What standbys do you keep open?

[wadewood]

I any given time, I like to keep about 15 bottles open at a time. One reason is if someone comes over, I can hopefully pour something they like. These 10 make up my core and I try always keep these open:

Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof

Makers Mark

Wild Turkey Russel's Reserve

Buffalo Trace

Four Roses SB

Very Old Barton 100 proof

George T Stagg

Pappy Van Winkle 15

Jim Beam Black

Elijah Craig 12

I think this a good list of whiskey that runs that covers a very broad range of styles.

[Jazzhead]

Standbys? Come to the Casa de Jazz, and the following pours will always be available -

Wild Turkey 101 or RR101 while my bunkered bottles last

Old Forester BIB/Signature

Dickel No. 12

If I could only find a local source for it, Weller Centennial

[ILLfarmboy]

I don't necessarily keep them all open open but I do like to have on hand OGD BIB, WT 101, Jim Beam Black, Makers and Jack single bbrl. They are all good quality whiskeys and for guests who aren't whiskey enthusiasts these Brands are recognizable. They run the gamut from high rye, moderate rye, wheat, and the obligatory Tennessee. I keep a variety of mixers on hand as well. Hell, I even keep some vodka and gin (Tanquaray) on hand too. I like to see people eat and drink and have a good time.

[T47]

These are the Bourbons that I try to keep around for one reason or another. It's nice to have have a good selection to try and give someone something they will like. The VW 12 is the only one that I have trouble replacing.

Henry McKenna

Evan Williams

EC 12

EC 18

Makers Mark

OGD 114

ODG BIB

Bookers

VW 12

ELmer T Lee

[ggilbertva]

.....Four Roses SB

I think this a good list of whiskey that runs that covers a very broad range of styles.

[oldironstomach]

.....Four Roses SB

How do you keep FRSB in stock to have it open?

LeNell's latest newsletter says that according to Jim Rutledge, FR is expanding their distribution this year, and SB should soon be available in the New York market. Hopefully this bodes well for the rest of us too!

[RedVette]

Everything in the collection that is not a backup is open, that would normally be between 70 and 100 bottles.

[jburlowski]

I typically have between fifteen and twenty bourbons open at any one time, plus an assortment of other alcoholic beverages.

[ratcheer]

The only thing I have on hand and open almost all the time is Wild Turkey 101. Just about everything rotates around depending on what I have and what I want to open.

My other current open bourbons are Rare Breed, Henry McKenna 10-yr single barrel BIB, Rock Hill Farms, and Elmer T. Lee.

Tim

[wadewood]

How do you keep FRSB in stock to have it open? I have both the Single Barrel and Small Batch but have not opened them yet. Looking at your location must mean you have a good friend somewhere in KY feeding your stock......

Lucky you...

I make enough trips back to KY so that over time, I have stocked up on FRSB and the Very Old Barton.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

Everything in the collection that is not a backup is open, that would normally be between 70 and 100 bottles.

I am with RedVette here. If I have it it is open. Even some of the backups are open, especially single barrels. Since they are all a little different from barrel to barrel I like to compare them. And some times I just can't find the open bottle when I want it so I open the backup. As to what I always have on hand, meaning I replace it soon after/before emptying one:

WT 101 8 year old

WT 101 12 year old

WT Rare Breed

Blanton's Silver and The Straight From the Barrel

ETL

AAA 10 year old

AAA 10 Star

Eagle Rare 101 10 year old as long as my stock holds out. I still have six unopened. I wish I could get more.

I am sure I am forgetting some other BT products. Others are not available. I can't keep the BTAC on hand except by not drinking it, not an option! At 17,000 to 25,000 yen a pop when available here they are just too expensive.

ORVW 10 90 proof. I can't find the 107.

VWFRR 13

Evan Williams 12 year old

Evan Williams 15 year old

Elijah Craig 12

Heaven Hill 10 year old 86 proof. I like the BIB better but it tastes like the same whiskey to me

Fighting Cock 15 year old

Fighting Cock 6 year old

Booker's

Jim Beam Black

Jim Beam's Choice

Baker's

OGD BIB

OGD 114

Maybe Knob Creek, but I haven't replaced the last one and it has been a while. A lot of people, Chuck for example, say that KC and Booker's are close to indistiguishable except for proof, so I would rather buy Booker's

I. W. Harper Gold Medal and maybe the I. W. Harper 12

Four Roses Black Label

Olde Saint Nick 8 year old

I am sure I have forgotten to list something or other. I tried to keep strictly to bourbon, though I did include one rye, the VWFRR 13. I would keep a larger selection of rye on hand if I could. There are a large number of whiskies from Scotland, Japan, Ireland as well as other spirits that I also keep on hand.

Ed

[TBoner]

I try to have the following open or ready to open at a moment's notice:

BT

KC

OC12

WT Rye

WT101

Weller 107

OGDBIB

There's always a scotch open and usually at least one very special or premium bottle, but what those bottles might be is highly variable.

[bluesbassdad]

Tim,

I'm with you in regard to Wild Turkey 101.

I usually have about 20 bottles open at any one time. I don't have backups for the vast majority. When I run out of, say, Old Grand-Dad BIB or Rock Hill Farms, I don't panic, or at least I didn't when I lived in L.A. -- and could even order from Chicago, if need be. I just make an addition to my to-do list.

In contrast, I buy WT 101 in the 1.75 liter size, and when the level drops below the bottom of the front label, I start looking for it to go on sale at my hometown Safeway. If the level drops below the bottom of the back label, then I go ahead and pay full price. It's the bourbon I reach for when nothing else on my shelf strikes my fancy. I don't ever want to be out of it.

Ironically, I appreciate it more now, when I have to pay $22 for a 750 (or $33 for a 1.75 on sale), than I did back in Long Beach, where I could buy it on sale at Rite-Aid for $13. I suppose that deal may have vanished during the almost three years since I moved here.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[full_proof]

If I have it it is open. Ed

Whew! I was beginning to think something was wrong with me as I have 40 open bottles. I've gauged "standbys" as bottlings for which I have a readily available backup :grin: . My primary standbys that I keep open are:

WTRB

WTRR

WT101

MM

WLWSR 7-YR

BT

ER101

ETL

EC 12-YR

OF100

OF Birthday (have the 2006 and will pick up some later bottlings soon)

EWSB (95 & 96 vintages so far...looking for different years)

OMG! :bigeyes: I've started typing and I can't stop!

[full_proof]

AAA 10 year old

AAA 10 Star

Ed

Question: I searched SB.com for some tasting notes on these drams but could not find any. I know they are BT bottlings but I'd like to read some SB.com tasting notes on them (OK, it just makes me feel better when I buy the bottles ). Any guidance is always appreciated and valued.

[jspero]

Nobody else in the family drinks whiskey and very few of my friends drink whiskey, so I generally only keep open what I want to drink. That will generally include at least one standard rye (Rittenhouse BIB or Pikesville) and a mid-shelf bourbon (ETL, ER SB or 101, WT101, JB Black, or OGD BIB) as well as a few premiums that I'm working through. Of course, I've had up to 15 open bottles a few times, but I don't like to keep that many going since I usually the only drinker.

I have a couple of low-end bourbons that failed the "re-buy" test on hand as mixers if I need them (as well as the usual other alcohols).

Jay

[nickynick]

Always open.

Bourbon

ETL

Eagle Rare SB

Old Grand Dad BIB

Jim Beam Black

Old Charter 10 year old

Maker's Mark

ORVW 10YO 107

Buffalo Trace

Others

Dickel #12

Saz Jr.

Crown Royal

Black Bush

Powers

Most of my friends can find something they like on that list. Although I might have to pull the ETL off that list, because it always seems to be the most popular, even with the newbies, and then there is none left for me! But at $22 a bottle, I don't feel that bad about sharing it.