentally, Wigle helped change the PA laws which saw a proliferation of PA distilleries. Look up “Gifford Pinchot,” the former PA governor during prohibition whose tee-totaling policies are the reason why we have such draconian alcohol laws to this day.

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Willow-girl t1_j06ocs9 wrote

> Look up “Gifford Pinchot,” the former PA governor during prohibition whose tee-totaling policies are the reason why we have such draconian alcohol laws to this day.

Ehh. I'd say it's more because the government can make a f-ton of money by being the supplier, or licensing authorized suppliers.

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mynamemightbealan t1_j05mjvf wrote

It's truly a travesty that my favorite (affordable) rye whiskey, Kinsey, is from Philly

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TheTunnelMonster t1_j04y997 wrote

I totally understand wanting to shop locally to support the community, but if he’s REALLY into whiskey there are far better and often times cheaper options than the local stuff. Most of the local stuff just isn’t aged long enough yet to be worth purchasing unless you’re just planning to mix it to hide the meh taste.

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nicksloan t1_j054vk1 wrote

If he’s really into whiskey, he’s probably familiar with a lot of the staples. This kind of parameter probably ensures it will be something new to him. Maybe not the best he’s had, but possibly something interesting and different all the same. Not to mention something more unexpected than whatever his favorite is might be something to bond over.

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BeMancini t1_j04xya1 wrote

Quantum Spirits distillery in Carnegie makes gin, vodka, and two really good whiskeys. They also have a limited edition brandy right now. Totally worth the trip.

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412LiveCrew t1_j0546p9 wrote

Dads Hat bottled in bond is great and local enough

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agentmonkeynuts t1_j05regx wrote

It may not be traditional "whiskey", but Maggie's currently has a rye-aged rum that could probably fool a lot of folks if it wasn't so good. Maggie's is my (only) go-to for local spirits, personally haven't found anything else that measures up.

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Rook22Ti t1_j06ria3 wrote

And their coffee liqueur is amazing. I'm finishing up a bottle of peppermint and I have some of the regular ones on the way.

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Majestic_Ad_7281 t1_j05s6o6 wrote

Everything I’ve had from Big Spring Spirits is solid. They are Pennsylvania, not Pittsburgh specific. As mentioned PA Libations is a great resource. You can taste anything before you buy.

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getzroid t1_j05cy09 wrote

Liberty pole!

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FauxWarrior t1_j06e0uc wrote

Lucky Sign in Millvale https://www.luckysignspirits.com

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Rook22Ti t1_j06mbh6 wrote

I got their aquavit and it was very good. Not sure about whiskey since they're still pretty young.

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RagnarHedin t1_j06qjnq wrote

Everything I've had from them is fantastic, including their rye and bourbon. Another company distills it, then they age it. But their gin, vodka, and other clear spirits are all distilled on-site. Last I heard, they plan on eventually getting a pot still and doing it all themselves.

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myhouseisabanana t1_j07nnlx wrote

thought their aquavit was kinda meh, but I'm unaware of a single other domestic producer of it so I thought it was cool that they made it

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Rook22Ti t1_j089ujd wrote

I'm definitely not an aquavit connoisseur and I don't have a lot to compare it to. I drank a bit when I went to Iceland back in 2016 but I haven't had any since. It was definitely neat to see a local distiller making that.

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chartreuse6 t1_j05isow wrote

Liberty pole, mclaughlins

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darthmom t1_j053ofm wrote

Nova in Lawrence county.

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articfoxman t1_j06gmdj wrote

It's been said but Liberty Pole has a few really good whiskeys. Family run small business. Looking forward to when their new location is finalized. It's out in Washington but I have seen their stuff in a few liquor stores.

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dampfire t1_j06vwcu wrote

Kingflys whiskey is top notch. Their rum drinks like a bourbon.

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heili t1_j078os0 wrote

Liberty Pole.

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G_monet22 t1_j0513c0 wrote

Heritage Bourbon is a good one. You can find it at Pennsylvania Libations as recommended above. They also let you taste test there so you can try before you buy.

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Lonely_Recipe_583 t1_j05fm1q wrote

B&B distillery, and Red Pump in Washington is pretty good

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willl_dearborn t1_j06cirt wrote

David E is good and has multiple price points. I also like Resurgent.

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lawn_mower_dog t1_j06v3u2 wrote

I’m a big fan of Buffalo Trace but always have trouble finding it. It’s not expensive and it’s delicious so keep your eyes peeled.

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BillyEnzin69 t1_j06wwt6 wrote

Local whiskey? Make a left at the first light in Pitcairn, go half a mile, make another left, go a quarter mile and you’ll see a hollow log. Just stick a $20 in there and come back the next day.

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kancitbassdud2 t1_j075bwx wrote

My uncle really likes the rye whiskey from Red Pump in Washington. The grains they use are local too

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ozymand25 t1_j07n5n1 wrote

There's a PA only liquor store on Walnut St in Shadyside. They carry Liberty Pole, Wigle, and all other PA distillery.

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ZFunktopus t1_j08dtsj wrote

Check out Lucky Sign down in Millvale

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wagsman t1_j08rbqp wrote

Missed out on the state liquor lottery a few weeks back. Couldve gotten some Van Winkle for him, and if he's a whisky guy he's probably heard of that brand. However, it's not local. It's now bottled out of Buffalo Trace which is in KY.

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tapedum t1_j064oak wrote

Have you tried the pickle flavored whisky? I can’t remember the name but got a bottle the last time I was there…

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I_like_turtles818 t1_j057djs wrote

Nothing PGH but whistle pig is a fantastic whiskey

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