Whiskey Best and Worst of 2011

[sailor22]

Lets see you personal best new to you pours and events along with the worst events and new pours from last year.

BEST

Meeting Bourbon boffins in Bardstown for the Sampler

Bowman small batch from the Gift Shop

a couple of Willett 7 and 8yr barrel picks

Dinner with Jimmy Russell

a sweet barrel of Michters 10yr single barrel

Redbreast 15 Irish Whisky

WLW BTAC

WORST

My best drinking buddy moving across the continent

a dusty Tom Moore BiB handle

Prices going up

the "Bourbon Expert" next to you at the bar

the 23yr old bar tender who thinks they know how to make a Manhattan

most of the young LDI Ryes under different labels

[BarrelChar]

Glad to hear someone else agrees the young LDI rye is vile. Currently sitting on a 4 year-old bottling from Spec's (Barrel #6) that is absolute swill. My only terrible bottle of December and a strong contender for worst of the year.

The other top contender for biggest 2011 disappointment? Laphroaig Triple Wood. Being such a rabid fan of the rest of their range, it was a totally forgettable dram: poorly integrated, overly sherried juice from sub-par barrels of Quarter Cask that should have been dumped off to independent bottlers.

[T Comp]

Best

+ Continuing to know, meet, learn and share with other like minded whiskey enthusiasts.

+ Sampler, KBF, Doug's porch, Gazebo and Chicago gatherings.

+ Winner of the 2011 Bourbonian taster of the year.

+ Kentucky countryside from car window with Gillman as chauffeur and disc jockey extraordinaire...Hendrix Winterland blasting from the speakers.

+ This is the golden age of whiskey and the availability of more barrel proof and nonchill filtered.

+ Okay...gun to the head best, PHC wheater or Bowman's barrel proof rye.

Worst

- Tim Sousley's passing.

- Proliferation of under or improperly aged whiskeys, moonshine and white dog products.

- Ebay with no other transparent and legitimate process.

- My now empty bottle of VVOF.

- Tie between still not a GBS member or the towels at the General Nelson.

Happy New Year

[MarkEdwards]

Best

Discovering a nice stash of Pappy in my favorite liquor store, early in the year

Worst

Finally saving up enough to buy several bottles of Pappy, and finding that someone else had cleaned them out earlier that week.

Finding out that my favorite store was not on the list of retailers who received this year's release of Pappy

[clingman71]

Best: finding 7 bottles of ORVW 10/107 in July for $25.99per.

Finding the previously not available in Ohio PVW15 5 min from home

As previously stated, more and more barrel strength unfiltered releases

Worst: lack of availability of VW/BTAC

Limited bourbon selection in Ohio

Missing out on some very special bourbons from former distilleries- too late to the. party I guess

[nivto]

Best:

Four Roses barrel selections

Willett 700/800 series

Bowman gift shop bourbon

Bowman LE barrel proof rye

successfully hunting down DSP414 Old Forester 86 proof

'92 EC18

making new friends with bourbon lovers all across the country

Worst:

I don't have a lot to be upset about... I think it's been a great year for bourbon. I've made very few regrettable purchases I feel flush with bottles I find so good that it makes me not care about the insanely overpriced pappys and btacs

To echo Steve, losing a great local drinking friend from my move out west was probably the worst. Drinking good whiskey just isn't the same when it's not in good company!

Also, agreed on young LDI ryes... it's mouthwash to me.

[spinningrecords]

Best:

1) Finding a huge cache of VW at a Total Wine in May. (I left three cases of VW12 behind)

2) Walking out of Total Wine with four cases of PVW15/PVW20.

3) A trip to KY with three buddies and touring seven distilleries.

4) A super terrific tour of the 4R distillery with a VIP tasting.

5) A couple great flights of bourbon with buddies in Frankfort.

6) Ordering VWFRR13 at a restaurant for $8 a glass. (We drank doubles)

7) Buying a bottle of VWFRR13 from same restaurant.

8) Buying three bottles of VWFFR13 right before Christmas.

9) Buying a dusty AHH20.

Worst:

1) No complaints. See above.

[Lazer]

Best w/o ranking:

4R Private selection barrel proof single barrel oesk

KC Single barrel

Parker's 2010 Wheater

Rittenhouse Rye BIB

Worst:

Ardbeg 10. made me want to puke. stunk up the whole house.

[jeanraulmitchell]

Best

Having a straight out of the barrel glass of Bernheim with the owner of my favorite shop in Tennessee, a sample of a barrel he had bottled.

WLW.

ABRLE.

All the PVW15 in the spring.

Worst

The theme park bourbon bars in Los Angeles just suck. The bars by Rio, 7 Grand and Monty are overpriced & feel like something your sixty y/o uncle designed in a bad western dream while sleeping in his new yellow mustang convertible he bought with insurance money & two visas to cruise the local high school.

Or worse, for example, Thirsty Crow, couldn't make iced tea so forget about an old fashioned, but the place looks sticky like sugar until your eyes adjust enough to see the cheap vinyl 70's looking trailer veneer. Probably selling a lot of JD & MM too but I'll bet it's not even from the 90's.

These places must be doing ok because they are packed. Mohawk bend? What kind of stupid name is that?

Wood + Vine isn't as bad as long as it's Monday or Tuesday, I can get 4 of the 5 BTAC in a decent glass.

I'm sure this theme park trend is just about in every city across the states. I just wish the theme was about quality bottles & well crafted drinks and less about taxidermy & reproduction fixtures.

Overall, I'm happy with all my bourbon & rye this past year but please, please please distillers, give us more barrel proof bourbons & ryes in 2012!!!

[angler82]

Best:

Holding a bourbon tasting with several friends and coworkers earlier in the year.

Consistently drinking VW rye for $9 at a bar down the street.

The increase in good cocktail bars around Boston.

A true bourbon bar (Saloon) opening up in Davis Sq. Somerville. 100+ whiskeys.

Building up a good stock of old ryes- Vintage 21, VWFRR, Michter's 10, and Saz 18.

Solidifying my favorite daily, lower priced pours- OWA 107 and OGD BiB

Worst:

I tried Elijah Craig 18 again after hating it the first time. I still really dislike it.

The Van Winkle fall release shitshow.

[StraightNoChaser]

Best

-Finding this forum

-My first trip to KY

-Discovered my love for dusty hunting

-Innumerable epic scores from dusty hunting

-Met timd and Young Blacksmith from here, bros 4 lyfe, yo

-Got over the PVW/BTAC hype

Worst

-Spent way too much money

-Realized that the bourbons I like the most are no longer made (back to the sticks we go!)

[Clavius]

Best

-Found SB

-Got a hold of some WLW and several bottles of Pappy

-Found a Maker's slam dunk bottle which is neat

Worst

-Spent waaaay too much money!

[Ejmharris]

Best:

-Found SB to share my all things bourbon disease

-figuring out that Makers isn't the only wheated option (although I still like Makers, it is not the 1st choice)

-OWA!!!

-care package that I was saving for a special occasion. Decided every day is special so will crack open in this order ER17 (2008), VWFR & PVW 2009 starting tonight

-getting TPS Bowman rye before they disappeared

-MB black dog bourbon & aged shine

Worst:

-Trying find a PVW or BTAC in a store

-Dusty hunting with no success, then again I Am not always sure what makes up a dusty and I may have left plenty of good stuff on the shelf

-getting the news that Deps and TPS both had Van Winkle's the two days I was out of town

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LostBottle]

Best:

Discovering I am a huge rye fan.

Discovering Sazerac 18.

Finally joining SB after lurking for a while.

Worst:

Discovering Sazerac 18, talk about unavailable.

[Josh]

As for me:

Worst

Van Winkle Hysteria

Not getting any Old Rip 107 because of the above

BS from microdistillers and hype over them in the media

Early Times 354

The General Nelson's desk staff

The Spring Sampler itself. Bad venue, lackluster effort.

Tim Sousley's death

Best

Connecting with new and not-so-new bourbon lovers online and in person

New tours at Barton-1789 and Wild Turkey

Strong annual releases and retailer bottlings this year

More rye whiskey on the shelves

The guys at the Blanton's booth at the Sampler

Managing to get some Pappy 15 in spite of the Van Winkle Hysteria

[BourbonBaron]

Worst

-watching Pappy 20 be bottled at BT and not being able to purchase any on the spot

-missing the last two PHC 2010's that I knew of by a week

-drinking my WLW way too quickly

-not discovering Pappy and BTAC until very late in the game

-being unable to find Weller 12 anywhere in Indianapolis

Best

-visiting the distilleries for the first time and truly awakening my bourbon spirit

-discovering some 2009 Pappy 20 and VW12 at a local store upon returning from the distillery trip; finding a secret stash of PHC 2010 at another local store

-obtaining a significant amount of BTAC, VW, and other specialty bottlings, considering I was not prepared

-finally trying some rye and learning that it is delicious

-learning that there are plenty of excellent pours in the $15-$40 range

-visiting the in laws for Christmas with one bottle and leaving with five bottles (yeah Weller 12!)

-picking up a Saz 18 that magically appeared in place of the missing PHC 2010

[mosugoji64]

Best:

Education. Visiting the distilleries, joining this site, and reading Bourbon, Straight have been fascinating for me. I've learned so much in the past year and had a blast!

The knowledgable and generous members of this forum who have shared their wisdom and insight, and helped to find a couple of things. Also, getting to meet some of those people and finding that they are just as friendly and generous in person.

WLW, OWA, and Weller 12 - the antidotes to Pappy mania.

The wealth of great pours still available on the lower shelves.

The store manager who went out of her way to procure WLW for me when she couldn't get one for herself!

Worst:

Learning that IN is a dusty wasteland.

The local store managers who don't give a crap.

Reading about VVOF - probably better that I don't try it since I wouldn't be able to get more!

Not having time to visit Scott and get a sample of that ND OGD114!

The complaints are minor. The year in bourbon has been good and I look forward to more fun this year, including meeting many of you at the Sampler in April!

[AaronWF]

Best

- Finding a pristine handle of OF BiB '68-'74 in my grandfather's basement, along with an OGD86 from the same time period.

- These finds led me to create an account here, greatly accelerating my involvement in whiskey as a full-time hobby.

- Chicago WhiskyFest.

- Finding a new friend through SB.com.

- Binny's Last Fling get-together (though it shan't be the last).

- Drinking my grand-dad's Old Grand Dad.

- Drinking a bottle of VWFRR that proved the last one I had was a rare, spoiled abomination, and finding in it some of the best flavors I have ever experienced in a whiskey.

- Overall selection, price, communication, and fair business practice with a dose of loyalty at [most all] Binny's locations. I feel pretty lucky to live in what I'm gathering is one of the best markets for whiskey in the country if not the world.

- Becoming enlightened on the never-ending quality that is churned out by Four Roses.

Worst

- Pappy 15 is changed forever.

- The more I learn, the better I drink, but whiskey ain't free and I don't see it getting any cheaper.

- George Dickel Barrel Select not available in IL.

- Half-assed dusty hunting turning up bupkis.

- Missing out on the SV JR-picked OBSV.

- Waiting too long on the Bowman rye.

[smokinjoe]

Best

- The Boss, who continues to provide this sandbox that I get to play in every day.

- The Sandbox, and the people I've met in it.

- Bulleitt Rye. Just a really fun whiskey.

- Discovering Leopold Bros. American Small Batch Whiskey.

- Angel's Envy.

- Joy the Tour Guide at Barton. :bigeyes:

- Finishing my B.L.A.N.T.O.N.S. Horsey Top Collection.

- Not giving a Flying F@$k about any 2011 Pappy release.

- Anticipating not giving a Flying F@$k about any 2012 Pappy release.

- Delta Sky Club putting in their Premium Bar.

- Approving Thad's Membership in GBS at 11:59 PM on December 31. T, the coveted GBS T-Shirt is in the mail...

Worst

- The loss of our dear buddy, Tim Sousley

- The Sampler event. Simply, an abomination.

- The Sampler event. Simply, a fu@$%ng abomination.

- Less trips to Alabama to pick up Virgin Bourbon. Guess I'll have to commit to pick up multiples of this $11 whiskey to bunker on my next trip there.

[camduncan]

Best:

(In no particular order)

• The special bottles sourced and shipped to me by my US located SB friends - words are never enough to express how gratefull I am that you help me out getting hold of these bottles! I'd never get the chance to aquire them otherwise.
  
• Our family vacation to Hawaii and the bourbons I got to purchase there (Old Overholt Rye, Vintage 23 Rye, Red Stag, Makers 46 & Woodford Reserve Derby Bottle.)
  
• Buffalo Trace releasing Eagle Rare 10yo in Australia.
  
• Fred Noe's visit to Australia in May, and getting to spend the day with him at all three events he hosted in Brisbane.
  
• The great Jim Beam Dinners hosted by Brand Ambassador Jared Plummer.
  
• The friendships that SB.com has given me both locally and abroad.

Worst:

• Losing our very dear friend Tym Sousley. Sadly Jen & I will never get the opportunity to host you in our home on your hoped for re-visit Downunder. It was something we talked to you about often.
  
• The ridiculous price rises in Australia on Evan Williams Single Barrel (was $45 a bottle, now $65) and Elijah Craig 12yo (was $39 a bottle, now $55) They're now well beyond value for money and have lost me as a buyer.
  
• Not being able to get back to Kentucky for this years Sampler so I could visit with y'all.
  
• Not being able to prioritise my finances in 2011 so I could grab a few Van Winkle bottles from the Aussie supplier for my bunker.

[BFerguson]

Keeping is simple

Best

-The kindness of others an being able to reciprocate that kindness back. Everybody here should be proud of the good group of people we have.

Worst

I could list the things that I just completely missed, or were unavailable, and others, but some things are just meant to be nothing can be done.

Besides, in the end if the good outweighs the bad, who's to say that the bad was that bad.

B

It was very sad to read of Tim's passing. I was't around much at that time, but in learning of it and reading more into his past posts, it was certainly clear that a great loss was had much too soon.

[BigRich]

Best

1) Meeting Joe, Jimmy, Jack, Tucker, and the rest of the GBS guys for the first time.

2) Helping friends acquire harder to find bottles like Pappy, Saz, and others.

3) Getting more involved on this fine forum.

4) Running my first private tasting event.

5) PHC 2011 really surpassed my expectations.

6) Angel's Envy (thank's Joe!)

Worst

1) Not having more GBS meetings. (hope to rectify in 2012!)

2) While the 2011 4R LE Single Barrel was good it really disappointed me compared to past releases.

3) Not making it to Kentucky this year.

4) Travel Retail offerings at the airport in Puerto Rico

5) All the hoopla around Van Winkle, BTAC, etc. You'd think it was the yearly allotment of insulin or polio vaccines.

[Happyhour24x7]

Best- and it has been a VERY good year

-joining this forum and meeting some of the members here

-Jack Rose opening (finally)

-a couple of fine tastings at Acadiana

-Dave Perkins visit at Reid's house

-expanding my horizon by sampling MANY fine bourbons this year; and starting a bunker

-finding a couple boxes of Havanas had accidentally and not on purpose followed me home from Canada- not strictly a whiskey best, but related.

Worst-

-Virginia ABC stores

-Pappy hoopla

-general unavailability of good bourbon here - see #1

-trend in white/flavored whiskey. really?

[CaptainQ]

Best

- Joy the Tour Guide at Barton. :bigeyes:

Where are the pics?! :grin:

[yountvillewjs]

Best:

Finding this website. There is a ton of value added by the participants and the search functions. If I find I have a few minutes to kill, I really enjoy ripping through the archives.

Dusty hunting. Haven't really found anything yet (and to whoever posted that San Diego was 95% dustied out -- spot on!), but it is fun and I look forward to that first find.

Finding my palate. I have always enjoyed spirits, but never really thought much about it. Over the past year (or two), I've been paying closer attention to what I like & why. Applying that to the TN's here has really helped me buy better (for me).

Worst:

Bourbon in Hawaii.

Jim Beam Rye, related to above.

Knowing this is just the tip of the iceberg