A.H. Hirsch Blue Wax

[BourbonBalls]

I just found a bottle of this blue wax A.H. Hirsch here in California.

I've seen the other foil top with a different label, but I've never seen this one.....can anyone tell me anything about it? Like, how rare etc. It says on the label that it was distilled in the spiing of 1974 so this 16 year old should make it a bottle from about 1990.

Is the bourbon inside any different than the Hirsch of today?

Here's a couple of pictures

[RedVette]

They all say distilled in 1974, but your Blue wax find is a good one. I am sure someone else can explain why they are different, but the concensus is #1 Blue Wax, #2 Gold Wax, #3 Gold Foil. I have had all three and can say that without a doubt the Blue wax is an amazing Bourbon.

Congrats on your find.

[TNbourbon]

...It says on the label that it was distilled in the spring of 1974 so this 16 year old should make it a bottle from about 1990.

Is the bourbon inside any different than the Hirsch of today?..

No, and yes. The A.H. Hirsch 16yo has been bottled three times -- the three different seals indicate which bottling it is. The so-called '16yo' whiskey was placed into stainless steel tanks in 1990, ending its aging, but was not bottled immediately. The original, early-'90s 16yo bottling has the script label and blue wax that you found. A later bottling in the Nineties was topped with the gold wax, and a third and final bottling (topped with gold foil) was completed in September 2003. All, by the way, were under the auspices of Julian Van Winkle -- the first two at his Old Commonwealth bottling line, and the last one at Buffalo Trace.

Originally, it was all the same whiskey, and all of it was unbarreled at 16 years old. But, as it was bottled at different times, it spent varying degrees of time in the stainless steel. Most in the distilling business state that such storage is inert and imparts or allows no change in the whiskey. Some demur in that opinion. Folks who've had all three versions (and I currently have all three unopened, though I've never tasted the blue one -- a temptation for another day:cool:) also disagree -- I've heard some proclaim a favorite, while others identify no difference.

But, in any case, you own a diminishing piece of American whiskey history -- real Michter's-distilled whiskey that will never appear again in any new form.

[AVB]

If they have more then one perhaps we can deal. I've been looking for a Blue Wax one for awhile now.

[BourbonBalls]

I am sorry to say that it was the last one. It had been sitting up on that shelf for a very long time. I had been eyeballing it forever and just hoping it wasn't going to be bought by someone.

Well, it was finally bought by someone! ME. I bit the bullet and payed the 86 dollars. Gotta find that right time to open it. And yes, it will be opened. I can't imagine just collecting unopened bottles...just to posess it.

Drink up and enjoy life!

[Virus_Of_Life]

Glad to hear someone here in SoCal has found something special. I haven't been in any stores other than the typical haunts lately, but have been starting to accept that I wasn't going to to find anything other than the typical bottles.

[ProofPositive]

I would love to find just one bottle of Hirsch here in West Tennessee no matter from which bottling it was derived. I arrived late on the scene and have never seen one in person. You never know though, I'm sure somewhere out there one or a few may yet be found on a dusty shelf at a store off the beaten path. That is what keeps the hunt going, never-ending, and always a lot of fun!!!

[fricky]

Apparently, there is still some available in Pennsylvania. It is likely the last bottling. If you wish, I would be happy to purchase a bottle for you and bring it to the sampler in April. The cost is about $80. If you are interested, send PM.

Doug

[BourbonBalls]

Glad to hear someone here in SoCal has found something special. I haven't been in any stores other than the typical haunts lately, but have been starting to accept that I wasn't going to to find anything other than the typical bottles.

I found that bottle of Hirsch at Bristol Farms grocery stores, here in Los Angeles....Any of those there in Tustin?

[Virus_Of_Life]

I found that bottle of Hirsch at Bristol Farms grocery stores, here in Los Angeles....Any of those there in Tustin?

Nope, there ain't a lot in Tustin, and to be honest with you I've never seen a Bristol Farms anywhere around here in Orange County - guess I could check their website.

[bluesbassdad]

There's one in Long Beach in the shopping area at the SE corner of Bellflower & Stearns, a half-mile south of the 405 (or I-405, as we say here in Arizona). I lived within walking distance until late 2004.

I seldom bought bourbon there; judging from their prices they were very proud of their merchandise.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[BourbonBalls]

I seldom bought bourbon there; judging from their prices they were very proud of their merchandise.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

Dave...you should check out their bourbon prices....I know there grocery items are high, but I bought Weller Antique 107 for $19.99, AND a Pappy 20 year old for $60!!

I do believe that bottle had been there a long time tho...and WAY up on a top shelf..

[bluesbassdad]

Unfortunately (I think), I seldom get back to LA/OC now -- only once since moving here in August, 2004. Perhaps my recollections (e.g., Blanton's at about $58) are no longer relevant.

Also, as you implied, the "dusty bottle" syndrome may have worked in your favor. Congratulations on what may have been a rare find.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Virus_Of_Life]

There's one in Long Beach in the shopping area at the SE corner of Bellflower & Stearns, a half-mile south of the 405 (or I-405, as we say here in Arizona). I lived within walking distance until late 2004.

I seldom bought bourbon there; judging from their prices they were very proud of their merchandise.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

Thanks Dave, I thought that I HAD seen one somewhere, but my memory isn't that good in my old age (30)!! I work fairly close to that in Cypress and as usuall I'll be back in the office Saturday so I'll swing by there just to check it out. I doubt their prices can compare to Bevmo and HiTime, but if they have ANY Pappy 20 for $60 you can bet I'll be taking at least one of those home!... :bigeyes:

[cowdery]

Most in the distilling business state that such storage is inert and imparts or allows no change in the whiskey. Some demur in that opinion.

Julian Van Winkle has intimated on occasion that while storage in stainless steel is considered inert, he wishes he could make it more inert. The problem is oxidation and unless you can fashion a tank to the exact volume you intend to store in it, that is unavoidable. The last bottling of Hirsch was in stainless for a decade or more and has to have suffered at least a little. Of course, whiskey oxidizes in the barrel too, it's part of aging, but at some point it stops being a good thing.

[Special Reserve]

Julian Van Winkle has intimated on occasion that while storage in stainless steel is considered inert, he wishes he could make it more inert. The problem is oxidation and unless you can fashion a tank to the exact volume you intend to store in it, that is unavoidable. The last bottling of Hirsch was in stainless for a decade or more and has to have suffered at least a little. Of course, whiskey oxidizes in the barrel too, it's part of aging, but at some point it stops being a good thing.

Flooding the head space with nitrogen and sealing the tank should help to reduce oxidation. Just a thought but I'm not a master distiller.

[Virus_Of_Life]

Well I checked out the Bristol Farms in Long Beach and didn't find any deals or good finds. Defenitely no Pappy 20, BourbonBalls I maybe have to drive up that way one of these days or if I ever head up there for a different reason I'll check out that store as I'd buy at least two for $60! But I don't get up to the LA area very often at all...

So I didn't find any bourbon but did leave with about $35 in halibut that I think I am going to throw on that BBQ today...

I just realized, I have seen the gold wax version somewhere but can't remember where now and know that the one I tried about a year and a half ago was the foil... Hmmm I might need to retrace my steps and find that gold wax one... :searching:

[tsangster]

Mmmm! Halibut. Enjoyable on the BBQ - more so on the end of a fishing pole.