Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Chayse, Imma be very disappointed if you don't try that 15 year KC pick neat next time. Such a gorgeous bourbon to mix with anything. ;)

Some great bottles at Specs Tony, but I ain't standing in line for 24+ hours for anything besides Booker's Rye or Jennifer Lawrence's poonanny. ;)

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Some grabs from the past week. I picked up the Two Georges Rye at Vom Fass down near Tampa. It's from Yahara Bay Distillers in Wisconsin and is incredibly smooth. The Ezra Brooks is an owner's selection from my favorite B&M. The Maker's Cask Strength I grabbed at my third-choice B&M because they were letting it go for $40.



https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...95e5c74e_z.jpg

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You guys are killing me with these pics! I miss drinking bourbon so much! I guess it's better to be alive and enjoy a cigar and no bourbon than being dead. Great stuff though! looks tasty! God bless you!

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Catching up on the last 10-15 pages this morning. Some fine pours in here. Hope to clink glasses this year!

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Steph and I met some family up in Franklin, TN for a long weekend. We visited two distilleries while we were there. I didn't want to hit the big boys that are around there (Jack Daniel's and George Dickel); I was interested in the small guys. We went to Leiper's Fork last Friday and H. Clark Distillery on Sunday.

Leiper's Fork makes three whiskeys, Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, and White (unaged) whiskey from a Bourbon mash. The first two were good representations of the style, and very smooth at 100 proof. The White was also quite good, with the tequila-ish odor and slight flavor of moonshine but also with the sweeter whiskey taste. The tour guide said his wife uses it instead of tequila in margaritas and I can see how it would be good that way.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...24637d5ae9.jpg

H. Clark Distillery is small. REALLY small. The owner (H. Clark) is apparently the guy that wrote the bill allowing distilling in all the counties in TN, instead of just the three that were allowed once Prohibition ended.

Their Single Barrel Bourbon is quite tasty, and has a bit of spice from higher than average rye in the mash bill.

The Black & Tan is an interesting concoction born out of the need to get more than one use from a barrel and an interest in experimentation. A good portion of the mash bill is what is used for brewing oatmeal stout beers. It's got a heavy mouth feel with some chocolate and oat flavors, and a lingering aftertaste with a nice bourbon kick.

The Company Distilling Bourbon is not made by H. Clark, but by a friend of theirs who retired from Jack Daniel's and wanted to make his own whiskies. (Company Distilling and H. Clark are going to merge into one business soon). It's a wheated Bourbon and is very smooth and tasty.

As for the gin, well, I'm not a gin fan. Never have been. I can tolerate Bombay Sapphire but that's about it. H. Clark's gin blew me away. Apparently it won some awards last year. It's so good I could just pour some over an ice cube and sip it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3d6b1d4fbd.jpg

When I said H. Clark is small, I meant it. Here's me beside their 100 gallon still.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2726d29f19.jpg

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Sounds like a great trip James! :tu

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Snagged this little sampler today. All new to me!
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=9606

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I hear a lot about it Garry, but I'm not a Scotch guy so I'll have to live vicariously. ;)

I had a couple wheaters yesterday...


https://i.imgur.com/swbdA5d.jpg

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Not sure I am either... A nice new venture for me. I do know I like that smoke taste though!

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Good luck with it Brother. I can't even smell Scotch without getting a little queasy. :)

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This is one I need to try. I do prefer the peaty scotches the best.

I picked this one up a couple of weeks ago ... very unique

https://www.newhollandbrew.com/jobs/...arrel-bourbon/

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Scotch is an interesting one for me, I had always associated "Scotch" with "Good Sipping Whisky" and bourbon was just something you mix with coke to get drunk. Even up until maybe 4 years ago my dad would get me a gift card to my local liquor store for my birthday and I'd go in to see which 18 year of any Scotch they had on sale and I'd buy one. Then one day my eyes were open to Bourbon and I started down that crazy slope, and pretty much stopped drinking Scotch all together overnight. A year or two ago a brother from another board and I started up a whiskey sample swap, every few months sending a whole bunch of samples to the other person based on whatever we're drinking. One time he sent me a series of Scotches ending with a 25 year old, the next in the lineup was a Buffalo Trace store pick and I preferred that to any of the Scotch I just drank, regardless of price which I know was vastly different

That being said, when I was doing a bottle purge a few months ago I pulled out a bunch of 25% or less full bottles to kill off, one of which was a Glenfiddich 18 I've had for I don't know how long. I took a sip and pulled out all sorts of great flavors I had never gotten before, a little honey and some floral, it was delightful but took a look of searching due to the low proof. I didn't end up killing that bottle, I put it back with a few pours left, but honestly I don't have the time/money/available alcohol consumption to get into it. I have some friends that are always buying distillery exclusives and getting them shipped over, they say it's cheaper than anything halfway decent you'll find on a shelf in the states, but I know I'd need cask strength and I know those come with a price tag I can't justify so for now I'll stick with really really really enjoying bourbon (and rye, and american whiskey, and sometimes rum) and leave the Scotch to the Scotch guys

Anyways, Tom why you drinking Diet Weller?

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It was a gift from my Cuz so I gotta finish the bottle. I'd much rather be drinking some stuff I was gifted from CO. -(P

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Fair enough. Glad we were able to load up on the ECBP picks while the flood was still going on, now they're few and far between :td

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Johnnie walker swing was the only scotch i could ever tolerate. i even did the outrageous thing and purchased a bottle once. other than that I was always a bourbon man. I loved bourbon in a way that wasn't natural and to this day almost get high off the smell. Since i can no longer drink my cigar habit has increased sevenfold -(P

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I had a small JW Black bottle years ago... it is still little more than half full...not a fan of that stuff.

For more flavor, I think the peated/smoke scotch will be good. For classic taste, I will stick with bourbon. Nice change of pace from time to time.

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I'm an equal opportunity whiskey drinker. Irish, Scotch, Japanese, American, friggin' Martian, it doesn't matter to me. And sometimes, that's all in one evening! :D

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James has the idea.... :al :r

Ben, never saw a single bottle here at retail. Luckily I have a couple great friends in CO. :)

Jason, somehow both my cigar and my bourbon consumption are going up. I'm gonna get every ounce out of my three lungs and two livers. ;)

Garry, they tried to give me some JW something or other when we did a tasting at the Middleton distillery in Cork. I traded mine for a second shot of Middleton Rare. :lr

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If that's the tasting where they're putting other whiskies up against Jameson, it's JW Black they use, along with either Jack Daniel's or Jim Beam. At least that's how they do it at the Jameson Distillery in Dublin.

I never did get down to Midleton in my two times in Ireland.

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It's a cool experience if you ever go back, James. And I think you're correct about the JW Black being used in Cork too.

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Most Scotch I Don't Care For, Either. Sick For Two Days When I Chugged 16 OZ. At Once On A Dare During My Graduation Party From Anesthesia School!:r:tu

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Anesthesia from Anesthesia. Nice. :r

I drank a pint of Cutty Sark on New Year's Eve when I was 17. A shame I ruined myself for (allegedly) good booze on bottom shelf crap. :r

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Snagged these today.

Had a taste of the Connemara the other week, Buffalo Trace nothing new...and Howler Head... I kept seeing it advertised on UFC...so since the lady and I are watching some UFC on the big screen tomorrow, I snagged it.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=9613

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

I'm conflicted when it comes to Connemara. I'm a big fan of Irish Whiskeys...and also of Scotch including the real peaty ones. So when I have Connemara I'm thinking "I want Irish whiskey. If I wanted peat I'd get an Islay Scotch. Are you not confident enough in your whiskey to let us try it without the smoke?"

Ultimately I tell my inner monologue to STFU and I just enjoy the hootch. :D

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Banana whiskey. Oh, Garry..... :sad

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:r:r

I have a feeling it will be in the cupboard for a while.

Impulse buy for the UFC fight tonight...

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I went to a Super Bowl party and almost brought a bottle as a joke.

When I got there, he already had one, mostly gone. :lr

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Did you try it? I am a bit curious on it.

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Not even on a dare... :lr

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lmao

I shall report back tonight or tomorrow on my thoughts... Unless I crack it open sooner.

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Banana? Whoa. I tried Screwball where I get my hair cut. Flavored whiskey is not for me.

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***UPDATE*** Howler Head-

It is good to me. A little on the sweet side to have it by itself, but once I find something it goes with, I wouldn't buying another bottle...

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

When Howler Head grows up, loses the sweetness of youth, and has its big boy balls drop. ;) :lr

https://i.imgur.com/FxNV5Gj.jpg

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I'm fine with the very slight banana that comes naturally from a nice high proof Jack Daniels or Old Forester, but I think that's about as far as I go down that road. I did buy Traverse City's cherryfest kit this past year which came with 200ml each of a 70 proof cherry infused whiskey and their barrel strength (110 proof), those didn't suck. The 70 tasted like cherry water and most of it ended up in a batch of cherry old fashiond's, the barrel proof is actually decent and is still sitting on the bar

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All Of These Sound Like Flavored Cigars.:td Booker's Is Still #1 For Me!:dr

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:D :D :D :D :D :wo

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Lmao!!!

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Not much activity in here lately, so I'll fire it up again. Had some Maker's Mark Cask Strength earlier, now I'm having some WT101.

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Solid pours James. :tu

I recently did a trade with a local guy from a FB bourbon group. 15 Booker's samples from me for 15 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof samples from him. Started working my way through them, 12 different batches from 2017-2021, and 3 single barrel store picks. Going to take me all week, but who's complaining? :D

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It's important to have goals. :D

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Yeah, and I'm half way done. :al :lr

Grabbed a couple of my favorite Barrell batches at retail yesterday, these batches (27 & 28) are becoming scarce on the shelves.

https://i.imgur.com/cbGZrdI.jpg

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

That sounds awesome! Hope you did them blind, that's where I start having fun. Did 15x Russell's Reserve warehouses in a blind bracket last year, the process of tasting and raking make me really focus on what I was drinking. While most were fairly similar, there were two that both beat out high end Russell's in one final blind matchup at the end (RR13 and RR 2003)

Had the pleasure last weekend of trying, among other things, a 1960's airplane bottle of Makers from an airline that's long gone. After sitting in a glass for a while this stuff was really great, wish the stuff they're making now was as good as the stuff they were making back then :dr

https://i.postimg.cc/fR7HcDHh/PXL-20...2441963-MP.jpg

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Was that Elmo Airlines. Ben? :D

Even doing the samples blind, there's so many issues with 15 samples. I can't drink them all in one night, and we know the palate changes based on lots of factors. If I tried to do 15 at once, I'd be buzzed and my palate off half way through (yeah, I can drink :r). So while I'm doing it over a few days and ranking them, I know the method is severely flawed... but I am getting a general idea about the batches I'd seek out again and those I would not.

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Five at a time, three times (or 4 at a time and one short round). Put the top tanked against each other for one more winner's bracket :tu

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Is "tanked" a typo, or a pretty good pun?

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Typo, but I'm keeping it :al

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I like it. -(P

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Somewhat local (30 miles) store released a Barrell SiB, 8 year MGP at cask strength. Grabbed 2 at a pre-sale discount, and picked them up earlier in the week. Just amazing, maybe better than Batches 27 & 28, chocolate covered cherries, dark fruit, MGP spice on the finish. May have to grab another pair if they discount them again...or even if they don't. ;) :r

https://i.imgur.com/ZBvX9To.jpg