What did you pass up today? Summer '13

[393foureyedfox]

squire it the best example on here of bourbon enjoyment. i never hear him rave about expensive limited edition crap. he gets it, knows what he likes, enjoys it, and just hangs out here.

drink on, squire!

[MyOldKyDram]

The difference is a cool label and a pretty bottle.

And age, strength, rarity, finishes...

Now none of this may still make up that $50 in your mind, but label and a pretty bottle is a pretty gross exaggeration.

[portwood]

I would have to say I'll never pay more than $50 for a bottle of whisky . . . again.

squire it the best example on here of bourbon enjoyment. i never hear him rave about expensive limited edition crap. he gets it, knows what he likes, enjoys it, and just hangs out here.

The "again" part of his comment above suggests he's made those purchases in the past and has come to realize $50+ whiskey isn't worth it - to him.

[squire]

All generalizations are inaccurate including this one. Far too many brands in the $50 - $75 range are not special enough to warrant their price.

We've all heard the descriptions, pure limestone water, choice grain (yes, only the choicest of grains!), secret family recipe written down by an ancestor on his deathbed, appropriation of the name of a dead president who has absolutely no connection with the product, very small batch, very limited distribution (still enough for overseas markets though), very special product only for very special people (this label says something about you!) who can afford to pay the price. All this for repackaged bulk whisky.

I'm not comparing the quaintly old fashioned, Old Grand Dad with the new, exciting Limited Releases from Four Roses or Parker's Heritage, rather I'm saying price and pretty don't change the contents.

[Yeti]

ECBP has made a big splash specifically because of the kind of value it represents, but it's still hardly the rule. What are the mid-range (to me that means $40-$50) barrel proof offerings? Booker's, Stagg Jr., ECBP, and what? Booker's is barely in Kindergarten, and Stagg is a little better. Eagle Rare has been 19 years old for two releases now. GTS is 16 years or older and often bottled at a truly unique proof. WLW is the only cask strength 12+ year wheated bourbon in the current market. Aged rye is becoming more and more rare on the shelves. PHC always put out a high octane, well aged, one-of-a-kind offering before this years charity event. Four Roses, for my money, has the best and most consistently pleasing product in their single and small batch LEs, with good age, proof, and the hand of the best distiller in America guiding the way.

All of the rants about value and what things should cost is old hat and rather tiresome. If you never want to spend more than $30 on a bottle of whiskey, you certainly don't have to. You can drink incredible pours of ETL, OGD114, VOB BIB, BT, Ritt BIB, HH6 BIB, etc. etc. etc. 'til the cows come home and you'll be drinking about as fine as a man can ever hope to. But, to insist that there's no reason for a producer to charge a premium for a product that requires extra investment on their part is ludicrous. The actual retail prices of nearly everything 18 years old and younger is well within reason in my opinion. I won't be buying any EC21 or JPS21 because, to me, that's more than I would like to spend for those particular products. That doesn't mean that they're *too* expensive or priced out of line with what is reasonable and appropriate for the market.

It's all any of us can do to tolerate the complaining about the secondary market, do we really need to beat this one in to the ground as well?

[squire]

Apparently so. On specialty Boards it's fairly common to exhume a dead equine for further thrashing.

[MyOldKyDram]

Eh they're both pretty bitchworthy topics.

[BAO]

Apparently so. On specialty Boards it's fairly common to exhume a dead equine for further thrashing.

[TunnelTiger]

I'll concede that at my advanced age that most likely my palete can't pick out the nuances of the rare, aged, products and I'll just have to live with enjoying my OWA like I am right now. Cheers all! Bourbon forever!

[393foureyedfox]

back on thread topic.......

i passed up everything over $50 again, because its overpriced.

back off-thread:slappin:

[HighInTheMtns]

back on thread topic.......

i passed up everything over $50 again, because its overpriced.

back off-thread:slappin:

Keep doing that, everyone else in L'ville surely appreciates it.

[Yeti]

I must have needed a drink

I passed up everything I looked at today, at any price. All eyes on the KBF.

[Renegator]

I passed on JPS 21 at $160, WRMC 4 Wood at $110 a 4 Roses Secretariat bottle at $130

[Old Dusty]

Hirsch Small Batch NAS at $39.99. Mystery juice bottled by KBD for Anchor the new owners of the brand. Interestingly Anchor is using a new label that has "In the style of A.H. Hirsch" up in the corner and the A.H. Hirsch is in red and same font as the unicorn bottles. So if the old name confusion wasn't already an issue now they are trying to tie them together.

[TunnelTiger]

Hirsch Small Batch NAS at $39.99. Mystery juice bottled by KBD for Anchor the new owners of the brand. Interestingly Anchor is using a new label that has "In the style of A.H. Hirsch" up in the corner and the A.H. Hirsch is in red and same font as the unicorn bottles. So if the old name confusion wasn't already an issue now they are trying to tie them together.

Saw this for the first time yesterday and since I didn't know anything about it passed as well.

[Tony]

Passed on Elijah Craig21, not sure what the price was and didn't want it so did not ask.

Best regards, Tony

[Paddy]

I anyone is interested, the Beam maple has hit the shelves in the bluegrass. I also checked the EWSB at a local today and all their bottles were 10 yr old (dumped in 03/bottled in 13). They have removed the age statement, but I have yet to see one anywhere under 10 yrs old, and I check them regularly. Lastly, I noticed a marked price jump in the EC 12. Anyone else noticed? Remarkably, it is now running about $5 per more than the EWSB. Both are go to's, but a quality SB at $5 less per is a value that one cannot overlook.

[squire]

Prices following proof? That would be a disturbing trend.

[Paddy]

Prices following proof? That would be a disturbing trend.

[Paddy]

On another note...saw AAA in the 750's today. I mistakenly believed that it was all gone (in this size) in my area. My best guess as to why it is still around is the ridiculous jump in pricing that I duly noted when passing it by.

[theglobalguy]

EH Taylor Barrel Proof @$72, thought it was a one and done thing...guess they found the time to make more.

[bourbonfoot]

RHF and Beam 12 year for the first time.

[HighInTheMtns]

I passed on a bunch of interesting bottles this weekend: EHT Single Barrel, Small Batch, Tornado and Barrel Proof; THH 2009 and Baby Saz.

[Dolph Lundgren]

Passed on some Michters 10 @ $100. Bottling code had a G. I can't beleive that is current price.

[tylermke]

Passed on some Michters 10 @ $100. Bottling code had a G. I can't beleive that is current price.