nblair Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I have to mention here that the 10/107 "was" one of my favorites until I purchased 6 bottles in Albany, NY. Each one has been off and funky. I have to force myself to drink through the bottle. There's still a semblance of its' greatness but just so medicinal. I have one open and 1 left in the bunker. I used to go through a few bottles a month and now I'm lucky if I can force myself to have a few pours a month.One last note is I was in NYC over the holidays and saw a 10/90 on the shelf and picked it up in hopes that it was good juice and it was indeed excellent and it was polished off pronto. So I must have just gotten a really rotten case or something.I thought the last one I had was phenomenal once there was about an inch left in the bottle. A recently opened bottle was a bit medicinal at first, but I poured half of it into an empty bottle for about 2 weeks or so. I definitely thought it changed for the better, but YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Dog Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I thought the last one I had was phenomenal once there was about an inch left in the bottle. A recently opened bottle was a bit medicinal at first, but I poured half of it into an empty bottle for about 2 weeks or so. I definitely thought it changed for the better, but YMMV.I also feel that this Bourbon is one that needs to have been open for a bit to really come around. Once it has been opened for a couple weeks, I love it. What strikes me is that I find it much more aggressive than both Antique and Pappy 15, which are all the same proof. It also one of the few Bourbons that I add water to, as I feel this brings out some of the hidden sweetness. With Antique and Pappy 15, the sweetness is obvious, but not so with Old Rip 107. What I really like about it is that it seems to gives me a different experience every time, and I mean from the same bottle. I can't say that about most others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Comp Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I spent time last night tasting side by side, recent releases of ORVW 107 and OWA. Quite a lesson in their differences and I'll assume the role of age, barrel selection and brand profile. When compared OWA = sweeter, more citrus (orange/tropical) fruit, sweet candy, cream, higher heat in the mouth and shorter finish. ORVW = eucalyptus, ash, lead pencil, more caramel, more vanilla and more complexity with long dry finish. Both are so good in their own right but ORVW 107 is a top contender for my stranded on an island bourbon and worth the extra $15 to $20 price point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flintlock Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 By far Old Weller Antique is the closest I have found. At about $20 a bottle it's a great value and damn tasty.I have to agree...I have a 200 of OWA bottled in 2003 and it tastes remarkably similar. There is more heat and spice with the ORVW, but they have a tremendous amount in common. Now, as for new OWA...well, so far I'm having trouble finishing the bottle, and am considering what I'll vat it with. :skep: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Willie Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Can anyone think of a bourbon that this compares to? And I don't mean something that costs three times as much.As mentioned, Weller Antique 107 is very comparable. I usually have either A107 or ORVW107 in my cabinet. Both are excellent wheaters...Great choice for BOTM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailor22 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Good points on the comparisons with OWA and letting the ORVW breath in the bottle. It was one of the first Bourbon's I ever bought and the proof and initial heat overwhelmed me, so it was a long time till I tried it again. Now it's a favorite. A little water or a little ORVW 10/90 and it is a pour you can savor all evening long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisko Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Interesting. I haven't tried the ORVW 107 yet but I just bought a bottle of OWA which had a really overpowering note on the nose: best I could describe is either overcooked creamed corn, or maybe slightly burnt caramel popcorn. It not only made this pour challenging, but I found it stuck in my nose all night and ruined everything else, too.But, I left the cap slightly loose for a week and it seems to have fixed itself very satisfactorily.Is this more common with wheaters? The only other time I've run into this is was with a bottle of oak-aged slivovitz that needed a couple of months' breathing to make it enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nblair Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I left the cap slightly loose for a week and it seems to have fixed itself very satisfactorily.Is this more common with wheaters? The only other time I've run into this is was with a bottle of oak-aged slivovitz that needed a couple of months' breathing to make it enjoyable.I find I like OWA, ORVW 10/107, and OGD 114 the more they open up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisko Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I should have been more specific: nearly every whiskey I've tried has benefited from breathing, to one extent or another (the exception being Redbreast 12 which went from stunning to merely average over the course of a month or two). But OWA 107 it was in the "very hard to drink" category for the first several pours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMOWK Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Is this more common with wheaters? The only other time I've run into this is was with a bottle of oak-aged slivovitz that needed a couple of months' breathing to make it enjoyable.I've always found this "slivovitz" flavor in rye's. Most notably anything from Four Roses. I don't know how else to describe it, but when you taste oak-aged slivovitz, you'll never forget it. Quite unique. Almost like a new make flavor. I like slivovitz quite a bit, but not in my bourbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisko Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I've always found this "slivovitz" flavor in rye's. Most notably anything from Four Roses. I don't know how else to describe it, but when you taste oak-aged slivovitz, you'll never forget it. Quite unique. Almost like a new make flavor. I like slivovitz quite a bit, but not in my bourbon.I know what you're talking about in ryed offerings but I never made the connection to slivovitz before. Although the "off notes" that eventually breathed out of my slivovitz weren't the same as the one I was talking about in the OWA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Ah, one that I don't have to go searching for. Too late to taste today but there is tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMOWK Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I know what you're talking about in ryed offerings but I never made the connection to slivovitz before. Although the "off notes" that eventually breathed out of my slivovitz weren't the same as the one I was talking about in the OWA.In my experience with all ten of the Four Roses recipes, the slivovitz quality is usually quite apparent. Some more than others, but I can always seem to find it, and it always dwells on me. The only other time I get this flavor is when drinking the various "moonshines" that make it this way every so often that is made from grapes. I like it in my slivovitz and moonshine, but for some reason when it makes it into my bourbon it makes the bourbon taste "underdone" and sticks out like a sore thumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Comp Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 ... The only other time I've run into this is was with a bottle of oak-aged slivovitz that needed a couple of months' breathing to make it enjoyable.I've always found this "slivovitz" flavor in rye's. Most notably anything from Four Roses. I don't know how else to describe it, but when you taste oak-aged slivovitz, you'll never forget it. Quite unique. Almost like a new make flavor. I like slivovitz quite a bit, but not in my bourbon.In my experience with all ten of the Four Roses recipes, the slivovitz quality is usually quite apparent. Some more than others, but I can always seem to find it, and it always dwells on me. ...Aw now look what you've done.:shocked: Thinking of buying me a bottle of Slivovitz tomorrow.:grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nivto Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 What I love about ORVW 10/107 and what sets it apart for me from many other bourbons is its finish. The taste on the midpalate is wonderful, but it flourishes on the way down. It seems to expand just the right amount for my particular tastes, and lingers just long enough that by the time it disappears I realize I want more. One glass is almost never enough.I guess what I'm trying to say is that I find it to be close to a perfectly balanced expression... and for $34. Also, I agree with everybody who says that it needs time to breathe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMOWK Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Also, I agree with everybody who says that it needs time to breathe.I think all of the Van Winkles stand up well to some time in the glass. And yes, the low end of the Van Winkle line still seems above the high end of most other labels. I don't know how they do it, but I hope they keep on doing it.Pray for a spring release! :bowdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggilbertva Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 While I have the ORVW 10/107 in the bunker, it's been at least 2-3 years since I've had one open. A fellow member guilted me into opening one of my bottles so I did, a 2006 vintage. First pour was very nice but the finish seemed a little hot and constricted. I let it sit in the Glencairn for about 20 mins and went back to it. It had opened up nicely and the finish was much better; it had a buttery quality to it that reminded me of DSP414 Old Forester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarkle Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Pray for a spring release! :bowdown::bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gblick Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I'm a little late to this party, but I do love me some ORVW 10/107! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer&Bourbon Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I've been trying a number of the bourbons mentioned here recently. I really like the OWA, but prefer the ORVW 10/107 without question. Both have a punch until the bottle opens up a bit imho.I can't agree that ORVW is better than the 15 year. I found a bottle recently and have been searching vigorously through KY and TN looking for another bottle; mine is already half depleted. Definitely my favorite bourbon I've had the pleasure to try.On my search to find more 15 year I was lucky enough to stumble on a bottle of 13 year rye, which is also incredible. It's only been open for 4 days or so and I keep finding myself longingly thinking about it when I've got another drink in my hand.I've yet to try the 20 and 23 year (I'm a poor student after all), but if I had to choose one line of whiskey to stick with it'd be Van Winkle. Damn they're good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward_call_me_Ed Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I'm not going to read this thread. All I'm gonna say is I wish I could get some. Sigh.Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMartin42 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I'd been waiting to reply since I wanted to have 2 or 3 pours of this before I did so. The viscosity is amazing. The flavor is amazing. All of the traditional flavors one would expect. Almost borderlines on butterscotch rather than caramel. I do find the nose a little lacking, but maybe I am just expecting too much since I've been hitting the Lot B recently. I do find the alcohol content to be fairly evident when poured neat. Much more so than OWA at the same proof. Overall, excellent!!! Me like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Willie Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I'd been waiting to reply since I wanted to have 2 or 3 pours of this before I did so. The viscosity is amazing. The flavor is amazing. All of the traditional flavors one would expect. Almost borderlines on butterscotch rather than caramel. I do find the nose a little lacking, but maybe I am just expecting too much since I've been hitting the Lot B recently. I do find the alcohol content to be fairly evident when poured neat. Much more so than OWA at the same proof. Overall, excellent!!! Me like.Gotta agree with you...ORVW 10/107 is one of my favorite pours...Superb stuff...I can't always find it when I want, so the bottle gets nursed along pretty slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master_Photog Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 OK BOTM - Do Not let me down - you are an elusive little sucker!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funknik Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Also, I agree with everybody who says that it needs time to breathe.I agree completely. In fact, I've never been as enthusiastic as others are about this expression -- but it seems like the second half of the bottle is always MUCH better than the first . . . I'm usually really sad when I"m pouring out the last of one.Still, I've found the ORVW 10/107 to be a bit thin for such a high proof whiskey and although it seems that water or ice would help smooth it out, as others pointed out, this practice seems to be counterproductive. I don't wanna be negative, I've just never been in love with this one, but it continues to grow on me -- I like it better with every pour.Bottom line -- I think this is unique dram (it has a cereal grain quality that other wheaters don't seem to share) for the $35 it's a steal and a bottle of this really goes a long way. Nothing like it. Best label in whiskey, also -- Hands Down! A great pick for BOTM - thanks, Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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