Bottles You Regret Buying?

[Nillion]

Willett 4 year rye was uninspiring, mediocre MGP rye. I had a couple of pours then used the rest for mixed drinks.

I've avoided most other craft distilleries, so I haven't had any major stinkers.

[Clavius]

Willet Pot Still Reserve. Completely undrinkable garbage. The only bottle of alcohol I regret buying more in my entire life is Connemara.

I don't remember thinking that the juice inside my bottle of Willet Pot Still was that bad. However, I do regret purchasing that bottle because the bourbon was nothing special and I felt like I paid $35 for a cool looking bottle.

[camduncan]

Wild Turkey Freedom. Got sucked into the duty free only hype, and grabbed a bottle back when it was available.... It's been open for almost 7 years now, and I still can find anyone that likes it.

[garbanzobean]

I don't remember thinking that the juice inside my bottle of Willet Pot Still was that bad. However, I do regret purchasing that bottle because the bourbon was nothing special and I felt like I paid $35 for a cool looking bottle.

It's possible I got a bad bottle. It mostly tasted like alcoholic corn syrup. I ended up using it as braising liquid and to keep food I was smoking moist.

[ccleve23]

It's possible I got a bad bottle. It mostly tasted like alcoholic corn syrup. I ended up using it as braising liquid and to keep food I was smoking moist.

I have had the same experience with that willet, getting a bad bottle. The first bottle I tried I thought was rather good. I then bought a bottle for myself and hated it. Tasted horrible. I ended up using it for my barrel aged manhattans.

[dcbt]

I actually was gifted a bottle of Willett Pot Still this weekend. I had my first pour of it last night. Tasted like Eagle Rare to me with heavy vanilla but I'll revisit it again soon. It was good, you know, nothing unappealing about it, but I can't see myself ever buying a bottle. Of any Willett for that matter, but for other reasons.

Edited October 20, 2014 by dcbt
typo

[garbanzobean]

I have had the same experience with that willet, getting a bad bottle. The first bottle I tried I thought was rather good. I then bought a bottle for myself and hated it. Tasted horrible. I ended up using it for my barrel aged manhattans.

you happen to buy it at the Corridor Total Wine? Maybe we bought the same batch.

[amg]

Willet Pot Still Reserve is one of the most inconsistent bottling a I've encountered. Why they insist on making this a single barrel when they obviously can't get a consistent profile from the sourced barrels they use is beyond me. The only bottle of it I've ever bought tasted like young corn whiskey with a black walnut note, but I've had it on other occasions and found it to be a fairly pleasant typical bourbon.

[squire]

Why they insist on making this a single barrel when they obviously can't get a consistent profile from the sourced barrels they use is beyond me.

Perhaps because it's profitable.

[393foureyedfox]

Maybe this is cheating the question a bit, but I have a corner of my shelf dedicated to unaged whiskeys (or whatever you want to call it) -- a few I bought, others were gifts. Don't ask why I bought more than one, but none has more than an ounce or two missing. I've never figured out how or why to drink that stuff; some brands are better than others, but the whole category is a mystery to me. I've never met anyone, aside from the distillers themselves, who likes it.

my disliked ones I use for those nights when I just need to relax. down a shot of one of those, then sit back and relax with something I enjoy. Currently, FC and Jailers are in that category...neither are bad, I just dont enjoy them (for a similar but better profile, Id take HHBIB gold or Dickel 12, respectively). Other times I use them in BBQ sauce, but the OO was so bad I couldnt even use it that way.

[Mardbrown]

So far I have only regretted buying two bottles of bourbon. Wild Turkey Rare Breed 108 and Jim Beam Devil's Cut. Initially I gave JBDC a pass because it was cheap, but I have recently taken it back. I have had now several labels (under $20) in the past few months to determine just because something is cheap, does not mean its bad. And ironically, I must have completely lucked out, the bottle of Willet Pot Still I have is very good.

[amg]

Perhaps because it's profitable.

I'd think that repeat customers would be more profitable than one-time customers, but maybe I'm just crazy.

[tylermke]

My third bottle of BMH Red Label. The first two were good, but my third bottle tasted like creamed corn. I could barely mix it. It was obvious the source of the distillate changed between my 2nd and 3rd bottles. Never bought it again and never will.

[The Black Tot]

A bottle of Kentucky Tavern (My first dusty, haha), and a Willett Pot Still Reserve.

OH, and that Woodford Master's Collection Malt whiskey, the darker one. Even the guy I gave it to for free complained!

All in all, I've done pretty well and have very few regretful purchase experiences. Most of the other stuff that I haven't liked is still well drinkable. Life is good.

[oke&coke]

Not a single bottle I have purchased was regrettable. Unenjoyable yes, but never regrettable.

[kcgumbohead]

JBDC was definitely a regrettable purchase for me, thankfully it was on a work trip and I left the majority behind. ER didn't thrill me either in my only experience with it. On the plus side it was a 375 I think so the $ hit was lighter than a 750. I would have been pissed if I was stuck with a 750 of that.

[sutton]

My third bottle of BMH Red Label. The first two were good, but my third bottle tasted like creamed corn. I could barely mix it. It was obvious the source of the distillate changed between my 2nd and 3rd bottles. Never bought it again and never will.

I forgot about this one - I think we may have had the same batch. Given the price, this takes it over JBDC - and your description is spot on, although I might add some raw corn oil to the top of that creamed corn.

[BourbonGuy]

Not a bourbon, but a big disappointment...Stranahan's. I used to like it and had not purchased a bottle in years. I purchased on and the closest thing I can say is...

Prunes. The Wine Guy in Smithtown has a mini-whiskeyfest. The guy behind the counter asked me if I wanted to taste. I did and asked why it changed. He answer was

"It's made by real people". (Cute ) I asked him to taste it. He did. He seemed surprised. You would think the guy behind the counter selling something would have at least tasted it. Anyway, I am wondering, is prunes the sign of a distillation defect?

[squire]

Dark fruit (fig, prune) notes are found in some Bourbons but not in an objectionable amount or as a dominate flavor. This definitely sounds like a try before you buy proposal. With so many good, reasonably priced Bourbons out there I wouldn't bother.

[ThirstyinOhio]

The only regret I have is buying my first bottle of GTS. I fell in love with that profile after the first sip and now spend way too much time every fall desperately seeking a bottle of two.

[nd2005]

Like others have said - just about every "craft" whiskey I've bought.

Beer barrel bourbon - interesting for a sip or two, but now I have a bottle I won't finish for years taking up space

Hudson - expensive crap

Journeyman - How I wish I had seen OscarV's legendary thread in the distillery trip forum before I paid $50 for this stuff...

[Trey Manthey]

Corsair Ryemaggedon

Angel's Envy Cask Strength 2013

Old Potrero 18th Century Rye

[bin31z]

I regret buying a bottle of 90's bourbon DelLuxe and a bottle of the willett's 2 yr rye.

[squire]

Now that you mention it I was a bit dissatisfied with the young versions of Old Potrero as well, interesting at first but the novelty wore off.

[Lost Pollito]

Any, and all White Dog. Yep. I kept buying and trying, and dumping them down the drain. Could not find a good use for any of them.