Someone School Me - Opinions accepted

[skidfive]

I stopped into a shop today in CA and I found a lot of bottles that I thought were rare and highly rated bottles from what I could recall on reading/researching on this site. I will be honest that I was very overwhelmed trying to remember which bottles are highly rated and which bottles are rare and which are worth picking up on the spot(if at all).

I did pick up a WT rare breed with the original label batch number W-T-03-95 because I knew I would enjoy it.

These following bottles are what caught my eye and this wasn't even half of what I saw, EDIT: Most are priced $15-20 above retail from what I can recall

2010 WLW

2010 THH x2

2009 THH x2

four roses 2011 LE x3

four roses mariage (cant remember, 2008 I think)

four roses 100th anniversary bottle

Vintage 23 x2

Vintage 21 x2

Hirsch Special Reserve American Whiskey 20 year

Willet Bourbon (every single barrel year x10 or more each)

Parkers Heritage 27 year

Old Forester Birthday Bourbons (unknown years - to many to count)

Old Fitzgerald 1849 x2

Elijiah Craig 20 year x4

and more that I cant remember.

I have researched a lot of these over the past couple months but was surprised to see so many of them in one place. What would your first bottles chosen be. Obviously the one time release bottles will be the hardest to come by again, what would you all have done?

Edited December 15, 2012 by skidfive

[Rockefeller]

This thread is completely irrelevant without prices.

[humchan2k]

This thread is completely irrelevant without prices.

[skidfive]

This thread is completely irrelevant without prices.

Edited December 14, 2012 by skidfive

[Flyfish]

These following bottles are what caught my eye and this wasn't even half of what I saw, EDIT: Most are priced $15-20 above retail from what I can recall

2010 WLW

2010 THH x2

2009 THH x2

four roses 2011 LE x3

four roses mariage (cant remember, 2008 I think)

four roses 100th anniversary bottle

Vintage 23 x2

Vintage 21 x2

Hirsch Special Reserve American Whiskey 20 year

Willet Bourbon (every single barrel year x10 or more each)

Parkers Heritage 27 year

Old Forester Birthday Bourbons (unknown years - to many to count)

Old Fitzgerald 1849 x2

Elijiah Craig 20 year x4

and more that I cant remember.

I have researched a lot of these over the past couple months but was surprised to see so many of them in one place. What would your first bottles chosen be. Obviously the one time release bottles will be the hardest to come by again, what would you all have done?

[skidfive]

The only one I would not buy (at any price) would be the OF 1849. With that said, I'm not inclined to pay more than retail for anything. There are just too many attractive alternatives out there. N.B. I am not inclined to chase all over hell's half acre to find a Pappy or even a Stagg. Repeat that " too many attractive alternatives" statement.

[squire]

Depends on how much you want to spend Skid, your budget constraints, and what you like of course. I would only be interested in the Birthday Bourbons and the 1849 (depending on whether they are recent bottlings and if so, no), the rest I would leave for those who wish to pay a premium on top of what is an already overpriced product.

[Hershmeister]

Buy the weller if you can not find elsewhere

[T Comp]

I got schooled for a few years back in the early 60's when the nuns had no problem slapping you in the face so here's my gentle slap. Have you been drinking whiskey long enough to really really know what you like? Or maybe you do like different styles but you still have preferences. Even though tasting any whiskey is not life changing, it can still be very complicated and why we love it and resent when people just focus on reviews, ratings or current hysteria. What would be my first bottle chosen is probably something that wouldn't be yours. For instance...Four Roses...can be, in spite of the deserved love, a whiskey some just don't care for. I do a lot of tastings for novices and it has a rye fruit tang to it that some just don't like. Another superb taster here has also noted the Slivovitz factor it has and he doesn't like. Or the THH's...do you really like rye based whiskey? Or do you like a lot of oak in your whiskey? Or char... probably, if you say you know you'll enjoy the Rare Breed. Many of the whiskeys on your list are cask strength and that is a good thing but can also deceive. They can taste quite different when brought to lower proofs. Anything above 107 proof is not for me in the entirety of sipping a full pour and have been disappointed by some that don't hold up well with water.

In the spirit of the season...although it's been said many times, many ways :cool:...learn to trust your own palate. Do your homework by tasting, tasting and more tasting of as many and less expensive whiskeys first and then you can school yourself better than anybody. I respect and pay attention to the professional critics too but damn if I'll ever really know precise differences between an 88 or 96. I also know there are high rated whiskeys, wines and beers I won't waste my hard earned money on.

And now that I'm getting down from the :soapbox:...Always go with the Weller...or maybe the 4Rs or the PHC or... .

[skidfive]

I got schooled for a few years back in the early 60's when the nuns had no problem slapping you in the face so here's my gentle slap. Have you been drinking whiskey long enough to really really know what you like? Or maybe you do like different styles but you still have preferences. Even though tasting any whiskey is not life changing, it can still be very complicated and why we love it and resent when people just focus on reviews, ratings or current hysteria. What would be my first bottle chosen is probably something that wouldn't be yours. For instance...Four Roses...can be, in spite of the deserved love, a whiskey some just don't care for. I do a lot of tastings for novices and it has a rye fruit tang to it that some just don't like. Another superb taster here has also noted the Slivovitz factor it has and he doesn't like. Or the THH's...do you really like rye based whiskey? Or do you like a lot of oak in your whiskey? Or char... probably, if you say you know you'll enjoy the Rare Breed. Many of the whiskeys on your list are cask strength and that is a good thing but can also deceive. They can taste quite different when brought to lower proofs. Anything above 107 proof is not for me in the entirety of sipping a full pour and have been disappointed by some that don't hold up well with water.

In the spirit of the season...although it's been said many times, many ways :cool:...learn to trust your own palate. Do your homework by tasting, tasting and more tasting of as many and less expensive whiskeys first and then you can school yourself better than anybody. I respect and pay attention to the professional critics too but damn if I'll ever really know precise differences between an 88 or 96. I also know there are high rated whiskeys, wines and beers I won't waste my hard earned money on.

And now that I'm getting down from the :soapbox:...Always go with the Weller...or maybe the 4Rs or the PHC or... .

Edited December 15, 2012 by skidfive

[tanstaafl2]

I would just like to stumble into a place that offered those kind of choices on one shelf! I would be broke but happy!

[BFerguson]

Since you're just asking for a opinion, I''ll spare the commentary and give you what I would jump at.

The Parkers, FR Mariage, Vintage 21 then 23, and the WLW.

These would get first booking, then maybe in moments of weakness I would pick off the rest over time if the store was convenient to get to.

Sweet finds, BTW

B

[sailor22]

The ones you will regret leaving are the ones you love to drink and are no longer available. Unless you find a very well stocked bar where you can buy by the drink there is only one way to discover which of those you love.

[squire]

Quite true Sailor, people say it's never too late, how wrong they are.

[RVTsteve]

I would ignore all the pm's you probably get from SoCal members and tell me where there shop is and then when I drive down there for xmas I will buy the bottles I want and pour you some... :grin:

But really I know it can be overwhelming when that happens, I ran into a store with lots of cool bottles, really good/rare ones were marked up, but I found a lot of other bottles well under local retail prices. A lot of those kind of places seem to put a price tag on something when it comes in and never change it even as it becomes more rare over time.

I have trouble leaving behind something I likely won't find ever again, but only to a point when it comes to pricing. Go with your gut and if you can talk them down, do it. Then after you're done... refer to my first sentence.

[skidfive]

I agree. When faced with a decision of the 09 mirage and the 09 handy I went with the handy, because I enjoy my 11 and do not have any four roses bottles yet (other then the yellow label). Picked up the 10 WLW too.

Other then that, the guy isnt willing to change prices, but thats understandable being his location.

Anyway, found a couple other items in there, he had 2 rittenhouse rye 23 year in the wooden sleeve. Also on the 2011 LE 4 roses he had both the single barrel and small batch.

[nivto]

The '09 Mariage is one of the finest bourbons I've tasted. Handy is available year round if you look hard enough but that Mariage is a one time gem. I'd go back for it and tuck it away somewhere for the right day.

[skidfive]

The '09 Mariage is one of the finest bourbons I've tasted. Handy is available year round if you look hard enough but that Mariage is a one time gem. I'd go back for it and tuck it away somewhere for the right day.

Man, you are the third or so person to say that. Now I am going to have to do that, I just stuck with what I knew I would like, but apparently this is the one to get. Whats another $100

Edited December 16, 2012 by skidfive

[Young Blacksmith]

I'd get the 100th anniversary 4 roses, then the following in this order until the credit card ran out:

Mariage

PHC

Vintage 21

4R 2011 LE

OFBB

and let the rest sit until I recharged.

[Lazer]

I was in a similar situation, I was in a store here in NY buying the PHC 2012 for a big mark-up, $130 I'm embarrassed to say. When I was waiting to check out, I saw a glass case in the back of the store that had FR 100th, 40th, Mariage and other LE's. And some of the older Parker releases and probably one or more of those high end WT releases like AS or Tradition. I didn't bother asking I just overpaid for the PHC 2012 and left. Maybe if I win the lottery, or on my next birthday I'll head back to that store. Until then I'm happy with the normal stuff. :cool:

oh yeah, there was a Hirsch too. A. H. Hirsch.... 16. I think they want at least $600 for it. Still waiting for that winning lotto ticket.

[Bourserker]

To the OP I can only tell you what I would do and that's based on having the ability to purchase some higher end bottles without it causing financial stress, and the fact that I'm hunting for certain things I don't have. For me, I'd go for the PHC 27 because I'm still missing the 1st and 2nd edition PHCs from my collection, the V21, a WLW 2010 and one or two of those FR Mariages.

These would get first booking, then maybe in moments of weakness I would pick off the rest over time if the store was convenient to get to.

Ha ha ha, this sounds exactly like what I would do.

I was in a similar situation, I was in a store here in NY buying the PHC 2012 for a big mark-up, $130 I'm embarrassed to say.

Man, I've done this on several items I have, and I'm not even man enough to give the prices I paid. I'll just say that I have overpaid for most of my BTAC, the 2 ORVW 107s (only 2 I've ever seen in the wild) and a couple of other items. For me though, I've been hunting BTAC for over a year and have only ran into it a handful of times, so it's kinda worked out as it's either overpay or just don't get it period. I do love those rare times I actually find a good deal though. Such as this place where I got the ORVW. They had that marked way up, and then had a lone Sazerac 18 sitting there at $69.99. I just about pooped my pants right on the spot...and then I bought it.