cclearman said:
Is a "store pick" just something the store is recommending? It's not some special release for that store / chain, right?
There's really two types of "picks" in my head; both of which are probably more accurately called barrel picks.
You have "Store Picks", which I'd use for mom & pop's like Oak Liquor Cabinet.
The store gets samples of several barrels, the store owner and some of the store's most frequent customers (big bourbon enthusiasts) try each of the samples and pick one.
Ultimately, their selected barrel gets bottled and sent to the store to sell their "store pick"; which is exclusive to that store, and picked by that store.
There's also what I'd call "Single Barrel Selections", which typically aren't really picked by anyone at the store. But more than likely the master distiller picks a single barrel on behalf of a store or a chain of stores that wants a "store pick". This would be what the big chains like Twin Liquors, Total Wine, Specs, Goody Goody, etc. picks usually are. Sometimes I think these stores send representatives; but many times it's just done on their behalf.
I put more weight into actual Store Picks like OLC's, Austin Shaker, etc... because I know the selection was made by a group of bourbon enthusiasts who really wanted to organize a barrel selection.
The other interesting thing for barrel picks is when a store or chain gets a barrel pick of an already single barrel expression. I don't necessarily think getting a Store Pick Blanton's is all that interesting... as all Blanton's are already single barrel. I'm more interested in batched bourbons that then get a single barrel pick... and then comparing it to the batched version. But that's just me.