Topline Wine & Spirit
| Rating: ***** |
| Selection: *** |
| Prices: $ |
| Address: 4718 San Fernando Road #A, Glendale, CA 91204, USA |
| Phone: (818) 500 9670 |
| → website |
Tucked away in an industrial park in Glendale, this is a local gem of a liquor store. Knowledgeable helpful staff and a good selection at often very, very low prices. The whisky selection is not necessarily huge but uterrly solid. You can always find most of our trysted staple whiskies here including bottles such as the Ardbeg Uigedail, almost all Glenmorangies and Balvenies, Aberlour A'Bunadh batches when they're out and plenty of bourbons. You're not going to find any odd, rare or independent bottlings here but you will usually pay the lowest price possible for all your beloved standards. This is usually our first stop when we make the rounds to purchase bottles for the society.
The Whisky Exchange
| Rating: **** |
| Selection: ***** |
| Prices: $ |
| Address: Vinopolis, 1 Bank End, London SE1 9BU, UK |
| Phone: +44 207 403 8688 |
| → website |
Similarly to Royal Mile Whiskies, The Whisky Exchange is another UK based paradise for whisky enthusiast who wish to order from abroad. Prices are as competetive and the selection is as monumental. Highly recommended, same risks. This is also the source of many of the release notes you find on our whisky pages.
Royal Mile Whiskies
| Rating: **** |
| Selection: ***** |
| Prices: $ |
| Address: 379 High Street, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1PW, UK |
| Phone: +44 131 225 3383 |
| → website |
RMW is a great source for whisky enthusiasts who don't mind going through the hassle of importing hard to find bottles from the UK. Prices are hard to beat and the selection is, quite simply, monumental. There is of course the one tiny little problem of the legality of importing whisky from abroad and the subsequent risk of total loss of any shipment but so far, knock on wood, things have worked out well for us.
Mission Wine & Spirits (Pasadena)
| Rating: **** |
| Selection: ***** |
| Prices: $$$ |
| Address: 1785 Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104, USA |
| Phone: (626) 794 7026 |
| → website |
Not one of the closest sources to work but certainly a well-stocked one, Mission Wine & Spirits is home to a huge shelf stocked with Scotch single malt whisky which is mirrored by another huge shelf stocked with Bourbon and other American whiskies as well as lots of Irish and a decent variety of world whiskies. Not the cheapest store for sure but a great source for many standard release, a respectable selection of independent bottlings such as Signatory Vintage and others and good place to browse and look for things untried. Staff isn't particularly knowledgeable and cell phone reception is sketchy so you probably want to walk in with some information and knowledge in hand or in your head so you can make some educated decisions.
Beverage Warehouse
| Rating: **** |
| Selection: **** |
| Prices: $ |
| Address: 4935 Mc Connell Ave #21, Los Angeles, CA 90066, USA |
| Phone: (310) 821 4555 |
| → website |
It's a bit of a drive from the valley but not too bad on the weekends. This one has become one of the main sources for part of our monthly purchases. It's not the greates selection in the world but they have plenty including a bunch of rare and unique bottles. Most importantly they tend to have some of the lowest prices around every time for at least some of their stock.
K&L Wine Merchants
| Rating: **** |
| Selection: **** |
| Prices: $$$ |
| Address: 1400 Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90027, USA |
| Phone: (323) 464 9463 |
| → website |
While the brick & mortar store in Hollywood maybe doesn't have a huge selection of whisky it does have a fine and exquisit one. A good place to find interesting new releases and odd bottles intermingling with both occasional low-priced buys and very expensive exclusive bottlings. But what really makes this a good source for whisky is the fact that they have a number of stores in different cities as well as a big online presence. If you find something on their website they will ship it to your local store at no additional cost (if it's not already in stock there). That makes it a powerful tool for easily acquiring hard to find bottles.
Binny's Beverage Depot
| Rating: **** |
| Selection: **** |
| Prices: $$$ |
| Address: 5100 W. Dempster, Skokie, IL 60077, USA |
| Phone: (888) 942 9463 |
| → website |
None
Binny's is a chain of Illinois liquor stores that carries an impressive selection of whiskies and other alcoholic beverages as well as cigars. They often handpick whisky casks and bottle them as a Binny's exclusive with well know independent bottlers such as Signatory and Chieftains.
Wine & Liquor Depot
| Rating: *** |
| Selection: *** |
| Prices: $$ |
| Address: 16938 Saticoy Street, Van Nuys, CA 91406, USA |
| Phone: (818) 996 1414 |
| → website |
(NOTE: this maybe closed now. At the very least it's been on a downslope for a while...) A ways away from DW this store at least used to have a fantastically large selection of whiskies including a huge number of intriguing, rare and expensive bottlings that would make anybody's mouth water. They were also home to a huge selection of independent bottlings, probably the biggest we've found in any store in the area. Unfortunately it seems like their stocks have been dwindling in the wake of some ongoing issues related to the stores owner, his descendants and questions of takeover and future direction. At this time it's not clear what's going on and whether or not this place will recover to its glorious heights.
Silver Lake Wine
| Rating: *** |
| Selection: *** |
| Prices: $$$$ |
| Address: 2395 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA |
| Phone: (323) 662 9024 |
| → website |
Located just down the hill from the Red Lion Tavern on the opposite side of Glendale Blvd this is on of LA's best boutique wine stores. Aside from a fantastic collection of wines and the multiple highly enjoyable tastings taking place there each week Silver Lake wine is also a small but respectable source of interesting whisky. Owner George is a true connoisseur and organizes interesting whisky tastings every couple of months. The selection of bottles available in the store is tiny and marginal but usually consists of high quality rare and odd bottlings of very interesting whiskies that are often hard to find elsewhere. Do not go here looking to stock up on your staples. Go here to find unusual, unique and delicious oddities and rarities. Chat with George as he will be able to tell you about the specific characteristics of every whisky he sells. Quite a few of our bottles have originated at this store or where discovered by us at one of their whisky tastings.
Wally's
| Rating: ** |
| Selection: *** |
| Prices: $$$$ |
| Address: 2107 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA |
| Phone: (310) 475-0606 |
| → website |
On the West Side there's a smallish wine store called Wally's. Their whisky selection isn't huge but some interesting stuff can be found. Sometimes we need to go there for a bottle or two but in general they're rather overpriced by comparison.
BevMo (Pasadena)
| Rating: ** |
| Selection: ** |
| Prices: $$$ |
| Address: 885 S. Arroyo Pkwy., Pasadena, CA 91105, USA |
| Phone: (626) 359 9462 |
| → website |
Who doesn't know BevMo? The whisky selection isn't great but it's also not bad. You can usually find a mixture of classic staples at not as cheap prices as you would expect, cheap crap as cheap as it should be and occasionally a really fantastic deal on something very expensive. Always worth checking (online) if you know what you're looking for. The Pasadena one is located in South Pasadena, a couple of blocks north of the end of the 110 Fwy.
BevMo (Glendale)
| Rating: ** |
| Selection: ** |
| Prices: $$$ |
| Address: 200 Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204, USA |
| → website |
Who doesn't know BevMo? The whisky selection isn't great but it's also not bad. You can usually find a mixture of classic staples at not as cheap prices as you would expect, cheap crap as cheap as it should be and occasionally a really fantastic deal on something very expensive. Always worth checking (online) if you know what you're looking for. The Glendale one is located right across from the Americana.
BevMo (Burbank)
| Rating: ** |
| Selection: ** |
| Prices: $$$ |
| Address: 1775 N. Victory Place, Burbank, CA 91502, USA |
| Phone: (818) 847 2175 |
| → website |
Who doesn't know BevMo? The whisky selection isn't great but it's also not bad. You can usually find a mixture of classic staples at not as cheap prices as you would expect, cheap crap as cheap as it should be and occasionally a really fantastic deal on something very expensive. Always worth checking (online) if you know what you're looking for. The Burbank one is located in the Empire Shopping Center.
Mission Wine & Spirits (Glendale)
| Rating: ** |
| Selection: ** |
| Prices: $$$$ |
| Address: 825 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA 91202, USA |
| Phone: (818) 242 0683 |
| → website |
Apparently a new sister store in Glendale to the original Mission Wine & Spirits in Pasadena though possibly owned by the separate company of another family member. What can weI say... it's complicated. Initial visits have revealed the whisky selection to be somewhat unimpressive and not at all comparable to the mothership store in Pasadena. Though very close to work by comparison it's still worth to drive out to Pasadena instead. That said... hopefully they will catch up and have an equally as awesome selection available in the near future.
Red Carpet Wines & Spirits
| Rating: * |
| Selection: * |
| Prices: $$$$$ |
| Address: 400 E. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA 91207, USA |
| Phone: (818) 247 5544 |
| → website |
Another local liquor store that stocks whisky and portrays itself as fancy. However, the selection is very limited and completely overpriced. We recommend: stay away. Many better and cheaper options are available!
