Elmer T Lee

[mortre]

I would think they would take bad tasting barrels like that and just vat them with something else.  I can't see why they would release them in single barrel format.  I don't imagine many want their bourbon to taste like liking a freshly plowed garden....  And I don't think I've found any Elmer T Lee reviews that highlight earth high in the flavor profile.

[Madhatter]

On 4/27/2016 at 8:48 PM, mortre said:

I would think they would take bad tasting barrels like that and just vat them with something else.  I can't see why they would release them in single barrel format.  I don't imagine many want their bourbon to taste like liking a freshly plowed garden....  And I don't think I've found any Elmer T Lee reviews that highlight earth high in the flavor profile.

It could be that the barrel contents were fine when bottled.  The earthy off-odors and flavors may have come from subsequent damage by TCA tainted cork.  At least, that seems to be the theory now.  Anyway, sorry you've had so much difficulty getting BT to own up to the problem that is now widely reported.

[Fort Knox]

On ‎4‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 8:32 AM, Canarse said:

Has anyone seen a new shipment of ETL hit the stores this month?  Nothing here in NC that I can confirm.

 

It's NC.  I doubt you'll see it here.

[Canarse]

14 hours ago, Fort Knox said:

 

It's NC.  I doubt you'll see it here.

 

It comes here.  Where it goes I have no idea.  I was able to obtain one bottle by luck last summer.  Same with OWA.  I have a source that says they have some OWA in the state warehouse currently.  How it gets distributed, who knows.  Same source says ETL hasn't arrived yet.

 

 

[BFerguson]

Haven't had a dirt tasting ETL yet, but I've had a couple Eagle Rare's that fell into the same cat agony.

I likened them to being like that woody decay, compost later on the forest floor.

It's wasn't in drinkable, but it sure conjured an image of a half rotting barrel in my mind to give it that taste.

One bottle worked pretty good in whiskey sours.

B

Sent from my iPhone

[Lucid]

I found a few bottles down in SoCal with the earthy finish and got the same response quoted earlier in the thread. Since I found the whiskey undrinkable I offered to send it back at my own expense & risk. After a few weeks Alan got back to me and reiterated that it met their standards. I knew that it could happen but it's still an unpleasant feeling.

 

on the other hand a new beer bar opened up near me and I am enjoying the fairly-priced 2oz pours of Handy while they last. You win, BT.

[Fort Knox]

On ‎4‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 1:43 PM, Canarse said:

 

It comes here.  Where it goes I have no idea.  I was able to obtain one bottle by luck last summer.  Same with OWA.  I have a source that says they have some OWA in the state warehouse currently.  How it gets distributed, who knows.  Same source says ETL hasn't arrived yet.

 

 

I got an OWA late last summer as well.  Completely shocked me that it was on the shelf.  I haven't seen ETL on the shelf in years though.  It may come here, but your chances of getting a bottle, unless you know somebody, are pretty slim.  That could be the "glass half empty" in me though.

[Canarse]

7 hours ago, Fort Knox said:

I got an OWA late last summer as well.  Completely shocked me that it was on the shelf.  I haven't seen ETL on the shelf in years though.  It may come here, but your chances of getting a bottle, unless you know somebody, are pretty slim.  That could be the "glass half empty" in me though.

 

The ETL was definitely not on the shelf.  Someone has to be looking out for you.  Pretty hard to do in the big cities like Raleigh, Durham, etc.  

[PaulO]

After reading all this, I would be scared off.  So now if I ever see one on the shelf, I had better check some numbers to make sure it's ok.  It's much easier to buy something else.  If BT knew there was a batch with bad corks, those should have been recalled.

[VAGentleman]

1 hour ago, PaulO said:

After reading all this, I would be scared off.  So now if I ever see one on the shelf, I had better check some numbers to make sure it's ok.  It's much easier to buy something else.  If BT knew there was a batch with bad corks, those should have been recalled.

I don't think there were bad corks, I think they were just very earthy and a little outside the profile of what everyone expected

[Madhatter]

2 hours ago, VAGentleman said:

I don't think there were bad corks, I think they were just very earthy and a little outside the profile of what everyone expected

I believe Mr Starhopper of these pages treated an ETLee with the cork taint symptom with a method reported to remove cork taint.   He said the cork taint character was reduced or eliminated.    Experimental observation usually trumps heart-felt opinion.

[VAGentleman]

15 minutes ago, Madhatter said:

I believe Mr Starhopper of these pages treated an ETLee with the cork taint symptom with a method reported to remove cork taint.   He said the cork taint character was reduced or eliminated.    Experimental observation usually trumps heart-felt opinion.

You must be reading a different thread than me.  I see Starhopper got a refund but BT came back to others saying it was within specs.  If someone did something to remove cork taint and it worked it sure wasn't in this thread

[Lucid]

I would just like to add, for the sake of fairness, that a large box from Sazerac showed up—unexpectedly—at my door today. Inside was quite the selection of items from the BT giftshop including Julep tins, a bar mat, and several other items.

 

My evening glass will definitely be from BT tonight. Even if I have been stocking up on 4R picks recently…

[flahute]

2 hours ago, VAGentleman said:

You must be reading a different thread than me.  I see Starhopper got a refund but BT came back to others saying it was within specs.  If someone did something to remove cork taint and it worked it sure wasn't in this thread

That was a different thread, yes. Saran wrap was used, and the science behind it is solid (for treating cork taint.)

[Louisiana]

Picked up a few bottles of ETL today. This thread made me look at the numbers. Right in the middle at B15261.

 

Of course I had to do a SBS with a 2014 bottle. Was expecting the worse, but ended with a pleasant surprise. Tasted really good.

[mortre]

I can say that I tried a small scale attempt at the TCA fix.  Instead of doing the whole bottle I just put some saran wrap in my normal glass and added about 2oz of the ETL and let them rest for about 10 minutes.  While the flavor no where near gone, it is less and I can pick up some sweet flavors with the dirty, earthy flavor.  

Edited May 5, 2016 by mortre

[mortre]

I did the a full scale run in a large pyrex container covered in saran wrap.  Definate difference in flavor, but it is still very earthy.  More of a fresh ear of corn flavor and less dirt.  Spice comes threw a lot stronger, as well as oak.

 

Still not  my favorite, but definately very drinkable.

[gohrmund]

I tried the saran wrap treatment on my bottle. I started at 30 minutes and had no effect on the taste, so I changed the saran wrap and left it for 2 hours. No change. Still had that earthy, dirty taste to it. I don't think this is the cork problem. I think this is how it really tastes. Its not for me. I almost cried a little when I poured it down the drain.

 

Gary

[squire]

I put it down to the get it out the door and sold mentality.

[fenderbender4]

I know it's subjective, but as this is a bourbon I've been curious about (and one of the only BT #2 mash bills I haven't had yet), how do others rank it against other #2's like Blanton's and RHF.  Between those two, I really like RHF.

 

ETL is hard to come by in MN and I must have missed on the latest shipment and am kind of inclined to sort of give up on the hunt, but am I missing something fantastic, or is it more that it is a great quality bourbon given its price (and therefore once that price gets raised higher and higher, does it lose its appeal)?

 

Thanks.

[Madhatter]

Fenderbender:  Ignoring the question of taint/moldiness/or barrel funk, IMHO the problem with ETL is that it doesn't outdo the competition in any category.  From nose to taste to finish, it doesn't standout in any of those areas compared to some other bourbons in the <$55 price range.  All of those parts together used to give a good, balanced, serviceable bourbon that had a lightness and sweetness that made it a good afterdinner sipper.  But, to me, nothing in its makeup is consistent with the cult status it obtained.  Of course, enough people have tasted it so that the range of tasting opinions will be wide.

[flahute]

ETL used to represent a great value for what it was which led to it appearing on everyone's recommendations list. All those mentions in the context of a boom resulted in demand outstripping supply which resulted in a reputation that far exceeded its quality. I like it, but not enough to hustle to get it (which is what it takes now) and not enough to pay in the high $30's or more that it goes for now. 

[Canarse]

The original story I had heard about ETL was that it was barrels picked by the man himself.  Since Mr. Lee has been gone for a while maybe it's made a difference.  Who knows how long it's been since he picked barrels, if he ever did at all?  I have a couple unopened ETLs.  I'm hoping I don't have the same earthy experience as I have enjoyed ETL quite a bit in the past and thought it was a bargain in the high $30s.

[jeffrey r]

ETL used to be plentiful on the shelves in NJ, just a few short years ago.  Under $30 everywhere.  It was one of the early bourbons that I took to, as it was affordable, sweet, somewhat interesting, and just a good solid single barrel bourbon at under $30.  Fortunately, I am still well stocked from those days, most of which are a nice store select single barrel.  These days, it is rarely on a shelf anywhere around here, and usually $50 when it is.  Sad, but it is what it is.

 

As to comparisons to its brethren, I do prefer both RHF and Blanton's to ETL, and I do prefer RHF to Blanton's.  RHF was generally $45-$50 by me, and I have a decent supply, though it obviously disappears at retail for long periods of time.  But ETL definitely had its place back in the day as a fun, easy-drinking, affordable bourbon.  Just not so much anymore, unfortunately.

[PaulO]

I've tried bottles from a number of diffent barrels of ETL in the past.  My impression was always slightly sweet, easy to drink, no rough edges, nothing really unusual or exceptional about it.  When I could find it sometimes it cost $25.  I thought it was a bit of a splurge for 90 proof NAS bourbon.  I think people have got all caught up in the storey more than anything else.