What bourbon did you purchase today (Summer 2021)

[GeeTen]

FYI, Duty Free stores at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar has NO Blanton's Gold, as of yesterday.  Don't bother going there for a while.  

 

[BigRich]

So after getting little to know feedback on my questions about the 14 and 15 year Calumet Farms, I got a chance to try it at a bar recently.  Damn delicious!  Cherry forward, light caramel, medium vanilla, and less than expected woodiness from the 15 year.  All the great things about Barton in spades. 

 

So I bought a 14 and a 15. 

[BigRich]

And for what it is worth, I'm guessing this isn't moving like expected.  Total Wine downgraded it from the shiny glass case to the regular shelf. 

[JT3NSB]

31 minutes ago, BigRich said:

So after getting little to know feedback on my questions about the 14 and 15 year Calumet Farms, I got a chance to try it at a bar recently.  Damn delicious!  Cherry forward, light caramel, medium vanilla, and less than expected woodiness from the 15 year.  All the great things about Barton in spades. 

 

So I bought a 14 and a 15. 

Agreed. I have an open 15.  I am a sucker for anyting with age on it.  I might have preferred a little more oak, but its solid.   

[Bourbon_Watcher_84]

Picked up the Leopold Brother's Three Chamber Rye the other day.  Haven't cracked it yet, but I'm looking forward to it soon.  

[PaulO]

13 hours ago, GeeTen said:

FYI, Duty Free stores at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar has NO Blanton's Gold, as of yesterday.  Don't bother going there for a while.  

 

Those Taliban guys staying in the fancy hotel must have bought it all for their big party.

[G L Tirebiter]

20 minutes ago, PaulO said:

Those Taliban guys staying in the fancy hotel must have bought it all for their big party.

I am pretty sure they don't imbibe. but probably sold it on the secondary market, like a lot of people!!

[mal00768]

Islamic State In Secondary market?

[markandrex]

4 minutes ago, mal00768 said:

Islamic State In Secondary market?

Wouldn’t it be a tertiary market in the Third World?

[G L Tirebiter]

 It's a joke, son.   Replying to the previously couple of posts.

[G L Tirebiter]

5 minutes ago, markandrex said:

 

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by G L Tirebiter

[G L Tirebiter]

1 minute ago, G L Tirebiter said:

 

 

9 minutes ago, mal00768 said:

Islamic State In Secondary market?

Just following up on the previous somewhat light hearted posts

Edited September 15, 2021 by G L Tirebiter

[markandrex]

2 minutes ago, G L Tirebiter said:

 It's a joke, son.   Replying to the previously couple of posts.

No doubt!

[TehRegion219]

12 hours ago, BigRich said:

And for what it is worth, I'm guessing this isn't moving like expected.  Total Wine downgraded it from the shiny glass case to the regular shelf. 

Agreed. I’ve yet to see it moved to the regular shelves… but I’ve seen plenty of both behind glass behind the counter in OH, KY, and IN

[IamMatt]

On 9/9/2021 at 7:25 AM, fosmith said:

VOB was something I had never seen here in Calif.  But last year K&L got in some 86, 90 and 100 proof and I was able to get a bottle or two of each.  I wouldn't buy the 86 or 90 again but this week they have just gotten the 100 back in stock so I picked up a couple of bottles.  A great value at $15 and it's cool to have something that you don't see every day.  If you're in Calif. (they don't ship out of state) and you've been looking for this, they still have it in stock..

My local TW has the lower proof stuff but I also got turned on to a local bourbon-heavy local (45 minutes?) liquor store that has VOB 100 for around $16.  Good stuff.

[IamMatt]

14 hours ago, JT3NSB said:

Agreed. I have an open 15.  I am a sucker for anyting with age on it.  I might have preferred a little more oak, but its solid.   

A bourbon buddy had a bottle of Sam Houston 15 (2021 CA-1) so of course I had him over so we could compare it to the Calumet 15.  Any excuse, right?

[JT3NSB]

6 hours ago, IamMatt said:

A bourbon buddy had a bottle of Sam Houston 15 (2021 CA-1) so of course I had him over so we could compare it to the Calumet 15.  Any excuse, right?

And…….?

[GeeTen]

On 9/14/2021 at 6:44 AM, GeeTen said:

FYI, Duty Free stores at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar has NO Blanton's Gold, as of yesterday.  Don't bother going there for a while.  

 

 

Seven posts and five "Likes" later and nobody has asked "How Do You Know?"  

[LCWoody]

24 minutes ago, GeeTen said:

 

Seven posts and five "Likes" later and nobody has asked "How Do You Know?"  

I know,I know, I know...... I think it had something to do with you being there..

[fishnbowljoe]

1 hour ago, GeeTen said:

 

Seven posts and five "Likes" later and nobody has asked "How Do You Know?"  

 Most of us know you by now Ken. 

 

Biba! Joe

[IamMatt]

1 hour ago, JT3NSB said:

And…….?

We decided they're both good lol.

 

Both bottles had been open a couple of months with only a few ounces missing.  First, they definitely smell and taste like close cousins (both Barton juice).  At first nosing, both had strong fruit notes (deep rich fruit rather than light or tangy) and some of the dry notes (leather, tobacco, oak, wet cardboard or paper) that one associates with an older bourbon.  The Calumet nose had  more intensity and was a bit sweeter with less of the dry notes.

 

On first tasting, the Sam Houston had more of the dry notes.  With subsequent tasting, the difference seemed less pronounced as the Calumet started showing some of those same older notes.  Both had the rich fruit notes along with a creamy flavor that was not quite butterscotch but more like a mild vanilla cream.  Both had nice creamy mouthfeel and moderate finishes.

 

They were close enough that one could believe they were two different barrel picks of the same juice.  IOW, there are barrel picks of some bourbons that differ from each other more than these two do.  The Calumet was 105 proof, the Sam Houston was within a point of that.  The Calumet batch had 19 barrels, the Houston was smaller, maybe 3 or 6 IIRC.  

 

In the end, we both favored the Calumet but only by a tiny margin, and that could change on different days.  My wife more strongly preferred the Calumet.  One reason for me to favor the Calumet is that it is pretty readily available near me for under $120 while the Houston is hard to find and more expensive.  

[GeeTen]

5 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

 Most of us know you by now Ken. 

 

Biba! Joe

 

Who's Ken?!?  

 

[fishnbowljoe]

5 minutes ago, GeeTen said:

 

Who's Ken?!?  

 

Really?

[GeeTen]

6 hours ago, LCWoody said:

I know,I know, I know...... I think it had something to do with you being there..

 

Close, but actually, no.  Daughter #2 took a new job and HAD to tour a few properties in The Maldives.  She flew home and had a connection through Doha.  Duty Free folks asked her to wait in in line only to discover they were OUT OF STOCK!    

 

But they do get it in stock from time to time - so there's still hope on her next trip.  Too bad the Bermuda connection is no more . . . . . . .   

[PaulO]

18 hours ago, GeeTen said:

 

Close, but actually, no.  Daughter #2 took a new job and HAD to tour a few properties in The Maldives.  She flew home and had a connection through Doha.  Duty Free folks asked her to wait in in line only to discover they were OUT OF STOCK!    

 

But they do get it in stock from time to time - so there's still hope on her next trip.  Too bad the Bermuda connection is no more . . . . . . .   

I thought you were going to say that you found out somehow there were bottles in Doha, then redeemed all your frequent flier miles to go there and clean the shelf.