Empty Bottle(s) Support Group ~ 2020

[parksmart]

51 minutes ago, fosmith said:

I've heard nothing but good things about Camp Nelson barrels.  K&L pick?  I recently finished a CNF picked by Moraga Wines & Spirits that was excellent.   

‘‘Twas a Richmond Costco PS that I snagged on markdown a couple years back at $29.97!

[fosmith]

8 hours ago, parksmart said:

‘‘Twas a Richmond Costco PS that I snagged on markdown a couple years back at $29.97!

Holy Cow!  What a deal!  You da man! 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Polished off a 9 yr KC that was delightfully sweet and bright with very little oak. And the last of a JDSiBBP that was a bit too banana for me palate. Then yesterday finished off this guy. Will def pick up a few more to be able to compare to the new BT version. 
 

 

[JakeySnakes]

These two headed to the bin. The BH was a gift from my brother. It mainly was drunk on his visits. Once this and the OGD where at about a 1/4 each, I mixed them making a 90 proofer, and stuck it in the freezer. It was very, very good over the last week.

[fishnbowljoe]

The handle of my 2018 Weller Blend was getting a little low, so I figured I better top it off. 

 

 

Biba! Joe

 

[fosmith]

4 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

The handle of my 2018 Weller Blend was getting a little low, so I figured I better top it off. 

Joe, is your Weller blend 50/50 WA and SR?  If so, I may give it a try.  I have a couple of bottles of each in my stash. 

[fishnbowljoe]

2 hours ago, fosmith said:

Joe, is your Weller blend 50/50 WA and SR?  If so, I may give it a try.  I have a couple of bottles of each in my stash. 

Here's my recipe. It comes out to 100.2°
 

3 parts-OWA
1 part-Weller 12

1 part-Weller SR

 

I add both SR and 12 to the OWA just to give it a more rounded flavor, but of course you can modify it any way you want. As a simple guideline, using more 12 makes it a bit more tannic and smokey/sooty. More SR mellows it out a bit and makes it slightly sweeter. Have fun and enjoy. 

 

Biba! Joe

[fosmith]

14 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Here's my recipe. It comes out to 100.2°
 

3 parts-OWA
1 part-Weller 12

1 part-Weller SR

 

I add both SR and 12 to the OWA just to give it a more rounded flavor, but of course you can modify it any way you want. As a simple guideline, using more 12 makes it a bit more tannic and smokey/sooty. More SR mellows it out a bit and makes it slightly sweeter. Have fun and enjoy. 

 

Biba! Joe

Thanks Joe!

[fishnbowljoe]

43 minutes ago, fosmith said:

Thanks Joe!

You’re more than welcome. Please let us know how it goes. 

 

Biba! Joe

[Clueby]

On 6/26/2020 at 6:03 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

Here's my recipe. It comes out to 100.2°
 

3 parts-OWA
1 part-Weller 12

1 part-Weller SR

 

I add both SR and 12 to the OWA just to give it a more rounded flavor, but of course you can modify it any way you want. As a simple guideline, using more 12 makes it a bit more tannic and smokey/sooty. More SR mellows it out a bit and makes it slightly sweeter. Have fun and enjoy. 

 

Biba! Joe

Definitely trying this next time I have all 3 open. Right now I only have PS bottles of WSR and OWA open. Just killed a regular OWA bottle last night. I think I may be down to my very last "new bottle" W12.  The 2 PS bottles are really good examples and I don't think I wanna use them in a blend.

[Clueby]

Last pour of the freezer bottle is a hefty one.

[fishnbowljoe]

55 minutes ago, Clueby said:

Definitely trying this next time I have all 3 open. Right now I only have PS bottles of WSR and OWA open. Just killed a regular OWA bottle last night. I think I may be down to my very last "new bottle" W12.  The 2 PS bottles are really good examples and I don't think I wanna use them in a blend.

FWIW, (and being the Weller Whore that I am) I’ve made my Weller Blend using all new bottle/label Wellers, and also all old label/bottles. One time I even used the remnants of all PS bottles. 

 

Biba! Joe

[fosmith]

I know not bourbon (100% barley) but this was quite a ride.   When first opened, the nose and, especially the palate, had a strong aroma and flavor of soap!  It was almost a drain pour.  But after some air time, it started to come around and the last third of the bottle was nothing short of amazing!  Deep, rich and complex with a super long finish.  Glad I gave it a chance but I won't be buying another.  I got curious when Fred Minnick had it on his list of candidates for whiskey of the year so ordered a bottle from Seelbachs.com.

[LCWoody]

This was a bourbon that very much surprised me. BC did a very good job of putting this bourbon together. Glad I have some more. 

[0895]

ugh................

 

 

[Kepler]

8 hours ago, 0895 said:

ugh................

 

 

That's a concerning situation. 

[0895]

On 6/28/2020 at 9:11 PM, Clueby said:

Last pour of the freezer bottle is a hefty one.

Have you regained consciousness yet?

[Clueby]

3 hours ago, 0895 said:

Have you regained consciousness yet?

Its "only" 90 proof.

[Kepler]

Finished off a Larceny barrel pick.  This one was better than the standard Larceny by a long shot, but not as good as another store's pick I have.

[Clueby]

Finished off LB3 and my first and only WSR PS tonight. This one has that red hots finish..its pretty darn good.

[Swamp55]

So, here's the latest batch for the bin, with two non-bourbons making a relatively rare appearance in the lineup. 

 

The Hibiki Harmony is, to look for a one-word descriptor, delightful.  If a whiskey can be graceful and charming, this is one right here.  I would advise, however, if you decide to try it, that you drink it before any other whiskies in your session, as otherwise I think it might well come across as weak and unimpressive.

 

The Kentucky Owl Rye (batch 2) has been an odd one for me.  (Full disclosure: I don't drink a lot of rye, so my opinions in this area are likely suspect.)  I received this bottle as a gift about a year ago.  When I first opened it, I thought it was terrific.  So much so, in fact, that I went out and found another bottle and bought it as a backup.  Well, over the past year, each time I have opened this bottle, I have enjoyed the pour a little less.  Not that it is bad even now, it just doesn't wow me like it did originally.  I'm not sure if it is the whiskey that has changed, or me (or both).  I'll be interested, when I open the backup bottle, to see if the wow factor is back.

 

Finally, good ol' Maker's Mark.  This bottle is part of my "mixer's group" that I use almost exclusively for cocktails and cooking.  This bottle was near the bottom so I decided to use the rest up with pours for my wife and me.  Somewhat to my surprise, I really enjoyed the pour, as did my wife.  It reminded me of those days numerous years ago when Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve were my idea of premium whiskey.  For $22 a bottle, this is still a fine example of the distiller's art.

 

 

[WhiskeyBlender]

2 hours ago, Swamp55 said:

So, here's the latest batch for the bin, with two non-bourbons making a relatively rare appearance in the lineup. 

 

The Hibiki Harmony is, to look for a one-word descriptor, delightful.  If a whiskey can be graceful and charming, this is one right here.  I would advise, however, if you decide to try it, that you drink it before any other whiskies in your session, as otherwise I think it might well come across as weak and unimpressive.

 

The Kentucky Owl Rye (batch 2) has been an odd one for me.  (Full disclosure: I don't drink a lot of rye, so my opinions in this area are likely suspect.)  I received this bottle as a gift about a year ago.  When I first opened it, I thought it was terrific.  So much so, in fact, that I went out and found another bottle and bought it as a backup.  Well, over the past year, each time I have opened this bottle, I have enjoyed the pour a little less.  Not that it is bad even now, it just doesn't wow me like it did originally.  I'm not sure if it is the whiskey that has changed, or me (or both).  I'll be interested, when I open the backup bottle, to see if the wow factor is back.

 

Finally, good ol' Maker's Mark.  This bottle is part of my "mixer's group" that I use almost exclusively for cocktails and cooking.  This bottle was near the bottom so I decided to use the rest up with pours for my wife and me.  Somewhat to my surprise, I really enjoyed the pour, as did my wife.  It reminded me of those days numerous years ago when Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve were my idea of premium whiskey.  For $22 a bottle, this is still a fine example of the distiller's art.

 

 

@Swamp55, that's a great cast of empty characters right there! I tend to really like Kentucky Owl, at least what I've had or bought so far, and for Hibiki, as you aptly described, it truly is delightful! That's my favorite Japanese whisky, and it is overall just a world-class dram.

 

Cheers,

Nancy

[Harry in WashDC]

My only ETL bit the dust tonight.  It was a gift from GEETEN when he visited us on his drive home from officiating at a swim meet in RIchmond a couple years ago.  I will miss this.  I have been sipping it on those nights when I did not want something with a higher proof but still wanted body and complexity because it fit the bill well.

[0895]

On 7/5/2020 at 12:53 PM, Clueby said:

Its "only" 90 proof.

Fair enough.

[0895]

On 7/5/2020 at 9:30 PM, Clueby said:

 This one has that red hots finish..its pretty darn good.

 

Good to hear that, because I have one of those waiting for consumption.