2019 Top 3 Pours

[fanostra]

Its been something of a Turkey year for me...

 

1) W.B. Saffell - Prior posts say better than what I can and echo my thoughts about this one. Found at a great price and picked up 6 or 7, but wish I had more. Exceptional.

 

2) Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Binny's Barrel #19-0411; Rickhouse C - KY Spirt is a bit of a roller coaster for me. Have had some so-so ones, and a few that really stand out. This is one of the latter. I should see if they still have any left.

 

3) Four Roses Small Batch Select - Liked this a whole lot more than I expected to. I should have a pour tonight or tomorrow.

 

Honorable Mentions - Wild Turkey Cornerstone Rye. Probably overpriced but dang good. 

Old Forester Single Barrel # 3993 13G08 Women of Binny's Embrace XX. I liked this better than last years OFBB quite frankly. Great pick. The team over at Binny's make some excellent picks.

Maker's Mark RC6. I did not expect to enjoy this more than OWA107 or W12, but sure did.

 

Not bourbon but a goodie - Dartigalongue Hors D'Age Armagnac

[JCwhammie]

3 minutes ago, fanostra said:

 

 

2) Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Binny's Barrel #19-0411; Rickhouse C - KY Spirt is a bit of a roller coaster for me. Have had some so-so ones, and a few that really stand out. This is one of the latter. I should see if they still have any left.

 

This is also my opinion of WTKS. I'm a huge turkey fan, and it's frustrating that something from them is so inconsistent, yet the price has now eclipsed the $50 mark. Me finding a silver linjng: when you find a honey barrell it makes it super special. 

[Bbstout]

Its probably a combination of the great memory of drinking in the rickhouse with Eddie(during a thunderstorm no less!), or the fact that we did not end up getting the barrel but in my head this was an amazing RR barrel that clearly stood out from the others and unanimously took first in the final blind. 

 

You can't buy memories like that

[Obeezy1Kaneezy]

No particular order...

 

•ECBP

•Woodford Reserve MC Batch Proof 

•New Riff Single Barrel Rye 

 

Honorable Mentions:

•1792 Full Proof pick from Charlie’s in Memphis

•Old Ezra 7 Barrel Strength

 

Non-American Whisky:

•Glenfarclas 105

[JoeTerp]

I agree that 2019 was a great year for me tasting bourbon.  I'm going to cheat a little bit and have 3 top 3 lists.

 

Top 3 from bottles that I own:

1.  Abraham Bowman Sweet XVI

2.  George T Stagg 2018

3.  Still 630 5 year Barrel proof rye

Honorable mentions: Whistle Pig pick (12 years, 120.8 proof), Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2017

 

Top 3 from bottles that were shared with me (so many generous people):

1.  Abraham Bowman 12 Year Port Finish

2.  William Larue Weller 2015

3.  Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2018

Honorable mentions: dusty Turkey, Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Batch 2, William Larue Weller 2018, Old Rip Van Winkle 2015, Little Book 3, Weller Full Proof (it was a pick, but I can't remember from where), Woodford Batch Proof (this year's), Thomas H Handy 2018

 

Top 3 bar pours:

1.  Smooth Ambler Rye 8 year barrel proof - Big Red pick

2.  Weller Full Proof - 1789b pick

3.  Abraham Bowman Coffee Bean Finished

 

If I had to do top 3 it would probably be the Sweet XVI, 12 Year Port Finish, and 2015 WLW.

 

 

[Bbstout]

On 1/8/2020 at 7:25 PM, Harry in WashDC said:

What a great idea for a thread.  I shall have to cogitate.  Frankly, I had a heckuva time drinking bourbons and ryes in 2019.  The OF Rye 100 and the 4RSmBSelect come to mind.  For my third?  Gallons of good old OGD BIB come to mind - even the new bottles (like the one I decanted five days ago) taste as good to me as when Squire's comments circa Jan 2014 made me REALLY THINK about what I tasted in it.  That opened up a whole new world to me and made me think that all those "wine snobs" I'd made fun of were "on to something".  In other words, whiskey has a complex taste - it is not all about how many quick shots I can handle before I fall over.

 

AND - having just read what I typed, I have concluded I am through drinking for the night (OF 1897 BIB with a LOT of ice) as I am getting much too introspective.  NEXT, I'll be telling you what I see when I gaze in my navel.

This post prompted me to open a OGD BIB. I think I joined SB around 2005. I remember the discussion among old timers (including Squire) lamenting how OGD 114 was close to many that were twice the price from a value standpoint...this is when ORVW was $40. Thank God Beam didn't F up OGD like Old Taylor, Old Crow, etc.

[MM818]

All these Little Book recs are making we want to go pick it off the shelf. I passed because it was priced where I felt the value was gone. 

[Iron ghost]

I was really fortunate this year.

I got to try a bunch of rare bourbons, thanks to the help of extremely generous friends & whiskey Sommeliers.

Pappy 15 & 23, limited editions, BTACS, and even a few vintages. 

 

However, by far the highlight of my year was discovering how to date Wild Turkey bottles and buying/trying many different years of the various Turkey bourbons & ryes. 
Specifically- The newer 2018 & 2019 stuff.
Holy Sh*t.

I don’t know what the Russells are doing over there, but there’s a VERY clear flavor profile shift in the newer 2018(LL/G) & 2019 (LL/H) bottles vs the older stuff.
The newer stuff is pure fire.

There’s a spice and complexity to it that... it just leaves me in awe. 

 

While technically my *best pours of 2019* were probably... (in any given order):

- Four Roses LE 2019

-Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2019

- William Larue Weller 2019

 

My real gems of 2019 were:

-Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 2019(LL/H)

-Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 2018(LL/G)

-Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye 2018(LL/G)

 

Why?

Because they’re $50+/-, readily available, 
And on any given night they can go toe-to-toe with ANY rare or exclusive/limited edition out there- and best them. 
At my last bourbon get-together:  3 out of 5 people picked Russell’s Single Barrel 2018 in a blind tasting over Pappy 15, George T Stagg, Weller 107 & Old Forester BB 2018. 
 

That said- Did it cost me a lot of money to figure that out?
*glances over at 10 different Russell’s bottles acquired this year* 

It did. It cost me $500+ to figure that out(plus what I spent at my whiskey bars). 

But... that’s still cheaper than what most people pay for a bottle of Pappy 

 

Aside from all of that, my 3 bottles I went to the most on my shelf were: 

-Russell’s Single Barrel Rye 2018 (LL/GA)

-Wild Turkey 101 2018 (LL/GI)

-Blantons (11-13-19: Barrel 330: H 39)

 

Edited January 10, 2020 by Iron ghost

[The Black Tot]

1 hour ago, Iron ghost said:

I was really fortunate this year.

 

GREAT post.

[Jazzhead]

While this has been a Beam year for me (in addition to LB3,  I've loved the bottles of Bookers,  Bakers,  JB Single Barrel,  JB Distillers Cut and Knob Creek 13-year old store picks I've opened this past year),  when I read a post like Iron ghost's above,  I have to admit the bottom-line, heavens-to-mergatroid truth:  Wild Turkey/RR is the finest of 'em all,  from every important criteria I can think of -  taste,  age.  range of options (large batch, curated small batch, single barrel), proof, and consistency.   WT bourbon is simply the GOAT, with a flavor profile that is unique, utterly classic, and delicious.   

 

May Jimmy Russell be put on the money someday.  

Edited January 10, 2020 by Jazzhead

[AndyD]

Well, I bought a backup LB3.....thanks guys

[Bbstout]

I can't give a top 3 as I am enjoying an Old Forester Rye bottle that I bought for $20. My #2 & #3 were $15 for a 1 oz pour.

[afmadd]

Lots of great bourbons this year.  In no order, my top three:

 

Stagg Jr. 12.   

ECBP A119

Little Book ch. 3

 

Honorable mention:

ECBP C919

New Riff SB

 

[Kepler]

Turkey, and RR specifically, was the new "in" thing in the bourbon tater world in 2019.  2019 the year of the Turkey?

[PaulO]

My qualifiers here are new (to me) in 2019.

The big surprise is B-F products.

I'll jump on the OF Rye band wagon.  In a lot of ways, it reminds me of dusty OF Signature from the early 2000s.  That's a good thing.

I've only had one bottle of Early Times B.I.B., but really enjoyed it.  So far not easy to find around here.

 The outlier of 2019 was JD single barrel.  I got the 90 odd proof version at a great sale price in a pharmacy.  This stuff is like liquid pecan pie, bears almost no resemblance to standard Jack.  In a flight, better save this for last.

 

I also give honorable mention to JB Double Oak.  I tried that for the first time in 2019.  

[dboland]

12 hours ago, Kepler said:

Turkey, and RR specifically, was the new "in" thing in the bourbon tater world in 2019.  2019 the year of the Turkey?

When I first got into bourbon and joined these forums, I was given the advice to drink and buy what I like. I still see this encouraged and think it is fantastic advice. Since I was late to the days of LEs remaining on the shelves and don't have a bunker of 50 GTSs, premium options were limited but I could find RR Small Batch Single Barrel and loved the taste.

 

It still tastes great to me and is widely available. I don't care for some of the other Turkeys I have had like WTKS, RR10, and WTRB (the last two versions). If that makes those of us who enjoy their whiskey taters then so be it but all we can do is be honest about what we enjoy (and can find).

[The Black Tot]

1 hour ago, dboland said:

When I first got into bourbon and joined these forums, I was given the advice to drink and buy what I like. I still see this encouraged and think it is fantastic advice. Since I was late to the days of LEs remaining on the shelves and don't have a bunker of 50 GTSs, premium options were limited but I could find RR Small Batch Single Barrel and loved the taste.

 

RR SmbSib is awesome. Ya can call me tater all day long so long as that's in my glass.

 

Edit - we don't hate ya for having only 49 GTSs...

Edited January 11, 2020 by The Black Tot

[flahute]

1 hour ago, dboland said:

When I first got into bourbon and joined these forums, I was given the advice to drink and buy what I like. I still see this encouraged and think it is fantastic advice. Since I was late to the days of LEs remaining on the shelves and don't have a bunker of 50 GTSs, premium options were limited but I could find RR Small Batch Single Barrel and loved the taste.

 

It still tastes great to me and is widely available. I don't care for some of the other Turkeys I have had like WTKS, RR10, and WTRB (the last two versions). If that makes those of us who enjoy their whiskey taters then so be it but all we can do is be honest about what we enjoy (and can find).

I believe he's referring to a certain subset of people who heard the rumor about older than normal whiskey being in WT101 and WTRB who then started zealously chasing date codes and selling them on secondary. Meanwhile, those of us who had been drinking Turkey all along laughed at all these people discovering Turkey for the first time, again, because someone told them they should.

[The Black Tot]

7 minutes ago, flahute said:

I believe he's referring to a certain subset of people who heard the rumor about older than normal whiskey being in WT101 and WTRB who then started zealously chasing date codes and selling them on secondary. Meanwhile, those of us who had been drinking Turkey all along laughed at all these people discovering Turkey for the first time, again, because someone told them they should.

 

Even though I'm not buying current-release WT101 it warms my heart every time I hear you guys talking about what a modern day success story it is. Always happy to read about a winning season, and WT sounds like they're really on their game, with no sign of letting up.

[dboland]

47 minutes ago, flahute said:

I believe he's referring to a certain subset of people who heard the rumor about older than normal whiskey being in WT101 and WTRB who then started zealously chasing date codes and selling them on secondary. Meanwhile, those of us who had been drinking Turkey all along laughed at all these people discovering Turkey for the first time, again, because someone told them they should.

Fair enough, I must have missed that. One of the things I have enjoyed about this site are the discussions of changes in profiles so that could be relevant but yeah, the proof is in the bottle and what you like. 

[flahute]

1 hour ago, dboland said:

Fair enough, I must have missed that. One of the things I have enjoyed about this site are the discussions of changes in profiles so that could be relevant but yeah, the proof is in the bottle and what you like. 

It was a thing from spring into summer last year. Started as a rumor which persisted for a few months and somewhere along the line either Eddie or Bruce Russell confirmed it. Then the run really began. I was already buying and enjoying both WT101 and RB as they are mainstays for me. I found some of the RB that had older whiskey in it an honestly had a hard time telling the difference between it and prior RB. It's all about the skill of the blending team and they have a profile they are trying to hit.

[flahute]

2 hours ago, The Black Tot said:

 

Even though I'm not buying current-release WT101 it warms my heart every time I hear you guys talking about what a modern day success story it is. Always happy to read about a winning season, and WT sounds like they're really on their game, with no sign of letting up.

If I woke up tomorrow and WT101 was the only bourbon being made, apart from missing variety, I'd be a happy man.

[afmadd]

On 1/11/2020 at 12:51 AM, Kepler said:

Turkey, and RR specifically, was the new "in" thing in the bourbon tater world in 2019.  2019 the year of the Turkey?

I visited Rural Inn in Indianapolis (picked up a great mgp store pick) and one of the gentleman working there told me they can't keep Rare Breed on the shelf - in his words "it's been discovered." Thank God we don't have that problem in Virginia yet.....

[BMartin42]

I had to give this one some thought. I’d go with my number one as the WLW (2012?) of mine that we opened on Master’s Sunday with my two best friends who also happen to be my two best bourbon buddies and are as rabidly pro Tiger Woods as am I. Weather forced the move of tee times WAY up so we gathered around one of their bars and at 8:15 AM popped the cork and proceeded to empty the bottle over the next few hours while we watched Tiger complete one of the greatest sports moments in recent memory. While it was incredible bourbon, it was the company of friends and the combination with the moment that made it truly spectacular.

My number two was the ORVW 10/107 squat bottle that was also shared with friends during a celebration. My only child graduated High School this year and we cracked that beauty to celebrate. Again, an incredible bourbon made that much better because of sharing it with friends at such a happy time.

My number 3 I literately opened “because I really wanted to” as I posted at the time. I am really regretting only grabbing the one WTMK 17 year old. This is a very complex pour that I am really enjoying every time I go to that bottle.

Honorable mentions to the Binny’s pick RRSiB that was the best one of those I’ve ever had and the Blanton’s Gold.

 

[Bourbon Sabbath]

1) Pikesville Rye

2) Elijah Craig barrel proof B519

3 Henry McKenna BIB

 

I just realized I have a Heaven Hill addiction.

Edited January 14, 2020 by Bourbon Sabbath