Paddleford Creek?

[B1bomber]

Came across this one yesterday, never seen it before. I know there was a thread started sometime ago but it seemed to have stalled without a lot of info.

Anyone ever try it? Anything known about it? It was only $19 so I was tempted to just grab it, but then my eye spotted a WLW-BTAC and figured that'd drain my wallet enough.

Here's a pic I snapped with my cell phone. There was no age statement, only a "small batch" claim. Can't say the color impressed me, but it was a thin bottle (a la Woodford style) so maybe that accounted for the relatively light color of the juice. Curious creature, ain't it?

[funknik]

Does that say 83 proof? That's kind of strange . . . I'm assuming you saw this at a liquor store (rather than a grocery store) due to the presence of BTAC. My guess is that whatever is in the bottle is Heaven Hill Distillate, but I'm only guessing, of course.

Here's the parent company's website, although I don't see this product listed on it:

http://www.phillipsdistilling.com

[Josh]

Came across this one yesterday, never seen it before. I know there was a thread started sometime ago but it seemed to have stalled without a lot of info.

Anyone ever try it? Anything known about it? It was only $19 so I was tempted to just grab it, but then my eye spotted a WLW-BTAC and figured that'd drain my wallet enough.

Here's a pic I snapped with my cell phone. There was no age statement, only a "small batch" claim. Can't say the color impressed me, but it was a thin bottle (a la Woodford style) so maybe that accounted for the relatively light color of the juice. Curious creature, ain't it?

[B1bomber]

Yep, 83 proof is correct. And I do recall seeing a reference to MN, but very little other info was stated anywhere. It was a liquor store, yes, in Norther NJ-- anyone interested can PM me for store name and location. I'll probably go back in a day or two and grab one-- at $19 it's worth taking a chance, I suppose. Has anyone actually tried it?

[cowdery]

Phillips is a big bottler/rectifier in Minnesota. They are not a distiller. Two of their better known products are Phillips Union, which is a mixture of Canadian whiskey and bourbon, and UV Vodka, which is a line of flavored vodkas.

In the case of Phillips Union, I know it's mostly Canadian whiskey from the same distillery that makes Canadian Mist, and contains only trace amounts of bourbon.

It used to be safe to assume everything bulk came from Heaven Hill, but these days I'm not so sure. Since it's not straight, it might be less than 2 years old, in whole or in part, and since Kentucky isn't mentioned it might be from Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Phillips is a family-owned operation and the Phillips family is connected to the Johnson family, which owns a big wine and liquor distributorship in the upper midwest.

[p_elliott]

There is a lot of information from what a label doesn't say. But Chuck I thought if it was less than 2 years it was required by law to state how old it was? I picked right up on the fact it didn't say straight too Josh.

[funknik]

I think another interesting point is that, although it doesn't use "straight" on the label, it does say "Small Batch" . . . just proves what a misnomer that phrase is.

With regard to the required age statement . . . does that rule hold to non-straight whiskies?

[B1bomber]

Hmmm.... all this mystery is building my curiosity. I'll definitely be going back for one soon. I've covered a lot of liquor stores in this area and it's a critter I've never seen before.

I'm not surprised if it's young and in the 2-yrs range given how light the color appeared, but I also thought that meant the age had to be stated (?)

So no one here has actually ever tried it?

[cowdery]

I'm confused and re-reading section 5.40 isn't helping. I have made inquiries.

[B1bomber]

Well, I finally went back for this one and gotta say that even at $19 it's not worth it. Doesn't even come close to EC 12, which has a similar price point.

Paddleford Creek, as I rate it...

Color: Weak. Imagine mixing one-part Maker's Mark and three-parts water (not that I'd ever commit such a crime). The exceptionally light color convinces me it's under 3 yrs old, although the bottle states no age.

Nose: Next to nothing. Had to really search for any notes beyond faint, faint wood.

Taste: Alcohol burn and not much else. Again, faint wood and maybe the typical bourbon sweetness of corn. But no complexity whatsoever.

Finish: Zilch. Nada. Zip. This is where the great ones distinguish themselves, IMO. And this wannabe offered nothing.

So there you have it. I've had worse (at least I won't be pouring it down the drain), but it'll be set aside for guests who enjoy Old Fashions and other mixers. It's tempting to cut it a break given the price, but EC12 and OWA are far superior for only a buck or two more.

All the above just IMO, of course.

[polyamnesia]

i'll try and do a 'formal' tasting but as summer winds down and i am beginning to think of bourbon weather (unless i am in 24 hour 65 or less degree environments, artificial or not, i don't really want to sample room temp, neat bourbon), i picked up a bottle of this at $20...and yes, 83 proof.

i see it as a perfect warm-to-cool weather re-entry pour. it seems to be of a mashbill similar to Old Granddad...spicy rye bites even at 83 proof. interesting. it's a good 85+ day here in SE PA, but this melds in well as i sit in a recently cooled down (via AC) house with the doors open, crows cawing and cooler breezes of autumn starting to struggle out of slumber. this isn't some jackass waste of time pour in any way.

i get spicy butteriness and a total sense of quality. i need to revisit it and see how it goes. i love the OGD profile, but it's not a favorite. but for the money, this is more than worth it. anxious to see how it continues to go and i would recommend it at this point........