Flyfish Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 OK, this is your chance to brag that you scored a Birthday Bourbon--and at what price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyfish Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 Well, if I could focus on the OF label I would know his name was George Garvin Brown. Geezers should never trust their memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomLamb Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 I saw the flyer but I'm nowhere near L'ville so nothing from. Looking forward to hearing notes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kawboyz11 Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 Picked one up at retailer in Lexington, KY area for $129.99 plus tax. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geclbxf Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 10 minutes ago, kawboyz11 said: Picked one up at retailer in Lexington, KY area for $129.99 plus tax. How is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kawboyz11 Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 8 hours ago, geclbxf said: How is it? Just opened it about an hour ago. I enjoy it but I definitely think retail is a little high in terms of value. I feel like last year's birthday bourbon was better but this is still a solid bourbon. This year has lots or caramel and coconut flavors and of course the slight banana that Old Forester is typically known for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 1 hour ago, kawboyz11 said: Just opened it about an hour ago. I enjoy it but I definitely think retail is a little high in terms of value. I feel like last year's birthday bourbon was better but this is still a solid bourbon. This year has lots or caramel and coconut flavors and of course the slight banana that Old Forester is typically known for. They are very rare, but those bourbons with the coconut note hiding in there are some of my all time faves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob_Loblaw Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 On 9/5/2020 at 5:58 PM, smokinjoe said: They are very rare, but those bourbons with the coconut note hiding in there are some of my all time faves! I believe Jackie Zykan described this years OFBB release as a "tropical explosion" flavor wise in two different podcasts. One recent and one from several months ago. Do not think she said coconut specifically, but it would certainly fit the bill. I am not actively on the hunt for this one and agree that the price to value is not necessarily there. I have enjoyed a lot of spectacular OF bourbons and not sure any year of OFBB were the best ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kawboyz11 Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 On 9/10/2020 at 2:41 PM, Bob_Loblaw said: I believe Jackie Zykan described this years OFBB release as a "tropical explosion" flavor wise in two different podcasts. One recent and one from several months ago. Do not think she said coconut specifically, but it would certainly fit the bill. I am not actively on the hunt for this one and agree that the price to value is not necessarily there. I have enjoyed a lot of spectacular OF bourbons and not sure any year of OFBB were the best ones. I haven't heard the podcast you referenced but I would tend to agree with her assessment. The coconut note I picked up isn't particularly strong but definitely present. As you said, value to price isn't great with the OFBB. I was happy to find it at retail but retail is now pushing the upper limit of what many people (drinkers, not collectors) will want to pay. Have had a few Old Fo barrel strength single barrels that have been very good recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomLamb Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 On 9/12/2020 at 12:46 PM, kawboyz11 said: I haven't heard the podcast you referenced but I would tend to agree with her assessment. The coconut note I picked up isn't particularly strong but definitely present. As you said, value to price isn't great with the OFBB. I was happy to find it at retail but retail is now pushing the upper limit of what many people (drinkers, not collectors) will want to pay. Have had a few Old Fo barrel strength single barrels that have been very good recently. Thanks for the heads up. Frankly I’d prefer the barrel proof over OFBB. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptman2000 Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 I was just offered a change to buy a bottle at my local liquor store. the price out the door would’ve been $272. thought about it all evening but am going to pass on it. not enough great reviews out there of it for the cost. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottledInBond Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 49 minutes ago, ptman2000 said: I was just offered a change to buy a bottle at my local liquor store. the price out the door would’ve been $272. thought about it all evening but am going to pass on it. not enough great reviews out there of it for the cost. I think that’s a wise choice. I’ve had many years of OFBB releases, and I don’t think I’d pay that much for any of them personally 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 21 hours ago, BottledInBond said: I think that’s a wise choice. I’ve had many years of OFBB releases, and I don’t think I’d pay that much for any of them personally 100% agree. I broke down and bought one this year when I said I wasn’t going to. It has dropped another year in age and it is one of the lower proof bottlings. It is profoundly full of blandness in flavor and yet they have the audacity to charge more for it this year at least in my market. In my opinion $72 is too much, much less $272 (which is at least twice retail!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 3 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said: 100% agree. I broke down and bought one this year when I said I wasn’t going to. It has dropped another year in age and it is one of the lower proof bottlings. It is profoundly full of blandness in flavor and yet they have the audacity to charge more for it this year at least in my market. In my opinion $72 is too much, much less $272 (which is at least twice retail!). Yow that is very unsatisfying to hear. I used to be one of the outliers that really liked OFBB when others didn't. I haven't had the shot at it recently and it sounds like I'm not missing anything. BF seems to be one of the distilleries that has no problem upping prices on mediocre bourbon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 Given my like for a couple of OF’s offerings, their Birthday Bourbons aren’t on my favorites list. I had a couple early on that were just okay. The next couple I tried weren’t very good at all. The only time after that I even bothered to look at one was when BF changed the bottle. Biba! Joe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepler Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 I have been super lucky the past couple of years and happened to win 2 store lotteries on OFBB at MSRP. I also got another one at MSRP through my local store strictly due to my customer loyalty status and nothing else. I agree with others on here that OFBB is not worth the extra secondary upcharge. I really love the taste of OFBB but if I don't score a bottle at MSRP this year, I will be fine with drinking OF1920 at $50 all day long. To taters everywhere I say: Don't sweat it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 9 hours ago, Kepler said: I have been super lucky the past couple of years and happened to win 2 store lotteries on OFBB at MSRP. I also got another one at MSRP through my local store strictly due to my customer loyalty status and nothing else. I agree with others on here that OFBB is not worth the extra secondary upcharge. I really love the taste of OFBB but if I don't score a bottle at MSRP this year, I will be fine with drinking OF1920 at $50 all day long. To taters everywhere I say: Don't sweat it! We are completely aligned on this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0895 Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 17 hours ago, Kepler said: I have been super lucky the past couple of years and happened to win 2 store lotteries on OFBB at MSRP. I also got another one at MSRP through my local store strictly due to my customer loyalty status and nothing else. I agree with others on here that OFBB is not worth the extra secondary upcharge. I really love the taste of OFBB but if I don't score a bottle at MSRP this year, I will be fine with drinking OF1920 at $50 all day long. To taters everywhere I say: Don't sweat it! 1920 is really hard to beat. In a blind I was part of, 1920 beat '16 OFBB almost unanimously amongst 10 people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepler Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 41 minutes ago, 0895 said: 1920 is really hard to beat. In a blind I was part of, 1920 beat '16 OFBB almost unanimously amongst 10 people. Well there it is. I've never done a direct blind SBS myself but it doesn't surprise me. Sounds like a fun future exercise though! 115 proof does usually have a bit of an advantage versus 97 proof in blinds however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 On 10/18/2020 at 2:59 AM, Kepler said: I have been super lucky the past couple of years and happened to win 2 store lotteries on OFBB at MSRP. I also got another one at MSRP through my local store strictly due to my customer loyalty status and nothing else. I agree with others on here that OFBB is not worth the extra secondary upcharge. I really love the taste of OFBB but if I don't score a bottle at MSRP this year, I will be fine with drinking OF1920 at $50 all day long. To taters everywhere I say: Don't sweat it! I am not entirely sure OFBB is worth MSRP anymore. In fact I am pretty sure it is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 3 minutes ago, tanstaafl2 said: I am not entirely sure OFBB is worth MSRP anymore. In fact I am pretty sure it is not. I'd like to be able to make an assessment but alas, none to be had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 2 minutes ago, flahute said: I'd like to be able to make an assessment but alas, none to be had. Come on over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 3 minutes ago, tanstaafl2 said: Come on over! An Atlanta visit to hang out with the GBS crew is definitely in the long term plans! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepler Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 18 minutes ago, tanstaafl2 said: I am not entirely sure OFBB is worth MSRP anymore. In fact I am pretty sure it is not. Probably right, but do you want to apply that rule to all bourbon these days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 47 minutes ago, Kepler said: Probably right, but do you want to apply that rule to all bourbon these days? These days there seem to be more I do want to apply it to than I don’t. Of course that comes with the luxury of a substantial excess of whiskey already in my possession! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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