jvd99 Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 (edited) In my experience, the employees push stuff that needs pushing and a good bourbon samiritan will suggest something of know quality that tastes good. Edited May 18, 2017 by jvd99 Sp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clueby Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 In a recent TW store visit there was a guy looking for Angel's Envy but it appeared they were out of it. I suggested that if he liked "finished" bourbons he might look at one of the Belle Meade finished selections. He seemed to not understand what I was talking about in regards to a "finished" bourbon and just kept staring at the empty Angel's Envy spot and eyeing me suspiciously. HA Finally one of the employees came by and they said they'd check if they had any more AE..which they actually did! At one of the other TW stores there is always this one employee at the bourbon section that wants to see if he can help and "make a suggestion" for you. Invariably his suggestion is one of their Spirits Direct products or recently they've really been pushing Breaker (not sure if its a SD). I tried the Breaker wheated recently at their tasting bar. It wasn't too bad actually. They asked me what I honestly thought and I told them I thought it needed a couple more years and a bit more proof in the bottle and all three employees present looked as if I shot their dog and then just shook their heads and walked away. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 He ended up recommending Jefferson's Ocean because "Jefferson's 23 was the best bourbon" he ever tried. I'm no Jefferson's expert since I avoid it like the plague, but I'm also pretty sure there was never such a thing. Blind leading the blind.In fairness, they did make an 18, 21, and 25 year old bourbon. They were all very good, and the eye was even better 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 In fairness, they did make an 18, 21, and 25 year old bourbon. They were all very good, and the eye was even betterMake=bottleEye=rye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvd99 Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 ^^^ good one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinbrink Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 7 hours ago, Clueby said: In a recent TW store visit there was a guy looking for Angel's Envy but it appeared they were out of it. I suggested that if he liked "finished" bourbons he might look at one of the Belle Meade finished selections. He seemed to not understand what I was talking about in regards to a "finished" bourbon and just kept staring at the empty Angel's Envy spot and eyeing me suspiciously. HA Finally one of the employees came by and they said they'd check if they had any more AE..which they actually did! At one of the other TW stores there is always this one employee at the bourbon section that wants to see if he can help and "make a suggestion" for you. Invariably his suggestion is one of their Spirits Direct products or recently they've really been pushing Breaker (not sure if its a SD). I tried the Breaker wheated recently at their tasting bar. It wasn't too bad actually. They asked me what I honestly thought and I told them I thought it needed a couple more years and a bit more proof in the bottle and all three employees present looked as if I shot their dog and then just shook their heads and walked away. In NJ (so I would imagine everywhere else) Hancock's and RHF are both SD I have never seen one be recommended, however I have intervened when a TW expert tried to suggest some other SD garbage and told the victim to go with those instead. I was pleasantly surprised the last time I was at TW when they tried to push a JB single barrel and a KC single barrel on me, admittedly I bit on both.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0895 Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 11 hours ago, dcbt said: I think there are just as many 'huh' moments from customers as there are employees. Case in point: yesterday at Total Wine I overheard two guys in the bourbon aisle, one of whom was clearly trying to help the other one in a purchase, opining at every opportunity, trying to show his vast knowledge of everything bourbon. Yup. Definitely the reason why I just keep my mouth shut now in the aisles. Not worth the effort and most people don't listen anyway. Recently saw two guys debating over varius Clyde Mayes offerings. Grabbed my SAOS and quickly walked away. They might still be there discussing it.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 The guys at my local TW know that I know my stuff so they will sometimes actually tell a customer to ask me. In other circumstances, when an employee is not present and someone asks me what I think, I'll offer my opinions. Usually they end up telling me how great Jefferson's Ocean and IW Harper 15 is. At that point I just nod my head and wish them the best. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NDN98 Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 My experience at TW usually depends upon which store I am visiting. One store does nothing but try to push the same products (that I already know I don't like) or their Sprits Direct. Stuff. 2 other stores actually give pretty decent suggestions on bourbon/Scotch and will usually have samples to try. I appreciate that, because it allows me to try something I might not have bought otherwise or tastes something that I don't like and prevent me from buying an entire bottle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 On 5/18/2017 at 3:58 PM, b1gcountry said: In fairness, they did make an 18, 21, and 25 year old bourbon. They were all very good, and the eye was even better Not to mention a 30 year old bourbon that they bottled from who knows where. I would guess HH but don't know for sure. You take the 2 from one of the twenty somethings and the 3 from the 30yo and you've got yourself a 23yo bourbon... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 Not to mention a 30 year old bourbon that they bottled from who knows where. I would guess HH but don't know for sure. You take the 2 from one of the twenty somethings and the 3 from the 30yo and you've got yourself a 23yo bourbon... If you could pick your favorite parts of a 23 year old, and mix them with your favorite 30 year old, then you would basically have the perfect...wait, what are we talking about again? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hop Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Old store here in KY had a 4R secretariat for $400, Parkers 24yr for $400, and 200ml bottles of OC10 for $22 - passed on all of course Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonNit Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Need to get my favorite thread back on track. Went into a store that I saw that had a $700 WLW in the glass case about a month back. Someone actually bought it. Saw a lot of new additions added that didn't belong including a $100 bottle of Pikesville Rye. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTen Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 On 5/19/2017 at 7:55 AM, NDN98 said: My experience at TW usually depends upon which store I am visiting. One store does nothing but try to push the same products (that I already know I don't like) or their Sprits Direct. Stuff. 2 other stores actually give pretty decent suggestions on bourbon/Scotch and will usually have samples to try. I appreciate that, because it allows me to try something I might not have bought otherwise or tastes something that I don't like and prevent me from buying an entire bottle. As a large corporate chain, TW's quality of employees varies greatly from store to store, shift to shift. Even though they claim to train ("over 150 hours") their people, it's not even close to that much (I got zilch before they put me out on the floor for the first time a week before Thanksgiving and not much since). Heck, I was even teaching all of their liquor classes and training new employees after a month. The corporate mantra is to get people to trust you on your advice for National brands (for about a year) and then start pushing their "Spirits Direct" plonk (IMHO, but a few products are pretty good) to "start making some money." And that's when I left them just after Christmas. And don't even get me started about the liquor/wine knowledge of their managers. So buy what you want for price, sample at tasting for information and judge for yourself (as always). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepCover Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 So this TH Handy is, what, 5x secondary market prices or thereabouts? No thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 It almost makes that bookers rye look like a bargainSent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderKeg Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 On 6/13/2017 at 10:29 PM, HoustonNit said: Need to get my favorite thread back on track. Went into a store that I saw that had a $700 WLW in the glass case about a month back. Someone actually bought it. Saw a lot of new additions added that didn't belong including a $100 bottle of Pikesville Rye. And here I picked up a bottle of Pikesville in IN for $39, while @15 miles south across the Ohio in KY it was $56.... Now for a huh? I meant to post a week or few ago - is TW's Two Star actually a wheater? One of the rare times I've been in TW and not had anyone hovering in the isle. Label says absolutely nothing about it - rare for an honest wheater. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTen Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 7 hours ago, PowderKeg said: And here I picked up a bottle of Pikesville in IN for $39, while @15 miles south across the Ohio in KY it was $56.... Now for a huh? I meant to post a week or few ago - is TW's Two Star actually a wheater? One of the rare times I've been in TW and not had anyone hovering in the isle. Label says absolutely nothing about it - rare for an honest wheater. Oh those folk @ TW - they're such kidders . . . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nm0369 Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 I just read a couple reviews on that Two Stars. It's seems like they named it appropriately. NAS 86 proof distilled by Barton....nothing to be found about the mashbill. They did use the old style Weller bottle, so it must be a wheater! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonNit Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 I just read a couple reviews on that Two Stars. It's seems like they named it appropriately. NAS 86 proof distilled by Barton....nothing to be found about the mashbill. They did use the old style Weller bottle, so it must be a wheater!Yeah it's from Barton, figured it was just standard Very Old Barton. Local TW seems to have issues in terms of supply of Sazerac/BT products. Been out of VOB for almost a month but has end caps and aisle displays of Two Star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTen Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 1 hour ago, Nm0369 said: I just read a couple reviews on that Two Stars. It's seems like they named it appropriately. NAS 86 proof distilled by Barton....nothing to be found about the mashbill. They did use the old style Weller bottle, so it must be a wheater! Ha, ha - it turns out that "Two Stars" is "a tribute to the municipal flag of Louisville, KY". But it's a generous rating for that plonk as well IMHO. I'll buy handles of AAA10 and JWDant before Two Stars every time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderKeg Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 2 hours ago, HoustonNit said: Yeah it's from Barton, figured it was just standard Very Old Barton. Local TW seems to have issues in terms of supply of Sazerac/BT products. Been out of VOB for almost a month but has end caps and aisle displays of Two Star. That's what I figured too, and overpriced VOB as well. Next time up at TW think I'll pose the question of proof of wheat and see what they say, if the "high wheater" signs are still plastered everywhere. Which begs another huh?? Never heard tell of high vs low wheaters, and all the signs on the variety of wheaters said "high wheater"... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 On June 18, 2017 at 5:53 AM, Nm0369 said: I just read a couple reviews on that Two Stars. It's seems like they named it appropriately. NAS 86 proof distilled by Barton....nothing to be found about the mashbill. They did use the old style Weller bottle, so it must be a wheater! On June 18, 2017 at 6:41 AM, HoustonNit said: Yeah it's from Barton, figured it was just standard Very Old Barton. Local TW seems to have issues in terms of supply of Sazerac/BT products. Been out of VOB for almost a month but has end caps and aisle displays of Two Star. It's not from Barton. It's made at BT. More than likely it's a wheater. I found a bottle of this at a reasonable price when I was traveling out east a couple of years ago. Very similar to Weller SR. Also and FWIW, there's already an existing thread on Two Stars Bourbon that I bumped up so y'all could take a look at it. https://www.straightbourbon.com/community/topic/18024-two-stars-bourbon/ Joe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nm0369 Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 1 hour ago, fishnbowljoe said: It's not from Barton. It's made at BT. More than likely it's a wheater. I found a bottle of this at a reasonable price when I was traveling out east a couple of years ago. Very similar to Weller SR. Also and FWIW, there's already an existing thread on Two Stars Bourbon that I bumped up so y'all could take a look at it. https://www.straightbourbon.com/community/topic/18024-two-stars-bourbon/ Joe http://www.bourbonguy.com/blog/2015/8/18/two-stars-bourbon Here's the review I read from 8/2015 with his quote below. I don't have access to TW or a desire to try this bourbon, just sighting my source. "UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly hypothesized that this bourbon might have been produced at Buffalo Trace. They have reached out to inform me that it is instead made at the company's Barton Distillery in Bardstown, KY. The story has been updated to reflect that change." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonNit Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 http://www.bourbonguy.com/blog/2015/8/18/two-stars-bourbon Here's the review I read from 8/2015 with his quote below. I don't have access to TW or a desire to try this bourbon, just sighting my source. [emoji6] "UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly hypothesized that this bourbon might have been produced at Buffalo Trace. They have reached out to inform me that it is instead made at the company's Barton Distillery in Bardstown, KY. The story has been updated to reflect that change." Ok that must of been one of the reviews I read that said Barton. I also believe I read another review where they also referenced Barton and actually kind of liked it. I still trust Joe over any rando blogger. He might of got a call today saying production moved back to BT. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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