Today I turned 40.

[0895]

It all started with the WLW at a local lottery and I then spent the next several years chasing all the 2015’s down, so I could do the vertical tasting that never happened at my local’s tasting bar (because they didn’t get any ER17 or SAZ18 that year).

Think about the work involved in that for a minute.  Once the ‘16 garbage saz 18 came out, nobody.  I mean NOBODY! was parting with their older “tanked” Saz18 anymore.  ER17 took a ridiculous price hike (secondary) around the same time, and bottle counts plummeted.

So, in some strange twisted fate,  I made it happen.  Took me a few years.

I decided that I would open them when I turned 40 (today).  The corona virus ruined my party, but I still went through with my plans.  The wife and I ran the spectrum and both of us are in agreement  it was the highlight of the week.....

I honestly think this was the last year that every expression was really damn good, before moving to the hit & miss that’s going on right now.

Anyway, pics or it didn’t happen, right?
Cheers!

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Yes! That’s what I was looking for! Really did just make my day. Fantastic.

Edited March 21, 2020 by Bob_Loblaw
Oh yeah, Happy Birthday!

[JCwhammie]

Damn, that's a nice spread! Cheers to a Happy birthday!

[Clueby]

Cheers.  I knew it was coming and couldn't wait to see the pics!!!

[Richnimrod]

Congratulations, 0895!   To your wife, as well, since she was a participant in the festivities.   

Turned 40?  WOW!   You're getting old dude!  (NOT!)       You 'youngsters' are so cute; still celebrating those "milestone birthdays".

At my age, every day I manage to get out of bed and see myself in the mirror is cause for celebration!   

[Vosgar]

Happy Birthday and congratulations on being able to do your dream vertical!!

[parksmart]

Nice!  Congrats on the milestone.  I hope your wifey gave you a heckuva “rhymes with bday” present!!!

 

[Harry in WashDC]

1 hour ago, 0895 said:

It all started with the WLW at a local lottery and I then spent the next several years chasing all the 2015’s down, so I could do the vertical tasting that never happened at my local’s tasting bar (because they didn’t get any ER17 or SAZ18 that year).

Think about the work involved in that for a minute.  Once the ‘16 garbage saz 18 came out, nobody.  I mean NOBODY! was parting with their older “tanked” Saz18 anymore.  ER17 took a ridiculous price hike (secondary) around the same time, and bottle counts plummeted.

So, in some strange twisted fate,  I made it happen.  Took me a few years.

I decided that I would open them when I turned 40 (today).  The corona virus ruined my party, but I still went through with my plans.  The wife and I ran the spectrum and both of us are in agreement  it was the highlight of the week.....

I honestly think this was the last year that every expression was really damn good, before moving to the hit & miss that’s going on right now.

Anyway, pics or it didn’t happen, right?
Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

[Pics deleted to save bandwidth, such as it is -]  Like Towelly on "South Park", I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON!!

[0895]

more pics of follow up pours.

 

-birthday bourbon, just because!

-Al Young because I’m a 4R fiend.

 

what else is lurking around here ...

 

 

[B.B. Babington]

how was the saz?

[PaulO]

Happy Birthday,

I'm so old that I remember seeing some of those on shelves.  Wow, $69.99 for something called Stagg.  That's expensive.  I wonder if it's good. 

Kudos to you for assembling the line up, opening them, and having a great birthday in this crazy world.

Is there a favorite, or too close to call?

[kevinbrink]

Happy Birthday hope you enjoyed those pours!

[fishnbowljoe]

Happy 40th O! Nice job on the pours. I’ll try and raise a glass of Weller to you later on. Cheers!
 

Biba! Joe

[GaryT]

Happy 40th, and congrats at being able to assemble your dream vertical (and for not just observing it; I'll bet it tasted a whole lot better than it looked!)

[beasled]

Happy birthday!

[Kepler]

This is a great story. Thanks for sharing. And happy 40th!

[0895]

12 hours ago, B.B. Babington said:

how was the saz?

 

5 hours ago, PaulO said:

 

Is there a favorite, or too close to call?

 

They were all very good in their own unique ways.  We drank them from low to high proof, and I opted to keep the ryes next to each other.  

So:   ER17-SAZ18-THH-WLW-GTS.

We went through them once, then revisited again, and had a few extra sips of our favorites.

 

The ER17 honestly just tastes like an older, more oaky version of normal ER to me.  I like Eagle Rare a lot, so I found this to be exponentially more woody/oaky than the standard stuff, with less of the cherry notes.  On the second visit, it tasted like nothing except popsicle stick to me, so I didn't take any more from the bottle as I felt it was lost on my palate.  The wife's tasted more grassy than wood on her second visit, and I tried it just to verify.  Strange how two different glass could evolve so differently.  Both were clean "glens".  Perhaps it just isn't this ones night to shine.

 

The Saz18 took a bit to open up.  It was very musty and muted at first, but then developed a slight dill about it, followed by a fresh creamy array of delicate baking spice.  Very subtle, not the smack in the face that comes from newer produced rye.  This stuff would be a delight for any rye junkie, and easily the wife's favorite bottle of the night.

 

THH started with aroma's of rich chocolate and leather (think leather saddlebag, shoes, belts, etc).  The leather notes in some THH (and rye in general) are my absolute favorite.  I can smell this stuff all day.  Tastewise, we got a lot of chocolate and Reeses peanut butter, like peanut butter pie.  This stuff is liquid desert in a glass and is absolutely wonderful.  Second time around was very similar to the first, with my wife noting some slight floral notes getting added to the mix.

 

WLW just speaks for itself.  The '15 was the first WLW I ever tried at a bar, and I've been in love with it since.  The '15, '16, & '17 WLW's are some of the best wheated bourbons I've ever tasted period.  Rich notes of chocolate, candy bars (like the middle of snickers or Milky Way bar) and a wealth of other delicious things that would take me a while to pinpoint.  Just incredible.

 

GTS used to be my absolute favorite whiskey ever.  Back when it tasted like this! 

This older stuff '10, '12, '14, '15, & '16 is what GTS is all about to me.  Thick, rich, chocolate, caramel, tobacco, vanilla, molasses, and subtle dark fruits, in a wrapper of oak.

This bottle doesn't disappoint to live up to the expectations I had for it based upon memory.

 

My favorite were the 3 barrel proofers.  I can't really pick a leader, as they are all fantastic and each one is a different experience from the next.   Saz18 is next, and then the ER17.

Wife loved the Saz18 the most, followed by the WLW, then GTS/THH (tie for 3rd) and finally ER17.

 

I think the ER17 would likely get a lot more love if enjoyed by itself, so I'll have to revisit it again sometime.

[JCwhammie]

2 hours ago, 0895 said:

 

 

They were all very good in their own unique ways.  We drank them from low to high proof, and I opted to keep the ryes next to each other.  

So:   ER17-SAZ18-THH-WLW-GTS.

We went through them once, then revisited again, and had a few extra sips of our favorites.

 

The ER17 honestly just tastes like an older, more oaky version of normal ER to me.  I like Eagle Rare a lot, so I found this to be exponentially more woody/oaky than the standard stuff, with less of the cherry notes.  On the second visit, it tasted like nothing except popsicle stick to me, so I didn't take any more from the bottle as I felt it was lost on my palate.  The wife's tasted more grassy than wood on her second visit, and I tried it just to verify.  Strange how two different glass could evolve so differently.  Both were clean "glens".  Perhaps it just isn't this ones night to shine.

 

The Saz18 took a bit to open up.  It was very musty and muted at first, but then developed a slight dill about it, followed by a fresh creamy array of delicate baking spice.  Very subtle, not the smack in the face that comes from newer produced rye.  This stuff would be a delight for any rye junkie, and easily the wife's favorite bottle of the night.

 

THH started with aroma's of rich chocolate and leather (think leather saddlebag, shoes, belts, etc).  The leather notes in some THH (and rye in general) are my absolute favorite.  I can smell this stuff all day.  Tastewise, we got a lot of chocolate and Reeses peanut butter, like peanut butter pie.  This stuff is liquid desert in a glass and is absolutely wonderful.  Second time around was very similar to the first, with my wife noting some slight floral notes getting added to the mix.

 

WLW just speaks for itself.  The '15 was the first WLW I ever tried at a bar, and I've been in love with it since.  The '15, '16, & '17 WLW's are some of the best wheated bourbons I've ever tasted period.  Rich notes of chocolate, candy bars (like the middle of snickers or Milky Way bar) and a wealth of other delicious things that would take me a while to pinpoint.  Just incredible.

 

GTS used to be my absolute favorite whiskey ever.  Back when it tasted like this! 

This older stuff '10, '12, '14, '15, & '16 is what GTS is all about to me.  Thick, rich, chocolate, caramel, tobacco, vanilla, molasses, and subtle dark fruits, in a wrapper of oak.

This bottle doesn't disappoint to live up to the expectations I had for it based upon memory.

 

My favorite were the 3 barrel proofers.  I can't really pick a leader, as they are all fantastic and each one is a different experience from the next.   Saz18 is next, and then the ER17.

Wife loved the Saz18 the most, followed by the WLW, then GTS/THH (tie for 3rd) and finally ER17.

 

I think the ER17 would likely get a lot more love if enjoyed by itself, so I'll have to revisit it again sometime.

That's a really good run down of all 5. Thanks for sharing! 

I'll eagerly await a write up of a sbs between the THH and 630 5yr. 

[FasterHorses]

Happy 40th!

[BottledInBond]

7 hours ago, 0895 said:

 

 

They were all very good in their own unique ways.  We drank them from low to high proof, and I opted to keep the ryes next to each other.  

So:   ER17-SAZ18-THH-WLW-GTS.

We went through them once, then revisited again, and had a few extra sips of our favorites.

 

The ER17 honestly just tastes like an older, more oaky version of normal ER to me.  I like Eagle Rare a lot, so I found this to be exponentially more woody/oaky than the standard stuff, with less of the cherry notes.  On the second visit, it tasted like nothing except popsicle stick to me, so I didn't take any more from the bottle as I felt it was lost on my palate.  The wife's tasted more grassy than wood on her second visit, and I tried it just to verify.  Strange how two different glass could evolve so differently.  Both were clean "glens".  Perhaps it just isn't this ones night to shine.

 

The Saz18 took a bit to open up.  It was very musty and muted at first, but then developed a slight dill about it, followed by a fresh creamy array of delicate baking spice.  Very subtle, not the smack in the face that comes from newer produced rye.  This stuff would be a delight for any rye junkie, and easily the wife's favorite bottle of the night.

 

THH started with aroma's of rich chocolate and leather (think leather saddlebag, shoes, belts, etc).  The leather notes in some THH (and rye in general) are my absolute favorite.  I can smell this stuff all day.  Tastewise, we got a lot of chocolate and Reeses peanut butter, like peanut butter pie.  This stuff is liquid desert in a glass and is absolutely wonderful.  Second time around was very similar to the first, with my wife noting some slight floral notes getting added to the mix.

 

WLW just speaks for itself.  The '15 was the first WLW I ever tried at a bar, and I've been in love with it since.  The '15, '16, & '17 WLW's are some of the best wheated bourbons I've ever tasted period.  Rich notes of chocolate, candy bars (like the middle of snickers or Milky Way bar) and a wealth of other delicious things that would take me a while to pinpoint.  Just incredible.

 

GTS used to be my absolute favorite whiskey ever.  Back when it tasted like this! 

This older stuff '10, '12, '14, '15, & '16 is what GTS is all about to me.  Thick, rich, chocolate, caramel, tobacco, vanilla, molasses, and subtle dark fruits, in a wrapper of oak.

This bottle doesn't disappoint to live up to the expectations I had for it based upon memory.

 

My favorite were the 3 barrel proofers.  I can't really pick a leader, as they are all fantastic and each one is a different experience from the next.   Saz18 is next, and then the ER17.

Wife loved the Saz18 the most, followed by the WLW, then GTS/THH (tie for 3rd) and finally ER17.

 

I think the ER17 would likely get a lot more love if enjoyed by itself, so I'll have to revisit it again sometime.

The “musty” is part of what I love about the old glut era ryes. It’s sad if you get hooked on it, since it’s so hard to find them anymore.

 

Happy birthday. Life is short so I applaud anyone who goes and finds the bottles they want and cracks them open. 
 

 

 

[CUfan99]

@0895Happy Late Birthday. I gotta say though, I miss the blue pictures. 

[0895]

32 minutes ago, BottledInBond said:

The “musty” is part of what I love about the old glut era ryes. It’s sad if you get hooked on it, since it’s so hard to find them anymore.

 

Happy birthday. Life is short so I applaud anyone who goes and finds the bottles they want and cracks them open. 
 

 

 

 

Thanks.

Yeah, too late.  I got to try some of that Willett 25 year rye several months ago at a party.  Nobody else was touching it, and the owner said he wasn't taking the bottle home.  It was a life changing moment for me.

[Harry in WashDC]

On 3/20/2020 at 11:38 PM, Harry in WashDC said:

[Pics deleted to save bandwidth, such as it is -]  Like Towelly on "South Park", I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON!!

Just reread the thread.  You have inspired me.  VBT # 721 was the result - I pulled something new and different off the shelf.  Happy 40th.

[WhiskeyBlender]

Sorry I'm late to the party, @0895, but I hope you had a wonderful 40th birthday! 

 

You know, the birthday celebration doesn't have to end even if the day does? I hope you've continued to enjoy a little more of that stellar vertical line-up, or if not that, at least something as comparable and delicious! 

 

Cheers,

Nancy

[0895]

52 minutes ago, WhiskeyBlender said:

Sorry I'm late to the party, @0895, but I hope you had a wonderful 40th birthday! 

 

You know, the birthday celebration doesn't have to end even if the day does? I hope you've continued to enjoy a little more of that stellar vertical line-up, or if not that, at least something as comparable and delicious! 

 

Cheers,

Nancy

Thanks Nancy.

I did go back to the ER17 last night and enjoyed it a lot.

Ive been digging into many good bottles all week, which actually reminds me.... there’s a batch one cigar blend around here somewhere.