Most Overrated Bourbons?

[bourbon4all]

10 hours ago, Wedelstaedt said:

 

#3   The assumed superiority of store barrel picks. Many are good, a few can be awesome, but many are worse than the off the shelf bottle.  Just because a person runs a LS, doesn't make them a sensory specialist.

Aren't the initial barrels chosen by the distiller? I assumed that store picks would be getting chosen out of honey barrels. 

 

Maybe someone who has participated in a barrel selection can comment on this. Are all the barrels at a selection typically really good?

 

[kevinbrink]

12 hours ago, garbanzobean said:

  Personally I have to be careful not to roll my eyes too hard when Ralfy gets going about American whiskey, or gives a really high rating to a whiskey from a distillery he likes when it is clear that what he likes is the distillery and less so the whiskey.

I love Ralfy but watch his videos largely for entertainment value rather than content, I also think he is clearly aware of his bias and at time admits it.  As far as this thread goes MMCS I have had a bottle open for a few months now and I keep going back to it trying to like it but I just don't the finish is terrible and the best I can describe the it is acetone and chemicals. On the plus side I only payed $25 for a 375.

[Richnimrod]

3 hours ago, bourbon4all said:

Aren't the initial barrels chosen by the distiller? I assumed that store picks would be getting chosen out of honey barrels. 

 

Maybe someone who has participated in a barrel selection can comment on this. Are all the barrels at a selection typically really good?

 

To answer your questions: No.   And, No.

 

The ones done by remote control (where the store gets small sample bottles sent to 'em, or delivered by a distributor, and picks from as few as 3-different barrels) are pretty unlikely to result in anything exceptional.   The distilleries don't necessarily always send lousy stuff out for these opportunities; but equally are unlikely to taste and select looking for honeys to send.    I do suspect that in some cases poorer quality options may be sent to coerce a retailer, and in an effort to rid the distillery of a dog or two in  exchange for the retailer remaining on the 'limited release' list.    I believe I've seen (and tasted) local evidence of this practice.

 

If the proprietor of a store (or chain) travels to the distillery and selects from more options, a better result may be in the offing.   That is, of course dependent upon the taster(s) palate(s) as well his/their aims.    Some store props want 'extra smooth' offerings as they believe they will sell better.   So those ones are unlikely to be ones most folx here would want very badly.

[Limegoldconvertible68]

Does the size of the store effect how good the barrels are?  I frequently make trips to a certain store that will remain nameless but he does an enormous amount of bourbon selling. His store picks are consistently the kind that people buy cases of. I've always thought he gets preferential treatment by at least some of the distilleries. 

[Paddy]

2 hours ago, Limegoldconvertible68 said:

Does the size of the store effect how good the barrels are?  I frequently make trips to a certain store that will remain nameless but he does an enormous amount of bourbon selling. His store picks are consistently the kind that people buy cases of. I've always thought he gets preferential treatment by at least some of the distilleries. 

While it may not effect how good the barrels are, it certainly can (and does) influence how many barrels one may get to sample. 

 

Larger stores/chains often get to pull from a larger pool (up to 25 barrels for multiple picks, where they may end up buying 1/3 of them if they deem them good enough).   

[fishnbowljoe]

23 hours ago, Limegoldconvertible68 said:

Does the size of the store effect how good the barrels are?  I frequently make trips to a certain store that will remain nameless but he does an enormous amount of bourbon selling. His store picks are consistently the kind that people buy cases of. I've always thought he gets preferential treatment by at least some of the distilleries. 

 

Here's one thing I'm pretty sure of. Liquor stores that have been involved with private picks for a number of years, do tend to get treated better. I know of a couple of stores that were doing private barrel picks long before it became the "in" thing to do. Naturally, a distillery would be more apt to accommodate these places more so than others that now want to jump on the bandwagon. In other words, long term loyalty  sometimes does have its rewards.

 

Cheers! Joe

[Wedelstaedt]

Thanks to the sharing of a fellow SB'r, I have enjoyed stellar bottles of BT, KCSiB. 

Unfortunately, I have purchased bottles of ER and KCSiB that were just plain bad. 

I have become "educated" on the plus & minus on Store Picks. :-)

[PaulO]

The most overrated bourbon nowadays, I'd say anything from VW or Willett.  I read these stories about the Willett gift shop business.  I think, man, those people drank the Kool-Aide before they got there. 

  Something I see on shelves is ER. I started my journey as an enthusiast right after all the dusty bottles of ER 101 were gone.  I heard a steady mantra from those more experienced than me.  "Oh ER 101 was so good!  The new (90) can't compare."  Somehow that stuck in my mind.  I still think of modern ER as the inferior version.  I've tried a number of bottles over the years.  To my tastes, the different batches run from just ok mediocre to other batches with the odd gamey/musty charecteristic others have noted.

  Bulleit is another wasting space on many top shelves.  I tried a few bottles early on.  They were ok.  The price has increased a lot over the past few years, way more than can be justified.  The source or sources of barrels have changed too.

  Now to really kill a few sacred cows.  I'm not a big fan of the Four Roses 10 recipes single barrels.  I like the regular Four Roses offereings well enough.  When the 10 recipe single barrels started to show up locally, they cost around $50.  I tried a couple different ones.  They were all just ok.  Nothing wrong with them, but it wasn't like "oh, run back and get more from that barrel!".  $50 got a bottle of bourbon that was around 10 years old and 100 odd proof (but taste average).  Now I see them go for around $70 out the door.  A disclaimer - I have not tried all 10 recipes.  Also, it would be impossible to have tried all the different barrels shipped around the country for years.  In my own somewhat limited experience; I get more enjoyment out of multiple brands that go for a fraction of the $50 - $70 range.

 

[Gh3nghis]

On 2/21/2017 at 9:49 AM, bourbon4all said:

Aren't the initial barrels chosen by the distiller? I assumed that store picks would be getting chosen out of honey barrels. 

 

Maybe someone who has participated in a barrel selection can comment on this. Are all the barrels at a selection typically really good?

 

I have had the opportunity to do a selection on a store select for some eagle rare 10yo and it was pretty simple.  If you do not go to the distillery to choose where you can pick from a lot of barrels, they will send you a small 200ml sample of three varieties that you might like and you choose the one you like.  Then you order and they bottle.  SAOS store select instructions are actually on their website, last i read it was still posted.  I actually found one of the 3 I really liked.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Gh3nghis

[fishnbowljoe]

11 hours ago, Gh3nghis said:

I have had the opportunity to do a selection on a store select for some eagle rare 10yo and it was pretty simple.  If you do not go to the distillery to choose where you can pick from a lot of barrels, they will send you a small 200ml sample of three varieties that you might like and you choose the one you like.  Then you order and they bottle.  

 

It doesn't seem like it was all that long ago when BT used to send ten samples. The chances of finding a good barrel are better when you have more samples to choose from. Provided they don't send you samples from the same batch, warehouse, floor, and sequentially numbered barrels from the same rick.  Yes, this did happen once. BT was contacted. They sent new samples. The variety of the new samples was better, but there were still a couple that were "suspect".

 

Cheers! Joe

[b1gcountry]

I'll play. My three that are highly rated in multiple circles, but in my mind are bad at any price are:

#3 Wild Turkey 101. I tried it once, and it was so bad that I thought the bottle was actually tainted. I've tried it multiple times since, and I'm amazed is actually supposed to taste like areal dead Turkey...

#2 OGD 114. I tried to like it. I like the BIB. I like BH even if it is over priced. I can't get to liking the 114 even when I water it down below 100 proof.

#1 Willett Family Estate Rye. This tasted worse than some of the no name rye I got from total wine. I don't get it

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[Prof_Stack]

1 hour ago, b1gcountry said:

I'll play. My three that are highly rated in multiple circles, but in my mind are bad at any price are:
#3 Wild Turkey 101. I tried it once, and it was so bad that I thought the bottle was actually tainted. I've tried it multiple times since, and I'm amazed is actually supposed to taste like areal dead Turkey...
#2 OGD 114. I tried to like it. I like the BIB. I like BH even if it is over priced. I can't get to liking the 114 even when I water it down below 100 proof.
#1 Willett Family Estate Rye. This tasted worse than some of the no name rye I got from total wine. I don't get it

Sure shows that we have a whole range of taste buds and senses.  I love the new WT101, sipped slowly while I appreciate the value of the handle.  

Basil Hayden is a smooth, thin bourbon that is overpriced at $40, and some days is lovely and others day is like what Budweiser is to beer.

[smokinjoe]

8 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

I've tried it multiple times since, and I'm amazed is actually supposed to taste like areal dead Turkey...


 

 

OK, now that's damn funny.     Well played.

[b1gcountry]

I try.

As much as I've given it a shot, the turkey funk isn't for me. I do enjoy some rare breed though.

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[JTaylor]

8 hours ago, Prof_Stack said:

 

Basil Hayden is a smooth, thin bourbon that is overpriced at $40, and some days is lovely and others day is like what Budweiser is to beer.

BH is not, and never could be the "King" of bourbon!

 

Edited March 3, 2017 by JTaylor

[b1gcountry]

BH does make a good friar tuck with the little frock it wears.


...I would also argue about the "king of beers"

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[CardsandBourbon]

So am I to understand that    is supposed to taste like a    ?

 

If that's the case then I'll pass.

[Whiskeythink.com]

I feel it tastes a whole lot better than this. Well, probably, I only tasted the bourbon...

[Gh3nghis]

On 3/2/2017 at 6:30 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

 

It doesn't seem like it was all that long ago when BT used to send ten samples. The chances of finding a good barrel are better when you have more samples to choose from. Provided they don't send you samples from the same batch, warehouse, floor, and sequentially numbered barrels from the same rick.  Yes, this did happen once. BT was contacted. They sent new samples. The variety of the new samples was better, but there were still a couple that were "suspect".

 

Cheers! Joe

I can see that happening Joe.  The three samples that i did were definitely different.  Even before i started to sip the samples i could already tell the difference in the color and on the nose.

[GeeTen]

20 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

BH does make a good friar tuck with the little frock it wears.
 

 

I always though it looked like a clown suit - I'm ascared of clowns . . . . . . .  

 

[M1marksman]

On 3/3/2017 at 2:05 PM, Whiskeythink.com said:

I feel it tastes a whole lot better than this. Well, probably, I only tasted the bourbon...

Try it like this. Much tastier this way, unless my Mother-in-law made it.

[ken_mays]

There is overrated by SB standards and then overrated by the world at large. 

 

I think SB holds a higher collective opinion than I do on the following:  Weller anything, WT, Four Roses.  I find the standard 4R (non-private selections) nearly undrinkable.  But here we all have our preferences. 

 

The world at large, especially those who aren't big bourbon drinkers, seems to hold a very high opinion of Bulliet, Woodford Reserve, and Maker's Mark,  not to even discuss the dozens of overpriced and underwhelming NDP offerings like Jefferson's.   Those three bourbons have been given to me in years past, and I eventually find an opportunity to take them to parties and forget to take them home.