Bottles you just can't pass up

[Mattk]

Do you have any bottles that you just can't pass on? 

 

I recently noticed that there are a few bottles out there that if I see, I am buying. At least I find myself holding one or two before I am even looking at the price or considering how many I already have. Unfortunately for me they Don't stick around the house for very long.

 

For me those bottles are:

Lock stock and barrel 13

Michters BS rye

RR sib rye

Baby saz

[Mattk]

This topic brought to you by half a bottle of baby saz. Cheers

[Richnimrod]

Well, I can't entirely disagree about that Baby Saz.    I think I probably have passed on several over the years; but, have scooped up at least as many as I've passed on.   It's not generally a bargain, and occasionally it even brings a pause at the asked-for price; but it always has been such a consistently satisfying and mellow pour.   It's very easy to find a near-empty bottle where only a few days or weex ago it was full or nearly so... If you know what I mean.

[Mattk]

56 minutes ago, Richnimrod said:

Well, I can't entirely disagree about that Baby Saz.    I think I probably have passed on several over the years; but, have scooped up at least as many as I've passed on.   It's not generally a bargain, and occasionally it even brings a pause at the asked-for price; but it always has been such a consistently satisfying and mellow pour.   It's very easy to find a near-empty bottle where only a few days or weex ago it was full or nearly so... If you know what I mean.

I find all these bottles to be quickly emptied.  I do know exactly what you mean.

[0895]

1 hour ago, Mattk said:

I find all these bottles to be quickly emptied.  I do know exactly what you mean.

 

Dang.

Kudos to you for some fine work there.

 

As a rye lover, I like it just fine, but it’s not my favorite.

 

On topic, I rarely pass on reasonably priced Blanton’s .
It’s not my favorite pour, but It always seems to disappear like water And new bottles are lucky to last a month.

Plus someone is always asking me for/about it, so I’m happy to help reciprocate a nice gesture when it’s needed.

[JakeySnakes]

Just can't pass up bottles of OE7 or JB DC.

[Harry in WashDC]

33 minutes ago, JakeySnakes said:

Just can't pass up bottles of OE7 or JB DC.

I freaked this early AM (circa 4AM ET) when I checked the Virginia ABC website and saw JB DC on sale for $12.59 a 750 (NOT A TYPO - TWELVE DOLLARS FIFTY-NINE CENTS a 750ML!!!!).   Of course, clicking on "find a store" turned up, "Sorry.  This item is no longer available."  Some YOOHAW tech nerd decided to cause us bourbon geeks an adrenaline surge.  WELL, BUCKO, it worked.  I hope you are happy.

 

ON THREAD - Here in Wash DC, if I see a VOB 100, which is rare here, I buy it.  Further, if I see ONE, I'll ask how many they have.  I never, ever, by more than half available.  So far, I have resisted ordering and buying it by the case.  But I can quote case discounts by the store if . . . .

 

Of course, the per bottle price has to be under $17.

[Kepler]

This is an interesting topic, mainly because there are 2 ways to approach it.  A.) non unicorn bottles that are still scarce enough in your area that when they appear, they are automatic buys, even when the price isn't necessarily the best.  And B.) more available bottles that we love so much we just can't pass up a good deal on them when we see them - even though we may already have plenty in our bunker.

With this in mind, mine for each category are:

 

A.)  CEHT Barrel Proof and Straight Rye  (in fact I just picked up a Rye in the past week)

B.)  RRSiB Private picks.  I have an urge to try every one that I come across.  

[PaulO]

I'm not sure what the status of JD DC is at this point.  I hope they make more.  Having said that, it would not be passed up by me.

If I find anything I like that has been discontinued, or age stated bottles after the age statement was dropped - hard to pass (at original price).

[flahute]

Not sure if it's bourbon zen or the size of my bunker but I can't think of anything that I can't pass up.

Sure, if I saw a Rock Hill Farms or a Hancock's I wouldn't hesitate but that hasn't happened in a couple years. 

I did see RR10yr for a steeply discounted price so I bought a case. 

At standard pricing and considering what is normally available, I can't think of anything at the moment.

[Clueby]

11 hours ago, 0895 said:

On topic, I rarely pass on reasonably priced Blanton’s .
It’s not my favorite pour, but It always seems to disappear like water And new bottles are lucky to last a month.

Plus someone is always asking me for/about it, so I’m happy to help reciprocate a nice gesture when it’s needed.

I'm pretty much the same way with Blanton's. 

 

 

3 hours ago, Kepler said:

A.)  CEHT Barrel Proof and Straight Rye  (in fact I just picked up a Rye in the past week)

B.)  RRSiB Private picks.  I have an urge to try every one that I come across.  

CEHT IS a unicorn to me.  I've still never, EVER seen one for sale at any price in a store.  That said, I have tried it and greatly prefer Stagg Jr. to the batches I've had.

 

On topic, if I see an OWA for anything close to MSRP I probably cant resist. The new MSRP gives me a bit of a pause though.

[Kepler]

4 minutes ago, Clueby said:

CEHT IS a unicorn to me.  I've still never, EVER seen one for sale at any price in a store.  That said, I have tried it and greatly prefer Stagg Jr. to the batches I've had.

 

I've compared CEHT barrel proof to Stagg Jr enough through the  years that I can say I prefer the Taylor  I'm convinced there is older whiskey in  CEHPTBP.  At least in the older batches that I have sitting around in my bunker.  I think the most recent Stagg Jr like (batch 12) is improved, so if that is your only reference point, then possibly you have a point.

[Wedelstaedt]

1 hour ago, Clueby said:

 

CEHT IS a unicorn to me.  I've still never, EVER seen one for sale at any price in a store.  That said, I have tried it and greatly prefer Stagg Jr. to the batches I've had.

 

On topic, if I see an OWA for anything close to MSRP I probably cant resist. The new MSRP gives me a bit of a pause though.

For me, SJR is young & unrefined. 

A young bull in a China closet. When I am in the mood for the brashness of Stagg Jr, so be it. 

 

CEHT BP is a completely different animal.  I have discovered notes different from any other bourbon I've have had the pleasure to enjoy.

 

 Chocolate Milk in a bottle. Unbelievable.

Your mileage may vary.

 

As far as OWA, a bottom shelf pour. Cheap thrill. Can pass any day. To each their own. We like what we like.

 

Cheers 

Edited March 1, 2020 by Wedelstaedt
Syntax

[GaryT]

I'm in the same zen boat as Steve.  The things that would fall into 'auto-buy' for me are the things I don't see anymore, or the pricing is ridiculous IMHO.  Like OWA - I can't say I'd grab first and check price later because I'm now expecting that to run more than I'm willing to pay.  My purchases anymore are heavily slanted towards things I've never tried.  

 

Although thinking more on it . . . JB Distiller's Cut might make the list.  I had stocked up on that in 2017/2018 - bunkeriing a half-dozen when I couldn't swing a cat (and I've got enough to know) without hitting a bottle locally.  I figured once word got out how good it was for under $25, it'd be gone.  That never really happened - it hung around for a year or more, but now I'm down to my last bottle.  I rarely go through a single label with that kind of frequency (although to be fair, this became my kitchen bourbon as well).  But when I do walk into stores, if I still see that around $25 - I'm buying a couple.

[Clueby]

5 hours ago, Kepler said:

I've compared CEHT barrel proof to Stagg Jr enough through the  years that I can say I prefer the Taylor  I'm convinced there is older whiskey in  CEHPTBP.  At least in the older batches that I have sitting around in my bunker.  I think the most recent Stagg Jr like (batch 12) is improved, so if that is your only reference point, then possibly you have a point.

It's actually the othe way around. I've drank LOTS of SJR since about batch 6 or so and I think it just keeps getting better.  I've only tried the last couple years of Taylor and it just couldn't compare. Maybe there is some older stuff..it tasted like old dusty corn to me with none of the molasses and cherry cola I love in SJR.  It was noticeably thinner feeling and lighter in color as well when I did a SBS.

Sorry to derail into a CEHTBP vs SJR.

[fosmith]

Top of my list (which only includes non-unicorns) is Stagg Jr. and Weller.  But, there's nothing I would buy without first checking the price.   Thus, I've passed on SJr at $90, OWA at $80 and CEHT BP (unicorn) at $270. 

[EarthQuake]

Four Roses store picks

Knob Creek store picks, especially when 14-15 years old and about $40 (we've had a lot of these lately)

Most other stuff I wouldn't pass on is no longer on the shelves / nearly impossible to find in Iowa

[EarthQuake]

2 hours ago, Clueby said:

It's actually the othe way around. I've drank LOTS of SJR since about batch 6 or so and I think it just keeps getting better.  I've only tried the last couple years of Taylor and it just couldn't compare. Maybe there is some older stuff..it tasted like old dusty corn to me with none of the molasses and cherry cola I love in SJR.  It was noticeably thinner feeling and lighter in color as well when I did a SBS.

Sorry to derail into a CEHTBP vs SJR.

I always find it interesting when someone says that they strongly prefer CEHT or Stagg Jr. I've tried them blind and find them to be exceptionally similar, at least the year (2017) and batch (7 or 9) that I tried. The family resemblance is very clear to me and I get that cherry cola thing in both. In the comparison the Stagg Jr was just a little more intense and richer, while the CEHT was a little softer, but it was truly splitting hairs.

 

Maybe batch consistency plays a role here? Honestly, I find most batches of Stagg Jr to be pretty consistent, despite all the "which batch is better" hoopla.

[Clueby]

The only time I've done them truly SBS they were absolutely NOTHING alike to me. It made me glad I had never found a bottle of CEHT that I would have undoubtedly had to pay up for. I did a review on SB somewhere.

[yobber76]

For me CEHT SiB, it's one of my favorites so far, Blanton's at MSRP or close, because I always have friends looking for it, OWA 107, Weller 12yr, would probably be automatics. For any of these I won't pay too much more than MSRP, which makes it a little harder to find them. Most other bourbons I've had and would buy again, are available enough to buy them as needed.

[fishnbowljoe]

I’m pretty much  in the same boat with Steve and Gary. There really isn’t anything I feel that I can’t pass on anymore. Bourbon Zen? Perhaps. More bourbon than I’ll probably be able to drink in my lifetime? Probably. Even my compulsive purchases of bottles just for FOMO have declined. Yeah I know. Y’all saw the picture of my recent purchase of 3 handles of FR’s. Well, one of those bottles is now with Galvin0791, and another is destined to soon be with a bourbon ”friend”.  That leaves one for me.   Heck, nowadays I get almost as much enjoyment out of sharing my bounty as I do drinking it. Almost. 

 

FWIW, yesterday was shopping day, and of course I stopped at the liquor store. Somehow I managed to pass on everything. I admit I was tempted by a MM46 Private Select at a really great price, and a RY 100, but I left the store empty handed. As has been my habit lately when I visit this store, I once again helped a customer pick out a bottle of bourbon. Man, I’m gonna hafta start charging a commission. 

 

Biba! Joe

[markandrex]

I went to grab a bottle of wine or two for dinner.  As you can see, the OP is in my head.  The JB DC is for the neighbor.  
 

 

[Jazz Nut]

Good topic!

 

I usually can't pass up the following:

 

RRSiB store picks

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit store picks (recent Haskell's store pick is very good, I picked up another bottle--Minneapolis area local chain)

Wild Turkey 101 (if I'm running low, but I don't bunker it anymore, since the quality seems on the upswing)

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

Elijah Craig store pics (Haskell's has two barrels right now, one about 12 years, and one about 8.5-9 years from Deatsville)

[Kane]

I'll post in future tense instead, below two I won't pass up going forward:

 

- JD SB BP: I've only been able to buy one (it was heavenly). Never seen another bottle in years.

- RRSiB picks: These too mysteriously disappeared in Boston area. Gordon's used to be a reliable source, but alas...

 

I'll caveat the above with the fact that several kind members who saw me whining elsewhere PMed with reports of sightings, what a great community this is! Unfortunately I don't have a car anymore, so my options are limited. I miss Total Wine.

[FacePlant]

I just don't have the Zen like the pros. I will always breakdown and pick up even more WT101 1.75 at $36.99 (at least till the cows come home).