I'm interested in buying a bottle of A.H. Hirsch

[Uncle Oswald]

This famed Bourbon, and I'm yet to try it. Does it live up to the hype, or is it more so the bragging rights of owning a rarity? Also, what is a fair price to pay for it and from what source? I've not seen it in Ohio.

One online retailer I found has the 16 year old, bottled in 1974, listed at $300!

[tommyboy38]

It's good whiskey but not $300 good but it won't be getting any cheaper.

If you want it, get it now but I'd guess you could probably find it for less than $300 if you looked hard enough.

[Josh]

This famed Bourbon, and I'm yet to try it. Does it live up to the hype, or is it more so the bragging rights of owning a rarity?

I've never tasted it but trusted palates tell me it's not particularly tasty, so I would say the latter is closest to the truth. I do really like the bottle and label themselves, though. Purdy.

[Sijan]

I certainly wouldn't pay that much for it. It's a controversial bottling with what seems to be a lot of bottle variation. (Lots of speculation that the bottle variation is because later batches may have sat in a steel tank much longer than the early batches and leached out some metallic notes.)

I've tasted both good and bad bottles. Unfortunately, my bottle was a bad bottle. Fortunately, I paid 'only' $40-50 for it several years ago when it wasn't quite so rare. I would rather have spent my $40-50 on something else back then, like ORVW15 when it was still on store shelves, but live and learn.

[silverfish]

When I was looking into the Hirsch, I checked

the web for on-line sellers. I had a list of 23

sellers with price range from $210. to $330.

The cheapest I found was $130. but the seller no

longer lists it on their site. The final batch, to be

released this fall with a $1000. price tag can be

seen here:

preissimports.com/AH-Hirsch-Last-Batch.html

[Sijan]

These are the lowest prices I'm seeing online for Hirsch 16 year old in an admittedly crude search on WineSearcher:

Heritage Wines & Liquors CO: Littleton. No minimum order. Delivery charges apply. Hirsh Reserve 16yr 750ml$76.99

Bottle

09-Aug-2009

Daveco liquors CO: No minimum order. Delivery charges apply. AH HIRSCH BOURBON 16YR .750L$80.99

Bottle

10-Aug-2009

Cranberry Liquors MD: Westminster. No minimum order. Discounts available. Delivery within Carroll County, Maryland only. A. H. Hirsch, 16 years old$89.99

Bottle

09-Aug-2009

Colonial Wine and Spirits AR: Little Rock. No minimum order. No deliveries allowed. A H HIRSCH 16yo RESERVE 750 ML$99.99

Bottle

08-Aug-2009

These prices may be outdated. Next cheapest was Utah ABC at $186.37.

Again, I would not personally recommend paying these prices.

[silverfish]

These are the lowest prices I'm seeing online for Hirsch 16 year old in an admittedly crude search on WineSearcher:

I'm curious - was your search using the Pro

Version of WS? I did a Hirsch search and the

lowest price was $85. at Vendome. Next

result was $216. at Gordons.

I know the free version only includes sponsored

results and wondered if the Pro Version was worth

it.

[ggilbertva]

Oswald - Dan (Sijan) hit the nail on the head. Investing in the Hirsh at its present availability is risky. I bought a bottle of the gold foil, which is the one that is questionable, and it was a bad bottle. So bad in fact that it ruined Diet Coke. My bottle had a very bad metallic aftertaste that I believe was a byproduct of being tanked too long (as Dan alluded to). I paid $60 for it so chalk it up to a mild loss. If you invest north of $200 for a bottle, that's a hard loss to take. I have a bottle of Blue Wax and it's a superb bourbon but even that bottle I wouldn't pay $300 for. At that point, you're just paying for the novelty, rarity and bragging rights of the bottle. I can't believe that Priess doesn't know of this problem yet still pushes this bourbon with it's 5 star rating when it's no longer the same bourbon as found in the first bottlings. My advise, don't waste your money. If you're going to spend that much money on bourbon and want something high end, go for Pappy 20, Parkers Heritage or if you can find it, WT Tribute.

[Sijan]

Yes, I pay for the Pro version of WineSearcher and think it is well worth it.

The bottling at the Vendome is NOT the A.H. Hirsch 16 year old. It is the

Hirsch Selection Special American Reserve 20 Years

See thread here:

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11413

[Klepackage]

As a word of warning, Daveco's site varies drastically from what they actually have in stock. I know they had Weller Centennial on the website up to a month ago and I've never seen it there.

[cowdery]

I never had a bad bottle of the A. H. Hirsch that I know of, as I still have a couple un-opened. I think I paid $70 for the last one I bought. If spending $300 on a bottle of whiskey is no big deal for you, then why not? But if that's a strain, as it would be for most people, then leave it alone. It's not some magical elixer, it's a bottle of whiskey. For $300 you can buy a case of Weller 12, which would, I think, be money better spent.

[theDon]

I never had a bad bottle of the A. H. Hirsch that I know of, as I still have a couple un-opened. I think I paid $70 for the last one I bought. If spending $300 on a bottle of whiskey is no big deal for you, then why not? But if that's a strain, as it would be for most people, then leave it alone. It's not some magical elixer, it's a bottle of whiskey. For $300 you can buy a case of Weller 12, which would, I think, be money better spent.

Great advice! Everyone needs a case of go-to bourbon sitting around for tough times. I happen to have said case of Weller 12. I have many times spent a couple hundred dollar's on bourbon, but never more than $40 on one single bottle.

[scopenut]

I agree with the Weller 12 suggestion. Excellent value for the $. BTW, I haven't had a bad bottle of Hirsch 16 gold foil either. Maybe just lucky.

-Kevin

[WsmataU]

I've been doing the AH Hirsch search myself, including Japan Yahoo auctions. Luckily I have a local bar (Bourbon in DC) that keeps all the variations available. My opinion is that I'd rather drop $2-300 on a blue wax than gamble $100 on a gold foil. Either way, Chuck is right, it isn't going to make you spin in circles. It is basically a really good bourbon with great bragging rights that will likely increase once Preiss releases the $1500 version (same liquid BTW).

[Phantos]

I've got the 16yr bourbon here for $106+tax and the 20yr whiskey for 59.99...

[silverfish]

Yes, I pay for the Pro version of WineSearcher and think it is well worth it.

The bottling at the Vendome is NOT the A.H. Hirsch 16 year old. It is the

Hirsch Selection Special American Reserve 20 Years

[cowdery]

I've got the 16yr bourbon here for $106+tax and the 20yr whiskey for 59.99...

[B1bomber]

Cowdery, I beg to differ. It IS a magical elixir, at least in my mind. Well, ok, maybe it holds no magic. But it's the finest substance man has ever put in a bottle, that I do believe. (Hirsch haters, please refrain from throwing rocks).

If anyone has any A.H. Hirsch that they'd like to discard, either through trade or sale, please holler!

(Love your bourbon book, btw, Cowdery. Picked one up at LeNell's not long ago. Money well spent!)

[TNbourbon]

Cowdery, I beg to differ. It IS a magical elixir, at least in my mind. Well, ok, maybe it holds no magic. But it's the finest substance man has ever put in a bottle, that I do believe. (Hirsch haters, please refrain from throwing rocks)...

Not going to throw any rocks (maybe a pebble or two, though), nor am I a Hirsch-hater, but really?!! The "finest substance man has ever put in a bottle"?:bigeyes: That sounds a lot like brain-wash.

I've owned and tasted -- as have many others here -- all the versions of the original A.H. Hirsch 16- and 20-year-olds, and they are exceptional bourbons, with the older ones far out-stripping the last bottling of the 16yo (aka, 'gold foil'). In my opinion (we ALL have one, you know:grin:), none would rank in my top 5. Maybe not my top 10. But, then, I've tasted a pretty wide variety of fine and historical whiskeys.

And therein lies the problem, I think, with such definitive "finest-ever" statements: we all have different tasting ranges and experiences. The Hirsch may well be the finest bourbon you or someone else here has ever tasted. That doesn't make it finest anyone else ever has.

I'd gladly pay several hundred dollars for the 'finest whiskey ever made'. I HAVE spent several hundred dollars for some wonderful ones. And, I'd buy as many original Hirsch bottlings as I could for the prices I've ever paid for them. But, I WON'T being paying several hundred dollars for any A.H. Hirsch 16yo of any stripe. You all can figure out what that means.

[RedVette]

I like the stuff, a lot. Of the bunch, blue wax is the best by a lot and the gold wax bottles are also darn tasty. Some of the gold foils are wonderful, and some are not quite so wonderful. I have a couple of gold wax bottles left, and a couple of gold foils. The one and only blue wax bottle I ever owned is long ago empty. The most I paid for any of them was $70, and for those prices I got some great bourbon. At three figures, if it isn't blue wax, I'm not interested. YMMV

[B1bomber]

Hmmm... I think TN missed the part where I specifically wrote "I" do believe. I wasn't trying to speak for the entire world, only me. To claim a definitive best of anything for everyone would be silly.

That said, call it brain-wash or anything else you'd like. I just know I love the stuff. And I personally have yet to have any beverage that I enjoy more, be it a whiskey, wine, beer or milk for that matter.

Now... any less unfortunate, un-brainwashed souls out there who'd like to part with any of their Hirsch's? PM me and let's talk!

[cowdery]

To keep going, I have to believe that the most amazing whiskey ever made is one I haven't tasted yet.

[onmytrack]

Hey Ozzy - If it's not too late, do yourself a favor and stay away from the A.H. Hirsch if it is the gold foil. I don't care if you have Bill Gates type money, it is not what it is hyped to be. If you a looking for a trophy to put on your bar, pick up a Pappy Van Winkle 23 and spend the $100 you saved on several great $20-$40 bourbons that you would actually drink.

Jim

[ripvanfan]

Gold foil is inconsistent from most all accounts. Gold wax and blue wax are consistently off the charts in recommendations and taste.

[cowdery]

Gold foil is inconsistent from most all accounts. Gold wax and blue wax are consistently off the charts in recommendations and taste.