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What 3 bottles did you enjoy the most in 2023?


Jazzhead

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2 hours ago, markandrex said:

Years ago, one of the facilities in my region was in Arlington.  I walked into a LS one night and found an array of Weller.  After that, I started driving down for audits.  My boss never understood why but, he was not a bourbon drinker.  Amazing how much you can fit into a Suburban.


I may have asked this before, but are you related to @Harry in WashDC?  😃

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On 12/2/2023 at 7:15 PM, Jazzhead said:

Thanks,  but I don't think they can ship to Pennsylvania.  It 's a state monopoly here,  with a few exceptions for PA craft distlillers that are allowed to ship direct. 

 

When I'm in the DC area I stay in Kensington,  MD  and like the selection (and especially the prices) of the stores in Montgomery County.    But when I'm traveling to Kensington (where my sister lives),  the places I bring my pennies (bagfuls and bagfuls) are the three great stores in Elkton, MD,  right on the Delaware line.     That's bourbon Mecca to me.   

When I used to travel to NY and environs, I elected to drive rather than fly so I could stop in MD, particularly Ellicott City and Elkton, and places along the Garden State Parkway in NJ coming and going.  Never took longer than six hours each way.  The Mont. Co. stores are worth visiting, and the liquor board website keeps up wth inventory n each store.  We have one fairly close to us.  The Kensington store for years has been my source for JW Dant bonded handles.

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On 12/2/2023 at 2:01 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

Comfortability or bourbon zen? 🤷🏻‍♂️

 


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Joe I tried to give you three likes but could only register one. :) I respond YES YES YES!!!

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In no particular order:

1. KO Bare Knuckle High Rye Cask Strength SB bourbon.  Damn this stuff is just a massive flavor bomb.  Very intense and not on the normal bourbon flavor profile, which is one of the reasons I really like it.  One of the few bourbons I can actually drink after Laphroaig and it actually washes the peat away...lol

2. New Riff Barrel Proof SB bourbon.  Really good stuff for it's age.  Hits with some intersting rye minty and spearmint overtones on top of some more standard bourbon notes.  I love that "Barrel Proof" and "Non Chill Filtered" are literally molded into the glass of the bottle.  An integrity presentation as Ralfy would say.

3. Eagle Rare 10 year. I really did not want to put this SOB in here.  I've had a hell of a time finding one (and this includes traveling all over the Eastern part of the US this year), but finally got a couple here in VA.  I'm mad at this bottle for being so hard to get...but yet it's so gosh darn good...it just knows how to push all the buttons on my palette. 

 

Honorable mentions: WT101, RRSiB, WTRB...yes I love the WT stuff.

 

Scotch mention: been drinking some scotch this year and Laphroaig will always be my go to, can't beat the 10 year CS bottles.  I also really got into the Port Charlotte 10 year, Bunnahabhain 12 year and weirdly enough the Oban Little Bay.

Edited by Bourserker
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RR13:  I'm not a "Turkey Head" usually, but this stuff is delicious.

ECBP C923: A return to form for ECBP.

MM Cellar Aged: The best MM product I have ever tasted, by a pretty wide margin.

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This is a problem. We live in a wondrous age of plenty, not least with whiskey. So, so, so many good choices. But 3?

 

1) KoK. A gift from a client. Spectacular.

 

2) PHC16. Drinks well below its proof. Flavor, oh good grief.

 

3) 4R 16y bottle, I forget the name of it. The best lower-proof bourbon ever. Immense flavor.

 

I do not own either of the last two. Working to remedy that. Traded for another KoK, cost to me about 1/4 of secondary. Still expensive. Worth it.

 

And I really do love less bougie bottles. But top three? There it is, unrepentantly so.

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Wild Turkey 101.  It just never misses.  Regardless of how off my palate may be on any given day, and when NOTHING else tastes right, WT101 always cuts through the mess and delivers pure enjoyment.  It’s very comforting to know I have that waiting.  I like baseball, and in baseball terms WT101 is my “Stopper”.  
 

Cooper’s Craft 100.  This whiskey got into my zone this year.  Rich, well proofed, bold while not hot, and full of flavor.  If this wasn’t my first up most go to whiskey this year, it was damn near close.  
 

Chattanooga Whiskey (All of them).  I took a good and deep dive into the CW lineup this year, and while the 2019 BIB is my “Bourbon of the Year” and leads the way, I thoroughly enjoyed each release I tried and bought seconds of most.   So, I give a vote to the distillery in general, as well as the BIB specifically.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

I couldn’t restrict myself to just 3, so I did categories of 3 (no particular order within each category). These are of course just from what I managed to taste this year.

 

Top 3 batched releases

 

Four Roses LE SmB 2023

George T. Stagg 2023

Wild Turkey Generations

 

Top 3 single barrels

 

Old Forester Brown-Forman President’s Choice

Michter’s 10yr bourbon 2023

King  of Kentucky 18yr (2022)

 

Top 3 ryes

 

Parker’s Heritage Collection 2023 10yr CS rye

Willett Family Estate 8yr rye

Peerless SiB PS rye 7yr

 

Top 3 dusties

 

early 80s Maker’s Mark

Blanton’s bottled in 1991

Old Man Winter 17yr rye (KBD)

 

Top 3 honorable mentions

 

Old Forester 117 Series BiB

Russell’s Reserve SiB PS 13yr

dusty Old Forester BiB

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On 12/6/2023 at 5:53 PM, smokinjoe said:

Wild Turkey 101.  It just never misses.  Regardless of how off my palate may be on any given day, and when NOTHING else tastes right, WT101 always cuts through the mess and delivers pure enjoyment.  It’s very comforting to know I have that waiting.  I like baseball, and in baseball terms WT101 is my “Stopper”.  
 

Cooper’s Craft 100.  This whiskey got into my zone this year.  Rich, well proofed, bold while not hot, and full of flavor.  If this wasn’t my first up most go to whiskey this year, it was damn near close.  
 

Chattanooga Whiskey (All of them).  I took a good and deep dive into the CW lineup this year, and while the 2019 BIB is my “Bourbon of the Year” and leads the way, I thoroughly enjoyed each release I tried and bought seconds of most.   So, I give a vote to the distillery in general, as well as the BIB specifically.  

I really need to get a bottle of the Cooper's Craft.  Seeing how much OF passes my lips it's amazing I've never tried it.

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This is a great thread. Thanks for sharing. I don’t think I can contribute because I’m typically 1-3 years behind on consumption.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/14/2023 at 9:05 PM, Jazz June said:

I couldn’t restrict myself to just 3, so I did categories of 3 (no particular order within each category). These are of course just from what I managed to taste this year.

 

 

Top 3 batched releases

 

 

 

Four Roses LE SmB 2023

George T. Stagg 2023

Wild Turkey Generations

 

 

Top 3 single barrels

 

 

 

Old Forester Brown-Forman President’s Choice

Michter’s 10yr bourbon 2023

King  of Kentucky 18yr (2022)

 

 

Top 3 ryes

 

 

 

Parker’s Heritage Collection 2023 10yr CS rye

Willett Family Estate 8yr rye

Peerless SiB PS rye 7yr

 

 

Top 3 dusties

 

 

 

early 80s Maker’s Mark

Blanton’s bottled in 1991

Old Man Winter 17yr rye (KBD)

 

 

Top 3 honorable mentions

 

 

 

Old Forester 117 Series BiB

Russell’s Reserve SiB PS 13yr

dusty Old Forester BiB

Your list is wild!    Almost none of those available in NC!  Nice work! 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'll go most purchased and drank, ie my value pours:

 

WSR (its usually around, i'll pay up to 30$)

WT101

ER (BT if no ER at 35 or less)

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Bottles I enjoyed the most in 2023 in no particular order:

Jack Daniels 10

Old Forester King Ranch

Russell's Reserve Batch 4

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RR Batch 4? 

 

preemptive apologies for ignorance if obvious, its late..

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2023Fav.thumb.jpg.11543eca9cce7f042773fb0148df3490.jpg

Even tho the BRT01 was a grab in 2022, it wasn't opened until Jan23. I tried to nurse it but did so unto oblivion. It was going to be hard to beat.

The Old Soul Tintype #1 did just that; enough for me to grab a couple more. 2nd bottle open now and being nursed.

The VOB90 muscled it's way onto my cart 6 months or so ago & has remained there since. That reminds me, I'm down to my last bottle; MUST replenish.

 

Honorable Mentions:

Of Course - KC12

Came on like gangbusters in Dec - Ben Holladay

Ye Ol' Goto - George Remus

 

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