Bourbon guys (2 Viewers)

[Charlie Steiner]

Charlie - It's time to put away your previous nightmares and take a walk down Lynchburg Lane!!! (However I totally get as to where you are coming from.)

I also like to watch SLB!!! Great guys!! They are to bourbon's & whiskies like Joe Bryant is to the world of Fantasy Football - Good guys in an overly competitive market!

It looks like I've already talked myself into jumping into rye, but I still have to watch my budget. The Jacks you've mentioned are kind of pricey; maybe I'll be ready a year from now to splurge again.

In addition to SLB, I also like ADHD Whiskey. He's hilarious.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Charlie - It's time to put away your previous nightmares and take a walk down Lynchburg Lane!!! (However I totally get as to where you are coming from.)

I also like to watch SLB!!! Great guys!! They are to bourbon's & whiskies like Joe Bryant is to the world of Fantasy Football - Good guys in an overly competitive market!

Thank you GB. You're kind. I don't know the SLB guys. Do you have a good episode you'd recommend to get started? The one on Ryes that was linked earlier? Any others?

 

[Joe Bryant]

In addition to SLB, I also like ADHD Whiskey. He's hilarious.

Thanks. Do you have any specific episode links you'd recommend? I know nothing about this world of experts.

 

[opensourcebeer]

Charlie - It's time to put away your previous nightmares and take a walk down Lynchburg Lane!!! (However I totally get as to where you are coming from.)

I also like to watch SLB!!! Great guys!! They are to bourbon's & whiskies like Joe Bryant is to the world of Fantasy Football - Good guys in an overly competitive market!

It looks like I've already talked myself into jumping into rye, but I still have to watch my budget. The Jacks you've mentioned are kind of pricey; maybe I'll be ready a year from now to splurge again.

In addition to SLB, I also like ADHD Whiskey. He's hilarious.

Seconding the ADHD Whiskey recommendation.

 

[Ron Swanson]

For what it's worth, and this is likely just me being odd, but I had a lesser opinion of Heaven Hill after touring the facility. Not because it's not nice. Actually the opposite. It feels like like a giant corporate headquarters. (Which it is). I knew it already of course, but when you can see the disconnect between the soulful story of Elijah Craig the preacher turned whisky maker and realize it's a corporate behemoth marketing machine, it felt a little odd.

Partly because it's just a few minutes from Willet and the vibe was night and day.

Totally agree. No different from the Sazerac, Suntory, or other giant corporation owned places but the others seem to do a better job of disguising it than HH. It has a very homogenized and antiseptic feel.

It's sort of the same thing with Tito's Vodka. I remember the first time I saw it with the Hand Made thing. Then realized it's from a monster factory. I'm a capitalist so I'm all for the company making money. If they want to spill more vodka than most vokda companies make, good for them. But don't try to make me think it's "hand made". Technically or legally yes. But I'm not looking for things to be technically not a lie.

Don't get me going Tito's. When he first started up in the early 90's he and his family would show up at the Spec's near our house to hand out samples. This was way before craft distilling became a thing. In fact, he was the first distillery to ever be licensed and operate in TX. I give him tremendous kudos for even being able to break through that barrier. And he's a super engaging guy with a great story. And his last name is Beveradge. It doesn't get any better than that.

So, even though I'm not much of a vodka drinker, we always cheered over the years when we saw his vodka show up outside of Austin/Houston. I remember when I first saw it outside of the US I was astounded. Then they suddenly became the de facto vodka brand everywhere. It was crazy to watch.

In the intervening years it has become apparent that they aren't really a craft distiller. In fact, they might not be a true distiller at all other than a perfunctory pass of NGS through a final still. But they sure have built a marketing machine. Not terribly unusual in the spirits industry from what I gather. But say what you want about the product, Bertito sure was a trailblazer.He replicated and then far surpassed the Grey Goose success with an American product

 

[Joe Bryant]

For what it's worth, and this is likely just me being odd, but I had a lesser opinion of Heaven Hill after touring the facility. Not because it's not nice. Actually the opposite. It feels like like a giant corporate headquarters. (Which it is). I knew it already of course, but when you can see the disconnect between the soulful story of Elijah Craig the preacher turned whisky maker and realize it's a corporate behemoth marketing machine, it felt a little odd.

Partly because it's just a few minutes from Willet and the vibe was night and day.

Totally agree. No different from the Sazerac, Suntory, or other giant corporation owned places but the others seem to do a better job of disguising it than HH. It has a very homogenized and antiseptic feel.

It's sort of the same thing with Tito's Vodka. I remember the first time I saw it with the Hand Made thing. Then realized it's from a monster factory. I'm a capitalist so I'm all for the company making money. If they want to spill more vodka than most vokda companies make, good for them. But don't try to make me think it's "hand made". Technically or legally yes. But I'm not looking for things to be technically not a lie.

Don't get me going Tito's. When he first started up in the early 90's he and his family would show up at the Spec's near our house to hand out samples. This was way before craft distilling became a thing. In fact, he was the first distillery to ever be licensed and operate in TX. I give him tremendous kudos for even being able to break through that barrier. And he's a super engaging guy with a great story. And his last name is Beveradge. It doesn't get any better than that.

So, even though I'm not much of a vodka drinker, we always cheered over the years when we saw his vodka show up outside of Austin/Houston. I remember when I first saw it outside of the US I was astounded. Then they suddenly became the de facto vodka brand everywhere. It was crazy to watch.

In the intervening years it has become apparent that they aren't really a craft distiller. In fact, they might not be a true distiller at all other than a perfunctory pass of NGS through a final still. But they sure have built a marketing machine. Not terribly unusual in the spirits industry from what I gather. But say what you want about the product, Bertito sure was a trailblazer.He replicated and then far surpassed the Grey Goose success with an American product

Agreed. From what (admittedly little) I can tell, they are Budweiser for Vodka but call their product handmade. That just seems so weak.

Way better to own it like Budweiser. https://vimeo.com/118512602

 

[Charlie Steiner]

In addition to SLB, I also like ADHD Whiskey. He's hilarious.

Thanks. Do you have any specific episode links you'd recommend? I know nothing about this world of experts.

There's a whole spectrum of reviewers out there, it just comes down to personal preference. The two that I mentioned are informative and entertaining in different ways. I can't really point to any one episode, but the one I linked above from SLB where they rate their ryes is a good example of their typical approach, and as father and son, they play well off each other. Another one I like is My Whiskey Den - David Elliott. Just a regular schmo who likes to talk about what he drinks.

 

[AAABatteries]

Whiskey Tubers I’ve watched or still watch:

• Bourbon Junkies - two goofballs who really aren’t the best at tasting notes and reviews but I find them funny and been watching them a long time - their are polarizing to folks because they are goobers
• Bourbon Van - one the several husband/wife pairs that review bourbon/whiskey - I watch these guys because I could see being friends IRL and I think Phil knows his ****. I’m consistently more impressed with his ability to pick apart a whiskey than just about anyone else.
• It’s Bourbon Night - watched them some and they were ok but don’t care for them now for some reason - they review a bunch of allocated stuff that I’ll never see
• ADHD - probably the best palate of the known folks. He won a whiskey tasting competition that brought him some fame - he does a March Madness type whiskey tournament with other whiskey tubers which is usually fun
• Whiskey Tribe - one of the grandfather channels and maybe the biggest - Rex and Daniel recently split the Whiskey Tribe and Vault stuff up but I’ve always liked both of them
• The Mash and Drum- Jason seems like a good guy and knows his stuff pretty well - just not as entertaining

There’s other I will catch from time to time but think those are the main ones.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Whiskey Tubers I’ve watched or still watch:

• Bourbon Junkies - two goofballs who really aren’t the best at tasting notes and reviews but I find them funny and been watching them a long time - their are polarizing to folks because they are goobers
• Bourbon Van - one the several husband/wife pairs that review bourbon/whiskey - I watch these guys because I could see being friends IRL and I think Phil knows his ****. I’m consistently more impressed with his ability to pick apart a whiskey than just about anyone else.
• It’s Bourbon Night - watched them some and they were ok but don’t care for them now for some reason - they review a bunch of allocated stuff that I’ll never see
• ADHD - probably the best palate of the known folks. He won a whiskey tasting competition that brought him some fame - he does a March Madness type whiskey tournament with other whiskey tubers which is usually fun
• Whiskey Tribe - one of the grandfather channels and maybe the biggest - Rex and Daniel recently split the Whiskey Tribe and Vault stuff up but I’ve always liked both of them
• The Mash and Drum- Jason seems like a good guy and knows his stuff pretty well - just not as entertaining

There’s other I will catch from time to time but think those are the main ones.

The junkies are hit and miss for me, though the goofier of the two did pretty well in ADHD's 'Open' this last year.
Haven't gotten into the Bourbon Van, and I'm a fan of It's Bourbon Night, to which I have to shamefully admit part of it is because Sarah is eye candy to me.
The Whiskey Tribe was my first, and I abide by their rule #1.
Agree with your take on Mash and Drum, not really into it but respect his palate.

 

[AAABatteries]

Whiskey Tubers I’ve watched or still watch:

• Bourbon Junkies - two goofballs who really aren’t the best at tasting notes and reviews but I find them funny and been watching them a long time - their are polarizing to folks because they are goobers
• Bourbon Van - one the several husband/wife pairs that review bourbon/whiskey - I watch these guys because I could see being friends IRL and I think Phil knows his ****. I’m consistently more impressed with his ability to pick apart a whiskey than just about anyone else.
• It’s Bourbon Night - watched them some and they were ok but don’t care for them now for some reason - they review a bunch of allocated stuff that I’ll never see
• ADHD - probably the best palate of the known folks. He won a whiskey tasting competition that brought him some fame - he does a March Madness type whiskey tournament with other whiskey tubers which is usually fun
• Whiskey Tribe - one of the grandfather channels and maybe the biggest - Rex and Daniel recently split the Whiskey Tribe and Vault stuff up but I’ve always liked both of them
• The Mash and Drum- Jason seems like a good guy and knows his stuff pretty well - just not as entertaining

There’s other I will catch from time to time but think those are the main ones.

The junkies are hit and miss for me, though the goofier of the two did pretty well in ADHD's 'Open' this last year.
Haven't gotten into the Bourbon Van, and I'm a fan of It's Bourbon Night, to which I have to shamefully admit part of it is because Sarah is eye candy to me.
The Whiskey Tribe was my first, and I abide by their rule #1.
Agree with your take on Mash and Drum, not really into it but respect his palate.

More on Bourbon Van - Julie seems like a cool lady but honestly seems little in over her head at times but she’s gotten better. They travel around in their conversion van and camp, which I’m in to so it makes it fun when they film from campsites and state or national parks. Phil just seems to be really good at analyzing whiskeys - maybe it’s just the ones I catch but he consistently does well on guessing what he’s drinking or give really good tasting notes.

 

[MrJimiT]

Whiskey Tubers I’ve watched or still watch:

• Bourbon Junkies - two goofballs who really aren’t the best at tasting notes and reviews but I find them funny and been watching them a long time - their are polarizing to folks because they are goobers
• Bourbon Van - one the several husband/wife pairs that review bourbon/whiskey - I watch these guys because I could see being friends IRL and I think Phil knows his ****. I’m consistently more impressed with his ability to pick apart a whiskey than just about anyone else.
• It’s Bourbon Night - watched them some and they were ok but don’t care for them now for some reason - they review a bunch of allocated stuff that I’ll never see
• ADHD - probably the best palate of the known folks. He won a whiskey tasting competition that brought him some fame - he does a March Madness type whiskey tournament with other whiskey tubers which is usually fun
• Whiskey Tribe - one of the grandfather channels and maybe the biggest - Rex and Daniel recently split the Whiskey Tribe and Vault stuff up but I’ve always liked both of them
• The Mash and Drum- Jason seems like a good guy and knows his stuff pretty well - just not as entertaining

There’s other I will catch from time to time but think those are the main ones.

Good list - we watch much of the same whiskey tubers.

SLB - I just like Kurt & Trent and the down home Indiana guys that they are.
ADHD - Because Matt is renown and kinda straight forward funny
Bourbon Night - Feel just about like you do the direction of the show
Bourbon Van - I just like the vibe of Phil and Julie. But you've hit the nail on the head about Phil. For an apparently easy going guy, Phil is really sharp with his tasting notes and his recommendations. With them being in Oregon, they often get selections that are more out their way then here in the midwest. However I think they are pretty spot on and have an appeal about them.

 

[Galileo]

Whiskey Tubers I’ve watched or still watch:

• Bourbon Junkies - two goofballs who really aren’t the best at tasting notes and reviews but I find them funny and been watching them a long time - their are polarizing to folks because they are goobers
• Bourbon Van - one the several husband/wife pairs that review bourbon/whiskey - I watch these guys because I could see being friends IRL and I think Phil knows his ****. I’m consistently more impressed with his ability to pick apart a whiskey than just about anyone else.
• It’s Bourbon Night - watched them some and they were ok but don’t care for them now for some reason - they review a bunch of allocated stuff that I’ll never see
• ADHD - probably the best palate of the known folks. He won a whiskey tasting competition that brought him some fame - he does a March Madness type whiskey tournament with other whiskey tubers which is usually fun
• Whiskey Tribe - one of the grandfather channels and maybe the biggest - Rex and Daniel recently split the Whiskey Tribe and Vault stuff up but I’ve always liked both of them
• The Mash and Drum- Jason seems like a good guy and knows his stuff pretty well - just not as entertaining

There’s other I will catch from time to time but think those are the main ones.

I love watching the Bourbon Junkies stuff. I find their style funny and entertaining. In fact, I was watching some of their livestream today as they were bottling their new product. They have entered into the market with their company Virtue Spirits based out of Michigan.

I'll add...

• Whiskey Row and Beyond the Row to the mix. David and Jaime team up for some educational and informative content. I think Beyond the Row is technically his wife Jaime's channel, but they are usually together in the videos. David seems to be more of the "expert" and Jaime provides a bit more of a "novice" perspective as her Bourbon journey is relatively new compared to David. They do some live streams and sometimes have giveaways like SLB does.
• Stuff & Whiskey is another decent channel. Josh and Erin team up to provide some decent content. They seem to be a little more on the low key/serious side in their videos compared to some of the others mentioned here, but it is very informative stuff.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Another fan of Stuff & Whiskey here.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

I'm looking forward to going bourbon shopping tomorrow in Orange County, the store linked below always has a great selection and will put out a xmas special where he has 2 or 3 bourbons together for a decent price. Last year it was a bottle of Blanton's, a bottle of corazon tequila and a margarita mix for $119.99, the local shop by me in nor cal sells their bottles of blantons for $140 each so I've never bought a bottle but hoping to this year.

https://cypresscraft.com/cypress-liquor-delivery/liquor/whiskey/?order=price&dir=desc&loc=0&p=3

 

[Galileo]

I'm looking forward to going bourbon shopping tomorrow in Orange County, the store linked below always has a great selection and will put out a xmas special where he has 2 or 3 bourbons together for a decent price. Last year it was a bottle of Blanton's, a bottle of corazon tequila and a margarita mix for $119.99, the local shop by me in nor cal sells their bottles of blantons for $140 each so I've never bought a bottle but hoping to this year.

https://cypresscraft.com/cypress-liquor-delivery/liquor/whiskey/?order=price&dir=desc&loc=0&p=3

Good decision...not worth it at that price IMO.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Like Peyton Manning is doing a bourbon now. That just tells me it'll be ok bourbon and cost 30% more than it should to cover his costs.

Plus it's probably distilled in Omaha...

 

[BrutalPenguin]

So I entered my mother (an Ohio resident) into the Ohio bottle lottery and she won!
Pappy Van Winkles Family Reserve 15 Year (750 ML) - $170
Does anyone have any advice about shipping whiskey from Ohio to Colorado? Or should I just fly out there to get it myself?

 

[Galileo]

So I entered my mother (an Ohio resident) into the Ohio bottle lottery and she won!
Pappy Van Winkles Family Reserve 15 Year (750 ML) - $170
Does anyone have any advice about shipping whiskey from Ohio to Colorado? Or should I just fly out there to get it myself?

I can pick it up for you...

I am guessing I didn't win anything or would know about it by now. I was wondering when people would find out.

 

[bcat01]

So I entered my mother (an Ohio resident) into the Ohio bottle lottery and she won!
Pappy Van Winkles Family Reserve 15 Year (750 ML) - $170
Does anyone have any advice about shipping whiskey from Ohio to Colorado? Or should I just fly out there to get it myself?

I can pick it up for you...

I am guessing I didn't win anything or would know about it by now. I was wondering when people would find out.

They sent emails today. I didn't win either.

 

[Galileo]

I just looked at the website...61 pages of winners and I guess I am not one of them.

And the website has been pissing me off lately...keeps telling me Weller Antique 107 is available at a place near me, and it just ain't true.

 

[BrutalPenguin]

So I entered my mother (an Ohio resident) into the Ohio bottle lottery and she won!
Pappy Van Winkles Family Reserve 15 Year (750 ML) - $170
Does anyone have any advice about shipping whiskey from Ohio to Colorado? Or should I just fly out there to get it myself?

I can pick it up for you...

I am guessing I didn't win anything or would know about it by now. I was wondering when people would find out.

Email dated 9 am (MST) this morning.

 

[BlackCrowes]

Anyone try Heaven's Door bourbon from Bob Dylan? They had a cool mini variety pack and loved the artwork on the bottles - have yet to try the bourbon though.

I've not had it but made me think of another question.

I'm a bourbon noob. Know very little.

But whenever I see a product and the primary attribute is someone famous puts their name on it, I immediately discount it. Especially when that famous person is not related to the field of the product.

Anyone else like this?

Depends - Im willing to give it a shot - I loved my George Foreman Grill and Jimmy Buffet margarita maker lol.

Did you burn your foot?

 

[Ilov80s]

Spent too much money today at 2
James
. 10 year Grass Widow Bourbon and a Rye aged in Sweet Vermouth Barrels for my BIL from Denver.

 

[bcat01]

I just looked at the website...61 pages of winners and I guess I am not one of them.

And the website has been pissing me off lately...keeps telling me Weller Antique 107 is available at a place near me, and it just ain't true.

Local store had Weller Full Proof and Weller 12 year listed. Got there and it had sold out an hour prior.

 

[Galileo]

I just looked at the website...61 pages of winners and I guess I am not one of them.

And the website has been pissing me off lately...keeps telling me Weller Antique 107 is available at a place near me, and it just ain't true.

Local store had Weller Full Proof and Weller 12 year listed. Got there and it had sold out an hour prior.

I was at my regular store today talking with the manager. They always have allocated drops on Saturday morning. He never spills the beans about what they have, but sometimes will give some teasers. When I asked him about tomorrow's drop he simply said it was going to be a good day. I see the OHLQ site is currently showing a limited supply of Eagle Rare and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof in stock, so that must be at least part of the allocated product they will have at opening tomorrow. I wouldn't mind have either of those two. I just need to decide if it is worth standing in line outside the store for an hour or two before opening. I haven't seen Eagle Rare around these parts for a long time and I have none in my cabinet. I have also been seeing all the hype about ECBP C923, and have been hoping to get my hands on some of that. I hate that these bourbons are so hard to come by. But the good part about Ohio's system, if you can find something, you can get it a good price.

 

[Galileo]

Ended up getting the Elijah Craig C923. Wow, that packs a punch at 133 proof, not for the faint of heart. Caramel and chocolate covered cherries on the nose...charred caramel on the palate. The sweet toasty brown sugariness helps mitigate some of that proof but it is still hot. Very good, but if you are used to drinking the 90 proofers, I recommend building up to this one.

 

[=Smackdown=]

Stopped by my local liquor store and was surprised to see a W.L. Weller Single Barrel behind the counter.

Snatched it up in seconds.

A true Xmas miracle.

 

[titusbramble]

Sister is across in Nashville in the next couple of weeks and says she'll bring be back something on duty free, is on a fairly tight (~$45) budget, although I'm sure I can top that up a touch if needed. Not really drunk too much American stuff outside of the megabrands that are easily available over in the UK so more or less a newbie to bourbon, have a preference towards Jim Beam over Jack Daniels but it's no real big deal, so any recommendations at around that price point which might not be readily exported would be appreciated. Cheers folks

 

[Galileo]

Sister is across in Nashville in the next couple of weeks and says she'll bring be back something on duty free, is on a fairly tight (~$45) budget, although I'm sure I can top that up a touch if needed. Not really drunk too much American stuff outside of the megabrands that are easily available over in the UK so more or less a newbie to bourbon, have a preference towards Jim Beam over Jack Daniels but it's no real big deal, so any recommendations at around that price point which might not be readily exported would be appreciated. Cheers folks

I am not sure of availability in the Nashville area, but if she can find Eagle Rare which has an MSRP of about $42 you'd be doing good. Wild Turkey Rare Breed comes in around $50, is really good, and may be more easily found than the Eagle Rare. Lastly, I'd recommend Bardstown Origin Series (white label) which comes in at $46. Again, not sure of how available it is where she will be shopping, but it is a winner at that price point.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Sister is across in Nashville in the next couple of weeks and says she'll bring be back something on duty free, is on a fairly tight (~$45) budget, although I'm sure I can top that up a touch if needed. Not really drunk too much American stuff outside of the megabrands that are easily available over in the UK so more or less a newbie to bourbon, have a preference towards Jim Beam over Jack Daniels but it's no real big deal, so any recommendations at around that price point which might not be readily exported would be appreciated. Cheers folks

I am not sure of availability in the Nashville area, but if she can find Eagle Rare which has an MSRP of about $42 you'd be doing good. Wild Turkey Rare Breed comes in around $50, is really good, and may be more easily found than the Eagle Rare. Lastly, I'd recommend Bardstown Origin Series (white label) which comes in at $46. Again, not sure of how available it is where she will be shopping, but it is a winner at that price point.

I would also ask her to check the duty-free shops at the airport; 'special' versions not sold in the U.S. can be found there. For example, there is a Wild Turkey Rare Breed that's non-chill filtered but only available outside the U.S., and it may be better than what we get here in the States. If she could find that, you'd have the best of both worlds.

 

[wlwiles]

Speaking of celebrity collaborated/endorsed whiskey, looks like there's a new one hitting shelves in 2024 (may already be out now) from Chris Stapleton (along with Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley).

Traveller Whiskey

For this first-of-its-kind collaboration from Buffalo Trace Distillery, Traveller brings together the collective artistry of 8X Grammy Award-Winning Artist Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley.

www.buffalotracedistillery.com

I can't help but wonder if this is a pure $ grab though because Stapleton is well-known to be sober for years.

 

[bcat01]

Anyone else try the Handy and Schiller Old Fashioned? Tastes pretty good with an Amarena cherry.

 

[MrJimiT]

Ended up getting the Elijah Craig C923. Wow, that packs a punch at 133 proof, not for the faint of heart. Caramel and chocolate covered cherries on the nose...charred caramel on the palate. The sweet toasty brown sugariness helps mitigate some of that proof but it is still hot. Very good, but if you are used to drinking the 90 proofers, I recommend building up to this one.

Elijah Craig BP has always been one of my desired go-to's. Batch C923 was a very welcoming release over the past few years of releases. I really enjoy C923. However, over the Christmas break, I have been hearing about inconsistencies even within the Batch C923. I discovered this anew, but, on the back of the Elijah Craig bottle, is an etched in number at the very bottom of the bottle. Just for comparison's sake - what is the first letter and the next 3 numbers of your coded bottle? Apparently the letter is the location it was bottled (I will assume A in your case). The next 3 numbers are the number of the day of the year that it was actually bottled. Apparently the entire batch of C923 may have taken over 11 days to bottle and some are noticing a palate difference between those bottled on day 223 and day 233.

I have 2 unopened bottles of ECBP C923 and both of my codes begin with A223xxxxxxxxx. Now I enjoy my bottles BUT IF THERE IS A BETTER ONE OUT THERE...then I am on the hunt for that.

 

[Galileo]

Ended up getting the Elijah Craig C923. Wow, that packs a punch at 133 proof, not for the faint of heart. Caramel and chocolate covered cherries on the nose...charred caramel on the palate. The sweet toasty brown sugariness helps mitigate some of that proof but it is still hot. Very good, but if you are used to drinking the 90 proofers, I recommend building up to this one.

Elijah Craig BP has always been one of my desired go-to's. Batch C923 was a very welcoming release over the past few years of releases. I really enjoy C923. However, over the Christmas break, I have been hearing about inconsistencies even within the Batch C923. I discovered this anew, but, on the back of the Elijah Craig bottle, is an etched in number at the very bottom of the bottle. Just for comparison's sake - what is the first letter and the next 3 numbers of your coded bottle? Apparently the letter is the location it was bottled (I will assume A in your case). The next 3 numbers are the number of the day of the year that it was actually bottled. Apparently the entire batch of C923 may have taken over 11 days to bottle and some are noticing a palate difference between those bottled on day 223 and day 233.

I have 2 unopened bottles of ECBP C923 and both of my codes begin with A223xxxxxxxxx. Now I enjoy my bottles BUT IF THERE IS A BETTER ONE OUT THERE...then I am on the hunt for that.

I saw the same controversy. I have the A223 version. Knowing my ability to discern subtle differences, I suspect I would not be able to tell the difference in a blind, but I wouldn’t mind finding out.

 

[top dog]

So I entered my mother (an Ohio resident) into the Ohio bottle lottery and she won!
Pappy Van Winkles Family Reserve 15 Year (750 ML) - $170
Does anyone have any advice about shipping whiskey from Ohio to Colorado? Or should I just fly out there to get it myself?

Being an Ohio resident who did NOT win the lottery... I'm turning you in.

 

[titusbramble]

Sister is across in Nashville in the next couple of weeks and says she'll bring be back something on duty free, is on a fairly tight (~$45) budget, although I'm sure I can top that up a touch if needed. Not really drunk too much American stuff outside of the megabrands that are easily available over in the UK so more or less a newbie to bourbon, have a preference towards Jim Beam over Jack Daniels but it's no real big deal, so any recommendations at around that price point which might not be readily exported would be appreciated. Cheers folks

I am not sure of availability in the Nashville area, but if she can find Eagle Rare which has an MSRP of about $42 you'd be doing good. Wild Turkey Rare Breed comes in around $50, is really good, and may be more easily found than the Eagle Rare. Lastly, I'd recommend Bardstown Origin Series (white label) which comes in at $46. Again, not sure of how available it is where she will be shopping, but it is a winner at that price point.

I would also ask her to check the duty-free shops at the airport; 'special' versions not sold in the U.S. can be found there. For example, there is a Wild Turkey Rare Breed that's non-chill filtered but only available outside the U.S., and it may be better than what we get here in the States. If she could find that, you'd have the best of both worlds.

I wasn't actually aware at the time she was flying out of JFK, which probably limited choices, ended up with Maker's Mark 46 so could be worse

 

[Da Guru]

Starting to wonder if bourbon is going the high end vodka route. Where people see the Grey Goose bottle and assume it is better.

Have a buddy who is a bourbon collector, they guy has over 100 bottles in his basement bar. Worth quite a bit as he is always searching.

My other buddy in our group is also a bourbon guy but not overboard. We go over to his house and he is all jacked up because he has a bottle a Pappy Van Winkle that goes for a grand or so and wants us to try it. He pours us some and my snob buddy is raving about the quality. After a few the host said it is Elijah Craig than cost 40 bucks..he poured it into a Pappy bottle that a friend gave him.

 

[Ron Swanson]

Starting to wonder if bourbon is going the high end vodka route. Where people see the Grey Goose bottle and assume it is better.

Have a buddy who is a bourbon collector, they guy has over 100 bottles in his basement bar. Worth quite a bit as he is always searching.

My other buddy in our group is also a bourbon guy but not overboard. We go over to his house and he is all jacked up because he has a bottle a Pappy Van Winkle that goes for a grand or so and wants us to try it. He pours us some and my snob buddy is raving about the quality. After a few the host said it is Elijah Craig than cost 40 bucks..he poured it into a Pappy bottle that a friend gave him.

If he had any stones he'd do the reverse.

 

[Galileo]

Ended up getting the Elijah Craig C923. Wow, that packs a punch at 133 proof, not for the faint of heart. Caramel and chocolate covered cherries on the nose...charred caramel on the palate. The sweet toasty brown sugariness helps mitigate some of that proof but it is still hot. Very good, but if you are used to drinking the 90 proofers, I recommend building up to this one.

Elijah Craig BP has always been one of my desired go-to's. Batch C923 was a very welcoming release over the past few years of releases. I really enjoy C923. However, over the Christmas break, I have been hearing about inconsistencies even within the Batch C923. I discovered this anew, but, on the back of the Elijah Craig bottle, is an etched in number at the very bottom of the bottle. Just for comparison's sake - what is the first letter and the next 3 numbers of your coded bottle? Apparently the letter is the location it was bottled (I will assume A in your case). The next 3 numbers are the number of the day of the year that it was actually bottled. Apparently the entire batch of C923 may have taken over 11 days to bottle and some are noticing a palate difference between those bottled on day 223 and day 233.

I have 2 unopened bottles of ECBP C923 and both of my codes begin with A223xxxxxxxxx. Now I enjoy my bottles BUT IF THERE IS A BETTER ONE OUT THERE...then I am on the hunt for that.

I saw the same controversy. I have the A223 version. Knowing my ability to discern subtle differences, I suspect I would not be able to tell the difference in a blind, but I wouldn’t mind finding out.

So there are several videos out there discussing this issue. The Bourbon Junkies posted a video today where they set up a blind with A22 vs A23. 2 of the 3 glasses were from the same bottle. They were asked to pick a favorite among the three. 5 people participated. Only one of them knew the bottles being tasted, but not what was in each glass. I won't spoil the outcome...

Check it out here

 

[BlackCrowes]

Both times I’ve done blind testing I’ve picked Blanton’s

But I have no doubt I could be fooled eventually.

 

[Galileo]

Both times I’ve done blind testing I’ve picked Blanton’s

But I have no doubt I could be fooled eventually.

Picked Blanton's over EC C923? Those are incredibly different experiences IMO. Nothing wrong with picking Blanton's. Everyone's palate is different, so everyone's likes will be different. How did those 2 end up in a blind together?

 

[opensourcebeer]

Starting to wonder if bourbon is going the high end vodka route. Where people see the Grey Goose bottle and assume it is better.

I think we are there.

I used to read the whiskey sub reddit, but had to stop...one too many posts of a huge allocated, unopened bourbon collection.

 

[Galileo]

Anybody here had experience with Glenn's Creek OCD #5 Premium? I have seen a few reviews which seem to be polarized. One from a couple years ago was very negative as both guys were rather revolted by it. More recently, I saw someone include it in their top 10 list for 2023. This appears to be a very unique experience, so I don't know if this is a love or hate thing or perhaps the product has improved significantly over the years as recent reviews are favorable. It seems they bottle only one barrel of this each year so availability is very limited. The regular OCD#5 is the distillery's bread and butter, but this is a very small operation. The SLB guys spoke very favorably of the non premium version of OCD.

They have a process of ordering online and they hold the bottle for you in their "vault" until you pick it up. They do not ship. I will be going there in February. There website shows the Premium version to be out of stock so I can't order it. I am wondering if they have any for sale on site. I suspect not if they only have 1 barrel per year. The regular version of OCD#5 only shows 10 bottles in stock on their website. I am debating if I should order one for pick up in February or take my chances that it will be available on site. This being their main product, I would think they would have it available continuously, but I don't really know.

 

[bcat01]

Got my first bottle of Weller Special Reserve. Store still had about 30 bottles. Going to crack it open this weekend.

 

[Galileo]

Got my first bottle of Weller Special Reserve. Store still had about 30 bottles. Going to crack it open this weekend.

They seemed to have released a ton of it around me this week. I have been in three stores this week and all of them had multiple cases on hand.

 

[wlwiles]

I've transitioned my bourbon hunting strategy in 2024. I've learned to see the value in store picks - you get a uniquely chosen bottle, a story about it (if you want it), and it maybe gains you a bit of cred with a new store if you chat with them, maybe sample some, and then buy their pick vs. just leaving with a regular bottle of Woodford or something found everywhere. On a couple of my recent store pick purchases (all to stores I'd never been to before) I've gotten the infamous "Anything else you're hunting for?" question when I got to the register. Landed an $80 bottle of Weller Antique 107 with that question

In the last month or so I've visited 6 stores and found these store picks:

1. William Dalton (Spirits of French Lick - Indiana) wheated bourbon. Big store, they had 6 different store pick blends all from this distiller, and the guy let me sample all of them I wanted. Liked this wheater the best, he was great to chat with and shared his notes on all the various bottles from that distillery they had.
2. Maker's Mark Private Select - this was one of the wood finishing series bottles with the different mix of staves. The owner let me sample it, and my immediate remark was "this tastes just like breakfast". He then turned the bottle to show me that this one had been named "The Breakfast Club" by his store (I guess Maker's lets you name your barrel/blend?). Just reminded me instantly of morning pancakes, hint of maple syrup and tasted a bit bready, but delicious. Still kicking myself for turning down a Makers Mark Cellar Aged 2023 Release that he offered me when I went to pay.
3. Old Soul (Cathead Distillery, MS) uncut & unfiltered. Whooo boy this might be my favorite bottle on my bar right now. 122 proof, high rye bourbon, it is a caramel & baking spice bomb. Very very rich flavor that evolves like crazy from the palate through the finish. Go find this Old Soul blue label bottle if you can.
4. 1792 Full Proof -- I didn't love the regular 1792 small batch when i first tried it, but I've had their BiB and liked it, and this was the first place I found a full proof. Owner wasn't there so didn't get a story with it, but the guy stocking the shelves told me this pick was delivered in December and they were down to their last 4 cases already Chatted with him a bit and he said they'd had numerous people pick it up, then come back for more so I took that as a good sign. Could have been a load of BS but I was going to buy it anyway and I think he could tell that so he didn't need to sell me on it. Gonna crack it open this weekend for a taste.
5. Four Roses Barrel Strength - OESK recipe. Like many, working my way through the different recipes by trying various store picks when I see them. I'm so partial to the regular Four Roses Single Barrel that sits on every shelf for $40 that it truly pains me to buy these Four Roses store picks that are now upwards of $90 around me, but those single barrels are only ever OBSV recipe so if you wanna branch out........
6. Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select. I've had this multiple times (and love the banana bread notes in it) and have sort of "graduated" to the barrel proof version already, but the owner was SO excited to share his story of his trip to go pick this barrel and how he loved the distillery and fun he had and on and on, so I let him sell me on this one. It was between this and Angels Envy, and EC Single Barrel which I already had two of. I got the Antique 107 from here when I went to checkout and he posed me the "what else are you hunting for" question.

Cheers in 2024 folks!

 

[opensourcebeer]

I've transitioned my bourbon hunting strategy in 2024. I've learned to see the value in store picks - you get a uniquely chosen bottle, a story about it (if you want it), and it maybe gains you a bit of cred with a new store if you chat with them, maybe sample some, and then buy their pick vs. just leaving with a regular bottle of Woodford or something found everywhere. On a couple of my recent store pick purchases (all to stores I'd never been to before) I've gotten the infamous "Anything else you're hunting for?" question when I got to the register. Landed an $80 bottle of Weller Antique 107 with that question

In the last month or so I've visited 6 stores and found these store picks:

1. William Dalton (Spirits of French Lick - Indiana) wheated bourbon. Big store, they had 6 different store pick blends all from this distiller, and the guy let me sample all of them I wanted. Liked this wheater the best, he was great to chat with and shared his notes on all the various bottles from that distillery they had.
2. Maker's Mark Private Select - this was one of the wood finishing series bottles with the different mix of staves. The owner let me sample it, and my immediate remark was "this tastes just like breakfast". He then turned the bottle to show me that this one had been named "The Breakfast Club" by his store (I guess Maker's lets you name your barrel/blend?). Just reminded me instantly of morning pancakes, hint of maple syrup and tasted a bit bready, but delicious. Still kicking myself for turning down a Makers Mark Cellar Aged 2023 Release that he offered me when I went to pay.
3. Old Soul (Cathead Distillery, MS) uncut & unfiltered. Whooo boy this might be my favorite bottle on my bar right now. 122 proof, high rye bourbon, it is a caramel & baking spice bomb. Very very rich flavor that evolves like crazy from the palate through the finish. Go find this Old Soul blue label bottle if you can.
4. 1792 Full Proof -- I didn't love the regular 1792 small batch when i first tried it, but I've had their BiB and liked it, and this was the first place I found a full proof. Owner wasn't there so didn't get a story with it, but the guy stocking the shelves told me this pick was delivered in December and they were down to their last 4 cases already Chatted with him a bit and he said they'd had numerous people pick it up, then come back for more so I took that as a good sign. Could have been a load of BS but I was going to buy it anyway and I think he could tell that so he didn't need to sell me on it. Gonna crack it open this weekend for a taste.
5. Four Roses Barrel Strength - OESK recipe. Like many, working my way through the different recipes by trying various store picks when I see them. I'm so partial to the regular Four Roses Single Barrel that sits on every shelf for $40 that it truly pains me to buy these Four Roses store picks that are now upwards of $90 around me, but those single barrels are only ever OBSV recipe so if you wanna branch out........
6. Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select. I've had this multiple times (and love the banana bread notes in it) and have sort of "graduated" to the barrel proof version already, but the owner was SO excited to share his story of his trip to go pick this barrel and how he loved the distillery and fun he had and on and on, so I let him sell me on this one. It was between this and Angels Envy, and EC Single Barrel which I already had two of. I got the Antique 107 from here when I went to checkout and he posed me the "what else are you hunting for" question.

Cheers in 2024 folks!

I'm glad you've got a strategy that's working for you.

My local store picks have been big misses lately. My last three were a MM private selection that used all of same stave (underwhelming would be a kind assessment), a Caribou Crossing (which was $20 liquor in a $40 presentation costing over $60), and an Ezra Brooks (my first drain pour).

I've discovered I'm pretty happy drinking easily available stuff like Russell's Reserve, OF 1920, or Woodford Reserve Double Oak and the occasional Elijah Craig BP at MSRP.

 

[Galileo]

We don't get store picks in Ohio. Everything comes through the state agency.

 

[wlwiles]

I've transitioned my bourbon hunting strategy in 2024. I've learned to see the value in store picks - you get a uniquely chosen bottle, a story about it (if you want it), and it maybe gains you a bit of cred with a new store if you chat with them, maybe sample some, and then buy their pick vs. just leaving with a regular bottle of Woodford or something found everywhere. On a couple of my recent store pick purchases (all to stores I'd never been to before) I've gotten the infamous "Anything else you're hunting for?" question when I got to the register. Landed an $80 bottle of Weller Antique 107 with that question

In the last month or so I've visited 6 stores and found these store picks:

1. William Dalton (Spirits of French Lick - Indiana) wheated bourbon. Big store, they had 6 different store pick blends all from this distiller, and the guy let me sample all of them I wanted. Liked this wheater the best, he was great to chat with and shared his notes on all the various bottles from that distillery they had.
2. Maker's Mark Private Select - this was one of the wood finishing series bottles with the different mix of staves. The owner let me sample it, and my immediate remark was "this tastes just like breakfast". He then turned the bottle to show me that this one had been named "The Breakfast Club" by his store (I guess Maker's lets you name your barrel/blend?). Just reminded me instantly of morning pancakes, hint of maple syrup and tasted a bit bready, but delicious. Still kicking myself for turning down a Makers Mark Cellar Aged 2023 Release that he offered me when I went to pay.
3. Old Soul (Cathead Distillery, MS) uncut & unfiltered. Whooo boy this might be my favorite bottle on my bar right now. 122 proof, high rye bourbon, it is a caramel & baking spice bomb. Very very rich flavor that evolves like crazy from the palate through the finish. Go find this Old Soul blue label bottle if you can.
4. 1792 Full Proof -- I didn't love the regular 1792 small batch when i first tried it, but I've had their BiB and liked it, and this was the first place I found a full proof. Owner wasn't there so didn't get a story with it, but the guy stocking the shelves told me this pick was delivered in December and they were down to their last 4 cases already Chatted with him a bit and he said they'd had numerous people pick it up, then come back for more so I took that as a good sign. Could have been a load of BS but I was going to buy it anyway and I think he could tell that so he didn't need to sell me on it. Gonna crack it open this weekend for a taste.
5. Four Roses Barrel Strength - OESK recipe. Like many, working my way through the different recipes by trying various store picks when I see them. I'm so partial to the regular Four Roses Single Barrel that sits on every shelf for $40 that it truly pains me to buy these Four Roses store picks that are now upwards of $90 around me, but those single barrels are only ever OBSV recipe so if you wanna branch out........
6. Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select. I've had this multiple times (and love the banana bread notes in it) and have sort of "graduated" to the barrel proof version already, but the owner was SO excited to share his story of his trip to go pick this barrel and how he loved the distillery and fun he had and on and on, so I let him sell me on this one. It was between this and Angels Envy, and EC Single Barrel which I already had two of. I got the Antique 107 from here when I went to checkout and he posed me the "what else are you hunting for" question.

Cheers in 2024 folks!

I'm glad you've got a strategy that's working for you.

My local store picks have been big misses lately. My last three were a MM private selection that used all of same stave (underwhelming would be a kind assessment), a Caribou Crossing (which was $20 liquor in a $40 presentation costing over $60), and an Ezra Brooks (my first drain pour).

I've discovered I'm pretty happy drinking easily available stuff like Russell's Reserve, OF 1920, or Woodford Reserve Double Oak and the occasional Elijah Craig BP at MSRP.

I still buy some easily accessible stuff just like the ones you mentioned, with 6 or 7 open bottles at a time of those type. I only ever have 20 max bottles at a time, just no space for more in my home. But I do all of my "regular" purchasing (including any cheap mixers) at my one local store that I've got the most history/loyalty built up with. Whatever loyalty comes with being a regular, I want to build that up at the one place that has access to the most stuff - in this case it's the store closest to me, the owner has a wholesale license so he gets the widest variety.

I hate that your store picks were misses. Maybe luckily for me, most stores here will let you sample their picks before you buy. I've been able to avoid some bad ones that way.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

@wlwiles , that's good advice that flips the script on my previous thoughts about store picks. While I still have to go more by my wallet than by my heart, I'll try to give them more credence when I encounter them.

2023 was my fourth year on my whisk(e)y journey, and an interesting one at that; I tried 25 different scotches (Advent calendar) and 21 different American whiskeys, found my preferred distilleries are Wild Turkey and Heaven Hill, plus honorable mentions to Ezra Brooks 99 for providing an underrated bang for the buck, and Mellow Corn, Very Old Barton and Ancient Age for providing palatable taste for very cheap, and I finally dipped my toe into rye, though only local powerhouse Sagamore Spirit for now. In 2024 my focus is on having my rotation consist of more familiar spirits and a more focused approach to new-to-me bottles.

Sorry not sorry for staying with the lower-end offerings, and my projected collection will consist of:

Wild Turkey 101--my baseline and reset button.

Elijah Craig Small Batch--have to stick to the basic here but if the B24 or C24 get the same kind of reviews the 23's did, I may splurge.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed-my 'the good stuff'

Sagamore Spirit Double Oaked-my favorite rye so far and also one of my favorite whiskies overall

Shieldaig Highland-a Total Wine label blended scotch that's inexpensive and can be enjoyed mindlessly.

I'm currently working on getting through another Total Wine blended scotch that I liked more when I first started, called For Peat's Sake, though I won't replace it and would like to get back to another Total Wine label that they didn't have much during covid, Hamilton's; gotta have a smoky scotch on hand.

There will also be a space for a rotation of ryes. I currently have the Sagamore basic rye that I got as a Christmas present; once that's done, I'll go through the familiar labels, i.e., Wild Turkey, Elijah Craig, etc. I know that Jack Daniels' ryes have gotten rave reviews, but they're also on the pricey side, and even though it's counterproductive, I have to watch my budget.

While exploring rye is going to be my main focus, I still have a few lower-cost bourbons I'm hoping to try this year as well, such as Cooper's Craft. 13th Colony sounds interesting, but I don't know of any stores near me that carry it, and it's MSRP also makes it problematic.