Old Blowhard

[brettckeen]

I grabbed a couple barterhouse, it is like a semi tired slope shoulder Old Charter 13 BHC. The 26 year old blow hard is un drinkable in my opinion. Way too woody. Might not have been an issue at barrel strength. I passed having tried it twice before the launch.

[brettckeen]

Just got a clarification from Diageo and have updated our Old Blowhard and Barterhouse review.

"Although stored at Stizel-Weller, Barterhouse whiskey was actually distilled at the New Bernheim Distillery (post 1992) and Old Blowhard was distilled at the Old Bernheim Distillery (pre-1992, originally Belmont & Astor)."

Yep apparently John Hansell helped them figure out the product they were selling.

[brettckeen]

Have the opportunity to go to the Orphan Barrel tasting here but it's on March 3rd and my next baby is scheduled to deliver on 3/6 so may have to decline.

You want to go in order to taste the other stuff coming to bottle while it is still at barrel strength.

[Conquistador]

FYI. I have seen 6-bottle cases of Barterhouse offered for purchase at the retail level. So assuming 200 total cases, that's 1,200 bottles of Barterhouse (and perhaps the same can be said for Old Blowhard) were produced, or thereabouts.

"Case" used to be a universal term of 12 750 bottles but now high end products have 6,4, 3 and sometimes just one bottle in them.

Hopefully the number is 2400 bottles. If it's half of that or less, prepare for a shit show trying to find it.

Pretty sure the Old Blowhard is about 200 cases but dont have an exact number.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

FYI. I have seen 6-bottle cases of Barterhouse offered for purchase at the retail level. So assuming 200 total cases, that's 1,200 bottles of Barterhouse (and perhaps the same can be said for Old Blowhard) were produced, or thereabouts.

I think we are looking at a bunch more than that. KY alone is expecting 150 total between the two. Whether they receive that is another issue.

And this is to accompany Bulleit bourbon. Sales numbers of bulleit will be the consideration for store allotments.

Not good news for us. Bulleit is about the 25th best seller in the bourbon category.

[Dolph Lundgren]

I heard there were 20,000 cases of Old Blowhard and that Bulleit was going to be allocated. I heard P&M Liquors still has some on the shelves. Better hurry up and buy some Bulleit.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

I heard there were 20,000 cases of Old Blowhard and that Bulleit was going to be allocated. I heard P&M Liquors still has some on the shelves. Better hurry up and buy some Bulleit.

[Old Dusty]

Each pallet of bulleit will get you a taste of old blow hard. Opt for a pallet of 10 year and you can get on a waiting list for a chance to purchase a bottle. Buy a pallet of each to guarantee yourself a bottle.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

Sweet! What a deal. A chance to buy stacks of Four Roses Yellow Label in nifty frontier-shaped bottles at twice the price PLUS some tired over-oaked Bernheim for a Benny and Grant.....lemme get back to you:grin:

[ncjazcat]

It's made to Tom Bulleits exact specifications. Sure those barrels say four roses but tom places his hand on each one and it instantly changes mashbill and gains value.

The last person to change plain (four roses) water into (bulleit) wine went down as the most famous man in history. Diagio is just getting in on the phenom early, while rookie contract caps are in place.

Edited February 28, 2014 by ncjazcat

[jvd99]

These are starting to hit the shelves. Online photos of Barterhouse bottles are showing at least 39,000+ bottles. This is hardly a "limited" release or a few select orphan barrels that were miraculously located. No wonder Diego wouldn't answer Hansell's question on his blog of how many bottles were being released, instead just giving a coy answer that the releases were "limited." More marketing BS.

[theglobalguy]

These are starting to hit the shelves. Online photos of Barterhouse bottles are showing at least 39,000+ bottles. This is hardly a "limited" release or a few select orphan barrels that were miraculously located. No wonder Diego wouldn't answer Hansell's question on his blog of how many bottles were being released, instead just giving a coy answer that the releases were "limited." More marketing BS.

You'll have to forgive me for asking, but are they serialized?

If so, 39K is less than 40k. So in a marketing way they did limit

[jvd99]

You'll have to forgive me for asking, but are they serialized?

If so, 39K is less than 40k. So in a marketing way they did limit

There are handwritten bottle numbers on the back label and that's the highest number I saw a picture of online. Its very likely that its 39K and counting.

[MyOldKyDram]

39K?

That's a Dickensian amount of orphans.

[Josh]

Sounds like some artful dodging to me.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[P&MLiquorsEric]

39000? That is a very limited release by diagio standards but not by bourbon standards.

[393foureyedfox]

wouldnt a barrel be down to like 22 gallons or so after 20 years? Which, if bottled at barrel proof would be about 110 bottles. Since it's 90 proof, lets say maybe 150 bottles or so per barrel. 39,000/150=260

how is it possible that about 250 barrels of 20 year old whiskey/bourbon were "found" in a derelict rickhouse? Is there any proof to back up the claim, or is it likely to be a 'story'?

I might be tempted enough if I see one, but I want more details first.

[nd2005]

wouldnt a barrel be down to like 22 gallons or so after 20 years? Which, if bottled at barrel proof would be about 110 bottles. Since it's 90 proof, lets say maybe 150 bottles or so per barrel. 39,000/150=260

how is it possible that about 250 barrels of 20 year old whiskey/bourbon were "found" in a derelict rickhouse? Is there any proof to back up the claim, or is it likely to be a 'story'?

I might be tempted enough if I see one, but I want more details first.

Obviously a story.

They are claiming (in the marketing material at least) that these were barrels magically unearthed in a back corner of S&W. As you say, it is pretty hard to believe that they magically found 250+ barrels hiding in a corner.

The mash bill and age pretty much exclusively peg them as old Bernheim stock (See John Hansell's blog for detail)

[danz]

There are handwritten bottle numbers on the back label and that's the highest number I saw a picture of online. Its very likely that its 39K and counting.

Wow, don't you just feel for the poor guy who had to hand write all those numbers?

[HighInTheMtns]

wouldnt a barrel be down to like 22 gallons or so after 20 years? Which, if bottled at barrel proof would be about 110 bottles. Since it's 90 proof, lets say maybe 150 bottles or so per barrel. 39,000/150=260

how is it possible that about 250 barrels of 20 year old whiskey/bourbon were "found" in a derelict rickhouse? Is there any proof to back up the claim, or is it likely to be a 'story'?

I might be tempted enough if I see one, but I want more details first.

Rule of thumb... If something is written on a whiskey bottle or whiskey advertisement, and its meaning is not defined by law, it's probably a story.

I hope I can get my hands on one of these, no sign of them coming to Utah yet.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

Rule of thumb... If something is written on a whiskey bottle or whiskey advertisement, and its meaning is not defined by law, it's probably a story.

I hope I can get my hands on one of these, no sign of them coming to Utah yet.

Very true. PT Barnum would have made a great booze marketing exec.

The entire booze business is smoke and mirrors. It is fueled by marketing and stories.

For example, Bacardi rum comes in gold and silver. The only difference in food coloring. Same with low end tequila.

[jvd99]

39000? That is a very limited release by diagio standards but not by bourbon standards.

Everything is relative, I guess. I have to admit that I purchased two Barterhouse with bottle numbers under 2000 because they landed in my store the day before and I thought this may be my only chance given the intense craze for all allocated bourbons of late. I figured that the release would be 6-12K, on par with a FR type release. I relied on the statements from Diago and online sources that that this was, in fact a limited allocated item. But without a definitive statement from Diago, I was admittedly flying blind at my own peril. A store manager even verified my name and zip code before allowing me to buy 2 bottles because he said some guy from New York was sending his family and friends to the store and its other outlets trying to buy every single bottle of Barterhouse and Old Blowhard. Apparently the stores were communicating with each other to thwart the evil shelf-clearer. In any event, I was a little pissed when I got home and did some more research to find that people were claiming that bottle numbers were in the tens of thousands. While I don't regret dropping the cash on these bottles because I know I will enjoy them, I probably didn't need to do it that day and could have waited for more information and reviews prior to making the purchase. It's probably too much to ask, and more on the futile end of the scale, that the distillers be transparent with certain claims, especially objectively verifiable information like the number of bottles in a "limited" release. That type of information will come out eventually and the distillers should just get in front of it rather than try to pull a fast one on their customers.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

I'm not sure if those numbers are accurate.

And the shelf clearing has gotten ridiculous with both bourbon and beer. To the point where we keep almost everything behind the counter with a strict limit.

[smokinjoe]

The more I read this thread, the more the thread title seems perfectly apropos...

[393foureyedfox]

A store manager even verified my name and zip code before allowing me to buy 2 bottles because he said some guy from New York was sending his family and friends to the store and its other outlets trying to buy every single bottle of Barterhouse and Old Blowhard. Apparently the stores were communicating with each other to thwart the evil shelf-clearer.

I think Id tell him that he has my repeat business just for doing that. Clearing A shelf for your own personal consumption is one thing, clearing a whole regions shelves is most likely done to try to monopolize the 'limited' stock of this item. Then again, Id love to see a flipper jump on the bandwagon and buy up everything he can find only to discover that it really isnt a limited supply.