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Jimbaround

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2 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Does anybody know what Michter's sells at the distillery? I assume the Single Barrel is so rare it's not for sale there. 

By the way Billions fans, Axe and John Malkovich were drinking the Single Barrel in the last episode. It was definitely Michter's with a brown/black label. 

FYI, Michter’s Distillery doesn’t have a gift shop.  I was able to tour the grounds last year and was underwhelmed with the facilities compared to the others that you find on the trail.  I did see a pallet of the 25yr bourbon in the warehouse before being shipped out.

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6 hours ago, Whiskyteer said:

FYI, Michter’s Distillery doesn’t have a gift shop.  I was able to tour the grounds last year and was underwhelmed with the facilities compared to the others that you find on the trail.  I did see a pallet of the 25yr bourbon in the warehouse before being shipped out.

Well, that stinks. 

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12 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

"Willett Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel. 131.2 proof, 65.6% alcohol by volume. Barrel No. 193. Aged 6 Years. Sorry I haven't mastered posting pics from my phone on here, but it's a very similar bottle. 

I stopped by Hay Merchant and gave it try. A little steep at $22 a pour, but I believe they gave me an ounce and half. There's plenty left in the bottle. 

Excellent, excellent bourbon. Despite the proof, it wasn't hot at all. Very smooth. It still tastes like Willett, but they ironed out all of the imperfections and made it better. 

I had an Elmer T. right after to get a baseline. I still like Elmer better, but the Willett was a close second. If I find a Willett 80th Birthday at MSRP, I'll pick it up. 

@huge can you elaborate on the back story? I assume they're releasing a couple bottles/barrels every couple years with a full release after 10-12 years of aging?

my understanding is that they did 160 bottles only and the Eight Row Flint guys and UB Preserve/Haymerchant guys got one.  That's what I understood.  I don't know more than what the bartender at HM told me.

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4 hours ago, huge said:

my understanding is that they did 160 bottles only and the Eight Row Flint guys and UB Preserve/Haymerchant guys got one.  That's what I understood.  I don't know more than what the bartender at HM told me.

Cool. I'd say that's a pretty rare allocation. Well worth the 22 bucks.

Eight Row Flint is going to release their own whiskey, it won't be a bourbon: http://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/08-23-17-morgan-weber-dave-pickerell-indianola-distilling-company/#slide=0

I'll skip the peach brandy, but I'll give the whiskey a shot once it reaches 5 years of aging. 

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I picked up another bottle of Bowman Single Barrel, and a 1792 Full Proof, Store Single Barrel. 

The Bowman was awarded Whiskey Magazine's Bourbon on the Year in 2017. Full Proof won the same award in 2018. http://beveragedynamics.com/2018/05/03/1792-full-proof-bourbon-named-2018s-top-bourbon-by-whisky-magazine/

I'm ready to get the weekend started. 

 

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Bowman SiB is getting harder to find. I've read a few pretty high profile reviews comparing it to Blanton's, so I assume the Blanton's hunters have pivoted to Bowman. 

I have pretty high hopes for Full Proof. It's a cheap, high proof bourbon from Sazerac/Buffalo Trace. I believe it's the same age as Stagg Jr and has a comparable proof. Fingers crossed Full Proof is in the same neighborhood. 

Edited by billfromlaketravis
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Bowman SiB is getting harder to find. I've read a few pretty high profile reviews comparing it to Blanton's, so I assume the Blanton's hunters have pivoted to Bowman. I disagree with the comparison. Bowman reminds me of Hancock's Reserve with a hint of salt. 
I have pretty high hopes for Full Proof. It's a cheap, high proof bourbon from Sazerac/Buffalo Trace. I believe it's older than Stagg Jr and a comparable proof. Fingers crossed Full Proof is in the same neighborhood. 

I’ve got a couple of Goody Goody store picks of the 1792 Full Proof. It’s really good. I like it better than stagg jr. it’s around the same proof but not nearly as hot.
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1 hour ago, huge said:

$110?  Better be good

I’ve slowed my roll on Woodford’s Master Collection since it’s gotten over the $100 mark.  Non-age stated juice for a Benjamin?  Give me their OF 1920 for $60 all-day err-day.

I agree with everyone’s take on 1792 FP store picks...the best value for a high proofer and consistently good!  For those exes in SA, check out Alamo City Liquor’s Barrel pick...the best one I’ve tasted so far.

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Opened the Michter’s 10 tonight. God damn good bourbon.
The hint of licorice surprised me though. I normally don’t like it, but I do like hint of it you get in a Sazarac. The first sip of Michter’s was reminiscent of that. One of the smoothest bourbons I’ve had in awhile. I just wish the finish was a bit longer. But I’m really really glad I got a bottle. Going to savor this one for awhile.

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Is the Makers Private Select significantly better the Makers 46? I didn't care for the 46. 


They take the 46 and add 10 flavoring staves and age for some additional months. Can’t remember how many. I did a side by side of the 46 and private select at Maker’s Mark but honestly don’t remember enough to answer. I want to get a couple different varieties of the Private Select though and do a tasting. I appreciate the creativity of it. In practice, not sure how different they’ll all be with minimal aging.
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2 minutes ago, ERhine said:

 


They take the 46 and add 10 flavoring staves and age for some additional months. Can’t remember how many. I did a side by side of the 46 and private select at Maker’s Mark but honestly don’t remember enough to answer. I want to get a couple different varieties of the Private Select though and do a tasting. I appreciate the creativity of it. In practice, not sure how different they’ll all be with minimal aging.

 

Thanks for the explanation.

I usually stay away from brands like Wild Turkey, Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. It might be my palette, but all the high end offerings of those brands taste too much like the originals. I'll shoot Wild Turkey 101 when I'm feeling nostalgic. 

I might have to get more flexible soon. Eagle Rare handles are nowhere to be found, and my go to source is threatening an allocated points system for all ER. Which is insane to me, but I'm sure Weller 12 and Elijah Craig 12 guys said the same thing a few years back. 

I would be awesome if Four Roses came out with a 1.75L of their Single Barrel. 

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9 minutes ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Was at a conference in NO 2 weeks ago with open bar. The rest of the schmos were drinking Jack while I attacked the Eagle Rate on the wall.
Buncha know nothings.

People order Jack when they have no idea what they want. 

To this day, I have no idea why Jack was Sinatra's brand. I guess he didn't like scotch? 

Edited by billfromlaketravis
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35 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

People order Jack when they have no idea what they want. 

To this day, I have no idea why Jack was Sinatra's brand. I guess he didn't like scotch? 

I assume Jack was better years ago when Frank drank it.  I'm hoping anyway.  

1 hour ago, BigDHornfan said:

Opened the Michter’s 10 tonight. God damn good bourbon.
The hint of licorice surprised me though. I normally don’t like it, but I do like hint of it you get in a Sazarac. The first sip of Michter’s was reminiscent of that. One of the smoothest bourbons I’ve had in awhile. I just wish the finish was a bit longer. But I’m really really glad I got a bottle. Going to savor this one for awhile.

I was a bit disappointed to be honest.  They need to up the proof.  The 20 is amazing if you can find it for a decent price.

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Have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by jacks single barrel and barrel proof offerings. Black - that's for coke and not much else.  

Somebody gave me a bottle of JD Single Barrel. It’s surprisingly good. I wouldn’t pay $50 for it, but it’s good.


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11 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

People order Jack when they have no idea what they want. 

To this day, I have no idea why Jack was Sinatra's brand. I guess he didn't like scotch? 

It's not my brand but you'd probably appreciate it more if you toured the factory.  takes 5 days for the distillate to percolate through the charcoal stack.  it violates the definitions so is not a legal bourbon,  but those 5 days in charcoal are akin to 5 years in barely charred new oak barrels.  

i came across this bottle at king liquor, on burnet, call Austonian. their marketing schtick was why new oak? that's not sustainable. so they reused bourbon barrels.  sounded interesting and ecologically conscious so I gave it a try.  tasted about what you would expect.  like soggy wood.  

anyway, jack daniels is like budweiser.  it's more the history than the product.  it's what they've done for this country, the economy, what we are known for.  the people they've employed, the events they've sponsored.  

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Today I came an eyelash away from scoring a bottle of Michter's 10 at an unspecified Spec's in Houston. The bourbon guy was away from his station so I asked a random employee  for help. I asked for Eagle Reserve and he said they had some in the back. After he pulled the bottle, I asked him if they had anything else in the back. He said they had some Michter's 10. I immediately told him I would take it. 

So he pulled the bottle of Michter's and told me to hold on because the bourbon guy had just arrived for the day. Of course the bourbon guy comes over and tells me it's reserved and he can't sell it to me. He then went on this BS spiel about how the Downtown Spec's hoards all the good stuff, and only sends bottles west when big shots request it. 

I'd say they did me pretty dirty. F*** Spec's. If you don't own a bar, a catering business, or a restaurant you're never going to get anything better than George T. Stagg or Handy. I don't care how you're living, a single person can't spend enough to keep up in the points race. 

I'll see you degenerates at the Goody Goody Pappy Raffle in December. 

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I won't address the ice cube in Elmer. I take solace in the fact that is very hot outside right now. 

Watch out for the first pour of 1792 Full Proof, it's a jet blast of sweetness. It tasted like a S'more. 

These high proof bottles are complex, nuanced, and change from pour to pour. I like it, but the sweetness surprised me. 

For the veterans, should I let it breath some to bring the sweetness down? 

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Anyone else not a fan of Stagg jr? There’s about 40 cheaper bourbons that I like significantly more. 

The one bottle I bought I didn’t like, traded it.
I absolutely love higher proof stuff but the stagg was just too much heat. Overpowered everything else about it for me.
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