Bourbon at bars?

[doubleblank]

Hey Pappy's Friend.....I've posted many a time here that when in Houston and you want a good bourbon, make it to 10 Downing Street. 10 mins from downtown. Full size cigar store inside the bar. You'll find many Van Winkles, most of the BTAC, WT Tribute, probably at least 50 to 60 different bourbons. Their "whisky" selection is also large. Its at Westheimer and Kirby.

Randy

[ggilbertva]

Here's the selection at Churchill Downs race track (pretty sucky in numbers) There are many bars. They all looked the same.

Smoking is allowed by the track, paddock, parking lot--outside only.

I like the plastic cups and the bag of peanuts next to the bourbons....very classy.

[boone]

I like the plastic cups and the bag of peanuts next to the bourbons....very classy.

Hey...When in Kentucky do as the "Kentuckian's" do :lol: Cliff was one of "us" this weekend, staying at his "Kentucky home"... A friend of mine had "special seats" at Chuchill Downs...she invited us to join them for a day of racing at Churchill :grin: :grin: :grin:

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a great time, but we knew the selection was going to be on the "short" side...we made a few "adjustments"...

Here a shot of our "Kentucky style bar" :grin: :grin:

Note the "strip stamps" on those bottles? :grin: :grin:

[ggilbertva]

Hey...When in Kentucky do as the "Kentuckian's" do :lol: Cliff was one of "us" this weekend, staying at his "Kentucky home"... A friend of mine had "special seats" at Chuchill Downs...she invited us to join them for a day of racing at Churchill :grin: :grin: :grin:

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a great time, but we knew the selection was going to be on the "short" side...we made a few "adjustments"...

Here a shot of our "Kentucky style bar" :grin: :grin:

Note the "strip stamps" on those bottles? :grin: :grin:

:slappin: :slappin: :slappin: That's awesome. I especially love the sock/pint caddy....very nice. Sounds like you had a great time.

[tango-papa]

:slappin: :slappin: :slappin: That's awesome. I especially love the sock/pint caddy....very nice. Sounds like you had a great time.

And the only thing missing is a garter strap!:slappin:

[boone]

:slappin: :slappin: :slappin: That's awesome. I especially love the sock/pint caddy....very nice. Sounds like you had a great time.

Great time is a understatement :grin: :grin: :grin:

Here's a picture of our group in front of the famous "twin spires" :grin: :grin: at Churchill Downs race track :grin:

Cliff's wearing his Bourbonian of the Year 2007 shirt with matching cap and I'm wearing mine!...We represented Straightbourbon.com very well that day!

[barturtle]

The Seelbach has a nice bar but cigar smoking is not allowed. I won't be back no matter how many bourbons they have.

Joe :usflag:

Come July 1st, all places of business go smokefree in Louisville, this includes bars and restaurants. Everywhere except Churchill and the tobacco plant.

[barturtle]

Hey...When in Kentucky do as the "Kentuckian's" do :lol: Cliff was one of "us" this weekend, staying at his "Kentucky home"... A friend of mine had "special seats" at Chuchill Downs...she invited us to join them for a day of racing at Churchill :grin: :grin: :grin:

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a great time, but we knew the selection was going to be on the "short" side...we made a few "adjustments"...

Here a shot of our "Kentucky style bar" :grin: :grin:

Note the "strip stamps" on those bottles? :grin: :grin:

Don't tell me you were there on Sat! I was there Sat! Millionaire's Row (not all it's cracked up to be, though the air-con is nice)

[boone]

We were there Sunday afternoon...Guests of the "Mayor" :grin: :grin:

Don't tell me you were there on Sat! I was there Sat! Millionaire's Row (not all it's cracked up to be, though the air-con is nice)

[Barrel_Proof]

We were there Sunday afternoon...Guests of the "Mayor" :grin: :grin:

We did indeed have a great time. It's always great to hang out with the Boones and the Cecils!

Our pre-tamper proof, strip stamp bottles for the day were an Old Heaven Hill BIB and an Old Fitzgerald Prime.

You gotta do this pony thing right, you know. :cool:

[ggilbertva]

We did indeed have a great time. It's always great to hang out with the Boones and the Cecils!

Our pre-tamper proof, strip stamp bottles for the day were an Old Heaven Hill BIB and an Old Fitzgerald Prime.

You gotta do this pony thing right, you know. :cool:

Cliff,

Was the Prime the 80 or 90 proof?

[Joeluka]

Cliff,

Was the Prime the 80 or 90 proof?

I have two Primes that are 86.8 proof and one thats just 86. Boy they had trouble making up their minds.

[mier]

In Holland Jack D and 4 roses are the most common American whiskeys luckely in my hometown is a well equipped bar with over 300 sms and a great choice of American/Canadian brands;BT,old Pogue,4 roses single barrel,Pappy van Winkle 15 yo&20 yo,Blanton etc.etc.My favorite is Pappy van Winkle 15 yo:drink:.Eric.

[ggilbertva]

I have two Primes that are 86.8 proof and one thats just 86. Boy they had trouble making up their minds.

Hmmm....I guess they did. I've recently come across two Primes; one at 80 and another at 90. I haven't tried either one but some responses I've received from my posts indicate the 90 is very nice. I picked up another Prime 80 last Sat but left two whole cases behind. I want to try it before I pick up any more.

Joe - if you've tried them, what are your impressions? Also, what's the UPC on the back or your bottle(s)? I have 1 1.75L with 88508 and some 500's with the same number. The one I picked up on Sat has 88076.

[adirondack]

I had my first pour of Old Charter PR at the bar 9 Maple in downtown Saratoga Springs (which also has the best top shelf and bourbon selection in the entire state of New York).

[scopenut]

I recently returned from a short trip to Charleston, S.C. At the Embassy Suites where I was staying, I notice the hotel bar served liquor only in miniatures. I asked the BT why, and he thought it was an old restriction that was instituted to ensure the quality and quantity of a pour.

A bonus was that they had both Knob Creek and Booker's in the mini's. A sight for sore eyes.

-Kevin

[TNbourbon]

I recently returned from a short trip to Charleston, S.C. At the Embassy Suites where I was staying, I notice the hotel bar served liquor only in miniatures. I asked the BT why, and he thought it was an old restriction that was instituted to ensure the quality and quantity of a pour.

A bonus was that they had both Knob Creek and Booker's in the mini's. A sight for sore eyes.

-Kevin

That bartender must be a little behind the times -- or is trying to use up a backlog of minis previously stocked. South Carolina approved 'free pours' during the November 2006 election, effective this past January. Earlier this month, I had a very generous taste of Midleton Very Rare, poured from a full-sized bottled, in North Myrtle Beach.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2005/12/30/s_carolina_dumps_minibottles/2368/

[mgilbertva]

I've never had the Middleton. I'd be interested to read your impressions.

[TNbourbon]

I've never had the Middleton. I'd be interested to read your impressions.

Note that this is based on a three-week-old memory, but I found it much fruitier than I'd found in other Irish. Think Juicy Fruit gum, though subtler. Caramel and vanilla, too, and very easy to drink.

There is a retailer locally who has a bottle priced reasonably for the label, and my sampling did nothing to knock it off my 'things to try/buy' list.

[mgilbertva]

Sounds like an unusual taste profile for an Irish.

What usually holds me back from buying Irish Whiskeys - including Middleton - is a triple distilled whiskey just is not as interesting. For my taste I like the increased flavor from double distillations.

[bigtoys]

On vacation in Napa Valley, so I'm sticking to wine this week. Went over to a restaurant called Redd in Yountville for dessert and they had an incredible bar: Pappy 20 was $24, more than Don Julio 1942. They also had Sazerac 18 and WT Rare Breed, along with other bourbons. They also had all the fancy Johnnie Walker colors--green, blue, gold.

[scopenut]

That bartender must be a little behind the times -- or is trying to use up a backlog of minis previously stocked. South Carolina approved 'free pours' during the November 2006 election, effective this past January. Earlier this month, I had a very generous taste of Midleton Very Rare, poured from a full-sized bottled, in North Myrtle Beach.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2005/12/30/s_carolina_dumps_minibottles/2368/

Sorry, I didn't tell the whole story. Yes, indeed they can now pour from full-sized bottles. The BT implied that it continued to serve the mini's since that's what the shelving in the bar was set up for. I would imagine in time they will renovate.

-Kevin

[Yellowjacket]

Sounds like an unusual taste profile for an Irish.

What usually holds me back from buying Irish Whiskeys - including Middleton - is a triple distilled whiskey just is not as interesting. For my taste I like the increased flavor from double distillations.

The Jameson/Middleton distillery in Cork County is predominately a pot still distillation, which is a mixture of malted barley and unmalted barley. The Jameson mix is, I believe, about 70% malted and 30% unmalted. This tradition began in Ireland over a hundred years ago in order to reduce taxes, which were leveled at the time only against the malted grain that was used. The result is a whisky that tends to be somewhat zesty and sharp with a distinct spiciness. With Jameson you also tend to get a fruitiness with toffee and vanilla flavors. I tried the most recent Middleton Very Rare a few weeks ago at Downing Street Pub here in Houston, which had a very distinct banana flavor with underlying citrus fruit flavors and subtle hints of the pot still spiciness (this is the only Middleton VR that I’ve tried; supposedly each year’s version is a little different). I thought it was very good but very pricey. For much less (but still expensive), the Jameson 18 yo is similar (more citrus fruit than banana) and very good. For a real treat, for me anyway, try the Redbreast 12 yo, which is a Pure Pot Still style and costs around $50. You might be pleasantly surprised

[thecrackup]

I was just at a bar in Montreal. To my surprise, they didn't have a single bourbon. This was a first.

[Gillman]

I've noticed this myself in certain bars and restaurants in Quebec. It depends where though in Montreal; in, say, the English language-oriented Crescent Street area downtown, most bars would carry one or two brands of bourbon (apart that is from Jack Daniels). In the more francophone-oriented establishments, there will be less chance to find bourbon because it is not a well-known drink amongst the Quebec population at large. For this reason too, you see little bourbon sold in the Provincial liquor store monopoly.

The situation would be similar to, say, what you might find in a large provincial city in France, or even many places in Paris.

Spirits in general in Quebec have I think a more limited appeal today. Wine and beer are the main drinks, in keeping with the continental European orientation. (Quebec has become more European in outlook in the last decades, including its French part). True, cognac is well known, but as a digestive, so it is not a bar staple really either (as an aperitif or pre-dinner drink).

Canadian rye whisky sales were always lesser in Quebec than Ontario and the choice of Canadian rye to this day in Quebec is more restricted than in Ontario or the other big English Provinces.

Quebeckers originally certainly did enjoy spirits though. Whisky (the Canadian style, including unaged "whisky blanc" and the related Hollands gin) was enjoyed, so was London dry gin, and gin still has a respectable sale there, and of course vodka does as everywhere. But scotch whisky and bourbon, and dark rum and Canadian whisky, have a relatively small market, at least that is my understanding, I haven't lived there for a while.

I will be going there later in August and will report on the bourbon selection at the liquor board, but I doubt there will be very much choice.

Gary