BOTM, 1/08: Prichard's Double Barreled

[TNbourbon]

...or were they "Kentucky" bourbon snobs with a prejudice against any bourbon not made in the Bluegrass state?..

Prichard's IS made in the Bluegrass State, not Tennessee. There's another thread -- http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...;27s#post58205 -- which goes into more detail, but Phil Prichard only distills rum. He bought (and openly admits it) Kentucky bourbon in bulk and then re-barreled it in small (5-gallon, I think), new charred-oak barrels for a period. But, this was bottled only in Tennessee, not made here.

[cowdery]

Tim,

Has Prichard said he's involved with the Hickman distillery? That's Ray Jamieson's project. Jamieson was Prichard's partner in the rum operation originally, but I understood they had parted ways and not amiably.

The BTEC double-barreled actually went from one barrel that was new when the whiskey was entered, into another new charred barrel. In these other cases, Jacob's Well and Pirchard, I think it's more just a matter of barrel consolidation. Of course, you could accomplish that by emptying one or a couple of barrels, using that to top the rest off. I don't think that's what they do, though. I think they dump together all of the barrels they are going to use, let them mingle in the tank, then rebarrel them to let them "marry."

Obviously, because of evaporation in the original barrels, they will fill fewer barrels than they dumped, thus saving warehouse space.

Does taking bourbon out of its original barrel and putting it back into what is now a used barrel for additional aging mean you can't count the additional aging for the age statement?

Beam (i.e., Jacob's Well) was originally attracted to the idea because it freed up wasted warehouse space, i.e., the space in the partially-full barrels. They originally did it with one of their Canadians, but there wouldn't be any question about new v. used barrels there.

That said, I'm not sure exactly what this process does for the whiskey, but I'll grant the proposition that it might do something and isn't just a feature without a benefit.

I've only had a few tastes of the stuff myself and don't have a bottle now. I remember it as, at best, okay, and okay at maybe half the price.

I'm pretty sure I saw a bottle on the shelf at State Liquors in St. Matthews in October.

My vague memory is that he bought seven year old Heaven Hill bourbon, rebarreled it and aged it an additional two years, but that's just a vague memory. I haven't heard much about it either way, but my impression is that he just had that one batch, which he bottled over time, but when it was done that was it, unless he decides to do it again.

[TNbourbon]

Tim,

Has Prichard said he's involved with the Hickman distillery? That's Ray Jamieson's project. Jamieson was Prichard's partner in the rum operation originally, but I understood they had parted ways and not amiably...

That, too, was my understanding, and the parting almost put him out of business. The reference to Prichard's involvement in the W. Ky. distillery came from a general-media source -- Memphis, I think. May well have been nothing more than rumor and/or conjecture.

...My vague memory is that he bought seven year old Heaven Hill bourbon, rebarreled it and aged it an additional two years, but that's just a vague memory. I haven't heard much about it either way, but my impression is that he just had that one batch, which he bottled over time, but when it was done that was it, unless he decides to do it again.

I thought it was 6 and 3 but, yeah, nine years total sticks in my mind, too, as does the HH connection.

[cowdery]

I can report that Binny's Clark Street has a case of Prichard's bourbon on the shelf, and three or four bottles of his Sweet Lucy bourbon liqueur. And they still have a handful of Hirsch gold foils at $79.99.

[luv2hunt]

A couple of points:

• If you have a Prichard's that had a black-shaded "Double Barreled Bourbon" line, don't open it -- it's a collectible. It's my understanding that only a couple of barrels were included in that original bottling. (I had one, now in the possession of Cliff.) The newer one does NOT have the shading over that line.
• If you have one of these bottlings WITHOUT the dark shaded strip, DON'T OPEN IT! Phil Prichard no longer even lists this bourbon among his 'products' at his website: www.prichardsdistillery.com Kinda makes me think it isn't going to happen again anytime soon. Even if his interest in a new, West Kentucky distillery remains, it's several years before that distillate is aged enough for bottling.

• Is "undesirable" bourbon still a valuable collectible just because it's no longer being made? I really think that to be of value.....somebody (lots of somebody's) have to like it

Dawn

[StraightBoston]

Prichard's Double Barreled is available in the Boston area -- at ~$50 too pricey for me to take a flyer on it (I've stayed away from Michter's, Jefferson's etc. for the same reason, but jumped on Sam Houston on sale at $19!)

I actually enjoy Jacob's Well (still available at the bar of the Duck Walk in Wakefield) as a mellower expression of the Beam family flavor. I believe that I read somewhere that the re-barreled time cannot legally count towards the age statement.

--Kevin

[StraightBoston]

I can report that Binny's Clark Street has a case of Prichard's bourbon on the shelf, and three or four bottles of his Sweet Lucy bourbon liqueur. And they still have a handful of Hirsch gold foils at $79.99.

The same guy did Sweet Lucy? I accidentally tried that in the middle of a wonderful tasting flight at Jack's Firehouse in Philadephia -- won't make that mistake again!

[RotaxRon]

This too is my first BOTM forum post. Where I have had the pleasure of attending quite a few of tasting events, pulling out subtle flavorings and smells that compose a given selection still proves to be challenging for me. So until I can get there I'll offer what I can.

By chance I have a bottle of Prichard's on my back bar. I was at a Irish Whiskey tasting recently, and a gentleman across the table was just going on and on about this new bourbon he found, and it was the best he ever had. I just happen to pass my liquor store of choice on the way home, so I stopped to see if they had it. 10+ bottles on the top shelf, $34. Not cheap, but not painful either. If it was the best bourbon I would ever have..what a bargain!

Again, classy bottle, deep rich hue, but not to unlike the look of a bottle of KC. I was very excited to crack this one open given all the hype, having never heard or seen it before...the whole double-barrel thing was new to me..it was kinda like "going where no man has ever gone before". I checked out the website...saw the hand-bottling video. How old school I thought...
I'll admit, the plastic cork kinda killed that though....

My first impression was still positive, nice legs, strong nose, spicey but smooth, but as I finished the glass my positive impression faded. I couldn't agree more with shyster512, it starts out like your going to have this mouth full of flavor, but the finish just kinda stops before it even hits your throat. I added a cube for the second round, and it seem to buckle even more.

So in conclusion, I thought I was buying a 'special occasion' pour, but turns out not to be so special. I will enjoy the rest of the bottle, but won't be sad when I reach the end.

Out of curiosity, when does a bourbon earn its own acronym? Is this not worthy of PDB?

[SingleBarrel]

I too love BOTM and am glad to see it back! Since I have an opened bottle of Prichards on my shelf with maybe two pours left in it, I guess I don't need to worry about Tim's advice about opening it.

As for tasting notes, I am not nearly the expert that many of you are here (I rarely can identify the components, but I do know what I like!), but will simply say that I tend to agree with a number of posts on here already: a bourbon that is drinkable, but unremarkable, and not worth a premium price. Nice nose, OK taste, and NO finish. Hence, the fact that I have an opened bottle that is probably two years old. It may very well be the oldest bottle I have with any bourbon left in it (obviously, I'm a drinker of bourbon, not a collector).

I thought the idea was novel, and being from Tennessee, I also thought it seemed unique in that it was bottled in Tennessee, not Kentucky (though many erroneously think the whiskey is distilled in Tennessee). Other than that - pretty pedestrian.

Now, as for the Prichards rum, that's another story! I do really like their rum, though again it is expensive. It's worthwhile though.

Thanks for making the "PDB" BOTM though - at least that will help clear one nearly dead soldier and make room for something else!

[B1bomber]

Had Prichard's last night. I'll spare the detailed tasting notes and cut to the bottom line: Great stuff, particularly at the price. Got mine at Shoppers Vineyard (Clifton, NJ) for around $40. Rich, balanced, smooth. Definitely a winner.