Flaschen, zu denen ich greife

This is the bourbon shelf I actually drink from, not the one I pretend to curate when people come over and start taking photos. Think "box score meets back bar": proof, role, and what kind of night it quietly optimizes for. I’m not chasing unicorns here (mostly); these are bottles you can plausibly find in New York if you’re patient and vaguely employed, with enough personality that I can give you more than "vanilla and oak" as a tasting note. Call it my working bourbon roster: some starters, some role players, one diva, all with a clear job description.