A little help

[independant]

I just found out that I can special order any of the whiskeys listed below. Because I live in a control state my local stores don't care them. I plan on ordering all of these because I have heard nothing but good things about all of them. My question is. What order would you'll order them in? I will order one every two to three weeks.

Eagle Rare 17yr Ky Straight Bourbon

George T. Stagg Ky. Straight Bourbon

Kentucky Vintage Small Batch

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Noah's Mill Small Batch 15yr

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20yr Bourbon

Rock Hills Farms Single Barrel

Rowan's Creek

Sam Houston

William Larue Weller Bourbon

[kickert]

Eagle Rare 17yr Ky Straight Bourbon

George T. Stagg Ky. Straight Bourbon

Kentucky Vintage Small Batch

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Noah's Mill Small Batch 15yr

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20yr Bourbon

Rock Hills Farms Single Barrel

Rowan's Creek

Sam Houston

William Larue Weller Bourbon

The Eagle Rare, GTS, WLW are all special releases that are generally sold out. If you can get them, I would recommend getting the GTS for sure, and if you have the money, spring for the WLW as well. The Pappy 20 is too oaky for me, but a lot of great people with great taste love it. Right now it is sold out in most places but the next shipment is supposed to be here in the next month or so.

From the remaining list, the RHF is well loved and widely hailed as being a great pour.

I haven't had the rest, but there is a reason for that ;-)

[Klepackage]

Eagle Rare 17yr Ky Straight Bourbon - 5th

George T. Stagg Ky. Straight Bourbon - 1st

Kentucky Vintage Small Batch

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Noah's Mill Small Batch 15yr - tie 6th

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20yr Bourbon - 4th

Rock Hills Farms Single Barrel - 3rd

Rowan's Creek - tie 6th

Sam Houston

William Larue Weller Bourbon - 2nd

That is how I would rank/purchase them. The Sam Houston isn't worth special ordering in my opinion. I haven't had any Kentucky Vintage Small Batch and I typically don't care for Islay scotches.

The GTS and WLW take priority because as Ben said, they're seasonal releases. The GTS flies off shelves. I ranked the RFH above the Pappy 20 because of the cost and because GTS and WLW are ahead of them. After the heartiness of those bourbons, it's nice to sit back with some RHF and enjoy the sweetness. I love the Barrel Proof BTAC (Handy, GTS, and WLW). I haven't found the ER17 and Saz18 worth the cost. My local store is still stuffed with 2008 ER17 and it's been that way for a long time. I've tried both Rowan's Creek and Noah's Mill and enjoyed them. They don't take precedence over the other whiskeys though.

[augustgarage]

I agree about picking up the BTAC first if you can get them. You might want to order that Laphroaig soon too (I haven't had the QC yet but I really like the 10yo CS) as I've been told that the price is going to go up shortly.

[sku]

I just found out that I can special order any of the whiskeys listed below. Because I live in a control state my local stores don't care them. I plan on ordering all of these because I have heard nothing but good things about all of them. My question is. What order would you'll order them in? I will order one every two to three weeks.

Eagle Rare 17yr Ky Straight Bourbon

George T. Stagg Ky. Straight Bourbon

Kentucky Vintage Small Batch

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Noah's Mill Small Batch 15yr

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20yr Bourbon

Rock Hills Farms Single Barrel

Rowan's Creek

Sam Houston

William Larue Weller Bourbon

Obviously, it depends on what you like, but if it were me, I would jump at the Stagg, Eagle Rare, Laphroaig and Pappy. Weller and Rock Hill Farms have lots of fans and they are fine Bourbons, just not among my favorites. I don't care for Rowan's Creek or Kentucky Vintage and I've never had Houston or Noah's Mill.

[mozilla]

Almost all of those are available on a regular basis in Texas retail stores....and I don't buy any of them. Not that they are bad...because they aren't. They are all just way out of my regular pricing comfort zone.

If I had to chose one....it would probably be the Stagg.

Though, I did buy and open a Sam Houston once. It is ok for HH juice.

[StraightBoston]

Let me dissent a little... if he can still get the 2008 BTAC selections, then I believe ER17 would be the first pick, followed by the WLW and then the GTS.

Of the remainder, I'd order the RHF over the Pappy 20 as a better value pour (plus I prefer the Pappy 15!) The problem with the SH, Vintage, Noah's Mill and Rowan's Creek are that you don't know what juice you're getting for the price -- as I said recently about Michter's, some bottles are epic, and some are so-so. If your wallet don't mind, I'd pick Vintage and Rowan's Creek first.

(Can't help you with the Scotch!)

[sailor22]

You know you want to try them all - so just pony up and tell the clerk "one of each please":grin: - but only some will be available and some only this year. So go with the Pappy and BTAC for sure because they are typically the hardest to find - you might even be able to get the Pappy at the old pricing if you are special ordering from old stored stock and some controll states have BTAC at the lowest prices around.

These are the ones I have tried and for me - and it's all subjective - it would be this order;

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20yr Bourbon

William Larue Weller Bourbon

George T. Stagg Ky. Straight Bourbon

Rock Hills Farms Single Barrel

Rowan's Creek

Noah's Mill Small Batch 15yr

Eagle Rare 17yr Ky Straight Bourbon

(the order of this list doesn't reflect which is "better" only which ones I would find the hardest to pass up at a good price)

I haven't tried these;

Kentucky Vintage Small Batch

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Sam Houston

[independant]

Thanks everyone for the input. I do believe the BTAC is what i am going after first. At 70+ a bottle not all at once. The local ABC manger tells me that they are well stocked with all of these in Richmond so there is no rush.

[ggilbertva]

Thanks everyone for the input. I do believe the BTAC is what i am going after first. At 70+ a bottle not all at once. The local ABC manger tells me that they are well stocked with all of these in Richmond so there is no rush.

[independant]

I to was under the same impression but I went to the ABC stores web site and they listed all the bottles I posted. I talked to the manager at the store I go to and he looked them up on their computer and told me that they are in Richmond. Maybe he was mistaken. Tomorrow I am making another order so I guess I will find out for sure then.

http://www.abc.state.va.us/SpecialOrder/STRAIGHT_BOURBON_WHISKEY.html

My point is, VA is expensive, so stretch your bourbon dollars and purchase out of state or thru mail order if it's cheaper even with shipping.

I have not found anyone that says they will ship to VA. If you know of anyone that will please don't keep it to yourself.

[Special Reserve]

Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Colorado whiskey as bourbon? Interesting.

[independant]

Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Colorado whiskey as bourbon? Interesting.

lol yeah VA ABC is not really up on their knowledge of whiskeys in general. That is a big reason I didn't know that they carried the other products before.

[ggilbertva]

The bottles will be listed on the VA ABC website but that list only shows what they distribute those products in VA. Just because it's listed in no way guarantees it's in stock. As long as the product is listed on the website, they can order it. But, if VA has never carried a particular product, chances are you won't be able to special order. If they have BTAC in Richmond I would be very surprised as they received less this year than in years past. I was told VA received 18 bottles of Saz 18 and all 18 of those bottles were sitting in my garage as of November. If they have any it may be a bottle here or there. If a store has a bottle of BTAC, they may ship it to your local ABC. I've done that too but with mixed results.

There are two online distributors that I've used in the past.

www.binnys.com

www.shoppersvineyard.com

I haven't ordered from them in about a year so don't know if they are still shipping to VA.

I to was under the same impression but I went to the ABC stores web site and they listed all the bottles I posted. I talked to the manager at the store I go to and he looked them up on their computer and told me that they are in Richmond. Maybe he was mistaken. Tomorrow I am making another order so I guess I will find out for sure then.

http://www.abc.state.va.us/SpecialOrder/STRAIGHT_BOURBON_WHISKEY.html

My point is, VA is expensive, so stretch your bourbon dollars and purchase out of state or thru mail order if it's cheaper even with shipping.

I have not found anyone that says they will ship to VA. If you know of anyone that will please don't keep it to yourself.

[independant]

They are well stocked with what? I too live in VA and happen to know that they are out of BTAC, they don't carry Rowans Creek or KY Vintage. I've seen Sam Houston, RHF and Pappy 20

Well you were right. I went to another ABC and asked about making an order and was informed that they were indeed out of most of what I posted. I guess the other store manager was trying to be helpful or he didn't know when he told me everything listed was available.

[sku]

Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Colorado whiskey as bourbon? Interesting.

At least they don't think all Bourbon has to be made in Kentucky.