What Bourbon Should I Purchase Today? - Spring/Summer 2012

[BarrelChar]

I found a bottle of the 63.7% 1st edition PHC...for $140.

Is it worth $140? Sadly, yes.

Obviously that's an absurd retail price--so high you'd hate to reward that kind of extortionist retailer behavior. But the PHC 1st Ed. is so spectacular, complex and rare, that I'd cave, buy it, and grumble bitterly on the ride home. I've got half a bottle left and wish I had more but it's long gone and almost never comes up for auction.

See if you can push the owner to a slightly less ridiculous $120. That'll practically make it a "bargain."

Every member of LAWS gave it an "A" and rightfully so. http://www.lawhiskeysociety.com/whis...-First-Edition

[Rockefeller]

I hate paying over MSRP, but I'm considering getting this one.

Ahhh the dreaded markup dilemma. Whenever I'm faced with this question I remind myself that some bar out there is going to charge me $25-30 per dram if they have it ... with my other option being a $6 Coors Light + tip.

Let's face it, you're going to buy that bottle because you're probably never going to find it again and will regret it forever if you don't. And you're going to pay for it with the money you save this summer from NOT buying $8 hotdogs at the baseball park.

[Lazer]

I was discussing PHC 1st ed. with another SB member recently and it reignited my desire to locate a bottle. After many hours of calling every store within 30 miles of every close friend I have, I found a bottle of the 63.7% 1st edition PHC...for $140. This shop appears to only raise prices on older vintages. The current BTAC and PHC they have are $80. Slightly older bottlings are a bit inflated (PHC 27 and Ritt 25 are $225). Obviously this 1st edition is 75% over original retail price.

My question for y'all: is it $140 good? I hate paying over MSRP, but I'm considering getting this one.

You have to do more research, there were 3 expressions of that one, they all had different abv #'s, and I don't remember what they were. Check the whisky advocate website. If that's the first or second, I would go for it. the third one was the one to pass on. I had the third one. For $80 I would get another 2010 wheater, or wait for the 2012 edition to come out in the fall. My local store still has the third expression of the first edition on the shelf for $80 and I'm not running out to get it. But now that you mention it....

Update: I checked for you, you've got the second expression there, so I would pull the trigger.

[c2walker]

Ahhh the dreaded markup dilemma. Whenever I'm faced with this question I remind myself that some bar out there is going to charge me $25-30 per dram if they have it ... with my other option being a $6 Coors Light + tip.

Let's face it, you're going to buy that bottle because you're probably never going to find it again and will regret it forever if you don't. And you're going to pay for it with the money you save this summer from NOT buying $8 hotdogs at the baseball park.

You're right. I'm going to get it and, as BarrelChar said, grumble bitterly on the ride home. I've seen it before at a liquor store with a $600 price tag (ridiculous, right?) and at two bars for around $20 a ounce...and both of those prices make $140 seem reasonable. I'll simply deduct $140 from my gambling budget for an upcoming trip to Atlantic City and, when I lose, I'll still be a winner when I come home to that bottle of PHC.

You have to do more research, there were 3 expressions of that one, they all had different abv #'s, and I don't remember what they were. Check the whisky advocate website. If that's the first or second, I would go for it. the third one was the one to pass on. I had the third one. For $80 I would get another 2010 wheater, or wait for the 2012 edition to come out in the fall. My local store still has the third expression of the first edition on the shelf for $80 and I'm not running out to get it. But now that you mention it....

Update: I checked for you, you've got the second expression there, so I would pull the trigger.

One thing you can always assume when reading my posts is that I did my research! At work and home, research is how I spend the majority of my day. The fact that the 63.7% is almost universally acclaimed is the main reason I didn't completely dismiss purchasing it.

[hectic1]

You have to do more research, there were 3 expressions of that one, they all had different abv #'s, and I don't remember what they were. Check the whisky advocate website. If that's the first or second, I would go for it. the third one was the one to pass on. I had the third one. For $80 I would get another 2010 wheater, or wait for the 2012 edition to come out in the fall. My local store still has the third expression of the first edition on the shelf for $80 and I'm not running out to get it. But now that you mention it....

Update: I checked for you, you've got the second expression there, so I would pull the trigger.

The three bottles are 122.6, 127.4, and 129.6.

[Rockefeller]

Another classic battle. Should I buy:

JPS 17yr at $90
or
JPS 18yr at $70

Also, why is the 17 more expensive?

[BMartin42]

Another classic battle. Should I buy:

JPS 17yr at $90
or
JPS 18yr at $70

Also, why is the 17 more expensive?

I think the 17 is more expensive because it is all gone except the few bottles on shelves here and there. My opinion was that I absolutely loved the 17, but my bottle of 18 has been open for 7 or 8 months and hardly even gets a sideways glance. Gonna try to put some in a decanter to see if it will open up because I still just get potting soil on the nose and finish.

[jeanraulmitchell]

I think the 17 is more expensive because it is all gone except the few bottles on shelves here and there. My opinion was that I absolutely loved the 17, but my bottle of 18 has been open for 7 or 8 months and hardly even gets a sideways glance. Gonna try to put some in a decanter to see if it will open up because I still just get potting soil on the nose and finish.

I got "potting soil" when I first opened my bottle too, batch 4. I first described it as musty trailer instead of "ps" but after a month it did open. However, it just doesn't have enough going on for me to desire it when I'm deciding what to grab. I think they tried to get too much out of the little they had and put way too much water in it. Now, if the bottling was cask strength I would probably be flipping out over it but instead I will probably be pouring it for my friends who are just trying bourbon, it's light and sweet and cute.

I'd go for the 17.

[Clavius]

I came across some Very Special Old Fitz for $30.99. There were 6 bottles of it. Is this stuff worth buying? Or am I better off just buying some more Weller 12?

[White Dog]

I came across some Very Special Old Fitz for $30.99. There were 6 bottles of it. Is this stuff worth buying? Or am I better off just buying some more Weller 12?

Weller 12 all the way. Current VSOF is just okay, IMHO.