What bottle did you open today? - 2023

[Anwalt]

On 9/14/2023 at 9:33 PM, Davesnothere said:

It's probably just  me, but I find this objectively bad

 

I never liked it. Tastes hot & young to me, over & over, even the 8-year.

 

But they did sell for $600M or so, so someone must like it!

[Kepler]

 

I cracked open this older pine box Booker's today.  This is the non-commemorative version of the B96-C-15 batch (at least I think its the same whiskey but just in the regular packaging).  8 yrs 3 months at 125.3 proof.  The other special "commemorative" package version of this batch was released some time after Booker passed away in 2004 from what I understand.  I found two bottles of this in a sleepy liquor store during my dusty hunting days of 2015-16.  Paid between $45 and $50 for these.

 

This first pour has a faint hint of a dusty note (for lack of a better term) that some older WT Rare Breeds that I've owned had.  Like I said I have two bottles of this batch and I opened the bottle with the low full level.  Might be some evaporation at play here; I am just guessing though.  The cork surprisingly came out whole but I see some separation so I was lucky to extract it in one piece.  I've replaced it with a spare cork.  The flavor is rich and mouthcoating like all Booker's but with less peanut-iness and a tad more oak.  Yes --  all Booker's should be closer to 8 years than to 6!

 

Looking forward to comparing this one to my C07-B-07 bottle which is a favorite of mine.

Cheers

[Davesnothere]

Home after a long day of marching band competition. 

I opened my Weller 12 lottery pick.

Boy, it's a nice pour after a long day.

 

[Anwalt]

Had a very nice time visiting Obree, more of which later. He's a tremendous host & excellent drinking partner.

 

Found this odd duck while visiting Belgium. CH is supposed to be very good at sourcing from others. The color is rather much on the light side. We shall see.

 

 

 

[Obree]

1 hour ago, Anwalt said:

Had a very nice time visiting Obree, more of which later. He's a tremendous host & excellent drinking partner.

 

Found this odd duck while visiting Belgium. CH is supposed to be very good at sourcing from others. The color is rather much on the light side. We shall see.

 

 

 

Had a tremendous time together! Curious about that HH 12 Cadenhead, and the 18 year Tennesee we got as well!

[Obree]

On 9/24/2023 at 12:07 AM, Kepler said:

 

I cracked open this older pine box Booker's today.  This is the non-commemorative version of the B96-C-15 batch (at least I think its the same whiskey but just in the regular packaging).  8 yrs 3 months at 125.3 proof.  The other special "commemorative" package version of this batch was released some time after Booker passed away in 2004 from what I understand.  I found two bottles of this in a sleepy liquor store during my dusty hunting days of 2015-16.  Paid between $45 and $50 for these.

 

This first pour has a faint hint of a dusty note (for lack of a better term) that some older WT Rare Breeds that I've owned had.  Like I said I have two bottles of this batch and I opened the bottle with the low full level.  Might be some evaporation at play here; I am just guessing though.  The cork surprisingly came out whole but I see some separation so I was lucky to extract it in one piece.  I've replaced it with a spare cork.  The flavor is rich and mouthcoating like all Booker's but with less peanut-iness and a tad more oak.  Yes --  all Booker's should be closer to 8 years than to 6!

 

Looking forward to comparing this one to my C07-B-07 bottle which is a favorite of mine.

Cheers

Nice! Have a B95-C-31 waiting to be opened at some point. Hope it is at least as good!

[Kepler]

On 10/4/2023 at 5:33 PM, Obree said:

Nice! Have a B95-C-31 waiting to be opened at some point. Hope it is at least as good!

I had a bottle of that batch and it was excellent.  It was at least as good as this one, maybe a little better from memory.  Crack it open and enjoy!

[PaulO]

On 10/4/2023 at 4:41 PM, Anwalt said:

Had a very nice time visiting Obree, more of which later. He's a tremendous host & excellent drinking partner.

 

Found this odd duck while visiting Belgium. CH is supposed to be very good at sourcing from others. The color is rather much on the light side. We shall see.

 

 

 

This is just a guess, could it be they aged the barrel in Scotland.

Also not likely to be too dark at 80 proof.

[Obree]

8 hours ago, Kepler said:

I had a bottle of that batch and it was excellent.  It was at least as good as this one, maybe a little better from memory.  Crack it open and enjoy!

Thanks!

[Anwalt]

12 hours ago, PaulO said:

This is just a guess, could it be they aged the barrel in Scotland.

Also not likely to be too dark at 80 proof.

 

Makes sense. Tasted like Scotch. 

 

I did not care for it. Thin, even for the proof, very light flavor. I frankly prefer the 94-proof 10y store picks at $40 and certainly the ECBP. Live & learn!

[JT3NSB]

First Castle and Key for me.   Not bad at all for 5yr.   Going to be really solid at 10yr.  Great nose and mouthfeel.   Needs some more time I think….

 

 

[Anwalt]

This one came well recommended from one of you. Let's give a swi(n)g.

 

 

[Clueby]

Fresh crack. Yummmmm

[Kepler]

I opened this a couple days ago and this is my second evening with it. I really like this one; especially the nose which is really quite fantastic in its sweetness. I attribute that to the red corn.  My favorite of the 3 Still Austin bottles that I have tried yet (the others being their standard "Musician" bourbon and the barrel proof bourbon). 

 

[Kepler]

Couldn't decide which batch of this one to open up, so I just went with my most recent one.  10 yr spring 23 edition.

 

[Davesnothere]

Saturday night I opened  the ECBP C923 that I  picked up last weekend.

First impression was, good, very good, but not initially living up to the hype. Maybe a bit of a different profile than the last few offerings? Not as sweet? A bit more oakey? Not that that's a bad thing.

Perhaps my expectations were too high, so I'll let the hype die down and try it again later this week.

It's definitely a recommend at msrp.

[VWIndy]

On 10/26/2023 at 7:39 PM, fosmith said:

It was a birthday present from my wife and it works amazing.  It incorporates the strengths and mitigates the weaknesses of a corkscrew and an ah so.  I have  a lot of old wines and when I wasn't breaking up a cork with a corkscrew, I was pushing it into the bottle with an ah so.  I learned about the Durand when I brought an '82 Bordeaux to a restaurant for a birthday dinner and the sommelier used his to open my bottle. 

 

On 10/27/2023 at 8:14 PM, Kepler said:

I opened this a couple days ago and this is my second evening with it. I really like this one; especially the nose which is really quite fantastic in its sweetness. I attribute that to the red corn.  My favorite of the 3 Still Austin bottles that I have tried yet (the others being their standard "Musician" bourbon and the barrel proof bourbon). 

 

I'll need to find this red corn whiskey.  I just got the Doc Holiday soft red wheated whiskey and really enjoyed it.  I am abiding by the French Lick distillery motto: Respect the Grain!  I guess growing up in Nebraska and living in Indiana have impacted my palate as smidgen:}

[Anwalt]

On 10/27/2023 at 8:14 PM, Kepler said:

My favorite of the 3 Still Austin

 

Hmmm, will have to try it.

 

A colleague picked up the 4YBS from the distillery for me, I look forward to trying it. I was shocked at the 2yBS. I'd never have tried something that young (did so in the past, I mean YOU Peerless) but for all the favorable comments. I didn't love it, but definitely not a hater.

 

Could be another one that grows on me after a while, that's been happening a good bit. It's a real problem. There's so little that I dislike (granted, there probably is, I've just managed to avoid buying much of it thanks to the Good Influences [hah!] here), that's the problem, the problem of plenty - so many good things are being made. We are very, very lucky and live in an age of wonder.

 

Now to deciding what I love vs merely like.

[Davesnothere]

I was out and about this past weekend, and I was keeping my eyes open for another bottle of c923. It seems like they haven't been released within my natural range.(ABC stores excepted) Anyway, I did stumble across this 22A for a bit more than MSRP but well under secondary. 

Happy Halloween for me!

 

 

[Jazz Nut]

I opened an older Old Weller Special Reserve.  I purchased this bottle in 2013, at Ace Spirits in the Minneapolis area (when it was easy to find a lot of the bottles that are now part of limited edition fall raffles!).  Interestingly, this has an age statement of 7 years.  Not sure if I notice a difference, it's nice but simple.  The reason I opened it is I noticed a small crack in the bottle cap, so I found an old cork to use.

[LCWoody]

2 hours ago, Jazz Nut said:

I opened an older Old Weller Special Reserve.  I purchased this bottle in 2013, at Ace Spirits in the Minneapolis area (when it was easy to find a lot of the bottles that are now part of limited edition fall raffles!).  Interestingly, this has an age statement of 7 years.  Not sure if I notice a difference, it's nice but simple.  The reason I opened it is I noticed a small crack in the bottle cap, so I found an old cork to use.

That was a transition bottle, between the 7y on the label and the none age stated bottles. I think they were only out for a year or two. Still good juice. 

[Jazz Nut]

34 minutes ago, LCWoody said:

That was a transition bottle, between the 7y on the label and the none age stated bottles. I think they were only out for a year or two. Still good juice. 

Yeah, it's good juice.  Not transcendental, I'd love to do a SbS with what's currently out there.  Still it's very solid.  Something you can sip, enjoy, and not have to tease apart and analyze.  It's just tasty bourbon.

[fishnbowljoe]

With regards to the “What Bottle Did You Empty?” thread and my “Man Down!” post.

 

”Man Up!”  

 

[jnewberg]

Had a small pour of the ECBP C923 last night and it is a wonderful bourbon... As good as I have had from EC since the C919... Will compare in the future but in the meantime I am going to have to find a backup or 5 of this... For 75 its going to be tough to top

[JT3NSB]

AAA 10 Star