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RichUT

Burnt Ends
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Everything posted by RichUT

  1. Retail is still $160-ish. Secondary value tops out at $200, so $232 is a healthy markup. I think Balmorhea is their best expression, but I haven’t had Laguna Madre yet. Trying that one tonight.
  2. You quoted a reply I made that was specific to Magnus Cigar Blend. Given that, I (daftly?) assumed that the purchase you made was….Magnus Cigar Blend. I guess I’m the idoit?
  3. How’d you get it at 50% off MSRP and can you get any more??
  4. I am not an expert, but have had a couple of batches (24 and 25, I think?) and would buy it 10 out of 10 times at MSRP. It's pretty fantastic.
  5. There are no generic batches, but the way they manage their releases and the sheer breadth of product they are distributing does take some work to stay on top of. The core Bourbon and Rye expressions use a linear and straight forward batch numbering format, although once in awhile you will see a derivative batch that ends in b (e.g., Batch 8b). That apparently happened more earlier, when some of the blended batches sat in a barrel for longer than expected and developed a different flavor profile than the original batch number. I haven't see one of those in awhile. You can read about each of the core batch releases at https://www.barrellbourbon.com/bourbon and https://www.barrellbourbon.com/rye. Beyond those, they have the Craft Spirits line (15 year old and very expensive), experimental stuff (Dovetail, Armida, Seagrass, Infinity, etc.), a barrel pick program (usually has a weird alpha numeric batch like DSX1), and the new Private Release bourbon (micro blended releases using KY/TN/IN distillate of varying ages and percentages). I haven't tried the Private Release stuff yet, as I need to dial back on buying for a minute to right size my collection. I'd suggest sticking to the core Bourbon releases unless you really seek out things that are unique and different to the point of not necessarily reading like a traditional bourbon or rye. 25 and 26 were the first batches that used a wheated bourbon as part of the blend, and everyone I have share those with has come away a big fan.
  6. If you’re buying Dovetail and using that to pass judgement on their full line, then I can’t help you. Their standard bourbon releases are really fucking great. They like to experiment with different blends and finishes, but always sell those under a clearly identified sub-brand. Batches 25 and 26 of the bourbon were fantastic pours and well worth the $80 price tag. I’ve heard similarly positive reviews of 27 and 28.
  7. Yep. Please keep passing on Barrell. It’s piss and everyone should leave it on the shelf so I can continue to find it easily.
  8. In addition to the advice I provided above, I want to clarify that they can’t haul any OPEN bottles of alcohol. They can absolutely haul anything that still has the original seal intact.
  9. Tip the movers an extra $50 and tell them you won’t hold them responsible for any bottles that may break. 90%+ chance they will take that deal and your bottles will arrive with no problems.
  10. No question. But it has prevented the secondary market from materializing. You could buy a lot of great stuff at $250 retail....but you can't find damn near any of it. Still, I'd point people to the standard batches for a much better value. I still see 25's and 26's hanging out at Total Wine, and those bottles are great and are less than half the price.
  11. Huh. To each their own. I've never had one that I didn't enjoy, and more than a few have been absolutely great. In particular 8b, 25, 26, and batch 3 of the Rye were standouts. I like my bottle of the 15 year, but I also didn't pay for it, which helps out a ton.
  12. I have the most recent release. Everything Barrell does is worth checking out. This is a really good pour, but at a tough price point. I’d be hard pressed to tell you that it’s 2.5x better than any of their most recent batches. 25 an 26 were both outstanding, and sold for around $90. I think the 15 year is better than both, but it’s a decently close call.
  13. They've been in that bucket for awhile now. I'd welcome both back, but this squad will be competitive with or without them based on who's confirmed.
  14. Smoked Tomahawks with a Kamado Joe sear to finish them off.
  15. Still living off the good old days when they got that sweet Stitzel-Weller juice.
  16. To each their own. My second bottle of bourbon ever was Booker's and I ended up loving it. Granted, the first sip was eye opening, but it accelerated my ability to handle higher proof whiskey and made things in the 100-110 range feel downright approachable.
  17. Different strokes, but I disagree with starting low proof and working your way up. I'd actually advocate for the opposite. Get a water dropper to proof it down if you have to, but if you're in the process of acclimating, start hot and dial it back. Besides, none of my recommendations are really THAT high to begin with. I think Rare Breed was the hottest, and that is still just in the 116 range.
  18. That kid has ‘Grade A Douche’ written all over him. Don’t want anything to do with him.
  19. There is no wrong answer, but I’d personally point you to the very solid $50-$60 tier and suggest you pick up 4-5 of the following: Wild Turkey Rare Breed Old Forester 1910 or 1920 Woodinville Bourbon 1792 Full Proof John J Bowman Single Barrel Russell’s Reserve Four Roses Small Batch Select You’re going to pick up more variety in flavor profiles across these products which should prove helpful in dialing in your preferences.
  20. No Microcetner in Austin. Never heard of the Newegg shuffle. Will have to go research that one.
  21. He went AMD Ryzen 7 on the processor. Game wise, he plays something called Osu and a lot of random modded Minecraft shit off of various servers. He mentioned wanting to play War Zone at some point too. Thanks for the guidance. Will start to get in the habit of stalking NewEgg in the early morning and late at night.
  22. Okay Surly computer gurus, I have 3-4 months to source a respectable GPU for my son's DIY gaming machine build. A good friend did us a solid and loaned us a 2080 for the summer, but the deal is that it goes back to him in the fall. I'm fine spending up to $600 or so, but don't want to go to the secondary market. Ideally we'd end up with a 30xx card, but I could live with one of the newer AMD cards. What are the tips/tricks to know to have any sort of chance at getting one? I am not about to buy a bot, but I am fine getting up early or staying up late for site refreshes even if the chances there are somewhat slim. Any best practices to follow would be appreciated.
  23. Costco signed an agreement with Barton and the Kirkland brand will switch to their distillate at some point in the future. It’ll be co-branded, and I’d expect it to be a really solid value.
  24. The TX blended is sourced whiskey with a flavoring agent added to it that makes it taste like Halloween candy. That’s not a good thing in my book, but if you’re into then you’re into it. Everything else they make is their distillate, and doesn’t include any flavor agents. I wouldn’t call it good, but it’s much better than the blended to me. The barrel proof is the best of what they offer outside of the distillery. The experimental Rye is the best thing they make overall and I think that one will be out in the next 1-2 years. I’ve always avoided this brand in the past, but had a chance to do a full virtual tasting event with the head distiller for $10 last month. I didn’t go out and buy any, but it was enough to raise my very low opinion of them at least a tad. I’ll pickup the Rye whenever that one hits shelves.
  25. I’d argue that simply possessing a bottle of WLW is good fortune worth celebrating.
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