dcbt Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 ETL is a NAS bourbon, but not in the way we tend to look at NAS stuff nowadays. I think we generally look at NAS bourbons now, as younger products. IIRC, ETL is, or was usually around 7 years old, and maybe up to 9. I know there's a post here somewhere about the age of ETL, but I can't find it. I think that's in range.. 7-10, somewhere in there. http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?20596-BOTM-8-13-Elmer-T-Lee-Single-Barrel http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?4708-Elmer-T-Lee-age Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Wow, even the bible belt state of Ga has Sunday sales.Which, it should be noted, is a pretty recent change for Georgia and still not the case everywhere in Georgia. Some counties remain completely dry I believe. And Sunday sales is largely disliked by most store owners (and especially employees!) as best I can tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhatter Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 To me, ETL does not taste like it has a lot of age on it. You could get that depth in 5-6 years. People tend to overguess the age of bourbons, perhaps hopefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CABourbon Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I'm seeing ETL all over SF. A new shipment must have just hit the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 To me, ETL does not taste like it has a lot of age on it. You could get that depth in 5-6 years. People tend to overguess the age of bourbons, perhaps hopefully.Are your opinions on ETL tasting younger than the supposed age based on the latest April-ish release? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhatter Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Are your opinions on ETL tasting younger than the supposed age based on the latest April-ish release? Edited May 23, 2015 by Madhatter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Howdy, Joe, Based on tasting of three bottles purchased at different places (Lansing, Traverse City, and my hometown) from March 2014 - November 2014. I have one still open. This is not related to tasting, but given the name recognition and fanbase of ETL, it is to BT economic advantage to back off the barrel age to move more into distribution. I see it said that volume and marketshare trump everything else in the whiskey business. Tasting reports of this year's release are welcome. MaddyEdit: It's personal taste, but when this ETL is gone, I plan for Bowman Bros, EC12, and/or Henry McKenna to be it's place-taker, at slightly lower cost and better availability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 I would like to see real evidence and confirmation of where the age is, though.It would be interesting to know but short of a reliable "Deep Throat" or the use of extensive "bourbon boarding" from someone in the know at BT/Sazerac I am not sure we are going to get reliable public confirmation of the age of the current release from Sazerac. Fortunately I still have a few of the delightful GBS ETL bottles to obviate the need to find out for myself for at least a while! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 My understanding is if a group selects a barrel, the age information is provided. Most of the time we don't know, other than 4 years plus whatever tasters felt was necessary to meet a profile. I don't have any problem buying or drinking no age stated bourbon. If a distiller does choose to put an age statement, it can help justify price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 It would be interesting to know but short of a reliable "Deep Throat" or the use of extensive "bourbon boarding" from someone in the know at BT/Sazerac I am not sure we are going to get reliable public confirmation of the age of the current release from Sazerac. Fortunately I still have a few of the delightful GBS ETL bottles to obviate the need to find out for myself for at least a while! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Regardless, I frankly would be shocked if the age range has been lowered to the level surmised by MH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhatter Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Not to belabor the details, but my assertion"To me, ETL does not taste like it has a lot of age on it. You could get that depth in 5-6 years. People tend to overguess the age of bourbons, perhaps hopefully."refers to the way it tastes to me, regardless of what the actual age (young or old) happens to be. Maddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardsJJH24 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 didn't BT put out a press release recently that talked about how they would be increasing the supply of several of their bourbon brands, but that Elmer T. Lee was among those that would remain allocated? I don't suppose that rules out the possibility they are using younger stock for ETL, but it seems unlikely to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhatter Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 didn't BT put out a press release recently that talked about how they would be increasing the supply of several of their bourbon brands, but that Elmer T. Lee was among those that would remain allocated? I don't suppose that rules out the possibility they are using younger stock for ETL, but it seems unlikely to me.Buffalo Trace said every brand was allocated. And said some are strictly allocated. First: of course they are allocated. They don't send out an infinite amount of bourbon each release. Second: they don't explain what allocated means. It can mean anything from "sending out" to "rationing." Of course they would like for us to interpret it as rationing, to further drive demand from those who think they can't find any without extra effort or extra cost. Buffalo Trace's excessive secrecy and lack of transparency is part of their marketing psychology. Caveat emptor when it comes to BT. (Not that some of their brands aren't pretty good). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Gosh MH, you make BT sound downright dastardly! Like, black hats, face masks, cloaks and daggers kind of shit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 The ones being dastardly in this instance are retailers and distributors spreading lies and encouraging this stupidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 A few things that Buffalo Trace Distillery will NOT do: Buffalo Trace Distillery won’t lower their quality standards or alcohol by volume (ABV) just to sell more whiskey. The suggested retail pricing will not be raised, just to take advantage of the high demand. (Note, although some stores may charge a premium for Buffalo Trace’s limited brands, the Distillery is not asking them to do so.) Brands won’t be discontinued. All bourbon brands will continue to be produced and allocated each year, with a focus on quality and making more.At least BT is sending out information about what's going on. That seems pretty transparent, and not very secretive if you ask me. Below is the link to the full press release Amy Preske sent out from BT May 13th.http://buffalotracedistillery.com/sites/default/files/Buffalo%20Trace%20Gives%20Update%20To%20Bourbon%20Shortages%20for%202015.pdfThe ones being dastardly in this instance are retailers and distributors spreading lies and encouraging this stupidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhatter Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Gosh MH, you make BT sound downright dastardly! Like, black hats, face masks, cloaks and daggers kind of shit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 No, I did not say 'black hats, face masks, cloaks and daggers'. You said 'black hats, face masks, cloaks and daggers'. It is a common, though weak, debate tactic to add ridiculous exaggerations to others comments in order to weaken them. To anyone who has half a brain, that tactic is easily recognizable and never works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Tot Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I think BT is one of the MAJOR good guys in this boom. I agree that the struggle and rip offs come from those down the chain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 A few things that Buffalo Trace Distillery will NOT do: Buffalo Trace Distillery won’t lower their quality standards or alcohol by volume (ABV) ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Of course they will lower proofs, they have in the past, but so would the rest of 'em if they thought they could get away with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 I'm not so sure about won't lower ABV. At some point in the past the proof of ETL changed from 107 to 90, and ER changed from 101 to 90. I'm not trying to slam BT. They do have several products I really like. Yeah but that was a million years ago. They haven't lowered proofs recently. They do love dropping those age statements tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Tot Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Good point on the factor of the times. Squire, when they lowered the proofs of ER and ETL, was there a big outcry in the way Maker's got publicly skewered?Or did BT just benefit from the internet not being around for the masses to blog up a storm? As Josh suggests, you'd think they couldn't get away with that today without getting slammed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 No outcry but that was 20 years ago and ETL wasn't very well known at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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