high roller bourbons

[prodigy]

I'm a scotch snob but a bourbon heathen. I love the nuances of a 21 year old speyside, but damn if I haven't found any bourbon I like more than Old Grand Dad 114. I liked Elijah Craig barrel proof, but once they dropped the age statement and the price the price crept up, it seemed crazy to buy one bottle when I could nearly get three bottles of Grand Dad for the same price.

The barrel proof still has the age statement, unless I'm missing something.

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[bpm32]

I got burned out on whiskeys about 10 years ago, settling in with nothing fancier than George Dickel No. 12. Now, a lot of the stuff in the store is unfamiliar and the stuff I liked is unavailable or fantastically expensive.

[earthson]

Wow. Some of those MSRP are silly compared to what I'd pay if I could find those on the shelf. Been disheartening to see the bourbon industry fall prey to "hype" marketing. I know it helps the bottom line and with brand recognition, but it's also what has driven me away from old stalwarts like Weller and Elmer T Lee.

I will say, that Willett Pot Still Reserve is usually around and priced very fairly ($70 for 1.5 L). That is one bourbon that pairs very well with cigars with its spiced honey notes.

I will say befriending store owners and distributors is a double-edged sword. I found out Weller has dramatically scaled back production of the Weller label while the van Winkle family is selecting an increased number of the Weller barrels to release as a Pappy. Makes sense, I guess - how much do they get for Weller 12 vs the amount they get when it's sold as Pappy 12 year Reserve?

[backbone]

I have just tried Stagg Jr. what a nice flavor profile!

Im on a new journey.  I appreciate this thread!

 

[Buck14]

Sitting here sipping CEHT SINGLE BARREL thinkng hard about walking a block to my local store and dropping another $80 for the straight rye.

I caved....

[prodigy]

Sitting here sipping CEHT SINGLE BARREL thinkng hard about walking a block to my local store and dropping another $80 for the straight rye.
I caved....

I like all the eht offerings. There hasn't been much this year in VA or NC. Seems they released some bottles at random and they instantly sold out. The 4 grain is heavenly.

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[Gamehawker]

I am really into drinking and collecting high end, limited edition and rare bourbons. 

Here are a few pics of some of my collection: (Bookers, Booker's 25th - I have 10 sealed bottles, George T Stagg, William L Weller, EHT Cured Oak, EHT Barrel Proof, EHT Single Barrel,Elijah  Craig Barrel Proof (2 different Batches) Old Forster Birthday Bourbon 2013, Jefferson Presidential Select 18 (Stizel Weller juice).

[jfire]

I am really into drinking and collecting high end, limited edition and rare bourbons. 

Here are a few pics of some of my collection: (Bookers, Booker's 25th - I have 10 sealed bottles, George T Stagg, William L Weller, EHT Cured Oak, EHT Barrel Proof, EHT Single Barrel,Elijah  Craig Barrel Proof (2 different Batches) Old Forster Birthday Bourbon 2013, Jefferson Presidential Select 18 (Stizel Weller juice).

I like collecting as well. A few of the Bottles were SW juice. Including another 15yr and 20 that went to a buddy who had to have the empties. (Filled with Weller 12)

 

 

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[tksamtec]

On 8/8/2018 at 8:36 PM, Cigarsandmalts said:

GTS at $800/bottle ??! I’ve got a few I’d love to unload at that price lol. 

Noah’s Mill is the dark horse on that list. One of my fav’s and a bargain consider the pricing. 

Noahs is an easy find here, I have a bottle from 3 or 4 years ago, but never opened it yet.... I guess I may have to give it a try.  Do you find it consistent from year to year, or are the yearly releases drastically different?

[BarryNY]

Hi Ken - regarding you comment r.e. Blanton's "it is a single barrel which claims to be the first"....

Yes Ken I can unequivocally confirm and assure you that Blanton's is absolutely the first bourbon to be called "Single Barrel Bourbon"...and it is for sure dumped from a single barrel.

Were other bourbons also dumped from a single barrel in 1988?  Maybe.  But they were never called a "single barrel bourbon"...

[Ken Gargett]

4 minutes ago, BarryNY said:

Hi Ken - regarding you comment r.e. Blanton's "it is a single barrel which claims to be the first"....

Yes Ken I can unequivocally confirm and assure you that Blanton's is absolutely the first bourbon to be called "Single Barrel Bourbon"...and it is for sure dumped from a single barrel.

Were other bourbons also dumped from a single barrel in 1988?  Maybe.  But they were never called a "single barrel bourbon"...

i should say, in case it is not clear, i did not write this article. merely posted it as thought it would be of interest. 

that said, i agree with you. my understanding was that Blantons were first (something else i did recently for a publication looked at this very question and fully agree). 

[BarryNY]

Ok Ken...I wasn't sure if you had written it.

Not to be a d.i.c.k...BUT....I was the VP Marketing for Ancient Age Distilling company in 1987.  We owned Blanton's bourbon.

I (me) personally created the "moniker" Single Barrel Bourbon in early 1988.  

If you look at a Blanton's neck label in 1987 you will not see a mention of single barrel.  Then in1990 we started bottling calling it Single Barrel Bourbon.  After other brands started calling their product single barrel..Blanton's changed the label to "The Original Single Barrel"...

[RupertPupkin]

I had a coworker just today tell me what he thought to be the most premier bourbon.. he said he spent a fortune on a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle. I’m no where near an expert on bourbon.. is this just a hype thing because of its scarcity? Anyone try it? 

[Ken Gargett]

2 minutes ago, BarryNY said:

Ok Ken...I wasn't sure if you had written it.

Not to be a d.i.c.k...BUT....I was the VP Marketing for Ancient Age Distilling company in 1987.  We owned Blanton's bourbon.

I (me) personally created the "moniker" Single Barrel Bourbon in early 1988.  

If you look at a Blanton's neck label in 1987 you will not see a mention of single barrel.  Then in1990 we started bottling calling it Single Barrel Bourbon.  After other brands started calling their product single barrel..Blanton's changed the label to "The Original Single Barrel"...

really appreciate the info. i wish i had known your role two months ago when i was writing it all up. would have had heaps of questions. 

[BeerPimp]

I still need to find a bottle of Weller 12.

[TheGipper]

Definitely have noticed a shift in the supply (Or demand? Or mix of both?) for some hard to find bourbons here in Oregon in the last year.  Stuff that used to never stay on the shelf is fairly readily available lately: both Col Taylors, Eagle Rare, Elijah 18, Elijah SB much more get-able lately.

The manager at my local says he hasn't seen more supply, just fewer hipster buyers grabbing these up.  To quote him, "The hipsters have moved on to grabbing Hennessy instead."

But many bourbons still nowhere to be found here: Elmer, Weller 12, Stagg, Willett.

[SMQQKIN]

This unicorn arrived today. 2014 23 year PVW. Last year of the Stitzel Weller juice. Distilled & sent to barrel in 1991. Deciding to wait til NYE to crack it open to share with friends & pair it with a 10 year old Monte A. Can't wait!

[SmokenWhisky]

13 minutes ago, SMQQKIN said:

This unicorn arrived today. 2014 23 year PVW. Last year of the Stitzel Weller juice. Distilled & sent to barrel in 1991. Deciding to wait til NYE to crack it open to share with friends & pair it with a 10 year old Monte A. Can't wait!

Call me crazy but I would open it ASAP and try some. Just a generous pour for yourself. Save the rest for NYE or something else. 

[Buck14]

8 hours ago, FatherOfPugs said:

How is the straight rye? I assume pretty darn good...

It’s really good.

[Duxnutz]

On 9/14/2018 at 4:12 PM, BarryNY said:

Ok Ken...I wasn't sure if you had written it.

Not to be a d.i.c.k...BUT....I was the VP Marketing for Ancient Age Distilling company in 1987.  We owned Blanton's bourbon.

I (me) personally created the "moniker" Single Barrel Bourbon in early 1988.  

If you look at a Blanton's neck label in 1987 you will not see a mention of single barrel.  Then in1990 we started bottling calling it Single Barrel Bourbon.  After other brands started calling their product single barrel..Blanton's changed the label to "The Original Single Barrel"...

Geez you must have a cupboard filled with good bourbon! Can you shed light on the reasoning on why Blantons Gold/SFTB was never released locally in the States? 

[BeerPimp]

On 8/9/2018 at 5:54 PM, SignalJoe said:

This is everything in bourbon hunting.  I managed to befriend a liquor store owner who enjoys cigars and regularly ply him with Cubans.  He now calls me when he gets anything interesting in.  In the past few months he has come through with George T. Stagg, Thomas Handy, Kentucky Owl, Blantons, E.H Taylor SiB SB,Rye, Blantons, numerous Weller Antique, 4 Roses store picks and others.  That said Weller 12 is not to be found, no matter how many bands are on the cigars I pass him.  

You said Blantons twice!   You must really like Blantons.   There is a joke from a movie in there that could not be made today.

[BeerPimp]

It's crazy how hype and low supply make for some expensive bourbon.   I sold a empty bottle of Rip Van Winkle for $100+ on Ebay.

[Thig]

It's crazy how hype and low supply make for some expensive bourbon.   I sold a empty bottle of Rip Van Winkle for $100+ on Ebay.

Too bad, someone will fill it with cheap bourbon and someone will get ripped off thinking it is real.

[Gamehawker]

8 hours ago, BeerPimp said:

It's crazy how hype and low supply make for some expensive bourbon.   I sold a empty bottle of Rip Van Winkle for $100+ on Ebay.

Probably the person who bought your empty bottle of Rip Van Winkle is going to to refill it with another bourbon and try to resell it to an uneducated victim as real bottle of Rip Van Winkle.

[BeerPimp]

4 hours ago, Thig said:

10 hours ago, BeerPimp said:

It's crazy how hype and low supply make for some expensive bourbon.   I sold a empty bottle of Rip Van Winkle for $100+ on Ebay.

Too bad, someone will fill it with cheap bourbon and someone will get ripped off thinking it is real.

 

1 hour ago, Gamehawker said:

Probably the person who bought your empty bottle of Rip Van Winkle is going to to refill it with another bourbon and try to resell it to an uneducated victim as real bottle of Rip Van Winkle.

I thought about that but it could have been someone who just wanted the bottle to collect.   Rip Van Winkle is the cheapest Bourbon in the Pappy line.   However, this was one of the short squatty bottles that they no longer produced because they switched over to the tall skinny bottle.   So it was truly a collectors item because that bottle had not been made for at least 4 years and would most likely never be made again.  The year I purchased that bottle I was able to purchase that and a bottle of Family Reserve Lot B within a month of each other.   Looking back I can't believe I was able to to that.   Now its a unicorn especially living in the midwest.  I don't frequent liquor stores often enough to be one of the preferred customers and get a heads up or a bottle held back for me.