What Bourbon Are You Drinking Today (Spring 2020)

[Marekv8]

50 minutes ago, StarSurfer55 said:

Decided to try a Seelbach cocktail today. Very tasty. My new brunch cocktail. 

 

Digging the Bayou Rum… 

[StarSurfer55]

Marekv8,

 

Being a Louisiana boy,  Bayou midi grabs XO has become my go to.  Replacing Mt. Gay XO in my lineup. 

[GeeTen]

First Grandpa Weller's Four Grain of the season.  Highball glass with one mother of a spherical iceball embedded with a couple of "fresh" mint leaves from the end of last year's harvest.  Sunny warm day (finally) and a fine end to another shitty day at the store.   Yum!!!   

 

[LCWoody]

How about them asparagus before we cook some ribeyes... oh yeah, and some very good KC 15.6 year. 

[BigSkyDrams]

Opened this bad boy two weeks ago, and had my second pour of it tonight, and a tall one at that. Such silky caramel mid-palate, light-bodied feel, and chewy honey-oak finish that just lasts and last. Fantastic! Happy Friday everybody! 
 

This is my second to last W12 in the cabinet. I’ll have to start having stretching it out until I can secure some more backups. 

[0895]

13 hours ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

Social distancing drinking. Friend wanted to do a SBS of ‘18 and’19 GTS. I just happened to have some ‘17 so we did the three year vertical. 
 

Started with the Lot B. Meh, it’s certainly not a bad bourbon but nothing makes it stand out.  Not really sure it’s THAT much better than W12 or even a good value at the current $80 MSRP. If I was in charge I’d scrap it and replace with a 12 year single barrel 100 pf product.  Throwback to Weller Centennial and try to showcase how good a 12 year single barrel can be. 
 

Moved onto a healthy pour of 2019 ORVW.  This was the winner of the night for both of us. Everything was spot on, nose, palate, finish. A fantastic pour. We agreed I will save the rest for a blind. My friend will choose his top three W107 store picks and we will do a 4 pour blind to see how the ORVW holds up. 
 

Small pours of a WFP store pick (very good) and a 13.5 year WP MGP Rye before moving onto the Stagg.

 

The Staggs all had a great nose, hiding the actual proof with minimal ethanol. We did feel the ‘17 was the outlier but wondered if that had to do with air as it’s 20% full vs two freshly cracked bottles. The 2019 was the consensus winner. I had 2017 second due to a much longer finish with the 2018 third. All three were very good pours, but I admit I was not blown away by any of them. My friends order was 2019, 2018 with 2017 last. 
 

The cigar was a 2007 Bolivar Petite Corona, my first in almost a year and was fantastic. 

A great night followed by a less great morning. Not terrible, but that sluggish slow synapses  feeling and my morning workout keeps getting pushed back. 

 

Awesome tasting.

Interesting notes and I agree with you.

The '19 ORVW has got to be the best release of it I've tried in several years.

The balance of oak and sweetness is just spot on.  I found it slightly more enjoyable that the 2019 PVW15, but I only had a small taste of it, so it's hard to say.

Edited May 2, 2020 by 0895

[Kepler]

Russell's Reserve  rickhouse B store pick. Need I say more.

[Wedelstaedt]

WT101 to open.

 

Now enjoying 2017 4R SmB. It is showing it's age to me tonight. Deeper than an Oklahoma natural spring swimming hole. 

 

Cheers

[GaryT]

Started last night with a blind SBS of some current WT101 and some WT101 8yr (export only; not 'dusty').  Found them incredibly similar as one might expect, with my preference leaning towards the NAS version.  Just a touch sweeter with that caramel note peaking out a bit more.  Chased that with some GBS RR1B (2015) which was delightful.  

[FacePlant]

Something new for the friends. Beautiful 82^o summer like day. Making some Cherry Screams to please the crowd by the pool.

 

[parksmart]

Had a client friend over for a social distancing lunch yesterday.  Well, it ended up stretching into happy hour, then dinner.  Busted out some dusties before the evening was over.  First experience drinking dusties for my client, and he agreed “they don’t make them like they used to”.  
 

L to R - Sunny Brook (1980 bottle date), Old Forester 86pf (1983), Hiram Walker’s Ten High (1992)

Edited May 2, 2020 by parksmart

[BottledInBond]

Derby day. Cheers

[Harry in WashDC]

24 minutes ago, BottledInBond said:

Derby day. Cheers

Derby Day?  Isn't that in September this year?  Wash Post had an article about the guy who has the mint contract for the KDerby.  He has a couple tons on hand and no place to put it.  WE, on the other hand, have three or four scraggly sprigs in a pot on our deck.  WHAT will it be with the grilled ribeye tonight?  Mint Julep OR classic Manhattan?????  This being the "what bourbon" rather than the "what rye" thread, I think it'll be MJ with the bourbon TBD.

[fishnbowljoe]

I’m having a small pour of a ps EC. I’m really having a bit of a tough time trying to get a handle on this one. I opened it a couple of nights ago and had a pour. It was corny, nutty, and dry/tannic. It’s a little better this evening, but not much. A little les dry and tannic. A vegetal nose and taste is now very noticeable.  I’m not giving up on this one yet. I’m gonna let it sit a good while before trying it again.

 

FWIW, the manager at this store has a pretty good palate, and has picked some wonderful barrels over the years. That’s the biggest reason I’m giving this one another chance. I’ve never had a “bad” barrel pick from this store. A few have been fair, some good, but most have been very good to excellent. Time will tell I guess. Besides, you can’t win ‘em all.  
 

I do foresee some Weller in my future later on tonight. 

 

Biba! Joe

[Bob_Loblaw]

25 minutes ago, Harry in WashDC said:

WE, on the other hand, have three or four scraggly sprigs in a pot on our deck. 

Our patch is already out of control! It’s interesting that the larger shoots are thick with a bit of fuzz. I’m a novice, but theorize it’s a defense mechanism to the early chillier weather.  
 

Crazy to think about the Derby Mint guy. Brutal.  

[Mattk]

Made my wife a MJ today. Our mint is just starting. She got hers extra sweet with OF rye.

[GaryT]

Started with a lovely older OBSV pick (2014-ish, not very old - 9 yrs 3 mo, but one of the lower proof FRSBs I've had at 105.6).  Just delightful - like cotton candy with a drizzle of caramel.

 

Struck me that I should be making a mint julep, but then noticed the wife's Mojito cravings have been insatiable - and I risk bodily harm by using what little mint is left (happy wife, happy life - pretty sure I read that somewhere).  

 

So decided to reach for something else I hadn't had in a while, and landed on some JPS 18yr.  I thought this was very good whiskey when I bought it (but thought it maybe a bit overly hyped at the time).  Maybe the stars are just aligned tonight, but this is coming across as amazing.  Fudge turtle brownies served in a rickhouse with a solid dose of oak.  

 

Cheers SB! 

 

 

 

 

[GaryT]

3 minutes ago, Mattk said:

Made my wife a MJ today. Our mint is just starting. She got hers extra sweet with OF rye.

If my wife sees this, I expect she'll ask 'How many of those big planters can fit on the front porch dear?'  

[Mattk]

1 hour ago, GaryT said:

If my wife sees this, I expect she'll ask 'How many of those big planters can fit on the front porch dear?'  

Tractor supply....

[Harry in WashDC]

2 hours ago, GaryT said:

If my wife sees this, I expect she'll ask 'How many of those big planters can fit on the front porch dear?'  

LOL!

 

Gary, Matt, etc., et al, your mint patches look A LOT better than ours.  Nevertheless, I did get a dozen or so 5-6 inch sprigs, some with that fuzzy hair on them, for our Juleps.  WT RB was the base.  I got heat for NOT running the ice through the blender.  In my defense, the rib eye was pretty thin so I didn't want to leave it unattended for the time required to figure out how to mulch the ice.  TOO MANY TASKS piled on top of one another. demmit.  I know I'd of forgotten SOMEthing.  

Edited May 3, 2020 by Harry in WashDC

[JCwhammie]

First seasonal pour from the garage freezer 4RYL just so happens to be the last of this big fella. Now I'm on the back porch listening to music and enjoying some alone time. 

[mbroo5880i]

3 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I’m having a small pour of a ps EC. I’m really having a bit of a tough time trying to get a handle on this one. I opened it a couple of nights ago and had a pour. It was corny, nutty, and dry/tannic. It’s a little better this evening, but not much. A little les dry and tannic. A vegetal nose and taste is now very noticeable.  I’m not giving up on this one yet. I’m gonna let it sit a good while before trying it again.

 

FWIW, the manager at this store has a pretty good palate, and has picked some wonderful barrels over the years. That’s the biggest reason I’m giving this one another chance. I’ve never had a “bad” barrel pick from this store. A few have been fair, some good, but most have been very good to excellent. Time will tell I guess. Besides, you can’t win ‘em all.  
 

I do foresee some Weller in my future later on tonight. 

 

Biba! Joe

Sometimes, I don't figure out what I enjoy about a bottle or how to enjoy a bottle until it is almost empty.  But, you have the remedy.  Follow up a confusing pour with something you know you like.  The EC will either tickle your fancy or it won't but it is still an experience.  If nothing else, it makes those stellar bottles more meaningful.

Edited May 3, 2020 by mbroo5880i

[mbroo5880i]

1 minute ago, JCwhammie said:

First seasonal pour from the garage freezer 4RYL just so happens to be the last of this big fella. Now I'm on the back porch listening to music and enjoying some alone time. 

The picture is too dark.  So we have to assume you enjoyed your pour so much that you drank the whole bottle in one sitting.  At least, we know it is empty. 

 

[Mattk]

19 minutes ago, Harry in WashDC said:

LOL!

 

Gary, Matt, etc., et al, your mint patches look A LOT better than ours.  Nevertheless, I did get a dozen or so 5-6 inch sprigs, some with that fuzzy hair on them, for our Juleps.  WT RB was the base.  I got heat for NOT running the ice through the blender.  In my defense, the rib eye was pretty thin so I didn't want to leave it unattended for the time required to figure out how to mulch the ice.  TOO MANY TASKS piled on top of one another. demmit.  I know I'd of forgotten SOMEthing.  

I've been grinding towards a dream since I was 14, starting to get pretty close.

[mbroo5880i]

3 hours ago, Mattk said:

Made my wife a MJ today. Our mint is just starting. She got hers extra sweet with OF rye.

We grow mint in similar planters.  However, since my wife only drink wine and White Claw, we rarely make cocktails.  We use the mint in cooking and salads.