OWA Private or Single Barrel

[Phil T]

Some excellent points Joe. While I really like the standard OWA , the TPS SB is a touch sweeter, more in my wheelhouse. Either way, at $20.99 for a 750ml, its a steal and may be the best valued bourbon available.

[HighHorse]

I'm on board with anything Weller. The shelf offerings are excellent and, so far, the private selections are tasty iterations of a very good juice.

[ggilbertva]

Are they typically better than standard bottles? I'm not familiar with CnB.

Edit: When I say better I really mean are they more flavorful or complex. For instance, Greg over at bourbondork describes some of his private barrel pics as caramel/butterscotch bombs with some wood. I would like to try something like that if possible.

Joe - I'll try and bring some samples down during the sampler. I'm sure we'll see each other at the Dog's.

[The Boozer]

OMG look whom is back from the dead!

I am with Joe on this one, most of the OWA has been very good the past couple of years. I picked up an OWA SB from the TPS last year and thought is was equal to the 1789b OWA I had about a month earlier. Both were very good but not necessarily better than the standard bottle.

On a side note, I don't believe than anybody is going to knock a SB they had a hand in picking out.

[nivto]

I think what separates a private selection from the regular offering is that you are talking about single barrels versus small batch. I think that fortunately the regular release is pretty consistent and very good. What is going to separate a private selections from the standard release and from other private selections is subtle variations in flavor profile, a nuance here or there, a push in one particular direction in the flavor profile. I agree with a lot of you, though, that while I prefer a single barrel selection the off-the-shelf OWA holds its own just fine. It is a solid label, for now.

[BourbonJoe]

In our own private tastings, the off the shelf OWA stood up to all the private selection bottles I have, and that would be many. This off the shelf bottle, it should be noted, was purchased immediately after the age statement went away.
Joe

[nivto]

In our own private tastings, the off the shelf OWA stood up to all the private selection bottles I have, and that would be many. This off the shelf bottle, it should be noted, was purchased immediately after the age statement went away.
Joe

Joe, I had a similar experience with an off-the-shelf bottling. It, too, was an early release after the age statement went away and it stood up in a blind tasting against two very good private selections.

[smknjoe]

Joe - I'll try and bring some samples down during the sampler. I'm sure we'll see each other at the Dog's.

That's a very generous offer. I really wasn't planning on going to the sampler. If I do, I'll make sure to remind you to bring samples!

[smknjoe]

Joe, I had a similar experience with an off-the-shelf bottling. It, too, was an early release after the age statement went away and it stood up in a blind tasting against two very good private selections.

I've read similar sentiment in several threads and even some that said the new label was better than the old label during the transition around 2009 or so.

I've gone through 1.5 bottles of the current off-the-shelf stuff and it's good, but I can see how it could be better with more age and/or better barrel selection.

[hectic1]

That's a very generous offer. I really wasn't planning on going to the sampler. If I do, I'll make sure to remind you to bring samples!

I'm pretty sure that Greg was thinking you were smokinjoe (joe) who's been around here for years and years.