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Settling in for the Independence Day weekend, with…a CAO Brazilia…

Happy 4th. Doing it early with a La Gloria Cubana series R

Love the barrel proof picks, but never had a bad one off the shelf either. People who think they don't like JD, have never had the barrel proof single barrels. As much as I enjoy the older expressions of Jack Daniels 10 and 12 YO, I would love to get my hands on one of the JD 14 BPs. I bet they are phenomenal. That being said, I think the JD SiB BP are a good value, even if they are relatively young. Cheers!

Yessir, that VWFRR is fabulous whiskey. I look forward to eventually trying the OF 7. Some good reports on it, here. Good to hear more positive i press from you, as well. Again, welcome aboard!

Haven't had that but if it is anything like the Old Heaven Hill Ultra Premium 21 year from the 90s, it is won't disappoint. That was one of the best bourbons I've ever tasted.

I have a 24 year pre-fire...but my cheap-ass is scared to open it!

I traded 4 OWA & 1 WSR for it, so about 400 FMV & 225 cost to me. I'd happily make that trade again. At least for me it beat the heck out of standing in line 1,500 miles away and paying $300 MSRP. Yesterday's got better after 30 minutes. Less ethanol, more flavor. The carmel & the oak played quite well together. There are more hints in there I cannot quite name.

Excellent choice, Jazz June! And, excellent analysis of the whiskey. And, FWIW, I totally support this BOTM, as I agree; it's one of the best "new" products, to my taste buddies anyway, over the last several years. The several bottles I've had since it was introduced have all been very good-to-great, and good value for the cheddar asked. Good Job!

What did that set you back? Never have seen before.

Woodford Dbl Oak, WT101 8 Year, so good but has dried up here after being told it was sustainable. Sad. Nashville Barrel.

The Pennsy state stores must have made a deal with Barton. This month's "Chairman's Selection" consists of the entire Thomas H. Moore line of "extended cask finished" bourbons, priced at 45 buckos each, a $25 price cut. These are stone cold bargains at that price, and the one I picked up yesterday - finished in Merlot casks- is delicious. I've never seen bourbon cask finishing done like this before. It's six-year Barton's which is then further aged in a wine or fortified spirit cask for up to 4 years (between 1 and 4, they say, depending on the cask) Not for just 3 or 6 months like everybody else does. In the case of the merlot cask version, I think the integration is so complete it isn't "finished" anymore. It's simply a unique bourbon, with the merlot influence palpable but ultimately muted in favor of the classic Barton flavors.

Here's the Independence Day cocktail I made for my friends last night. Most of them are lighter drinkers, so I did a sort of deconstructed strawberry pina colada with pureed strawberries, coconut cream & pineapple juice, and rum & blue curacao. The pineapple juice tended to give a yellow tint to the white layer so I milk-clarified the juice. Presented them in Mason jars, then had everyone put their lids on and shake vigorously. They were a hit.

I gotta try this. I recently watched a video on the 10 most popular modern cocktails (or some such) and only one of them had even been invented when I was a bartender in the 80s. Just found out there is a nice little crafty bar near me so the countdown begins.

Jack Daniels has really upped its game the last few years with its age stated expressions and its annual limited edition single barrel releases. But for more readily available expressions of Jack, it is tough to beat the single barrel, barrel proof Tennessee whiskey. The regular single barrel really elevates Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey above the black label Old No. 7 (for my palate anyway), but the barrel proof takes it to another level. And in the current market, it is pretty well priced for a barrel proof bourbon (yes, Jack is a bourbon), if you like what Jack has to offer. The Basics Distillery: Jack Daniels Brand Owner: Brown-Forman Mash Bill: 80% corn, 12% rye, and 8% malted barley (Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey mash bill) Proof: Barrel proof Age: NAS (at least 4 years old, picks seem to be around 6 years old and I would assume the shelf version is similar) MSRP: $70 Expression introduced: 2015 Last time as BotM: September, 2022 Distillery Tasting Notes See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO8IwQvIsfs for a breakdown by Chris Fletcher, Jack Daniels master distiller (and a really nice guy in my experience). My Thoughts Jack Daniels single barrel, barrel proof is a powerful whiskey, frequently coming in at more than 130 proof. But the good examples are not overly hot, merely preserving the richness and viscosity of uncut, barrel proof whiskey. The Jack Daniels yeast does its thing in most barrels and imparts that banana flavor it is known for. In the barrels I like best, it comes off as a banana cream pie mingled with a reasonable dose of oak (this certainly isn’t an extra aged tannic whiskey, but there’s enough oak to let you know these barrels are reasonably mature). The relatively low rye content also imparts some subtle spice to add some complexity to the more dominant sweet notes from the yeast and the significant amount of corn in the mash bill. The warmth of the finish definitely reminds you of the proof point (is this a Tennessee hug?). As with any single barrel product, there is variation, but these are available as private selections, so look for one from your trusted stores and/or groups. My group picked one of these earlier this year and it is pretty great. And the pick experience at Jack Daniels is incredible; a wonderful mix of history, hospitality, and good whiskey. Plus who doesn’t love a whiskey slushy when it’s hot out! So, Straight Bourbon, what do you have to say about Jack Daniels single barrel, barrel proof?

Wait 'til you try this one!

@JGrassa I’m a fan of their offerings. This bottle has similar specs to the bottle you shared. This is MGP that drinks like Bookers. Which I like! Thanks for giving me the idea to reach for this one.

Proof: 115.18 Blend of 8.5-16 year juice from both Kentucky and Indiana. Rich, concentrated with Jim Beam like peanut notes, vanilla, butterscotch, some rye spice and charred oak, as well us a bit of citrus peel. Great lingering finish. Fairly complex with quite a bit more happening than I can describe so quickly. I've been told they have quite a cult following so I sought out a few bottlings. This was hands down my favorite of 3 I tried. The other 2 I tried are Rare Character Whiskey Company Kentucky Straight Whiskey Batch No.01 2025 Rare Character Whiskey Company Exceptional Series Wheated Bourbon (this one improved quite a bit since opening. still not sure I am sold on the price-tag yet.) Worth trying out some Rare Character for sure. Even the other 2 are quite clearly high quality whiskey. I am excited to try others in time.

Thank you! Bourbon: Currently - Dark Arts French Oak finish. All Time - 2012 Micthers 20 year. (Never owned a bottle but was fortunate to taste it twice) Rye: Currently - Found North Cask Strength Rye Single Barrel Red Pineau des Charentes Finished (VWM Store Pick) - (Full Disclosure. This is my store pick. I bought the store back in October, and was lucky to collab with a few other stores on a barrel pick) All Time - Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13yr Really been digging Found North (Canadian juice), Dark Arts, and Seelbach's in recent months. The new Old Fitz 7yr is pretty great too. Always looking for tips, and willing to offer my own! Pretty incredible the amount of information on this forum. Only discovered it seeing some thread with Julian Van Winkle back in 2003.

Yeah, that’s good stuff right there!

Some Paper Plane action tonight. Made my bride one as well. Great summer cocktail of equal parts (1 shot of each is the usual recipe): -bourbon (or rye) -Aperol -Amaro Nonino -Fresh lemon juice Add a little ice and stir.

Welcome to SB jgrassa. Bourbon and rye guy? Which ones are your faves?

Interesting. Never heard about it. Please tell us about it.

Rare Character Whiskey Company Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch No.04 2025. I've only had a handful of Rare Character Whiskey and this is so far my favorite yet!

Glenrothes 30 Year Old 1995 Signatory Symington’s Choice Super excited about this one. Generally more of a Bourbon and Rye guy, but I had fallen in love with some Signatory Speyside bottlings. Not sure how soon I will open this though.