Blanchards Wines & Spirits

I nptice that most of the reviews focus on beer and wine and Blanchards is a full service liquor store with a extensive and deep selection of spirits and cordials. They even stock Crème de Violette, an Austrian cordial used to make Aviations. I went to three Boston area liquor stores and *only* Blanchards has it. So if you’re a serious cocktail afficiando and need hard to source spirits and cordials Blanchards is the place to go for both white and dark spirits, they have them all in every price point. The staff are knowledgeable about the brands they sell, for example there is a big difference between Hendrick’s and Bombay gin depending on the cocktail. Same thing with whiskies and scotches. Today I need to pick up a bottle of Sloe Gin for a party and once again only Blanchards has it.

Very good selection of beer & wine. Beer is probably about $ 1 more than Gary’s down the street, but the big thing Blanchard has that other places do not is the fun wine tastings and events! Check out their website.

Upgrading my rating after a few years. The inventory issues I referenced in an earlier review have been addressed. In fact, Blanchard’s instituted a streamlined pick up process which is working much better. No more long waits while a clerk disappeared into the cellar looking for my order.
The biggest reason for the upgrade is that they’ve been running some very good internet wine deals this year. The selection and prices have been strong. The woman who runs the program has made marked improvements in marketing, process, and communications.
The craft beer selection here remains a highlight, too, and the prices are excellent. It’s not uncommon to get a 12-​pack of good beer for under $ 15.
Customer service — specifically the friendliness and helpfulness of staff — is inconsistent. Management should «encourage» *all* employees to greet, help and thank customers. Some avoid eye contact and disappear when customers are near. And eating while manning the register should be prohibited. Others are pleasant and helpful. Consistency is important.

Oh Blanchards… *sigh*. What happened to customer service here?
Stopped in to see if they had a chardonnay I was looking for, and I roamed around looking, looking, looking some more (a few employees passed me, looked at me, and maybe they were just fascinated by my Summer tan or something, but maybe they just wanted to see how long I would roam around for before asking if I needed help?).
Apparently they thought I should just roam a bit. I finally approached the desk in the middle of the store where a really bored looking man looked annoyed when I asked «may I ask you a question?». I’m sorry, but if you want to sell me something, answering one question doesn’t seem unreasonable.
No, he didn’t have it. Didn’t offer any more information other than that, just no.
No.
Will I shop at Blanchard’s again for anything? No.

Check the dates on beer. Just got a six of Smuttynose Bouncy House, which is not hard to find, with a Enjoy By 12/​25/​2014 on it. I hate to admit it’s not the first time at this West Roxbury location. Shame on me for not checking dates but was in a hurry. They have a great selection, store is clean and well laid out but can’t get by the fact they don’t have a process in place for quality control. Think I will go elsewhere for my craft beer.

Great selection of craft beer means I can’t complain. Their prices are also very competitive for the Boston area.
Can’t speak much to the customer service since I’ve only been once, but it looks to be my go to spot now that I live in West Roxbury.

Frequented this location anywhere between two to four times a week for multiple years. Spent lots of money. Asked for very limited beer the day it was released and was lied right to my face and told they did not receive it. A friend went in moments later and purchased the same item in question. My money is clearly not good enough here. Have not been back in three months and take my business to Macy’s up the street.

This is not to be confused with Blanchard’s Liquors (Allston) and there are three stores in the group (JP and Revere as well — and the Revere store was in the movie «Mystic River»). Anyway –
I’d consider this and the JP Blanchard’s plus Gordon’s (Waltham), Curtis Liquors (Weymouth, Cohasset), Ball Square Fine Wines, Atlas Liquors (only the Medford location), Wollaston Wines and Liquors (Quincy), and a couple other stores the best wine/​liquor stores in the Boston area because of variety. Solid store with good events. Love their tastings; they bring in a ton of vendors at their Spring /​Summer /​Fall/​Harvest wine events (free) and some caterers too. We’ve found some surprisingly good wines at their tasting events.
We were never hassled to buy and I did find a number of things that were priced decently (especially if the price ends with a 7 [cents], I was told, it is on sale — and sale items were decent). E.g., I found a Pierre Usseglio 2006 Châteauneuf-​du-​Pape around $ 37 on sale. Some of their Harvest-​wine and post-​Christmas sales have decent selection too. We’ve also bought random other things ranging from pastis to liquors to sparkling wines from them too.
Some of their regular prices are like $ 1 – 2 above other liquor stores in the area, but overall that’s not too bad. I forget if they do case or mixed case discounts.

I used to work here for about 9 months so consider me biased. But I’m going to give Blanchards a review anyways since I purchased here both before and after being employed by them.
The store is always clean and organized. They do their reorganizing during the day. if a vendor comes in and has to set up a display its almost always before mid afternoon. The guys stock the beer coolers throughout the day and the floor is always stocked as well.
Prices are good. They do a lot of wine deals which is great. They have a big selection of everything and the staff is always really helpful when you need help finding something. They’ll drop what they’re doing (not literally) to bring you to the item instead of just telling you what aisle its in.
The parking lot is small. And be forewarned that you will get towed if you try to park there and not come in the store. You have to understand that it is a business for them and if they don’t have spots for customers because you are using one while you take a two hour lunch at the Corrib. then they lose out on business. That being said — they do monitor the lot during busy times but they’ll usually let you be during the daytime week hours. I wouldn’t test it, though.
Check out the events they hold. They do wine tastings monthly. They have other events too. They’re priced well and they’re a lot of fun. I did a wine tasting with my mom and her friends about a year before I worked here. it was fun and I learned a lot.

I am on my way to dinner w/​a friend and pulled over here to get some wine. I check in as I enter and cool! There is a check in offer! The clerks seemed confused and a bit perturbed (well one dude was perturbed but he was obviously very busy and dealing with customers is not in his job description) that I would even bring up a Unilocal offer. Really? You want a free pint glass? Who okayed this? There was a lot of head shaking by the staff (except the chick behind the counter and the dude on the floor, they were cool).
I waited for them to figure out what to do about my offer and finally a manager said, «Um, how about you take that glass over there.» It is clear that there is probably no promotion and the manager just happened to have an extra bottle.
Weird.
Anyway, they have a great selection of beer and wine. Solid store. Not sure about the whole Unilocal check in promotional thing.

I love Blanchard’s. The staff is nice, accommodating, always willing to help me find or carry something. They have a great selection, including fancy beers for the hubs, lots of delicious wines, and various ciders and malternatives for me. The prices are pretty good. My favorite thing about Blanchard’s is that they through fantastic semi-​annual wine tastings in the spring and fall. Blanchard’s is the best.

Today (July 15^th) I was heading to a friend’s for a cookout, and wanted to pick up a few beers. I checked Unilocal to see Blanchard’s operating hours, because it was a Sunday (July 15^th) at 6:30. According, to Unilocal (and Blanchard’s front door), they are opened until 7PM on Sundays. I pulled into the parking lot at 6:38, and another potential patron was knocking on the sliding entry door to the store. I got out of my car, and joined the other patron in attempting to draw the attention of the employees inside. There is no Earthly way that the employees did not see me and the other gentleman knocking on the door; they just chose to ignore us. So, because the store does not adhere to the hours posted on it’s front door, I will never spend another dime in any Blanchard’s location. I will gladly spend my hard earned money in Gary’s or Macy’s. Blanchard’s does not deserve the steam off my pee!

Wow! Maybe it’s because I live in the Brighton area and do all of my shopping in Brighton and Brookline but the prices here are unbeatable!
The place is huge and well lit. They even had an almost full parking lot on a Sunday afternoon.
I bought a bottle 750ml of 1800 (gold) for $ 20! In these parts it would have been $ 30-​$ 40
I will be back when I need to restock my liquor cabinet!

Blanchard’s in West Roxbury is (and will probably always be) my favorite liquor store.
Here are my reasons why:
— The wine staff is very knowledgeable. Whether you’re looking for a recommendation for a particular kind of wine, a good wine to pair with a certain dish, or if you vaguely remember the label of a wine you tried, but not the name, then their wine guys will probably be able to help you.
— They always have my favorite, go-​to Malbec, Pinot Gris, Reisling, Pinot Grigio and Cabernet. They also carry Hoegaarden, which my boyfriend loves.
— If they don’t have the wine you’re looking for, most often than not, they can order it for you and have it shipped to their store.
Case and Point: On a trip to Napa a few years ago I fell in love with a reserve Chardonnay I tasted at one of the vineyards. The wine was not (is not) available for purchase in retail stores, nor could I purchase it there and have it shipped to MA. A few weeks after my return home I went into my Blanchard’s to ask what they knew about this wine. Not only did they place the order for me, but I was able to purchase the wine for less than the discounted price at the vineyard, free of any shipping fees, and I received my order within a few days. If that’s not good customer service, then I don’t know what is.
— Did I mention their Wine Tasting machine? The dispenser holds 12 featured wines; tastings are offered free of charge and are available every day and evening. I love this! I will not claim to know everything about wine, but have learned a lot from all of the wine tastings and expos I’ve attended through the years. It’s so nice to be able to try a featured wine before purchasing.

Quite large and decent selection. You can’t blame them for not doing better on selection. The 10 mintues I was there waiting to pick up my wine order on a Sunday I saw these purchases made in a row: case of MGD, case of Miller lite, case of Bud light, case of Budweiser. Ugh.
You don’t have to be that bad. Instead, get on their email list. Every week they have a case of wine for sale that can be a really good deal. A friend of mine and I go in on the deal and wallah — full wine rack for cheap!

Blanchard’s is gradually becoming my go-​to spot for beer in West Roxbury. Their craft beer selection is eclectic, and generally has some gems. They carry a fair helping of selections from Pretty Things and Cisco Brewing; nice to see the support for local breweries.
The building was renovated in the last year or so, making it very inviting. I’ve had no issues with crowds, the service or finding what I was looking for. The large layout invites you to roam around, but as I’m a drunk-​on-​the-​go I haven’t explored all Blanchard’s offerings yet.
Prices tend toward the high-​side, but are generally fair.

I walked into this store with high hopes… OOOOh blanchards! (because i like the one in allston).
They had a lare selection of wine, but not the one i wanted… which is ok because a lot of stores dont have it… but the staff was really rude… including the manager that was on duty– if i am ever back in that part of the city i will make sure to by my wine before hand at a more friendly place.
Put a smile on your face and dont say to your customers «your killing me». just a tip.

Great wine and beer selection at reasonable prices and the staff is actually friendly! I’m guessing the West Rox location doesn’t hire anyone from the Allston spot as there isn’t nearly the attitude in this neighborhood.
Fantastic option for a local packie, especially if you’re looking to try out some new brews!

Don’t be hatin’ on this place! I heart you Blanchard’s — because maybe you are a 1 minute drive for me?
Anyways — I enjoy this place because it is easy to navigate and the staff do not intimidate you. I always make a Bee-​line to one of the managers to ask what new wines they have got in to try. They actually have a display case against the wall that show’s this month’s wine.
You can also sign up for their monthly newsletter as well.
The staff are willing to help and when they see more than a 2 person line they open the next cash register.
Huge selection on wine and spirits but I can see why the beer selection makes people sad.

This place recently renovated and created an addition to make it a massive store. It previously was smaller and had a limited selection.
I look at this liquor store as more of a place to buy wine. The wine selection is quite large and there is pretty much any type of wine you could want and a staff that is helpful when it comes to that department. As far as anything else, the beer selection is just average. I always judge a good beer selection on whether a place has unique and hard to find beers like micro brews and various other types. This place does not have those unique blends that I would look for. The regular liquor selection is decent and the place has your norm. Prices are moderate and parking lot is large and easy in and out.