What Bourbon did you purchase today (summer 2018)

[flahute]

26 minutes ago, Vosgar said:

Wow! That's buy a case or 3 kind of pricing. 

Only 3? That's like only buying 1 bottle of Stagg and leaving the other on the shelf for the next guy.

[mbroo5880i]

On 7/3/2018 at 2:48 PM, berto said:

Costco has gotten into the barrel picking game and given Costco prices, my own curiosity, and that they chose barrels from my two favorite places I had to buy a bottle of the Russell's Reserve barrel they bought for my local Costco and two bottles of Four Roses OBSQ that a friend grabbed for me from his local Costco.

Our local Costco (Indiana) has an EWSB a few years back.  I would love to see them up their game on barrel selects.

Edited July 5, 2018 by mbroo5880i

[smokinjoe]

11 hours ago, mbroo5880i said:

Our local Costco (Indiana) has an EWSB a few years back.  I would love to see them up their game on barrel selects.

I can’t run with you, here.  The “idea” of a Barrel select is “nice”, but personally I don’t get all weak kneed at the idea of the local Costco, Meijer, Wal-Mart, or Aldi, putting out one.  

[Richnimrod]

3 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

I can’t run with you, here.  The “idea” of a Barrel select is “nice”, but personally I don’t get all weak kneed at the idea of the local Costco, Meijer, Wal-Mart, or Aldi, putting out one.  

I'm with Joe, here.   

Not certain what happens in any/all cases; but, my suspicion is that the management of the local outlet, or more likely the regional  management, in charge of several of the chain's outlets, makes a request of the liquor distributor, who pushes that up the ladder, and magically, in a few weex or months a barrel is bottled with the chain's I-D on it, and it begins to show up on store shelves.    I'm not sure anybody actually tastes any samples even. 

 

I got a particularly nice bottle from a certain barrel of EWSB a few years ago from my local Meijer, and asked the store manager about it.    He was entirely clueless.     So, I bought all that he had on his shelf (4-bottles, he had another a few weex later) and searched a couple other Meijer stores within a reasonable driving distance and found several more at one store, and one at a third... and interestingly, I also found two bottles each, at the two different stores, from barrels with consecutive numbers to the first one (one before, one after).    I tried one of each of those; but was disappointed to find them 'good-but-not-special'.     I still have a few left of the really good one. 

So, I'm fairly sure barrel picks from big chains are not necessarily indicative of anything special.    I think any single barrel offering has as much chance of hitting a home run as the store picked ones from big chains.

All this is just my own experience of course, and my own humble opinion.

[Cranecreek]

1 hour ago, Richnimrod said:

I'm with Joe, here.   

Not certain what happens in any/all cases; but, my suspicion is that the management of the local outlet, or more likely the regional  management, in charge of several of the chain's outlets, makes a request of the liquor distributor, who pushes that up the ladder, and magically, in a few weex or months a barrel is bottled with the chain's I-D on it, and it begins to show up on store shelves.    I'm not sure anybody actually tastes any samples even.  

I know there are bona fide examples where private picks occur with actual barrel tasting, but I do not know how prevalent they are.  In most cases I think they are just a marketing ploy.  The distributer offers the option and for a little extra $ a label gets slapped on.  The wording is suspicious in that it usually reads "Hand selected by __________."  That leaves the door wide open as to how it was selected or if it was tasted.  Maybe some of the members here who say they have participated in these selections could shed some light on this.  Worthy of a thread ?

Edited July 5, 2018 by Cranecreek

[kevinbrink]

In NJ one of our local distributors does picks that they spread around to stores all with the same label "Cask Strength Society" the ones I have bought have been generally above average. The more whiskey oriented stores like Bayway and Liquor Outlet do their own picks which are generally great though sometimes my tastes don't align as well with Pat at Bayway as some of the other NJ guys here. TW and the Supermarkets generally just take whatever private barrels they can source and believe they can sell. So at least here there are a few different ways Private Barrels end up at retail, I think the most surefire way to find ones that you like is to find a good store where the owner or whiskey manger's tastes are in tune with your own.  Even with the big stores and supermarkets you can occasionally find a gem but at least from my experience you have a much, much lower batting average. 

[Mako254]

19 minutes ago, kevinbrink said:

In NJ one of our local distributors does picks that they spread around to stores all with the same label "Cask Strength Society" the ones I have bought have been generally above average. The more whiskey oriented stores like Bayway and Liquor Outlet do their own picks which are generally great though sometimes my tastes don't align as well with Pat at Bayway as some of the other NJ guys here. TW and the Supermarkets generally just take whatever private barrels they can source and believe they can sell. So at least here there are a few different ways Private Barrels end up at retail, I think the most surefire way to find ones that you like is to find a good store where the owner or whiskey manger's tastes are in tune with your own.  Even with the big stores and supermarkets you can occasionally find a gem but at least from my experience you have a much, much lower batting average. 

 

I have purchased a couple ‘cask strength society’ bottles from a NJ shop and was pleased with both of them. 

 

There is a shop in my area that ‘let’s the master distiller pick our barrels’. Any BT pick is one ‘harlen set aside for me’. 

 

I have no way of verifying this but I can’t help but think the ‘big box’ chains often get barrels that were pulled for private or on site barrel picks that got passed over. Doesn’t necessarily make them inherently good or bad, just means they were not chosen by people who have palates I trust. 

 

 

 

[MOwhisky4me]

One of my local LS has had some BT and ER store selections in the past. Talking with the owner she gave me a rundown of the selection process that she used... She received 5-6 samples from BT Distillery that she was able to choose from and then that barrel was bottled for her store. Another large LS in the St Louis area used a similar method to choose their recent bottling of Old Forester Single Barrel.

 

There may be some large box stores that employ this method for store/private selections, but I'd be willing to bet those are rare cases.

[gurgalunas]

My experience with 4 (KC, KC, KC Rye, BT) picks have been with a large chain grocery in our area.  They get 3 samples from the distributor and are allowed to choose which, if any, they want.  The LS managers taste samples first, then allow some of their more knowledgeable regulars to offer their opinion.  I'm fortunate that my tastes align with the managers- we have chosen the same each time.  There is a difference in what is provided based on distillery.  KC gives tons of info on the barrels, offers distillery water, droppers, beaker, etc to proof down barrel strength samples.  BT comes already taken down to bottle proof, and no info is given on the samples.

 

Another store of that grocery chain had a 100 proof PS of 4R.  That one was not offered as samples, just bottled by the distillery and labeled with the store name.

 

I think it varies with distillery, and with which product you are getting.  AFAIK, 4R requires all barrel strength picks be done at the distillery (distinctly recall reading that but can't remember where, could be mistaken).  Probably also varies with distributors, as some seem to be a little more client friendly.  

[Bourserker]

I'm traveling, and had success finding what I was looking for, some plain old BT and a plain old CEHT SmB.  Buffalo Trace has become hard to find in VA, so I was pumped to find a "family" sized one.

[0895]

4 hours ago, MOwhisky4me said:

One of my local LS has had some BT and ER store selections in the past. Talking with the owner she gave me a rundown of the selection process that she used... She received 5-6 samples from BT Distillery that she was able to choose from and then that barrel was bottled for her store. Another large LS in the St Louis area used a similar method to choose their recent bottling of Old Forester Single Barrel.

 

There may be some large box stores that employ this method for store/private selections, but I'd be willing to bet those are rare cases.

If you don't mind me asking, who in STL has a single barrel pick of Old Fo?  I'm a big fan.  Have not seen any around town.

[mbroo5880i]

 

9 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

I'm with Joe, here.   

Not certain what happens in any/all cases; but, my suspicion is that the management of the local outlet, or more likely the regional  management, in charge of several of the chain's outlets, makes a request of the liquor distributor, who pushes that up the ladder, and magically, in a few weex or months a barrel is bottled with the chain's I-D on it, and it begins to show up on store shelves.    I'm not sure anybody actually tastes any samples even. 

 

I got a particularly nice bottle from a certain barrel of EWSB a few years ago from my local Meijer, and asked the store manager about it.    He was entirely clueless.     So, I bought all that he had on his shelf (4-bottles, he had another a few weex later) and searched a couple other Meijer stores within a reasonable driving distance and found several more at one store, and one at a third... and interestingly, I also found two bottles each, at the two different stores, from barrels with consecutive numbers to the first one (one before, one after).    I tried one of each of those; but was disappointed to find them 'good-but-not-special'.     I still have a few left of the really good one. 

So, I'm fairly sure barrel picks from big chains are not necessarily indicative of anything special.    I think any single barrel offering has as much chance of hitting a home run as the store picked ones from big chains.

All this is just my own experience of course, and my own humble opinion.

Rich,  I believe this is a common scenario.  I doubt most grocer retailers are involved in selecting actual barrels.  Similar to you, I have had a few good "store labelled" single barrels and a few really great ones.  The rest were just consistent with the brand profile but nothing special.  

 

I should restate my comment by wishing my local Costco would up its game and start stocking something other than what I can get at Wal-Mart.  It doesn't have to be a single barrel, just something different than JB White and Makers Mark.  

Edited July 6, 2018 by mbroo5880i

[BottledInBond]

Was just looking for a new beer release over my lunch break and found some Old Fitz 11 BIB at $105. I haven’t heard it’s the best juice ever or anything but you can’t argue with how cool the bottle is, and I’ll need to send one to my in-laws for their display collection so grabbed 2

[Statesboro Blues]

Today was a very good day. 

[fosmith]

 1 Stagg Jr. batch 10 for $49.50 and 2 ECBP C917 for $56 ea. +tax. Don't see these in the wild much in the Bay Area.

[DeepCover]

I picked up 2 of the OC101’s (not today, but recently), 1 for me and 1 for a fellow SB’r. The owner told me he’s been sitting on a case of OC101 for over 2 years.

[0895]

2 minutes ago, DeepCover said:

I picked up 2 of the OC101’s (not today, but recently), 1 for me and 1 for a fellow SB’r. The owner told me he’s been sitting on a case of OC101 for over 2 years.

That was such a neat bottle, with the barley etched in the sides.

The new ones I've seen are all plastic.  

[DeepCover]

3 minutes ago, 0895 said:

That was such a neat bottle, with the barley etched in the sides.

The new ones I've seen are all plastic.  

I haven’t cracked it open. What would you compare the profile to? As much as I want it to taste like a 101 proof version of BT, i’ve tempered my expectations. 

[PaulO]

29 minutes ago, DeepCover said:

I haven’t cracked it open. What would you compare the profile to? As much as I want it to taste like a 101 proof version of BT, i’ve tempered my expectations. 

I'd call it a younger, but higher proof version of BT.  I would've picked them up for what you paid.

[0895]

27 minutes ago, DeepCover said:

I haven’t cracked it open. What would you compare the profile to? As much as I want it to taste like a 101 proof version of BT, i’ve tempered my expectations. 

I actually enjoy charter 101.  It definitely has a somewhat young taste to it, but it's still pretty good.  Most people I gave it to blind, didn't believe it when I showed them the bottle.

Lots of caramel.  The higher proof helps it over the regular OC 80p.  Makes a decent cocktail, but I enjoyed sipping it straight.

The only way I would describe the profile, is that it tastes like Old Charter (caramel BT profile).

Interestingly enough, the 2018 bottles of EHT small batch all have (so far) this caramel "Old Charter' profile to them as well.  So if you enjoy it, look for a 2018 EHT SmB.

 

Wish I could still find those old glass OC101 bottles with the barley.

I won't buy the plastic ones... I don't buy my alcohol in plastic.  

[FasterHorses]

 

 

[FasterHorses]

[cdcdguy]

9 minutes ago, FasterHorses said:

This has completely disappeared in Indiana. How much did it cost?

[Spade]

I've passed on ECBP that past few times I've seen it since I have a couple stashed away. Saw another one today and decided to grab it since it was $55. I thought about grabbing the other two they had but left them for the next person.

[FasterHorses]

4 minutes ago, cdcdguy said:

This has completely disappeared in Indiana. How much did it cost?

I think it was $24. The new tan label was $22.