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Gejimayu posted:My boss found out I've been getting into whiskeys and surprised me with this this morning. Is that the year it was bottled? Also, holy crap. I wish I could find a new one to compare but there's no way of that happening. Super excited. Could also be the proof of the whiskey, which seems a bit more likely than receiving a sample from 30 years ago. I would expect the label to be more yellowed also.
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Oct 10, 2020 01:11
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Thats a really good point. 10/10 91 proof makes sense.
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Oct 10, 2020 01:14
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Gejimayu posted:It was a gift to him from the manager of the store he used to frequent, I just didn't know if there was a way they label tasting samples like that. Shrug. Sorry, that came across snarkier than intended. I think those handwritten sample bottles are just a common way to share samples, with whoever filled it just writing whatever on the label. I doubt it was anything, like, official.
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Oct 10, 2020 01:52
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Finally scored some Eagle Rare 10 year because my sister in law found it in another state, and... .... it’s good, but not anything I’m going to cry over not being able to find around here? Like I can get 4R small batch for $31 at my exchange and I dunno what she paid for the eagle rare but I don’t expect much more than that, right?
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Oct 10, 2020 02:55
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I think MSRP for eagle rare is ~$30 yeah. It's fine but I agree it's not a big deal to miss out on.
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Oct 10, 2020 03:27
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Eagle Rare 10 is a nice cocktail bourbon and generic whiskey over cheap stuff like Jim Beam/Evan Williams/Jack Daniels IMO. It's not bad by any means, but I'd rather get a slightly higher-end bottle of something with more character, and drink it slower, for neat whiskey or pours over ice.
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Oct 10, 2020 19:57
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Eagle Rare is my "bring a bottle to family holidays" bourbon - a crowd pleaser that will be gone by the end of the night. At retail it's a bargain, but there are other bottles like Elijah Craig small batch or Old Forester (100 or 1870) that are decent substitutes in a pinch. Today's blind tasting - 110-114s - Four Roses OESK from Joyal's circa 2014, Maker's Private #1 from Yankee circa 2015, Russell's from Norfolk circa 2016, New Riff from New Hampshire spring 2020, and the new Weller Full Proof from Yankee. My guesses were totally off here, this is the first blind I've done where I got none of them. These were all really close; the Weller took it though (second pour from the bottle). This was a cherry bomb, with a nice spicy finish that I can't believe came from a wheater. The slightly higher proof vs the rest might have made the difference. Russell's was second, love that cinnamon, Makers 3rd with a caramel punch, New Riff 4th with more oak than a 4 year bourbon should have, and the Four Roses at the back end, tasty but unimpressive.
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Oct 10, 2020 20:48
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Shot in the dark, but does anyone have a contact at DISCUS? I was hoping to just bounce some policy questions off someone there, completely informally.
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Oct 12, 2020 08:48
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I'm looking for a nice celebration bourbon and I really don't wanna play the allocated bottle game. Anything especially interesting in the $75-$100 range I should be able to find without too much searching?
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Oct 12, 2020 20:58
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nwin posted:So I recently just got a big promotion and my sister in law wants to get me a nice bottle of bourbon. Ha, so this was a disappointment. After asking me what I’d recommend on $100 or less for a bottle and providing her recommendations, she bought me a bottle of Mad River bourbon from Vermont because she went up to Vermont and saw it in a store and they told her “it’s local and really good!” Spoiler: it wasn’t good. https://honestboozereviews.com/mad-river-bourbon-whiskey-750ml/ That review points out most of what I thought. I don’t think it’s as horrible as the review makes it appear, but I feel bad she spent $45 on it for something that really isn’t worth that price. I’d much rather she would have listened to my recommendations since she knows nothing about bourbon, but the thought was there. Not too sure what to do about this bottle. I pretty much only drink stuff neat nowadays so I wouldn’t likely use this as a mixer, which is all it would be good for...not going to do an old fashioned with it though. I think I’ll be buying myself a nice sub-$100 bottle for my promotion though after seeing the recommendations. nwin fucked around with this message at 21:33 on Oct 12, 2020 |
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Oct 12, 2020 21:28
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Casu Marzu posted:I'm looking for a nice celebration bourbon and I really don't wanna play the allocated bottle game. Anything especially interesting in the $75-$100 range I should be able to find without too much searching? If you're looking right now you may stumble upon High West Midwinter Night's Dram @$90-100 The sweet spot for available stuff is around $60-65 - Old Forester 1920, Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 12 and SiB picks, Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, JD Barrel Proof Depending on where to live, these may also be on shelves and worth around the same price: ECBP and Toasted, Larceny BP, Makers Limited 2019 or 2020, Makers 46 Cask Strength Above that price but still sub $100 these are probably findable depending on where you are: Booker's (any batch), Little Book, Knob Creek 15, Old Forester Barrel Proof Store Picks, Makers Private Select Store Picks
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Oct 12, 2020 21:29
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nwin posted:Ha, so this was a disappointment. Use it for BBQ sauce and stuff.
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Oct 12, 2020 23:12
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spankmeister posted:Use it for BBQ sauce and stuff. Now is a perfect time for a nice, warm Bourbon Apple Toddy.
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Oct 12, 2020 23:22
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I'm going to order some bitters for old fashioneds and would like something good but different from Angostura. Recs?
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Oct 12, 2020 23:26
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I think peychaud's is pretty fun in an old fashioned or a sour. Kinda licoricey.
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Oct 12, 2020 23:36
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I really like both the mi casa and figgy pudding bitters from the AZ bitters lab. They both make a great old fashioned.
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Oct 12, 2020 23:36
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Other uses for bourbon you don't want to drink neat: boozy egg nog, pork https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/11/pan-roasted-pork-tenderloin-bourbon-fig-glaze-recipe.htmlwormil posted:I'm going to order some bitters for old fashioneds and would like something good but different from Angostura. Recs? Orange bitters are pretty easy to find and work in a lot of cocktails. Enigma fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Oct 12, 2020 |
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Oct 12, 2020 23:47
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Infinite Karma posted:Eagle Rare 10 is a nice cocktail bourbon and generic whiskey over cheap stuff like Jim Beam/Evan Williams/Jack Daniels IMO. It's not bad by any means, but I'd rather get a slightly higher-end bottle of something with more character, and drink it slower, for neat whiskey or pours over ice. Eagle Rare is a pretty poor choice for cocktails if you're looking for any of the flavor to peek through. It's very light, almost delicate, particularly for a bourbon. If you're looking to hide the flavor of whiskey entirely it could get you there, I suppose. Of course that's all totally subjective. Certainly agree that it's lacking in distinguishable character, though. Personally I still see it as a sipper, but I rarely actually drink it since it tends to be so underwhelming. Vox Nihili fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Oct 13, 2020 |
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Oct 13, 2020 00:34
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Best mixers are cheap(ish) bottled-in-bond(ish) bottles Evan Williams BIB, Old Tub, Old Grandad, Wild Turkey 101, Old Forester 100, Rittenhouse Rye, Mellow Corn
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Oct 13, 2020 00:40
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Think I'll order that Woodford set. Would prefer warmer spices for fall and winter. Edit, Rittenhouse rye is an excellent mixer. So is Old Overholt although I prefer the 80 proof, the bonded tastes like they added neutral spirit to bump the proof rather than dilute less. wormil fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Oct 13, 2020 |
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Oct 13, 2020 00:43
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Deceptive Thinker posted:If you're looking right now you may stumble upon High West Midwinter Night's Dram @$90-100 Oh good call on the Midwinter Night's Dram, I need to keep my eye out for it. Whenever I look into Booker's, my eyes go crosseyed, figuring out which batch was named what. I should grab a bottle though, I've always liked it.
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Oct 13, 2020 02:16
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The "best mixing Bourbons/ryes/American whiskeys generally are BIB or close" is 100% the right take. (Most spirits seem to mix better when they're overproof--get an overproof gin or brandy and try out some cocktails.) Regarding bitters: beyond Angostura, orange and Peychaud's are the next most important/traditional. I say get some Peychaud's and make sazeracs. I like the recs in this Punch article on this topic, also.
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Oct 13, 2020 02:19
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I always have a handle of WT101 for mixing. It's great stuff.
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Oct 13, 2020 02:35
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Had a couple glasses of Jack Daniel's Eric Church single barrel select last night. I found it a decent drink as the single barrel selects are the only JD I'll drink.
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Oct 13, 2020 14:59
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Did you try the bottled in bond? It's like standard JD but, good?
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Oct 13, 2020 15:56
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Reuben Sandwich posted:Had a couple glasses of Jack Daniel's Eric Church single barrel select last night. I found it a decent drink as the single barrel selects are the only JD I'll drink. Have you had the barrel proof? It’s seriously good and seriously underrated. TW by me has the 375’s for $25, while the 750’s are $55. Actually a case where it’s more cost effective to buy the smaller bottle and see if you like it.
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Oct 13, 2020 21:58
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My dad is NOT a bourbon connoisseur, but managed to randomly pick the Weller 12 and the Stagg Jr as his bourbons of choice to pour over a bunch of ice and to top with a cherry.  Thanks Dad. edit: Is this the thread for rum as well? I just picked up a bottle of Doorly's 12 year and holy crap, this is amazing stuff for $26. Residency Evil fucked around with this message at 22:18 on Oct 17, 2020 |
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Oct 17, 2020 20:11
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Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is my go to.
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Oct 18, 2020 03:49
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 is plain ole buffalo trace suddenly in super high demand? A couple groups I'm in have a flurry of posts about it being in stock w/ a few bottles left at various liquor stores.
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Oct 21, 2020 15:47
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Casu Marzu posted:
Demand might not be super high relatively but it does seem to have outraced supply in the last year or so. Was this just regular bottles or store picks?
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Oct 21, 2020 15:53
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Casu Marzu posted:
I know around here (SW Ohio) it doesn't stay on shelves long. I did see 2 cases sitting around a store near me earlier this week though so it looks like supply may be catching up. I think it's just a really good bottle for the price. If it were $50 I bet we'd see it just sitting on shelves.
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Oct 21, 2020 15:57
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Casu Marzu posted:
I rarely see it in stores, and the Total Wine hides it behind the service counter on the rare instances they have any. I think it's mostly a matter of distribution though, as in other areas I have seen shelves full of it.
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Oct 21, 2020 16:33
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Casu Marzu posted:
https://www.pastemagazine.com/drink/whiskey/bourbon-whiskey-pricing-rising-secondary-package-stores/ quote:A decade ago, for instance, you had likely heard about collectors going to great lengths to secure bottles of ultra sought-after brands such as Pappy Van Winkle, a premium wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery. As Van Winkle became increasingly impossible to get, the collecting mania shifted to Buffalo Trace’s W.L. Weller lineup of wheated bourbons, touted by collectors as the “next best thing” to Pappy because they were made from the same mash bill. Quickly, the W.L. Weller brand, which had been a bottom-shelf staple for years, disappeared from shelves and became a hot item on the secondary market. And as Weller became harder to find, the mania shifted again, and again, and again, down the line, to the point that a frenzy built for seemingly every Buffalo Trace brand. Today, it can be very hard to find (depending where you are) almost any product the distillery produces, from Blanton’s and E.H. Taylor to Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, and even the flagship Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Basically the hype started with BTAC and pappy and slowly filtered down through the entire line. deedee megadoodoo fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Oct 21, 2020 |
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Oct 21, 2020 17:16
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That's bonkers. I've never not seen it very well stocked in Madison. I had no idea it was a hard to get bottle. Edit: I know it's just me yelling at clouds but goddamn the bourbon market is straight up dumb these days. I wish I appreciated it more when I was in college and a lot of the stupid expensive bottles were still readily available at MSRP. Casu Marzu fucked around with this message at 17:42 on Oct 21, 2020 |
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Oct 21, 2020 17:38
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Casu Marzu posted:
I'm surprised the groups are that way with regular bottles... store picks are a different story though (yet, I still wouldn't pay over $30 for a BT store pick and $40 for an Eagle Rare pick and it would have to be a phenomenal one even at that price)
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Oct 21, 2020 17:41
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deedee megadoodoo posted:https://www.pastemagazine.com/drink/whiskey/bourbon-whiskey-pricing-rising-secondary-package-stores/ That's nuts. About five years ago was the last time I had a reasonably priced bottle of Weller, and it seems like a decade since I've seen Blanton's or Sazerac in the wild.
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Oct 21, 2020 18:10
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Casu Marzu posted:Edit: I know it's just me yelling at clouds but goddamn the bourbon market is straight up dumb these days. I wish I appreciated it more when I was in college and a lot of the stupid expensive bottles were still readily available at MSRP. For real. Speaking of Weller, I used to keep Antique 107 around as my everyday bottle in college and grad school, I swear it wasn't more than $20. I just saw it in-store for $129.
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Oct 21, 2020 19:43
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Scythe posted:For real. Speaking of Weller, I used to keep Antique 107 around as my everyday bottle in college and grad school, I swear it wasn't more than $20. I just saw it in-store for $129. I paid under $30 in 2016 when they switched over to the new bottles. MSRP went up in 2018 to $50 (around when they changed it from screw-top to cork). You can still find it in some states at or sub-retail. Most other places you need to find an honest store and catch them on the day they get it in (and within an hour of it being posted to the local Facebook groups), win a raffle, or have a friend that works there reserve you one. It's insane
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Oct 21, 2020 20:55
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Scythe posted:For real. Speaking of Weller, I used to keep Antique 107 around as my everyday bottle in college and grad school, I swear it wasn't more than $20. I just saw it in-store for $129. Yeah same here. As I said before I had just graduated so I certainly wasn't living high on the hog and I would often have a bottle around. It can't have been expensive then.
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Oct 22, 2020 01:41
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Anyone know where the latest place is for buying/selling bourbon (and other whiskey) on the secondary market? I am mostly curious about what some old bottles are going for these days. It used to all just be on Facebook but those groups (and their successor groups) were shut down months/years ago.
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Oct 22, 2020 01:45
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