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[gblick]

I think the very first issue of Pappy 20yo was rye instead of wheat. But at that time there was no Pappy 15, so no worries.

[cowdery]

Pappy 15 is a relatively new expression. It replaced the Old Rip Van Winkle 15-year-old when the Old Rip Van Winkle 10-year-old switched from SW whiskey to Bernheim whiskey. That may not make sense, but the idea was to distinguish the Pappy line as all (with that one exception in the P20) SW.

[BourbonJoe]

That may not make sense, but the idea was to distinguish the Pappy line as all (with that one exception in the P20) SW.

That may be a mute point as the only SW still in the line-up anymore is the 20 y/o.

Joe :usflag:

[shoshani]

Another way to go would be a William LaRue Weller, but I don't think that shows that well as a wheater because, like all of the Antiques, it's so wood-heavy.

Chuck, if you still have yours try this: put one ounce of it into a glass, and add a quarter ounce of water to it. (According to the handy SB.com dilution calculator 4 parts WLW to 1 part water works out to a microscopic fraction over 100 proof.)

I normally do not dilute barrel proof whiskey (after all, the point is to enjoy them uncut), but I found that this is VERY much like a refined version of Old Fitz. I don't think the wood intrudes at all into it this way.

I recommend it as Very Extra Special Old Fitzweller.

[cowdery]

I don't know if I'd say it tastes like Old Fitz, but I generally do water my WLW and like it better that way.

[Vange]

That may be a mute point as the only SW still in the line-up anymore is the 20 y/o.

Joe :usflag:

Isnt the 23 as well?

[dukeofsandwich]

I posted a while back that I was organizing a tasting focused on the different American whiskey mashbills. It finally happened a few weeks ago, here's how it went.

First, we tasted four young whiskies representing the most common mashbills:

Old Grand Dad Bottled in Bond - rye as the flavor grain

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond - wheat as the flavor grain

I.W. Harper Gold Medal - high corn content

Old Overholt - Straight rye

Participants kept samples of these on the table for Round 2, in which six whiskies were tasted blind. The challenge was to guess the mashbill:

I.W. Harper 15 Year

Sazerac 18 (Fall 2005)

Pappy Van Winkle 15

Old Taylor (Late 70's)

Old Fitzgerald 1849 (Late 80's)

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2007

Some people were spot on, others totally lost, and most in between. Surprisingly (to me), the Pappy Van Winkle and Old Taylor were the crowd favorites. I thought the Saz 18 and Old Fitz 1849 would be...

[TNbourbon]

Guys -- if you lived nearer Columbia, TN, you'd already know these things.

Alas, I'm down to my last smidgens of S-W wheat, or anything decent, in general. But, my advice would be to eliminate anything S-W from comparative tastings, because there just isn't anything like the better examples of it available today in any wide distribution.

On the other hand, standard wheated bourbon is very approachable. Forget history, and just pour Maker's and Weller.

[dukeofsandwich]

And if I listened to people like you, I'd never know these things. It was hugely educational for everyone involved. I'm not sure why you want to squash the enthusiasm of people who are just discovering bourbon.

[leebo]

Last year I did a more general whiskey tasting for some novice whiskey drinkers. In order, we had weller antique, george dickel, baby saz and finished with old grand dad 114. All with a splash of water and some discussions about grain bills and such. I thought 4 was a good number for that crowd.

[Tuthilltown]

Thanks Chuck for your comment that our whiskeys are not comparable with the other and larger brands, it is a point of pride for us that we have gone our own way and the results have continued to draw positive response. Important for readers to realize that ALL the micro distillers are just beginning to reinvent the Craft of small distilling. The products will change as we all learn. The good news is of course that the consumers will have an expanding range of new spirits, which they should judge on their own merits and not by what has been the "standard" fare since Prohibition. As for the cost of the products, which has been a topic raised often in posts here, the cost of micro distillery products is a direct result of the labor and expense necessary to build a distillery, produce goods and get them to market without the advantage of scale and deep pockets enjoyed by our elder cousins in big whiskey. In our case, as we grow and become more efficient, production costs will drop and we anticipate the cost of our products will also drop. It should be said, the micro distillers aren't ripping off customers with the cost of their goods. Small whiskey is costly to produce and once it leaves the distillery the price gets stepped on multiple times before it gets to the shelf. Half the cost of the bottle you buy goes to distributor/retailer markup, and the Fed and State in taxes. Support American micro distillers and their brands and everyone benefits.

[p_elliott]

Thanks Chuck for your comment that our whiskeys are not comparable with the other and larger brands, it is a point of pride for us that we have gone our own way and the results have continued to draw positive response. Important for readers to realize that ALL the micro distillers are just beginning to reinvent the Craft of small distilling. The products will change as we all learn. The good news is of course that the consumers will have an expanding range of new spirits, which they should judge on their own merits and not by what has been the "standard" fare since Prohibition. As for the cost of the products, which has been a topic raised often in posts here, the cost of micro distillery products is a direct result of the labor and expense necessary to build a distillery, produce goods and get them to market without the advantage of scale and deep pockets enjoyed by our elder cousins in big whiskey. In our case, as we grow and become more efficient, production costs will drop and we anticipate the cost of our products will also drop. It should be said, the micro distillers aren't ripping off customers with the cost of their goods. Small whiskey is costly to produce and once it leaves the distillery the price gets stepped on multiple times before it gets to the shelf. Half the cost of the bottle you buy goes to distributor/retailer markup, and the Fed and State in taxes. Support American micro distillers and their brands and everyone benefits.

Thank you for your post we appriciate it when the distilleries participate on the boards and give us their insights to their side of the business. Please come back And participate further on the boards or join in on chat. Your insight and knowledge would be most welcome.

[loose proton]

Tuthilltown, thanks for the post. I help a friend with chemistry in his wine biz and appreciate the labor and love involved in micro-products. I support micro-distilleries when I'm able and when the product is good. Too many people get hooked up with the "is it a good value" mentality and fail to recognize the value of unique flavor.

[Dramiel McHinson]

I had this bottle I should have used for the meeting, but it leaked a little during shipping so of course I had to try it and now its half gone!!!

Nice bottle. I know they aren't as appealing when empty but hope you kept it.

[Hawg73]

Thanks Chuck for your comment that our whiskeys are not comparable with the other and larger brands, it is a point of pride for us that we have gone our own way and the results have continued to draw positive response. Important for readers to realize that ALL the micro distillers are just beginning to reinvent the Craft of small distilling. The products will change as we all learn. The good news is of course that the consumers will have an expanding range of new spirits, which they should judge on their own merits and not by what has been the "standard" fare since Prohibition. As for the cost of the products, which has been a topic raised often in posts here, the cost of micro distillery products is a direct result of the labor and expense necessary to build a distillery, produce goods and get them to market without the advantage of scale and deep pockets enjoyed by our elder cousins in big whiskey. In our case, as we grow and become more efficient, production costs will drop and we anticipate the cost of our products will also drop. It should be said, the micro distillers aren't ripping off customers with the cost of their goods. Small whiskey is costly to produce and once it leaves the distillery the price gets stepped on multiple times before it gets to the shelf. Half the cost of the bottle you buy goes to distributor/retailer markup, and the Fed and State in taxes. Support American micro distillers and their brands and everyone benefits.

Tuthilltown I really like your Whiskey's! Keep up the good work.