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Best
-Finding this forum
-My first trip to KY
-Discovered my love for dusty hunting
-Innumerable epic scores from dusty hunting
-Met timd and Young Blacksmith from here, bros 4 lyfe, yo
-Got over the PVW/BTAC hype
Worst
-Spent way too much money
-Realized that the bourbons I like the most are no longer made (back to the sticks we go!)
Best
-Found SB
-Got a hold of some WLW and several bottles of Pappy
-Found a Maker's slam dunk bottle which is neat
Worst
-Spent waaaay too much money!
Best:
-Found SB to share my all things bourbon disease
-figuring out that Makers isn't the only wheated option (although I still like Makers, it is not the 1st choice)
-OWA!!!
-care package that I was saving for a special occasion. Decided every day is special so will crack open in this order ER17 (2008), VWFR & PVW 2009 starting tonight
-getting TPS Bowman rye before they disappeared
-MB black dog bourbon & aged shine
Worst:
-Trying find a PVW or BTAC in a store
-Dusty hunting with no success, then again I Am not always sure what makes up a dusty and I may have left plenty of good stuff on the shelf
-getting the news that Deps and TPS both had Van Winkle's the two days I was out of town
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Best:
Discovering I am a huge rye fan.
Discovering Sazerac 18.
Finally joining SB after lurking for a while.
Worst:
Discovering Sazerac 18, talk about unavailable.
As for me:
Worst
Van Winkle Hysteria
Not getting any Old Rip 107 because of the above
BS from microdistillers and hype over them in the media
Early Times 354
The General Nelson's desk staff
The Spring Sampler itself. Bad venue, lackluster effort.
Tim Sousley's death
Best
Connecting with new and not-so-new bourbon lovers online and in person
New tours at Barton-1789 and Wild Turkey
Strong annual releases and retailer bottlings this year
More rye whiskey on the shelves
The guys at the Blanton's booth at the Sampler
Managing to get some Pappy 15 in spite of the Van Winkle Hysteria
Worst
-watching Pappy 20 be bottled at BT and not being able to purchase any on the spot
-missing the last two PHC 2010's that I knew of by a week
-drinking my WLW way too quickly
-not discovering Pappy and BTAC until very late in the game
-being unable to find Weller 12 anywhere in Indianapolis
Best
-visiting the distilleries for the first time and truly awakening my bourbon spirit
-discovering some 2009 Pappy 20 and VW12 at a local store upon returning from the distillery trip; finding a secret stash of PHC 2010 at another local store
-obtaining a significant amount of BTAC, VW, and other specialty bottlings, considering I was not prepared
-finally trying some rye and learning that it is delicious
-learning that there are plenty of excellent pours in the $15-$40 range
-visiting the in laws for Christmas with one bottle and leaving with five bottles (yeah Weller 12!)
-picking up a Saz 18 that magically appeared in place of the missing PHC 2010
Best:
Education. Visiting the distilleries, joining this site, and reading Bourbon, Straight have been fascinating for me. I've learned so much in the past year and had a blast!
The knowledgable and generous members of this forum who have shared their wisdom and insight, and helped to find a couple of things. Also, getting to meet some of those people and finding that they are just as friendly and generous in person.
WLW, OWA, and Weller 12 - the antidotes to Pappy mania.
The wealth of great pours still available on the lower shelves.
The store manager who went out of her way to procure WLW for me when she couldn't get one for herself!
Worst:
Learning that IN is a dusty wasteland.
The local store managers who don't give a crap.
Reading about VVOF - probably better that I don't try it since I wouldn't be able to get more!
Not having time to visit Scott and get a sample of that ND OGD114!
The complaints are minor. The year in bourbon has been good and I look forward to more fun this year, including meeting many of you at the Sampler in April!
Best
- Finding a pristine handle of OF BiB '68-'74 in my grandfather's basement, along with an OGD86 from the same time period.
- These finds led me to create an account here, greatly accelerating my involvement in whiskey as a full-time hobby.
- Chicago WhiskyFest.
- Finding a new friend through SB.com.
- Binny's Last Fling get-together (though it shan't be the last).
- Drinking my grand-dad's Old Grand Dad.
- Drinking a bottle of VWFRR that proved the last one I had was a rare, spoiled abomination, and finding in it some of the best flavors I have ever experienced in a whiskey.
- Overall selection, price, communication, and fair business practice with a dose of loyalty at [most all] Binny's locations. I feel pretty lucky to live in what I'm gathering is one of the best markets for whiskey in the country if not the world.
- Becoming enlightened on the never-ending quality that is churned out by Four Roses.
Worst
- Pappy 15 is changed forever.
- The more I learn, the better I drink, but whiskey ain't free and I don't see it getting any cheaper.
- George Dickel Barrel Select not available in IL.
- Half-assed dusty hunting turning up bupkis.
- Missing out on the SV JR-picked OBSV.
- Waiting too long on the Bowman rye.
Best
- The Boss, who continues to provide this sandbox that I get to play in every day.
- The Sandbox, and the people I've met in it.
- Bulleitt Rye. Just a really fun whiskey.
- Discovering Leopold Bros. American Small Batch Whiskey.
- Angel's Envy.
- Joy the Tour Guide at Barton. :bigeyes:
- Finishing my B.L.A.N.T.O.N.S. Horsey Top Collection.
- Not giving a Flying F@$k about any 2011 Pappy release.
- Anticipating not giving a Flying F@$k about any 2012 Pappy release.
- Delta Sky Club putting in their Premium Bar.
- Approving Thad's Membership in GBS at 11:59 PM on December 31. T, the coveted GBS T-Shirt is in the mail...:D
Worst
- The loss of our dear buddy, Tim Sousley
- The Sampler event. Simply, an abomination.
- The Sampler event. Simply, a fu@$%ng abomination.
- Less trips to Alabama to pick up Virgin Bourbon. Guess I'll have to commit to pick up multiples of this $11 whiskey to bunker on my next trip there. :rolleyes:
Best:
(In no particular order)
Worst:
- The special bottles sourced and shipped to me by my US located SB friends - words are never enough to express how gratefull I am that you help me out getting hold of these bottles! I'd never get the chance to aquire them otherwise.
- Our family vacation to Hawaii and the bourbons I got to purchase there (Old Overholt Rye, Vintage 23 Rye, Red Stag, Makers 46 & Woodford Reserve Derby Bottle.)
- Buffalo Trace releasing Eagle Rare 10yo in Australia.
- Fred Noe's visit to Australia in May, and getting to spend the day with him at all three events he hosted in Brisbane.
- The great Jim Beam Dinners hosted by Brand Ambassador Jared Plummer.
- The friendships that SB.com has given me both locally and abroad.
- Losing our very dear friend Tym Sousley. Sadly Jen & I will never get the opportunity to host you in our home on your hoped for re-visit Downunder. It was something we talked to you about often.
- The ridiculous price rises in Australia on Evan Williams Single Barrel (was $45 a bottle, now $65) and Elijah Craig 12yo (was $39 a bottle, now $55) They're now well beyond value for money and have lost me as a buyer.
- Not being able to get back to Kentucky for this years Sampler so I could visit with y'all.
- Not being able to prioritise my finances in 2011 so I could grab a few Van Winkle bottles from the Aussie supplier for my bunker.