What bourbon are you drinking this Summer - 2024

[Anwalt]

12 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

IMO, rare breed has less than RR10. 

 

Side by side is called for. OK, this is one on a long list...

 

12 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

 

That looks like an old bottle. Is that what you get in PR?

 

I wish! Kudos to Obree who got it for me. Some of the European auction sites have "less bad" pricing for dusties & the like.

 

10 hours ago, Kepler said:

Nice pic and great bottle  .  I do love me some batch 3RB.  Great bourbon, so rich and intense!  I have to go back to older Turkey to really get the real turkey funk however. 

 

Another side by side, against modern WTRB. From memory, I think the funk was stronger on the older bottle. Also need to compare to Saffell and WT12, both of which I love.

[bayouredd]

Rough Friday Workday. Started w/ an EW SiB - nice

Next, a JB blend of JB-7yr/ Booker's 2023 - Good enough for a second pour but something missing

Same pour but cubed it - much better while the Better-Half fetches a grouper platter (mine) from the Greek Food Truck. She, of course gets a Greek salad w/ grilled shrimp...

[Skinsfan1311]

KC12 in the glass.....

[Skinsfan1311]

1 hour ago, bayouredd said:

Rough Friday Workday. Started w/ an EW SiB - nice

Next, a JB blend of JB-7yr/ Booker's 2023 - Good enough for a second pour but something missing

Same pour but cubed it - much better while the Better-Half fetches a grouper platter (mine) from the Greek Food Truck. She, of course gets a Greek salad w/ grilled shrimp...

Yeah...work can suck...but it's over!

How was the grouper? 

[bayouredd]

12 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

KC12 in the glass.....

 

12 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

Yeah...work can suck...but it's over!

How was the grouper? 

The grouper & everything from that Greek Food Truck is excellent. The feta fries are truly memorable. Fries with olive oil & feta crumbles on top. Yum!!!

 

Loving the KC12 in the glass but curious about the JEP tour as supposed; on my bucket list. Info please...

[smokinjoe]

Tried the New Riff 8 year yesterday, and it is outstanding.  

[Skinsfan1311]

2 hours ago, bayouredd said:

 

The grouper & everything from that Greek Food Truck is excellent. The feta fries are truly memorable. Fries with olive oil & feta crumbles on top. Yum!!!

 

Loving the KC12 in the glass but curious about the JEP tour as supposed; on my bucket list. Info please...

I love grouper and get it every time we're down south, or in the Caribbean.

 

We've toured a ton of distilleries, so this wasn't a tour, per se.   It was one of the stops on a private tour that we took through Mint Julep* back in April of 2019.  It was an "elevated experience".   It was a private tasting and mixology class.   In a nutshell you get the upstairs tasting room to yourselves and sample whiskey,(some of which aren't offered on the standard tours),  and they teach you how to make a couple of cocktails.    It was pretty cool.  The building, and the surrounding area, is beautiful.    It's on Town Branch creek, where you can chill out on a large patio with your food from Goodfellas Pizzeria,(which is excellent!) next door.     There's another distillery nearby, called Barrelhouse Distillery and a couple of bars and a brewery.    It was a lot of fun.    You definitely want to check that one off on your list.

 

*I cannot recommend Mint Julep Tours enough.  We've used them for private tours back in 2017 & again in 2019.    Basically, you reserve a vehicle, (depending on the size of the group), with a driver/guide.    Once that's done, you coordinate with an "Experience Coordinator" and tell them what you like and work with them to put together a custom itinerary that includes some experiences that can only be done through Mint Julep.    In addition to elevated experiences, straight from the barrel private tastings, behind the scenes stuff, etc...we also toured a Thoroughbred Mare farm and the Brown Forman Cooperage.   Our guide was so good the first time, that we requested him the second time around.    Those type of tours are fun, because once you've done a few basic tours, the distillation process is pretty much the same, regardless of the distillery.

Edited August 24, 2024 by Skinsfan1311

[Skinsfan1311]

1 hour ago, smokinjoe said:

Tried the New Riff 8 year yesterday, and it is outstanding.  

I purchased a bottle during the pre-sale, but I won't see my buddy who picked it up until the first home game in mid-September.    Everything that I've tried from New Riff is very good to outstanding.   

[GaryT]

Picture doesn't do it justice, but this is the last pour of a 2014 hazmat WLW, with some "dirty water" (put a teaspoon or so in the empty bottle, swirled it good to collect that char dust and dumped it in; if you're going to dilute - why not bring more flavor to the party!)  Chewy wheater goodness!

 

[Anwalt]

Had a heck of an afternoon with my Louisville Pal here in PR. He has been an awful (“excellent”) influence. He came over for a Heaven Hill bit of fun. Bottles are from right to left in order of preference. We started at 3 pm and finished and 6:30 pm. Half ounce pours with lots of hydration in between.
 

The PHC16 blew everything else out of the water, no trivial thing. That extra bit in that second barrel…wow. The char, the sweetness, the oak, the depth. This is one of my “Top 3”, pdriod. I remember when Louisville Pal (bastard that he is) first introduced me to it. An Awakening. Glorious stuff. Complex, sweet, drinks well below its proof. We positioned it apart from the others because it simply stood absolutely apart. We mean to repeat this blind and I’m confident that the one that shall clearly distinguish itself shall be this one. I want more. This is a wedding drink, a “grandchild has arrived” drink, a “I’ve departed this mortal coil & remember me well” drink.

The Select Stock 14y HHSS, 14y wheat whiskey, and ECBP C923 all clustered closely together, in the order shown, and that damned closely run. Spectacular. What HH does. Value wise, assuming one could acquire the C923 at MSRP of circa $75, it stands out if one adjusts for cost. My rating the 14y HH bourbon above it may be emotional – that Bourbon Trail trip 2 years ago with my son (posted here in fair detail), that a few of you (you know who are) guided me through. Both as to my son, and my learning about bourbon, that trip was pivotal.

It's also a damned pity that the subsequent HHSS “bottle your own” picks have been well below the standard set by the 14y bourbon & 14y wheat whiskey. I hope HH harkens back to the excellence of the 14y offerings and not the bloody “7y odd finished what not” they’ve subsequently put forth.

The ECBP from the “bottle your own” tour was absolutely outstanding and only overshadowed by giants. And that by a nudge. From a dollar-to-quality perspective, the BYO ECBP is quite hard to beat. More, I want more. Every person in those tours who does not buy shall find my shadow at their flank, making a wee request….

The ECBP BYO nudged out the much more expensive WHH 17 in our view, just by a smidgeon. Wonderful, epic stuff. Eclipsed by the titans, some of which were better priced.

The 17y HHSS was very good, very similar to the WHH 17y, with the latter having a slightly better, more flavorful, more complex finish. Note: I am better at palate & finish than nose. The ethanol tends to render the nose on most of the above “not that different” for me.
 

The 20y corn…try before you buy. Not bad. Not worth its secondary pricing. I thankfully traded well for it…and shall enjoy it for the next 20 years if you catch the gist. But its secondary is not that far below that of the far, far superior PHC 16. I know which one I’ll look for.
 

Not depicted: Had the Garrison Bros Cowboy Bourbon at 140 proof after all of the above. Good, not great. Really put the HH offerings into excellent perspective, comparatively.
 

Finished with a 139 proof JD rye (thanks Faster Horses!). Blew the Garrison Bros away at 1/3 to ¼ the price. Truly a great value. I continue to love & accumulate those ryes.

In vino veritas, and in whiskey TMI. <hic>.
 

Ganz blau und wirklich zufrieden, Anwalt

 

 

[markandrex]

Sitting down after dinner to watch Horizon: An American Saga P1 by Kevin Costner.  I was something bold for the movie and to over-ride the chili infused palate from dinner.  I decided on some old time Bookers:Big Man, Small Batch.

[Richnimrod]

Playing some Pinochle, and then some Euchre I had several pours along with my Daughter & SiL from an 'old' bottle of Bowman Brothers Small Batch.   Killed that ole sucka off!    Nice Bourbon.   Good time with family.    Pleasant way to waste an afternoon/evening!

[Kepler]

4 hours ago, Anwalt said:

Had a heck of an afternoon with my Louisville Pal here in PR. He has been an awful (“excellent”) influence. He came over for a Heaven Hill bit of fun. Bottles are from right to left in order of preference. We started at 3 pm and finished and 6:30 pm. Half ounce pours with lots of hydration in between.
 

The PHC16 blew everything else out of the water, no trivial thing. That extra bit in that second barrel…wow. The char, the sweetness, the oak, the depth. This is one of my “Top 3”, pdriod. I remember when Louisville Pal (bastard that he is) first introduced me to it. An Awakening. Glorious stuff. Complex, sweet, drinks well below its proof. We positioned it apart from the others because it simply stood absolutely apart. We mean to repeat this blind and I’m confident that the one that shall clearly distinguish itself shall be this one. I want more. This is a wedding drink, a “grandchild has arrived” drink, a “I’ve departed this mortal coil & remember me well” drink.

The Select Stock 14y HHSS, 14y wheat whiskey, and ECBP C923 all clustered closely together, in the order shown, and that damned closely run. Spectacular. What HH does. Value wise, assuming one could acquire the C923 at MSRP of circa $75, it stands out if one adjusts for cost. My rating the 14y HH bourbon above it may be emotional – that Bourbon Trail trip 2 years ago with my son (posted here in fair detail), that a few of you (you know who are) guided me through. Both as to my son, and my learning about bourbon, that trip was pivotal.

It's also a damned pity that the subsequent HHSS “bottle your own” picks have been well below the standard set by the 14y bourbon & 14y wheat whiskey. I hope HH harkens back to the excellence of the 14y offerings and not the bloody “7y odd finished what not” they’ve subsequently put forth.

The ECBP from the “bottle your own” tour was absolutely outstanding and only overshadowed by giants. And that by a nudge. From a dollar-to-quality perspective, the BYO ECBP is quite hard to beat. More, I want more. Every person in those tours who does not buy shall find my shadow at their flank, making a wee request….

The ECBP BYO nudged out the much more expensive WHH 17 in our view, just by a smidgeon. Wonderful, epic stuff. Eclipsed by the titans, some of which were better priced.

The 17y HHSS was very good, very similar to the WHH 17y, with the latter having a slightly better, more flavorful, more complex finish. Note: I am better at palate & finish than nose. The ethanol tends to render the nose on most of the above “not that different” for me.
 

The 20y corn…try before you buy. Not bad. Not worth its secondary pricing. I thankfully traded well for it…and shall enjoy it for the next 20 years if you catch the gist. But its secondary is not that far below that of the far, far superior PHC 16. I know which one I’ll look for.
 

Not depicted: Had the Garrison Bros Cowboy Bourbon at 140 proof after all of the above. Good, not great. Really put the HH offerings into excellent perspective, comparatively.
 

Finished with a 139 proof JD rye (thanks Faster Horses!). Blew the Garrison Bros away at 1/3 to ¼ the price. Truly a great value. I continue to love & accumulate those ryes.

In vino veritas, and in whiskey TMI. <hic>.
 

Ganz blau und wirklich zufrieden, Anwalt

 

 

 

Wow, excellent rundown Anwalt.  I've not had that PHC but sounds like I missed out!  Thanks for the detailed notes.

 

[Kepler]

I've having some Old Fitz Bib, decanter series, the 11 yr from 2018.

[Wedelstaedt]

Sipping on Wheel Horse bourbon. Reminds me of young BT. I like it. If they will get some age on this, might have something. 
 

Cheers

[Kepler]

1 hour ago, Kepler said:

I've having some Old Fitz Bib, decanter series, the 11 yr from 2018.

 

The oak on the Old Fitz was working well, so I wanted to keep the oak train going.  I like what Beam does with oak-forward bourbons, so I went with a Knob Creek store pick from Lincoln Road.  It was excellent.

 

Finishing the night with Baker's 7 year small batch, old school style.

 

[ebo]

Sipping on a pour of Bulleit 10  watching my big boy play like a puppy with a new ball.

[Jazzhead]

The late evening ocean breeze is wafting in, and what's in my glass is Pikesville.     With full credit to the favored circumstance of a perfect late August evening,  I'll posit that the best whiskey known to man is Pikesville.   The balance of chocolate and rye spice puts down an emphatic marker for the extraordinary flavor of Kentucky style rye, for which this sip represents the acme.  

Edited August 26, 2024 by Jazzhead

[Skinsfan1311]

30 minutes ago, Jazzhead said:

The late evening ocean breeze is wafting in, and what's in my glass is Pikesville.     With full credit to the favored circumstance of a perfect late August evening,  I'll posit that the best whiskey known to man is Pikesville.   The balance of chocolate and rye spice puts down an emphatic marker for the extraordinary flavor of Kentucky style rye, for which this sip represents the acme.  

Enabler!

[GeeTen]

GW4G last night after watching 43-year-old daughter #2 do an "Olympic" Triathlon in preparation for her "70.3 race" at Age-Group Nationals in a few weeks.  Still a great swimmer, but has to work too hard on the bicycle to be in contention for the run.  Much better than I could ever do even when I was in-shape (like when I was four!).  

 

[fishnbowljoe]

Weller step ladder last night. Weller SR, Weller 12, and Binny’s private pick Weller 12. 

[MyBrainOnWhiskey]

Having some ECSB C917 that was found in the back corner of my closet a few months ago.  There were actually two unopened bottles of C917 that I had totally forgotten about.  It pays to clean and organize once in a while .  At the time of its release (if I recall correctly) C917 was not well received.  It was not a bad batch by any means, just not a stand-out release.  Perhaps that's why I tucked away in the back of the closet, not really sure. 

 

My 2024 taste buds are enjoying it just fine.  It's very oak heavy, but I like oak.  There is a strong herbaceous note on the nose along with some cherry, marshmallow, and fresh bread.  The nose transfers to the palate with no unexpected surprises.  The finish is fairly long and oaky.         

Edited August 26, 2024 by MyBrainOnWhiskey

[Double C's]

wrapped up dinner with a small pour of WTKS. 

[fosmith]

2 hours ago, MyBrainOnWhiskey said:

Having some ECSB C917 that was found in the back corner of my closet a few months ago.  There were actually two unopened bottles of C917 that I had totally forgotten about.  It pays to clean and organize once in a while .  At the time of its release (if I recall correctly) C917 was not well received.  It was not a bad batch by any means, just not a stand-out release.  Perhaps that's why I tucked away in the back of the closet, not really sure. 

 

My 2024 taste buds are enjoying it just fine.  It's very oak heavy, but I like oak.  There is a strong herbaceous note on the nose along with some cherry, marshmallow, and fresh bread.  The nose transfers to the palate with no unexpected surprises.  The finish is fairly long and oaky.         

Hmm.  I don't remember it being not well received.  The A117 was widely panned but C917 was better than B517, which won Whiskey Advocate Whiskey of the year, IMO.  I stocked up on it back in the day and continue to enjoy it.  Proofed down to 94, it's awesome..

[fosmith]

Dayum!  If this isn't the best $30 bourbon on the planet, I don't know what is.  Cinnamon, marshmallow and Cracker Jacks.  Just delicious!