Bourbon

[huge 3788]

Thought I'd taunt you guys even though I don't drink anymore.   Spent the past 4 days in Gardiner, MT (north entrance to Yellowstone.)  Local grocery store was bonkers.  Prices were ok/high but the selection was incredible and the stuff they had in the glass case was fairly rare.  
 

I would have spent a lot

Shame my Montana trip turned into a Colorado trip when we were late on the Glacier NP passes

[ISUCyclones 216]

On 7/9/2023 at 7:56 PM, Party_Taco said:

What did you take away from your tasting?

That is a different batch upon closer examination. I had the 1st I think and it was just fairly mediocre. It's been quite a while and I'm not great at tasting notes anyway. Fwiw hidden barn sits on shelves at msrp where I live.

[Bert Orange 1115]

Grabbed a bottle of JD SiB BS on my business trip. My second bottle and just as good as I remembered it. Enjoy it all day for around $53

[BigDHornfan 6540]

Grabbed a bottle of JD SiB BS on my business trip. My second bottle and just as good as I remembered it. Enjoy it all day for around $53

Fuck yea

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

Yep. Pretty sure the only bottles I've added outside of club picks in the last 3 months have been JD BP's (shoutout BigD), and the run of BT at true retail I found all over Colorado.

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

2 hours ago, Bert Orange said:

Grabbed a bottle of JD SiB BS on my business trip. My second bottle and just as good as I remembered it. Enjoy it all day for around $53

I’d work secondary for a 2021 Spec’s pick. I bought a case and flew through it. 

[Bert Orange 1115]

JD BS and BP are both single barrel, but BS is a fixed proof (like Weller full proof) and is their shelf offering. I’m sure the picks are great. Will need to try. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by Bert Orange

[Nice Guy Eddie 13411]

On 7/4/2023 at 5:02 PM, Buzzrock said:

Murderers row. Friend of a friend. We need to be friends.



His tequila selection sucks.

Have a friend and more acquaintances that have setups like this at home. Part of their saturdays are driving around random liquor stores looking out for items on their wish list. I also believe that a trip across the state takes a few extra hours as they stop at small town stores. From what I can tell just talking to the small town liquor store owners often leads to a score.

while I don’t get it the collection aspect, I find the people that collect to be very generous.

[Longhornfan1024 1707]

The great thing about bourbon is that you don't need to have some holy grail to have something you love.  I'm sipping on an ECPBBS that I found on the shelf at OLC and it's fucking fantastic.  EC hits my palate just right and a higher age statement barrel strength version is exactly what I'm looking for in a bourbon.  Don't get too caught up in the FOMO of BTAC and other impossible to find bourbons and try to just enjoy what you enjoy.  

[Carl Spackler 3461]

1 hour ago, Longhornfan1024 said:

I'm sipping on an ECPBBS   

I'll admit I'm stumped by this abbreviation.  Elijah Craig Barrel Proof something something. . . ?

Agree with your comments about drinking what you like, regardless of whether it's a unicorn.

[Buzzrock 14871]

On 7/1/2023 at 11:40 PM, Buzzrock said:

Not my pic. Any thoughts?

I ended up picking up one of these. For $19 a liter it’s an absolute no brainer, and way better than that Tennessee crap they were selling under the Kirkland brand for awhile. Good enough to sip, cheap enough to mix. 

[Bert Orange 1115]

6 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

I'll admit I'm stumped by this abbreviation.  Elijah Craig Barrel Proof something something. . . ?

Agree with your comments about drinking what you like, regardless of whether it's a unicorn.

Elijah Craig Private Barrel Barrel Strength?

[Carl Spackler 3461]

3 minutes ago, Bert Orange said:

Elijah Craig Private Barrel Barrel Strength?

Ah.  That's probably it.  If so, it's actually Elijah Craig Private Barrel, Barrel Proof (ECPBBP).

[BigDHornfan 6540]

RIP soldier.

[Txslnghrns 1351]

RIP soldier.

Can relate. Love Barrell seagrasss.
Until next time.

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

7 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

I ended up picking up one of these. For $19 a liter it’s an absolute no brainer, and way better than that Tennessee crap they were selling under the Kirkland brand for awhile. Good enough to sip, cheap enough to mix. 

1792/Barton right? Do they sell it in Texas now?

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

11 hours ago, Longhornfan1024 said:

The great thing about bourbon is that you don't need to have some holy grail to have something you love.  I'm sipping on an ECPBBS that I found on the shelf at OLC and it's fucking fantastic.  EC hits my palate just right and a higher age statement barrel strength version is exactly what I'm looking for in a bourbon.  Don't get too caught up in the FOMO of BTAC and other impossible to find bourbons and try to just enjoy what you enjoy.  

How did OLC price their ECBP pick? Deb’s was around a $100.

Spec’s 2022 pick was priced ar $90 and 8 years old.  It was excellent. 

Roma’s 2022 pick was also around $90, almost 11 years old, and a banger at 139+ proof. But he made buy like 3-4 other picks for access. It was fine, they were all pretty good. 

It sounds like ECBP picks are relatively easy to find in Austin. Different ballgame in Houston. People camp out overnight for Longhorn’s picks. I tried to nab one last year and they were out before I walked up to the line. They had 12, twelve bottles at the Katy location. 
 

Meanwhile, if you play the Facebook game well, you can find ECBPSiB for right at $60. They release it 3 times a year so it can be done. Or if you don’t want to hunt, go online and buy it for leas than $100. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by billfromlaketravis

[Buzzrock 14871]

8 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

1792/Barton right? Do they sell it in Texas now?

I believe that’s right and I don’t know, it just showed up in Atlanta. 

[Longhornfan1024 1707]

How did OLC price their ECBP pick? Deb’s was around a $100.
Spec’s 2022 pick was priced ar $90 and 8 years old.  It was excellent. 
Roma’s 2022 pick was also around $90, almost 11 years old, and a banger at 139+ proof. But he made buy like 3-4 other picks for access. It was fine, they were all pretty good. 
It sounds like ECBP picks are relatively easy to find in Austin. Different ballgame in Houston. People camp out overnight for Longhorn’s picks. I tried to nab one last year and they were out before I walked up to the line. They had 12, twelve bottles at the Katy location. 
 
Meanwhile, if you play the Facebook game well, you can find ECBPSiB for right at $60. They release it 3 times a year so it can be done. Or if you don’t want to hunt, go online and buy it for leas than $100. 

IIRC, it was around 80 for OLC's pick.

[Buzzrock 14871]

This one is a surprise. Quite good for a $37 Georgia bourbon.

[BigDHornfan 6540]

11 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

This one is a surprise. Quite good for a $37 Georgia bourbon.

Their double oak is going for insane money on secondary

 

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

@Hank Kingsley thanks for the assist on this one. Store pick from a local shop. 
 

[BigDHornfan 6540]

We shall see if they actually enforce this.
Doesn’t change my stance of fuck specs.

[Firemans4Horn 17829]

Lol Specs is such a shitty run company. 

[henrygandorf 29174]

so many words to say, "this is probably a fair solution, but i'm going to make sure all y'all feel like you're getting fucked."

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

21 minutes ago, BigDHornfan said:

We shall see if they actually enforce this.
Doesn’t change my stance of fuck specs.

I hope that’s a uniquely Dallas thing. Houston appears to run differently. 

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

ECBP pick is pretty good, but there’s a nutty note I don’t love. 
 

Reminds me of a good KC pick. 

[BigDHornfan 6540]

1 hour ago, BigDHornfan said:

We shall see if they actually enforce this.
Doesn’t change my stance of fuck specs.

LOL.  
They've already backtracked.  Specs is run by people that make aggy look smart.
Updated info on Specs points: an hour ago corporate sent an email to all DMs and Managers telling them not to implement the system today and wait until it is announced.

[Party_Taco 3674]

Buncha morans

[Bert Orange 1115]

I actually like the new model. Why wouldn’t that be more fair than the current hierarchy awarding every allocated bottle to just the guys at the top?  You spend, you get allocated bottles. But you don’t get to keep your place in line permanently. You have to spend more to get another allocation. So that others have a chance at the bottle for having also spent. 

[Bert Orange 1115]

That said, I hate the whole concept of “allocation” anyway. 
 

Maybe just make more of it if you think it’s so special?  Or are you afraid to find out it’s only special because you say so?

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

Let’s say it works out like Bert described upthread. I could live with it.

Many of top Spec’s Key Club guys I’ve met are either big wine guys or in a few cases scotch guys. They enjoy bourbon, but it’s not the first thing they’re reaching for. When they do buy bourbon it’s for the Birthday Bourbon, Heaven Hill 17/20, Parker’s, BTAC, and Pappy calls. So yes, knock some those old farts off the top of the list. 

[Txslnghrns 1351]

Grabbed a bottle of JD SiB BS on my business trip. My second bottle and just as good as I remembered it. Enjoy it all day for around $53

Fuck yea

JD BS and BP are both single barrel, but BS is a fixed proof (like Weller full proof) and is their shelf offering. I’m sure the picks are great. Will need to try. 

Based on these posts I decided to pick up a bottle of Jack while we were at Costco last weekend. Never been a big fan of Jack but you guys piqued my interest enough to give it a shot. Nothing can take the place of my daily Rare Breed but I can definitely see keeping a bottle of this on hand at all times. Very good. I need to look for the JD rye that everyone seems to fawn over as well.

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

That one is a good one to dip your toe into the JD waters on, but the one mentioned in the posts you quoted is the barrel strength that typically comes in anywhere from high 120 proofs to high 130's.

[Txslnghrns 1351]

That one is a good one to dip your toe into the JD waters on, but the one mentioned in the posts you quoted is the barrel strength that typically comes in anywhere from high 120 proofs to high 130's.

Well then…..
I’ll have to keep my eye out for that one, too. Just figured the fixed proof was in regards to the single barrel select. Thanks for the heads up.

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

12 minutes ago, Txslnghrns said:

 

 

Based on these posts I decided to pick up a bottle of Jack while we were at Costco last weekend. Never been a big fan of Jack but you guys piqued my interest enough to give it a shot. Nothing can take the place of my daily Rare Breed but I can definitely see keeping a bottle of this on hand at all times. Very good. I need to look for the JD rye that everyone seems to fawn over as well.

 

 

This one has a lot of potential if they priced it better. $50 for the 94 proof vs $60 for 130 proof is an easy decision. 
 

$40 for both the 94 proof single barrel bourbon and rye would be great. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by billfromlaketravis

[Party_Taco 3674]

At $6500 this was a pass (even though that’s a solid price VS online)




If anyone here is interested DM me and I’ll share location.

In more sane news, did grab a beauty today:

[Party_Taco 3674]

That is a different batch upon closer examination. I had the 1st I think and it was just fairly mediocre. It's been quite a while and I'm not great at tasting notes anyway. Fwiw hidden barn sits on shelves at msrp where I live.

Ugg wtfffff…

This is just… bad. Heavy ethanol notes and zero character.

Between her departure from BF, them basically not skipping a beat, and this being her second note… you have to wonder if the Zykan hype was misapplied. Good source juice is likely the difference, but regardless the results here are decidedly lackluster.

[ISUCyclones 216]

Ugg wtfffff…

This is just… bad. Heavy ethanol notes and zero character.

Between her departure from BF, them basically not skipping a beat, and this being her second note… you have to wonder if the Zykan hype was misapplied. Good source juice is likely the difference, but regardless the results here are decidedly lackluster.

Yeah bummer man, extra tough when it's a hard to get bottle

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

Well then…..
I’ll have to keep my eye out for that one, too. Just figured the fixed proof was in regards to the single barrel select. Thanks for the heads up.

Not knocking what you have at all, it's very solid and a good stepping stone for someone such as yourself trying to venture into the better JD products. The BP offerings are infinitely better and are what most of us that don't get our opinions from a podcast have been talking about when we say JD is cranking out probably the best bang for your buck right now.

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

13 hours ago, Party_Taco said:

Ugg wtfffff…

This is just… bad. Heavy ethanol notes and zero character.

Between her departure from BF, them basically not skipping a beat, and this being her second note… you have to wonder if the Zykan hype was misapplied. Good source juice is likely the difference, but regardless the results here are decidedly lackluster.

Good to know. I still think Zykan has a good nose/palette, but she went for the cash grab. It you put shitty product in front of her and she picks the best one, it’s still shitty. 
 

I hope they smooth out the rough edges down the road, but I’ll take the thread’s advice and skip this one. 

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

Give me Benchmark Bonded as the absolute cheapest bourbon I’ll drink neat. Sweeter, more balanced, and no charcoal when compared to Evan Williams BiB. Good value as a sometimes drinker/mixer. 

Not bad for $15. 

[Bert Orange 1115]

Barton is underappreciated for cheap neat drinkers. Can’t recall if I already mentioned a handle of Tom Moore bottle in bond is right around $20-22. It’s almost untouchable at that price point. 

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

Not too shabby, but I wouldn’t run out and buy one.

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

Another rabbit head scratcher. They sent out an email on Wednesday they’re conducting a $10 raffle ticket program for WLW, Handy, and Pappy 23. 500 tickets.

My buddy goes Wednesday night and buys a ticket for 10 bucks. Texts me to say the store has 100 tickets left at 6 pm Wednesday. 
 

I had a window between meetings today and I popped in there around 10 am and buy my weekly rations. Got my ticket. No charge. I received an email 2 hours later that they had 250 tickets left. 
 

Uh what? Their size/market share must be the only factor saving them. They might be the most disorganized public or private company in Texas. 
 

My people know their stuff, but at corporate level, my goodness, what a shit show. I think I got conned on a raffle ticket, but they didn’t take my money. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by billfromlaketravis

[NOMAAA 1696]

The oki specs got is great. 

[Bert Orange 1115]

8 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Another rabbit head scratcher. They sent out an email on Wednesday they’re conducting a $10 raffle ticket program for WLW, Handy, and Pappy 23. 500 tickets.

My buddy goes Wednesday night and buys a ticket for 10 bucks. Texts me to say the store has 100 tickets left at 6 pm Wednesday. 
 

I had a window between meetings today and I popped in there around 10 am and buy my weekly rations. Got my ticket. No charge. I received an email 2 hours later that they had 250 tickets left. 
 

Uh what? Their size/market share must be the only factor saving them. They might be the most disorganized public or private company in Texas. 
 

My people know their stuff, but at corporate level, my goodness, what a shit show. I think I got conned on a raffle ticket, but they didn’t take my money. 

They might want to look into the laws of Texas which I believe strictly prohibit raffles by for profit entities. 

[Party_Taco 3674]

The month of diving into female master distiller’s side projects continues…

Fingers crossed this isn’t shit!

[billfromlaketravis 11359]

1 minute ago, Bert Orange said:

They might want to look into the laws of Texas which I believe strictly prohibit raffles by for profit entities. 

Yeah I think they figured it out after a couple hours. The first email clearly stated $10 per ticket. Second email scrubbed the $10.

I’m sure the TABC will be stopping by. 

[Bert Orange 1115]

3 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Yeah I think they figured it out after a couple hours. The first email clearly stated $10 per ticket. Second email scrubbed the $10.

I’m sure the TABC will be stopping by. 

I hope they do. Specs is shit.