Whiskey Best and Worst of 2011

[silverfish]

Best:
Building from nothing the complete BTAC and Van Winkle line, including a decanter set, at "normal" retail prices...

Just curious - you've been a member for three months and
you've built a complete BTAC line-up at "normal" prices?!...

Not that this site has anything to do with helping with your
collection but are you talking about a set of 2011 BTAC or
a bottle from every year of BTAC release? I'm assuming
(I know, I know!) the "complete" 2011 BTAC because an
"entire" set at "normal" prices would be quite a coup.

[maxblack]

Best:

Really starting to dig into my fascination with Bourbon.
Rye baby Rye.
Finding SB.com
EVSB 2000 Vintage
My first bottle of PVW20.....I'm happy I have it but too scared to open it

Worst:

The price extortion we have to put up with in Australia to enjoy a nice Bourbon

[tigerlam92]

Best:
I am honored and grateful for the following:
- Very Very Old Fitzgerald 18 years
- Very Extra Old Fitzgerald
- Very Old Fitzgerald - two bottles
- Old Weller Original 107 Barrel Proof, really old version with pics of Pappy and Weller
- Other than the above, was able to follow through with my commitment to stop bunkering.

Worst:
Mostly cold turkey through the year
Not being able to drink much of my stash, but was able to lose 26 lbs so far, shooting for another 20lbs!

Cheers
--Hugh

[timd]

Best:

• Rye's growing popularity. Finally having more choices after years of limitations!
• Stockpiled enough VWFRR, older Pappy15, Vintage Rye 21, and Saz 18 to last for a good while
• 4 Roses continues to be outstanding - can do almost no wrong
• PHC offerings that were amazing. Keep it up HH!
• Meeting great new friends via this forum.
• Discovering the Poison Girl bar in Houston
• GREAT Micros: MB Roland & Balcones
• Sprinbank's increased US availability (gotta toss in a Scotch reference or two...)
• Laphroaig Cask Strength is finally readily available again!
• Great guys like Joe at Binny's who actually really care about customers as people and whisk(e)y fans - not just $$$

WORST:

• Rye's "trendiness" making it harder to find and a few inferior products (I'm talking to you Woodford & Ri1!)
• Pappy & BTAC Mania. It's whiskey - not unicorn pee
• Pappy becoming BT juice
• BAD Micros: some of these products just really blow.
• Missing out on the AB Rye from TPS. I cry a little tear every time it's mentioned
• Everything from Jim Beam still tastes poor to me.

A special additional shout out for such great SB offerings from Four Roses - they are the bourbon to beat in terms of price to quality to availability ratios. We should spend far more time talking about them, tracking down limited/single barrels and less on Pappy & BTAC.


The Good far outweighs the bad. It's been banner year for all whisk(e)y - the best I can recall.

[ethangsmith]

Best:
-Making new American whiskey friends and learning more about the products, heritage, and processes.
-Finding bottles of VWFRR, WT American Spirit, WT Tradition, and Hirsch 21 rye.
-Bulking up my Michter's collection and discovering Dave Zeigler and Continental Distillery.

Worst:
-Watching Michter's get slowly bulldozed and can't stop it because of no support on any government or private level.
-Pennsylvania can't get their act together and dump that "state store" system.

[Young Blacksmith]

Best:

Joining SB, meeting a few guys, the new social aspect of this bourbon obsession.
Dusty hunting the back water Texas towns
Four Roses!
StraightNoChaser's palette expanding trips.
Going to Kentucky between the holidays!

Worst:

IW Harper 4 year old dusty
Stupidly paying $65 for EC12.....even when I knew better.

[CaptainQ]

Best:

• Pappy & BTAC Mania. It's whiskey - not unicorn pee

A special additional shout out for such great SB offerings from Four Roses - they are the bourbon to beat in terms of price to quality to availability ratios. We should spend far more time talking about them, tracking down limited/single barrels and less on Pappy & BTAC.

Duh, the VanWinkle's use a special brand of narwhal piss.

Here, here on the Four Roses.

[mosugoji64]

-Pennsylvania can't get their act together and dump that "state store" system.

I'm not an advocate for state control, but the PALCB system helped me out with getting some ORVW from the fall release. I ordered a couple of bottles on the website and picked them up when we went to visit my wife's family over T-giving. Don't know how I'd feel about it every day. I still think it's silly that you have to go to different places for beer and liquor.

[Chris24]

Best:
- Meeting more WA state board members.
- I-1183
- Awesome stores and their managers far out from Seattle who held Van Winkle or BTAC for me.
- Finding just about every bottle I needed to complete certain "collections" (FRsmB LE 08 at last!)
- Finding a few bottles of PVW20 for a friend's wife as a surpise Christmas gift.
- Gifting a PVW15 and PVW20 to my brothers, who also helped me find a few others.

Worst:
- Getting called about a bottle of Virginia Gentleman 90 only to discover it had a torn and faded label. (I wanted it for display to remind me of my college days )
- Not having a go to premium rye that I can just buy off the shelf.
- Passing up an ORVW 23 decanter at $400.
- Not buying more Michter's 10 year rye, Vintage 21 or BMH 23 when I had the chance.

[mosugoji64]

I'll take this opportunity to get a jump on the '12 "Worst" list:
The loss of WSR 7yr and its implications for the rest of the line