BOTM 6/10: Fighting Cock

[Enoch]

I picked up a Fighting Cock 7/103 a few months ago while dusty hunting in Kaufman, TX.

It was a very strange store. The front door was locked with a doorbell. The bell rang across the street at a small convenience store owned by a funny Paki guy. This guy walks out, comes and asks me what I'm looking for and I give him the collector spiel. He takes me inside and the store is separated by a wall with a window and all the liquor behind it. He takes me to the back and I start digging through mountains of disgustingly dusty shelves in a 15x15 room. I see all kinds of liqueurs from 60's and 70's... even some old school Bacardi I had never heard of. Among all the trash was 3 half pints of FC 7/103 with red tax strips. No barcode or Gov't warning on the back at all.

I picked them all up and walked back across the street to the convenience store to pay. The guy starts to tell me the story of how he acquired the liquor in the first place. Apparently it was originally owned by a competitor. That competitor died and his widow wanted to get rid of the store so my Paki friend bought it for a steal. Then he says "I guess you could say I really killed my competition!"

We had a good, morbid laugh.

At any rate, the FC I have is amazing. Truly an old school flavor to it that I don't sense in any current offerings. Shame I only have 1 half pint left...

Do you mean 8 year or was there another version out there before the 8 year? If so, I have some looking to do.

[StraightNoChaser]

Do you mean 8 year or was there another version out there before the 8 year? If so, I have some looking to do.

It was a 7 year. Here is a picture

[Josh]

Wow, another great find and great story!

[Enoch]

It was a 7 year. Here is a picture

Wow, something else to add to my quest. This appears to precede the 8 and 6 year. Thanks for the info.

[StraightNoChaser]

It's really good stuff. So sad I only have 200ml left

[wormil]

Finally got around to trying a bottle and maybe it was just my low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised. I had expected something more along the lines of Old Granddad but FC103 has become my new low$$ pour, replacing EW1783.

[Flyfish]

Earlier this week we were at Heaven Hill in Bardstown. If you haven't been there, you ought to make a point of visiting. They are very welcoming and accommodating. I asked to taste some Henry McKenna Single Barrel ($35) and Parker's Heritage ($120 for the wheater) and Joe didn't even blink at bringing out the Parker's. (Which is marvelous juice, by the way.)
In the course of conversation, I mentioned that I was buying some FC for my son-in-law because he graduated from South Carolina where he met my daughter. Joe's reaction was that the FC was rather "strong," by which from his tone I assumed he meant "rough." My first reaction was that it was probably not good to be disparaging the company's product but then attributed it to his desire to promote the stuff that sells for a lot more than $16. At 103 proof, I suspose FC qualifies as "strong" but, in my experience, when the Gamecocks are ahead in the game, the FC doesn't taste at all rough to me. Frankly, my first purchase of FC was because of the USC connection. Since then, FC purchases have been made purely on the satisfaction it provides.

[Neat]

At 103 proof, I suspose FC qualifies as "strong" but, in my experience, when the Gamecocks are ahead in the game, the FC doesn't taste at all rough to me.

i'm a college football fan and i can confirm that when my texas longhorns are winning, ALL bourbon tastes marvelous. when they are losing....

[Bourserker]

This is one of my absolute favorite bourbons. It's not overly complex, but I love the flavor and the price. I also found it interesting that for me it tastes very similar to VOB BiB, which I thought was cool cause I can't get the VOB BiB here so I won't feel like I missing out to much if I can just grab another bottle of FC. To me the main difference is the FC is sweeter while the VOB BiB tastes "drier". FC is also the first BOTM I bought solely based on the BOTM thread on here before I joined the site...glad I read the thread.

Oh yeah, and for full disclosure since there's a bunch of college football banter on here I'm a Clemson fan...not too much a fan of those cocks...but not in a position to talk trash.

[ChainWhip]

That's an interesting take on FC vs VOB. I'm looking forward to seeing your Tigers play my Tigers - I think it'll be a closer game than most people think. :-)