What Bourbon Are You Drinking Today (Winter 2019)

[JoeTerp]

22 hours ago, 0895 said:

Interesting.

Did you have the national release, or the Black Friday gift shop release?

It was the national release.  We had it after a tasting and right away I got those distinctive banana notes that 1792 gives me.

[Kane]

Double failure, first the cork, then the sample bottle cap. Empty Mellow Corn to the rescue, it's a perfect fit! It took all my empties and a healthy late night pour to contain the damage.

 

 

Edited January 21, 2020 by Kane

[flahute]

I went on a Stagg Jr. run last week after getting both a batch 12 and 13. I drank them both and two others to be named shortly basically all week long in order to really evaluate them and eliminate any bad palate night negativity. I also drank them in different orders so each one had its moment to shine as the first pour of the night.

 

Batch 12 was the first pour of this experiment and I have to say that it's excellent. It's probably the best Jr. I've had (note that I can't say I had all of them). Batch 13 came next and it is also good but not at the level of 12. Then I had '19 Stagg to test the claim that Jr. 12 is better. Conclusion? Not to my palate. Sr. is just a more complex pour. Now, the profiles on these are very, very different so I can see how someone could choose Jr. 12 if their preference is for a blast of sweetness over a drier spiced complexity.

After that determination I kept trying 12 and 13 together and nothing changed my mind but I came to really love batch 13 on its own. It's a great batch.

So then I decided to back in history and open a Batch 3. Those of you who have been with Jr. since the beginning will remember that Batch 3 was the first one to be universally praised as good after the disappointments in the first two. I was among those who struggled with the first two (which led me to create the JR. and Old Charter blend which evolved to BT and ER10 which not only saved those first two batches but made them quite good). I also thought that BT really got it right with Batch 3. Welp, alongside Batches 12 and 13 I have to say that 3 really pales. That surprised me.

 

So let's all give some recognition to BT here for actually improving a product as it evolves despite all the pressure on their supplies. 

[Bob_Loblaw]

11 hours ago, flahute said:

I went on a Stagg Jr. run last week after getting both a batch 12 and 13. I drank them both and two others to be named shortly basically all week long in order to really evaluate them and eliminate any bad palate night negativity. I also drank them in different orders so each one had its moment to shine as the first pour of the night.

 

Batch 12 was the first pour of this experiment and I have to say that it's excellent. It's probably the best Jr. I've had (note that I can't say I had all of them). Batch 13 came next and it is also good but not at the level of 12. Then I had '19 Stagg to test the claim that Jr. 12 is better. Conclusion? Not to my palate. Sr. is just a more complex pour. Now, the profiles on these are very, very different so I can see how someone could choose Jr. 12 if their preference is for a blast of sweetness over a drier spiced complexity.

After that determination I kept trying 12 and 13 together and nothing changed my mind but I came to really love batch 13 on its own. It's a great batch.

So then I decided to back in history and open a Batch 3. Those of you who have been with Jr. since the beginning will remember that Batch 3 was the first one to be universally praised as good after the disappointments in the first two. I was among those who struggled with the first two (which led me to create the JR. and Old Charter blend which evolved to BT and ER10 which not only saved those first two batches but made them quite good). I also thought that BT really got it right with Batch 3. Welp, alongside Batches 12 and 13 I have to say that 3 really pales. That surprised me.

 

So let's all give some recognition to BT here for actually improving a product as it evolves despite all the pressure on their supplies. 

Great write up thank you!  I think my first Stagg Jr. was more in the Batch 8-10 range and it just did not do it for me at all.  IIRC the nose was sweet caramel, but also very hot.  Some cherry on the palate, but overall just too rough/harsh all around.  I ended up doing to the ER vatting which is mentioned above.  This completely fixed everything and the rest of the bottle was this cherry cola bomb with much less heat.  I was very pleased with this result until I realized that I basically just recreated one of my favorite "classic" bourbons EH Single Barrel

 

I've been offered the last 2-3 batches and have declined.  Still an allocated bottle and I see no reason to take something I am lackluster on.  I will revisit eventually, but am in no hurry to do so.  Probably once I have a full size bar and more space.

[Bbstout]

On 1/19/2020 at 8:45 PM, WhiskeyBlender said:

 

 

On a very separate note, I'd like to affirm what @0895, @smokinjoe, @FasterHorses and others have said about the banana note in Barton 1792 products. That's iso-amyl acetate, which can form from hotter than usual and longer than usual fermentations, which can stress the yeast and create these kind of notes. Also, high original gravities with increased glucose content can lead to these notes, as more short chain esters are produced. 

 

For the past year I've had an opportunity to work with and blend lots of older Barton/1792 barrels, and I have noticed that the iso-amyl acetate note is very batch specific. When I find it, it's like a slap in the face with banana. When it isn't present in other batches, the bourbon is quite delightful.

 

At any rate, that's my two cents on the banana topic. Hope everyone's imbibing something delicious this MLK weekend! 

 

Nancy

 

Nancy,

 

This is great info. I used to be a homebrewer. One time I made a batch of ale and had a crazy fermentation that I think got too hot. The cover got blasted off my bucket and my basement smelled like a banana factory LOL. Iso-Amyl Acetate. I will try and remember that word.

[Bbstout]

14 hours ago, flahute said:

I went on a Stagg Jr. run last week after getting both a batch 12 and 13. I drank them both and two others to be named shortly basically all week long in order to really evaluate them and eliminate any bad palate night negativity. I also drank them in different orders so each one had its moment to shine as the first pour of the night.

 

Batch 12 was the first pour of this experiment and I have to say that it's excellent. It's probably the best Jr. I've had (note that I can't say I had all of them). Batch 13 came next and it is also good but not at the level of 12. Then I had '19 Stagg to test the claim that Jr. 12 is better. Conclusion? Not to my palate. Sr. is just a more complex pour. Now, the profiles on these are very, very different so I can see how someone could choose Jr. 12 if their preference is for a blast of sweetness over a drier spiced complexity.

After that determination I kept trying 12 and 13 together and nothing changed my mind but I came to really love batch 13 on its own. It's a great batch.

So then I decided to back in history and open a Batch 3. Those of you who have been with Jr. since the beginning will remember that Batch 3 was the first one to be universally praised as good after the disappointments in the first two. I was among those who struggled with the first two (which led me to create the JR. and Old Charter blend which evolved to BT and ER10 which not only saved those first two batches but made them quite good). I also thought that BT really got it right with Batch 3. Welp, alongside Batches 12 and 13 I have to say that 3 really pales. That surprised me.

 

So let's all give some recognition to BT here for actually improving a product as it evolves despite all the pressure on their supplies. 

Thanks for the thoughtful review. I have all the batches from 5 up (except 12) I am looking forward to 13 now.

[CUfan99]

14 hours ago, flahute said:

I went on a Stagg Jr. run last week after getting both a batch 12 and 13. I drank them both and two others to be named shortly basically all week long in order to really evaluate them and eliminate any bad palate night negativity. I also drank them in different orders so each one had its moment to shine as the first pour of the night.

 

Batch 12 was the first pour of this experiment and I have to say that it's excellent. It's probably the best Jr. I've had (note that I can't say I had all of them). Batch 13 came next and it is also good but not at the level of 12. Then I had '19 Stagg to test the claim that Jr. 12 is better. Conclusion? Not to my palate. Sr. is just a more complex pour. Now, the profiles on these are very, very different so I can see how someone could choose Jr. 12 if their preference is for a blast of sweetness over a drier spiced complexity.

After that determination I kept trying 12 and 13 together and nothing changed my mind but I came to really love batch 13 on its own. It's a great batch.

So then I decided to back in history and open a Batch 3. Those of you who have been with Jr. since the beginning will remember that Batch 3 was the first one to be universally praised as good after the disappointments in the first two. I was among those who struggled with the first two (which led me to create the JR. and Old Charter blend which evolved to BT and ER10 which not only saved those first two batches but made them quite good). I also thought that BT really got it right with Batch 3. Welp, alongside Batches 12 and 13 I have to say that 3 really pales. That surprised me.

 

So let's all give some recognition to BT here for actually improving a product as it evolves despite all the pressure on their supplies. 

Now you’re really rubbing it in. 

[Bbstout]

On 1/19/2020 at 8:47 PM, BottledInBond said:

I tried a few things. First was a 1792 BIB barrel pick. Quite nice and I bought a bottle. Then I tried the Baker’s single barrel version for the first time. This one was 8 years, 6 months, and it was very rich, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t buy any as it was $20 more than the 1792 BIB barrel which I liked just about as well, and the pricing difference was bigger than the quality difference to me. 
 

Not bourbon but I then tried two different barrel picks of Whistle Pig. These were both Alberta barrels. Tasty but I didn't like the pricing at $85 or whatever they were, and I generally refer their MGP barrels anyway. But still, pretty good and I wouldn’t think they were a bad purchase if I saw someone else grab either. 

Was it a newer Bottle? Whistlepig released a shit ton of Old MGP around 2 years ago right before Dave Pickerell died. They were the last of the good rye after Smooth Ambler and HW cleaned out their best stuff. Dave managed to find some good ones though. I scooped up as many bottles as I could. I emailed WP to confirm what some of them were, and they were all around 12-13 years old MGP. Mind you that they were aged in Vermont for half their life. The bottles I have opened have all been good to Really Good.

[BottledInBond]

2 hours ago, Bbstout said:

Was it a newer Bottle? Whistlepig released a shit ton of Old MGP around 2 years ago right before Dave Pickerell died. They were the last of the good rye after Smooth Ambler and HW cleaned out their best stuff. Dave managed to find some good ones though. I scooped up as many bottles as I could. I emailed WP to confirm what some of them were, and they were all around 12-13 years old MGP. Mind you that they were aged in Vermont for half their life. The bottles I have opened have all been good to Really Good.

These two were pretty recent picks at France 44. I don’t know if you Tom who works there? He did the picks and told me these two were Canadian. They had an MGP WP pick there last year which I did buy, and I do really like. 

[Bbstout]

2 minutes ago, BottledInBond said:

These two were pretty recent picks at France 44. I don’t know if you Tom who works there? He did the picks and told me these two were Canadian. They had an MGP WP pick there last year which I did buy, and I do really like. 

Yep, I grilled Tom on both of his bottles from last year that were both MGP. That's what started my emails to Whistle Pig. Unfortunately WP doesn't confirm anymore because secondary flippers started inquiring for profit. We should do a SBS of the MGP and Alberta. That would be interesting. BTW I think I have you to thank for telling me last year's bottle was there.

[Harry in WashDC]

Planning another multi-store drop-in for tomorrow (WED) while wife is in Wegman's.  Tonight, I am sipping on OGD BIB while watching "Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit".  I can hardly wait to see how it turns out!!

[KyleCBreese]

Revisiting SA Big Level and it’s still not good. 

[StarSurfer55]

Having a bit of MM46 before heading out on a business trip tomorrow. 

[Harry in WashDC]

14 minutes ago, KyleCBreese said:

Revisiting SA Big Level and it’s still not good. 

I have one in the bunker - waiting for warmer weather before I open it as drinking it after doing yard work seems to make it better.  Dunno why, but it does.  Maybe if it snows . . .

[flahute]

2 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said:

I have one in the bunker - waiting for warmer weather before I open it as drinking it after doing yard work seems to make it better.  Dunno why, but it does.  Maybe if it snows . . .

That was a bunker clunker I was SO happy to get rid of.

[flahute]

This could also go in the bourbon zen post.

Some of you will remember my semi recent post about finally buying an Old Forester 100 proof after a long layoff that was caused by an inexplicable pricing structure here in Washington State that had it priced at nearly $40. When I noticed it had come back down to normal, I bought one right away.

Well, I have to say how happy I am to have this again. Sipping on it now and noting how my bottle is almost empty - I've been going to it a lot.

It has a smoked salted caramel thing going on that is not what I normally associate with Old Fo. It's a beautiful thing at an incredible price.

I'll be going to back to the store to buy some of 1L size bottles they just got in.

[Harry in WashDC]

15 hours ago, flahute said:

This could also go in the bourbon zen post.

Some of you will remember my semi recent post about finally buying an Old Forester 100 proof after a long layoff that was caused by an inexplicable pricing structure here in Washington State that had it priced at nearly $40. When I noticed it had come back down to normal, I bought one right away.

Well, I have to say how happy I am to have this again. Sipping on it now and noting how my bottle is almost empty - I've been going to it a lot.

It has a smoked salted caramel thing going on that is not what I normally associate with Old Fo. It's a beautiful thing at an incredible price.

I'll be going to back to the store to buy some of 1L size bottles they just got in.

I’ve been passing on this for fear of its tasting like Signature which I don’t care for although I like the Prohibition line but only drink them occasionally due to high price to taste for me.  Hence, I missed the price drop on the 100,  I’ll try ONE so thanks.

 

[flahute]

26 minutes ago, Harry in WashDC said:

I’ve been passing on this for fear of its tasting like Signature which I don’t care for although I like the Prohibition line but only drink them occasionally due to high price to taste for me.  Hence, I missed the price drop on the 100,  I’ll try ONE so thanks.

 

It’s been years since I last had Signature so I can’t say if this is similar or not. 
Regarding the price drop - please note that my state had an artificially high price on this for some inexplicable reason which is why I stopped buying it. It was a distribution thing not an SRP thing. The drop put it back down to what it should be. It’s probable that in your territory it’s never changed. 

[smokinjoe]

Loooooong day.  Uncovered this Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters High Angel share bottle lurking in the back of the cabinet.  Sipping now.  5 yr whiskey barrels pulled from high in the barrel house, and 107 proof.  Nice chewy oak backbone gives a taste that plays older than 5 yrs, for sure.  

[TwoFingers]

Hump Day is Turkey Day around here.

[BMartin42]

New Bakers 7 SiB. The pour I had at a bar was pretty blah but this Barrel has a lot of butterscotch goodness. I was hoping for less variability in the single barrels because it’s a steep $ gamble for as big a difference as these two are.

[WhiskeyBlender]

On 1/20/2020 at 7:38 AM, Marekv8 said:

 

It's actually pretty damn good in warm oatmeal with raisins.

Now you're talkin', @Marekv8, that's the breakfast of champions! Frightfully, I'm going to have to try that combo. And instead of "cookies and milk," I bet "oatmeal cookies n' Bourbon" would work even better. Now I'm going to have to try that too. You're a bad influence, dang! .....She says as she's pouring some Elijah Craig barrel proof, after a long day of going through cask samples.  

 

Cheers,

Nancy

[WhiskeyBlender]

On 1/21/2020 at 11:03 AM, Bbstout said:

Nancy,

 

This is great info. I used to be a homebrewer. One time I made a batch of ale and had a crazy fermentation that I think got too hot. The cover got blasted off my bucket and my basement smelled like a banana factory LOL. Iso-Amyl Acetate. I will try and remember that word.

Yep, @Bbstout, I bet anything that your fermentation got too hot. That's a classic aroma that can come with stressing yeasts. Did the ale also have 4VG type of notes too? 

[HoustonNit]

Loooooong day.  Uncovered this Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters High Angel share bottle lurking in the back of the cabinet.  Sipping now.  5 yr whiskey barrels pulled from high in the barrel house, and 107 proof.  Nice chewy oak backbone gives a taste that plays older than 5 yrs, for sure.  

I’ve seen some of those Taster’s, none have interested me but this one would.

[Harry in WashDC]

42 minutes ago, WhiskeyBlender said:

Now you're talkin', @Marekv8, that's the breakfast of champions! Frightfully, I'm going to have to try that combo. And instead of "cookies and milk," I bet "oatmeal cookies n' Bourbon" would work even better. Now I'm going to have to try that too. You're a bad influence, dang! .....She says as she's pouring some Elijah Craig barrel proof, after a long day of going through cask samples.  

 

Cheers,

Nancy

This latest round of ECBPs (i.e. C919) is outstanding.  And remember, my  upper limit for aging is KC's old and firm 9 years - usually.  I cannot believe I LOVE the ECBPs at 12YO.

 

On thread - almost finished with my VBT 713.  What's going to happen first -- I finish the bottle?  OR Somebody guesses what VBT 713 is?  HINT - It is NOT an EC of any kind.

 

ASIDE - In my younger days, Kelloggs Sugar Corn Pops and beer for breakfast was not unheard of.  We are talking about the 1960s, of course.

Edited January 23, 2020 by Harry in WashDC