BOTM 4/11: The 2010 BTAC

[fishnbowljoe]

No, it's not an April Fools joke. I figured if Malt Advocate can make the 2010 BTAC the "American Whiskey Of The Year", I can make it the BOTM. :grin: Let's have some fun.

As for myself, I haven't had the Handy and Saz, but I will say that IMHO, (not being technical at all) the ER17 is pretty good, the GTS is very good, and the WLW............... well, you all know me and my love of all things Weller. :yum:

Cheers and happy posting! Joe

[angler82]

I picked up the whole line around November/December and have opened three:

GTS

WLW

Saz18

Impressions:

GTS seems really heavy this year, at least in comparison to the last two years. Powerful flavors, strong oak. Great stuff. I'm glad I managed to get 4 bottles of this years release.

WLW- Seems very similar to last years release. I think I may give the edge to the 09 release though.

Sazerac 18- Very smooth, not thick. Good nose. I prefer the darker aged ryes like VWFRR and Michter's 10 yr but this is great nonetheless. I had Saz18 at a bar in Boston (Eastern Standard) last year and I think the 2010 release is better.

The Handy will be next as that it is my go to for a kick ass Manhattan.

I think this thread is an excuse to assemble a flight sometime this weekend and report any new findings.

[jcg9779]

I got my first bottle of GTS a couple of weeks ago and here are my initial thoughts that I had posted:

I cut it to 107 proof and took my first sip. There was more initial sweetness than I would have thought, but not in a bad way. I can tell there is some greatness here, but I think it needs to open up a bit. I can't wait to try this again in a couple of months after it's had a chance to get some air to it.

I'll have to give it a try again over the weekend to see how I feel about it.

I've never had a chance to try the ER17 or the WLW - both are on my "buy on sight" list though.

[SMOWK]

The GTS, WLW, and THH are fantastic whiskey's every year. They always rate into the 90s for me. ER17 and Saz18 just don't do it for me due to the low proof.

[nor02lei]

I have had a bottle of Stagg and WLW but only 2 small pours of Handy. I liked Stagg very much and consider it one of the best years ever. Bunches of chocolate with a fruity background. WLW seemed tied to me and not that good. First impression of Handy is very good and well in same quality as privies years.

Leif

[Brisko]

I have a Saz 18 and a Handy, and I'm new enough at this that I had never tried either before.

The Saz 18 is very good: smooth, but the rye flavors are still prominent despite the fruit in the background. Also more butterscotch than I anticipated.

Handy, I just picked up and have only had a couple of snorts of it, so I can't say I'm fully acquainted with it. Still trying to hone in on the perfect level of dilution. I get definite notes of cinnamon and maybe a little dark, unsweetened chocolate. The surprising flavor for me, is fresh cut alfalfa hay. At first it was more along the line of uncured tobacco, but it really reminds me of alfalfa, both on the nose and on the palate.

[callmeox]

BTOTY is going to be pricey this year. :cool:

[DeanSheen]

I grabbed WLW and GTS. I'm a big Weller guy as well but I give the nod to GTS this year.

[Doggerlander]

Where do you guys find this stuff? My local store tried to order some, but didn't come through for me. Only three of them are on the Ohio special order list, but just because they are on the list doesn't mean that you can get them.

[Hawg73]

Big Weller guy as well. I have thoroughly enjoyed this years Weller. Haven't been able to find any of the other BTAC. Unfortunately CT. isn't exactly bourbon country.

[Virus_Of_Life]

Wasn't going to comment but tasted some 2010 Stagg again and think it's probably the best since the Spring 2005 release.

Haven't tried the Larue, not really anxious too, but will eventually.

Same goes for the Handy and ER.

As for the Sazerac 18, I am not opening any new versions until it comes from something other than a stainless steel tank. It is still great whiskey but, as I've said before, I noticed a difference for the worse.

[Chuckles]

I have only the WLW from this collection, purchased earlier in the year. BOTM a good excuse to open it. Had a couple of nice pours over the weekend.

For the record, I'm a longtime bourbon drinker but new to describing it. Almost always drink it straight and prefer wheaters, usually in the 100-107 proof range, which have been in the barrel a while. This WLW is the first barrel-proof bottle I've owned, but not the first I've sampled.

I love the nose. It's very pleasant and I sensed organic honey and vanilla. I tasted mostly in sips, some bigger than just a sip. Very nice body, with less honey and vanilla in the taste, but added hints of licorice and some oak. A curious mix of subtle tastes with a tad of sweetness. I also had a sense of fresh summer air--in particular, of our family farm's fields, where the crops are usually corn and soy beans (never wheat, though).

Goes down smoothly enough, but I found the finish vague. Nothing I could put my finger on, especially since it didn't linger very long. The burn befuddled me. Sometimes I felt some fire on the way down, sometimes none at all; and occasionally, well after sipping, an afterburner turned on, racing its way up my esophagus. None of this was unpleasant for me, merely odd because it was so varied. I'm just over a cold, and throat's a bit raw, so will re-sample this weekend.

I like this WLW but am wondering how often I'll reach for it when I have many others that I prefer. Guess I'll have to haul it out to the farm this summer.

[Neat]

Where do you guys find this stuff? My local store tried to order some, but didn't come through for me. Only three of them are on the Ohio special order list, but just because they are on the list doesn't mean that you can get them.

[The Boozer]

ER17 and Saz18 just don't do it for me due to the low proof.

Ditto on the low proof.

Thought both the WLW & GTS were both very good this year but a little on the "hot" side, even after cut down in proof.

Near the end of a 10' Handy and think it is one of the best of the THH.

[Brisko]

Has anybody tried vatting the two ryes? I'm tempted to try it, though I like each one in its own right, I'd hate to bring either one down.

[RyanL]

Ditto on the low proof.

Thought both the WLW & GTS were both very good this year but a little on the "hot" side, even after cut down in proof.

Agree though a bit less so on the WLW. The GTS is really spicy, complex and very in your face compared to the 08 GTS I recently picked up. That could be good or bad depending on the mood I'm in. I think the 10 GTS is better overall(Ive only had 08 GTS to compare) but that doesnt mean Im always in the mood for what it has to offer. When I am though its definitely one of the best bourbons Ive ever tasted.

[BradleyC]

The Stagg is thick and rich this year. I find it full of caramel and butter. I did notice it seems to miss some of the vanilla in the nose from previous years. It also has a lot of oak in the taste and finish. Given the richness and complexity, I won't complain. I don't think its overoaked, but I don't think more time in the barrel would have helped it either. Excellent, yet slightly different from other releases.

The WLW is outstanding as always. I can't help but think of it as barrel proof lot B. I've read posts saying it is hot. I personally think its as smooth as it gets and have it neat only.

Based on the fill levels of the 2, I would say the Weller is more popular at my house. Handy is next on my list. Eagle rare will be skipped and we'll see about the Sazerac.

[BourbonKiller]

I have only had the William Larue Weller & Thomas H Handy in the 2010 offerings. The Thomas H Handy is peppery and very tasty, the more I drink the more I like it. The William Larue Weller is smooth and silky, amazing juice that begs to be drunk neat, be careful as drunk can creep up on you real fast with this barrel proof.

On the William Larue Weller if you find multiple bottles to choose from I would choose the one with the most debris like stuff in the bottle. Of the several bottles I have killed the one with the most stuff floating in it was by far the best bottle.

[Jwilly019]

I'm considering picking up a 2010 bottle of ER17. In reading some of the comments here, my impression of the bottle is that while good, it may not be the best value of the BTAC.

For those of you who pass/don't enjoy the ER17, is it because the proof is not high enough for your liking/not up to par in comparison to the GTS/WLW/THH or is because you just don't enjoy the taste?

[RyanL]

WRT Eagle Rare, it's good. I just don't think it's $70 good. If it was priced around $40-45 I would definitely pick some up but I'm not a big fan of paying premium prices for water. I do in some cases like PVW20 where I find the bourbon to be extraordinary. For the money though I will always just stick with GTS, WLW, and THH as I personally like them better than ER and Saz anyway and the value is there in comparison as well.

[BourbonRob]

doggerlander, I understand the low inventory....I tried for years to find the BTAC with no luck...finally on a trip I found one store that would special order but not reserve, by the time I got there this year I got 3 of the 4 bottles...maybe next year I'll get them all...they sell out in a week or two.

Rob

[politely]

At this point in time I've gone through at least one bottle each of Weller, Stagg and Handy, and am about a third of the way through a bottle of ER17, but haven't opened up a Saz yet. The Stagg is just awesome, and the nose on it is simply amazing - I would say the best from any bourbon I've tried, and possibly the best nose of any whiskey I've had. It literally starts me salivating. I also found the Weller and Handy to be revelatory drinks, and really wish I had some BTAC from prior years to compare. In my opinion, these are truly outstanding, memorable bottlings. With respect to the ER17, I like it and enjoy it, but would not put in the same category as the Weller, Stagg & Handy, and would say it's one step down. On the other hand, I think that the ER17 could be a regular sipping whiskey, as opposed to the high proof in the other three, which dictate some planning before drinking.

[RyanL]

politely,

I agree with pretty much everything you said. Stagg is my absolute favorite from the BTAC and I tend to prefer wheated bourbon and I really love the WLW as well, so that says a lot about the Stagg. I have gone through phases(during winter) where I think Stagg may edge out PVW if not as my #1 bourbon then at least as my current favorite pour.

Handy is the pour that made me realize I really liked some ryes after Saz had made me think maybe I just didn't like them. I have since been coming around to the Saz a lot more and by the time I finish my 1st bottle maybe I will actually end up getting another, who knows.

ER17, sigh. It's good and I like it. I definitely won't be making it my regular pour. I don't know if it's the fact that I paid about $70 after tax for the bottle and my only thought were, this is pretty damn good but it doesn't blow me away or anything. I don't ever really find myself going back to that bottle very much. If it were priced in the $40-45 range I would even pick up another couple bottles of it at that price. At $70 I'll just pass on it and spend the money on more GTS, WLW, and THH. When I can get EWSB as a regular pour for $25ish and it's pretty damn good as well imo, I'll stick with that.

[ODaniel]

I was only able to get the WLW and GTS. While the GTS is great, I think the WLW takes the cake. It is one of the best bourbons I've had. Neat, it's smooth and doesn't burn, gives a nice warming of the torso like 5 seconds after swallowing. Haven't experienced this with any other bourbon. It is packed with flavor too. The Stagg, while great, wasn't as good in my opinion. I've tried it neat, and with a dash of water. I will say I am taking these bottles slooow. I've only had a few small pours of each.

[politely]

I finally opened up a Saz 18, and despite some negative comments about steel tanks, I am really enjoying it. Tonight, I'm going to have to say it's my favorite rye, ahead of VWFRR, Templeton, Ritt 100, etc. I don't have the experience to say what it was like before the steel tanks, but I have to say this is really enjoyable. There is an aftertaste that I guess could be qualified as metallic, but honestly, I don't know if that's just a continuation of the mint, menthol and grassy finish.

*edit - err.. I don't include Handy in the above, since it's sort of in its own category.