Pretty good deal

[RedVette]

Just got an E-mail solicitation from Hi Time Wines, with two offers, GTS 131.8 for $43.99 (limit 12), and Elmer T Lee 90 proof hand selected "Barrel #9" for $16.99.

Seems like a deal to me, especially since they say that they do not profit from shipping, they just pass on their cost. I have bought from them once and was satisfied with their service.

PS, I wasn't really sure if we are allowed to post this kind of stuff, but ultimately figured "why not?"

[Special Reserve]

In MI ETL is $25.99/750 mL. What is the freight? Of course if you get a case it hardly matters. Can't legally ship alcohol into MI though.

[RedVette]

Not sure how much freight is. I just ordered three bottles of each so I will find out tomorrow when they tell me how much.

[Sweetmeats]

I tasted the Elmer T. Lee Barrel 9 from Bevmo. Damn good bourbon. It's a steal at the price Hi-Times wants for it. Get it!

[wadewood]

Thanks for the post. I ordered and received today 3 of the Elmer T. Lee and 1 Stagg. Elmer T. Lee for under $20 is a great bourbon bargain!

[RedVette]

YW. Yep I was meaning to post that I paid $18 for 6 bottles in freight. So the $3 a bottle still meant that I got a pretty good deal. The ETL is amazing, like Buffalo Trace on steroids, and without that impossible to open gold wax. Hey Ken, when you see Elmer thank him for the improved bottle for me.

[wadewood]

For the 4 bottles I ordered it was $14 for shipping to WA state. The box was very well packed, so I consider this very reasonable shipping costs.

The Elmer T. Lee says Hand selected by Hi-Time Cellars, Barrel #9 non-chill filtered. I have a current open bottle of Elmer T Lee hand selected by Beverages & More, Barrel #2. It does not mention anything about chill filtering. When this one is about empty, I'll open one Barrel #9 to compare side by side.

By the way, I also noticed they have Rain Vodka in 1.75l on sale for $19.98. I'm going to order a couple of these as well.

[Ken Weber]

I failed to mention to anyone that Elmer had a little fall at home and ended up breaking his leg. I go over twice a week to visit with him and he seems to be doing well. Anyway, he called me yesterday and let me know that his stock of his namesake bourbon was running low. He also said that he did not want the wax closure. I believe he is also sold on the shrinkband.

The other reason for writing is that I can not buy Elmer T. Lee Bourbon for the price quoted here, even with $3.00 a bottle freight added in! I do know that I tasted the bourbon that went into this lot and can attest to the fact it is awesome! If my poor memory serves me correctly, the bourbon is also 14 years old. As I have mentioned in the past, when Elmer selects barrels for special customers, he sometimes sneaks in some older whiskey.

Ken

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

Please tell Elmer T. Lee that his fans here at SB.com wish him a speedy recovery.

Ed

[RedVette]

Please wish him our best.

I wouldn't doubt that it is 14 years old, this is a very robust bottling. At this point I find that it has taken over as my number one pour. I have already consumed one bottle, and should lighten up the consumption a little.

[Ken Weber]

I am heading over today and will let him know you guys are thinking about him! That will make his day!

Ken

[Chuck_Osborn]

I snagged a bottle of the Stagg's last week too. This is the 131 version and I'll have to see how it stacks up against the other (think it is 124 or 128). A good deal I HAD to do it!

[JeffRenner]

Elmer ... called me yesterday and let me know that his stock of his namesake bourbon was running low. He also said that he did not want the wax closure. I believe he is also sold on the shrinkband.

Last week in central Wisconsin I bought this bottle of ETLSB with a plain plastic screw top. When was this style bottled?

It is mighty tasty, and, as is typical of prices for liquor there, was only $18.98.

Jeff

[luv2hunt]

I can answer your question about the old ETL bottle

Accoring to Ken Weber: Prior to 1992, the ETL bottle looked like the one in your picture, except the glass was dark and it was 107 proof. In 1992, they lowered the proof to 90 and the tall skiney neck bottle was clear. In 1999, they switched to the current Old Charter type bottle.

So.....your bottle was made between 1992-1999

Enjoy!!

Dawn

[chasking]

Actually I think the taller bottle with the black label is a little more practical than the squat wax-top bottle, although arguably it's not as classy. When I bought my bottle of ETL, there was a row of the black-label bottles on the shelf, but only a couple of the wax-top squat bottles---I thought, "Uh-oh, they're going to a cheaper bottle! I'd better buy this nifty wax-sealed bottle now, while I can!" It was with some chagrin I learned that I had it backwards. I haven't seen the black label bottle in a while. If I did, I'd grab one.

[JeffRenner]

your bottle was made between 1992-1999

Enjoy!!

Thanks, Dawn. I have enjoyed some already!

The bottom of the bottle has "93" molded into it, so it is possible that it is at the older end of that range.

I don't suppose there is any reason to believe that it is better than current bottlings, except for the fact that this was a period of oversupply. So it may, indeed, be better. It sure tastes wonderful. I haven't had any recent bottlings.

I think I'll ask my sister, who lives in central Wisconsin where I bought it, to pick up whatever remains on the shelf.

Jeff

[Ken Weber]

You guys (and guyettes) are good!

Ken

[luv2hunt]

There's a store here that still has three of those on the shelf....same 93 date on the bottom.

Dawn

[luv2hunt]

Ken.....that would be "bourbonette"! I got my information from you awhile back

Dawn

[RedVette]

It is mighty tasty, and, as is typical of prices for liquor there, was only $18.98.

Jeff

You guys are going to HATE me for this. I just got back from a cruise of the Caribbean. At the duty free shop at the cruise terminal in San Juan I found four bottles of this in beauty cartons, and I bought all four of them, at $5 apiece. There was also a big stock of AA bonded there also at $5, but I was limited on how much liquor I could bring back, so those stayed there.

[ratcheer]

I don't hate you, I just envy you.

Tim

[TNbourbon]

...I was limited on how much liquor I could bring back, so those stayed there.

No, you weren't, unless you're referring to how much you could physically carry. San Juan is a U.S. port, as Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth. There is no duty on goods purchased there and brought back to the U.S. mainland. Now the fact you bought them duty-free may oblige otherwise, but even so, the only limit would have been how much you can bring back duty free. And the duty/tax is generally only 3% of the purchase price, so even as declared good, those $5 bottles would only have been $5.15. Go ahead -- go on back and get 'em!

[ratcheer]

Unless the laws have changed since I was there, I disagree.

On my last cruise, we were told that we could bring back up to five bottles of anything from the duty-free shops of US or non-US countries plus up to five bottles of Puerto Rican rum bought in Puerto Rico, specifically.

That was in 1990, so the laws well may have changed, but that was a very clear and concise explanation, to me.

Tim

[gr8erdane]

Jeff, what you have there is what we lovingly refer to from time to time as the BUB (Butt Ugly Bottle). Not exactly sure when they changed the bottling but the new one sure is a lot prettier.

[kbuzbee]

Unless the laws have changed since I was there, I disagree.

On my last cruise, we were told that we could bring back up to five bottles of anything from the duty-free shops of US or non-US countries plus up to five bottles of Puerto Rican rum bought in Puerto Rico, specifically.

That was in 1990, so the laws well may have changed, but that was a very clear and concise explanation, to me.

Tim

Tim, we were there in '03 and what you say sounds like what we found as well. Would up moving all that rum from the suitcase to the carry-ons at the airport to make bag weight!! Man those carry-ons were heavy!!! We have rolling carry-ons now!!

Ken