Sampler 2006 in picutres...

[Gillman]

Since I mentioned (in another thread dealing with beer and bourbon) Tim's great contribution to the success of the Gazebo gathering just past, I realise I would be remiss (if only with myself) not to mention the major contributions of other SB-ers, to wit:

Randy, who organised the Friday night dinner and contrived to deliver us a fine meal in a town where (by the agreement of those I consulted) good restaurant food is not in abundance. Also, Randy made an amazing gift to me of a very special bottle which I shall in due course report well and truly of.

Bettye Jo: who loaned me the pitchers for the Manhattans, without which we would have been glugging from serial bottles, so thanks Bettye Jo again for that. Bettye Jo also did much of the background work setting up the vows renewal for Ed and Patty.

Jeff Yeast of course, whose quiet but firm leadership ensures a feeling of good fellowship in a responsible way.

Ed: who carries his 2006 Bourbonian of the Year title with aplomb and always interjects the right note of levity lest things get too serious (rapping my hand as I was lifting and appraising bottles from the Gazebo table is going a little far though, Ed, but never mind). .

And Doug must be mentioned, who brought fine whiskeys and shows leadership by engaging in his intriguing vatting and re-barreling experiments, some of which were very successful.

I want to mention too Bobbi of General Nelson (the gray-haired lady who served breakfast and generally represents the GN in our interractions with them): she runs the place with great efficiency and always shows good humor. As Bettye Jo noted (and she should know) Bobbi is a hard worker and her efforts helped to make for a smooth weekend for us all at the GN. I kind of figure she is an honourary SB member.

Gary

[Gillman]

And I hasten to add Dane Bennett's name in these annals. Dane, whose good humor and thoughtfulness are an inspiration to all.

Gary

[Gillman]

And of the newer members or those I simply know less well, a nod to Randy and Kim (who brought great bourbon balls with a light white center, very good); John Gunderson, Dawn, Don from Cinci and his friend, and of course Joe and Fricke (good singing, guys). Mike K and Art were a pleasure to meet. I know I am forgetting people and that is not intentional, oh of course Randy's friend Jeff, a fellow barrister who gave me good counsel regarding that special bourbon gift Randy gave me. And Wade and Trina - hey how come we didn't talk more, Wade?! And Marvin - glad he was able to come.

Gary

[pepcycle]

Gary,

Sorry about the Hand Slappin'. It was uncalled for. There's this Sonic Commercial that came out during March Madness. One guy lazily raises a tater tot to his mouth and the other guy in the car slaps it away, like a blocked shot.

The way your hand was just wandering around over the choices reminded me of that.

The slapper then comments, "Either bring that tot to your mouth strong or don't bring it all" (like basketball smack talk)

I think that's what I tried to relate in a "tongue in cheek" way but wasn't totally successful.

[jeff]

Ed, you're so native.

[doubleblank]

Hey Guys and Gals.....The rolling copper still got us back in Houston this afternoon after a night in Texarkana. Boy our local liquor laws can be strange. You can get anything you want to drink there....so long as its in a bar. No retail beer, wine or liquor sales anywhere else in Texarkana. Anyway, about our trip.......

What a great time as many have already said. The actual Sampler event simply serves as a backdrop and calendar marker for a reason to travel to Bardstown and meet all the fine people on SB.com. Oh yeah, and to drink some fine bourbons. The Friday night dinner was fun and many thanks to Ken Weber with BT for joining us. Even Barbara (or Bobbie to many) had a great time watching us. Gary's Manhattans were excellent.....and the caterer did a fine job too.

Memorable tastes not already mentioned above include several at BT's lab courtesy of Truman ("Etochem"). BT had conducted a tasting of approximately 30 potential Stagg barrels earlier in the day and Truman had them leave the tasting table set up for us to enjoy like a buffet table of Stagg. WOW. That was follwed by a tasting of the next experimental whiskey BT may release. Another WOW. And....a tasting of 18yo SW barrel proof being stored by BT for Diageo. Another WOW. There were many others but those come to mind as the most memorable. Thanks again Truman.

Most of the older bottlings that we opened fared pretty well too. Tim's Weller from the '40's and some VOF from '54 showed well.

All in all a great time. Enjoyed meeting the many new SB'er to join the festivities for their first time.

Randy

[Gillman]

Thanks Ed, you didn't have to apologise, I can josh too you know.

(By the way what is a Sonic (or other) tater tot? I've really got to get my head out of 1810 texts on distilling and learn about the real word for a change).

Gary

[pepcycle]

Sonic is a Drive-In Burger Joint.

I'll try and find a video clip.

Otherwise, see the attachment with Tots.

Type in 'Sonic "Tater Tot" commercial' in Google and I bet you get a thousand hits about this commercial

[Gillman]

Well I am always interested in regional food!

Gary

[TNbourbon]

See, I'm lolling around in my room at 4:10 p.m. enjoying some fine, older drinks with some buddies, and Ed comes in and says, "Tim, I want you to escort The Patty to the Gazebo at 5 o'clock. Just knock on the door, hand her the flowers, and offer your arm." Suddenly -- responsibility:bigeyes:!

Fortunately, I'd ironed the only pair of slacks I'd brung earlier in the day, or my 'tux' would have been jeans.

Well, as Bettye Jo has explained elsewhere, The Patty's egress from their room wasn't entirely as planned, but somehow we managed to get her down the -- er, parking lot. "What has my husband done now?!" Chuckle, says me. "He's done something, hasn't he?:smiley_acbt: I'm gonna kill him!" I chortle, "I can't tell you, Patty -- ha, ha, ha!".

No doubt about it, Ed -- she loves ya, man! Knows ya, too!

(And thanks for the honor of playing a part.)

[Gillman]

It was an honor for all of us to be there.

Gary

[Gillman]

This is what happens when you try to enumerate people you enjoyed meeting and interacting with, you forget some and I hope they will understand it is not intentional, but I can't mention Ed, Bettye Jo, Jeff, Randy, Bobby and Tim (who are some of the first people I met in the group) without mentioning with equal affection Cliff. His friendly and witty demeanor and committment to Bourbon Country (as witness his buying a house in the area recently) endear him to all not to mention his knowledge of bourbon quality and ability to appraise and strike deals for good barrels. I lift one to Cliff and of course Koji too (now touring some of our Canadian distilleries). They are all some of the finest people I know. Sorry for those whom I left out, it is not intentional.

Gary

[BourbonJoe]

A big THANK YOU to everybody at the sampler for sharing your whiskey and your friendship with me and Fricky. I just can't express my feelings twoard y'all. We spent last night with Doug (Dougdog) in an empty gazebo in the cold, pouring down rain. But we toasted all of you and carried on the tradition one more night. Well I gotta go now after a long 13 hour drive (we stopped in Maryland for further shopping - paid off....got a case of Stagg). I'll post some pictures after I sleep some.

Joe :usflag:

[Nebraska]

Gotta tell ya Ed, you're aces, as well as this group to help you pull that off. I'm very happily married and know the significance of what you and the group did.

My hats off to you and all there.

I don't need to tell you, you know already, but you've got a keeper.

Congratulations

Mark/Nebraska

[cowdery]

The tater tot was a favorite food from my youth. They came frozen and were cooked (reheated, actually) on a cookie sheet in the oven. A cylinder about the size of a thumb, it was crispy on the outside. Inside, rather than being potato paste, like a french fry, it consisted of balls of potato meat about the size of bb's. I hope the description does them justice.

[TNbourbon]

From left, a reminder that the Gazebo is AFTER DARK, and not a place for children; Wade (wadewood), Randy (doubleblank), Randy (rancastle) and Doug (dougdog) cherishing the fine taste of bourbon; perhaps this one, which Ed proclaimed to have the nose of wet cardboard followed by a palate of spoiled cheese (and he was right!); the Saturday night Gazebo table before all the available spaces were filled in:

Here were some bottles enjoyed in a semi-private tasting (before some were placed on the Gazebo table):

Included were 1942 Four Roses rye; 1940/1948 W.L. Weller 8yo BIB; 1941/1945 Old Grand-Dad BIB; 1959 Old Heaven Hill; 1962 and 1997 Old Overholt ryes; mid-'70s Jim Beam 180-month-old; 1975 Benchmark; 15- and 22yo Classic Cask ryes; new and 'old' Sazerac ryes; ORVW 12yo and VWFRR 13yo ryes; Isaiah Morgan West Virginia rye; Rittenhouse BIB rye; Jim Beam rye; Black Maple Hill 18yo rye; first-edition (1994/95) Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit; Michter's 10yo Single Barrel rye; and Old Potrero 19th Century Single Malt Rye.

The old Four Roses (it came home nearly empty) and the older Old Overholt seemed to be the hits of this lineup, though all the vintage bourbons were fresh with no mustiness. Randy Blank (doubleblank) and Doug Phillips (dougdog) each posted very fine early 8yo Very Old Fitzgerald samples -- 1954/1962 and 1947/1955 samples -- with Randy also adding a standout late-'60s J.T.S. Brown 134-month 93 proof which later made the Gazebo table. Jon and Dawn Gunderson threw in some export-only Wild Turkey bottlings not available domestically, of course.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a lazy afternoon.

[pepcycle]

HMMMMMMMMM

Bourbon Supreme in the dil%^^, I mean clarinet bottle.

Wow!!

Thanks for posting the Rye Lineup. Man, was that a treat.

I didn't think that could be outdone, but the Sat Afternoon Jim Butler Suite Bourbon Selection was Killer, with a capitol W (for Weller).

Back to the Gazebo:

Did anyone else, besides Gillman and I, taste the Kentucky Bourbon, bottled in France that tasted like a pre-mixed Manhattan (with a touch of anise). It was in a Statue of Liberty-shaped bottle.

What in tarnation was that Stuff? I couldn't find a name and I didn't have my microscope to read the label?

Lanell indicated she sold a bunch of it during 4th of July in Manhattan.

PS Dear Dave Gonano:

I really liked the Beam you brought, but I couldn't let you know that.

[Gillman]

That Liberty did really taste like a Manhattan cocktail. Ed first identified it and I could only agree, it was very similar to the Manhattans I served earlier in the evening!

The bottle just said "Bourbon Whiskey" but indicated bottling was done in France.

My guess is being bottled overseas it may not have to contain only bourbon and something was added to it. Maybe it was kind of a sly joke of the bottler, to make something in the likeness of Statute of Liberty taste like a Manhattan.

I liked it. I don't know when it was produced, it seemed to go back a number of years. Cool item, the kind of thing you only see and have the chance to try at Gazebo.

Gary

[TNbourbon]

...Did anyone else, besides Gillman and I, taste the Kentucky Bourbon, bottled in France that tasted like a pre-mixed Manhattan (with a touch of anise). It was in a Statue of Liberty-shaped bottle.

What in tarnation was that Stuff? I couldn't find a name and I didn't have my microscope to read the label?..

Fonbelle -- full of "world famous Tennessee bourbon"? :skep:

http://www.happyhours.com/pressRelease_story.htm?&itemid=363

[Gillman]

Good work Tim, based on this I am hesitant now to think this product contains anything other than whiskey. Maybe it was (before bottling) a vatting of whiskeys and the process produced a particularly estery, sweetish and spicy whiskey. Very unusual. Anyway I liked it, it had a nice taste and one I found approachable, I am not surprised it sold well.

Gary

[dgonano]

HMMMMMMMMM

PS Dear Dave Gonano:

I really liked the Beam you brought, but I couldn't let you know that.

Ed, I will look in the cabinet under the bathroom sink and find another gem.... OBC spring 1942; fall 1947 !

[Gillman]

Dave Gonano: another name to add to Gazebo annals with pleasure. Good to see you and your (other) son recently. You are a stalwart for traditional rye whiskey but clearly cover other bases as well. Nice to catch up with you.

Gary

[fricky]

That was my first Sampler and cannot wait to go to the Festival. I had a great time meeting people, matching names with faces, and tasting bourbon.

Thanks To All

Doug

[jeff]

That was my first Sampler and cannot wait to go to the Festival. I had a great time meeting people, matching names with faces, and tasting bourbon.

Thanks To All

Doug

Doug, it was great meeting you and Joe. Thanks again for the bottle of Zin. We enjoyed it! :toast:

[troyce]

My friend, Joe (smokinjoe), now has the distinction of bringing, arguably, the worst bourbon ever to the table at the gazebo, in the "special edition" of the Bourbon Supreme(Joe made Dougdog the proud owner towards the end of the evening), but in his defense, he also contributed some WT 12, EB 15 and older versions of Old Crow, AAA 10 yr and Elmer T Lee.

I would also like to thank all of the SB.com 'ers who worked to make it a great weekend for those of us that just show up. It was a great time.

see you in Sept.

Jim