Harlen Wheatley in Toronto this week

[Smithford]

Sazerac/Buffalo Trace are hosting a tasting event in Toronto on Wednesday evening. I'm very much looking forward to it. This will be the first time that any BTAC or Pappy (or Taylor or even Weller) has ever been available in Ontario.

Does anybody have any questions they'd like me to ask Harlen?

[Trey Manthey]

Does anybody have any questions they'd like me to ask Harlen?

Please refrain from asking anything. Just abduct him, transport him to the SB secure facility, and assume full deniability regarding the operation.

A separate team will be converging with similar operations to bring in the entire extended Van Winkle family, the entire staff of the Buffalo Trace distillery, and anyone who has ever reviewed a Pappy Van Winkle product or mentioned one in a YouTube video. There will be a top secret occult operative who will attempt to communicate with Pappy Van Winkle himself from beyond. They will all be questioned and processed by our team of "wetworks" operatives, who are trained to beat dead horses in front of interrogation subjects until they extract the ultimate, perfect TRUTH!

[p_elliott]

Please refrain from asking anything. Just abduct him, transport him to the SB secure facility, and assume full deniability regarding the operation.

A separate team will be converging with similar operations to bring in the entire extended Van Winkle family, the entire staff of the Buffalo Trace distillery, and anyone who has ever reviewed a Pappy Van Winkle product or mentioned one in a YouTube video. There will be a top secret occult operative who will attempt to communicate with Pappy Van Winkle himself from beyond. They will all be questioned and processed by our team of "wetworks" operatives, who are trained to beat dead horses in front of interrogation subjects until they extract the ultimate, perfect TRUTH!

Now that's Funny and about the truth

[cowdery]

Ask him to play Free Bird.

[Bourbon Boiler]

Just ask him if he remembers speaking in Texas a few weeks back.

[smokinjoe]

If you decide to get all Mike Wallacey with him, just be sure that he is aware of this disclaimer:
"The information, views and opinions expressed in my post on SB.Com are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SB.Com, it's membership, or any sane human being. Examples of analysis performed within my post are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world analytic determinations as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are only done by those with an axe to grind, too much time on their hands, and/or participation in a small and very closed loop circle-jerk."

[StraightNoChaser]

Ask him to clarify what he told timd and I in Dallas? What else...

[cowdery]

And be sure to tell us how well that goes for ya.

[Smithford]

This event was great fun, with no fewer than three bourbons making their Ontario debut (Blanton's Gold, Pappy 20 and Stagg), plus a few returning favorites. Mr. Wheatley had an enthusiastic audience.

Toronto is a pretty immature bourbon market. We're just getting into it here over the last few years, and hard core enthusiasts are still few and far between. Probably all six of us are on this board. But I think bourbon made a few new friends last night.

I did manage to chat with Harlen for a few moments. I hope you're not too disappointed, but I didn't feel right pestering him with any hardball journalism. After all, I am just a humble, polite Canadian. Plus, I didn't want to be the guy who caused the host to leave in a huff. Anyway, he's a very nice Kentucky gentleman. He clearly loves bourbon, and his job and seemed genuinely pleased to see lots of spent Buffalo Trace bottles behind the bar.

A few small nuggets from his tasting introductions:

He introduced 1792 Ridgemont Reserve as the "highest rye bourbon that we offer" (of their 3 rye-recipe bourbons). In this context, he was speaking for Sazerac, as opposed to just Buffalo Trace. It was a BT event, so they must, in a way, see Barton as part of BT. Perhaps that is already assumed, but I found it interesting.

In his introduction to Pappy 20, he said that their wheated recipe bourbon "starts off it's life as a Weller 7 year old, and ends it's life as a Pappy 23 year old." Sort of, in a way, repeating the claim that he made in Dallas, but in much less controversial language. And technically true, since the wheated bourbon he is distilling today will (might), in 23 years, end up in a bottle with Pappy's mug on it.

Oh, and here is some Pappy Porn for you all:
pappy.jpg

I confess, I have no reason for posting that picture other than to make you jealous. If that makes me a bad person, then I guess that's the cross I must bear.

[Trey Manthey]

I confess, I have no reason for posting that picture other than to make you jealous. If that makes me a bad person, then I guess that's the cross I must bear.

It always makes me happy to see good bourbon being enjoyed by good people. It's much more appealing than seeing a hoard of unopened bottles.