Rare Breed used to be better

[tmckenzie]

Most new stills, like ours, is stainless stripping section, all vapor section and whiskey section is copper. Copper in beer section just causes more cleaning.

[Phil T]

Just as a side thought. I really don't care about still construction, what the distillers are doing (or not), that may be different from times past. All that I think about, is current product, and do I like it or not.

To answer the OP question, I can not answer to the original question, but the current version is quite good and a steal at $30

[Flyfish]

That's my understanding as well and unfortunately the all copper column still is a remembrance of the past.

.

So, copper stills are Proustian technology. Squire, you just get more erudite every day.

[Red One]

So, copper stills are Proustian technology. Squire, you just get more erudite every day.

I believe there is a bit of Candor in him as well. Maybe he is Divergent.

Ha, ha. Couldn't resist.

[squire]

Anglican actually but I get around.

[Red One]

Anglican actually but I get around.

Reference was to the one of the latest book series, Divergent, which has factions of society. One of them is Erudite; Candor is another. Divergent people have multiple characteristics. Sorry to get off topic, but it just jumped out at me. The first movie from the series comes out next month. I rather enjoyed the books, and, back on topic, read several chapters while enjoying WT 101!

[gblick]

Is there any way to discern later batches of "WT 03RB" from earlier releases? Laser code on bottle, for example?

[scratchline]

I thought the bottle I picked up the other day was an older one. Has the black shrink-wrap and the code on the back label. 30 bucks out the door. Had to do it.

[Oboe Cadobro]

30 bucks out the door.

Old or new, at that price it was a no-brainer! :cool:

[Bluffhunter]

For my personal tastes out of all the $50 or less bourbons I have, Rare Breed is the best and is regularly available unlike alot of the barrel proofs. I would love to be able to find a bottle from way back that everyone says is better!

[ewj]

For my personal tastes out of all the $50 or less bourbons I have, Rare Breed is the best and is regularly available unlike alot of the barrel proofs. I would love to be able to find a bottle from way back that everyone says is better!

is it just me or does it seem as if this stuff isn't going to be discontinued anytime soon? thought that was the official statement a few months ago...

[p_elliott]

is it just me or does it seem as if this stuff isn't going to be discontinued anytime soon? thought that was the official statement a few months ago...

I don't recall WT ever saying they were going to discontinue RB

[Phil T]

I don't recall WT ever saying they were going to discontinue RB

I know we talked about a new batch and label, but nothing of it being discontinued

[ewj]

I thougt word was (not in this thread) that forgiven would take RBs place

[393foureyedfox]

I thougt word was (not in this thread) that forgiven would take RBs place

[T Comp]

I thougt word was (not in this thread) that forgiven would take RBs place

WTRB-03, has subjectively seemed to be an extremly slow mover for a long time around Chicago, even post bourbon boom. The same bottles around long enough, I would think of it as the cockroach bourbon, able to survive a nuclear bomb. Forgiven has easily surpassed it though, see enough stores with display cases of it and sure don't look like the stack is coming down. I'm lucky to have had many a taste of the dusties but think 03 WTRB is still a fine bourbon (unlike Forgiven) and especially when I put a few away at $30...because nobody else was buying them, even at that price and recently.

[bmajazz]

I just finally bought a bottle of the WT-03RB, my first Rare Breed. I guess I'm just used to dusties more than some, but I just can't get over the alcohol taste to it. A nice splash of water knocked it down, but the "heat" in this isn't like the current OGD 114 or some of my old S-W Old Weller Antique, which is similar proof. There's just something that reminds me of some of the biting cheaper bourbons I've had, and it's not a good thing.

More on this as I change my mind! :cool:

[squire]

I suspect that bite may come from using younger Bourbon in the mix. That is a characteristic I find in some of the younger value Bourbons that haven't been rounded off by age.

[393foureyedfox]

i think the new 112 batch is pretty darn good, particularly for low $30's...........but I didnt really care for the older 108 batch

[TheNovaMan]

That's my understanding as well and unfortunately the all copper column still is a remembrance of the past. What the Kentucky distillers do today (and others around the World I suppose) is load the interior of the stainless columns with scrap copper over which the alcohol vapor flows.

I don't know if the all copper still at Stitzel-Weller is still usable, it will be interesting to see if Diageo refurbishes that along with the distillery.

Stainless is a bad idea for many reasons. Although the metal itself is cheaper than copper, stainless is much harder and more brittle than copper, so it's very difficult to form. If you want to join two pieces of it, you have to TIG weld it instead of just silver soldering it. If you want your still to look like it's copper, you'd have to have it painted or plated, neither of which is cheap if you want it to look right AND last (WT's still looked like copper this spring). Even though the stainless would last longer, you still have to load it with scrap copper to reduce the sulfides. Add all that up, and I doubt there's any real savings to a stainless steel still.

[boneuphtoner]

i think the new 112 batch is pretty darn good, particularly for low $30's...........but I didnt really care for the older 108 batch

Same here. I tried the 108 in a mini once two years ago and I was not that impressed....it was a nice pour, I certainly didn't dislike it it, but I did not think it was that much better than the standard 101 for my money. I'm a huge fan of the the 112 RB.

[TunnelTiger]

Really, really enjoying this new RB. May be it used to better but I can't complain about this one at all.

[393foureyedfox]

and thats all that matters, isnt it?

[kcgumbohead]

Have one last bottle of 108, will be getting a 112 so I can SBS. Based on the mounting positive reviews I feel much better about it and am looking very much forward to a taste.