Bourbon

[WeezyBengal]

Haven't been to this thread in awhile.

I recently traded for a bottle of Elmer T Lee. I traded a bottle of Stagg for it. I also traded for a bottle of Blantons straight from the barrel. Another bottle of Stagg for that one.

I am retiling my liquor wall backsplash and have all my bottles out. Below is the state of the "Collection":

[TecmoBengals]

(07-28-2022, 10:37 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Haven't been to this thread in awhile.

I recently traded for a bottle of Elmer T Lee. I traded a bottle of Stagg for it. I also traded for a bottle of Blantons straight from the barrel. Another bottle of Stagg for that one.

I am retiling my liquor wall backsplash and have all my bottles out. Below is the state of the "Collection":

I see the image as broke, anyone else? I'm down for seeing the dude's collection so let me know.

[Donnyho]

So, I'm officially out of space in my "bourbon room". Guess I need to start working on my "bourbon basement"......

[WeezyBengal]

(08-03-2022, 07:39 PM)Donnyho Wrote: So, I'm officially out of space in my "bourbon room". Guess I need to start working on my "bourbon basement"......

I don't think you got enough of the makers mark OHLQ pick lol 

[Donnyho]

(08-09-2022, 01:54 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I don't think you got enough of the makers mark OHLQ pick lol 

 those are all from the Makers Mark Whiskey Drop program.  I don't know if I have any actual store pick Makers.

[MileHighGrowler]

Finally made my first trip to bourbon country this past weekend. Buffalo Trace, Glenn Creek, Castle and Key (most beautiful grounds and most interesting cocktails), Woodford Reserve and Four Roses. Just stuck to the Lexington-ish area this time around but had a great time. Beautiful countryside. BT was the only place we did a tour (even saw Freddie as he passed us on our way out of the Blantons bottling building), and got tastings at a couple of others.

The one thing I really wish is that these distilleries were able to sell bottles without going through the full multi-tier distribution mess, so you could get more interesting bottles onsite without the hassle. But still a lot of fun to visit these places in person after drinking their juice for so many years. Next time I want to visit the Bardstown area and possible Louisville.

On another note... My boss has been hassling me for months about trying Yellowstone, so I finally opened a bottle just before my trip. It wasn't my favorite. Need to go back and give it another try this week as I find whiskey is sometimes finicky on that first taste for me, trying to get my benchmark.

[MileHighGrowler]

Grabbed a bottle of batch 5 of Castle and Key Small Batch this past weekend. I had it in the queue to open once I had space for the bottle, but I was being given some crap by people who said their small batch was gross, so I decided to open it last night instead. I was really pleased with it, especially for a 4-5 year bourbon. To my taste buds: Honey and sweetness upfront, some nuttiness (almond/pecan, not peanut which I don't like in bourbon), and finishes with caramel and a bit of cherry.

I've gotten clarification since that people disliked the first couple of batches. I haven't seen anything about batch 5 elsewhere, but in my opinion worth the grab. I know the price point is probably a turn-off for many (I paid $47 for my bottle out here in Colorado) for a younger bourbon, but it's in line with craft whiskey prices these days and beats the $60-70 I've also seen for similar age statements from other craft distillers.

[Donnyho]

Picked up some interesting things recently:

Benchmark Full Proof - this is a fantastic bottle for 25ish dollars. 125 proof. I’ve heard some people call it Stagg Jr Jr based on the mashbill.

Frank August - found this bottle at Party Source a few weeks ago. I’ve never seen it in Louisville and it looks like it’s mainly distributed n California. The bottle itself is really cool. 100 proof, Kentucky bourbon. Classic bourbon taste. Source is undisclosed, though.

Knob Creek 18 Year - haven’t cracked this, but looking forward to it. I have a 15 year old KC store pick that is great, so I’ve got high hopes for this bottle.

[Donnyho]

(08-16-2022, 03:58 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Finally made my first trip to bourbon country this past weekend.  Buffalo Trace, Glenn Creek, Castle and Key (most beautiful grounds and most interesting cocktails), Woodford Reserve and Four Roses.  Just stuck to the Lexington-ish area this time around but had a great time.  Beautiful countryside.  BT was the only place we did a tour (even saw Freddie as he passed us on our way out of the Blantons bottling building), and got tastings at a couple of others.  

So did you not do the “tour” at Glenn’s Creek? We were down there over the weekend, and if you didn’t do the experience there I HIGHLY recommend it.

It wasn’t a tour, it was literally just a tasting with the owner/master distiller. For about an hour he poured samples and talked about his experiences and philosophies on distilling. I guess it’s for up to 10 guests, but a party of 7 no showed so it was just myself, my wife and a guy visiting from California. At the end of the hour, the third guy bailed and we just shot the shit with the owner for a few and bought some bottles. Then he said “since you guys seem to know what’s up, let me grab some stuff from my private stash”. He came back with one of their sold out limited bottles and a bourbon finished it honey barrels that’s not available yet.

I loved it. Especially since we did Castle & Key right before (which was also great). It was literally like going from a bourbon Disney World to a bourbon punk rock club.

[MileHighGrowler]

(10-18-2022, 06:25 PM)Donnyho Wrote: So did you not do the “tour” at Glenn’s Creek? We were down there over the weekend, and if you didn’t do the experience there I HIGHLY recommend it.

It wasn’t a tour, it was literally just a tasting with the owner/master distiller. For about an hour he poured samples and talked about his experiences and philosophies on distilling. I guess it’s for up to 10 guests, but a party of 7 no showed so it was just myself, my wife and a guy visiting from California. At the end of the hour, the third guy bailed and we just shot the shit with the owner for a few and bought some bottles. Then he said “since you guys seem to know what’s up, let me grab some stuff from my private stash”. He came back with one of their sold out limited bottles and a bourbon finished it honey barrels that’s not available yet.

I loved it. Especially since we did Castle & Key right before (which was also great). It was literally like going from a bourbon Disney World to a bourbon punk rock club.

We had reservations for the tour, but the gal at lunch took 20 minutes to get our check to us, and so we showed up 5 minutes late and they wouldn't let us join the other 3 people that had JUST started the tour with the owner.  There was a younger guy who was leading a tasting for 2 other people and they moved to the private side room when we arrived.  There was another employee who was manning the entry and since we'd paid for the tour, she led us through the full tasting right there at the counter, and gave us a couple of other sips as well at the end.  

Overall, it wasn't my favorite experience.  Their bourbon was good, but it's all higher proof, it was about 95* in that room and there was no place to sit.  After about the 4th whiskey, I just wanted some air movement and a seat.  They've got some interesting bottles and it was cool to see a spot like that after the starting the day at Buffalo Trace (with all their spit and polish), but I would have liked it a lot more if it was more comfortable.  

[BFritz21]

(08-09-2022, 06:23 PM)Donnyho Wrote:  those are all from the Makers Mark Whiskey Drop program.  I don't know if I have any actual store pick Makers.

I had (and still have some) a bunch of those bottles that I had won in the poker group on Facebook that I mentioned and then I just won a bottle of Wild Turkey Master's Keep tonight.

[coachmcneil71]

Makers, 1776, Pendleton

[jfkbengals]

I see this thread has kind of quieted down for some time. I'll be the first to admit that it is sometimes difficult to remember to point out new additions, especially if not done immediately.

But want I really want to ask the community, has anyone else started an Infinity Bottle? For those unaware of the concept, it is a blend of your pallet. Pour yourself a shot of X to sip on, and add a 1/2 oz to your Infinity Bottle at the same time. Want to drink Y next? Pour a shot and add a 1/2 oz. to the Infinity Bottle. Repeat. Eventually you will end up with a true blend of what graces your pallet from drink to drink. Now, to be a purist at the concept you could be mixing in a whiskey that you're trying for the first time and absolutely despise. My advice is to award a pass/fail to first time tastes as to whether it should go into your Infinity mix.

My Infinity bottle is about half full, and I don't want to taste it before it is 3/4+ but am very eager to taste the expression. I told a buddy about the idea and he started his well before me, and said his flavors were very interesting. Anyone else ever tried this concept?

[BigPapaKain]

(06-17-2023, 10:12 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: I see this thread has kind of quieted down for some time.  I'll be the first to admit that it is sometimes difficult to remember to point out new additions, especially if not done immediately.

But want I really want to ask the community, has anyone else started an Infinity Bottle?  For those unaware of the concept, it is a blend of your pallet.  Pour yourself a shot of X to sip on, and add a 1/2 oz to your Infinity Bottle at the same time.  Want to drink Y next?  Pour a shot and add a 1/2 oz. to the Infinity Bottle.  Repeat.   Eventually you will end up with a true blend of what graces your pallet from drink to drink.  Now, to be a purist at the concept you could be mixing in a whiskey that you're trying for the first time and absolutely despise.  My advice is to award a pass/fail to first time tastes as to whether it should go into your Infinity mix.

My Infinity bottle is about half full, and I don't want to taste it before it is 3/4+ but am very eager to taste the expression.  I told a buddy about the idea and he started his well before me, and said his flavors were very interesting.  Anyone else ever tried this concept?

That sounds like it'll either be amazing or a disaster.

I'd try it, but I only like 2 or 3 liquors anymore. And none are whiskey, bourbon, or scotch.

Would this concept work with rum?

[jfkbengals]

(06-18-2023, 12:25 AM)BigPapaKain Wrote: That sounds like it'll either be amazing or a disaster.

I'd try it, but I only like 2 or 3 liquors anymore. And none are whiskey, bourbon, or scotch.

Would this concept work with rum?

I'd have to think it would work with any type of liquor.  WTS, rum might be a little more tricky due to the wide variety of flavorings available.  It might be easy to have a great mix go south by adding a wrong flavor.

[MileHighGrowler]

(06-18-2023, 12:25 AM)BigPapaKain Wrote: That sounds like it'll either be amazing or a disaster.

I'd try it, but I only like 2 or 3 liquors anymore. And none are whiskey, bourbon, or scotch.

Would this concept work with rum?

It would be really interesting with rum (just not spiced/flavored rums, maybe).  With so many countries of origin with their own characteristics, it could be amazing.  I need to start a tiki thread at some point, but many of those recipes have 2-3 rums combined already (like the fruity funk of a Jamaican rum, the molasses notes of a Guyanese demerara rum, the grassiness of an agricole, the vanilla of a long-aged rum...), so the concept seems like it would work just as well as with any other spirit.  

On the bourbon side of things, I made another family trip to Bourbon Country this past weekend.  Visited Stitzel-Weller (did the tour and tasting), Michters (tasting), Old Forester (finally got to try some birthday bourbon!), Peerless (guided tasting - LOVED the absinthe finished bourbon), Angels Envy (I've honestly never given them much attention but was very surprised how good their rye is, and the tasting with chocolate pairings was fun and different), Willett (loved the grounds and the friendliest staff all weekend), Bardstown (sooo packed and busy), Lux Row and Heaven Hill (got there at 8 to wait for the daily drop, and 20 minutes prior an employee came out and told us there was no drop for the day.  A little signage would have been nice to avoid the early morning for no reason).  3 days later and I still probably shouldn't breathe near open flame!

[jfkbengals]

(06-20-2023, 01:46 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Angels Envy (I've honestly never given them much attention but was very surprised how good their rye is, and the tasting with chocolate pairings was fun and different)

Went to the Dalwhinnie distillerie in the Scottish highlands a few years ago, and they did this on their tasting at the end of the tour. Pretty neat idea.

[jfkbengals]

Picked up a seasonal offering from Whistle Pig called SummerStock. Definitely different. Not sure that I liked the flavor in the end.

[MileHighGrowler]

I picked up a Four Gate Kelvin Collab V about a month ago. Have gotten into it a few times and must say it's definitely a tasty bottle. Not a cheap one, though...

[Donnyho]

So, this week I got invited to be part of the Makers Mark Whisky Drop member private select program. I’m one of a small group (not sure how many) that is going to the distillery and crafting the next Private Selection bottle that will be sent to Whisky Drop members. They’re driving us from Louisville to the distillery, we get lunch at the restaurant, a private behind the scenes tour, then into the “lab” to craft a barrel recipe.

I’m really looking forward to it. For me, at least, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.