🥃 What To Pour When It Matters?

In partnership with

💥 Opening Pour

We’ve climbed the shelf together over the last week.

• Started low with bottles under $30 that taste like stolen treasure.

• Then hit the sweet middle—$60 bottles that drink like a rich man’s secret.

Now we finish strong with Part 3: The Top Shelf.
But don’t worry—we’re not jumping into $2,000 showpieces that never get opened.

Today’s picks are under $150—and they earn their keep.

These are special occasion bottles.
Graduation bottles. I finally did it bottles.
Pour-it-once-a-year bottles that remind you why you fell in love with whiskey in the first place.

📖 The Story

A few winters ago, I brought a bottle of Blue Run High Rye Bourbon to a friend’s wedding.

He’s a good man. Built his house with his own hands. Drinks Wild Turkey on Fridays.

When I handed him the Blue Run, he laughed.

“That’s too nice to open tonight.”

I said, “Exactly.”

We poured. First sip hit like a warm handshake.
His bride took one, nodded, and said, “Tastes like our future just got an upgrade.”

Some bottles do that.
They turn a good night into a memory.

🥇 The Weekly Pour Top Shelf Titans (Under $150)

🥃 Bottle: Blue Run High Rye Bourbon

• Price: ~$99

• Proof: 111

• Type: High-rye Kentucky Bourbon

• Nose: Toasted marshmallow, mint, honey oak

• Palate: Bold rye spice, vanilla cream, cinnamon

• Finish: Warm and complex with a peppery hug

✅ A modern masterpiece with old-school charm
✅ Designed by Nike’s former creative director (!?)
✅ Bourbon geeks and newbies both love this one

🛒 Buy it now → Blue Run Reserve – $99

🥃 Bottle: Redbreast 15 Year Irish Whiskey

• Price: ~$160

• Proof: 92

• Type: Pot Still Irish Whiskey

• Nose: Dried fruits, roasted nuts, honey

• Palate: Spiced orchard fruit, sherry richness

• Finish: Lush and endlessly smooth

✅ Ireland’s best-kept secret for serious sippers
✅ Sherry lovers, this one’s your bottle
✅ Incredibly well-aged for the price

🛒 Buy it now → Redbreast Irish – $159.99

🥃 Bottle: Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Revival

• Price: ~$139

• Proof: 101

• Type: Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon

• Nose: Cherry syrup, baking spice, oak

• Palate: Brown sugar, fig, molasses, warm spice

• Finish: Deep, rich, and dessert-like

✅ Rare. Elegant. Legendary.
✅ Bourbon meets sherry in the best way possible
✅ For fans of complexity and cask experimentation

🛒 Buy it now → Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Revival – $139

World’s Best Matcha finally On Sale

As the season speeds up, I turn to Pique’s Sun Goddess Matcha for calm, steady energy and a natural, healthy glow. Crafted to be pure, potent, and antioxidant-rich, it delivers clarity without the crash. It’s the Pique ritual that keeps me grounded, focused, and radiant through the busiest time of year.

Up to 20% off for life

🍹The Art of Mixing

Old World Boulevardier

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Blue Run High Rye

• 1 oz sweet vermouth

• 1 oz Campari

• Orange peel

Instructions:

• Stir over ice

• Strain into coupe or rocks glass

• Express orange peel over top

Tip: Smoke the glass first if you really want to flex.

🍖 Flavor Pairing Picks

These high-end pours deserve thoughtful pairings:

• 🧀 Aged manchego or triple crème brie

• 🍖 Glazed duck breast or char-grilled lamb

• 💨 Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro cigar

Elevate the moment. Let your pour lead the way.

🧠 Big Lesson of the Week

Top shelf doesn’t mean unreachable.

The best bottles under $150 hit that magic zone:
Rich enough to impress, affordable enough to open.

And remember—no bottle’s too nice if you’re sharing it with the right person.

🥂 Final Toast

Here’s to bottles that taste expensive—but don’t make you sweat when you pour ’em.

🥃 Repeatable Proverb

“Great pours aren’t about price. They’re about presence.”

✨ Step Inside The Lounge — Where Whiskey Stories Live

You’ve been writing your whiskey journey.
Now share it with others who pour with the same passion.

When you join The Lounge, you’ll get:

• 📖 Exclusive Report — Top 10 Whiskeys Under $50 (yours free the moment you join).

• 🏆 Real Rewards for Real Participation — earn whiskey swag gifts just by showing up and sharing.

• 💬 Civilized Conversation with Pour-Curious People — no snobbery, just good pours and good company.

• 🌍 Connect with Like-Minded Whiskey Enthusiasts from All Over the World — your tribe is waiting.

🕰️ Free Lounge Entry — Secure Your Spot at the Bar

Now Its Your Turn

What’s your favorite bottle under $150?
Leave it in the comments👇
Or ⭐ this list so your future self knows where to start when that next big moment rolls in.

Send this to someone who deserves a pour that means something.

Here’s to high shelves, open bottles, and moments worth toasting,

Ethan “Neat” Whitmore

P.S. Friday we drop the curtain with The Best Bottles No One’s Talking About—limited runs, underdogs, and overlooked gold. It’s gonna be epic. Don’t miss it.