What Are You Drinking Tonight, Winter'07/'08

[jburlowski]

A marathon BS session with some friends last night with a bunch of different pours (actually one or few too many), including cracking open the new Willett Pot Still: Not overly complex but a delightful citrusy sweetness (IIRC)

[fogfrog]

I am having Weller's Special Reserve, the bottle of the month.... there is nothing offensive in this bourbon..... It is easy to drink... I don't think it has the fruitiness of the antique or something like OGD114 or 4 Roses, but it is certainly mellow and easy to drink..... I would put it in there with Very Old Barton as far as being a good ol bourbon thats just right for drinking

[fogfrog]

its not exactly night... can we change the name of the thread to ... what are you drinking today? this is embarrasing! well, when this bottle is gone, I probably won't buy another... but if you drink it in the right frame of mind it actually has a lot of great characteristics to it... TW Samuels after drinking something tasty is good... BUT I have to look for the part of the taste that I like.... Its not especially sweet.. more dry... so... if you aspirate it when you drink it... it flips up the taste! I mean suck it into your mouth with air up against your top palate.... like slurping some hot soup.....

OK, THEN... you find it... what you look for in a premium bourbon taste.... (next I will try this on Old Crow).... but seriously.....

What makes a bourbon a red color? This stuff is on the red side of amber... to me that means there is a lot of good stuff in there... its just learning how to appreciate it...

Can bourbon be an acquired taste?

[ggilbertva]

Couple of things. Small pour of Weller SR, poured the last dram from my ORVW 10/107 and took a small swig of Makers.

[HipFlask]

Well It was Bourbon last night but tonight it is Beer. Fuller's 1845 bottle conditioned ale. This is an excellant bottle an one that I will be stocking up on. Very cool bottle as well. Man I love good Beer.

[Old Lamplighter]

It's been a Van Winkle night, Lot B and Pappy 15......great way to end the weekend.

[jbaker]

Well It was Bourbon last night but tonight it is Beer. Fuller's 1845 bottle conditioned ale. This is an excellant bottle an one that I will be stocking up on. Very cool bottle as well. Man I love good Beer.

Fuller's 1845 is an awesome "real ale!" I love the fruit on the nose. I've tried other English bottle conditioned "real ales" but none seem to quite get to that point, and for the price, you can't beat it! I wish I had some right now!

Last night for me was OC the Classic 90. A nice pour, but I wished for a little more wood influence at 12 years. Will try it again today to see if I find it any different. (Still coming off an illness and I don't fully trust my palate yet.)

[razerburnt]

Couple of beers tonight. Kentucky bourbon barrel ale.

Randy

[Old Lamplighter]

OC Classic 90 is all there will be on a short night for me. Had a long & wonderful 12th birthday today for my youngest.....she'll be a teenager next year and I'll have 2 teenage daughters to worry about at same time.

In the meantime, will have to store up more bourbon for those stormy days looming in the future.......nothing like sitting in the front porch rocker with a fifth in one hand, a glass in the other, and a 12 ga pump across my lap waiting for the wolves to come sniffing around the house.:hot:

[Gillman]

Tonight (wait for it), bourbon and water (on ice of course). A fine pre-prandial drink indeed. The bourbon was a well-balanced 10-whiskey personal vatting, but it might have been as good with just, say, Knob Creek on the rocks.

Gary

[NickAtMartinis]

Vintage 17. Mucho rye in this bourbon.

Someone in another thread likened it to PVW 15. Wow, not even close!!!!

[TNbourbon]

...The bourbon was a well-balanced 10-whiskey personal vatting...

Believe me, Gary, I'm laughing WITH you, not AT you. Within the hour, I was noting my four open Stitzel-Weller bottlings, and recalling that any time in the past I've vatted that many S-W bottlings, the result is akin to the oft-lauded ORVW 15yo.

As it was, I just poured some Weller 12yo into some diet cola -- but tomorrow, or another day soon, may just become vatting day, for I certainly have considered it...:grin:

[Gillman]

I get a lot of depth in my vattings, which lately seem to combine older and younger bourbons and some younger ryes. Addition of water and ice does not diminish the big round (or sweet) bourbony tastes. Truth to tell I think it is better than with most of the components used on their own (certainly the younger expressions). I'll have to try a side by side, but as one can see I was impressed by the old classic highball, there was a reason for its popularity, I think. It goes particularly well before dinner and taken in moderation seems lately preferable to neat sampling (much as I still like to do that, but increasingly I save that for nightcaps if having one).

Gary

[OscarV]

W L Weller 12yo.

My second bottle, my first was about 3 years ago when I took the plunge and decided I have to try everything I can get.

I did not see why everyone was into it then.

I was heavily into the different Wild Turkey's then.

I like it, but for a 90 proof it does have more of a alcohol taste than I think it should. But I am not knocking it.

I have been on a Weller kick for the last few months. I have been through 2 from the '07 BTAC, 2 Centennials, 2 Special Reserves and an Antique.

This could become a habit.

[fogfrog]

Old Grand dad 114 and Jim Beam Black. I like them both. Are they the same thing?

[fogfrog]

I mean like if they were the same proof ... if you water down the OGD, does it become JBB?

[OscarV]

No not likely, Beam did get the recipe when they got the OGD brand from National Distilleries and they have tried to duplicate it. OGD has a higher rye content than JB.

I recently tried today's and the old one, Beam has done a good job on it.

[Gillman]

Rare Breed with a splash of water, no ice. This sample seems a little younger and less complex than the last few I had but it is still very good. The whiskey or whiskeys rather are very clean with a good sweetness and barrel character. I don't get that "old violets" I recall from earlier bottles though.

Gary

[razerburnt]

fighting strep tonite. been sipping on some VW lot b. helps take the pain away.

Randy

[NickAtMartinis]

I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with Shmappy Fan Sprinkle Mifteen.

[ACDetroit]

Is it Crappy Bran Drinkle Lifteen! I have been looking all over for a dusty of that SH*%!!

Tonight I am sippin some Wild Turkey 86.8 proof! Unique to say the least!

Tony

[NickAtMartinis]

Is it Crappy Bran Drinkle Lifteen! I have been looking all over for a dusty of that SH*%!!

Tonight I am sippin some Wild Turkey 86.8 proof! Unique to say the least!

Tony

:slappin::slappin::slappin::slappin:

[Markoturbo]

Tonight it is OF Birthday 2007 (very good) followed by Weller Special Reserve (BOTM). I saw Mark's comment on Vintage 17, I like it a lot (spicey rye), but also see no comparison in flavor to Pappy 15 which is great bourbon. Kinda like I like Halibut alot, but love beef tenderloin, Mark

[jbaker]

Couldn't resist starting at the top of my new collection. Tonight is a dram of Four Roses Single Barrel 100 proof, Warehouse: LW, Barrel # 55-5A, No age, Lawrenceburg, KY.

I gotta say, this is what bourbon should be like more often. Notes of fresh yellow cake with cream cheese icing, lemon rind, dried mint, cinnamon, pine, orange zest, (maybe some cumin or coriander seeds). Complex and elusive. A great whiskey. I don't know for certain, but I think it might be a rye-flavored barrel. Does anyone know how to find out?

[NickAtMartinis]

Here at Liberty (on 15th Ave/Capitol Hill), we are happy to have a bottle of the 17yr bourbon, and 23yr rye. In terms of what at least the 17 year is similar to - I'd say the Pappy Van Winkle 15 year, but with more oak? It really is an outstanding whiskey, and I'd be happy to pour you a taste if you'd like to see what it's like.

Tonight it is OF Birthday 2007 (very good) followed by Weller Special Reserve (BOTM). I saw Mark's comment on Vintage 17, I like it a lot (spicey rye), but also see no comparison in flavor to Pappy 15 which is great bourbon. Kinda like I like Halibut alot, but love beef tenderloin, Mark

Mark, I'm guessing libertybar hasn't had either bourbon. Or if he has, he doesn't have enough tasting experience to realize the difference between a wheated bourbon and a heavy rye bourbon. Although, it is pretty obvious.

Mark