Newbie from Tacoma, WA

[elkypro]

Hi all.....

Well, i never thought i was an expert on whiskey/bourbon. But for some odd reason i always chose it as my liquor of choice. After i turned 21 (im only 28 now) i started drinking. yeah weird eh? surely though, i had gotten drunk a few times before but cheaply. The first time i ever got drunk was on about a half bottle of Jack Daniels. Me and a few friends when we were 14.... one of my friends' gf had a 3/4 full bottle of jack D and she brought it out to the woods where we were at. I must mention though that im originally from the SW burbs of Chicago and just recently moved up here to Tacoma a few months ago. Anyways, we were taking turns taking swigs and my friend said in a sarcastic tone as i was taking a longer than normal swig, which apparently at the time i didint take it as such, "well why dont you just drink the rest of it then" and, well, i did It burned and i gasped for air after chugging about a third of the bottle, of course, since i had never drank before. After a short amount of time i noticed i couldnt walk staright and was acting very opnely to everyone. even to the point of hitting on my best friend's gf who brought over the whiskey. They eventually knew they had to get me soem food so they walked me over to the McDonalds (bout half mile away) and ordered me some food. I was slurring so much i couldnt eat really. Then i puked over the floor in the restaurant and my friend went up there and accused them of their food making me sick. oh happy times indeed! haha

Fast forward to when i legal......

I think my whiskey appreciation comes from a music artist that comforted me in my times of need as a growing young lad. His name is Mark Lanegan. He was the singer of the "Screaming Trees" and most notably to me, a solo artist. His songs were dark, poignant(sp) adn to the point about feeling down upon yourself and wondering what is going on with your life. He was an alcoholic too, but apparently now in remission. Well he had this phenomenal album entitled "Whiskey for the Holy Ghost" And i think since i felt so in tune with the theme of the album in my younger years that i in a way embraced the notion of whiskey as well. makes sense right? i was about 16 when i first heard the album.

Then after i turned 21, after some of my friends did, i went to the bars since they would tell me how great they were at the time. But i didint know what to drink. I mean, i disgusted beer, and most alcohol in general, but i was so naive that i had no clue what to order. So i would get a whiskey straight. Ever since my first whiskey i always ordered it straight, that is when i wanted to appreciate it. Bars as you know usually have the cheaper variety so i ordered jim beam white label. I would normally order double-shots in a glass drink then whenever i needed a drink. But then while talking with a co-worker(at the time) and i was asking about whiskey, since he was about 30 years older than me and probably had more recommendations, He has suggested Maker's Mark to me. It intrigued me. So i picked up a bottle and i absolutley loved it! I couldnt fathom how i was drinking JB white for so long. So i became almost obsessive about Maker's Mark at 23 years old, and in fact my barrel comes up in about 350 days

Now that ive rambled enough, I have to say that right now im just trying any whiskey and bourbon i havent had before. Right now i am really low on cash so I guess im starting from the bottom and up. I have my share of decent whiskeys but after reading this forum for a bit i have noticed that there are many more expensive brands, and even inexpensive, i cant wait to find and try! Just sux that WA is state-controlled and while it has a decent selection it is nothing compared to the liquor stores i am used to. Dozens upon dozens of different kinds of each alcohol to your choosing at a very good price back in IL.

Right now im on the Ezra Brooks 90 proof, its nothing special, but it does keep me going. And i dont care what brand it is sometimes as long as it keeps me in the game to getting that next bottle.

I do hope to learn much from this forum and the very intellectual crowd it has gathered here. I must say that i am thoroughly impressed. Keep up the good work.

Here's one on me!
Steveo

[Sijan]

Welcome!

I made a post in this section about affordable bourbons and ryes that you may find useful. http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...ead.php?t=8142

Cheers,
Dan

[T47]

Welcome to SB.com, another NW'r showing up...Sound's like you moved from a place of better selection.
Almost all of Dan's first page of picks are available here in WA except for ORVW 10, Sazerac and Old Forester.
Unfortunately, here in WA none of them are as low as the price of your Ezra Brooks 90 ($13.45). The Rittenhouse Rye BIB is close ($15.10).
I short hop up ($16.25) will get you Fighting Cock, which is on a price reduction for a month and I find it a good strong flavorful pour. Other price reductions this month are WT 101 $20.95 and
EC 12 $19.95.
I really think the OGD BIB ($19.95) is a great bottle with excellent flavor at a very reasonable price.
The rest of the bottle's started to get into the mid or upper $20's.

We are getting a nice contingent of NW SB'rs, I will have to throw together a BBQ/tasting next summer for us so we can put some faces to these names.

[elkypro]

Thanks, i was looking at the list and ive only been to two liquor stores here in Tacoma but i have not seen at least half of those bottles around. Maybe you can guide me to where i can find a good liquor store that carries these brands T47? Ive had OGD before (86 and the 114) but i havent had the BIB, i think i may try that one next. i have not seen it down besides the regular 86 proof. any ideas where to find it? or maybe how you search for liquor up here? thanks

[T47]

Here is the link for the WA. State Liquor Product Search. You can find the bottels available, then click on the Find Store link to the right. This site can point you in the right direction, but in most cases it is way out of date. So when you find the store, call and make sure they still have the bottle your interested in.
In Seattle I can walk into a store and find they have bottles that are not listed on the site. I admit it frosts me a little bit. The least the State can do is keep that system more updated? Maybe I don't understand enough about business and inventory and computers, but it seems like it should work better.
Anyhow, let us know what luck you have.

[thanson]

Welcome!

We are getting a nice contingent of NW SB'rs, I will have to throw together a BBQ/tasting next summer for us so we can put some faces to these names.

Sounds like a good idea.

Tim

[elkypro]

Welcome!



Sounds like a good idea.

Tim

I second that!! ill bring the brats!

[ACDetroit]

Steveo, welcome from a bit closer to your old home town. If the EC 12 yr. is on markdown get it, I was very impressed with a bottle I got for a friend for his birthday. A really great 12yr pour for a great price. Hope you enjoy the stay here it loads of fun!

Cheers!

Tony

[Luna56]

Welcome. Many of our first experiences with drinking are fraught with peril but the spirit of persistence carries us forth. Here's to the Holy Trinity of Fluid Inspiration: Alcohol, Tears and Vomit!!
All kidding aside, if you can find yourself a bottle of Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 YO you'll be in the realm of the Almighty for not a lot of cash. Here in NH it's between $19 and $24, depending on whether there's a sale or not (we have good prices here. Sadly, it offsets a somewhat meager selection). It's one of the best, most reliable bourbons I've had. I'm sure you're gonna like it.
Good luck.
Cheers!

[Bailey]

Hey there Steveo from the other side of the Cascades. If you haven't had it yet I think Tony is right on the mark with suggesting EC12. I picked up a couple of bottles last month when it was around $19. It may be $21 regular price. But it is worth it IMO. If you are willing to spend a bit more the Eagle Rare 10yo and Buffalo Trace are both worth the money.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board could care less about us bourbon drinkers. For the most part I have quit wasting my time begging them to get product that they don't carry. A couple of weeks I was down at Hi-Times in L.A. and they told me that the Liquor Control Board had recently threatened them with an injunction to prevent them from shipping to Washington. There are still a few internet sites out there that will ship to Washington. It is a little pricey for the shipping but if you are willing to order several bottles at once you oftentimes make your money back because the prices for the bourbon are usually better. Unfortunately for my pocket book I am in the habit of placing at least one order a month. If you are looking for something that you can't find feel free to PM me and we may be able to work something out.

Roger