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Successful Two Bourbon Vattings


Gillman
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I tried one of 3 parts Weller 12 to 1 part Larceny. The Larceny adds a whole new layer of flavor, very interesting. It takes a week or so for the flavors to meld, but I am starting to enjoy it.

This is something I have contemplated trying. Glad to hear it works out well.

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At Squire's suggestion, I vatted together HH Gold BiB with Dickel Rye. The mint really comes forward in this vatting. The taste is very similar to what I would call the HH house profile of just a few years ago--dry, grassy, and minty. The current BiBs have been dry and grassy, but less minty.

Successful? I don't know about that... but fun and definitely drinkable. I wouldn't mix an entire decanter of it, though :grin:

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Initially I was working with a combination of 5 or 6 JD's (mostly Blacks but one SB at least - but I consider it all just Jack), and then added about 10% bonded Ritt. I still couldn't get it right, it was a little edgy and the Jack dominated without the rye adding much. Then I added about 5% Maker's, so now a four grain, and it came into its own. First and foremost is the silky and seamless mouthfeel and then the tamped down Jack notes, i.e., still Jack made deeper and richer and sweeter and well, less Jack. It's a winner albeit not a two-vat anymore.

Gary

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About 3 years ago I had the Weller, Stag and Saz Antiques at the same time, and when they all got low (like an inch or inch and a half of each) I vatted them all together for another 4 grain. It was absolutely stupendous! My spirits buddy agreed, fantastic!

Another thing I like to do is when any low rye bourbon has hung around a little too long and gets flabby, I just add about an ounce or two of OGD114 and presto-chango, it's a lean, mean biting machine again.

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Here's another one: 1:1 Ritt bond with MM. I added a light dash water as well, not sure if it helped, I think it did.

The Ritt has these huge aromas and tastes of earth, grass and, well, that certain something you can get in straight whiskey. It's perfect as is for any cocktail treatment, but on its own it is a bit much for me. The MM is rather bland and sweetish, so basically it cuts the Ritt profile to a more even, bourbony palate. I found two rocks assisted to bring out the bright flavours. It's funny how two whiskeys which are a little rough in the finish - acidic or tannic or whatever, and it does vary by bottle - can become soft and pillowy simply by being combined. But it does happen, some abstruse combination of ions or something.

Gary

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I tried 3 parts JTS Brown BIB with 1 part EC 12. As you might expect, it tasted a lot like HH White 6 yr, but maybe even better. Very close.

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The " Wheat Sandwich" (patent pending) is 2pt Rebel Reserve, 1pt MM and 1 pt Bernheim. Turns into a very palatable Wheater especially if you find yourself with Rebel Reserve to spare, and who doesn't.

edit: technically this is off topic because it's a Three bourbon vatting but carry on.

Edited by Old Dusty
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That sounds very good! I think the last part might be a William Larue Weller as well. But that is exactly how I would do it, ramping up so to speak in quality but inversely, or planing out, in terms of volume.

Gary

Edited by Gillman
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The " Wheat Sandwich" (patent pending) is 2pt Rebel Reserve, 1pt MM and 1 pt Bernheim. Turns into a very palatable Wheater especially if you find yourself with Rebel Reserve to spare, and who doesn't.

edit: technically this is off topic because it's a Three bourbon vatting but carry on.

Not so fast, my friend! (Thought a Corso-ism would make you feel welcome, Hoosier. :D) You still have just 2 bourbons in there. Bernheim is a wheat whiskey. So, you're good...

:toast:

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Not so fast, my friend! (Thought a Corso-ism would make you feel welcome, Hoosier. :D) You still have just 2 bourbons in there. Bernheim is a wheat whiskey. So, you're good...

:toast:

Joe, great point! I stand corrected. And I love Corso.

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Joe, great point! I stand corrected. And I love Corso.

Just a Ball Stater helping a Hoosier brother out. :D

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Bowling night tonight. Our team drank better than we bowled. :rolleyes: We did a side by side of MM 84 proof, and MM 90 proof. One friend from another team brought some OGD 114, and Phillips bourbon. All were decent. Near the end of the night, there were four glasses partially filled with theses bourbons. I asked Gary what he thought about mixing them all together. He said go for it. So I did. :grin: I wasn't expecting much, but was I surprised at the outcome. The sum of this vatting was way better than any of them individually. Here's approximately the amounts of each we vatted.

1 part MM 90 proof

2 parts MM 84 proof

3 parts Phillips 80 proof

6 parts OGD 114

The OGD 114 helped out the other three, while the combo of the other three seemed to offset the higher proof of the OGD 114. The MM's and Phillips also seemed to quell the Beam yeasty taste in the OGD 114. All in all a great vatting. Medium and slightly sweet on entry. Mid palate saw this open up nicely. The finish was great. Nice, warming and long. Very well balanced if you can believe it.

FWIW, Of the six of us that did the MM side by side comparison, only one guy picked 'em wrong. :skep:

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Bowling night tonight. Our team drank better than we bowled. :rolleyes: We did a side by side of MM 84 proof, and MM 90 proof. One friend from another team brought some OGD 114, and Phillips bourbon. All were decent. Near the end of the night, there were four glasses partially filled with theses bourbons. I asked Gary what he thought about mixing them all together. He said go for it. So I did. :grin: I wasn't expecting much, but was I surprised at the outcome. The sum of this vatting was way better than any of them individually. Here's approximately the amounts of each we vatted.

1 part MM 90 proof

2 parts MM 84 proof

3 parts Phillips 80 proof

6 parts OGD 114

The OGD 114 helped out the other three, while the combo of the other three seemed to offset the higher proof of the OGD 114. The MM's and Phillips also seemed to quell the Beam yeasty taste in the OGD 114. All in all a great vatting. Medium and slightly sweet on entry. Mid palate saw this open up nicely. The finish was great. Nice, warming and long. Very well balanced if you can believe it.

FWIW, Of the six of us that did the MM side by side comparison, only one guy picked 'em wrong. :skep:

Wow a FOUR bagger! Has that ever even been attempted? It's the Triple Lindy of vatting. You just took this thread in a new and dangerously interesting direction.

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Here's another one: 1:1 Ritt bond with MM. I added a light dash water as well, not sure if it helped, I think it did.

The Ritt has these huge aromas and tastes of earth, grass and, well, that certain something you can get in straight whiskey. It's perfect as is for any cocktail treatment, but on its own it is a bit much for me. The MM is rather bland and sweetish, so basically it cuts the Ritt profile to a more even, bourbony palate. I found two rocks assisted to bring out the bright flavours. It's funny how two whiskeys which are a little rough in the finish - acidic or tannic or whatever, and it does vary by bottle - can become soft and pillowy simply by being combined. But it does happen, some abstruse combination of ions or something.

Gary

As always great tip Gary! Of course the same excellent result with my substitution of 80 proof DSP 16 made Old Fitz Prime for the MM (no water). The sum is richer, with the Ritt benefitting some of the light grape/wine notes of the Old Fitz Prime and results in some subtle brandy flavors. I've tried adding 10 ml of some other whiskeys to the 20/20 ml mix but so far prefer the 1:1 combo on this one. I'll mix some up for the Sampler.

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Bowling night tonight. Our team drank better than we bowled. :rolleyes: We did a side by side of MM 84 proof, and MM 90 proof. One friend from another team brought some OGD 114, and Phillips bourbon. All were decent. Near the end of the night, there were four glasses partially filled with theses bourbons. I asked Gary what he thought about mixing them all together. He said go for it. So I did. :grin: I wasn't expecting much, but was I surprised at the outcome. The sum of this vatting was way better than any of them individually. Here's approximately the amounts of each we vatted.

1 part MM 90 proof

2 parts MM 84 proof

3 parts Phillips 80 proof

6 parts OGD 114

The OGD 114 helped out the other three, while the combo of the other three seemed to offset the higher proof of the OGD 114. The MM's and Phillips also seemed to quell the Beam yeasty taste in the OGD 114. All in all a great vatting. Medium and slightly sweet on entry. Mid palate saw this open up nicely. The finish was great. Nice, warming and long. Very well balanced if you can believe it.

FWIW, Of the six of us that did the MM side by side comparison, only one guy picked 'em wrong. :skep:

Hey Joe, what was the percentage of backwash spit in there? And, did you pick up on the Gary's Hot Pastrami on rye with extra kraut at lunch on the nose? :lol:

;)

:toast:

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Well of course, that's now the "Ten Pin Vatting"! (Anyone trying it is advised to eat a corned beef sandwich on the side :)).

Interesting too what you said about the MM comparison.

Gary

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That sounds great Thad, it is probably better than mine! I agree you don't need the water, the 80 takes care of that. Look forward to trying it at Sampler.

Gary

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Hey Joe, what was the percentage of backwash spit in there? And, did you pick up on the Gary's Hot Pastrami on rye with extra kraut at lunch on the nose? :lol:

;)

:toast:

And that's why you're BOTY Joe, thinking of the little things we forgot. Geez, we all thought it was so simple

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Not two, but here goes. Combined equal parts OF 86 and 100, EC12 and Maker's Mark. Quite a bit better than the parts individually. Best, Bradley

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