New, seeking Bourbon advice

[Need A Bourbon]

Hello to all,

I'm new to the forum and I was wondering if some of you could share your opinion about a Bourbon question. I was hoping to post this before the weekend was over since that's probably when most of you are online, but my account hadn't fully activated until just a short while ago.

I wanted to get a "rare/exclusive/great" Bourbon for a good friend of mine who's nuts about the stuff. I went in to several local shops and found what appears to be more or less the same items in each one, so I'm concerned about them being rare or hard to find etc. I don't want to get him something he can just get anywhere else.

A colleague said I should search ebay so I took a look on Saturday and saw 2 items that definitely seem to go well beyond the what can be found at a local outlet. Further net research indicates that Straightbourbon.com is THE place to go for information about Bourbon. I'm hoping some/any of you might be able to shed some light on them and let me know.

1st one is an AW Hirsch 16 and 20 year old. One has red wax top and the other a blue wax top and selling for 1,575 for the pair.

2nd one is IW Harper 1936 with what appears to be the original box, which I don't really need since it's for 12 bottles and not just the one. It was being offered for 1,400.

Do any of you have any insight/advice on these?

Many thank ahead of time, I appreciate it,
Tommy

[DeanSheen]

Welcome. Your friend must be pretty special, you need anymore?

Both of those Hirsch are highly regarded but I can't tell you what a fair price is for them. Maybe provide a little more insight into what 'special' means in this instance and you can get some more targeted assistance.

[trumpstylz]

The van winkle line- rye, 15, or even 20 year are also very hard to find. Although the stock is not as dried up as the hirsch, it is also highly regarded- especially the rye and 15 year- you can probably find it on ebay for somewhere around 100$ a bottle.

However, the Hirsch would be a very fine choice indeed.

[MarkEdwards]

I don't want to get him something he can just get anywhere else.

Personally, I think you do your friend a disservice by getting him something he can't replace if he really likes it. Get him something nice that will be available.

[Pirate762]

By your post I presume you friend drinks bourbon as opposed to collecting it. If that is the case there are several, if not may, bourbons that fill that category.

I have mixed feelings that, if he is a drinker, you are doing him a disservice by getting him something so rare that it cannot be replaced. In one way that would be tough to get something that you really liked and then have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to have again. Or worse, never be able to get anymore of it. The other side is he may not purchase something this costly for himself and may find a superbly enjoyable bourbon from this. One that he can savor and enjoy for some time.

The third side (hey its not a fifty cent piece) it that he may not care for a $1500.00 bottle. Taste being what it is, and highly subjective, price does not always equal better.

A lot depends on his taste and preferences. There are a lot of excellent bourbons out there for under $150.00. These can be replaced fairly easily and it wont be a great loss if he just does not like it.

JMHO

[Need A Bourbon]

DeanSheen...Trumpstylz....MarkEdwards....Pirate762 -

Many thanks for your responses. I appreciate them all. Always good to know friendly advice/direction can be found.

Dean...

He's been one for many years and has done some great things for me, so I thought I'd get him something special beyond the norm. It's not that the price matters or not, but I am partial to getting something that is indeed rare in the sense that he won't be able to find it around.

Trumpstylz...

I'll keep an eye out for that Rip V W. I guess I'm trying to figure out why those would be 100/bottle and the Hirsch around 800/bottle and the Harper around 1,400/ bottle. Do you think that the Hirsch and the Harper are indeed that much greater than the Rip V W ?

Mark...

I can see your point but finding him something he can't find, and of course that is great tasting, is more of a concern for me. He is crazy about Bourbon and I know that he must have close to 90 or 100 different bottles of the stuff, so I imagine he has or has had many of the great current things that he can get again if he wants. I'd appreciate your insight into the taste of the Hirsch or Harper if you happen to have had them before.

Pirate...

Indeed he is a drinker, and a good one at that ! I'm not that concerned about getting him something that he would taste and feel bad about if he likes it and can't get another. It's my hope to provide him with a rare opportunity that he will have a fond memory of but will indeed be hard to replicate, if ever. Yes, you bring up a good point about him perhaps not being able to relate/appreciate a $ 1,500 bottle when taste is so subjective. Perhaps he can look at it like not being that familar with how to work the paddle shifter on a Ferrari and not being able to bring it to it its full prancing horse best, but nonetheless still enjoying taking a spin in one of them once in his life.


Again, many many thanks to all of you and please let me know if you have any personal taste experience or even your thoughts on that Hirsch and Harper. Have a great evening.

Thanks,
Tommy

[bgageus]

I am pretty new on here also, so take my advice for what its worth. But any of the Parkers Heritage Collection would be a great gift also, they are limited editions. I think the Newest release was a 225 anniversay, aged 225 months and only 225 bottles available, I think it retails for about $500, I have only seen it in KY. Any insight on the PHC from more experienced members?

[camduncan]

Personally I'd be horrified if someone gifted me a bottle of that value..... I mean what if I didn't like it, or it was tainted in some way?
Maybe another idea would be to get him something semi-rare, but still current (Pappy, Stagg or Parkers come to mind). Then if he likes it you could source out and buy him more bottles or a case. That way the gift would keep on giving for months or even years

[Tucker]

I am pretty new on here also, so take my advice for what its worth. But any of the Parkers Heritage Collection would be a great gift also, they are limited editions. I think the Newest release was a 225 anniversay, aged 225 months and only 225 bottles available, I think it retails for about $500, I have only seen it in KY. Any insight on the PHC from more experienced members?

That's not a Parker's Heritage, it's this.

The PHC 27 year might be a good idea, and available.

[sailor22]

I'll keep an eye out for that Rip V W. I guess I'm trying to figure out why those would be 100/bottle and the Hirsch around 800/bottle and the Harper around 1,400/ bottle. Do you think that the Hirsch and the Harper are indeed that much greater than the Rip V W ?

In short - no. You are paying for exclusivity and or rarity. Taste is subjective, as has been mentioned, and price doesn't trump that fact.

If your goal is to get him something unusual that he will probably enjoy drinking then most hard to find $70+ bottles will do the job nicely. Parkers Heritage, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr special edition, Wild Turkey American Spirit, Black Maple Hill 23yr Rye, W.L. Weller and George T Stagg are all great gifts that a Bourbon drinker would appreciate. The Wild Turkey and the Van Winkle come with a great presentation box which might add some emotional value to it as a gift.

Good luck and let us know what you get.


steve