Wishlist #1 - To try, before I buy...

[CorvallisCracker]

All of these are available at stores within an hour's drive:

BMH 14 $75 too disappointing?

PVW 20 $92 too woody?

Hirsch 16 GF $122 too metallic?

Midleton Very Rare (Irish) $125 too blended?

PVW 23 $220 too dangerous? (i.e., would my wife kill me?)

Decisions, decisions...

[TNbourbon]

At those prices, I'd have no problem whatsoever with either the Pappy 20, or Midleton Very Rare (which year, by the way? I have the 2006 open currently.). Both are of exceptional quality/flavor/enjoyment.

[ggilbertva]

I'll second the PVW 20 year. Again, I could have a bad bottle, but the Hirsch is expensive (~$170) and metallic to the taste.

[HighTower]

Go the Pappy 20, and one day you will pull the trigger on the 23.

Hirsch Gold Foil...if someone offered me a bottle for $50 I would spend my $50 on WT Kentucky Spirit.

Scott

[felthove]

All of these are available at stores within an hour's drive:

BMH 14 $75 too disappointing?

PVW 20 $92 too woody?

Hirsch 16 GF $122 too metallic?

Midleton Very Rare (Irish) $125 too blended?

PVW 23 $220 too dangerous? (i.e., would my wife kill me?)

Decisions, decisions...

If you can get PVW 15 buy two of those instead of the 20.

[NorCalBoozer]

I would also say Pappy 20. That is a pretty good price, especailly considering how much many bourbons have gone up.

I don't think it's too woody in the sense that it's overpowering. It's very smooth with notes of wood. An interesting contrast to Pappy 15.

Certainly a stop along the bourbon education trail that you will want to take so better to take it now before it goes up in price.

Greg

[New2Whiskey]

I would also say Pappy 20. That is a pretty good price, especailly considering how much many bourbons have gone up.

I don't think it's too woody in the sense that it's overpowering. It's very smooth with notes of wood. An interesting contrast to Pappy 15.

Certainly a stop along the bourbon education trail that you will want to take so better to take it now before it goes up in price.

Greg

Quick question for a layman with a tight budget. Will those above mentioned spirits.....will there be a significant amount of satisfaction over a $20 Buffalo Trance Bourbon? Honest responses requested.

[barturtle]

Quick question for a layman with a tight budget. Will those above mentioned spirits.....will there be a significant amount of satisfaction over a $20 Buffalo Trance Bourbon? Honest responses requested.

4x the satisfaction? No. High-end products always operate on a law of diminishing returns. A computer that is twice as fast cost 4x as much. Does this mean I think the Pappy is twice as good? Not really. Better? That depends on personal preference. Different? Yes. Worth trying? If you can afford it.

That probably doesn't help much.

How 'bout this: I probably buy 4x as much BT as Pappy 20. I enjoy both. But price dictates how much of each I buy. Would I miss Pappy if I couldn't have it again. Yes.

[Huegeb]

4x the satisfaction? No. High-end products always operate on a law of diminishing returns. A computer that is twice as fast cost 4x as much. Does this mean I think the Pappy is twice as good? Not really. Better? That depends on personal preference. Different? Yes. Worth trying? If you can afford it.

That probably doesn't help much.

How 'bout this: I probably buy 4x as much BT as Pappy 20. I enjoy both. But price dictates how much of each I buy. Would I miss Pappy if I couldn't have it again. Yes.

But the question now is, which bourbon would you more miss? The BT or the Pappy 20?

Geb

[NorCalBoozer]

I look at it in terms of bourbon knowledge. Is it worth the cost of 4 BT's to try a Pappy 20? IMHO, yes. Pappy is a premium, longer aged bourbon hand selected by one of the most highly regarded bottlers. It's not made in huge quantities so it's not all that easy to find.

But if there are a bunch of $20-$40 bourbons you also haven't tried, you might say that buying 2-4 other bourbons could give you a much more educating experience than a Pappy 20.

Pappy is one of those rare items that is both becoming rarer and more expensive so you might be kicking yourself for passing the opportunity now.

It's a tough choice but I think the odds are that you would think that Pappy 20 was worth it.

Greg

Quick question for a layman with a tight budget. Will those above mentioned spirits.....will there be a significant amount of satisfaction over a $20 Buffalo Trance Bourbon? Honest responses requested.

[bluesbassdad]

If someone offered me a bottle of gold foil for $10, I'd spend my money on Heaven Hill.

A year or two ago I got sick of looking at my stash of the stuff and sold it for what I originally paid. I didn't have the balls to sell it at the market price, even back then. If the other party drank it and enjoyed it, then good for him. If he sold it, I'm not to blame for the buyer's disappointment.

Since then I've discovered I have one more bottle of the stuff. I may offer at as a prize in a contest one of these days. Maybe a guess as to the number of electoral votes received by the losing Presidential candidate. Sort of a loser meets loser theme.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[bluesbassdad]

"If you can get PVW 15, buy two of those instead of the 20."

If you're buying purely for drinking enjoyment, I agree. But there's something to be said about the value of educating one's palate as to the effects of extreme aging.

I's done been ejukated, So's I won't be buying' another bottle of the 20, but I's glad I bought the one.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[CorvallisCracker]

...Midleton Very Rare (which year, by the way? I have the 2006 open currently)

It's at several stores. I'll have to check each. Where on the label would I find that?

[CorvallisCracker]

If you can get PVW 15 buy two of those instead of the 20.

I have a 2/3 full bottle of that. Bought it week after Christmas. Was in one of the stores that has the PVW 20 (also the 23). Was talking to the proprietor, mentioned I'd read that a lot of people thought the 15 was better, he said, "Wait a second," went in the back, brought out a 15, said, "This was a special order, but the guy said if he didn't pick it up by Christmas, to go ahead and sell it to someone else." I bought it, price was $50. Great stuff.

So I could probably get more, but it would be a special order. Based on other special orders I made, I'd be looking at a 6-7 week wait.

Thing is, I've tried it side-by-side with VW 12yo Lot B, and found I like that as much. The 12yo is slightly more aromatic, and the 15yo is slightly smoother. The Lot B is $40, so I've decided to just buy that in the future. The $10 difference will pay for a six pack of Full Sail Pale Ale and two Snickers bars.

[Slob]

I wish I had the money to play this game.

[CorvallisCracker]

I wish I had the money to play this game.

Well, I may have to postpone it a bit. Yesterday I did my taxes. Although Uncle Sam owes me $279, it seems I owe Uncle Oregon $1105.

Anyway, when things loosen up (maybe when that "stimulus" refund comes in from Uncle Sam), I'll probably get a bottle of the PVW 20.

Thanks to everyone for their advice.

[TNbourbon]

It's at several stores. I'll have to check each. Where on the label would I find that?

It will be on the medallion on the front of the box or, if unboxed, in about the middle of the label, under the name.