Value for the money

[RedVette]

As I was enjoying tonights pour of Old Grand Dad BIB, I was thinking that this has to be the best $15 Bourbon out there. Then I got to thinking about the other values in my collection regardless of price points. Here goes, my best for the money list;

$10 Old Forrester

$15 Old Grand Dad BIB

$20 Buffalo Trace (this one is hard)

$25 EWSB

$30 Sam Houston

$35 WT Rare Breed

$40 Bookers

$45 GTS

$50 Eagle Rare 17

Ok, have at it. Oh yeah and for you guys overseas, sorry to rub it in.

[bluesbassdad]

(this one is hard)

Please explain. Do you mean hard to obtain?

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[jeff]

$11 Ancient Ancient Age 10yo

$15 Weller 12yo

$16 Buffalo Trace

$22 Old Charter Proprietor's Reserve

$23 ORVW 10yo 107 proof

$29 Rare Breed

$35 Pappy 15yo

$39 George T. Stagg (any Year)

$42 Eagle Rare 17yo

$42 Kentucky Spirit

That's a rough cross-section of what I consider "value bourbons", that is, bourbons that are well worth what they cost. Prices are local to Lexington, KY and are all within easy driving distance of the Bourbon Festival.

[RedVette]

(this one is hard)

Please explain. Do you mean hard to obtain?

No I meant that there are a lot of very good $20 Bourbons, Corner Creek and WT101 and Knob Creek are all excellent too.

[Nightcap]

$11 Ancient Ancient Age 10yo

$15 Weller 12yo

$16 Buffalo Trace

$22 Old Charter Proprietor's Reserve

$23 ORVW 10yo 107 proof

$29 Rare Breed

$35 Pappy 15yo

$39 George T. Stagg (any Year)

$42 Eagle Rare 17yo

$42 Kentucky Spirit

How sad. Of the bourbons listed here, only ONE, Rare Breed, is available to me in Washington.

My favored "budget bourbons" are:

$11.95 Evan Williams 7YO

$13.95 Old Ezra 101

These two are decent bourbons with bottom-shelf price tags. EW7, imo, is an unpretentious liquor, but one of the best values on the shelf. Sometimes it's hard to resist the temptation to spend just a few dollars more on something truly GOOD, like Elijah Craig 12YO (which can be had on sale for $16.95 here.)

People define "budget" differently, I guess. I envy those who consider Rare Breed a budget bourbon... I'd have it in my house all the time, but at almost $35, I can't justify it.

[bluesbassdad]

Ah ha! I see. I missed your focus on price points. I should have realized that those regular $5 increments weren't an accident.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[wrbriggs]

No I meant that there are a lot of very good $20 Bourbons, Corner Creek and WT101 and Knob Creek are all excellent too.

You can find Knob Creek for $20? It's around $28 for me.

[camduncan]

Ok, have at it. Oh yeah and for you guys overseas, sorry to rub it in.

Of all of these, the only ones available down under are (with approximate prices):

$25 EWSB - $45au

$30 Sam Houston - $80au

$35 WT Rare Breed - $55au

$40 Bookers - $85au

To compare, a 700ml bottle of Jim Beam White Label retails for around $25-35au depending on whether it's on special..

My current list of Australian bargains would be as follows -

$25-35au Jim Beam White Label

$45au EWSB

$50au EC 12yo

$55au WT Rare Breed

$55au Woodford Reserve

$90au ORVW 13yo Rye (plus approx $13 shipping, and the stock is fast running out )

$11 Ancient Ancient Age 10yo

$15 Weller 12yo

$16 Buffalo Trace

$22 Old Charter Proprietor's Reserve

$23 ORVW 10yo 107 proof

$29 Rare Breed

$35 Pappy 15yo

$39 George T. Stagg (any Year)

$42 Eagle Rare 17yo

$42 Kentucky Spirit

Do any of these stores (that sell at such a good price) have online ordering?

[Nightcap]

Yipes! I thought I had it bad. Those are some steep prices, down there... But then, I suppose Bourbon is a somewhat exotic import in Australia, eh? Tell me, is Scotch similarly priced? In the USA, good Scotch is typically much higher priced than good bourbon.

BTW, Cameron, I grew up in Brisbane. Your name is very, very Australian. Brings back memories of all the Camerons and Duncans I knew as a kid.

[pete_d]

Scotch gets far worse, however like everything, you'll have your bottom-shelf scotches at the same price as your JB white, JD#7 etc around the $25 mark.

Here Lagavulin 12 costs $89, Dalwhinnie costs $69, Highland Park 12 costs $60, Laphroaig costs $90, and Oban costs $79. Jonnie Walker black costs $40, Johnnie Walker Blue costs $299.

Some of Cam's prices are cheap, but I can get Small Batch cheap nearby (just haven't done it yet)

My price killers:

$29 - EW7/JBBlack

$35 - WT86

$39 - EC12

$45 - EWSB

$50 - WT8 101

$55 - Knob Creek

$60 - Rare Breed/Bakers

$65 - Woofford Reserve

$70 - Bookers

[clayton]

Nightcap -

I know you're out in Spokane, but here in Seattle we can get a few items from that list. The store downtown on 4th Ave S carries a random selection of special-order items, probably because they service the restaurants in town. It's hit-or-miss and you'll never know what they'll have.

I've bought (or at least seen there):

Weller 12/Antique/Centennial

Buffalo Trace

Old Charter Proprietor's Reserve

ORVW 10/90, 15/107, and 12-year-old Lot B

VWFRR

Eagle Rare 101

WT Kentucky Spirit

Hirsch 16

and others

If they have them at the 4th Ave store in Seattle, they can probably send them to you out in Spokane. It's worth asking.

You can see the full selection of what's currently available here:

http://www.liq.wa.gov/services/brandsearch.asp

[BSS]

What exactly is the conversion rate right now anyways?

[RedVette]

You can find Knob Creek for $20? It's around $28 for me.

The last bottle of the Knob I bought I paid $21.99 at Albertsons in Chandler AZ. For the purposes of comparing pricing in my addled mind, anything between $17.51 and $22.49 is $20.

[pete_d]

Current exchange situation is $1AUS = 76cUS. Therefore whatever the cost in the US, x that by 1.32. Then add shipping, customs and GST.

Tallica has done it heaps. I'm thinking about it so far.

[RedVette]

Then without a doubt JB Black at an exchange of $22 US is your value leader. It is $18 at the store down the street here in the good ol USA. You have a real "loss leader" there.

[camduncan]

BTW, Cameron, I grew up in Brisbane. Your name is very, very Australian. Brings back memories of all the Camerons and Duncans I knew as a kid.

Actually, it's a Scottish name but there are a LOT of Scottish names in Australia WOW! Spokane is a long way from Brisbane...

Current exchange situation is $1AUS = 76cUS. Therefore whatever the cost in the US, x that by 1.32. Then add shipping, customs and GST.

Tallica has done it heaps. I'm thinking about it so far.

I ordered a bottle of Sezerac from Binnys yesterday. I'm wating to hear back on final cost. Once it ships and makes it through customs, I'll post how the experience went...

[pete_d]

Good Luck with that.

I'm thinking a bottle each of Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare 101, Weller 12, and Old Grandad BIB. Maybe add Russel's Reserve and/or Ezra Brooks 15.

Best I can ascertain is that each bottle will cost me ~$50 including duty, customs and exchange. (When taking the plunge I was going to specify USPS Economy Parcel Post - keeps cost of shipping to $33US for 4 bottles. I can wait 4 weeks to get them.)

[Tallica]

Yeh I have & don't the bank account look like it.

Well we all have our little obsessions.

As stated before very very understanding wife.

Back on track with the thread

Taking into account only what is readily available in Aust

Bookers

EWSB

Rare Breed

EC 12

Well that's how I feel today anyway, who knows what tomorrows preferences will be.

[Tallica]

Let us know when you do I might crack mine open & compare notes

[Tallica]

Pete if you take the plunge let us know how the shipping goes, I might go that way myself next time & what I save in shipping costs can go to a few more bottles ohhh yeh

[PFC]

Well, what can I say. Even though your Australian prices are pretty steep, I think the government controlled Swedish Retailer goes one step beyond that.

How's this for premium prices:

$57 Weller 12

$59 WT Rare Breed

$89 Elmer T Lee Single Barrel

$93 Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10

$114 Old Rip Wan Winkle 15

I assure you there's no typo above...

As an comparison Single Malts like Highland Park 18 is $69 and Lagavulin 16 is $76.

Luckily there are some possibilities to purchase from other countries in the European Union (possibly somewhat semi-legal...).

Subsequently my best values (and lifesavers) are imports from Germany:

$20 Jim Beam Black

$38 Four Roses Single Barrel

$38 WT 12

$50 WT Kentucky Legend Single Barrel

I opened the WT 12 (bottled 94) yesterday evening, it was absolutely faboulus. Right up there with the Kentucky Legend..

/Mats

[BrbnBorderline]

Here is my quick list{WA State Liquor Gestapo prices}:

WT 101 - $20.95

WT Rye - $20.95

Weller Antique - $19.40

Weller Centennial - $29.00

Knob Creek - $31.95

WT Rare Breed - $33.45

YMMV

[ikewillett1]

For me the two best values in bourbon are AAA at $11 and Eagle Rare 10 year old at $23. I also like the value of VanWinkle Family Reserve at $30.

These prices are based off of the amount I usually pay at the Liquor Barn in Louisville.

[squire]

For awhile I thought the 100 proof Barton at 19.99 for a 1.75 liter took the blue ribbon. One of our local purveyors has 7yr 101 Ezra for 10.99 a bottle. I picked up one, shared it with friends over the weekend, and decided its time to buy a case. Maybe not the best value but certainly value for money for this level of quality.

Regards,

Squire

[cowdery]

My current vote for best cheap bourbon would have to go to a non-bourbon. No, nothing from Tennessee. It's Rittenhouse Rye Bottled in Bond, a Heaven Hill product. 100 proof and just $11.99 every day here in Chicago.