fishnbowljoe Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 Not really news, but a nice piece from CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chasing-down-pappy-van-winkle-the-worlds-most-coveted-bourbon/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 20 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said: Not really news, but a nice piece from CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chasing-down-pappy-van-winkle-the-worlds-most-coveted-bourbon/ I saw it on the CBS Sunday Morning show yesterday morning. Seemed a bit “fluffy”. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvd99 Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 I just go around the corner to my LS - years long relationship helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camduncan Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 I refuse to buy it these days.... Aussie retailers gouge the heck out of us with prices as seen below (all currently out of stock). Fortunately I got to try most of the line back when it was still a reasonable price., but plenty of people I know spend thousands a year at stores trying to gain favor with the stores employees in the hope they'll get first chance at buying. There was even a story last year about a guy who spent $20k or more on Van Winkle when it landed (he'd spent over $100k with a store buying up a collection).. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 On 11/16/2020 at 2:42 PM, camduncan said: I refuse to buy it these days.... Aussie retailers gouge the heck out of us with prices as seen below (all currently out of stock). Fortunately I got to try most of the line back when it was still a reasonable price., but plenty of people I know spend thousands a year at stores trying to gain favor with the stores employees in the hope they'll get first chance at buying. There was even a story last year about a guy who spent $20k or more on Van Winkle when it landed (he'd spent over $100k with a store buying up a collection).. That there is what we call insanity... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Reserve Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 On 11/16/2020 at 2:42 PM, camduncan said: I refuse to buy it these days.... Aussie retailers gouge the heck out of us with prices as seen below (all currently out of stock). Fortunately I got to try most of the line back when it was still a reasonable price., but plenty of people I know spend thousands a year at stores trying to gain favor with the stores employees in the hope they'll get first chance at buying. There was even a story last year about a guy who spent $20k or more on Van Winkle when it landed (he'd spent over $100k with a store buying up a collection).. And I remember the days when I turned up my nose about them being $5 over the state minimum price, and yes I remember the exact store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted November 19, 2020 Author Share Posted November 19, 2020 7 hours ago, Special Reserve said: And I remember the days when I turned up my nose about them being $5 over the state minimum price, and yes I remember the exact store. I hear ya’ Will. I remember meeting up with a Chicago member back in late 2008 or early 2009. We met up to get acquainted and do some hunting. The first store we stopped at had Lot B on sale for $28.99. I grabbed one. My friend wasn’t interested, but suggested that at that price, and if I liked it, I should probably grab at least one more. (FWIW, I hadn’t become a Weller/wheater whore yet.) I was skeptical, but did grab a second bottle. The only reason I hesitated was that this was the first store we stopped at, and I didn’t want to put too much of a hurt on my wallet right out of the gate. My friend found a couple age stated Black Maple Hill and Rowan’s Creek(?) and a three or four other things that he was quite pleased with. All in all, it was a fun day. Looking back now though, I wish I’d have bought a couple of 3 bottle cases of the Lot B. One consolation for that day was that after we parted ways, I stopped at a store on the way home and found a couple more nice things. A handful of 200 ml SW Old Fitz Primes, and a couple SW Old Fitz BIB handles. Biba! Joe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted November 20, 2020 Share Posted November 20, 2020 Be like Jason at Mash & Drum. Go stand in line for hours the day of the release, tell everybody there you’re a “seasoned hunter” of bourbon (Gollygeewillikers, you're great Jason!!! ), then go on your website and say how others should act way above lowering themselves to chasing overhyped bourbon...like standing in line to get them... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulsea Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 (edited) Speaking of chasing the winkle (giggity) ... Does anyone know if they still release the rye? I haven't see or been offered a bottle in several years ... is that because there's very little of it or because of happenstance, our did they stop releasing it lately? I have a bottle that I was gifted several years ago but I'm petrified to open it lest I not be able to replace it without having to pay crazy aftermarket prices. Edited December 10, 2020 by soulsea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 4 minutes ago, soulsea said: Speaking of chasing the winkle (giggity) ... Does anyone know if they still release the rye? I haven't see or been offered a bottle in several years ... is that because there's very little of it or because of happenstance, our did they stop releasing it lately? I have a bottle that I was gifted several years ago but I'm petrified to open it lest I not be able to replace it without having to pay crazy aftermarket prices. Pretty sure it’s still released. The numbers on it have always been pretty low, though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulsea Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 4 minutes ago, smokinjoe said: Pretty sure it’s still released. The numbers on it have always been pretty low, though. Ok thank you. I actually should have assumed so as it is one of the bottles on the Total Wine lottery list, but I filled out my request a while ago and had forgotten about it ... I did put it at the top of my wish list so fingers crossed for the February auction. Is it really special to drink or is it more special because of scarcity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 2 minutes ago, soulsea said: Is it really special to drink or is it more special because of scarcity? I’ve not had a recent VW Rye, so I can’t say one way, or the other. Sorry, I’m not much help there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 47 minutes ago, soulsea said: Ok thank you. I actually should have assumed so as it is one of the bottles on the Total Wine lottery list, but I filled out my request a while ago and had forgotten about it ... I did put it at the top of my wish list so fingers crossed for the February auction. Is it really special to drink or is it more special because of scarcity? It is very scarce and it does not make it to every state. I have a bottle from the days when the whiskey inside came from a different distillery and was tanked to keep it from aging further. That whiskey is special. The current release is BT distilled and I have not tried that one yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulsea Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 4 minutes ago, flahute said: It is very scarce and it does not make it to every state. I have a bottle from the days when the whiskey inside came from a different distillery and was tanked to keep it from aging further. That whiskey is special. The current release is BT distilled and I have not tried that one yet. Is there a way to tell what bottle one has? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted December 11, 2020 Author Share Posted December 11, 2020 The VW Rye was released this year, and there was more of it. I’m going to venture a guess that this is new(er?) distillate. IIRC, the last of the tanked VW Rye had been very sparingly doled out the last few years. There might even have been a year or two where none was released. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong. Biba! Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 8 minutes ago, soulsea said: Is there a way to tell what bottle one has? Yes. You have to learn how to decipher the bottling code. It's a small laser printed code usually somewhere near the bottom that contains the bottling date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulsea Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, flahute said: Yes. You have to learn how to decipher the bottling code. It's a small laser printed code usually somewhere near the bottom that contains the bottling date. I doubt I have the older version, especially with a barcode and a url link, but it would be nice to know for sure if what I have is replaceable or irreplaceable. This is what my bottle says: Edited December 11, 2020 by soulsea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulsea Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 (edited) https://www.saratogawine.com/Pappy-Van-Winkle-13-Year-Family-Reserve-Rye-Whiskey-F-Series-2015-750ml.html Looks like F series is 2015, which I'm guessing is the newer version. That actually make me happy, as I can drink this one knowing I can replace it with a new bottle when I find one. Edited December 11, 2020 by soulsea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeTerp Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 On 12/10/2020 at 8:02 PM, fishnbowljoe said: The VW Rye was released this year, and there was more of it. I’m going to venture a guess that this is new(er?) distillate. IIRC, the last of the tanked VW Rye had been very sparingly doled out the last few years. There might even have been a year or two where none was released. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong. Biba! Joe This was what I believe too. I think they had a year or two off recently but have released some in the last few years. From what I heard and saw at a local lottery event there seemed to be an increase this year in the rye (and the PVW20 and PVW23 were way down). Also in a somewhat telling move Virginia is set to receive the rye this year (for what I believe to be the first time ever) as it just recently received a product code. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz June Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 There was no VWFRR released in 2017, which I believe makes the 2016 the last of the tanked stuff. Enough of the BT distillate reached thirteen years old in 2018 to use that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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