Virus_Of_Life Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 I will admit that seeing a great sale on this recently ($37.99) provoked my thought. Am I the only surprised that there is an 18 year old single barrel bourbon still available at a very reasonable price? Is there anything even close to this, speaking of age, on the market that I can't think of? Not to mention this would still be DSP31 distillate which the more I drink the more I like.I Honestly have never tasted it other than a sample straight from the barrel which was amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 I saw this at SV and was tempted, especially as it was offered with free ground shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclebunk Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 My regular local price is $45 and EC18 is often on sale for $40 which I consider a great value, given the age and quality of the juice. But here come the naysayers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 When Heaven Hill introduced the Elijah Craig 18, there were several other 15+ year bourbons on the market, but they were all from non-distiller producers (NDP). When the glut well finally ran dry, those products all disappeared. But because Heaven Hill is a distiller (their brief sojourn in the wilderness notwithstanding), they can plan and keep enough whiskey in the pipeline to have a reliable supply of 18-year-old on hand. Which is exactly why I don't pay a lot of attention to NDP products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightBoston Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Chuck's point is well taken regarding NDPs (and the long-lost availability of some of my favorites like Black Maple Hill) but the existence of a steady stream of distillate does not ensure a consistent product.In the case of EC18, the single-barrel-ness gives an excuse for variation, but I've never experienced quite as wide a range. At its best, it's a love-hate profile: wonderful wood on the nose, and a warm, complex flavor, but with a sharp, astringent finish from the years in char (I always chase with ice water.) At its worst -- and my most recent bottle falls in that category -- even the nose and taste are sour.With all that said, I'd jump on it for less than $40 and form your own opinion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarV Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 The 1991 barreling is the best I've had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclebunk Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 The 1991 barreling is the best I've had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jburlowski Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 I like the current Party Source selection... less oak and char the the other EC18 I've had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorvallisCracker Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 I will admit that seeing a great sale on this recently ($37.99) provoked my thought. Am I the only surprised that there is an 18 year old single barrel bourbon still available at a very reasonable price? Is there anything even close to this, speaking of age, on the market that I can't think of? Hmmm, the only thing I can think of is the last release of 15yo Canadian Club in 2006. Initially it was going for about $25 per bottle, but when my favorite then-local liquor store (Market Square in Tallahassee) decided to close it out they reduced that to $20. It's pretty good for that that price (I still have a bottle, about three-quarters full).Not to mention this would still be DSP31 distillate which the more I drink the more I like.I'm guessing you're referring to the VROHH 8/86? I'm among those who find the EC 18 a bit too woody, but a few months ago I picked up a bottle and combined some 1:1 with the VROHH. It was a great combination. If you still have any of the VROHH, I encourage you to pick up some EC 18 and do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightBoston Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I'm guessing you're referring to the VROHH 8/86? I'm among those who find the EC 18 a bit too woody, but a few months ago I picked up a bottle and combined some 1:1 with the VROHH. It was a great combination. If you still have any of the VROHH, I encourage you to pick up some EC 18 and do the same. Hey -- I've got some of that! (Wonder where I got it? ) Sounds like a great idea to stretch my "bad" bottle of EC18. I'll let you know how it works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerlam92 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I had a bottle maybe 2-3 years ago that I thought was very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenman Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 I ordered 2 bottles of this last Monday, 4-12-10, as of today, 4-19-10, still have not recieved from Shoppers Vineyard, which had them on sale. I just called them about my order and they said they ran out. But some are on their way to their store. Shoppers Vineyard never called me or emailed me about being out. In my opinion, pretty lousey service from Shoppers Vineyard. Just wanted this board too know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarV Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 Shoppers Vineyard is real pricey. Isn't there a local retailer for you to buy from?EC 18 isn't so rare that you shouldn't be able to purchase it easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camduncan Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 We're hoping to head across the pond to New Zealand in a few months for a long weekend... EC 18 is available there for about $100 AU and I plan on picking up a bottle (maybe 2) while I'm there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourbon-n00b Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 Shoppers Vineyard is real pricey. Isn't there a local retailer for you to buy from?EC 18 isn't so rare that you shouldn't be able to purchase it easily.It really depends. Some prices are pretty good, others not that great and some of their sales are really good. Shipping is where you take a hit.This particular offer included free shipping so it was probably pretty competitive with, if not a couple bucks cheaper, than most retailers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightBoston Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 Hey -- I've got some of that! (Wonder where I got it? ) Sounds like a great idea to stretch my "bad" bottle of EC18. I'll let you know how it works out. After some experimentation this weekend, the ideal mix seems to be EC18:VROHH at a 2:1 ratio. Thanks for the tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyboy38 Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Had a sample last night at a whiskey tasting. I wish I remember more but it was free so I think that was pretty good. I drank too many samples too quickly without a chance to cleanse the pallette so one blended with the next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesW Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 2 years ago I paid $22 for a bottle of EC18 on sale in NH and I wouldn't buy it again. I guess I fall in the bad bottle category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Comp Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 The Binny's (Brett and Joe) hand-picked selection is now out and about at $49.99. I tasted one of their barrel samples a few months back and it was awfully good. The excellence and my busted budget from their other recent hand-picks (Weller 12, BT, ETL, FR and EWSB) is all that is delaying my purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hectic1 Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 The Binny's (Brett and Joe) hand-picked selection is now out and about at $49.99. I tasted one of their barrel samples a few months back and it was awfully good. The excellence and my busted budget from their other recent hand-picks (Weller 12, BT, ETL, FR and EWSB) is all that is delaying my purchase. I picked up a bottle of this to take to the sampler in Houston in a couple weeks...We'll let you know how it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spy247 Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 We're hoping to head across the pond to New Zealand in a few months for a long weekend... EC 18 is available there for about $100 AU and I plan on picking up a bottle (maybe 2) while I'm there.Hey Cam good to see Bourbon made your itinerary. :grin: I had a bottle of EC18 last year and remember liking its full flavour profile, yes the oak was present but it was not overpowering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultra Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I had some today and immediately thought of Thorin Oakenshield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattythebeer Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 The 1991 barreling is the best I've had. i have a selection barrled in march of '90, got it for 54 bucks in Indiana but yet to try it as i'd also picked up a couple bottle of Knob Creek for 25 a bottle (usualy 34ish locally in Ohio) and so need to work my way through those first. anyways any thoughts on the price vs the wide range of good/bad bottles? at $54 if i find i'm not liking the bottle ought i give it another shot down the road soon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrviognier Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 I ordered 2 bottles of this last Monday, 4-12-10, as of today, 4-19-10, still have not recieved from Shoppers Vineyard, which had them on sale. I just called them about my order and they said they ran out. But some are on their way to their store. Shoppers Vineyard never called me or emailed me about being out. In my opinion, pretty lousey service from Shoppers Vineyard. Just wanted this board too know.I've got plenty. If you're interested in trading, PM me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarV Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 at $54 if i find i'm not liking the bottle ought i give it another shot down the road soon?State min here in MI is 41.95, how close are you to a MI store?It's hard for me to put money into the equation but if you feel the loss of 54 bucks don't try another.One to look out for is the Aug 1990 bottle. I never had it but I've heard it's the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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