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"Pro Tips"


smokinjoe

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46 minutes ago, troyce said:

Pro tip:

Don't use the word 'taint" in any bourbon discussion!

 

You mean like, "Taint worth buying." or "Taint fit to drink."?:rolleyes:

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2 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said:

You mean like, "Taint worth buying." or "Taint fit to drink."?:rolleyes:

Damn, Harry ...That 'tain't propur grammer; and yous know it!!!!

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Don't say taint.

Your mother will faint.

Your father will fall in a bucket of paint. 

Edited by Guss West
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  • 3 months later...

Pro Tip:  Reminded of this one from Curtis’ adroit pick up of a lower priced Pikesville yesterday.  Keep a list of bottles on you that you might bunker, and the price for each that you regularly pay.  Then, if you come across that bottle in a store, you can check the price against your base price to determine if it’s worth buying to bunker, or even buy in the first place.  

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On 1/11/2018 at 7:21 PM, smokinjoe said:

Pro Tip:

 

Dont forget the "mini area" at any liquor store you peruse.  A stores selection of 50ml minis offers several potential buy opportunities.  This tip migrates over to 200ml sizes, as well.

1.  Potential to find any dusty, semi-dusty, or, recently discontinued label.  

2.  Chance to pick up bottles at a cost that allow an aggregate 750ml purchase to be lower than the cost of a 750 on the shelf.

3.  Opportunity to pick up an inexpensive pour of something you want to try.  This is not confined to just bourbon, but any other spirit possibility.  

4.  Airplane booze!  8$ for a Woodford on the way back on Delta from ORD???  Hey, I like Woodford, and will drop the $8 if needed, but would rather pull a couple of $2 (fill in blank with your favorite) bottles  from my toiletry bag in my carry-on instead!   

 

I often check the 50mls/375mls. Back when WTRB was transitioning from 108 proof to 112, the 108 proof 50mls where listed as "discontinued" in NC and reduced in price enough that you could buy 15 of the 50's (to equal a 750ml bottle) for $10 less than buying the 750ml bottle. Same happened when they were transitioning from the 112 to the 116. They discontinued the 375's and marked them down. You could buy the equivalent of a 750 bottle for $28. A savings of $21 over the regular size. You see this more often in  vodkas, gins, rums, tequilas, etc. but every once in a while you'll get lucky on a bourbon. 

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As mentioned numerous times, proper glassware makes a huge difference when evaluating whiskey. Find a glass you like and stick with it for consistency. One of my main tools in evaluating whiskey is an eye dropper bottle of distilled water. Typically when I am evaluating (often multiple bottles) I take very small sips so that I can easily coat all areas of the tongue and mouth and not get overloaded by alcohol. The first sip will be neat. The second sip will be with one drop of water. Then I will add another drop or two and let it sit for a bit before taking the third sip. I find it amazing how dynamic whiskey can be as aromas/tastes can change dramatically between each of these 3 stages. 

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  • 2 months later...

I've got a five day event next week (Tales of the Cocktail) which will allow me to extend my strict two-nights-a-week comparative flight sessions. Not wanting to lug cases, nor get bored with a couple of chosen bottles, nor rack up a bar tab from hell-- plus build in some mobility for potential sharing/swapping; I built my own version of MoM’s Drinks by the Dram series. The only rule was a mandatory age statement— which averaged a surprising 15 years across the series. It's doubtful that I'll make a much of a dent in the group (unless I gain some serious weight in New Orleans), but at least I'll have plenty of options…

 

IMG_9910.thumb.jpg.17b4b6b8bcce0a1e79aa54084195e24e.jpg

 

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On 12/3/2017 at 2:42 PM, Mako254 said:

 

Hadn’t thought of this. Signing up now. 

Which ones have you seen that are the best?  I just signed up for Maker's Mark and Heaven Hill.  Any others?

 

Thanks,

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3 minutes ago, PhantomLamb said:

Which ones have you seen that are the best?  I just signed up for Maker's Mark and Heaven Hill.  Any others?

 

Thanks,

High West tends to send out an enamelware coffee mug to 1st year folks around Christmas. 

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3 hours ago, Marekv8 said:

I've got a five day event next week (Tales of the Cocktail) which will allow me to extend my strict two-nights-a-week comparative flight sessions. Not wanting to lug cases, nor get bored with a couple of chosen bottles, nor rack up a bar tab from hell-- plus build in some mobility for potential sharing/swapping; I built my own version of MoM’s Drinks by the Dram series. The only rule was a mandatory age statement— which averaged a surprising 15 years across the series. It's doubtful that I'll make a much of a dent in the group (unless I gain some serious weight in New Orleans), but at least I'll have plenty of options…

 

IMG_9910.thumb.jpg.17b4b6b8bcce0a1e79aa54084195e24e.jpg

 

Wowza- If you end up anywhere near Northern CA or NV let me know if you need any help with 'all that' ????

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I've got a five day event next week (Tales of the Cocktail) which will allow me to extend my strict two-nights-a-week comparative flight sessions. Not wanting to lug cases, nor get bored with a couple of chosen bottles, nor rack up a bar tab from hell-- plus build in some mobility for potential sharing/swapping; I built my own version of MoM’s Drinks by the Dram series. The only rule was a mandatory age statement— which averaged a surprising 15 years across the series. It's doubtful that I'll make a much of a dent in the group (unless I gain some serious weight in New Orleans), but at least I'll have plenty of options…
 
IMG_9910.thumb.jpg.17b4b6b8bcce0a1e79aa54084195e24e.jpg
 

This should be a warning to all of you. Nothing good comes from having a label maker!
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55 minutes ago, BigRich said:


This should be a warning to all of you. Nothing good comes from having a label maker!

So, your Pro Tip is:

Don’t buy a label maker!  :D

 

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7 hours ago, Marekv8 said:

I've got a five day event next week (Tales of the Cocktail) which will allow me to extend my strict two-nights-a-week comparative flight sessions. Not wanting to lug cases, nor get bored with a couple of chosen bottles, nor rack up a bar tab from hell-- plus build in some mobility for potential sharing/swapping; I built my own version of MoM’s Drinks by the Dram series. The only rule was a mandatory age statement— which averaged a surprising 15 years across the series. It's doubtful that I'll make a much of a dent in the group (unless I gain some serious weight in New Orleans), but at least I'll have plenty of options…

 

IMG_9910.thumb.jpg.17b4b6b8bcce0a1e79aa54084195e24e.jpg

 

I stand in awe of anal retentives.  My attention span is not longer than six minutes, but ARs can keep focused for hours.  I, on the other hand, can spend just a few was that a bird hitting the window?  CRAP!.  It's dinner time, and my wife is kvetching.  bck shortly.

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9 hours ago, Marekv8 said:

I've got a five day event next week (Tales of the Cocktail) which will allow me to extend my strict two-nights-a-week comparative flight sessions. Not wanting to lug cases, nor get bored with a couple of chosen bottles, nor rack up a bar tab from hell-- plus build in some mobility for potential sharing/swapping; I built my own version of MoM’s Drinks by the Dram series. The only rule was a mandatory age statement— which averaged a surprising 15 years across the series. It's doubtful that I'll make a much of a dent in the group (unless I gain some serious weight in New Orleans), but at least I'll have plenty of options…

 

IMG_9910.thumb.jpg.17b4b6b8bcce0a1e79aa54084195e24e.jpg

 

The labeling on these is better and closer to TTB Regulations than most "Craft" bottled MGP, I respect this effort

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11 hours ago, kevinbrink said:

The labeling on these is better and closer to TTB Regulations than most "Craft" bottled MGP, I respect this effort

Thanks, it's actually the start of a cataloguing effort-- as I'm starting to lose track of what's in inventory. The labels are set up in a tri-column MS Word file, hand-cut and simply taped on. I'll just keep adding to the MS Word file as I go and try to keep things categorized and alphabetized. As a nod to TOTC, I added a few liqueurs to the mix this morning just to keep things fair.

 

IMG_9922.thumb.jpg.7cf3bdd9853087e21901ca2d5c120f1f.jpg

 

 

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On 7/12/2018 at 11:47 AM, Marekv8 said:

I've got a five day event next week (Tales of the Cocktail) which will allow me to extend my strict two-nights-a-week comparative flight sessions. Not wanting to lug cases, nor get bored with a couple of chosen bottles, nor rack up a bar tab from hell-- plus build in some mobility for potential sharing/swapping; I built my own version of MoM’s Drinks by the Dram series. The only rule was a mandatory age statement— which averaged a surprising 15 years across the series. It's doubtful that I'll make a much of a dent in the group (unless I gain some serious weight in New Orleans), but at least I'll have plenty of options…

 

IMG_9910.thumb.jpg.17b4b6b8bcce0a1e79aa54084195e24e.jpg

 

I...I have no words.

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  • 4 months later...

As has been mentioned before, save you bottle caps/tops. You never know when you’ll need one, or two. FWIW, they make excellent snow man eyes. :D

 

Biba! Joe

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Hang onto empty 1.75L case boxes when you find them.  These will hold six 750ml bottles, including the odd shaped ones.

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On 7/13/2018 at 8:25 AM, Marekv8 said:

Thanks, it's actually the start of a cataloguing effort-- as I'm starting to lose track of what's in inventory. The labels are set up in a tri-column MS Word file, hand-cut and simply taped on. I'll just keep adding to the MS Word file as I go and try to keep things categorized and alphabetized. As a nod to TOTC, I added a few liqueurs to the mix this morning just to keep things fair.

 

IMG_9922.thumb.jpg.7cf3bdd9853087e21901ca2d5c120f1f.jpg

 

 

I commend your efforts here. I started a sample library a couple years ago and have a librarian for a wife. She set up a proper reference library number system which matches up with a number I put in a spreedsheet in Google Sheets. This allows me to add more info than I can fit on the little bottles (like price, where I found it, tasting notes, etc).

 

The system works like this:

Year.Type.Number - Type being Bourbon/Rye/Scotch/Etc

 

So on the bottle I'll write

WHISKEY NAME

2018.1.1

 

The number denotes it as the first bourbon I cataloged in 2018. When I want to know more about it I check the spreadsheet.

 

The original idea was to only catalog things that were really special, but I've gotten overly excited and cataloged most things I like so far.

Edited by EarthQuake
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  • 1 month later...

Pro Tip:  Get yourself a bar mat for wherever it is you pour your whiskey.  Alcohol on the finish of most wood tables is like acid (see pic below).   Also, if you’re having an open tasting with multiple bottles out, cover the table with a table cloth that has a plastic backing so drips on the bottles don’t soak through and eat the finish.  A bar mat(s) by the glasses and pouring area, and a couple of small towels to wipe bottles after pouring are good ideas, too. 

 

 

EFC44322-8F23-4A4E-A304-0975C0673DCB.jpeg

43432D59-6C88-4506-BE5A-A6DDCDFC343D.jpeg

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1 hour ago, smokinjoe said:

Pro Tip:  Get yourself a bar mat for wherever it is you pour your whiskey.  Alcohol on the finish of most wood tables is like acid (see pic below).   Also, if you’re having an open tasting with multiple bottles out, cover the table with a table cloth that has a plastic backing so drips on the bottles don’t soak through and eat the finish.  A bar mat(s) by the glasses and pouring area, and a couple of small towels to wipe bottles after pouring are good ideas, too. 

 

 

EFC44322-8F23-4A4E-A304-0975C0673DCB.jpeg

 

 

I always thought proper etiquette was to lick the dribbles as they run down the side of the bottles, on their way to the table... no wonder I never get invited back.

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1 hour ago, smokinjoe said:

Pro Tip:  Get yourself a bar mat for wherever it is you pour your whiskey.  Alcohol on the finish of most wood tables is like acid (see pic below).   Also, if you’re having an open tasting with multiple bottles out, cover the table with a table cloth that has a plastic backing so drips on the bottles don’t soak through and eat the finish.  A bar mat(s) by the glasses and pouring area, and a couple of small towels to wipe bottles after pouring are good ideas, too. 

 

As an addendum to this, even if you have a bar mat, make sure that when you do pour, pour directly over said bar mat. <_< Despite having a bar mat, the edge of my cabinet looks just like yours Joe. :unsure:

 

Biba! Joe

 

 

 

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Just because you pour over a bar mat doesn’t mean the glass is dry if you spill a bit. Use a coaster on your really nice end table even if you have a beautiful Four Roses mat. Sigh.

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