Favorite bourbon/ whiskey...

Best part was he put it up at really great prices. $30 on the GTS and the WLW for 2 oz pours.

The Ritz Carlton here had their WLW up for $150 an ounce. Just insane prices.

 

I tried the 2023 Thomas H Handy BTAC today. It’s very smooth!

 

Anyone try any good scotch recently? I need a new bottle and feel like trying something new. Just finished a bottle of Auchentoschan 12 year. Leaning toward a Speyside as I'm partial to them.

 

There's a local restaurant that has a cocktail on the menu with Sazerac Rye, Hennessy Black, and a Fernet rinse with orange zest and it's probably my new favorite drink. I tried re-creating it at home and have come close, but I finally ran into a bartender from the restaurant at a barber shop and he told me it's a 3:1 Sazerac:Hennessy ratio, and the orange zest is key. Anyway, it's an excellent drink.

 

This years allocation collection. Couldn't be happier.

right to left
George T Stagg x2
Eagle Rare 17yr
Pappy 12
Pappy 15
William Larue Weller (2023)
Pappy 20

 

you had me at fernet...

 

If you're looking for something different try getting your hands on a compass box hedonism btl. If you're looking for Speyside, there are so many to wade through. Pretty much none are bad choices.

 

That's awesome... were you able to score those as a private consumer, or were those allocated to a business/restaurant you own or are associated with??? If you scored those as a private consumer...

 

@Tripleconpanna I wish I could say private. But no, we are in the business sector.

 

Still though... it's a great allocation

If you have a chance to sample the 15 and the 20 year Pappy, I'd be curious to hear your take on them both individually and in comparison.

It's been a few years, but while traveling the wife and I made nice with a bartender at a place near our hotel; after our second week of being there and asking for his advice and such on some of their offerings (trying some new stuff that I normally wouldn't) and having him doing cocktails for the wife, I asked him how much he'd charge me for a Pappy flight (they had everything but the 23)... He asked me if I was looking for large pours of each, and I told him not necessarily just enough for the wife and I to each sample and get a good feel for. He ended up doing a 'Pappy' flight for $60 for us w/what ended up being 1oz to 1 1/4oz pours of each (including the Old Van Winkle, 12, 15, 20 and Pappy rye). My two favorites were the 15 (even over the 20) and the rye. I've ended up purchasing a few bottles of the rye over the years and a couple bottles over the 15 (before pricing got stupid) based on those tastings. I'd have to say the one thing I really noticed is that consistency between the different vintages that I've had of the rye and 15 were perfect; whereas a lot of other product lines it's really hit and miss over the years.

Happy Holidays and Cheers

 

That's pretty spot on as far as consistency. The Rye has always been my favorite but I'm also a rye guy. Being in the biz has allowed me to taste most everything and the 15, 20 and rye are the only pappys I drool over. I prefer Elmer t Lee over any btac offering outside the pappy line. The 23 is meh considering the money, and I'd go Kentucky owl dry state or Michters 20 once it gets into those prices.

 

Side note, fair bar prices are usually comparable to black market prices for the btls these days. Head in to your local watering hole that has things to taste. Say for example you pay $20 a pour for blantons, at 16.5 pours in the btl it's often better than gouged black market prices. I hear people paying $400 and up for a btl and that's just insane. Key word is fair... don't support price gouging in this tight market.

 

So, being in OR everything is controlled by the State (all liquor stores are State owned) and pricing is set by the State... Also, bars can't sell bottles of liquor (wine/beer, yes / but the good stuff, no)

This is a love / hate... State has most prices (even on the exclusive offerings) set at MSRP, but rare bottle are done by State run lottery. If you 'win' the chance to purchase, pricing is actually very fair; but no chance of building relationships w/vendors or bars here to bend things in your favor of getting that 'call' when a store lands a product.

For example the Thomas Handy that I got last year was my first 'chance to purchase' since I've been here (4 years)... I paid under $100 for it


Last year the state had 5 bottles of Pappy 23, 8 bottles of 20 (but that's for the whole state)... The Pappy 23 was $299; so, I'd grab one if I had a chance at MSRP for one of those, but one rare or exclusive offering every few years is kinda, blah (except for the fact it's been nice on my wallet )

I do have to say though, it's got me thankful for grabbing a few bottles of things before pricing went silly. I picked up a few bottles of Blanton's back when it was $59/bottle, a few Weller's, some eagle rare, etc.... not much of that left anymore though

 

Been an exciting time for whisky the last couple weeks and I've missed just about everything...haha. That's what I get for living just outside the Bay Area. I was able to snag a Stagg Jr., Blanton's Gold, Elijah Craig C923 and two Michters Barrell Strength Rye's I found collecting dust. Missed out on a Old Rip Van Winkle by 30 minutes today.

 

Just had some of the new Still Blue Corn. Wow. That’s some awesome stuff.

 

It's exactly the same here. Some allocations go through DABS without the lottery, however. If you're willing to sit in front of the liquor store for an hour or so before it opens on Fridays, you get get Blanton's at $59.99. They delivery exactly 6 bottles to several locations around the valley. I'd wait for Pappy - but I'm not sitting there to be one of the first in the store for Blanton's. Fortunately, I've found several bottles over the past year or so at retail.

 

My BIL sent me a product called Baby Blue blue corn whiskey (distiller is Balcone out of TX)...

It's definitely got some different flavor profiles in it if that's similar to what you're referring to

 

Balcones is my absolute favorite distiller. Try their brimstone. Smoked over Texas scrub oak. All of their stuff is unique.

Ironically they are an hour and a half north of me and I’ve never been.

 

Their products are not imported to our state, so I've only had and have access to what the BIL sends or brings out...

He did a road trip here a couple of years ago and brought a rye from them w/him; it was okay, but no where near is nice as their Baby Blue!

 

Blue, brimstone, and pot still are my favorites. Their rye is the one I’m not a fan of but I’m not a rye fan to begin with. Currently drinking a single malt from them.

 

Enjoying my first glass of Buffalo Trace (per ya'lls advise) Not bad at all, it's earned a spot on my shelf

 

This is always one of my favorites! Enjoyed this with a special dinner tonight.

 

You are at the point with that bottle where your brain starts telling you crazy stuff , "do I just finish it, where am I going to get another, should I just hang on to it?"

 

Anticipating the Staggs a little early

 

Just about done this bottle of Talisker Storm, so I picked up a new one. Gotta say, the old bottle has a better label. The new box is pretty cool though.

 

First time I've seen this at a utah DABS!

 

Nice find for sure.

 

Most of the specs in my area got a truck load of those early this year and they’ve been on the shelf ever since. There still good but readily available now.

 

That's a nice stack. I don't think I've ever even seen a case of HH bonded, let alone a bunch of cases.

 

Got my first bottle a few weeks ago , letting it open up some before I try it again.