What are you drinking during the Super Bowl?

[Barrel_Proof]

Like all good coaches, I'm planning ahead. Here's my starting lineup for tonight's Super Bowl. Substitutions for poor performance under pressure will be made as necessary, of course!

Quarter 1: I'm starting off with a bottle of 2002 OF Birthday Bourbon that just arrived. Deep mahogany color in toast to the Bucs.

Quarter 2: Jim Beam Black, 7 yo, 90 proof. A fitting bourbon to honor the journeymen Raiders.

Van Winkle Half Time: While the commentators compare team stats, I'll be comparing the Old Rip 10 yo, 107 proof to its 15 yo, 107 proof sibling.

Quarter 3: WT Kentucky Spirit, Barrel 6, Warehouse H, Rick 5, 2-7-00. Time to add some Russell spice to the game.

Quarter 4: BT's George T. Stagg. No apologies necessary, here.

Overtime: If it get's this far, gonna have to reach deep into the bunker for the Martin Mills 24 yo.

Have fun tonight, all!

[jeff]

I have started with the VOB BIB, but I will soon be switching to the 'Fox' to start things off. Sometime near the half I plan on my last drink of ORVW 10yo from this bottle. Rare Breed to start the second half and to finish, What else but the Stagg. Well, that's my "dream" scenario. Unfortunatly I have to work early tomorrow, so probably just a drink or two of WT101

[Blackkeno]

What is Martin Mills 24 yo?

[Barrel_Proof]

Martin Mills and Bourbon Valley are 24 yo bourbons barreled in 1974 and bottled by Heaven Hill under assumed named distilleries in 1999. Less than 5,000 bottles of each were bottled.

[bluesbassdad]

Lacking the foresight of a good coach, I waited until the Dixie Chicks were doing their version of The Star Spangled Banner before I turned on the TV, made a dash for the stash, and then settled in to watch the game.

Under pressure as I was, I quickly decided to conduct the Super Bowl of Bourbon by grabbing the two bourbon bottlings that have impressed me most over the last few months. Is it OK to have a Super Bowl where the two contenders come from the same city? The same distillery?

I hope so. I chose Wild Turkey 12 year-old and Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit.

Like the game itself, this contest stacked up to be a classic, but turned out to be a blowout. I can imagine that others might see it differently, but to me the 12 was the overwhelming winner.

True, the KS has more complexity, even better balance, perhaps, with its combination of sweet and sour (caramel and lemon grass) and a zesty quality akin to lemon peel to the nose and Independance Day sparklers on the tongue. However, the 12 takes barrel tones to a level that I can't imagine any bourbon exceeding without becoming too much barrel. Its heavy, dark, toffee-like sweetness begins with the nose, carries over to the palate, and lingers in the finish. How sad that I have only one and a fraction bottles of this treasure remaining, with little chance of ever obtaining more.

Did I forget to mention color? The 12 was several shades darker in color. I even wonder whether the visual contrast might have biased me in its favor, even before I began my comparative nosing.

I'm sure that I will continue to enjoy Kentucky Spirit, but I no longer consider it to be the pinnacle of bourbon.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[cornsqueezins]

Woodford Reserve. Good but perhaps overhyped as is the superbowl.

[MurphyDawg]

<font color="#666666">I had Weller Centennial during the forth quarter to toast the Bucs impending victory. Now this doesnt seem particularly appropriate until I tell you</font color> <font color="red"> that I bought the bottle on a liquor run to Tampa when I visited my parents in FLA last November!

BLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

TomC <font color="red"> </font color>

[bourbonmed]

Martin Mills 24y is made by Heaven Hill. I believe it's the 23y Evan Williams, aged a year longer. Bettye Jo can confirm. It's a pricey export item.

Cliff, did you get it here or overseas? And do you like it?

Omar

[Barrel_Proof]

Omar, I found the Martin Mills 24yo, along with its twin, Bourbon Valley 24yo, at Tokyo's Narita airport a couple of years ago. Both were gone a year later when I passed through. MM is packed with flavors that I am just now learning to articulate, but I won't volunteer them until I am more sure of what I am tasting. There's a lot of wood there, for sure, but it's not harsh. Neither is it sharp on the top end like my bottle of HH's ECraig 18yo S.B. If Bettye Jo could, indeed, tell us more about these two exports, that would be great.

[MurphyDawg]

Hey Man,

Would it be possible to post pictures of the bottles in question. I am always curious to what labels and such look like. . .

Thanx in Advance,

TomC

[boone]

I will look it up tonight...It's on of those "once in a blue moon" specials...That "Export" is run on F-line---the majority of our exprots are produced on this line...The bottle--glass--750 (sometimes 700 Square)...I don't recall it being 24 years old...

MurphyDawg idea is a good one. Please post a picture of your bottle...and I will post a picture of the label...

Bettye Jo

[Paradox]

Here's pics of the bottle, label, and box... I was supposed to get one of these, but the guy never came through. Still looking though! If anyone is willing, or knows someone who is, to trade/sell this or other export bottles, please pm me.

[bourbonmed]

Hi Cliff, you fortunate man!

What about the Bourbon Valley 24? How does it compare with the Mills? Is it similar packaging? You are bringing the bottles to our festival tasting come Sept., right?

Cheers,

Omar

[Barrel_Proof]

Fortunate, yes, but a good deal poorer than I was before heading into that Narita duty free shop!! I, too, think a comparison of the two bottlings is in order, even if only to convince myself that they came from two different batches of 24 yo whiskey!!!

As for transport to B'town, I'll have to check the rules on check-out and return of botttles burried deep in the bunker--I seem to recall that they must be returned within 24 hours of removal, so a Festival journey may violate bunker protocol. More on this issue, later.

That said, however, I AM familiar with a seldom read footnote in the bunker check-out rules that permits the permanent removal of any bottle bearing both the words "old" and "birthday." Anybody smiling yet?

[MurphyDawg]

Can we get an Amen(!!) to Bourbon festinal B'Day bourbon comparison tastings!!

BLEEEE!

TomC

[boone]

These are just a "few" rare bottlings from Heaven Hill...My favorite is Evan Williams red export...It's in a glass 700 sq. bottle (red cap)...Note the wrap, no government warning...If that bottle went out the door (in the United States) without a warning the fine would be $10,000.00 per bottle, if found by a government man (inspector)...The colar is 12 year...I have seen it bottled in a 15 year...

I have two samples of the 23 year Evan Willimas...the "OLD" label has a letter written from George Shapira on it...It was bottled in a 750 glass "Heaven Hill" round bottle, dipped in blue wax...They changed it...The new look is bottled in the Evan Williams single barrel bottle dipped in blue wax, with the small face label...

I gave Omar one of my display bottles (Evan Willims 23 year) that I had in the booth last year...I asked the "Chief" of bourbon (at Heaven Hill) could I give it to him...He gave me permission...and what a thrill it was to give Omar that bottle!

I grabbed the first Martin Mills label I could find. There are probably about 50 cajillion labels in the label room...You could almost get lost in there...

Bettye Jo

[CL]

Did anyone else think of Buffalo Trace when the Levi's commercial was shown? (Ok, I know this is real late, but I just saw the commercial again on TV and this thought came back to me.)

[MurphyDawg]

I didnt see that commercial until sunday and when it started that was the first thing I thought!

LOL sadly it was just more pants to be blown off !

TomC

[Black85L98]

Once the Dolphins were out it did not matter much to me. Ezra Brooks was the bourbon of the night. Had the fins been there, hard to say. I have been wanting to try a few new ones.

[Barrel_Proof]

First, if you aren't reading this post in flat mode, please switch to flat mode right now and return to the post.

Ok, everybody flat now?

I would just like to say that no matter how pugnacious and endearing may be the canine avatars of you dudes posting immediately above, that pic of Bettye Jo, a bit further North, is a breath of fresh air and a welcome sight among this animal farm indeed. We love you Bettye Jo.

[jbutler]

I'm pretty clear on the Bettye Jo issue Cliff, but you mean your avatar isn't a dog?

[Barrel_Proof]

Quite to the contrary, Jim. Even though this icon of world art may do a lot less lickin' and barely any sniffin', I chose him precisely for the obvious qualities that he shares with his kennel mates!

[MurphyDawg]

Hey I changed mine, but overwhelming demand forced me to change it back. I could stand the Bourbonic Ostricizing. . . LOL

Tom (Caved To Peer Pressure, and Colby's cute mug) C