Recent VOB 86 bottlings

[weller_tex]

The last two bottles I have had of VOB 86 have a profile I have not seen before. It's a good profile, not bad. Up front it has the maple syrup, butterscotch thing going on that is reminiscent of some Canadian whiskeys, specifically Forty Creek Barrel Reserve. Has anyone else noticed this in recent bottlings of VOB?

[smknjoe]

How recent? I have a bottle I got at Spec's a couple of months ago and I can take a swig or two tonight to compare notes if you want.

[G-Rat]

This isn't saying much because I've only ever had two bottles of Very Old Barton, and they were both BIB but...one was before Sazerac took over and one was after. Now, they were three years apart so take that for what you will but, they seemed like completely different whiskeys to me. The older VOB tasted more vegetal and reminded me of a Jim Beam product. The newer one tastes much more like something from Buffalo trace, clean, much more up front sweetness with a slight almond flavor, though much more maple syrupy in character than anything I've had from Buffalo Trace.

Also about a month ago I did a tour of both Barton (which was awesome) and Buffalo Trace. I saw the boxes of yeast from Lesaffre/Red Star (a french belgian company if I remember correctly) in big stacks at buffalo trace. When we toured Barton I asked our tour guide where the yeast came from, was it an old strain, was it manufactured and brought in? She told me that it came from a belgian yeast company...which I'm assuming is Lesaffre/Red Star. This might account for a small amount of the similarities.

Conspiracy theories abound I guess. Just throwing it out there...

Edited April 4, 2013 by G-Rat

[squire]

Yes, Barton has a marvelous aroma that is not discussed around here that much. For such a lean whisky it has surprisingly rich scent notes.

[weller_tex]

How recent? I have a bottle I got at Spec's a couple of months ago and I can take a swig or two tonight to compare notes if you want.

[weller_tex]

Twith a slight almond flavor, though much more maple syrupy in character than anything I've had from Buffalo Trace.

[weller_tex]

Yes, Barton has a marvelous aroma that is not discussed around here that much. For such a lean whisky it has surprisingly rich scent notes.

[T Comp]

The sale of Barton to Sazerac from Constellation was announced in January 2009. I only buy the 100 proof which is 6 years old. How old is the 86 proof? Has Sazerac distilled and aged bourbon made it into the bottles yet? That being said I too have noticed the newer Sazerac bottlings of the 100 proof contain much less banana but figure they are just batching it better but still using Constellation distillate.

[weller_tex]

The sale of Barton to Sazerac from Constellation was announced in January 2009. I only buy the 100 proof which is 6 years old. How old is the 86 proof? Has Sazerac distilled and aged bourbon made it into the bottles yet? That being said I too have noticed the newer Sazerac bottlings of the 100 proof contain much less banana but figure they are just batching it better but still using Constellation distillate.

[G-Rat]

The sale of Barton to Sazerac from Constellation was announced in January 2009. I only buy the 100 proof which is 6 years old. How old is the 86 proof? Has Sazerac distilled and aged bourbon made it into the bottles yet? That being said I too have noticed the newer Sazerac bottlings of the 100 proof contain much less banana but figure they are just batching it better but still using Constellation distillate.

I think this has got to be what it is. I remember trying it on a trip to chicago. I live in St Louis and can't get VOB BIB around here. Was excited to see it and while I enjoyed it I felt like it wasn't that more special than any other bonded release out there...maybe even just average. However, what they are bottling now is a different animal. I like all of it from Barton from 80-100 and 1792, I think I like the 86 and BIB the best though.

By the way Weller_TX can you get VOB BIB in texas or just the 86 proof? I am planning a move back home this summer.

[weller_tex]

I think this has got to be what it is. I remember trying it on a trip to chicago. I live in St Louis and can't get VOB BIB around here. Was excited to see it and while I enjoyed it I felt like it wasn't that more special than any other bonded release out there...maybe even just average. However, what they are bottling now is a different animal. I like all of it from Barton from 80-100 and 1792, I think I like the 86 and BIB the best though.

By the way Weller_TX can you get VOB BIB in texas or just the 86 proof? I am planning a move back home this summer.

Great to hear you are coming back home! Always good to have a Texan back where he belongs. One of the big cheeses of the Houston community (wadewood I think) posted that GoodyGoody had a store in Houston now and they had the BIB. However I have not seen anything but the 86 at Spec's or any other store.

[T Comp]

I tell you what you take this current VOB 86 and age it to say maybe 9 or 10 years and even without increasing the proof it would blow a lot of whiskeys away.

[wadewood]

One of the big cheeses of the Houston community (wadewood I think) posted that GoodyGoody had a store in Houston now and they had the BIB. However I have not seen anything but the 86 at Spec's or any other store.

[G-Rat]

Big Cheeses? :slappin:

Goody Goody does have the 100 proof. If they can sell it, it also means the wholesaler has it and others liquor stores in TX can get it.

[wadewood]

wade -

this is good news! how expensive is it? when i get back to austin (hopefully) i will convince someone to carry it...

It's $13.89 at Goody Goody. I put in a request with them to start carrying the 1.75l bottle size.

[brettckeen]

Yep it sure does. I tell you what you take this current VOB 86 and age it to say maybe 9 or 10 years and even without increasing the proof it would blow a lot of whiskeys away. Even as it stands it's not as smooth and maybe not as complex as EWSB but it blows it away in terms of pure flavor.

Barton's Ten High Ten is a great example of a tastier older barton.

[Rutherford]

I picked up a bottle of the 86 last week, as it finally made it to Wisconsin. While it lacks the extra strength, I think this is better whiskey than the VOB BiB I picked up perhaps 6 months ago in KY. It seemed a bit better balanced and a bit more aromatic. That being said, I tend to prefer what's in my glass closer to 90 proof, as the extra alcohol of 100+ proof offerings typically numb my taste a bit.

[squire]

Actually I prefer the nose of the 86 over the BIB which is probably due to the lower amount of alcohol.

[tmckenzie]

I am in ky to check out the new still before it ships, and yesterday late I needed a nip, one of those days where you needed one. For your nerves. Popped into a small store in downtown Louisville. Had 1/2 pints of vob 86for 3 dollars and a quarter. I says to myself, damn, just what the doctor ordered. After a good slug or 2 I wondered, how in hell can the sell bourbon this good for 3 dollars and a quarter.

[weller_tex]

Barton's Ten High Ten is a great example of a tastier older barton.

That does sound intriguing but all I have seen around here is Ten High Blended Whiskey.

[TheNovaMan]

They don't make Ten High Ten anymore.

[weller_tex]

Big Cheeses? :slappin:

Goody Goody does have the 100 proof. If they can sell it, it also means the wholesaler has it and others liquor stores in TX can get it.

[loki993]

This just popped up locally for 12 dollars a bottle, the 86 that is, tempted to try it. Now to preface I've had EWB, same price range, and I don't think I care for it. It has a flavor in there that just doesn't agree with me. I know they're two different distillers but is there any similarity?

Also its basically between this and a bottle of OWA for ten bucks more. Any suggestion?

[black mamba]

As always, loki, buy both and find out for yourself what you like.

[loki993]

As always, loki, buy both and find out for yourself what you like.

I grabbed a bottle of OWA last week and I really like it. I think I may grab one of these to try on the way home today.