New to SB from North Jersey

[jersey12]

Hello All!

As most of the new members to this site, I've spent a good amount of time reading through the different threads and soaking up as much information as I can about my favorite spirit.

I started drinking bourbon in manhattans on my honeymoon some time ago until slowly progressing to maker's mark and sticking with that for a few years. During that time, I remember seeing Zane Lamprey on "Three Sheet" (the greatest drinking show of all time) visit the Van Winkle Distillery and thinking to myself that I really need to try some of that stuff. Although this was around 2006, before the real craze seemed to come about, I was never able to come across a bottle though I admittedly didn't put too much effort into it. In the meantime, I started sampling some buffalo trace, elmer t lee, bookers, blanton's, etc. and really starting to enjoy the bourbon journey. Fast forward to spring of 2011 and while in Vegas, I had my first taste of the elusive Van Winkle, the VWFRR to be exact, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more!

Since that time, I've been fortunate to hunt down a few bottles of the 15 year from the spring allocation and a few 20's this fall though I have yet to come by any of the rye that I had liked so much.

I live in north jersey, work in manhattan and am very happy to see a few new members to sb from this area and look forward to gaining some local knowledge from these fellow bourbon drinkers. Thank you all for contributing to this great site and I look forward to being a contributing member!

Thanks and Cheers!

Thanks and Cheers!

[JayMonster]

Welcome aboard! I agree that it is cool to see some NJ represented as when I joined this board recently, I felt like the only Bourbon drinker in the northern part of the Garden State.

Look forward to reading your contributions and views and perhaps trading intel on finding some good bourbon aeound here.

[jersey12]

Thanks for the welcome JayMoster! So far at least, almost all of my bourbon purchases have been made in the city or via the internet as I haven't found much of a bourbon selection in the local stores. It wasn't until the last six months or so that I could even find regular buffalo trace on the shelves in NJ. Would love to hear that you experience has been different/better than mine.

[JayMonster]

Things have definitely improved over the past year or two and I have begun finding a lot more than I could before. While I have yet to find a single place that has everything, I have found most Shop-Rite liquors not only having a decent collection, but some nice surprises. Blatons, Pappy Van Winkle, and more. E Wine Country (Lyndhurst), Wine Library (Springfield) and Elephant Wine (Kearny) have also enabled me to find some bottles that I could never find before.

Basically, you need to look to the bigger stores and distributors because the little guys don't carry much more than Red Stag.