Originally Posted by
TMOliver
The ongoing saga of the former chief at Balcones continues, the full tale making for good reading of the travails of legal whisk(e)y making.
I continue to be enthralled by the thread, especially having tried some of the whisk(e)y thanks to a spirits-crazed friend with a stuffed wallet and awesome curiosity. Personally, I'd jump at a chance to find "Old Weller 107" for $22, a bargain for a high quality product. Remembering "Four Roses" from my youth, a truly mediocre cheap booze, it's hard to leap at the name.
Meanwhile, day in and day out, I'll stick with the bottling which has carried me long and far in a land of bad whiskey, bad water and dirty-legged women, Dickel's White Label (the Black Label being drinkable, but the hopefully short-lived Red Label lacking body).
Returning from the 3 hour drive from Houston last evening as the sun settled below the yardarm toward the spanker boom, that heavy Waterford tumbler, a few cubes of "hard" ice and 3 ounces of Dickel removed the traffic tension and settled my weary bones.
I'm not exactly sure where the truth lies at Balcones and Chip Tate but I know one thing: Chip Tate worked hard at crafting a product that he could be proud of. That philosophy can clash with investors who focus on the bottom line. I think he left enough of a legacy at Balcones that they'll still put out good stuff....
Old Weller 107 is one of the best bargains in whiskey. Same mash bill as Pappy at a fraction of the price. Weller 12 also ranks up there. I bought a case of Old Weller for gifts and have plowed through it sadly; leaving me with only 1 bottle left... I would really urge you to try Four Roses again. Not the Yellow Label but the Single Barrel or Small Batch. For years Four Roses sent their best stuff to Japan but they reveresed that trend in recent year (probably starting in 2008). Jim Rutledge is a master distiller and they are really killing it recently. Probably some of my favorite stuff. They do a lot of private barrels for stores that are also nice to look for.
I love having whisky at the end of a hard day... really brings life into focus!
FDW