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You don't know what you've got


FasterHorses
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Went to a new (to me), rural area to go pass some time and go bottle hunting about a month ago.. the first place I went I was looking for some W12. They were out but I spotted a whole row of RHF. New to these boards I didn't realize the significance at the time. Since it was my first visit to that store, I assumed they regularly stocked RHF. Also I had just scored two 1.75 WSR and an ETL down the road so I figured I had spent enough and could always come back for the RHF. I read on here that $55 was bordering on too high so I felt pretty good about everything. Until today, I went back and they said that was the first time they had ever gotten any and probably won't get any more. The owner didn't realize what it was and sold all 6 to one person. Said he would have put a limit on it of he had known. Dang it! So I went back to where I got the ETL and WSR and they had 2 bottles of RHF in the computer, they were being held in the office and the employee brought one out as she was trying to get in touch with the owner on the phone...no answer. She couldn't sell it to me. So close. I think she said it would've been $59. Ended up with a FRSB, not much of a consolation but quite a lesson learned yet again..opportunity knocks but once.

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Story of my bourbon hunting life, missed out on a ton of stuff because I thought, "I will pop back next week"......and it's gone, or "i will buy one and leave bottles for someone else". Last one is certainly a noble gesture, but to be honest not one I am going to repeat next time I see Weller 12, 107 or ETL etc etc sitting on a shelf.

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RHF had been absent for me for several years. I bought the only 2 bottles i found. The store owner gave me a heads up that she got 3 bottles in.  I had my dad's wife stop by and pick me up a bottle, leaving some for others.  When I got by  there about 1.5 weeks later I was surprised to find another bottle still on the shelf. They were $58.xx plus tax I think.

I remember last year seeing an Elliott's Select on the shelf for $100. I passed but went back after I changed my mind about half hour later and it was gone.

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Don't beat yourself up over it.  RHF is still being made.  Try and keep in touch with those stores.  They'll probably get more eventually.

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We shouldn't be too far off many of the BT products being more attainable, then again they may just create more brands to keep things scarce. Either way I wouldn't sweat it to much. It's good but it's not some magical nectar and as with all BT products not worth paying over retail for.

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I had a similar experience with ETL, I was browsing a local big chain store and there were 3 bottles of ETL priced at $34 and some change. I remembered hearing that it was good bourbon but decided to wait thinking I could always go back. Well I went back 5 days later it was gone, and they had no idea when they would get more. lesson learned. Shit or get off the pot. 

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If bottles "are on the shelf" why wouldn't you buy what you want? I hear all the chivalrous remarks about what I left behind for others, but call me a pig. If I go into a LS, EXPECIALLY a chain grocery or something I'm bunkering if they have a limited that I highly value. Last year I found EC12, EW-2004, and some pre-named batches of Bookers all in the same store. I bought all I could afford at the time. About a month later I went back and everything I left was still there. I took out all of the EC12 and a few more 2004s. Thing is these bottles were waiting years already for a buyer.

Most of the LE stock is held back for "best customers" or held out for the highest bidder. In my market most of the real tough ones are also sold by the LS at retail +. If I were to walk into LS in heaven and find W12 and antiques, EC18 &23, and on and on, I would pig out, and then head to my bank for another loan. Taking one and leaving the rest for another scoundrel like myself is not appealing. It's a dog fight out there and rewards are very hard to come by. I will say I drink what I buy so there's a limit. I have no interest in buying for resale. Maybe a new reality show-Whiskey Wars?  

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46 minutes ago, FacePlant said:

If bottles "are on the shelf" why wouldn't you buy what you want? I hear all the chivalrous remarks about what I left behind for others, but call me a pig. If I go into a LS, EXPECIALLY a chain grocery or something I'm bunkering if they have a limited that I highly value. Last year I found EC12, EW-2004, and some pre-named batches of Bookers all in the same store. I bought all I could afford at the time. About a month later I went back and everything I left was still there. I took out all of the EC12 and a few more 2004s. Thing is these bottles were waiting years already for a buyer.

Most of the LE stock is held back for "best customers" or held out for the highest bidder. In my market most of the real tough ones are also sold by the LS at retail +. If I were to walk into LS in heaven and find W12 and antiques, EC18 &23, and on and on, I would pig out, and then head to my bank for another loan. Taking one and leaving the rest for another scoundrel like myself is not appealing. It's a dog fight out there and rewards are very hard to come by. I will say I drink what I buy so there's a limit. I have no interest in buying for resale. Maybe a new reality show-Whiskey Wars?  

I'm with you on this statement, especially if the stuff's been sitting for years.  In that case, who cares about the next guy if he had years to hit that store but failed to do so.  I cleared out an entire store of Macallan Cask Strength at around $55, like 8 or 10 bottles, a couple years after it was discontinued.  I didn't feel bad In the least as it turned out to be one of my best finds ever which I've shared by hooking up a fellow SBer and putting a bottle up in the SB fantasy football league two years running.  

 

 I also don't see the fascination with RHF. It's a standard BT product.  Other than being allocated due to supply strains, like many other BT products, there's nothing overly special about it.  

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Well said, and a direction I am going to go in moving forward, not going to get carried away but certainly moving to take 3 leave 1 rather than take 1 and leave 3.

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6 hours ago, jvd99 said:

I also don't see the fascination with RHF. It's a standard BT product.  Other than being allocated due to supply strains, like many other BT products, there's nothing overly special about it.  

Well, some people happen to like it quite a bit (myself included) and find it better than ETL, Blanton's, etc. We all like different things. Since RHF doesn't come around that often I stock up when it does.

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I see a difference between buying up something that has been sitting on the shelf for years and clearing a shelf of something current and allocated.

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Im not gonna lose any sleep over missing the RHF. Just one of those stories that only you guys would relate to.. kind of like tellin your hunting buddies about the big buck that got away. I'll probably see some again at some point. BT sure knows how to play the game though it seems. 

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I don't flip so my conscience is just fine grabbing 2,3, or 6 for my bunker if it's one of my faves.  Hell, I've even talked stores into giving me two of some allocated bottle they had marked "One per Customer"...

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9 minutes ago, Stump1998 said:

They had some of the Old Charter 8 year age stated still left. Should I have got a couple? Are they worth it?

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You're asking for an 8 year old bourbon that's going for $10 and change..........? 

 

This is not an issue to overthink.  There are times, but this isn't one of them.;)

 

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19 minutes ago, Paddy said:

You're asking for an 8 year old bourbon that's going for $10 and change..........? 

 

This is not an issue to overthink.  There are times, but this isn't one of them.;)

 

I know, I am kicking myself at least for not getting a couple.

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If it's been there this long, it'll probably be there when you go back! 

 

Unfortunately, you're now also competing with the lurkers in your area (who have probably already started going store to store looking for your honey hole). 

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18 minutes ago, Paddy said:

If it's been there this long, it'll probably be there when you go back! 

 

Unfortunately, you're now also competing with the lurkers in your area (who have probably already started going store to store looking for your honey hole). 

 

13 minutes ago, Stump1998 said:

I didn't think about that. I bet there are some that watch this forum.

 

 There most assuredly are. 

 

Joe

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The longer I sit in my hotel room the more I regretted not getting a couple so I went back. I got 4 of them and the old man gave me a 1.75 6 year old Taylor for buying so many bottles. He had 2 more of them in the back he said.

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