What Bourbon did you Pass up?? Winter 2016/2017

[bourbon4all]

I was going to put together a response to all of this but to whom it may concern read it verbatim.

 

[JTaylor]

34 minutes ago, bourbon4all said:

If only all of us could justify no budget....Wife... Kid... Have to contemplate price sometimes..?

 if I didn't have to contemplate price, I'd have a bunker full of VW and BTACHell, when my kids still lived at home I was lucky if I could afford to splurge on a KC for $34. Yes, $65 is a high end price, but to me it is worthy. It knocked my socks off from the very first pour. The last batch, A117, not so much. Batch 12 will never be duplicated and I like it, a lot, so... they got me. I've been drinking bourbon pretty much since I could drink, but didn't start amassing any real quantity until I was 45- ish. Now, if I see a bottle I want to try (usually after thoroughly researching here to make sure it is "justifiable") I buy it. Depending on how much I like it and my perception of its availability AND value I may go back for more.

No attacks its all good.

Edited March 5, 2017 by JTaylor

[Jkersh]

$1400 M20

$600 GTS

149 ETL

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

I passed on this one yesterday at the Wild Turkey giftshop. I love spicy foods (and I sometimes eat raw ghost peppers and Carolina Reaper peppers), so I have some interest in this bottle (although I rarely like sweet mixed with heat). They also had WT 101 Rye, and it cost in the $50ish range. That seemed a bit expensive to me.




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[justanuthercap]

12 hours ago, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

I passed on this one yesterday at the Wild Turkey giftshop. I love spicy foods (and I sometimes eat raw ghost peppers and Carolina Reaper peppers), so I have some interest in this bottle (although I rarely like sweet mixed with heat). They also had WT 101 Rye, and it cost in the $50ish range. That seemed a bit expensive to me.




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I have a bottle of this and enjoy it quite a bit, it's not super hot but people I've shared it with who don't like spicy food have said it's hot.  I'm not a pepper head but do enjoy spicy foods.  Oh, and locally it's only $20 and I don't think I'd pay more than that for it.

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

I have a bottle of this and enjoy it quite a bit, it's not super hot but people I've shared it with who don't like spicy food have said it's hot.  I'm not a pepper head but do enjoy spicy foods.  Oh, and locally it's only $20 and I don't think I'd pay more than that for it.

I may have to try a bottle if it is that cheap around here. I am trying to scale back on my consumption of super spicy foods as I am sure it has impacted my palate and may be wreaking havoc on my stomach. I imagine that I wouldn't find this to be very spicy, but it is something that I can share with some of my pepperhead friends and family.

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[bourbon4all]

5 minutes ago, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

 

I may have to try a bottle if it is that cheap around here. I am trying to scale back on my consumption of super spicy foods as I am sure it has impacted my palate and may be wreaking havoc on my stomach. I imagine that I wouldn't find this to be very spicy, but it is something that I can share with some of my pepperhead friends and family.

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It may be wreaking havoc, but spicy foods "should" help you taste more in bourbon. I just wouldn't recommend at the same time

[bourbon4all]

13 hours ago, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

I passed on this one yesterday at the Wild Turkey giftshop. I love spicy foods (and I sometimes eat raw ghost peppers and Carolina Reaper peppers), so I have some interest in this bottle (although I rarely like sweet mixed with heat). They also had WT 101 Rye, and it cost in the $50ish range. That seemed a bit expensive to me.




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50 for 101 rye seems pretty high to me. Had to special request but my last was 33

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

50 for 101 rye seems pretty high to me. Had to special request but my last was 33

All of their prices seemed high to me. The price of their regular WT 101 ($28) and WT 101 Rye seemed especially high to me. I guess that is capitalism. The distilleries figure they can make more money while they have consumers in their doors with tourist dollars burning holes in their pockets. I may have sprung for a bottle of Old Ripy if they had it. I still may go back for a bottle of Master's Keep if I can make some decent money selling some of my old concert shirts and sports jerseys. I've read some reviews that favor WT Master's Keep over the Decades. Although that is a huge chunk of change for a bottle. Their Russell's Reserve Ryes were more expensive than the bourbons too. I guess since they import their rye from Germany they have to charge more for their rye.

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[kevinbrink]

7 minutes ago, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

All of their prices seemed high to me. The price of their regular WT 101 ($28) and WT 101 Rye seemed especially high to me. I guess that is capitalism. The distilleries figure they can make more money while they have consumers in their doors with tourist dollars burning holes in their pockets. I may have sprung for a bottle of Old Ripy if they had it. I still may go back for a bottle of Master's Keep if I can make some decent money selling some of my old concert shirts and sports jerseys. I've read some reviews that favor WT Master's Keep over the Decades. Although that is a huge chunk of change for a bottle. Their Russell's Reserve Ryes were more expensive than the bourbons too. I guess since they import their rye from Germany they have to charge more for their rye.

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The ryes cost more than the bourbons at retail as well, that being said all of the gift shop prices are high, I've been told it is because they have to still work through a distributor.  The only things generally worth buying are things that you can't find anywhere else.  The one bottle I bought that I found to be an exception to this when I was in KY in November was Willett 3 yr Rye which was around $35 IIRC which is a good $10 cheaper than it costs in my area.

[Paddy]

5 hours ago, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

All of their prices seemed high to me. The price of their regular WT 101 ($28) and WT 101 Rye seemed especially high to me. I guess that is capitalism. The distilleries figure they can make more money while they have consumers in their doors with tourist dollars burning holes in their pockets. I may have sprung for a bottle of Old Ripy if they had it. I still may go back for a bottle of Master's Keep if I can make some decent money selling some of my old concert shirts and sports jerseys. I've read some reviews that favor WT Master's Keep over the Decades. Although that is a huge chunk of change for a bottle. Their Russell's Reserve Ryes were more expensive than the bourbons too. I guess since they import their rye from Germany they have to charge more for their rye.

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As Kevin noted, they still work through the distributor.  Another reason they are higher (than the locals) is that they don't want to bite the hand that feeds them.  So, all distillery's are going to charge a premium so as not to be seen as in competition with local shops. 

 

BTW, the price you saw for the 101 rye is quite a drop from the last time I was there.  I hit the gift shop in mid-December and it was priced in the $70's!    As you'd figure, I passed! 

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

I don't have $5,000 to spare.



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[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

5 hours ago, Paddy said:

As Kevin noted, they still work through the distributor.  Another reason they are higher (than the locals) is that they don't want to bite the hand that feeds them.  So, all distillery's are going to charge a premium so as not to be seen as in competition with local shops. 

 

BTW, the price you saw for the 101 rye is quite a drop from the last time I was there.  I hit the gift shop in mid-December and it was priced in the $70's!    As you'd figure, I passed! 

No doubt you passed at $70, Paddy. Wow, that is a steep price. I sure love WT 101, but I can't fathom the rye being worth near that much money to my palate.

 

The distributors really seem to have it sweet. I felt bad for the restaurant/ bar owner who couldn't some of the bottles from the two distilleries that are within four miles of his establishment. I talked with a bar/liquor store owner near Buffalo Trace who said their business gets shit out from Stagg, Col Taylor, of course the Antique Collection, and even Ancient Age. That is a shame. I wish that they would take care of some of their smaller local businesses.

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

4 hours ago, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

I don't have $5,000 to spare.



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Actually, after tax it is only $4,823.00. now that is $77 off my quoted price.

That is still a pass... for the duration of my life (as I do not play the lottery and I did not follow through with either a career as a major league baseball player or as a rock star).

Who on Earth can buy a bottle like this? And this store has two of these bottles.

 

Edited March 7, 2017 by OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel

[DeepCover]

A friend of mine picked one up a couple of months ago. I haven't tried it yet, but he wasted no time cracking the seal.

 

Edited March 7, 2017 by DeepCover

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

A friend of mine picked one up a couple of months ago. I haven't tried it yet, but he wasted no time cracking the seal.
 

Did he pay $5,000 for it? If so, he must have a great career.

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[DeepCover]

Just now, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

 

Did he pay $5,000 for it? If so, he must have a great career.

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He paid $4K. Still about $3,800 more than I would've paid, but I won't turn down a taste.

 

I'll probably get a 1 ounce pour of this (a sample from his bottle).

 

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

He paid $4K. Still about $3,800 more than I would've paid, but I won't turn down a taste.
 
I'll probably get a 1 ounce pour of this (a sample from his bottle).
 

That is a great friend to have. You'll have to let us know how it tastes. What makes it so expensive? Heck, I'd be thrilled to sample some of your Orphan Barrels in the background, much less a $4,000 of sour mash.

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[DeepCover]

2 minutes ago, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

 

That is a great friend to have. You'll have to let us know how it tastes. What makes it so expensive? Heck, I'd be thrilled to sample some of your Orphan Barrels in the background, much less a $4,000 of sour mash.

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I don't know that any explanation can really justify the price, but this is a blend of 6 bourbon and rye barrels aged 20 to 30 years. It's also the last blend by master distiller Willie Pratt.

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

I don't know that any explanation can really justify the price, but this is a blend of 6 bourbon and rye barrels aged 20 to 30 years. It's also the last blend by master distiller Willie Pratt.

I guess that price is relative to how much disposable income somebody has. I am excited to read how it tastes to you. I am surprised that our local liquor store got two of these bottles.

Is that a bottle of Blood Oath in the background behind the sample too?

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[DeepCover]

3 minutes ago, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

 

I guess that price is relative to how much disposable income somebody has. I am excited to read how it tastes to you. I am surprised that our local liquor store got two of these bottles.

Is that a bottle of Blood Oath in the background behind the sample too?

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Yes it is! 

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

Yes it is! 

Very cool. That is a tough one to find. Great looking bottle.

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[DeepCover]

Just now, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

 

Very cool. That is a tough one to find. Great looking bottle.

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Thanks! If you're in Lexington, I'm guessing you saw the 2 bottles at one of the Liquor Barns on the outskirts of town, near the Cabela's I think. I had eyes on those same 2 bottles last month.

[flahute]

14 hours ago, OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel said:

All of their prices seemed high to me. The price of their regular WT 101 ($28) and WT 101 Rye seemed especially high to me. I guess that is capitalism. The distilleries figure they can make more money while they have consumers in their doors with tourist dollars burning holes in their pockets. I may have sprung for a bottle of Old Ripy if they had it. I still may go back for a bottle of Master's Keep if I can make some decent money selling some of my old concert shirts and sports jerseys. I've read some reviews that favor WT Master's Keep over the Decades. Although that is a huge chunk of change for a bottle. Their Russell's Reserve Ryes were more expensive than the bourbons too. I guess since they import their rye from Germany they have to charge more for their rye.

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As Paddy said, the distilleries are going to make sure they have higher prices than the local stores so as not to undercut them or compete with them.

[OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel]

I passed on a bottle of HW Bourye Limited Sighting yesterday. It was in the $83 range. That seems high to me, but I don't know the approximate number of bottles released. I really love the HW Double Rye, so I may really enjoy this bottle. It would be my most expensive bottle (by about $30), so I feel like I probably need to leave it on the shelf.



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