The Whiskey Workshop — Local services in Wake Forest

Buyer Beware My experience with The Whiskey Workshop and owner Donovan Lee was a nightmare.  After reading reviews and messaging Mr. Lee on Etsy, I ordered a liquor cabinet made from an authentic Buffalo Trace whiskey barrel with original distiller stamp on the bottom head, and custom engraved on the top head with Buffalo Trace logos and brands of whiskey.  The nightmare began when I received the liquor cabinet and it wasn’t what I ordered.  The cabinet I was sent had not been made from one of the three authentic Buffalo Trace whiskey barrels that Mr. Lee said he had when I ordered and did not have the original distiller’s stamp on the bottom head.  I immediately contacted him and he replied, “You are correct. It appears we picked the wrong barrel from the stack. I will credit you back the $100 you were charged for the BT upgrade. Sorry for the mix up.”  When I told Mr. Lee this was not an acceptable resolution, and I wanted the cabinet made from the authentic Buffalo Trace whiskey barrel.  He told me that, “I apologize that we didn’t use a BT barrel. I’m not going to eat $500 to return the one you have and ship a new though.” He also said my other option was to send the cabinet back to him at my cost, $614 quoted from FedEx, for full refund.  Neither of these options were agreeable to me since I paid $1,098 for a cabinet made from an authentic Buffalo Trace whiskey barrel, and Mr. Lee was unwilling to resolve the matter in other way, so I was forced to call my credit card company and dispute the charge and stop payment.  Only after stopping payment and telling him I would sue in small claims for breach of contract and fraud was Mr. Lee willing to pay return shipping, his cost of $148 which he stated later, and refund me 100% of my purchase price if it was returned in the same condition as he sent it. So this review isn’t exhaustingly lengthy, I will just highlight other messages from Donovan Lee that I received during our correspondence.  He said, that I was being petty because the distiller stamp was on the bottom and couldn’t be seen.  Not to preach to him about customer service, he’s flown across the country to fix customers’ cabinets, and he didn’t want my business.  He stated, that we were under no contract when the item purchase was made and paid for with no expressed guarantee or warranty and in as-is condition and he had no obligation to refund me any money, that as an accommodation he approved my return of the item for 100% refund.  When I offered to pay $500 for the cabinet that I was sent in error, I was told I was trying to extort him.  I was also told that, “if you refuse payment (proceeded with the dispute with my credit card company) without returning the cabinet in the condition it left my shop in, my attorney will file a complaint with the FBI for interstate wire fraud, larceny, and extortion. I have made every reasonable effort to allow you to return the item at my expense for 100% refund. I fail to understand your reluctance to accept this offer.” I returned the cabinet I was sent, in the same condition I received it.  There are multiple reasons I didn’t want to accept Mr. Lee’s offer. First, I wanted the cabinet that I had ordered made from the authentic Buffalo Trace whiskey barrel with an original distiller stamp and wouldn’t have ordered the cabinet otherwise. Second, I didn’t understand why Donovan Lee wouldn’t send me the cabinet I ordered, until he finally stated that my cabinet was “accidentally” sent to another customer. Fourth, thewhiskeyworkshop.net says, “Our Promise to You: Premium woodwork -reliable and professional, Your satisfaction is guaranteed.” Obviously, my satisfaction was not guaranteed. Finally, Mr. Lee never offered me a satisfactory resolution, only offered to refund 100% of my money as a last resort, and the communication I had with Mr. Lee after I received the wrong cabinet was hostile and unpleasant. As of September 8, 2021 a full month after signing for the returned cabinet on August 5th Mr. Lee has still not fully...

From the time I placed the order until the moment my barrel cabinet was delivered, I have been impressed with The Whiskey Workshop. The customer service has been top notch, and the time and care they took to ensure my order was delivered undamaged is certainly appreciated. Great communication, easy tracking, and the delivery service was fast, friendly, and helpful. We're in the middle of a remodel, but once the dust settles, I'll update with more pictures. I would recommend The Whiskey workshop to anyone looking for unique, well-crafted gifts for their whiskey-loving friends and family. Big cheers to The Whiskey Workshop, and I look forward to ordering again in the future.

Update: Now that the remodel is finished, I wanted to add a few more pics. I'm loving my whiskey barrel! Everything works as it should, and I've had no issues whatsoever. Another big cheers to The...

I have a few items from the Whiskey Workshop and couldn't be more pleased with any of them especially the Bourbon Barrel Cabinet. The craftsmanship they put into their products is unmatched and you can clearly see the thought and sweat they put into it down to every square inch of every stave. It is like buying a piece of art. Donovan and his crew are also very knowledgeable about bourbon itself, so if you want somebody who knows what they are working with and where it came from then look no further. You aren't going to find a better built or hand-crafted product made from...