Best & worst Bourbon?
Oct 24, 2015 | 7:50 pm
#601
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,472
Yes, they had them in stock. I've kind of given up walking door to door around the neighborhood looking for these special releases. 9 times they aren't in stock and the 10th the store is asking hundreds of dollars for them. I wish I could find a 2013...would love to do a '13, '14, '15 vertical tasting!
FDW
Oct 24, 2015 | 7:52 pm
#602
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,472
Thanks for the recommendations! ^
Stopped by Perfect Pour this morning and marveled at some of the Scotch available for far better prices than in VA (didn't buy any, though; I was there for bourbon). Picked up Orphan Barrel's Rhetoric 21-year expression--I'm not entirely sold on Orphan Barrel, but hey, it's not everyday you can find 21-year-old bourbon for $100 instead of 5x-10x that price. Also picked up a Filibuster blend of rye and bourbon I hadn't come across before.
Not sure if I'll stop this evening in Silver Spring or not; I think I've spent my budget on booze for the week already, and have trips out west coming up soon which means I'll be bringing back anything and everything I don't see around here.
Stopped by Perfect Pour this morning and marveled at some of the Scotch available for far better prices than in VA (didn't buy any, though; I was there for bourbon). Picked up Orphan Barrel's Rhetoric 21-year expression--I'm not entirely sold on Orphan Barrel, but hey, it's not everyday you can find 21-year-old bourbon for $100 instead of 5x-10x that price. Also picked up a Filibuster blend of rye and bourbon I hadn't come across before.
Not sure if I'll stop this evening in Silver Spring or not; I think I've spent my budget on booze for the week already, and have trips out west coming up soon which means I'll be bringing back anything and everything I don't see around here.
FDW
Oct 24, 2015 | 9:00 pm
#603
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA LT PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,567
Nice collection! What years are they?
Oct 25, 2015 | 12:09 pm
#606
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 406
I might not get any help on this but any fellow Texans (specifically Houston area) around? Wondering where you go to buy your bourbon. I find Spec's kind of pricey and was hoping there are other options. To me, Veuve at Trader Joe's shouldn't be cheaper than a high volume liquor shop.
*edit* It appears Goody Goody is a good spot and I have one right by my office.
*edit* It appears Goody Goody is a good spot and I have one right by my office.
Last edited by DetailsIM; Oct 25, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Oct 30, 2015 | 5:58 am
#607
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What do you guys think of Thrillist's list of 'everyday' bourbons at good value?
https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nati...liams-and-more
Essentially it's:
https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nati...liams-and-more
Essentially it's:
Wild Turkey 101 ($23)
"The kickin' chicken may have a undeserved bad reputation, but it's delicious stuff. Full of flavor and relatively cheap to boot, this is a cocktail maker's bourbon and not a bad sipper over ice."
Elijah Craig 12 year ($23-$27)
"For a fantastic 12-year-old bourbon you'll be paying about $25 dollars. Let me repeat, 12 year, $25. That's about $2 a year. Yeah."
Johnny Drum Private Stock ($35)
"This is a great sipper made in small quantities. It's bourbon with a spicy edge but also has the classic caramel, marzipan notes. I'll add to that peanuts. In fact, I'll drink this tonight with peanut soup."
Old Bardstown Estate Bottled (anywhere from $19-$29)
"This is a great 10 year old Bourbon that takes the place of the fancy stuff you've been drinking. Top whiskey writers like Jim Murray like it, I like it, you'll like. And you'll pay around $25, sound fair?"
Old Grand-Dad 100-proof Bottled in Bond ($20)
"This puppy is a bonded Bourbon under $20 bucks that's worth every penny and then some. But it needs ice. I use it in cocktails."
Four Roses Yellow Label ($20)
"I still remember ordering this in Spain and wondering when America was going to catch up. For the longest time, it was only for export. Now that we have it, drink it. It's a good value and, might I add, a very pretty bourbon, like a neighborhood girl who went abroad and came back a little more stylish and sophisticated."
Wild Turkey Rare Breed ($35-$40; $50 sometimes happens)
"This is the really good stuff for mid-level pricing. For my money, it's what I'd drink every day/night if I drank bourbon every day/night, which has happened on occasion."
Very Old Barton 100 ($14)
"When I take a break from Rare Breed, here's what I grab. It's cheaper. It's also robust. It's high octane but you don't feel it. It's the good stuff just not the really good stuff."
Evan Williams Single Barrel ($30)
"Single Barrel usually means expensive. Not here. Also, it's vintage dated. So, you can collect year by year. It's an incredible value and while the word smooth gets bandied about a lot this fits that word to a T. Evan Williams is smooth."
Pure Kentucky XO ($35)
"This is a slightly spendier 12-year-old than Elijah Craig, but what makes it worth it is that it displays some funkier, aged characteristics. Think butterscotch and cedar together. This is for the wine geek turned whiskey connoisseur who can't stop using terms like 'forest floor' to describe their wine."
"The kickin' chicken may have a undeserved bad reputation, but it's delicious stuff. Full of flavor and relatively cheap to boot, this is a cocktail maker's bourbon and not a bad sipper over ice."
Elijah Craig 12 year ($23-$27)
"For a fantastic 12-year-old bourbon you'll be paying about $25 dollars. Let me repeat, 12 year, $25. That's about $2 a year. Yeah."
Johnny Drum Private Stock ($35)
"This is a great sipper made in small quantities. It's bourbon with a spicy edge but also has the classic caramel, marzipan notes. I'll add to that peanuts. In fact, I'll drink this tonight with peanut soup."
Old Bardstown Estate Bottled (anywhere from $19-$29)
"This is a great 10 year old Bourbon that takes the place of the fancy stuff you've been drinking. Top whiskey writers like Jim Murray like it, I like it, you'll like. And you'll pay around $25, sound fair?"
Old Grand-Dad 100-proof Bottled in Bond ($20)
"This puppy is a bonded Bourbon under $20 bucks that's worth every penny and then some. But it needs ice. I use it in cocktails."
Four Roses Yellow Label ($20)
"I still remember ordering this in Spain and wondering when America was going to catch up. For the longest time, it was only for export. Now that we have it, drink it. It's a good value and, might I add, a very pretty bourbon, like a neighborhood girl who went abroad and came back a little more stylish and sophisticated."
Wild Turkey Rare Breed ($35-$40; $50 sometimes happens)
"This is the really good stuff for mid-level pricing. For my money, it's what I'd drink every day/night if I drank bourbon every day/night, which has happened on occasion."
Very Old Barton 100 ($14)
"When I take a break from Rare Breed, here's what I grab. It's cheaper. It's also robust. It's high octane but you don't feel it. It's the good stuff just not the really good stuff."
Evan Williams Single Barrel ($30)
"Single Barrel usually means expensive. Not here. Also, it's vintage dated. So, you can collect year by year. It's an incredible value and while the word smooth gets bandied about a lot this fits that word to a T. Evan Williams is smooth."
Pure Kentucky XO ($35)
"This is a slightly spendier 12-year-old than Elijah Craig, but what makes it worth it is that it displays some funkier, aged characteristics. Think butterscotch and cedar together. This is for the wine geek turned whiskey connoisseur who can't stop using terms like 'forest floor' to describe their wine."
Oct 30, 2015 | 8:23 am
#608
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Forgot about this thread and just stumbled back upon it.
I see that Herb687 has mentioned the LEX Horse and Bourbon DO, which we run (mostly) every 6 months. Version VIII coming up. Link to the Oct. 2015 version in my sig. Thread now in Community Buzz looking for peoples' preferences on April 2016 dates. Looking likely that it will be April 15-17.
Went to Four Roses this last time and had a very good visit. I am not clear on the nomenclature of their products, but the top-of-the-line ones were readily available at $72. Several in our group bought them. I am not a bourbon expert, but they were NOTICEABLY better than the $30 and $40 products. Quite good, we thought.
The tour guide at Four Roses was a chirpy, chunky, young good-old KY gal and we suspect she thought one of our guys was cute. The tour was maybe 25 people and the three offered samples were of the lesser stuff, but she quietly told us to hang back afterward and "she'd see what she could do." So we got to try the really good bourbons. Good sales(wo)manship, as the group ended up buying about 4 bottles.
Also hit a very neat place called Barrel House, which looks like some medieval alchemist's lab. They are just putting out their first bourbon and we got to sample the final bottle from the sold-out run of the spring. Very nice. New one coming I think in a few months. Also rum, vodka, moonshine, and barrel-aged moonshine (quite nice). The tour guide was the only fellow there, and he does everything. Very engaging and welcoming.
Anyway, I encourage everyone to come to this DO at least once. Bourbon fans should definitely visit at least part of the KY Bourbon Trail sometime.
I have a liquor store guy in LEX and he kept a bottle of Weller 12 back for me. Very nice, my first time. But it goes for $50 in LEX.
I see that Herb687 has mentioned the LEX Horse and Bourbon DO, which we run (mostly) every 6 months. Version VIII coming up. Link to the Oct. 2015 version in my sig. Thread now in Community Buzz looking for peoples' preferences on April 2016 dates. Looking likely that it will be April 15-17.
Went to Four Roses this last time and had a very good visit. I am not clear on the nomenclature of their products, but the top-of-the-line ones were readily available at $72. Several in our group bought them. I am not a bourbon expert, but they were NOTICEABLY better than the $30 and $40 products. Quite good, we thought.
The tour guide at Four Roses was a chirpy, chunky, young good-old KY gal and we suspect she thought one of our guys was cute. The tour was maybe 25 people and the three offered samples were of the lesser stuff, but she quietly told us to hang back afterward and "she'd see what she could do." So we got to try the really good bourbons. Good sales(wo)manship, as the group ended up buying about 4 bottles.
Also hit a very neat place called Barrel House, which looks like some medieval alchemist's lab. They are just putting out their first bourbon and we got to sample the final bottle from the sold-out run of the spring. Very nice. New one coming I think in a few months. Also rum, vodka, moonshine, and barrel-aged moonshine (quite nice). The tour guide was the only fellow there, and he does everything. Very engaging and welcoming.
Anyway, I encourage everyone to come to this DO at least once. Bourbon fans should definitely visit at least part of the KY Bourbon Trail sometime.
I have a liquor store guy in LEX and he kept a bottle of Weller 12 back for me. Very nice, my first time. But it goes for $50 in LEX.
Oct 30, 2015 | 10:04 am
#609
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BamaVol Jr #1 visited this past weekend and brought a bottle of Rogue Dead Guy whiskey. Not a bourbon, although I'm not sure what it is classified as. Kind of spicy, but on the harsh side. Maybe they'll get better at it, but for now I'm going to leave what remains in the bottle, in the bottle and pour it for the next visitors.
Oct 30, 2015 | 2:52 pm
#611
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Interesting. I find 46 harsher than regular Makers, to the point that I can hardly drink it.
Oct 30, 2015 | 6:00 pm
#612
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BamaVol Jr #1 visited this past weekend and brought a bottle of Rogue Dead Guy whiskey. Not a bourbon, although I'm not sure what it is classified as. Kind of spicy, but on the harsh side. Maybe they'll get better at it, but for now I'm going to leave what remains in the bottle, in the bottle and pour it for the next visitors.
Oct 30, 2015 | 7:51 pm
#613
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,472
What do you guys think of Thrillist's list of 'everyday' bourbons at good value?
https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nati...liams-and-more
Essentially it's:
https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nati...liams-and-more
Essentially it's:
Forgot about this thread and just stumbled back upon it.
I see that Herb687 has mentioned the LEX Horse and Bourbon DO, which we run (mostly) every 6 months. Version VIII coming up. Link to the Oct. 2015 version in my sig. Thread now in Community Buzz looking for peoples' preferences on April 2016 dates. Looking likely that it will be April 15-17.
Went to Four Roses this last time and had a very good visit. I am not clear on the nomenclature of their products, but the top-of-the-line ones were readily available at $72. Several in our group bought them. I am not a bourbon expert, but they were NOTICEABLY better than the $30 and $40 products. Quite good, we thought.
The tour guide at Four Roses was a chirpy, chunky, young good-old KY gal and we suspect she thought one of our guys was cute. The tour was maybe 25 people and the three offered samples were of the lesser stuff, but she quietly told us to hang back afterward and "she'd see what she could do." So we got to try the really good bourbons. Good sales(wo)manship, as the group ended up buying about 4 bottles.
Also hit a very neat place called Barrel House, which looks like some medieval alchemist's lab. They are just putting out their first bourbon and we got to sample the final bottle from the sold-out run of the spring. Very nice. New one coming I think in a few months. Also rum, vodka, moonshine, and barrel-aged moonshine (quite nice). The tour guide was the only fellow there, and he does everything. Very engaging and welcoming.
Anyway, I encourage everyone to come to this DO at least once. Bourbon fans should definitely visit at least part of the KY Bourbon Trail sometime.
I have a liquor store guy in LEX and he kept a bottle of Weller 12 back for me. Very nice, my first time. But it goes for $50 in LEX.
I see that Herb687 has mentioned the LEX Horse and Bourbon DO, which we run (mostly) every 6 months. Version VIII coming up. Link to the Oct. 2015 version in my sig. Thread now in Community Buzz looking for peoples' preferences on April 2016 dates. Looking likely that it will be April 15-17.
Went to Four Roses this last time and had a very good visit. I am not clear on the nomenclature of their products, but the top-of-the-line ones were readily available at $72. Several in our group bought them. I am not a bourbon expert, but they were NOTICEABLY better than the $30 and $40 products. Quite good, we thought.
The tour guide at Four Roses was a chirpy, chunky, young good-old KY gal and we suspect she thought one of our guys was cute. The tour was maybe 25 people and the three offered samples were of the lesser stuff, but she quietly told us to hang back afterward and "she'd see what she could do." So we got to try the really good bourbons. Good sales(wo)manship, as the group ended up buying about 4 bottles.
Also hit a very neat place called Barrel House, which looks like some medieval alchemist's lab. They are just putting out their first bourbon and we got to sample the final bottle from the sold-out run of the spring. Very nice. New one coming I think in a few months. Also rum, vodka, moonshine, and barrel-aged moonshine (quite nice). The tour guide was the only fellow there, and he does everything. Very engaging and welcoming.
Anyway, I encourage everyone to come to this DO at least once. Bourbon fans should definitely visit at least part of the KY Bourbon Trail sometime.
I have a liquor store guy in LEX and he kept a bottle of Weller 12 back for me. Very nice, my first time. But it goes for $50 in LEX.
Weller 12 is impossible to find here in MD, but it's not a $50 bottle of bourbon.. shelf cost is closer to $30-35....
I would love to make it to the DO one day...
BamaVol Jr #1 visited this past weekend and brought a bottle of Rogue Dead Guy whiskey. Not a bourbon, although I'm not sure what it is classified as. Kind of spicy, but on the harsh side. Maybe they'll get better at it, but for now I'm going to leave what remains in the bottle, in the bottle and pour it for the next visitors.
FDW
Oct 30, 2015 | 8:41 pm
#614
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I saw some last weekend, along with some Detroit whiskey (!), considered both, and bought neither.
Nov 2, 2015 | 6:33 pm
#615
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Based on an earlier post, I reached into the back of my liquor cabinet and found a bottle of Evan Williams single barrel. I bought it at McScrooges in Knoxville in 2010. It is hand labeled as coming from barrel 1003 and the label is McScrooges-specific.
I agree that it is smooth, but it's not as sweet a bourbon as I like, in fact I would call it sour, and I realize why it's still in the back of the cabinet. Still, I made sure to pour 2 glasses to be certain. There's still a few inches left and back it goes.
I agree that it is smooth, but it's not as sweet a bourbon as I like, in fact I would call it sour, and I realize why it's still in the back of the cabinet. Still, I made sure to pour 2 glasses to be certain. There's still a few inches left and back it goes.