Rock Hill Farms . . . one more time!

[Kyjd75]

Spent a few days last week at the Galt House in Louisville attending a statewide convention.  Wandered in to the Silks bar and low and behold they had a bottle of Rock Hill Farms behind the counter.  $45 for a pour, but I didn't care.  It had been a long time since I had enjoyed the taste of RHF, but it was truly fantastic.  Brought back all the memories of why it had been one of my favorite bourbons, until it became unobtainable.  It has been impossible to find, at least in Kentucky, for a long time now.

 

 

[fosmith]

Yes, Rock Hill Farms is fantastic.  I was lucky enough to get a bottle last year; first time I'd ever had any...

[Kyjd75]

Indeed, so much better than Blanton's, imho.

[Special Reserve]

5 hours ago, fosmith said:

Yes, Rock Hill Farms is fantastic.  I was lucky enough to get a bottle last year; first time I'd ever had any...

I haven't see one in the wild in years.  I have one with the plastic medallion from many many years ago.

[Richnimrod]

The last one I saw in The Mitten State on a shelf (actually wasn't; but, I knew it was there as I was alerted by the proprietor) I bought.   That was about 5-years ago.   It was as delicious as the couple bottles I'd had previously; but, sadly long gone now.

RHF is (was?) a stellar pour, and in my meager experience very consistent.   I wish I had several in the bunker.

[mbroo5880i]

It is unattainable everywhere.  It doesn't even seem to show up in liquor store lotteries.  My guess is the distributors, their family and friends get all of the bottles.  Oregon is just the tip of the premium distribution iceberg. I would be all in if BT would publicly publish the number of bottles of each brand shipped to each state by distribution (retail, restaurant).  Transparency might improve availability.

[PaulO]

Back maybe fifteen or so years ago, ER, OWA, and ETL could be found on shelves for around $25.  RHF was rarely seen, and cost $50.  It was a splurge for me.  Back then, it was claimed to be aged ten years and bottled at 100 proof.  The extra age and proof put it head and shoulders above the other mash bill #2 brands (in my opinion).

I'm sure the Blanton's craze is not helping RHF availability nowadays.   

[GaryT]

5 hours ago, PaulO said:

Back maybe fifteen or so years ago, ER, OWA, and ETL could be found on shelves for around $25.  RHF was rarely seen, and cost $50.  It was a splurge for me.  Back then, it was claimed to be aged ten years and bottled at 100 proof.  The extra age and proof put it head and shoulders above the other mash bill #2 brands (in my opinion).

I'm sure the Blanton's craze is not helping RHF availability nowadays.   

Was thinking the exact same thing (except reflecting on 12 years back).  I never bought a bottle back then thinking "It isn't TWICE as good as ETL" (my favorite at the time), but every pour I had from someone else's bottle I thought was pretty damned tasty.  I finally broke down and bought one maybe 7 or 8 years back, paying $65 or $70 at the time which irked me.  Although if I had seen what was coming, while I would have bought a couple more, I'd have bought cases of ETL (and WSR since people are now paying ridiculous amounts for what I wouldn't give $10 for back then).  I wonder what whiskey that is out today we'll be thinking the same thing about in another 10 years time . . .

[Richnimrod]

1 hour ago, GaryT said:

 I wonder what whiskey that is out today we'll be thinking the same thing about in another 10 years time . . .

Now, THAT is  GREAT Question, eh?!?    If one could somehow see into the future and imagine which 'ordinary' pours of today will become "unobtainium" in 10, 15, 20 years... well, one could probably, shall we say, find a way to make that knowledge worthwhile.     

I always found WSR (and still do) a nice pour.   Not stellar; but, a wonderful nose followed by a palate that reflects that promise... not as brightly as Old Weller Antique, for sure; but, quite nicely in it's 'slightly-muted' way.    That's the reason I never bunkered it much.    I still  have a family-sized jug of it on a shelf, and one nearly empty in the 'daily roster' (not that I pour anything on a daily basis any more... Hell! Not even a weekly basis!).   So, I could likely monetize that 'new' one from back in the day; but, have no designs of that sort.    Even though I may never finish that full one off, I like having some to hit when I get the Weller itch.    I think I only paid about $24 for it, so it's easy to leave it on the shelf gathering dust a little longer, and awaiting my attention.

[fosmith]

10 hours ago, GaryT said:

I wonder what whiskey that is out today we'll be thinking the same thing about in another 10 years time . . .

Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof.  It's already getting hard to find.

[GaryT]

20 hours ago, fosmith said:

Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof.  It's already getting hard to find.

 

Completely agree!!  Hadn't seen one of those in a bit, so now thinking if I come across one - will have to stock up!

[fosmith]

On 3/13/2023 at 11:16 AM, GaryT said:

 

Completely agree!!  Hadn't seen one of those in a bit, so now thinking if I come across one - will have to stock up!

Yes.  Wise to stock up before the hoarders get them all...  ;-D

 

[dhooch]

RHF was my favorite Bourbon. I purchased a bottle at least a decade ago for $49. At the time, it was the most expensive Bourbon I had. It became unattainable and so I haven't been able to replace my empty bottle. I really miss RHF, but I'm sure I couldn't afford a bottle, today, even if I could find one.

[steven s]

I debated posting this, as I hate to be a downer, but a friend recently decided to crack his RHF he got lucky enough to get a year or 2 ago. We were both disappointed with the results.  We gave it a couple weeks after the initial tasting, and  then tried it blind against a recently-opened Blantons, which I thought fine for BT #2, but not great. The Blantons was an easy win for both of us. He is now lamenting opening the RHF bottle, as it would have made great trade bait. BT #2 seems to be good for that role. 

[fosmith]

16 hours ago, steven s said:

I debated posting this, as I hate to be a downer, but a friend recently decided to crack his RHF he got lucky enough to get a year or 2 ago. We were both disappointed with the results.  We gave it a couple weeks after the initial tasting, and  then tried it blind against a recently-opened Blantons, which I thought fine for BT #2, but not great. The Blantons was an easy win for both of us. He is now lamenting opening the RHF bottle, as it would have made great trade bait. BT #2 seems to be good for that role. 

That's certainly disappointing. RHF is a single barrel product with all that goes with it...

[PaulO]

This is just a hypothesis, but grumbling among those that buy or monitor the Blanton's situation, seems that ages of barrels have gotten younger and younger.  Maybe with this brand now too...  It would sort of explain it.

[fosmith]

55 minutes ago, PaulO said:

This is just a hypothesis, but grumbling among those that buy or monitor the Blanton's situation, seems that ages of barrels have gotten younger and younger.  Maybe with this brand now too...  It would sort of explain it.

I'm not sure I agree that RHF has gone downhill like some say Blanton's has.  I acquired a bottle of RHF a little more than a year ago and it is amazing.  I think any single barrel product, e.g., CEHT SiB, Blanton's, WTKS, HMK, etc., can be quite variable, from reports that I see posted on line. 

[Richnimrod]

One additional possibility regarding an "outlier" bottle of RHF that is 'bad'....

It's possible that the owner, or more likely the retailer who sold it, stored it (or displayed it) inappropriately.   Setting a bottle of Bourbon in a sunny window, or even near a vent that transports cold or warm air can have negative effects on the liquid inside.    If this goes on for an extended period, the results become ever more likely to disappoint.   

A bad bottle can also be the result of a tainted cork, and of course, with single barrel products , as fosmith pointed out it's always possible it's from a substandard barrel that slipped through quality control.

[fosmith]

7 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

One additional possibility regarding an "outlier" bottle of RHF that is 'bad'....

It's possible that the owner, or more likely the retailer who sold it, stored it (or displayed it) inappropriately.   Setting a bottle of Bourbon in a sunny window, or even near a vent that transports cold or warm air can have negative effects on the liquid inside.    If this goes on for an extended period, the results become ever more likely to disappoint.   

A bad bottle can also be the result of a tainted cork, and of course, with single barrel products , as fosmith pointed out it's always possible it's from a substandard barrel that slipped through quality control.

I know I'm contributing to further thread drift but this discussion reminds me of an incident that happened three years ago.  I was watching a video from Blind Whiskey Review's YouTube channel where he reviewed Henry McKenna BiB.  He reported the whiskey was flawed and had an unpleasant, medicinal quality in the finish.  When he revealed the bottle, it turned out to be from the exact same barrel as a bottle I had open in my cabinet, which did not have that medicinal quality at all.  In fact, my bottle was delicious.  I reached out to him and we exchanged samples and, sure enough, compared to my bottle, his was definitely flawed.  Who knows why, but it is definitely possible to have a bad bottle from a good single barrel..

[flahute]

14 hours ago, fosmith said:

I'm not sure I agree that RHF has gone downhill like some say Blanton's has.  I acquired a bottle of RHF a little more than a year ago and it is amazing.  I think any single barrel product, e.g., CEHT SiB, Blanton's, WTKS, HMK, etc., can be quite variable, from reports that I see posted on line. 

I got one last year and it's outstanding so I agree it's not going downhill on a large scale.

[lcpfratn]

I haven’t experienced cork taint with any bottles of RHF that I’ve owned, but cork taint is a real thing with whiskey! It isn’t as frequent of an occurrence as it is with wine, but it does occur. I’ve experienced cork taint in at least 3 bottles of whiskey over the last four or five years…Noah’s Mill, Uncle Nearest and another that I can’t remember off the top of my head. 

[flahute]

3 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

I haven’t experienced cork taint with any bottles of RHF that I’ve owned, but cork taint is a real thing with whiskey! It isn’t as frequent of an occurrence as it is with wine, but it does occur. I’ve experienced cork taint in at least 3 bottles of whiskey over the last four or five years…Noah’s Mill, Uncle Nearest and another that I can’t remember off the top of my head. 

I remember a lot of talk about cork taint with ETL a while back as well.

[Kepler]

I'm a big fan of RHF.  But reading through this thread, this seems to be a clear case of "absence makes the heart grow fonder".   It's 100 proof BT mashbill #2, and yes more consistent than Blanton's or even ETL.  But that's all it is. 

[smokinjoe]

RHF has never been readily available in any area I have visited, so it has always been a treat whenever I would stumble across one on the shelf.  Unfortunately, I can count those times only on one hand.  I remember it being a step up over Blanton’s.  It had more heft over the palate, and a stunningly delicious cherry note up front.  Plus, the bottle dressing is damn gorgeous.  

[kcgumbohead]

On 3/17/2023 at 1:17 PM, fosmith said:

I know I'm contributing to further thread drift but this discussion reminds me of an incident that happened three years ago.  I was watching a video from Blind Whiskey Review's YouTube channel where he reviewed Henry McKenna BiB.  He reported the whiskey was flawed and had an unpleasant, medicinal quality in the finish.  When he revealed the bottle, it turned out to be from the exact same barrel as a bottle I had open in my cabinet, which did not have that medicinal quality at all.  In fact, my bottle was delicious.  I reached out to him and we exchanged samples and, sure enough, compared to my bottle, his was definitely flawed.  Who knows why, but it is definitely possible to have a bad bottle from a good single barrel..

Interesting, a few years back I had a very negative experience with RRSB rye. I was shocked given my preference for both ryes and WT products. I am very fond of WTRB rye and WT101 rye. I attributed my RR experience to a bad barrel but perhaps there was something about that particular bottle. Thankfully its long gone but I have shied away from the RRSB ryes ever since, preferring a batched product to the SB approach. I hope to revisit the SB one day but the stigma of that unpleasant demon of a bottle has prevented it to this point.

On topic. I have had a couple pours of a RHF from a bottle share with a neighbor and enjoyed it immensely, an excellent pour and likely my favorite of the non BTAC offerings.