Would you say the Hillsborough ABCs have better selections than the Durham ones? I wouldn't mind the short drive for a good cause.

I think he has us confused with some other state. :D :(

I'd love for VA to have gotten Weller 107.

Rittenhouse Rye is fairly common here, at least. Despite the removal of an age statement, it's a great value.

I picked up one I hadn't seen in a long while in VA yesterday: Old Forester Signature 100. Not a bad value, but it's a bit harsh compared to the other Old Foresters I've tried, including their BiB (great stuff, although pricey) and 1870 Craft (pretty good). I'll give it another try today or tomorrow to see if the quick taste I gave it yesterday was mistaken.

This was my first time visiting any Hillsborough / Orange County ABC (I was at the one off US70). It was definitely smaller than both Durham ABC stores but because it's a bit of a drive from both Durham and Chapel Hill I think they likely have less traffic to the store so any allocation they get of the good stuff lasts longer.

That being said I perused the store after I found the Rittenhouse to see if there were any more gems and I didn't immediately see anything else pop out (probably a good thing for my wallet).

Ahh that's a bummer to hear. I was contemplating driving up to Danville and stopping at the first ABC store over the state line to see if they had any - I picked up a bottle from D&M in SF in October and I've been really enjoying it recently. Should've bought two bottles at D&M when I had the chance instead of just the 1.

Recently found some Bookers (in Muscat of all places) and grabbed it. Pricey at ~$70 but so unusual for the area that I grabbed it. Mostly been a rum drinker growing up in Australia but with the poor selection here in the ME have got a bit more adventurous and started trying a few bourbons. Worked my way up from JD :D

Really enjoying it, which I didn't expect given the 130+ proof level of it. Otherwise slim picking over here for anything other than JD & Beam, although FT's favourite Woodford Reserve is becoming reasonably easy to find. Also a very nice drop and a improvement on JD.

Great thread - I wouldn't have known what to try without all the comments on here ^

So are you taking it neat, on the rocks, with some water...? I actually like Booker's with just a bit of water (a few drops) or a small ice cube to cut it just a bit; neat, it's a bit oily in mouth-feel to me. That said, I just had some neat night-before-last. In terms of stuff in that proof range, I like Stagg Jr. a bit better, but it also costs about $20 more in VA than does Booker and isn't as regular a product in our stores.

Don't forget that the quality of water counts for a lot, even if you freeze them into ice cubes. Unless you are in a place has excellent tap water, it's best to pour Evian or something similar into your ice cube tray. When I was younger I enjoyed Bookers straight, but nowadays I definitely place a couple cubes into the glass.

LEX Horse and Bourbon DO dates set for April 8-10. Link to the thread in my signature.

Y'all come!

Would LOVE to but I'm out this year.

A first for me as someone who drinks often from hotel mini-bars. Normally you are lucky if you find JD in your mini-bar, but at the IC Boston they have Bulleit minis!

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...919dc7e970.jpg

That reminds me, I saw Bulleit 10 in the store the other day. Might have to try that too.

I will admit to putting a few drops of water in it most times.

I will have to watch for anything else decent here. We are no chance of getting Stagg. Will be going through the same ariport next week, they had 1 bottle left which I think I will buy. Probably will never see it again in the middle east. :rolleyes:

I picked up a Breaker Port Finish yesterday. Their straight bourbon is quite decent for a craft distillery, and is starting to become more widely available.

I have to say, of the port finished bourbons I've tried (Angel's Envy, 1792, a few others), this is the best. It's not mind-blowingly sweet, but definitely has a ton of port flavor to its nose and finish.

My wife even liked it when offered a sniff (usually, she says, "Smells like Spring Break! Yuck!" to any and all bourbons). She did not repeat the mistake she did with a Filibuster triple cask finish I offered her a while back, though, and actually sip it; having not built up a taste for straight liquor, she nearly exploded at the high proof Filibuster. The Breaker port finish is around 90 proof, IIRC, still more than she'd be able to drink.

I got to try a sip of Pappy Van Winkle 23 last night. It tasted very strongly of the barrel wood: a bomb of vanilla on the palate and very smooth. The nose was overpoweringly caramel.

It was very nice, but tasted so much like wood that I'm not sure I could do a whole shot of it...and certainly not at the $75 or $100 or whatever they were charging.

I haven't had it myself, but have read many opinions that the 20yr pappy hits the sweet spot on age, with the 23 taking on too much barrel character.

Opened up a bottle of William larue weller this weekend - it's fantastic. Even got my wife to take a sip and admit she kind of liked it.

Said goodbye to an old friend last night.