BOTM poll

I seem to have picked a bourbon this month that, unknown to me here in bourbon country, is rather hard to find elsewhere, and I appologize to those of you who wanted to participate but could not. This time I have picked a selection of bourbons and we'll put it to a member vote to determine next months BOTM. Please feel free to comment on your vote and lobby your fellow member http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...emlins/lol.gif

Please select your top two choices. The bourbon with the most votes at midnight 8/31/05 is the winner. Have fun http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...lins/toast.gif

While I cannot yet vote for this poll, I can comment that all of these choices (except BT) are available locally, and (even better) all of these are currently in stock in my collection, and (still even better) they are all delicious.

Pick one.

Personally, I would like to see Baker's win. Baker's is my favorite of the Small Batch Collection, but it gets little discussion on the forum. http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...emlins/yum.gif

I would prefer Buffalo Trace since I've never tried it, but that is the problem, isn't it??? Any of the others would be great. I'll go for RR1792.

Cheers,

Ken

Well, Baker's would be my second choice, but I voted for EWSB, in part because I have an open bottle, but also because I think if the BOTM continues for a few years, it might be interesting to have that perspective.

BTW, you may have the same availabilty problem with BT; it's not here in GA, and I've not seen it in FL either. Whatever I can find from that distillery is good stuff, but it seems to have tha lot of hit-or-miss availability in its lineup. Maybe a vestige of how it got some of its brands and locked-in existing distibutions.

Bob

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BTW, you may have the same availabilty problem with BT

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Unfortunately, I think the availability problem is inherent to any world-wide discussion of a particular bourbon. In order to get this thing off the ground I was trying to select products with wide distribution, but the bourbon market being what it is, some people will probably always be shut-out http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...lins/frown.gif Hopefully the poll will allow the largest number of people possible to participate.

Good point. I guess I thought BT has a pretty limited distribution, not as bad as AAA 10-yr., but centered around KY. I'll keep an eye out in my travels. The poll is a good idea; while I might vote for several of these bourbons, I wouldn't vote for BT since I can't get it, and I assume others would do the same.

Bob

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...In order to get this thing off the ground I was trying to select products with wide distribution, but the bourbon market being what it is, some people will probably always be shut-out...

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Happily, Buffalo Trace IS available in TN, which is a very wide (though thin N to S) state -- does that count as 'wide distribution' http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...mlins/grin.gif. Otherwise, I believe Ken noted recently it is available readily in only 5 or 6 states, plus retailers like Sam's and Binny's.
Anyway, I opted for EWSB '95, because the '96 will be issued in October, and that way everyone can have a current one recently opened to which to compare the new one.

Jeff,

I failed to read the directions before casting my lone vote for Rare Breed. Had I been paying attention, I would have cast my other vote for Baker's.

IMO, as BOTM candidates each of these bourbons represents a desirable combination of availabilty, enjoyablility, complexity and reasonable price.

Even here in Far Outback, Arizona my local Safeway, the only supermarket in town, stocks Rare Breed. I haven't seen Baker's on the shelves, not even in nearby Prescott, but it's available at several restaurants in the area. Accordingly, I'm also pretty sure I could special order it (unlike the Old Fitz) if I didn't already have a bottle open. (IIRC, I ordered it from Binny's on special about two years ago. Should date of purchase and date of opening be mentioned in BOTM posts?)

I suggest that less widely available bottlings, even those I'm fortunate enough to have on hand, such as Buffalo Trace and the VW 12 y/o, be scheduled a few months down the road, after more members have become hooked by the BOTM experience.

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield

We voted for Baker's for the following reasons:

1) Our guess is that, along with RB, it is the most widely distributed.
2) Though not necessarily in Jeff's original BOTM criteria, we like the idea that the BOTM features something that is not really limited (like EWSB 95 which will presumably be disappearing in a few months).
3) We like it!

The only negative for Baker's in our opinion is the price. We also like the idea that the BOTM is something very affordable. We think Jeff made great choices for the two preceding BsOTM based on this criterion, and, luckily, we happened to have some of each on hand despite lack of distribution to VA. Certainly BT and EWSB are great choices with respect to quality at reasonable cost.

The only one for which we have limited enthusiasm is 1792, but, if elected, we would taste accordingly!