Very jealous - never had the chance to try any of them. One day maybe I'll get lucky on the Durham/NC ABC lottery (ha - not a chance). I saw the 10 year for $500 at a random liquor store while in NYC but couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger - if it'd been 15 or higher I might have pondered for longer.

My uncle loves Elijah Craig, it is his drink.

Two years ago he helped my father (his brother) out quite a bit so my dad bucked up and found him a bottle of 23yo. Not bad huh? While on vacation with my family last week my Uncle, who lives in Florida, drove up to see everyone and brought his bottle of 23 with him to share with my father and I.

Now my father hates Bourbon, he is single malt scotch all the way but I love the stuff and was eager to get my hands on some EC23. While my uncle is pouring and pontificating about the smoothness and body and flavor he sneaks in "and that is why I cut it." WAHT . Yes folks he cut his Elijah Craig 23 with some Elijah Craig 12 !

My uncle, master distiller that he is cut it to a ratio of four parts 23 to every one part 12 and claims it was better....I wouldn't know. I've never had the stuff. Is it just me, or should this be a crime?

It's his bourbon so he's entitled to do whatever he wants. I assume he tried it straight first.

The shameful part of the story is sharing it after cutting it. Why not keep 2 separate bottles and mix it in your glass?

They instituted them this year, after several years of people complaining the waiting lists and other ways of handling heavily-allocated products were corrupt and opaque. The lotteries aren't much more transparent, but at least anyone can enter when they're announced. It's buried on the VA ABC website somewhere.

I heard the VA ABC got ~96 bottles of each of the ones they did in the lottery (10, 12, and the rye). They're still allocating the 20 and 23 to their ages-long waiting list customers, which they stopped letting people get on a couple of years back.

Good thing about the VA lotteries is that you don't pay until you pick up. That's how I have won a couple of 2nd chance entries, I suppose; the winners didn't end up wanting them, or weren't able to pick them up within 14 days.



One of the guys I work with gave me a 2 oz pour from his 20 year last year for Christmas, and IMHO, it deserves all the accolades it gets.

The 12 is pretty good, but it definitely needs a bit longer in the barrel. For the age (and the retail price, if you can get it retail), the 12 is fantastic.

I happily concur after having tried it last Thursday for the first time.

I have had Pappy 20....more than 2oz and just don't think it is that great. I agree it is very very good, but think better bottles can be had for far less hassle.

Not to start a holy war... but I wouldn't pay aftermarket prices for it, no... but it beats all the 20-year bourbons I've tried. IMHO, it's truly at that "sweet spot" where the barrel and the bourbon are in balance.

Picked up a Mitcher's Single Barrel 10 I won via VA ABC lottery today (in the 2nd chance drawing). Have to say it's not worth the $$$. It's good, but I prefer stuff that costs a third to half as much. Four Roses Single Barrel, for example, is better IMHO and runs $44, not $120.

Hands down Woodford Reserve the best small batch bourbon. Worst bourbon is E&J. Christian Brothers is not bad for$7 but i'll stick to Woodford.

But I do love my Cognac(Martel or Hennesy).

Amazing! France makes a really good Rye whiskey!



Found at the bar at the IC Marseille. Silver medal at the 2015 IWSC (International Wine and Spirits Competition)

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof isn't bad. I picked up a bottle on Black Friday LOL when VA ABC offered a 25% off coupon or so.

128.8 proof, so definitely hot... drinks comparably to a couple of the Smooth Ambler Old Scout 10 barrel proofs I have. Costs more, though.

The aftermarket prices are offensive!!

I supposedly got my hands on the best bourbon out there just today, but I'm not opening it for awhile!

I almost entered the VA lottery for Pappy 25. Couldn't ever justify $1800 if I won it, though. Gorgeous presentation... but no bourbon is worth that.

Yes, I've paid over $400 for a whisky before... and I love Pappy 20 and would probably pay $400 for a bottle if I could (LOL). But $1800 for what is probably too old of a bourbon? No way.

I'm not sure I could pay $1,800 for ANY consumable. I've had bottles of wine in the high high many hundreds of dollars but I wasn't paying. $1,800 for anything that ends in the toilet.....or bushes .....is nuts.