jeff Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 I seem to have picked a bourbon this month that, unknown to me here in bourbon country, is rather hard to find elsewhere, and I appologize to those of you who wanted to participate but could not. This time I have picked a selection of bourbons and we'll put it to a member vote to determine next months BOTM. Please feel free to comment on your vote and lobby your fellow member Please select your top two choices. The bourbon with the most votes at midnight 8/31/05 is the winner. Have fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedVette Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 While I cannot yet vote for this poll, I can comment that all of these choices (except BT) are available locally, and (even better) all of these are currently in stock in my collection, and (still even better) they are all delicious. Pick one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff Posted August 19, 2005 Author Share Posted August 19, 2005 Personally, I would like to see Baker's win. Baker's is my favorite of the Small Batch Collection, but it gets little discussion on the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbuzbee Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 I would prefer Buffalo Trace since I've never tried it, but that is the problem, isn't it??? Any of the others would be great. I'll go for RR1792.Cheers,Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobA Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 Well, Baker's would be my second choice, but I voted for EWSB, in part because I have an open bottle, but also because I think if the BOTM continues for a few years, it might be interesting to have that perspective.BTW, you may have the same availabilty problem with BT; it's not here in GA, and I've not seen it in FL either. Whatever I can find from that distillery is good stuff, but it seems to have tha lot of hit-or-miss availability in its lineup. Maybe a vestige of how it got some of its brands and locked-in existing distibutions.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff Posted August 19, 2005 Author Share Posted August 19, 2005 BTW, you may have the same availabilty problem with BT Unfortunately, I think the availability problem is inherent to any world-wide discussion of a particular bourbon. In order to get this thing off the ground I was trying to select products with wide distribution, but the bourbon market being what it is, some people will probably always be shut-out Hopefully the poll will allow the largest number of people possible to participate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobA Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 Good point. I guess I thought BT has a pretty limited distribution, not as bad as AAA 10-yr., but centered around KY. I'll keep an eye out in my travels. The poll is a good idea; while I might vote for several of these bourbons, I wouldn't vote for BT since I can't get it, and I assume others would do the same.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 ...In order to get this thing off the ground I was trying to select products with wide distribution, but the bourbon market being what it is, some people will probably always be shut-out... Happily, Buffalo Trace IS available in TN, which is a very wide (though thin N to S) state -- does that count as 'wide distribution' . Otherwise, I believe Ken noted recently it is available readily in only 5 or 6 states, plus retailers like Sam's and Binny's. Anyway, I opted for EWSB '95, because the '96 will be issued in October, and that way everyone can have a current one recently opened to which to compare the new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesbassdad Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 Jeff,I failed to read the directions before casting my lone vote for Rare Breed. Had I been paying attention, I would have cast my other vote for Baker's.IMO, as BOTM candidates each of these bourbons represents a desirable combination of availabilty, enjoyablility, complexity and reasonable price.Even here in Far Outback, Arizona my local Safeway, the only supermarket in town, stocks Rare Breed. I haven't seen Baker's on the shelves, not even in nearby Prescott, but it's available at several restaurants in the area. Accordingly, I'm also pretty sure I could special order it (unlike the Old Fitz) if I didn't already have a bottle open. (IIRC, I ordered it from Binny's on special about two years ago. Should date of purchase and date of opening be mentioned in BOTM posts?)I suggest that less widely available bottlings, even those I'm fortunate enough to have on hand, such as Buffalo Trace and the VW 12 y/o, be scheduled a few months down the road, after more members have become hooked by the BOTM experience.Yours truly,Dave Morefield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelshare Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 We voted for Baker's for the following reasons:1) Our guess is that, along with RB, it is the most widely distributed.2) Though not necessarily in Jeff's original BOTM criteria, we like the idea that the BOTM features something that is not really limited (like EWSB 95 which will presumably be disappearing in a few months).3) We like it!The only negative for Baker's in our opinion is the price. We also like the idea that the BOTM is something very affordable. We think Jeff made great choices for the two preceding BsOTM based on this criterion, and, luckily, we happened to have some of each on hand despite lack of distribution to VA. Certainly BT and EWSB are great choices with respect to quality at reasonable cost.The only one for which we have limited enthusiasm is 1792, but, if elected, we would taste accordingly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaz7 Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 Taking the the cue to vote for more than one, my votes were cast on BT, EWSB '95, and Mr. Van Winkle. All readily available , although the PVW 12 is a one hour drive. And all items I can wax sophmoric for days... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musher Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 I failed to read the directions before casting my lone vote for Rare Breed. Had I been paying attention, I would have cast my other vote for Baker's.Maybe it would help to bold the words top two . . . I would have missed it too, if I hadn't decided to read what people were saying before I voted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musher Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 Taking the the cue to vote for more than one, my votes were cast on BT, EWSB '95, and Mr. Van Winkle. Isn't that three choices? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff Posted August 19, 2005 Author Share Posted August 19, 2005 I told the software to allow 2 choices, but apparently you can vote for all six if you like. Of course, that effectively erases your vote. I did bold the words "top two choices", good suggestion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr8erdane Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 All excellent choices, for sure. While some may complain about the price of some of them, if we start with only inexpensive bourbons, they won't last for long so I think mixing in an occasional pocketbook squeezer will extend the BOTM idea for a longer period of time without it eventually having to elevate the price level higher as we go. We do get new members all the time and in a year or two all the quality reasonable priced bourbons will be long gone and they might get put off by BOTM due to budgetary restraints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrispyCritter Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Well, I was tempted to pick BT and Van Winkle (having a bottle of each opened right now), but I went for Baker's and WTRB, since I haven't tried either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedmans Brorsa Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 I was a bit surprised to see that some people have a hard time tracking down BT. I voted for it, partly because I have a bottle at home but mainly due to the apparently misguided notion that it was available worlwide. There you go. (Wouldn´t mind Baker´s, though, even if it means getting a new bottle.) Ridgemont reserve was, at least from my perspective, a weird choice. I have never ever seen this for sale anywhere. Not even sure if I know how the damn thing looks like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbuzbee Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 It just showed up recently in Ohio. It's very good. If you get a chance, try it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BourbonJoe Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Ken, I really like the 1792. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedVette Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Well, I voted for Bakers. It is my favorite of the small batchers, and as Jeff said, we don't talk about it much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaz7 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 You got me. I did not see the 2 vote maximum. So, with that said, I would go for BT and EWSB '95. Now, I'll go back, and to make sure vote for those two a couple of dozen times. JUST KIDDING! By the way, the 1792 dissapointed me, but if it were to win, I am more than willing to give it another try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr8erdane Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 You know, the more I read people's posts concerning Bakers and that there is little said about it, the more I think it's a great BOTM. With so little written, people get a chance to drink it with no preconceived notions in their head, almost a blind tasting. Shame too because it is a fine bourbon eclipsed by it's stronger sibling Booker's, it's highly marketed sibling Knob Creek, and it's reasonable priced sibling Beam Black. Did I mention that I voted for it and it alone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedVette Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Did I mention that I voted for it and it alone? Brown nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedmans Brorsa Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 It just showed up recently in Ohio. It's very good. If you get a chance, try it!! Thanks for the tip! I will certainly buy it if I can find it. Hopefully it won´t prove to be as elusive as that blasted VOB which I have been trying to lay my hands on for years now. Maybe the message that should be read into this is : travel to Kentucky?Barton have, at least in terms of whiskey, an extremely low profile in Europe and their "proletarian" image doesn´t endear them to the specialist shops over here.Anyway, I won´t give up, that´s for sure. To veer on topic again : I still feel that BT would be the better choice. We´ve already had a member of the Beam small batch collection but if I remember right, no products whatsoever from Buffalo Trace.I wouldn´t protest wildly about Baker´s, though. It was almost a year since I last had a bottle at home and this would provide me with a good excuse of getting a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbuzbee Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Barton have, at least in terms of whiskey, an extremely low profile in Europe and their "proletarian" image doesn´t endear them to the specialist shops over here.Anyway, I won´t give up, that´s for sure. My understanding is VOB is the number one selling Bourbon in Ky and almost unavailable outside Ky..... But, that RR1792 is very similar (haven't seen VOB so can't affirm that) Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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