Down The Drain!

[fishnbowljoe]

I just wondered how many of you have had a bottle of bourbon, (or other spirit) that you ended up pouring down the drain.

Yesterday, I was taking an inventory of my collection, and was cleaning my cabinet a little, and rearranging things. I came across my bottle of Old Crow Reserve. I bought this when it first came out. It tasted "different" the first time I tried it. I've since gone back to it three or four times, and it hadn't gotten any better. Yesterday, I gave it one more try. No dice. I couldn't take it anymore. Down the drain it went. This is only the second time I've ever done that. The other bottle I ended up pouring down the drain, was a bottle of Gran Legacy. A "generic" bourbon sold by CVS pharmacies.

So here are two to start the parade.

Old Crow Reserve
Gran Legacy

I can hardly wait to see what else may have ended up as Draino! Joe

[DeanSheen]

Well I have not dumped any, I just give it away as someone is always willing to take it.

Bottles I have given away:

Old Overholt
EC 12
AAA Ten Star
AAA Ten Year (a bad barrel selection)
OWA 7/107 (a bad barrel selection)

I don't like mixing and I could not drink those. I've been thinking about giving away my current bottle of EC12 but I think I'll look up some recipes to use it in. I know I'll never buy another AAA Ten Star or Old Overholt again. Thankfully I had some OWA 7/107 after my first bad experience that has been good and led me to OWA NAS which is like crack for me. The bottle I have open right now is just fantastic.

[Gillman]

Robert, not trying to convince you otherwise, but even if you took two of those and added 70% vodka you'd have a decent blended whiskey, good with cola or for a Manhattan. Seems a pity to waste it...

Gary

[Dramiel McHinson]

For some reason I can't bring myself to pour bourbon down the drain. If I can't find a way to like it when I drink it, I'll mix it with other bourbons, rebarrel, use it for cooking or as a last resort, give it away.

BUT!

I have poured a few others down the drain.

A large bottle of foul Italian Grappe
Drambuie; I broke out in hives everytime I tried it
Kahlua; I gave up and just added good whiskey to my coffee with a dash of heavy cream.
Godiva Chocolate liqueur; this just did not work on anything I tried it with, not even icecream

I stopped buying liqueurs because they all seemed to end up in the sink.

[Gillman]

I have very occasionally thrown out whiskey, but only in extreme cases. Once I had a bottle of Rare Breed that had a strong acrid cork smell, something wasn't right and I didn't think I could blend it out. With young bourbon or the Overholt type rye, I'd mix it with a woody older bourbon (e.g. Triple A) and then vodka maybe to get a good balance, or Canadian whisky. But not everyone goes for this, fair enough.

Drambuie: I don't drink it neat but 2 or 3:1 with any Scotch and it's pretty good.

Gary

[T Comp]

Current Old Fitz Prime, an 86 proofer, bottled for Rite Aid. As an aside and as Illinois doesn't have them, anyone know what's the deal with the "this item intended for sale at Rite Aid" stickers super glued onto bottles sold here...is there really that much hijacking of whiskey intended for sale at Rite Aid? Back to the Old Fitz Prime, I dumped about a third of a bottle as I could never get past the solvent/acetone nose and taste on this one. My wife didn't even like what it did to her sweet potato casserole, so that was the death sentence.

Also recently purged the last three ounces or so of an EC 12 which just had too much cork residue/floaties left in the remaining juice.

[nblair]

OWA 7/107 (a bad barrel selection)

Thankfully I had some OWA 7/107 after my first bad experience that has been good and led me to OWA NAS which is like crack for me. The bottle I have open right now is just fantastic.

I've always found that more than any other bourbon, OWA changes for the better the longer it's open. I have a recent Cork n' Bottle selection that I thought was terrible. It just seemed very astingent and wouldn't open up, even with a few drops of water or an ice cube. I'm about halfway done with the bottle, had a pour the other night, and it's suddenly the best (last 5 years or so) OWA I've had. I'm probably going to go buy another bottle of it even though about a month ago I convinced myself I wouldn't. Of course, YMMV, but I think patience works wonders with OWA.


To continue on topic, I have never poured out a bottle, although I came dangerously close with OFBB 2009 recently. I had a pour and just couldn't finish it, it was awful. I contemplated dumping it, but if I make a manhattan it hides the bitterness enough to make it enjoyable, so I'm hanging on to it.

[BBQ+Bourbon]

I just wondered how many of you have had a bottle of bourbon, (or other spirit) that you ended up pouring down the drain.

Yesterday, I was taking an inventory of my collection, and was cleaning my cabinet a little, and rearranging things. I came across my bottle of Old Crow Reserve. I bought this when it first came out. It tasted "different" the first time I tried it. I've since gone back to it three or four times, and it hadn't gotten any better. Yesterday, I gave it one more try. No dice. I couldn't take it anymore. Down the drain it went. This is only the second time I've ever done that. The other bottle I ended up pouring down the drain, was a bottle of Gran Legacy. A "generic" bourbon sold by CVS pharmacies.

So here are two to start the parade.

Old Crow Reserve
Gran Legacy

I can hardly wait to see what else may have ended up as Draino! Joe

I had a very early VSOF that is absolutely horrible. I would dump it down the drain but I want to share it with people who think they have had horrible bourbon.

[DeanSheen]

Robert, not trying to convince you otherwise, but even if you took two of those and added 70% vodka you'd have a decent blended whiskey, good with cola or for a Manhattan. Seems a pity to waste it...

Gary

Good idea Gary, I never thought of blending. I guess when I meant mixing I should have said that I don't like drinking spirits with soft drinks.

NBlair,

Your right about the air and wheaters. The first bottle of OWA I bought was the aforementioned bad barrel selection. The bad part in this case was largely char I think which permeated the finish. It was just horrible. I've had this bottle of OWA NAS open for like a week and the pour I had today just popped out at me. I have noticed the same thing with OGD 114. Best not to serve to guests right out of a new bottle like I did with my brother in law. Next time I'm going to hit him with a well aired 114 and I bet I change his mind.

[Enabler]

Kessler. Just could not drink it and figured if I didn't pour it out I just might.