Truly bad single barrels...

[Charlutz]

19 hours ago, garbanzobean said:

I had an EWSB 2005 recently that was heavy on the paint thinner, light on the bourbon.  I prioritized opening it because there was a good amount of that barrel at the store I bought it from.  I gave it a week or so and drank a few glasses of it to see if it would improve.  It did not.  I dumped the rest of it into my mixing/cooking decanter after a final SBS with an OE7/101 I just bought for $10 less.  OE by a mile . . .

 

To think I would regret not bunkering all the tasty EWSB 2002-2003 that was all over the place here for like $23.  Oh well.  I hear EWSB is on an upswing lately anyway.

 

Uh oh. Do you remember the barrel number Eric? I picked up a 2005 from a store where the owner told me he stocked up on 2005's. I'm guessing it might have been the same place. I haven't opened my bottle yet but here's the barrel info. 

 

 

[garbanzobean]

1 hour ago, Charlutz said:

 

Uh oh. Do you remember the barrel number Eric? I picked up a 2005 from a store where the owner told me he stocked up on 2005's. I'm guessing it might have been the same place. I haven't opened my bottle yet but here's the barrel info. 

 

 

I believe that was the barrel, but I'm not 100% sure.  Did you get it from the store with a good number of LEs behind the counter going for prices no one should pay?  If so, don't wear any Willett clothes when you go in there.  I went in there a few months ago wearing a Willett hat from the gift shop and the owner flew into a rage and started yelling at me and cussing me out.  This took me aback.  After he calmed down enough for me to ask him what the f*ck his problem was, it became clear he thought I worked for Willett, who have refused to sell him any barrels for years.  After I showed him my Maryland ID and explained I bought it at the gift shop awhile back, he apologized.  I asked him if he was sorry enough to knock $100 of the price of the 2015 FRSmBLE behind the counter, and he literally laughed in my face.  It was worth a try . . .  Needless to say, I don't spend a ton of my dollars there anymore.  Not because of the discount refusal so much as the getting screamed at thing.

 

Incidentally the 1792 Ridgemont Reserve barrel that was hanging around that store forever was pretty good.  Not sure if he has any left.

Edited February 7, 2017 by garbanzobean
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[Charlutz]

1 hour ago, garbanzobean said:

I believe that was the barrel, but I'm not 100% sure.  Did you get it from the store with a good number of LEs behind the counter going for prices no one should pay?  If so, don't wear any Willett clothes when you go in there.  I went in there a few months ago wearing a Willett hat from the gift shop and the owner flew into a rage and started yelling at me and cussing me out.  This took me aback.  After he calmed down enough for me to ask him what the f*ck his problem was, it became clear he thought I worked for Willett, who have refused to sell him any barrels for years.  After I showed him my Maryland ID and explained I bought it at the gift shop awhile back, he apologized.  I asked him if he was sorry enough to knock $100 of the price of the 2015 FRSmBLE behind the counter, and he literally laughed in my face.  It was worth a try . . .  Needless to say, I don't spend a ton of my dollars there anymore.  Not because of the discount refusal so much as the getting screamed at thing.

 

Incidentally the 1792 Ridgemont Reserve barrel that was hanging around that store forever was pretty good.  Not sure if he has any left.

 

Yup. That's the place. I have a half bottle of that 1792 SB left! Glad I only bought one of the EWSB. I try to be friendly with everyone but he's a bit difficult. I go in there only every so often just to see if he's got something like that 1792 but usually leave disappointed. 

[garbanzobean]

14 hours ago, Charlutz said:

 

Yup. That's the place. I have a half bottle of that 1792 SB left! Glad I only bought one of the EWSB. I try to be friendly with everyone but he's a bit difficult. I go in there only every so often just to see if he's got something like that 1792 but usually leave disappointed. 

Yeah that guy was fairly unlikeable even before the Willett incident.  I occasionally spot some stuff I want there, but it is increasingly rare these days.

 

On the bright side, taste really is subjective, so maybe you'll like barrel 272 better than I did.

Edited February 7, 2017 by garbanzobean

[kcgumbohead]

I had a GS 4R OBSQ that was really tough to get through. I could find some pleasant flavor if I closed my eyes, concentrated very hard and then in a flash, on a good day, I could detect some pleasant flavor but it was gone as soon as it appeared, and it was faint at best. The predominant flavors were bitter, sour, char, dirt...

I can only imagine that this barrel turned between when it was selected and when it was dumped, it as old at almost 13yrs. I had to vat it with another SB to make it palatable which shockingly and happily yielded a blend that was enjoyable.

At least it was just 1 bottle and at the old price of 53.00 which was 53.00 more than I would have cared to pay for it.

Bright side, that's the only 4R PS I have not at least really enjoyed and most I LOVE. I wrote this off as an anomaly but haven't gone anywhere near an OBSQ since.

I probably should have contacted them about that bottle but I kept waiting for it to improve, It never happened.

[fishnbowljoe]

On February 5, 2017 at 11:28 AM, fishnbowljoe said:

I've posted this story before, but..........

 

Not long after I first go into bourbon, ER 10 was one of my favorite bourbons. My wife and I were out of town on a mission, and we stopped at a liquor store. They had their own store pick of ER  10. I was stoked, especially considering they had it on sale for $19.99.  I bought a few other things and was trying to figure out how many ER 10's I was gonna buy.  When I told my wife that I was thinking about buying a case, she said that since we bought some other things, just buy one for now, and if I like it, I could then return and buy a case. I'm glad I took her advice and only bought one bottle. It was absolutely terrible. The worst bottle of ER 10 I've ever had.  Gosh knows what would have happened if I'd bought a whole case. 

 

I have to add something to my previous post that I forgot. Lord knows I have CRS disease, but IIRC, one of the people at that store said they let BT pick the barrel for them. FWIW, I do know of stores that have let the distillery pick a barrel for them. I've often wondered if, and/or how much this practice might come into play? For instance, say someone does a barrel pick at the distillery. They pick their barrel or barrels, and the barrels that weren't picked are still sitting there. Maybe instead of taking them back to the rick house, they use one to fill out an order for a private selection. So what if it just might happen to be a dog barrel.  Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm......

 

Cheers! Joe