New In Chi-Town

[stevegoz]

lol -- I'll be the one consulting my notes to figure out who is who!

[Tennessee Dave]

Welcome to SB! Enjoy yourself here.

[LikeItWasSodaPop]

Mark Twain's quip about the dubiousness of any club that would have me as a member aside, I am glad to be able to interact with such smart bourbon drinkers.

Was just at Binny's yesterday and talking shop with a very smart gentleman in the bourbon aisle. He mentions the forum in a very subtle way ... almost mumbling when he says it ... sort of like a secret handshake.

Needless to say I left with a nice bottle that wasn't on the shelves.

Anyway, I'm really happy with how friendly people have been so far. And looking forward to meeting more of y'all.

J

[CorvallisCracker]

It's also fun to remember that I met a certain prominent member of this board back in the early 2000s at a pig roast in southern Wisconsin. I had to pry him away from my girlfriend at the time (she's was a "dancer" so I can't really blame him!). He had just finished a book on bourbon, which is why I remember ...

You just made my day! Thanks!

[fishnbowljoe]

Mark Twain's quip about the dubiousness of any club that would have me as a member aside, I am glad to be able to interact with such smart bourbon drinkers.

Was just at Binny's yesterday and talking shop with a very smart gentleman in the bourbon aisle. He mentions the forum in a very subtle way ... almost mumbling when he says it ... sort of like a secret handshake.

Needless to say I left with a nice bottle that wasn't on the shelves.

Anyway, I'm really happy with how friendly people have been so far. And looking forward to meeting more of y'all.

J

Wasn't Joe was it? Great folks at Binny's. Keep your eyes on the Bourbon Social thread for any announcements of an SB get together at the South Loop store. It's always a good time there. Welcome aboard J. Cheers! Joe (the other one)

[LikeItWasSodaPop]

Thanks, Joe, it was indeed the other Joe.

I've been incredibly lucky since I've joined the forum. Discovered Four Roses Mariage, fell in love with it about halfway though the bottle. Tried to get more, but couldn't find it for weeks, then stumbled upon a nice stash of both the 08 and 09 editions. Scooped 'em up. Today I find PVW 15 on a total lark while visiting my parents' in the suburbs. A nice little "who's on first routine" ensued when I asked if they had any in the back. There was a shelf tag for it (in a glass case) but no bottle, which seemed odd and a bit masochistic -- don't torture me by letting me know I just missed out! They have a bottle ... no, they "had" a bottle. No, they have two bottles. No, they HAD two bottles, total, now they have none. Turns out they did HAVE two bottles, but now they don't!

[LikeItWasSodaPop]

Might anyone suggest where to post about bourbon bars? General bourbon discussion?

We did a Louisville/Lexington trip last month and I have a few I want to post about, but the one that has really got my goat is here in Chicago. I just want to make sure my IRE and HATRED are felt far and wide. And see what other people think.

Bars seem to be neglected on this site. I get why -- most of y'all have bunkers that put even the best bourbon-philic bars to shame. I mean, shit, I just went into the Whistler here in Chicago, a bourbon lover's paradise if I ever saw one, and I scanned the shelves -- impressed as hell! -- but still concluding that, besides the Ritt 21 (or something similar) and some Parker's Heritage, I basically had everything they do at home (it's y'all's fault!).

But I do think bars, especially those that allow tasting-sized pours and flights can serve a really valuable purpose: allowing one to taste something new without bottle-price commitment. If one looks at it as a way to protect oneself from unnecessary purchases, the steep prices bars charge for bourbon might even be justified by cost-benefit analysis.

Here in Chicago, I really love Maria's Community Liquors, a bar in Bridgeport. They have a few set tastings, but basically, they'll let you pick any three whiskeys. They then give ya 1/2 oz pours of each and charge you the average of what the 3 whiskeys you chose cost (it's so logical, I'm surprised other bars don't do it, but I've asked at other places and some bartenders have been game). And they've got a great selection. So I've gone with friends, shared a few tastings, and walked out having tried 10+ bourbons still able to stand. I credit Maria's, along with this forum, with helping my palate evolve.

So what say ye -- where does discussions of bars belong? Because I want to tell y'all how much I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate Delilah's. And of course, I am curious to know what other Chicago bourbonphiles think of the place. Because I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate it. I'll save the WHY for the appropriate section of the forum.

[T Comp]

I'd suggest you add your thoughts on Delilah's to this thread started hear on 5/5/11 by mrviognier http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...ad.php?t=15852

Most threads on bars are started in the general bourbon discussion section but there was a a now closed one on Delilah's posted back on 3/08/09 in this section. There has also been numerous references to Delilah's in other non dedicated posts that can be found through the search function. Another way to search is to fake attempt a new thread where after you put your title in and then click on the dialogue box, it will bring up prior threads, many of which will probably be closed.

[LikeItWasSodaPop]

One's mind doesn't get blown all that often, but, damn, I had the pleasure of a tasting Friday night with some absurdly generous SB members and it played out like something out of a dream.

Tasted Old Fitz BIB DSP 16 for the first time, and, goddamn it, I will find me some, come hell or high water.

Also got to try Very Special Old Fitz 12 Year ... which is some Holy Grail shit if I ever tasted it.

The best part is that I went home with a 2 oz sample of the VSOF 12 for my amazing fiance who was unable to attend the tasting b/c she wasn't feeling well. Talk about generosity!

The old shit really does taste different -- it has a viscosity / oiliness / mouthfeel that is entirely different than today's bourbon. I still love a lot of today's stuff, but I now totally understand the obsession with dusties. I had found a few myself (in particular the WT 8 year) and these all time greats fit within the profile (though the SWs were degrees of magnitude better than the WT, and that's saying something!).

Damn, I'm glad I found this forum!

[Josh]

That Chicago gathering sounds like it was a great time. I wish I could have been there.

And belated greetings to the forum! My new post function doesn't always work so I'm a little slow on the uptake these days. I've really enjoyed all your posts and I look forward to reading more in the future. I also look forward to sharing a drink sometime. Welcome!