What Bourbon Did You Pass Up Today (Spring 2018)

[Marekv8]

Tough call-- but I ended up passing on this bad boy for $27.00. The kicker is that it's one of the few Sazerac products that carries an age statement.

 

Also passed on the new Wild Turkey Revival-- there was a shelf full @ $144.00.

 

 

[lcpfratn]

Tough call-- but I ended up passing on this bad boy for $27.00. The kicker is that it's one of the few Sazerac products that carries an age statement.
 
Also passed on the new Wild Turkey Revival-- there was a shelf full @ $144.00.
 
 

I don’t really understand their thought process for doing this with whiskey. I understand the benefit for value priced wine due to rapid oxidation issues, but not Whiskey.

[flahute]

16 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

I don’t really understand their thought process for doing this with whiskey. I understand the benefit for value priced wine due to rapid oxidation issues, but not Whiskey.

There's a certain subset of sucker who loves the ides of "on tap".

[Vosgar]

10 hours ago, flahute said:

There's a certain subset of sucker who loves the ides of "on tap".

Hence the 3.5L box of Fireball........

[bayouredd]

Passed up these 2, since I have no idea what I am looking at or for. I do admit that I am tempted by the Smooth Ambler.

Looks like the Southwell is sourced & the SA Big Level is new.

What say the panel on opportunity?

[Mako254]

17 minutes ago, bayouredd said:

Passed up these 2, since I have no idea what I am looking at or for. I do admit that I am tempted by the Smooth Ambler.

Looks like the Southwell is sourced & the SA Big Level is new.

What say the panel on opportunity?

 

Have heard good things about Big Level. Smooth Ambler has earned enough good will with me to buy a bottle when it comes to my market. 

[CardsandBourbon]

I would probably pull the trigger on the SA, it's wheated, 100 proof and from SA so that would be enough to tip me over to the buy category.  The other one is aged 12 years but other than that I know nothing of it so if I couldn't have a taste first, at $73 I would pass.

[lcpfratn]

I’d probably give the SA Big Level a try given their reputation. I’ve been passing on the Southwell for at least 6 months. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just another overpriced NDP brand that brings nothing new to the table. If it was cask strength, I’d probably consider buying a bottle, but I’ll pass on it at 86 proof even though it’s a 12yr bourbon. I can find ECBP 12yr for less money, and I have a lot of EC 12yr in the bunker that I bought for a whole lot less just a few years ago. I’m currently buying KCSiB PS that are 14yrs old for around $40. Even the W12 bottles that I bought last year cost substantially less...so I can’t find any reason to want to buy Southwell.

 

 

 

[Achair34]

Weller 12 -$50

Blantons -$54

ECBP B517 -$70

 

I have each of them already, but was tempted to get more as back up. Almost pulled the trigger on the ECBP though as I do enjoy it, but hoping to find a newer release. 

[mbroo5880i]

On 5/21/2018 at 7:52 PM, lcpfratn said:

I’d probably give the SA Big Level a try given their reputation. I’ve been passing on the Southwell for at least 6 months. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just another overpriced NDP brand that brings nothing new to the table. If it was cask strength, I’d probably consider buying a bottle, but I’ll pass on it at 86 proof even though it’s a 12yr bourbon. I can find ECBP 12yr for less money, and I have a lot of EC 12yr in the bunker that I bought for a whole lot less just a few years ago. I’m currently buying KCSiB PS that are 14yrs old for around $40. Even the W12 bottles that I bought last year cost substantially less...so I can’t find any reason to want to buy Southwell.

 

 

 

I agree. The 12 year age statement means nothing to mean unless I know what I am buying.   I would give the Smooth Ambler a try because I like what they have been doing on the distilling side of things.

[bayouredd]

WOW!!! My favorite LS went full a-hole! The young lady that always discusses bourbon with me told me that the boss is tired of seeing his products go straight to the secondary market so he jumped straight into that market. She gave me his info & suggested that I build a rapport with the owner, but I don't know that I want to work that hard.

 

                       Old Prices     New Prices

Elmer T                $38              $85

CEHT 4 Grain        $88            $450

Weller 12             $45             $150

Mich 10               $95             $180

Blanton's is the same at $60 & it is the only reason I will go at all...

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by bayouredd

[lcpfratn]

WOW!!! My favorite LS went full a-hole! The young lady that always discusses bourbon with me told me that the boss is tired of seeing his products go straight to the secondary market so he jumped straight into that market. She gave me his info & suggested that I build a rapport with the owner, but I don't know that I want to work that hard.
 
                       Old Prices     New Prices
Elmer T                $38              $85
CEHT 4 Grain        $88            $450
Weller 12             $45             $150
Mich 10               $95             $180
Blanton's is the same at $60 & it is the only reason I will go at all...
 

It’s happening everywhere, although those prices are a bit extreme. I just stop shopping much at those kind of stores and spend most of my money building on my relationships at stores that still want to be fair to their loyal customers. These stores that go to secondary pricing on LE and allocated stuff will still usually have good prices on a lot of mid and lower shelf stuff, but I’ll spend a buck or two more at a store that appreciates my business before I spend it in these stores. I do stop in occasionally to see if they have something others don’t have at reasonable pricing and occasionally score something, but for the most part I look around and usually just leave without buying anything and I don’t feel bad about it when I do.

[Clueby]

1 hour ago, lcpfratn said:

It’s happening everywhere, although those prices are a bit extreme. I just stop shopping much at those kind of stores and spend most of my money building on my relationships at stores that still want to be fair to their loyal customers. These stores that go to secondary pricing on LE and allocated stuff will still usually have good prices on a lot of mid and lower shelf stuff, but I’ll spend a buck or two more at a store that appreciates my business before I spend it in these stores. I do stop in occasionally to see if they have something others don’t have at reasonable pricing and occasionally score something, but for the most part I look around and usually just leave without buying anything and I don’t feel bad about it when I do.

Problem is I don't know of any stores where a relationship is going to get you anything special. Even the stores that try and be fair have gone to rewards programs and to get anywhere you have to spend THOUSANDS to earn points for allocated items. My only option is lotteries, being lucky, and head up from other sb'rs.

[PowderKeg]

56 minutes ago, lcpfratn said:

It’s happening everywhere, although those prices are a bit extreme. I just stop shopping much at those kind of stores and spend most of my money building on my relationships at stores that still want to be fair to their loyal customers. These stores that go to secondary pricing on LE and allocated stuff will still usually have good prices on a lot of mid and lower shelf stuff, but I’ll spend a buck or two more at a store that appreciates my business before I spend it in these stores. I do stop in occasionally to see if they have something others don’t have at reasonable pricing and occasionally score something, but for the most part I look around and usually just leave without buying anything and I don’t feel bad about it when I do.

Ditto - got a few like that here that I just stop in for a laugh and the very off-hand chance they screwed up something else, like the $25 Pikesville I got from a joker with $200 W12, $100 ETL, $75 1792FP....  I go right next door and support the competition instead.

[PaulO]

Bayouredd, it will be interesting to see if the store actually moves many bottles at those prices.  That will be the test.  It could backfire too: regular customers get mad, find new places to spend money, don't go back.

[mikeydk]

4 hours ago, PaulO said:

Bayouredd, it will be interesting to see if the store actually moves many bottles at those prices.  That will be the test.  It could backfire too: regular customers get mad, find new places to spend money, don't go back.

It's an interesting thing.  The prices that were listed, are actually still less than most of the San Francisco area shops.  Elmer for $85?  Try 125+ *IF* they have it at all.  This years Michters 10 are showing up at $189 easily.  One of the oddities of shops going secondary is that many of them are selling a variety of things for cheap.  Michters offerings at $36, Buffalo Trace for $17. Eagle Rare for $22.  I tend to laugh at a lot of the prices being charged, as I happily purchase McKenna single barrel for $25.  

 

So the shops don't "lose" my business, I just selectively purchase from them and spend my "secondary" money at a shop 400 miles away on special things I don't have.  

[kcgumbohead]

On a work trip to the southern part of the state I sropped into a handful of stores on a leisurely drive back to avoid rush hour. I was quite surprised to see regular items like WTRB over 60.00 in most of these stores. I would think a major metro area would have the higher prices but RB is mid 40s near home. Accross the board the prices were higher than what I am used to. Passed on everything in my seemingly fultile search for a WTDecades at sub 150.00. I don’t know who is shopping in those stores but perhaps a trip to the city is in order.

[mrpipster]

Bought my first bottle of Buffalo Trace today.

It was $24.99. Is that about what they usually cost?

[mrpipster]

Sorry. Wrong thread.

[gurgalunas]

I passed on the new Decades at retail, whatever that is (did not ask).  Store even offered $0.25 off per gallon of gas at their gas station.  Not interested enough in the high dollar Turkey, let alone a finished one.  Not my cup of tea...

[NDN98]

Passed on Blood Oath Pact 3 at $79

[fosmith]

Passed on Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 24 y.o. for $160

 

[Jav]

I was excited to finally see a Smooth Ambler Big Level bourbon on the shelf at my local BevMo.  I was not excited when I saw the $64 price tag.

[Clueby]

2 hours ago, Jav said:

I was excited to finally see a Smooth Ambler Big Level bourbon on the shelf at my local BevMo.  I was not excited when I saw the $64 price tag.

I think MSRP is $54.99 so not TOO overpriced.

[mikeydk]

16 hours ago, Jav said:

I was excited to finally see a Smooth Ambler Big Level bourbon on the shelf at my local BevMo.  I was not excited when I saw the $64 price tag.

BevMo pricing on their non-limited stuff makes me more angry than shops selling at secondary on rare stuff.  $42.99 for Russell's reserve 10 year?  C'mon, that's a $13 jackup.  There's a local across the bay bridge that sells it for $29.99, and will ship up to 3 bottles for an additional $9.99.  I stop into BevMo now and then, but not like I used to.