Bourbon

[ousuxndallas 65]

This Weller drop madness is similar to a powder day when you are snow skiing. You hear rumors of a rope drop, you make your way over and hope to get the goods. Same chase of the thrill.

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

I think I found a reliable source of Weller 12. I am content. 
 

[Neonmoon 38130]

Enjoying some 4R single barrel. Damn good. It’s fun to chase the unicorns but it’s good to know good bourbon is always available when you can’t find any 

[msudawg 371]

Damn.. I need to keep up with this thread since it's gotten more active it seems.

Had a good time hanging out with@BigDHornfan last week for a private SSW dinner with the awesome Woodinville rep Renee.
Had to run out and get a bottle of the rye after having several pours at whiskey cake Plano. The surprise pour at the dinner was a rye cask strength. It's not bottled yet.. But damn that's so good and smooth.

Happened to wander into a tw yesterday, missed on the owa and er but did get a kosher rye, couple early times, Boston batch bookers. Also stopped by longhorn cheers and grabbed last bottle of rare breed rye.

I know something new is always going to drop or become popular (just like beer) but gotta take a break and drink some of this stuff more often.. Getting close to 50 bottles and have nearly that many samples to go thru for muling bottles.

Heading to dinner at Cafe italia to enjoy some vino then back to watch a movie / play games and sip away on some of that bourbon.



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[billfromlaketravis 11916]

I need to look for Buffalo Trace Kosher. 
 

That short rib looks pretty tasty. 

[msudawg 371]

I need to look for Buffalo Trace Kosher. 
 
That short rib looks pretty tasty. 

Bottle was still cold from truck /cooler.

I kinda want to get a bottle of the wheated now after reading some reviews but not paying secondary..

Dinner went great.. Won't cloud this thread with vino but great bottle of vino for dinner..

Now time for some texopoly ( I'm forever screwed on that card until I learn the fight song completely)and finally cracking this ssw Sagamore rye pick.


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[billfromlaketravis 11916]

I believe the price has gone up on W12? I paid $34.95 for a 750 mL at a place that doesn’t mark up. 
 

[Yev Kassem 1078]

7 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I believe the price has gone up on W12? I paid $34.95 for a 750 mL at a place that doesn’t mark up. 
 

That’s what I paid too. 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

4 minutes ago, Yev Kassem said:

That’s what I paid too. 

Better than $50 like Antique, but Buffalo Trace quietly increased the price by $10. 
 

Blanton’s Gold was a cool $110. Weller Single Barrel was $45. Elmer was $33. 

[Party_Taco 3922]

MSU, which Sagamore bottle is that? Can’t say I’ve seen it...

[msudawg 371]

MSU, which Sagamore bottle is that? Can’t say I’ve seen it...

It was only for ssw. Barrel pick. Damn tasty.

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[After irth 1258]

Side question for my fellow-brown-liquor-enthusiasts...

Has anyone been to The Whiskey Project in Roswell, GA?  Will be in Atlanta this weekend (Canton, actually). Was wondering if it’s worth checking out?  Do I need a res?  

[Party_Taco 3922]

Today’s finds were not bad at all...

My guy had a MK17 but wouldn’t let it go... I’m sure one of his 5 figure clients will enjoy it.

[msudawg 371]

12 minutes ago, Party_Taco said:

Today’s finds were not bad at all...

My guy had a MK17 but wouldn’t let it go... I’m sure one of his 5 figure clients will enjoy it.

I have a 17 BIB and Decades sample at home I need to crack open.. thanks for the reminder. 

Enjoy that KC 15, I wonder how it compares to say the Longhorn Steakhouse pick that was aged for 14.5 years. i have seen some other store picks that are 15, 16 years old. 

 

 

[Party_Taco 3922]

Thanks - Need to do a side/side with the 25 and the 12... may set that up this week.

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

It's slowly dawning on that Decades is the best of the Master's Keep Collection. 

KC 25th Anniversary might be favorite Jim Beam product of all time. I'm glad I followed my rule and bought 2. I'm pretty sure I bought a 3rd at some point. I love the stuff. 

KB 12 is getting better reviews than KB 15. 15 is said to be an oak bomb while 12 is said to be more well rounded. 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

I enjoyed Smoke Wagon Uncut/Unfiltered. It opened up well in a second seating. 

It's a beautiful bottle, but man alive that label is confusing as hell. If you didn't research it beforehand, you'd have no idea what you were buying. "AGED AND BOTTLED IN NEVADA". Las Vegas and Nevada H&C Distilling Company is also printed on the front in large letters.  Tiny little print on the back "Distilled In Indiana". Casual consumers will think they're drinking a Nevada Bourbon. 

[Party_Taco 3922]

It's slowly dawning on that Decades is the best of the Master's Keep Collection. 
KC 25th Anniversary might be favorite Jim Beam product of all time. I'm glad I followed my rule and bought 2. I'm pretty sure I bought a 3rd at some point. I love the stuff. 
KB 12 is getting better reviews than KB 15. 15 is said to be an oak bomb while 12 is said to be more well rounded. 

I’ll take 3/4 any day of the week! Still excited to try out the 15.

[huge 3832]

3 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I enjoyed Smoke Wagon Uncut/Unfiltered. It opened up well in a second seating. 

It's a beautiful bottle, but man alive that label is confusing as hell. If you didn't research it beforehand, you'd have no idea what you were buying. "AGED AND BOTTLED IN NEVADA". Las Vegas and Nevada H&C Distilling Company is also printed on the front in large letters.  Tiny little print on the back "Distilled In Indiana". Casual consumers will think they're drinking a Nevada Bourbon. 

I saw the "regular" Smoke Wagon today.  $29.  Did not buy.

 

Also the Specs on Shepherd and San felipe area had assloads of Weller SR.

 

 

[Party_Taco 3922]

Also the Specs on Shepherd and San felipe area had assloads of Weller SR.

 

 

My guy today said the distributor is sitting on piles of the stuff, along with Elmer, at their warehouse. But they’re so paranoid about breakage that they’ll only let the salespeople hand deliver, and COVID precautions are keeping them away from the warehouse...

 

 

Also... holy SHIT this decades is fantastic!

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

1 hour ago, huge said:

I saw the "regular" Smoke Wagon today.  $29.  Did not buy.

 

Also the Specs on Shepherd and San felipe area had assloads of Weller SR.

 

 

I’d wait out Uncut/Unfiltered. There are single barrels out there that are supposed to be good as well. 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

Does anybody have bourbon podcast recommendations? 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

The Ascot lost his mind while reviewing Weller SiB. Link: 

I guess it's safe to say it's pretty good. 

 

[Party_Taco 3922]

The Ascot lost his mind while reviewing Weller SiB. Link: 
I guess it's safe to say it's pretty good. 
 

I had damn near half the bottle when I first saw it at the club a few weeks back... it’s outstanding.

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

I'm listening to Bourbon Pursuit Episode 256 - Inside the World of Woodinville Whiskey with co-founder Brett Carlile. 

Pretty interesting origin story on how they started and secured Dave Pickerell as a consultant. 

i wasn't aware that Kentucky farms can't grow rye. The humidity is too high. More expensive grain, higher transportation costs = pricier than bourbon. 

Edited August 11, 2020 by billfromlaketravis

[Bert Orange 1183]

20 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I enjoyed Smoke Wagon Uncut/Unfiltered. It opened up well in a second seating. 

It's a beautiful bottle, but man alive that label is confusing as hell. If you didn't research it beforehand, you'd have no idea what you were buying. "AGED AND BOTTLED IN NEVADA". Las Vegas and Nevada H&C Distilling Company is also printed on the front in large letters.  Tiny little print on the back "Distilled In Indiana". Casual consumers will think they're drinking a Nevada Bourbon. 

Just like Smooth Ambler. They get the distillate from MGP and age it in WVa. A number of folks do this vs having MGP age it on premise. 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

Just now, Bert Orange said:

Just like Smooth Ambler. They get the distillate from MGP and age it in WVa. A number of folks do this vs having MGP age it on premise. 

Kind of crazy to tank dump a product in a tractor trailer, drive it 1,800+ miles, and then age it in a strip mall in Las Vegas. But hey, Smoke Wagon sent a quality product to market. It worked for them. 

[msudawg 371]

2 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I'm listening to Bourbon Pursuit Episode 256 - Inside the World of Woodinville Whiskey with co-founder Brett Carlile. 

Pretty interesting origin story on how they started and secured Dave Pickerell as a consultant. 

i wasn't aware that Kentucky farms can't grow rye. The humidity is too high. More expensive grain, higher transportation costs = pricier than bourbon. 

Thanks for the mention of that episode.. will watch later. Intereesting.. had no idea they were bought by Moet. It's interesting to learn the big world of liquor after being all about local independent craft beers. If woodinville was  still "craft" and independent.. no way I would know about / be able to walk into TW and pick up a bottle of theirs. 

 

[Bert Orange 1183]

5 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Kind of crazy to tank dump a product in a tractor trailer, drive it 1,800+ miles, and then age it in a strip mall in Las Vegas. But hey, Smoke Wagon sent a quality product to market. It worked for them. 

No doubt. Doing a barrel pick of SW next month. Kinda excited for it. 

[msudawg 371]

Interesting.. I was wondering how that worked with MGP products.. if they barrel aged it or if they shipped it to the company... such as Whistlepig and then they aged it. Didn't seem to make sense for an upstart whiskey company to buy MGP juice and then hold it for 10 years to finally release something. Makes sense it's an either or thing instead. 

[msudawg 371]

1 minute ago, Bert Orange said:

No doubt. Doing a barrel pick of SW next month. Kinda excited for it. 

ISO when that drops.. .wouldn't mind knowing what club that's for, can't remember if you are dfw or elsewhere. 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

1 minute ago, msudawg said:

Thanks for the mention of that episode.. will watch later. Intereesting.. had no idea they were bought by Moet. It's interesting to learn the big world of liquor after being all about local independent craft beers. If woodinville was  still "craft" and independent.. no way I would know about / be able to walk into TW and pick up a bottle of theirs. 

 

Yep. Pickerell suggested to Moet Hennessy that they acquire Woodinville.

Side bar: Pickerell had to leave his family a pretty nice nest egg. His consulting fees alone should have generated a really nice income. 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

5 minutes ago, Bert Orange said:

No doubt. Doing a barrel pick of SW next month. Kinda excited for it. 

Vegas has some pretty extreme weather swings. I bet Smoke Wagon is aging distillate in a climate controlled warehouse. Again it doesn't matter if the end product is good. 

[Bert Orange 1183]

34 minutes ago, msudawg said:

ISO when that drops.. .wouldn't mind knowing what club that's for, can't remember if you are dfw or elsewhere. 

Houston. Doing this as a private pick. I’m sure I’ll get some bottles around for folks to enjoy. 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

I'd recommend Bourbon Pursuit Episode 244 with Master Distiller of A.Smith Bowman, Brian Prewitt. 

Contrary to popular belief, they don't contract source 100% of their distillate from Buffalo Trace. Prewitt didn't reveal the exact ratio, but he said they do some distilling on site in Fredericksburg, Virginia and blend their product with Buffalo Trace. All of the aging is done in Virginia. He declined to answer when asked if Bowman was a combination of Buffalo Trace Mashbills 1 and 2. This is widely assumed/accepted Bowman mashbill. 

Buffalo Trace provided Bowman with their proprietary yeast strain and mashbill in 2003. It sounds like BT helps primarily with distribution, access to barrels, and distilling. Prewitt said they have some 14 year old barrels in the rickhouse. 

While I do like Bowman, I disagree Single Barrel is a substitute for Blanton's. It does have the classic Buffalo Trace tasting notes, but there's some unique stuff going on there. I pick up a little salt, in a good way. It doesn't taste like somebody vatted Eagle Rare (BT Mashbill No. 1) and Blanton's (BT Mashbill No. 2).

Hancock's Reserve is the only correct answer for Blanton's substitute. I'd probably get embarrassed in a blind tasting, but I optimistically think I could tell the difference between the two in a blind tasting. For the record, I like Hancock's better. I suspect it's a little older than Blanton's.

[BrazilHorn 6860]

Have a bottle of this coming tomorrow. The 15 year Barrel.

[Neonmoon 38130]

So you’re the one?

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

I don’t want to bring anyone down, but I believe Barrell 15 is a MGP and Dickel blend. The Dickel would keep me away. 

[Party_Taco 3922]

Had a flight of ryes tonight:

 

- Redemption

- Basil

- Sagamore Rum Cask

 

The latter was such a clear winner, but I do enjoy Redemption every time I take a pull.

 

[Bert Orange 1183]

1 hour ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I don’t want to bring anyone down, but I believe Barrell 15 is a MGP and Dickel blend. The Dickel would keep me away. 

It’s actually MGP, KY and Dickel. But it works. At least the inaugural release does. Quite tasty. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

9 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Kind of crazy to tank dump a product in a tractor trailer, drive it 1,800+ miles, and then age it in a strip mall in Las Vegas. But hey, Smoke Wagon sent a quality product to market. It worked for them. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Onboard 2.0

[ousuxndallas 65]

I'd recommend Bourbon Pursuit Episode 244 with Master Distiller of A.Smith Bowman, Brian Prewitt. 

Contrary to popular belief, they don't contract source 100% of their distillate from Buffalo Trace. Prewitt didn't reveal the exact ratio, but he said they do some distilling on site in Fredericksburg, Virginia and blend their product with Buffalo Trace. All of the aging is done in Virginia. He declined to answer when asked if Bowman was a combination of Buffalo Trace Mashbills 1 and 2. This is widely assumed/accepted Bowman mashbill. 

Buffalo Trace provided Bowman with their proprietary yeast strain and mashbill in 2003. It sounds like BT helps primarily with distribution, access to barrels, and distilling. Prewitt said they have some 14 year old barrels in the rickhouse. 

While I do like Bowman, I disagree Single Barrel is a substitute for Blanton's. It does have the classic Buffalo Trace tasting notes, but there's some unique stuff going on there. I pick up a little salt, in a good way. It doesn't taste like somebody vatted Eagle Rare (BT Mashbill No. 1) and Blanton's (BT Mashbill No. 2).

Hancock's Reserve is the only correct answer for Blanton's substitute. I'd probably get embarrassed in a blind tasting, but I optimistically think I could tell the difference between the two in a blind tasting. For the record, I like Hancock's better. I suspect it's a little older than Blanton's.

Nice. Where can this Hancock's be found?

 

[Yev Kassem 1078]

54 minutes ago, ousuxndallas said:

Nice. Where can this Hancock's be found?

 

Join one of the national trade groups on FB. You’ll find one one there 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

8 hours ago, ousuxndallas said:

Nice. Where can this Hancock's be found?

 

It's not flipper/tater bait, but it is fairly popular with bourbon enthusiasts. I'd ask your local store to call you when they receive some bottles. They should hold one for you. They can't/won't mark it up. 

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

If y'all are looking for a good, inexpensive shelfer, I'd recommend Old Forester 1870. It's probably been a couple months, but that bottle has stayed on my mind. I'm not sure why, it just hit a lot of tasting notes on my palette. Not bad for $38. 

[Eggo 4026]

1 hour ago, billfromlaketravis said:

If y'all are looking for a good, inexpensive shelfer, I'd recommend Old Forester 1870. It's probably been a couple months, but that bottle has stayed on my mind. I'm not sure why, it just hit a lot of tasting notes on my palette. Not bad for $38. 

I've never seen 1870 anywhere that 1910 hasn't been. Tell me why you'd go with 1870 - just price?

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

25 minutes ago, Eggo said:

I've never seen 1870 anywhere that 1910 hasn't been. Tell me why you'd go with 1870 - just price?

I think I prefer 1870 to 1910. I know this is blasphemy, but my palette has shifted some. I pick up a smoky tasting note in 1910. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by billfromlaketravis

[Chewbacca 7840]

Picked up an 1870 and an Old Scout today. Which should I open first?

[billfromlaketravis 11916]

56 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Picked up an 1870 and an Old Scout today. Which should I open first?

It’s been awhile for me for Old Scout. I think the last bottle I enjoyed was a 10 or 12 year single barrel a few years back. Some of the experts upthread, and I do think they’re experts, really like the NASA Liquor Store Pick. It’s 5 years old, distilled in Indiana and north of 55% ABV. If your bottle meets that criteria, and I’d jump in with both feet. 
 

If not, I’d probably drink the 1870. 

 

[Neonmoon 38130]

1870 OF is good stuff. It is underrated.

Picked up this little guy. Yes, I overpaid. No, I don’t care.