What Bourbon Did You Purchase (Spring 2022)

[flahute]

3 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

I picked up 2 bottles of the 14 a couple of months ago.  I forgot what I paid, (but it was ~ MSRP as they were purchased at the Navy Exchange package store), and I agree.    It's very good.   It was one of the few "buy it without having tried it" purchases that I've made in a while, and well worth it.

 

I read some reviews, and some posters here, stated that they like the 14 more than the 15.    You'll be in position to do a SBS, and your thoughts on how they compare would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

I will let you know this weekend.

[Jazzhead]

Here's pic of the Dad's Hat bottles I won this week in a silent auction to support a truly worthy organization, Philadelphia Youth Basketball,  offering mentorship 'n hoops to Philly kids who aspire to rise.   

 

Together with a distillery cap and t-shirt,  Dad's Hat contributed their two straight ryes, one a BIB,  each at least 4 years old and aged in 53 gallon barrels.   I'm sipping the BIB now, gettin'  the weekend up and running.

 

The special bottle is a six year old cask strength single barrel.  Finally, there's a distillery-only bottle of their "classic" rye (15 gallon barrels, aged at least a year),  finished in maple syrup casks.

 

My pour is  80% rye and the rest malted barley and malted rye.   No corn. Think  pumpernickel lathered in cherry jam.  Dad's Hat has come of age.

[Skinsfan1311]

8 hours ago, flahute said:

I will let you know this weekend.

Thanks!

 

[mbroo5880i]

9 hours ago, flahute said:

I will let you know this weekend.

The weekend is now!

[flahute]

1 minute ago, mbroo5880i said:

The weekend is now!

Ha! Picking them up tomorrow.

[fishnbowljoe]

2 minutes ago, mbroo5880i said:

The weekend is now!

 

Biba! Joe

[Thomm]

Still working my way through the mid-lower shelf offerings. This data gathering is tough stuff!  

I believe this is my first foray into the world of Lux Row distillates. I opened this bottle and did an immediate sbs with some Evan Williams BIB, seeing as they have nearly identical proof and price numbers. 

My research yielded a few conclusions:

1) I have "sampled" enough Evan Williams BIB to immediately know when it's what I'm drinking.

2) The two bourbons are distinctly different. When I was done with the sbs, I mixed equal parts of both together and they seemed to compliment each other. 

3) The tail-end of a week long sinus infection leaves a person with absolutely zero olfactory senses. If there was a distinctive nose to either of these guys, it was lost on me. 

4) I am going to sbs these two again, when my smeller and taster are in fighting form. Meanwhile, I think I'll just mix up another batch of the Brooks/Williams concoction and call it good old fashioned cold medicine. 

[kcgumbohead]

Recent work trip at stateline put me close to Chattanooga Whiskey. I have tried their products several times and enjoyed them but held out on a purchase till i came across one of their experimental Distillery exclusives. A recently released barrel 175 made with a variety of malted grains yet still a straight bourbon was available and quite good. So nice to visit a distillery get to chat and taste in a relaxed low key atmosphere and have something unique and delicious on the shelf and available. I had thier previous BIB expression but missed the purchase as that one went very quickly but this one is at least as good. They are doing some good work up there.

[yobber76]

So, I had just told a friend of mine how you can't find Eagle Rare on the shelf anymore, unless the price is at least $50-60.

2 days later, I walk into a Total Wine near my home in Florida, and there are 3 bottles at $35. Or I should say, there WERE 3 bottles at $35.

[hughewil]

2 minutes ago, yobber76 said:

So, I had just told a friend of mine how you can't find Eagle Rare on the shelf anymore, unless the price is at least $50-60.

2 days later, I walk into a Total Wine near my home in Florida, and there are 3 bottles at $35. Or I should say, there WERE 3 bottles at $35.

I managed to get 2 bottles 2 weeks ago.

[fishnbowljoe]

Just ‘cause.

 

 

 

Biba! Joe

[flahute]

Went to Total Wine to pick up the two Calumet 15's I web ordered. While there I noticed they had BT (one per customer) and due to my so much enjoying the one I recently purchased I snagged one. Also did the family size OF100 so I could refill my empty liter.

Went to the car and popped a Calumet 15 to do the ol' "try it in the car" trick. Yes I had brought a glass. Really like it a lot so I went back in and bought the last two they had. A 15yr bourbon at 105 proof for $100 is a darn good price in today's market.

[Harry in WashDC]

24 minutes ago, flahute said:

Went to Total Wine to pick up the two Calumet 15's I web ordered. While there I noticed they had BT (one per customer) and due to my so much enjoying the one I recently purchased I snagged one. Also did the family size OF100 so I could refill my empty liter.

Went to the car and popped a Calumet 15 to do the ol' "try it in the car" trick. Yes I had brought a glass. Really like it a lot so I went back in and bought the last two they had. A 15yr bourbon at 105 proof for $100 is a darn good price in today's market.

Impressive move.  AND!  One I would emulate if given the chance.

[flahute]

On 5/20/2022 at 5:53 PM, Skinsfan1311 said:

Thanks!

 

 

On 5/20/2022 at 6:57 PM, mbroo5880i said:

The weekend is now!

Yesterday when I did the taste in the parking lot trick the 15 tasted amazing. Later in the evening when I went to do the sbs my palate was way off so neither of them tasted great.

Fast forward to this morning. I've noticed that if I drink some decaf coffee after dinner and then go to bourbon that whatever I pour tastes as good as it ever has. Well, my wife is out of town so she can't judge a morning pour. I've been drinking coffee and my palate is fresh so I tried both. I agree that the 14 is better. The 15 is drier and some might find it on the edge of being tannic. However the 15 is still a great whiskey that I like quite a lot and the price is a winner.

[Skinsfan1311]

1 hour ago, flahute said:

 

Yesterday when I did the taste in the parking lot trick the 15 tasted amazing. Later in the evening when I went to do the sbs my palate was way off so neither of them tasted great.

Fast forward to this morning. I've noticed that if I drink some decaf coffee after dinner and then go to bourbon that whatever I pour tastes as good as it ever has. Well, my wife is out of town so she can't judge a morning pour. I've been drinking coffee and my palate is fresh so I tried both. I agree that the 14 is better. The 15 is drier and some might find it on the edge of being tannic. However the 15 is still a great whiskey that I like quite a lot and the price is a winner.

Thanks for sharing.

If I see either at MSRP, I'd consider another one.

Is the "parking lot trick", the same thing as a "parking lot pour?", i.e. small splash in a Dixie cup, to figure out if you're going back in for another bottle?

[0895]

18 hours ago, flahute said:

Went to Total Wine to pick up the two Calumet 15's I web ordered. While there I noticed they had BT (one per customer) and due to my so much enjoying the one I recently purchased I snagged one. Also did the family size OF100 so I could refill my empty liter.

Went to the car and popped a Calumet 15 to do the ol' "try it in the car" trick. Yes I had brought a glass. Really like it a lot so I went back in and bought the last two they had. A 15yr bourbon at 105 proof for $100 is a darn good price in today's market.

 

 

Just to piggyback off of this...

While I was finishing up the bottle of Calumet 15 that @GeeTen graciously left here not to long ago, I started looking at how the bottle looks so much like the Van Winkle bottles (its probably the same glass maker) and I started thinking, if both the Calumet and PVW15 were sitting on the shelf every day (rarity wasn't a factor), how similar they are in terms of products.

Both 15 year.

Both very close in proof (105 vs 107).

Both close in MSRP.

 

While distinctly different products for various reasons (the biggest being rye mash bill vs. wheat mash bill), I would argue that they both offer very similar drinking/sensory experiences in terms of bang for the buck.  They are both great pours at a comparable product quality to price point. 

If the calumet 15 was sold in a bottle labeled as "Pappy Van Winkle 15 year special rye mash bourbon", would anyone question it? 

 

[flahute]

11 minutes ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

Thanks for sharing.

If I see either at MSRP, I'd consider another one.

Is the "parking lot trick", the same thing as a "parking lot pour?", i.e. small splash in a Dixie cup, to figure out if you're going back in for another bottle?

Yes! Instead of a dixie cup I brought one of my typical drinking glasses.

[fishnbowljoe]

59 minutes ago, flahute said:

Yes! Instead of a dixie cup I brought one of my typical drinking glasses.

A Blanton’s bag works nicely as a travel bag for a glass. Just sayin’.

 

Biba! Joe

[flahute]

33 minutes ago, fishnbowljoe said:

A Blanton’s bag works nicely as a travel bag for a glass. Just sayin’.

 

Biba! Joe

Genius!

[GeeTen]

1 hour ago, fishnbowljoe said:

 

A Blanton’s bag works nicely as a travel bag for a glass. Just sayin’.

 

There's a Pro Tip, right there!   

[0895]

3 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

A Blanton’s bag works nicely as a travel bag for a glass. Just sayin’.

 

Biba! Joe

Ha!

I thought I was the only one.

 

I use old eht tubes to transport bottles around too.

[DeepCover]

I picked up these 3 barrel proof bourbons this weekend. I can’t wait to try them. 
 

[mbroo5880i]

On 5/21/2022 at 7:20 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

Just ‘cause.

 

 

 

Biba! Joe

 

I don't want to thread drift here but I am curious about the Solomon Scott Rye.  Is that the Seelbach pick?  I have been hearing good things about Spirits of French Lick whiskeys.

[mbroo5880i]

12 minutes ago, DeepCover said:

I picked up these 3 barrel proof bourbons this weekend. I can’t wait to try them. 
 

 

Well done! All three have a nice dark rich color.

Edited May 23, 2022 by mbroo5880i

[mbroo5880i]

7 hours ago, flahute said:

 

Yesterday when I did the taste in the parking lot trick the 15 tasted amazing. Later in the evening when I went to do the sbs my palate was way off so neither of them tasted great.

Fast forward to this morning. I've noticed that if I drink some decaf coffee after dinner and then go to bourbon that whatever I pour tastes as good as it ever has. Well, my wife is out of town so she can't judge a morning pour. I've been drinking coffee and my palate is fresh so I tried both. I agree that the 14 is better. The 15 is drier and some might find it on the edge of being tannic. However the 15 is still a great whiskey that I like quite a lot and the price is a winner.

 

Wow, once your weekend starts its "Party on Garth, Party on Wayne!

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by mbroo5880i