Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Adding to my post from yesterday. Texted a couple friends who are into bourbon about my pickups and the Eagle Rare store pick. Friend #1 sends the stores FB post showing the line of people who were there early in the morning. Friend #2 texts, “does the fourth guy in line look familiar, fifth guy too?”. A closer look at the pic, it’s my friend and his son.

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Nice pickups, Bob. Haven't seen the Evernorth in these parts.

QT and I went to Maize & Mash for dinner last night. I tried the EH Taylor Barrel Proof Batch 13. Really good with heavy vanilla notes, but doesn't compare to Batch 12, which was amazing. :2

https://i.imgur.com/Fregp2a.jpg

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Visited my Dad in Key West for his 70th Birthday, he cracked this open
https://i.postimg.cc/905V1zyj/94-CAA...-E48-BB419.jpg

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Nice, Gabe! How did you guys like it?

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I grabbed a bottle of Clyde May's Special Reserve 6-Year Old. I'd seen it before a few years ago and passed...then never saw it again. So when I saw the single bottle on the shelf I went ahead and grabbed it.

I quite like it. It's 110 proof but pretty damned smooth. Fruit and spice forward with a pleasant finish that lingers. At $62 it's in the realm of WTRB, 4RSBS, OF115, and KC120, and I'd definitely grab another bottle...if I ever see it again.

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Haven’t bought much lately. Had a few minutes to kill before my pizza was done, so I hit up my local store. A few things to choose from. James E Pepper, Penelope Rio, the Russel’s stor pick. But ended up grabbing the Dragon’s Milk Bonded. Cracked it open and had a pour. First sip I wasn’t so sure, but the second sip has me intrigued. Reminds me of the chocolate covered cherries my dad would get at Xmas. It’s definitely different in a good way. Nice change of pace.

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Oh, but that Russell's store pick, Bob...... :dr

I've been intrigued by Prideful Goat for a while but never pulled the trigger. Last month an organization called Live Stay Project offered a single barrel with profits going towards suicide prevention. I figured that was a good reason to try it. It's MGP juice, and the organization claims it's the first 8 year single barrel PG has ever done.

It's good, some sweetness and grain on the palate. We'll see how it opens up.

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

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I have a feeling I’ll pick up the Russell’s pick next month if there’s any left.

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You know what they say - You can't go wrong with Turkey :tu

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Hmmm...good luck with that, Bob.

-(P

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I picked up a bottle of this a few years ago. It was good, but not enough for me to go back and grab more. Curious on how it develops for you. -(P

I picked up a couple bottles of 13th Colony Maple Wood over the weekend. I haven't opened it up yet though.

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Finished tasting through the Stagg Jr batches a few times, I don't have my final rankings top to bottom yet but my #1 was 22A and #2 was 23C. Batch 12 didn't do so hot, across the group it ended up #11 out of 16, the bottle was sealed to start so it did raise some questions about within-batch variability but who knows. I'll post up my final rankings 1-16 when I taste through my final round of losers, in the mean time gimme more 22A, the bottle I tried of that is damn near perfect for my tastes :dr

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Did you try all 16 at one sitting? What were your thoughts on the ‘24 releases?

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Probably doesn't remember...:al

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It was bracket style over the course of a month and a half, I never tried more than one head to head matchup per day since the finishes would overtake eachother being generally over 130 proof. I haven't finished my final rankings, but as a group the 24's didn't do so well - 24A was 7th, 24B was 12th and 24C was 14th. Batch 18 came in last for the group even though it did pretty well in my bracket, I was the only one who liked it apparently

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Looks like I'm lookin' for a bottle of 22A. :D

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Hell, I'd just be happy to find a bottle of Stagg. I can't remember the last time I've seen some on a shelf but it's been at least five years.

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I've gotten a few single barrels but still have never found a Stagg Jr batch at a store, the only ones I have were either gifts are bought on secondary

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Mine were all marked up on the shelf West Coast style. That being said, they were available. Price matters bleh.

24C and 24D. Seem pretty much the same to me. Both great.

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I used to get Stagg Jr a couple of times a year at Sal's at MSRP, but they've gone to secondary pricing on their HTF stuff this year. :td

Binny's has called me for a couple of the batches the last couple years, that's my only real hope for bottles that aren't marked up now.

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Speaking of Binny's, they got in the new Booker's (25-01, Bary's Batch) yesterday. :wo

https://i.imgur.com/GqRg2b0.jpg

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I think I have 12 or 16 bottles of Stagg. Not sure, lost count. For some reason 24a-d have eluded me this past year.

Tom - Nice pick up on the Bookers' Barry Batch!

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My store got a stagg barrel and totally effed up the release, sold them before they were supposed to and let people get three per person. By the time I got over there there was one case left so we grabbed two each, apparently people were reselling them in the parking lot :r

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Given myself a rule. Before I can buy a new bottle, I have to kill two from my collection. Last night I finished a FKNG store pick. Working on the 8+ year Bakers.

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I have more fun when I finish one and buy two, Bob. -(P :al

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Ohhh lalala!!!!! I’m waiting for that.

I really enjoyed all of the 24 releases. The 24-04 has grown on me quite a bit.

I think my favorite still is 24-03 but all good. Love how they differ.

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I checked your math and that adds up! :banger

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24-03 is my favorite from last year as well, Dave. :tu

https://i.imgur.com/sEctjBK.gif

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Bakers bottle killed, time to go shopping. Well, tomorrow. I’m in no shape to drive. And bonus, Friday is one of the delivery days.

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Back from travel again. Picked up two LB Infinite and a EHT Rye in NY. Almost polished the rye off so got some replacement RHT as well as a few Bookers.

https://i.postimg.cc/dVxkKjzN/IMG-0979.jpg

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Nice pickups, Dave! :dr

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LB Infinites are still out in the wild? Nice grabs, sure wish I picked up a bottle of that one it's so good

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Yeah, Total Wine in Westbury NY still has them. They never put them on the shelf so you have to know to check the app for them. I checked when in Long Island and voila.

They still have them. For all I know, I’m the only one buying them haha. Has to be the same delivery from last October when I picked up several. Still hidden away in the back of the warehouse.

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Decided to open up something special last night. Knob Creek Longhorn 14+ year single barrel pick. Someone at Longhorn had a knack for picking barrels, I have sampled a few of them and I think they are the best of the best KC picks.

https://i.imgur.com/AaOhZ3M.jpg

Finished off the Birthday with a pour from my favorite currently open bottle, at 140.2 proof. Thank you, hotreds Hugh. :D

https://i.imgur.com/2QUN4vO.jpg

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Ohhh nothing like quality bourbon and good cigars for a celebration. Well, I could mix in Whiskies and Ryes as well :)

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:noon :al :banger

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Ben, you always seem to have some insights into some of the odder bourbons. What can you tell me that I might not know about this one?


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

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Hmm…my local store got their KCBP (almost 10 year), Russel’s Reserve 10 year pick and Bookers 25-01 in. I’m limiting myself to just one bottle. Which one? I still have yet to crack the other RRBP they had a couple months back.

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I don't think the 25-01 Booker's is one of their best, Bob.

Knob Creek V Russell's 10. Beam Vs. Turkey. I'm a Beam guy, but I'd drink either, and maybe buy both. ;) :r ;s

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Opened a Stagg, Batch 24D. I hadn't tried much Stagg after batch 19, I have to say I'm pretty impressed with this one on first pour.

https://i.imgur.com/b6By1x6.jpg

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Sourced 3 old Booker's batches through a local guy and paid what was MSRP back then. Nice little score.

18-02 Backyard BBQ
17-01 Tommy's
17-04 Sip Awhile

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

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Hot damn! That’s a nice score, Tom. :tu

Went for a ride in the Z on this beautiful day, to a new to me store. Found out about them last week on FB. The young guy running the place, Anthony, is creating a hidden gem. Yesterday he posted they had just gotten Bookers 25-01 in. Had 4 cases on the floor at state min. When I got there today saw EC18, Penelope Estate, MM Keepers, plus some other nice bottles. Came home with a James E Pepper decanter bottle.

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Unusual to see EC18 on the shelf, was it at secondary pricing, Bob?

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Nope, $169.

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Holy cow!!! That’s great inventory. Lucky you.

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Last round of EC18 were on the shelf here in NTX as well. Same price. -(P

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Bob, I finally found Old Grandad 114 under $25. Good pour, drinks under its proof, has a bit on vanilla and a bit of Beam peanut. Not totally my jam, more of a second pour type for me.

https://i.imgur.com/1lpSsVJ.png

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Yea, it’s decent for the price.

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I've seen some talk of this one, initially I would think BuffTurkey (distilled at buffalo trace for wild turkey ~15 years ago using WT's mashbill and ingredients) but apparently this bottle is something different, I think somebody said it's straight wild turkey but thanks to NDA's we'll never really know. The thing about these sourced barrels, even if you knew who made it and with what recipe it's still being sold off to brokers because it doesn't taste like what the producer was going for so it's all a crap shoot, but probably pretty tasty

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The sample was really tasty, Ben. Just need to decide when toy crack this one.

One of the managers told me they had something in the back for me. Never heard of it, but I bought it on the recommendation.

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

Turns out it's a new Maker's Mark offering...and it's already double what I paid retail on the secondary market.