What bourbon did you pass on 2023

[Anwalt]

2 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

The duty free store at Charlotte airport

 

For American whiskey, most of the duty-free stores suck. Lousy selection and lousy prices.

 

An exception: I've gotten WTRB NCF for $40 or $45 (I forget which) in Atlanta. Very hit or miss (usually "miss"). They've had WTF&S13 as well, but not when I was flying internationally.

[Skinsfan1311]

7 hours ago, Anwalt said:

 

For American whiskey, most of the duty-free stores suck. Lousy selection and lousy prices.

 

An exception: I've gotten WTRB NCF for $40 or $45 (I forget which) in Atlanta. Very hit or miss (usually "miss"). They've had WTF&S13 as well, but not when I was flying internationally.

Fact!

I figured as much, but the price for the OF100 was shockingly bad. 

[mal00768]

New, decent size store opened up near me to replace an Old Navy or whatever. 
 

Passed on Stagg @ $299 and EHT sib for $89.99. Won’t be back. Shame

[Davesnothere]

16 hours ago, mal00768 said:

New, decent size store opened up near me to replace an Old Navy or whatever. 
 

Passed on Stagg @ $299 and EHT sib for $89.99. Won’t be back. Shame

I would pass on the Stagg for sure, but EHT SiB for $90, I'd buy two. They're $60 here if you happen to win the state quarterly lottery.

[mbroo5880i]

Passed on an ECBP store pick for $84.99.   I might have considered it at $69.99.  Just wasn't feeling it today since I had to unexpectedly buy a new clothes dryer this weekend.

 

I didn't leave empty handed.  I walked out with two KC9 $19.96 each and a bottle Four Roses.  My wife and youngest son are exploring cocktails but don't like overpowering whiskeys.  I thought they might enjoy FR 80 proof.  I know I do.  Wait until I put it in the freezer.  

 

 

[Kepler]

On 9/1/2023 at 9:10 PM, mal00768 said:

New, decent size store opened up near me to replace an Old Navy or whatever. 
 

Passed on Stagg @ $299 and EHT sib for $89.99. Won’t be back. Shame

I'd pass on both of those myself as well.  The EHT SiB price is not bat-shit crazy compared to MSRP, but no way is it a $90 bourbon.  And I say this as someone who loves CEHT.  The barrel proof CEHT is worth $90 but the single barrel is not.

 

 

[mal00768]

Passed on a RR13 for $499. Same store had several boxes out where you could stick raffle tickets, winner gets the right to pay msrp for some allocated bottles. $50 a ticket. Yawn

[PaulO]

2 hours ago, mal00768 said:

Passed on a RR13 for $499. Same store had several boxes out where you could stick raffle tickets, winner gets the right to pay msrp for some allocated bottles. $50 a ticket. Yawn

I've never heard of charging for the raffle ticket and having to pay to purchase if you "won".  I'd pass the entire store next time, shop somewhere else.

 

Even the person that "wins" pays MSRP + $50 (not a good deal).  No doubt others (many or most) just loose their $50.  And if the people running this con are such greedy bastards to begin with, game is probably rigged.  The fix is in.

[MM818]

4 hours ago, mal00768 said:

Passed on a RR13 for $499. Same store had several boxes out where you could stick raffle tickets, winner gets the right to pay msrp for some allocated bottles. $50 a ticket. Yawn

This is insane to me. That raffle process is criminal. Choosing to not spend your money there isn’t a strong enough rebuke.

[mal00768]

Yup, doesn’t really feel anymore insane than the secondary market, etc. I’m just glad I like Armagnac so I have options.

Edited September 9, 2023 by mal00768

[smokinjoe]

29 minutes ago, mal00768 said:

Yup, doesn’t really feel anymore insane than the secondary market, etc. I’m just glad I like Armagnac so I have options.

Was this Julio’s?  

[mal00768]

17 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

Was this Julio’s?  

No, a place called Denny’s in the next town over. I’m a regular at Julio’s.

[smokinjoe]

Just now, mal00768 said:

No, a place called Denny’s in the next town over. I’m a regular at Julio’s.

Keep going to Julio’s, then.  . They have a good Armagnac selection, too. 

[Davesnothere]

We did a hard pass on Stagg batch 18 for $299 today. They had a "herd" of them, but again hard pass at $300.

 

[IamMatt]

Went to a supermarket last night and they had ECBP B523 for $80 (passed).  First time I've ever seen ECBP in a supermarket. 

[FacePlant]

On 9/2/2023 at 5:46 PM, mbroo5880i said:

Passed on an ECBP store pick for $84.99.   I might have considered it at $69.99.

 

 

I'll one up ya. Passed on the same for $99.99. I too would be a buyer at your preferred price since I'm a big fan. The real pain here is they'll sell it all in a few days so why should the retailer charge less? All the dip wads out there....pls bring back shaken not stirred days.  

[Skinsfan1311]

Blanton's $95.00 in the Duty Free shop at the Aruba airport.

I like, but don't love it.

They had 6 bottles that disappeared pretty quickly

 

[mbroo5880i]

Does everytime I walk through Kroger count?  I passed on several interesting bottles but Cheap Bastard still has a mortgage payment.  

[TwoFingers]

Stopped in a couple liquor stores while I was in Utah.  They didn't have much of anything I couldn't get at home.  There was alot of High West products.  I did have a pour of the HW bourbon while I was out there but wasn't impressed enough to buy a bottle.   

[PaulO]

13 hours ago, mbroo5880i said:

Does everytime I walk through Kroger count?  I passed on several interesting bottles but Cheap Bastard still has a mortgage payment.  

Of course it counts.  I buy groceries at several Kroger locations.  I always stroll through the liquor area, just to keep track of things.  When the sale comes, I know where to go.  They don't carry all the same items.

I'd have to be really wowed by some bottle to not wait for the sale.  Family on the other hand expects food every day.

[mal00768]

Regular, boring old Blantons for $180 at the duty free shop in the Panama City, Panama airport. Was hoping to find SFTB or gold.

[Thomm]

FRSB barrel strength @$99.99  I was walking out with a WTKS and almost bumped into a barrel with about 10 of these on top. Gonna go back and check the recipe.  I'm not familiar with anything beyond FRSB, Small Batch, and Small Batch Select.  I will report back and see if any of you can steer me toward or away from it, based on specifics.  

[mbroo5880i]

6 minutes ago, Thomm said:

FRSB barrel strength @$99.99  I was walking out with a WTKS and almost bumped into a barrel with about 10 of these on top. Gonna go back and check the recipe.  I'm not familiar with anything beyond FRSB, Small Batch, and Small Batch Select.  I will report back and see if any of you can steer me toward or away from it, based on specifics.  

 

I would have walked away as well but I can understand someone picking one up.  This is probably on the low end of the price range for a FRSB Barrel Strength.  A Benjamin doesn't buy what it used to in Bourbon World. 

[Jazz June]

13 minutes ago, Thomm said:

FRSB barrel strength @$99.99  I was walking out with a WTKS and almost bumped into a barrel with about 10 of these on top. Gonna go back and check the recipe.  I'm not familiar with anything beyond FRSB, Small Batch, and Small Batch Select.  I will report back and see if any of you can steer me toward or away from it, based on specifics.  

Sadly $100 is the new MSRP for Four Roses barrel strength picks. How did you feel about the SiB or SmB Select?  I’m minorly obsessed with the barrel strength picks and they have a very high hit rate, but not every distillery is everyone’s favorite. 

[Thomm]

33 minutes ago, Jazz June said:

Sadly $100 is the new MSRP for Four Roses barrel strength picks. How did you feel about the SiB or SmB Select?  I’m minorly obsessed with the barrel strength picks and they have a very high hit rate, but not every distillery is everyone’s favorite. 

I am a pretty big fan of the SiBs I have tried, in fact I like them marginally better than SmB select.  I also realize that $100 for a limited bottle like this is actually a pretty good "going rate" these days.  

Now you've got me thinking.