What are you drinking right now?

[MurphyDawg]

I am getting dangerously close to proclaiming a new favorite whiskey .

Well here's mine. Tonight I had another small pour of my exquisite Eagle Rare 17 and if someone held an assault rifle to my head and demanded a favorite whiskey from me, this is what I would declare. (thats about the only way you will get a declared favorite outta me anymore, except maybe "whats in my glass right now").


MMMMMMmmmmmmm. . . .
TomC


Jeff, are you . . . possoibly. . . .implying that there could be something (*GASP*) even slightly better than the Stagg!?!?!? . SHOCKING!!!!

[MurphyDawg]

The last few drops in my bottle of Wild Turkey Rare Breed. If there is a quicker way to bring a tear to a mans eye I am not sure I know it. I now have no more Rare Breed or Russells Reserve left now!! BooHoo! All kidding aside from the standard 101 bottling on up it is hard to argue that anyone makes more consistantly outstanding whiskey (dare I say, In the WORLD!!) than the fine folks at Wild Turkey. Thank goodness for them !

TomC

[ratcheer]

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon. It is awesome, maybe the very best. I splurged with a big drink of it because I just found a new bottle at $4 off. So, I now have two full bottles in reserve.

[ratcheer]

I totally agree, Tom! In addition to the OFBB I just got today, I also got a new bottle of Russell's Reserve at $2 off. So, I am set for a while. I have an open and two new bottles of OFBB, a new bottle of RR, and an open and a new bottle of RB.

I try to never run out of Rare Breed. I am going to change my longtime stance, though, and knock it down from #1 all-time favorite. I now rate RB as tied for #1 with Old Forester Birthday Bourbon. And, I had made that decision before I logged on to sb.com and saw that quote you gave.

Tim

[CL]

Jeff's fave - Weller 12 yo, from my May trip to L'ville. I love this stuff. When I return to L'ville in July for a wedding, I am buying several 1.75L of this stuff. I will be driving this time and will have the room for a haul.

BTW, Jeff's other fave and my former daily pour - Old Forrester 100 - has fallen off my short list. I don't know why it just doesn't taste as good as it used to. It seems too harsh now. This is a shame because I can get OF 100 in NC.

BTW, my "what are you drinking now?" last week was WT RB and GTS. I was on vacation at Lake Gaston in NC/VA. (I never did get to a VA ABC store.) I bought WT RB in NC and had brought along the GTS for good measure.

[jeff]

I don't know why it just doesn't taste as good as it used to

You know, I had the same experience with my last bottle of OF100. Seemed rather hot and harsh. I thought it might have just been that day, but I tried some again a couple nights later and I had the same experience. I hope it's a bad batch and they're not messing with the formula. Mabe that's what happens when you pull too many of the "honey barrels" out of the mix to make the premium stuff (i.e. birthday Bourbon and Woodford Reserve).

[CL]

My last two bottles have been hot and harsh. Until your comments, I had thought my taste buds had changed. Now, I am not so sure.

I first noticed the difference two bottles ago. Because of the "different" taste, I didn't drink the first bottle very often and it lingered on the shelf for a while. I finally finished it and then got a second bottle. I was hoping that my "phase" was over, but the second bottle had the same heat.

I had been thinking that the most likely reason that I thought OF100 was hot was because lately I have been drinking more mellow and/or more smooth bourbons. I bought several new bottles in Chicago in April and in L'ville in May (Old Fitz BIB, Old Charter Classic 90, OCPR, Old Weller Centennial, Old Weller 12 yo, more ORVW, etc.). Maybe that's it. Who knows?

[bobbyc]

Mabe that's what happens when you pull too many of the "honey barrels" out of the mix to make the premium stuff (i.e. birthday Bourbon and Woodford Reserve).

I don't have any numbers but I think that effect would be about the same as pulling 2 cents out of 20 bucks. ( negligible) Besides they should be filling their Woodford warehouses with pot still and one would think the Old Forester taken to L&G has stopped. Birthday is such a small amount it isn't even a blip on the radar screen. BF should have as much whiskey aging as most any one else ( Barton , HH, Four Roses, I would think they would have less than BT or Beam) .

[jeff]

I'm sure you're right Bobby, but something seems to have changed. Definitely not the same bourbon that I once proclaimed my favorite (BS - Before Stagg). I just hope they don't go tinkering with a good thing. And who really knows for sure what they will end up doing with WR. If they really are going to try and keep the flavore profile the same, that might call for mixing some pre and post pot still whiskey. I'm guessing here. Right now I'll just chalk it up to a bad batch. Are there batch numbers on the OF bottles? I haven't noticed.

[bobbyc]

I haven't got to a stinker bottle of OF yet. I will think that that's possible. I can't see what they might gain by screwing around with Old Forester. In the book Nothing Better In The Market. They made it clear that at that time at least the quality of OF was guarded closely . In fact they even cut a dealer off for 2 years just for selling OF below the suggested price. I know we all look for the good deal and I think the market can take care of itself to some degree. Don't know about batch numbers , there should be a julian date somewhere, maybe the cases.