Give opinions on whether or not to buy specific Bourbons

[dcbt]

3 minutes ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

I’m confused here. Why wouldn’t you open this and make the decision yourself? Your palate is what matters. If you love it, buying another is a easy choice. If not, you save 2.5 hours and a c-note.

 

Reminds me of two of my biggest pet peeves in the hobby:

 

1)  The crotch shot from the parking lot, "Just scored this, how is it?"  Well, you just bought it, so go home and try it to find out.  (Yes, I realize this is code for, "Should I flip it or drink it?")

2)  The picture at home with the sealed bottle, "Can't wait to crack this!"  Well, in the time it took you to take the pic and post it, you could've cracked it, so obviously you COULD wait.

[geclbxf]

2 minutes ago, dcbt said:

Reminds me of two of my biggest pet peeves in the hobby:

 

1)  The crotch shot from the parking lot, "Just scored this, how is it?"  Well, you just bought it, so go home and try it to find out.  (Yes, I realize this is code for, "Should I flip it or drink it?")

2)  The picture at home with the sealed bottle, "Can't wait to crack this!"  Well, in the time it took you to take the pic and post it, you could've cracked it, so obviously you COULD wait.

so true!

[Mano]

14 hours ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

I’m confused here. Why wouldn’t you open this and make the decision yourself? Your palate is what matters. If you love it, buying another is a easy choice. If not, you save 2.5 hours and a c-note.

 

 I have not tried the Spring 9 year, but have had several of the releases so far. For me, they have all generally been good, but not elite and I am over chasing every release. Given that I just passed on the new 14yr  I would not be taking the time to pick up that 9yr. 

That particular bottle is earmarked for an event I hope to be attending in December. I will likely get the second, specifically so I can crack it open and have a taste, but always like to hear whatever opinions others have.

 

Hoping some friends who have a cabin out that way are able to stop and pick it up for me,  but if not can be a nice day having a drive, picking up some liquor and lottery tickets, having lunch then driving back.

[PhantomLamb]

8 hours ago, Mano said:

That particular bottle is earmarked for an event I hope to be attending in December. I will likely get the second, specifically so I can crack it open and have a taste, but always like to hear whatever opinions others have.

 

Hoping some friends who have a cabin out that way are able to stop and pick it up for me,  but if not can be a nice day having a drive, picking up some liquor and lottery tickets, having lunch then driving back.

Why not open the other one you have then?  Heck, if I had two bottles of that I'd use one as a weekend sipper and save the other for a special occasion, but at least to figure out what it tastes like.

[Bob_Loblaw]

On 10/28/2020 at 9:26 AM, dcbt said:

Reminds me of two of my biggest pet peeves in the hobby:

 

1)  The crotch shot from the parking lot, "Just scored this, how is it?"  Well, you just bought it, so go home and try it to find out.  (Yes, I realize this is code for, "Should I flip it or drink it?")

2)  The picture at home with the sealed bottle, "Can't wait to crack this!"  Well, in the time it took you to take the pic and post it, you could've cracked it, so obviously you COULD wait.

Haha both funny and true. I will say neither particularly irks me as they seem to be characteristics of general noob behavior and for every asshat flipper there is also just a super excited new bourbon drinker.  
 

My biggest pet peeves are:

 

1 - Stores price gouging under the guise of eliminating flippers. Nope, it’s just greed. A smart manager should be able to combat flippers by simply knowing and rewarding their best customers. 
 

2 - This new argument that BT is contributing to the flipping problem by NOT raising MSRP. Really?? People are now going to complain about prices being too low??  There are people out there flipping WSR for $30-45 profit/bottle do we really think they are going to stop chasing Stagg at $250? 

[Kepler]

On 10/28/2020 at 12:16 AM, Mano said:

So, I enter all the Idaho lotteries, and I just won the opportunity to buy a bottle of Old Fitzgerald 9yr BIB for $90. I actually bought a bottle of this last month when they had it in Utah ( limit was 1 bottle ). I prefer not to open the bottle I have at the moment. 

 

On 10/28/2020 at 9:19 AM, Bob_Loblaw said:

I’m confused here. Why wouldn’t you open this and make the decision yourself? Your palate is what matters. If you love it, buying another is a easy choice. If not, you save 2.5 hours and a c-note.

 

I agree with Bob L on this question.   If you already have a bottle and you have an opportunity to buy another, why don't you just open the bottle you already have and decide for yourself. The only reason I can think of is if you plan on flipping the first bottle. Sorry, but that's the only rational explanation a reasonable person could think of. If I'm missing something here please enlighten me.

 

FWIW I have not tried the latest 9 year version, but I have the previous Old Fitz BiB Decanter 9 Year and my opinion is that it's a very nice wheated bourbon, even for the price.

[Mano]

12 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

 

I agree with Bob L on this question.   If you already have a bottle and you have an opportunity to buy another, why don't you just open the bottle you already have and decide for yourself. The only reason I can think of is if you plan on flipping the first bottle. Sorry, but that's the only rational explanation a reasonable person could think of. If I'm missing something here please enlighten me.

 

FWIW I have not tried the latest 9 year version, but I have the previous Old Fitz BiB Decanter 9 Year and my opinion is that it's a very nice wheated bourbon, even for the price.

I have never sold a bottle for profit in my life, wouldn't even know how. But thanks for the judgement.

[Kepler]

18 minutes ago, Mano said:

I have never sold a bottle for profit in my life, wouldn't even know how. But thanks for the judgement.

Well hopefully someone here has tried the new 9 year and can provide tasting feedback for you if you don't feel comfortable taking a chance. FWIW I would have no qualms pulling the trigger on a 2nd bottle at msrp based on my experience of the previous 9 Year version.

[Mano]

5 minutes ago, Kepler said:

Well hopefully someone here has tried the new 9 year and can provide tasting feedback for you if you don't feel comfortable taking a chance. FWIW I would have no qualms pulling the trigger on a 2nd bottle at msrp based on my experience of the previous 9 Year version.

Thank you, that is useful feedback. I have never had Old Fitzgerald, and wanted others opinions. I can see it comes in a beautiful decanter, just wanted others opinions of what is in the bottle.

 

I am sorry if I seem snippy, but I have asked for opinions on how people like a few things here and seem to get blowback from many here for asking the question. I told some friends I would be bringing the first bottle to a gathering we have every December ( if it goes this year ) so if I open first bottle it commits me to buying the second.  I enjoy sharing something special with a few of my friends, and everyone seems to be looking forward to this one.

 

Due to where I live ( Utah ) the selection for spirits is limited, so I thought this forum would be a good place to get opinions from others who enjoy bourbon and other whiskies. To be honest, so far many here do not make me feel very welcome, but I appreciate the helpful answers I have received. 

 

 

[FacePlant]

I've tried it. I thought it was very good and the 15yr was spectacular. I'd make arrangements to buy the other if possible.

[PhantomLamb]

17 minutes ago, Mano said:

Thank you, that is useful feedback. I have never had Old Fitzgerald, and wanted others opinions. I can see it comes in a beautiful decanter, just wanted others opinions of what is in the bottle.

 

I am sorry if I seem snippy, but I have asked for opinions on how people like a few things here and seem to get blowback from many here for asking the question. I told some friends I would be bringing the first bottle to a gathering we have every December ( if it goes this year ) so if I open first bottle it commits me to buying the second.  I enjoy sharing something special with a few of my friends, and everyone seems to be looking forward to this one.

 

Due to where I live ( Utah ) the selection for spirits is limited, so I thought this forum would be a good place to get opinions from others who enjoy bourbon and other whiskies. To be honest, so far many here do not make me feel very welcome, but I appreciate the helpful answers I have received. 

 

 

Mano,

 

This community is a little different I believe due to being in the bourbon bubble right now. So many join simply to ask what something is worth or how it tastes when they have it right in front of them. It’s definitely rubbed quite a few the wrong way, but I agree, no reason to seem hostile.
 

Several folks on here smell blood as soon as comments like those above are made simply out of suspicion. I agree, may not seem too welcoming at times but these guys do know their stuff. 
 

Appreciate your feedback and looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the 9 year!

 

Thanks,

[fishnbowljoe]

I’ve balked at buying the Old Fitz mostly because of the price. I’ve only seen a couple, and the price tags were  over $200.00. I was pretty disappointed because I had a number of SW Old Fitz’s from back in the day that were very good, and I was looking forward to seeing how the new version compared to the old stuff.
 

This also brings back memories of the VSOF 12 that was part of the BHC. (Bourbon Heritage Collection)The BHC bottles were great. After the BHC was discontinued, the quality of the VSOF 12 dropped off considerably. It then disappeared for a few years. When it reappeared, it was much better, but not as good as the old BHC bottlings.

 

Biba! Joe

[Kepler]

9 hours ago, Mano said:

Thank you, that is useful feedback. I have never had Old Fitzgerald, and wanted others opinions. I can see it comes in a beautiful decanter, just wanted others opinions of what is in the bottle.

 

I am sorry if I seem snippy, but I have asked for opinions on how people like a few things here and seem to get blowback from many here for asking the question. I told some friends I would be bringing the first bottle to a gathering we have every December ( if it goes this year ) so if I open first bottle it commits me to buying the second.  I enjoy sharing something special with a few of my friends, and everyone seems to be looking forward to this one.

 

Due to where I live ( Utah ) the selection for spirits is limited, so I thought this forum would be a good place to get opinions from others who enjoy bourbon and other whiskies. To be honest, so far many here do not make me feel very welcome, but I appreciate the helpful answers I have received. 

 

 

I understand how you feel, and on behalf of the community here I'd like to offer a welcoming hand and hopefully make you feel more at home on here. Echo what Phantom said above.

 

Given your plans on your bottle share in December, I would say it would be a very fine bottle for that, especially if your friends enjoy wheated bourbons.  The Old Fitz has a different profile than Weller wheaters however, so some folks who expect another Weller are sometimes surprised by the Old Fitz, even disappointed if they are comparing it to the best Weller like William Larue or the better OWA and WFP barrel picks. 

I wonder if you've ever had a good Rebel Yell 10 yr single barrel.  Maybe I'm oversimplifying but I might characterize the OF9 as a better and more sophisticated wheater in that profile. Good luck.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Kepler
typo, "if" not "of"

[Kepler]

8 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I’ve balked at buying the Old Fitz mostly because of the price. I’ve only seen a couple, and the price tags were  over $200.00. 

 I like the modern Old Fitz BiB Decanter series at MSRP but not at $200.  I'd have to pass at that price too.

[flahute]

20 hours ago, Mano said:

Thank you, that is useful feedback. I have never had Old Fitzgerald, and wanted others opinions. I can see it comes in a beautiful decanter, just wanted others opinions of what is in the bottle.

 

I am sorry if I seem snippy, but I have asked for opinions on how people like a few things here and seem to get blowback from many here for asking the question. I told some friends I would be bringing the first bottle to a gathering we have every December ( if it goes this year ) so if I open first bottle it commits me to buying the second.  I enjoy sharing something special with a few of my friends, and everyone seems to be looking forward to this one.

 

Due to where I live ( Utah ) the selection for spirits is limited, so I thought this forum would be a good place to get opinions from others who enjoy bourbon and other whiskies. To be honest, so far many here do not make me feel very welcome, but I appreciate the helpful answers I have received. 

 

 

As others have said we tend to be suspicious of newcomers so apologies for that. Before the boom the idea of flipping bottles for profit was almost unknown. As the hobby has evolved flipping for profit has become a very big thing and lots of newcomers go right into that aspect of the hobby. We've gotten a lot of new members who on their first post go right to the "what is this bottle worth" question and the "I just bought this how is it" question. Most of the time their intent is clear. We've gotten a bit jaded as this continues to happen. You've shown us that is not your intent.

 

Keep posting and keep plugging away. It takes time to get fully integrated here. We were all newbies once.

[bourbon-n00b]

I was selected in my local suppliers monthly lottery and had it boiled down to:

 

Larceny Barrel Proof C920...$46.99

Makers Mark 2020 Limited SE4xPR5...$54.99

 

I've never tried any Larceny or MM Limited.  Reviews for both seemed good.  I've already provided my ranking to the store and have received notification of my selection. 

 

Please let me know what you would have asked for and I'll update with my details later.

 

[PhantomLamb]

3 minutes ago, bourbon-n00b said:

I was selected in my local suppliers monthly lottery and had it boiled down to:

 

Larceny Barrel Proof C920...$46.99

Makers Mark 2020 Limited SE4xPR5...$54.99

 

I've never tried any Larceny or MM Limited.  Reviews for both seemed good.  I've already provided my ranking to the store and have received notification of my selection. 

 

Please let me know what you would have asked for and I'll update with my details later.

 

Shame that those picks constitute a lottery.

 

Just from prior experience and as they are both wheaters, I’d go with Larceny.

[bourbon-n00b]

1 minute ago, PhantomLamb said:

Shame that those picks constitute a lottery.

 

Just from prior experience and as they are both wheaters, I’d go with Larceny.

Yeah, this is a monthly version of their lottery and generally options in these aren't terribly high end.  I think it's more of a chance for regulars to get allocated/limited items at MSRP.  They will have a major one once all the heavy hitters arrive.

 

Thanks for the opinion!

[fosmith]

1 hour ago, bourbon-n00b said:

I was selected in my local suppliers monthly lottery and had it boiled down to:

 

Larceny Barrel Proof C920...$46.99

Makers Mark 2020 Limited SE4xPR5...$54.99

 

I've never tried any Larceny or MM Limited.  Reviews for both seemed good.  I've already provided my ranking to the store and have received notification of my selection. 

 

Please let me know what you would have asked for and I'll update with my details later.

 

I liked the A and B Larceny batches better than last year's MM LE RC-6 so I'd go for the Larceny.

[Bbstout]

On 10/17/2020 at 5:13 PM, BottledInBond said:

Nobody wants to waste money. I’ve had plenty of “high end” bottles that I hated. I haven’t tried this particular release so can’t help with opinions on that specifically. I think Lux Row has done a few things relatively well recently and wouldn’t be opposed to trying something like this from them. As always I’d appreciate a little more transparency about it. If I can’t try it before I buy it, it would make it a little easier if I knew where it came from, what the mashbill was, the age, etc. Also specific to my initial reaction to this release, I’m not specifically a huge Armagnac fan, so I’m not necessarily specifically out there looking for an Armagnac finished whiskey.

 

For what it’s worth, you could look into what other members here are in your area, or outside of this site for other enthusiasts, and see if you could swap samples, etc. I know some other people around me, even one right in my neighborhood who I met on this site ( @Bbstout what’s up? FYI I might be moving closer to you soon) that I trade samples with, point each other to a good bottle once in a while, etc. Sometimes when I’m considering a couple bottles I’ll check with those guys and say “I’ll buy this and you buy that one and we’ll get together and crack both” sort of thing. 
 

Anyway, don’t get discouraged if you don’t find everything you hoped for related to every release. Welcome to the site and I hope you find some good info here and there.

 

cheers!

Hey BIB, haven't read the whole thread but agree with what you said. Try Everything...most importantly blind first. Find someone to sample with. I used to be on the Facebook secondary sites and it became an obsession, I realized I have had enough of the high ends to appreciate the bottles selling pennies on the dollar. Drink what YOU like. When people find out I am an "Whiskey enthusiast" they ask me what my favorite is and they always look confused when I reply WT101.

[Bbstout]

This Bourbon boom has ceased to amaze me. After taking a year hiatus, secondary prices have continued to soar. The notion of "bourbon hunting" is history. My last memorable purchase was case of OWA in 2015 for $20 a bottle. Now OWA is compared to Pappy. I only bought the case because most stores wanted $25. Sorry to ramble but there are still some reasonably priced bottles but sadly mostly overpriced. It is 2020. This is the way.

[DeepCover]

On 10/31/2020 at 3:51 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

I’ve balked at buying the Old Fitz mostly because of the price. I’ve only seen a couple, and the price tags were  over $200.00. I was pretty disappointed because I had a number of SW Old Fitz’s from back in the day that were very good, and I was looking forward to seeing how the new version compared to the old stuff.
 

This also brings back memories of the VSOF 12 that was part of the BHC. (Bourbon Heritage Collection)The BHC bottles were great. After the BHC was discontinued, the quality of the VSOF 12 dropped off considerably. It then disappeared for a few years. When it reappeared, it was much better, but not as good as the old BHC bottlings.

 

Biba! Joe

Is there any rational explanation for why the Old Fitz BIB has a different profile than Larceny? I’ve had several NAS BIB bottles of OF as well as the age stated. On paper there should be some similarities with Larceny, but I just don’t get it. The OF seems a bit sweeter (cake icing), and closer to the Weller profile. Larceny seems rougher and has pepper on the finish that I don’t get with OF. 
 

My understanding is that I’m simply comparing an OF BIB (4ish yr) to a Larceny NAS (6ish yr?) with the same mashbill. The OF NAS BIB seems to have a more similar profile to the 9+ year decanter versions than any of the Larceny I’ve had. Why would that be?

 

It definitely makes me glad I bunkered a few of the old NAS OF BIB bottles before they went extinct.

[PaulO]

I've noticed that as well.  Old Fitz BIB was in the regular line up in my cabinet.  I got one good bottle of Larceny early on.  After that, a couple not good, so I gave up.  NAS discontinued Old Fitz and Larceny are like two different animals.  Also, now every damn store has tons of Larceny.

[fishnbowljoe]

Cheers to ya’ DeepCover.  I only have a couple of Old Fitz BIB’s left. A liter and a 200 ml.  I also still  have one older handle of Old Forester BIB. These are tucked away so I won’t be so tempted to open ‘em. Outta sight, outta mind. 

 

Biba! Joe

[0895]

On 11/7/2020 at 2:49 PM, bourbon-n00b said:

I was selected in my local suppliers monthly lottery and had it boiled down to:

 

Larceny Barrel Proof C920...$46.99

Makers Mark 2020 Limited SE4xPR5...$54.99

 

I've never tried any Larceny or MM Limited.  Reviews for both seemed good.  I've already provided my ranking to the store and have received notification of my selection. 

 

Please let me know what you would have asked for and I'll update with my details later.

 

 

The SE4xPR5 is very good IMO.  I like it much better than last year's RC6.  For the record, I liked RC6, but grew tired of it halfway through the bottle.  The SE4xPR5 cuts much of the sweetness back and adds more wood flavors.

 

Word on the street is that C920 LBP is very very good.

 

So either way you win!  

 

I was also drawn for this lottery, however it was my buddy's (who shares points with me) turn to pick a bottle.