What is the most consistsnt Honey Barrel?

[BigPapa]

whst bottle would you say you have the most luck with a honey barrel bottle?

[Paddy]

If you're speaking to which brand (as all barrels are obviously different), the playing field is narrowed down to those who give you that information on the bottle.  My best luck tends to run with private selection bottles of EWSB and 4RSB.

[B.B. Babington]

I had the best luck with EC18, alas, those days are past.

[Louisiana]

33 minutes ago, B.B. Babington said:

I had the best luck with EC18, alas, those days are past.

 

Speaking of EC18. Stopped at a service station out of town for gas a while back. I had to go in and see if there was anything hiding in there. Low and behold two EC18's sitting on the very bottom shelf at a great price. In a rush I picked them up bought them quickly and left. Had a major merger of all my bourbons last week to actually see what all I have bought over the last few years. Not as bad as I thought. Good thing. But as all he HH products were put together I realized that those 2 EC18 bottles were barreled on my birth date when at I was 12 years old. Couldn't believe it. So next month I will open one of them to celebrate my Birthday. Sure hope they are good!

[flahute]

The terms "honey barrel" and "consistent" are sort of opposed to each other. The inference of the honey barrel term is that the barrel is unusually good and unique and doesn't come around very often. As Paddy said, you're limited to those that actually provide barrel info so you know one from the other. I'd agree with him that Four Roses can hit that bar with more frequency than others. 

[Harry in WashDC]

What Steve said.  Because store selections of 4R have barrel-specific info on them, I usually purchase ONE bottle and taste really soon.  If it is super, I rush back and get more, being sure to check each bottle to ensure it is, indeed, the same barrel.

 

As Paddy said, this works with brands that put the barrel # on the bottle.  I follow this practice with EWSB, Blantons store picks, HMcKBIB, and 4R PS.  I also follow it to a lesser extent with Bookers which, as a serially released small batch, lets me taste then load up on bottles from the same batch.

 

Edited August 23, 2016 by Harry in WashDC
clarify my Blantons reference - add store picks

[garbanzobean]

For me, Henry McKenna 10 BIB and EWSB are always "honey barrels," in that I always like the bottles I open.  The Angels Envy store blends I've tried have all been good, but the barrel finish, lack of source disclosure, and marketing behind that brand make them a real turnoff for many.   I don't buy the regular stuff, but I'll support a local store that blends and buys a batch.

 

The only other example I can think of is that whole series of Four Roses OESQ barrels aged 9-11 years that went out 18-24 months ago, or thereabouts.  The ones Jim Rutledge mentioned being particularly proud of.  I've tried multiple barrels and even helped pick one for a local store, and they were all fairly unusual but very tasty to my palate.

[Bourbonmakesmepoop]

3 hours ago, garbanzobean said:

For me, Henry McKenna 10 BIB and EWSB are always "honey barrels," in that I always like the bottles I open.  The Angels Envy store blends I've tried have all been good, but the barrel finish, lack of source disclosure, and marketing behind that brand make them a real turnoff for many.   I don't buy the regular stuff, but I'll support a local store that blends and buys a batch.

 

The only other example I can think of is that whole series of Four Roses OESQ barrels aged 9-11 years that went out 18-24 months ago, or thereabouts.  The ones Jim Rutledge mentioned being particularly proud of.  I've tried multiple barrels and even helped pick one for a local store, and they were all fairly unusual but very tasty to my palate.

I'm excited to read this comment, I bought an OESQ about a year ago that I haven't opened yet. First Q I have ever found. I might just have to satisfy my curiosity this evening, now that I hear Jim Rutledge was bragging about them.

[B.B. Babington]

23 hours ago, Louisiana said:

 

...I realized that those 2 EC18 bottles were barreled on my birth date when at I was 12 years old...

wow, synchronicity at it's best