Which one: EC18 or OFBB 2012?

[matthewdc]

I came across both of these bottles recently and was wondering if the SB community has a strong preference for one over the other. The EC18 was priced a little high--$55--might could get it for a little less but given it's lack of availability for the next few years might be a good pick up. But the 2012 OFBB seems an improvement over the 2011. So both seem to be very good, bold bourbons with somewhat similar traits... So I am curious which would people choose. Thanks!

[Halifax]

Buy both of them. Sample them blind, and see which one you prefer the best. Then bunker what you like.

[CaptainQ]

I'll echo what Rod said. Buy them both. I enjoy them equally. I had a pour of the '12 OFBB last night and to me it's one of the better years. The EC18 can be outstanding if it's a good year and like you said it's all gone for now.

[White Dog]

While EC18 has it's share of haters, I would grab that. It'll never be back at that price, and you'll have an affordable, over-aged Rye-recipe Bourbon to taste. Many believe it's aged too long, and that's fine, as that bottle may serve that argument. How does one know they don't like Bourbon over the age of 10 or 12yrs, if they've never had any?

[HighHorse]

Ditto others. Both. The EC18 has been off the shelf for at least six months .. goning on a year .. and the last of the stuff on the shelf was likely bottled at more than 18 years .. to later become the EC20 that people are now paying $140 for. While I've heard of some people getting some they didn't like .. the vast majority of it .. and all that I've had (10-12 bottles) have been dynamite. Likewise .. have not had a bad OFBB .. some may be better than others ... but all good.

[Kyjd75]

I love the OFBB 2012. It is simply terrific with a great "smokey" finish. I think one of the best OFBB examples.

[tanstaafl2]

Really didn't care for my particular bottle of EC20 but have never tried the EC18. Most seem to have good experience with it even though some of it may be closer to 20 than 18. As for OFBB 2012 I have 4 bottles of it so that pretty much tells what I think of it!

If I didn't have any OFBB and not having tried the EC18 I would buy both if I could afford to. If forced to choose between them I would probably choose the one I know I like over the one that is a bit of a crap shoot.

[Lazer]

Buy both, always buy both.

[smokinjoe]

This may be your first test to see if you have whiskirexia nervosa like the rest of us. I'm guessing you gots it...Here's what happens...You want to only choose one. You even ask for advice on which one to pick. Of course, our advice is to get both. But, you think that's silly. You're not as sick as "those people" on SB. You make up your mind, and choose "the one" you're going to get. You get to the store, and see them both there. Confidently, you reach for your choice...but something whispers in your ear, and gives you doubt. You lustily look at the other bottle. Now, back to your first choice. You begin to try and add quickly in your head...$38 plus...$55...plus tax...Dammit!! You start to perspire. You now can't make that decision you were so sure was "right". You begin to pace. You divert your attention to the bottom shelf in a feeble attempt to stem the tide of Temptation. You look back up...it's worse...You begin to justify that you can, and should, get both. Yeah. What to tell the wife? Figure that one out later. You tell yourself, "I deserve these!!" Plus, you figure you can just leave one in the car, and only take one into the house....yeah, that's what you can do. Then. Then, you notice that other...THIRD bottle you didn't see before...a CEHT, or a 2012 PHC, or possibly a 2012 4RSmB LE??? Maybe, you should get that one, too. You know, there's only one on the shelf. It might be gone when ("if" is not in the equation) you get back there...You have to do it. Get it...NOW...Then, you figure, you might as well get your "everydayer pours", while you're there. Sure, why not? An OGD here . An Evan Williams, there. What's that? Never seen the OWA??? EVerybody raves about it...$24. Not bad, you say, and drop it in the buggy, too. You reason that you can drink those, and not rip through the expensive bottles you just talked yourself in to. Makes perfect sense. Doesn't it? So, when you get to the register, instead of one bottle in a bag, the checkout guy begins looking for a Svedka Vodka box to put your collection in, and offering to help you carry it to your car...

Don't resist. It's futile.

Welcome!!

:toast:

[ChainWhip]

Resistance is futile :-)

[mosugoji64]

Resistance is futile :-)

So say we all ... :grin:

[AaronWF]

This may be your first test to see if you have whiskirexia nervosa like the rest of us. I'm guessing you gots it...Here's what happens...You want to only choose one. You even ask for advice on which one to pick. Of course, our advice is to get both. But, you think that's silly. You're not as sick as "those people" on SB. You make up your mind, and choose "the one" you're going to get. You get to the store, and see them both there. Confidently, you reach for your choice...but something whispers in your ear, and gives you doubt. You lustily look at the other bottle. Now, back to your first choice. You begin to try and add quickly in your head...$38 plus...$55...plus tax...Dammit!! You start to perspire. You now can't make that decision you were so sure was "right". You begin to pace. You divert your attention to the bottom shelf in a feeble attempt to stem the tide of Temptation. You look back up...it's worse...You begin to justify that you can, and should, get both. Yeah. What to tell the wife? Figure that one out later. You tell yourself, "I deserve these!!" Plus, you figure you can just leave one in the car, and only take one into the house....yeah, that's what you can do. Then. Then, you notice that other...THIRD bottle you didn't see before...a CEHT, or a 2012 PHC, or possibly a 2012 4RSmB LE??? Maybe, you should get that one, too. You know, there's only one on the shelf. It might be gone when ("if" is not in the equation) you get back there...You have to do it. Get it...NOW...Then, you figure, you might as well get your "everydayer pours", while you're there. Sure, why not? An OGD here . An Evan Williams, there. What's that? Never seen the OWA??? EVerybody raves about it...$24. Not bad, you say, and drop it in the buggy, too. You reason that you can drink those, and not rip through the expensive bottles you just talked yourself in to. Makes perfect sense. Doesn't it? So, when you get to the register, instead of one bottle in a bag, the checkout guy begins looking for a Svedka Vodka box to put your collection in, and offering to help you carry it to your car...

Don't resist. It's futile.

Welcome!!

:toast:

One of your best, Joe. Loved it! You write like an actor (that's a compliment )

[squire]

Matt if the choice is one or the other I would go with the OFBB. This is a rich, full, characterful Bourbon that is suitable for any use or occasion.

When the EC18 first came out I bought a bottle, liked it, went back and got a case. We always had some around for years for no particular reason other than it was unique, the only regular production aged Bourbon on the market back then, but when the supply ran out it didn't occur to me to replace it.

Most Bourbons will peak somewhere between 6-8 years, which is to say when the sugars have been fully extracted from the wood and the whisky has reached a balance point of maturity beyond which it begins to go downhill. It's not uncommon for some barrels to take a few years longer and there are some very good whiskys in the 10-12 year range, but most have gone woody by then and even the ones that happen to age gracefully beyond 12 years take on characteristics of an old Cognac rather than a Bourbon. Some like these old whiskys, some find them tired out, some just want to impress their friends with a label because everybody knows older is better, right?

My preference is for those whiskys that are at their prime so I want the fruit when it's ripe and not at some arbitrary stated age.

[bigtoys]

just got an EC 20 and I'm happy with it. maybe not thrilled with what I paid, considering what the 18 cost, but I like the taste. I'd love to find a leftover EC 18 for comparison, but am not holding my breath......unless........ If you decide on the OFBB, could you grab the EC and send it to me? :cool:

[matthewdc]

This may be your first test to see if you have whiskirexia nervosa like the rest of us. I'm guessing you gots it...Here's what happens...You want to only choose one. You even ask for advice on which one to pick. Of course, our advice is to get both. But, you think that's silly. You're not as sick as "those people" on SB. You make up your mind, and choose "the one" you're going to get. You get to the store, and see them both there. Confidently, you reach for your choice...but something whispers in your ear, and gives you doubt. You lustily look at the other bottle. Now, back to your first choice. You begin to try and add quickly in your head...$38 plus...$55...plus tax...Dammit!! You start to perspire. You now can't make that decision you were so sure was "right". You begin to pace. You divert your attention to the bottom shelf in a feeble attempt to stem the tide of Temptation. You look back up...it's worse...You begin to justify that you can, and should, get both. Yeah. What to tell the wife? Figure that one out later. You tell yourself, "I deserve these!!" Plus, you figure you can just leave one in the car, and only take one into the house....yeah, that's what you can do. Then. Then, you notice that other...THIRD bottle you didn't see before...a CEHT, or a 2012 PHC, or possibly a 2012 4RSmB LE??? Maybe, you should get that one, too. You know, there's only one on the shelf. It might be gone when ("if" is not in the equation) you get back there...You have to do it. Get it...NOW...Then, you figure, you might as well get your "everydayer pours", while you're there. Sure, why not? An OGD here . An Evan Williams, there. What's that? Never seen the OWA??? EVerybody raves about it...$24. Not bad, you say, and drop it in the buggy, too. You reason that you can drink those, and not rip through the expensive bottles you just talked yourself in to. Makes perfect sense. Doesn't it? So, when you get to the register, instead of one bottle in a bag, the checkout guy begins looking for a Svedka Vodka box to put your collection in, and offering to help you carry it to your car...

Don't resist. It's futile.

Welcome!!

:toast:

HAHAHA! This is great--one of the funniest posts I've seen!

Thank you for the diagnosis--this has happened to me a couple times already (the back-and forth, the perspiration, the leaving my purchases in the car until the wife is in bed, etc.) and I was wondering what it was! Knowing is half the battle, right? And I was just thinking after reading some of the responses that "heck, I'm going to end up buying both of these dang bottles because of the SB peer pressure!"

[squire]

It's a Bourbonian thing, others wouldn't understand.

[Lazer]

I show my wife the pictures in the "show us your stash" thread to show her what craziness looks like and that my 29 bottle collection is really nothing. It works. :cool:

[jwevan01]

This may be your first test to see if you have whiskirexia nervosa like the rest of us. I'm guessing you gots it...Here's what happens...You want to only choose one. You even ask for advice on which one to pick. Of course, our advice is to get both. But, you think that's silly. You're not as sick as "those people" on SB. You make up your mind, and choose "the one" you're going to get. You get to the store, and see them both there. Confidently, you reach for your choice...but something whispers in your ear, and gives you doubt. You lustily look at the other bottle. Now, back to your first choice. You begin to try and add quickly in your head...$38 plus...$55...plus tax...Dammit!! You start to perspire. You now can't make that decision you were so sure was "right". You begin to pace. You divert your attention to the bottom shelf in a feeble attempt to stem the tide of Temptation. You look back up...it's worse...You begin to justify that you can, and should, get both. Yeah. What to tell the wife? Figure that one out later. You tell yourself, "I deserve these!!" Plus, you figure you can just leave one in the car, and only take one into the house....yeah, that's what you can do. Then. Then, you notice that other...THIRD bottle you didn't see before...a CEHT, or a 2012 PHC, or possibly a 2012 4RSmB LE??? Maybe, you should get that one, too. You know, there's only one on the shelf. It might be gone when ("if" is not in the equation) you get back there...You have to do it. Get it...NOW...Then, you figure, you might as well get your "everydayer pours", while you're there. Sure, why not? An OGD here . An Evan Williams, there. What's that? Never seen the OWA??? EVerybody raves about it...$24. Not bad, you say, and drop it in the buggy, too. You reason that you can drink those, and not rip through the expensive bottles you just talked yourself in to. Makes perfect sense. Doesn't it? So, when you get to the register, instead of one bottle in a bag, the checkout guy begins looking for a Svedka Vodka box to put your collection in, and offering to help you carry it to your car...

Don't resist. It's futile.

Welcome!!

:toast:

Dang it Joe, it is like I'm standing there in the aisle with you. The only part you left out was justifying moving your cost into three figures by telling yourself that you should get enough bottles to ask the clerk or manager to give you a case (or quantity discount). As the Sveda Vodka box goes into your car, you're thinking 10% of $268.47 is about $27 dollars saved, got the best of that deal. Completely ignoring of that tiny bit of sanity whispering from the back of your brain that you only planned to spend $60 maximum. I find that pouring bourbon from one of the shiny new bottles on that nagging voice will quickly drown it.

Joel

[squire]

Yeah, whisly 'll put that little voice back where it belongs.

[smokinjoe]

Dang it Joe, it is like I'm standing there in the aisle with you. The only part you left out was justifying moving your cost into three figures by telling yourself that you should get enough bottles to ask the clerk or manager to give you a case (or quantity discount). As the Sveda Vodka box goes into your car, you're thinking 10% of $268.47 is about $27 dollars saved, got the best of that deal. Completely ignoring of that tiny bit of sanity whispering from the back of your brain that you only planned to spend $60 maximum. I find that pouring bourbon from one of the shiny new bottles on that nagging voice will quickly drown it.

Joel

See Joel, what you do in this instance is put that originally budgeted $60 into a Future Purchases Account. Since the $268.47 so far exceeded the $60 plan, the $60 is actually unused funds, and can be applied to additional whiskey purchases at a later date, as long as you do so within 48 hrs. In addition, the 10% savings you realized ($27--nice job of rounding UP, by the way. But, I always round up to the nearest $10 increment. So, really it should be $30...) can also be applied to your Future Purchases Account. Therefore in the end, you accumulated $87 ($90 if it were me...) of free money for future bourbon purchases!!! Voila!, you now have the extra cash available to indeed pick up that bottle of 2012 PHC today that you couldn't afford yesterday!! You actually are paying yourself by spending more!!! It's a no-brainer in my book.

I know this may sound complicated to the recently diagnosed Whiskirexia Nervosans, but this is just general basic Whiskey Accounting Principles 101. :Clever:

We'll be getting more advanced as we discuss the WET (Washington Excessive Tax) deduction. I'll expand on this later, but basically you get to deduct the excessive tax rate you would have payed had you purchased your whiskey in Washington, from the amount you claim you spent to your wife. In a nutshell, in your example above, The WET deduction would allow you to legally claim an expenditure of ~$189 to your wife, instead of the $268.47. And, (heres the good part!) the deduction can be fully deposited into your Future Purchases Account!! :woohoo:

[mosugoji64]

See Joel, what you do in this instance is put that originally budgeted $60 into a Future Purchases Account. Since the $268.47 so far exceeded the $60 plan, the $60 is actually unused funds, and can be applied to additional whiskey purchases at a later date, as long as you do so within 48 hrs. In addition, the 10% savings you realized ($27--nice job of rounding UP, by the way. But, I always round up to the nearest $10 increment. So, really it should be $30...) can also be applied to your Future Purchases Account. Therefore in the end, you accumulated $87 ($90 if it were me...) of free money for future bourbon purchases!!! Voila!, you now have the extra cash available to indeed pick up that bottle of 2012 PHC today that you couldn't afford yesterday!! You actually are paying yourself by spending more!!! It's a no-brainer in my book.

I know this may sound complicated to the recently diagnosed Whiskirexia Nervosans, but this is just general basic Whiskey Accounting Principles 101. :Clever:

We'll be getting more advanced as we discuss the WET (Washington Excessive Tax) deduction. I'll expand on this later, but basically you get to deduct the excessive tax rate you would have payed had you purchased your whiskey in Washington, from the amount you claim you spent to your wife. In a nutshell, in your example above, The WET deduction would allow you to legally claim an expenditure of ~$189 to your wife, instead of the $268.47. And, (heres the good part!) the deduction can be fully deposited into your Future Purchases Account!! :woohoo:

Joe, you are a genius. :bowdown: Unfortunately, my wife is an accountant and I think the two might cancel each other out. I may still print your post for future expenditure justification. Even if she remains unmoved, it wouldn't be the first time I got, "The Talk."

[GaryT]

This may be your first test to see if you have whiskirexia nervosa like the rest of us. I'm guessing you gots it...Here's what happens...You want to only choose one. You even ask for advice on which one to pick. Of course, our advice is to get both. But, you think that's silly. You're not as sick as "those people" on SB. You make up your mind, and choose "the one" you're going to get. You get to the store, and see them both there. Confidently, you reach for your choice...but something whispers in your ear, and gives you doubt. You lustily look at the other bottle. Now, back to your first choice. You begin to try and add quickly in your head...$38 plus...$55...plus tax...Dammit!! You start to perspire. You now can't make that decision you were so sure was "right". You begin to pace. You divert your attention to the bottom shelf in a feeble attempt to stem the tide of Temptation. You look back up...it's worse...You begin to justify that you can, and should, get both. Yeah. What to tell the wife? Figure that one out later. You tell yourself, "I deserve these!!" Plus, you figure you can just leave one in the car, and only take one into the house....yeah, that's what you can do. Then. Then, you notice that other...THIRD bottle you didn't see before...a CEHT, or a 2012 PHC, or possibly a 2012 4RSmB LE??? Maybe, you should get that one, too. You know, there's only one on the shelf. It might be gone when ("if" is not in the equation) you get back there...You have to do it. Get it...NOW...Then, you figure, you might as well get your "everydayer pours", while you're there. Sure, why not? An OGD here . An Evan Williams, there. What's that? Never seen the OWA??? EVerybody raves about it...$24. Not bad, you say, and drop it in the buggy, too. You reason that you can drink those, and not rip through the expensive bottles you just talked yourself in to. Makes perfect sense. Doesn't it? So, when you get to the register, instead of one bottle in a bag, the checkout guy begins looking for a Svedka Vodka box to put your collection in, and offering to help you carry it to your car...

Don't resist. It's futile.

Welcome!!

:toast:

This is a classic Joe! These are the posts that I show people who ask how I could spend time on a "bourbon message board"! Just saved me a trip to the doctor for a diagnosis :-)