Bourbon.

[gnatty8]

Working remote from my Tennessee Ponderosa for a while. Too damned hot back in Houston and at least the nights here are cooler. Picked these up on way in. Two different bottlings of the BiB - Spring 2007 and Fall 2008, but both 13 years in the barrel in that crazy south Tennessee climate. Was stoked to try the rye, given the age, but was left with a feeling of meh. Felt thin, one dimensional, no oomph. Looked closer and noted that it was blended and bottled in Michigan. Haven’t seen much Michigan whiskey on the market and I know they didn’t distill or age this one themselves, but at close to $100, it should have been way better.

 

[januarytwenty]

Working remote from my Tennessee Ponderosa for a while. Too damned hot back in Houston and at least the nights here are cooler. Picked these up on way in. Two different bottlings of the BiB - Spring 2007 and Fall 2008, but both 13 years in the barrel in that crazy south Tennessee climate. Was stoked to try the rye, given the age, but was left with a feeling of meh. Felt thin, one dimensional, no oomph. Looked closer and noted that it was blended and bottled in Michigan. Haven’t seen much Michigan whiskey on the market and I know they didn’t distill or age this one themselves, but at close to $100, it should have been way better.
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****. 45N is closed this entire weekend… traffic is insane right now. Lucky.

 

[armedferret]

I like the Gold better, but at $42.99 i'll keep the regular in the cabinet, and the gold will be going next to the Black Tot Last Consignment for a proper nursing. Not headed back to London for a couple years probably (though this past July's trip is written up and live on my site) so it'll be a minute before i have a chance to score another (or two).

 

[gnatty8]

Not bourbon, but I picked up a bottle of Balcones Texas Single Malt (I was skeptical) and man, I must say I am truly impressed. It's very high proof (> 125) so needs water, but if I were tasting this blind, I'd be blown away.

 

[armedferret]

I've had worse Mondays.

 

[edmorel]

I've had worse Mondays.

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It’s crazy to me that Stagg Jr. and Eagle Rare 10 are now on “allocation”. I used to buy them 3 at a time for $40ish and would give them out during the holidays, I think I sent a few during the forum’s Secret Santa.
This weekend my guy called me all excited and said he had some Eagle Rare 10 at retail so I went over and bought them, wasn’t really looking for it but the owner of this place always hooks me up so whenever he says jump, I ask how high.

 

[gnatty8]

It’s crazy to me that Stagg Jr. and Eagle Rare 10 are now on “allocation”. I used to buy them 3 at a time for $40ish and would give them out during the holidays, I think I sent a few during the forum’s Secret Santa.
This weekend my guy called me all excited and said he had some Eagle Rare 10 at retail so I went over and bought them, wasn’t really looking for it but the owner of this place always hooks me up so whenever he says jump, I ask how high.

Yeah, although I keep both in my bar, I almost never drink them myself. I'll take Stagg Jr. to ER10 at retail, but would never pay above. There is just way too much good stuff out there at retail that is a much better value. Example? Almost anything done by George DIckel (Cascade Hollow), Chattanooga Whiskey, Yellowstone, or Nelson Brothers. Some of the Beam small batch (looking at you Baker's) is also a very good value at retail, and often can be found there.

 

[edmorel]

Yeah, although I keep both in my bar, I almost never drink them myself. I'll take Stagg Jr. to ER10 at retail, but would never pay above. There is just way too much good stuff out there at retail that is a much better value. Example? Almost anything done by George DIckel (Cascade Hollow), Chattanooga Whiskey, Yellowstone, or Nelson Brothers. Some of the Beam small batch (looking at you Baker's) is also a very good value at retail, and often can be found there.

Bourbons have gotten insane. I saw that Rabbit something or other is coming out with a 16 or 17 year old and asking $900 for it. It will probably sell out immediately and go for double that. It’s become an asset rather than something you drink.
I remember about 12 years ago a forum member (Thomas, I think?) sent me a bottle of George T Stagg as a Secret Santa. I’m sure it was a pricey bottle at the time relative to other bourbons but can you imagine someone paying $1500 for that bottle of bourbon today???

 

[venividivicibj]

It’s crazy to me that Stagg Jr. and Eagle Rare 10 are now on “allocation”. I used to buy them 3 at a time for $40ish and would give them out during the holidays, I think I sent a few during the forum’s Secret Santa.
This weekend my guy called me all excited and said he had some Eagle Rare 10 at retail so I went over and bought them, wasn’t really looking for it but the owner of this place always hooks me up so whenever he says jump, I ask how high.

I really like Stagg, I totally understand the love for that, one of my favorites. Don’t get the ER love, totally meh on it (unless it’s a store pick)

 

[gnatty8]

Bourbons have gotten insane. I saw that Rabbit something or other is coming out with a 16 or 17 year old and asking $900 for it. It will probably sell out immediately and go for double that. It’s become an asset rather than something you drink.
I remember about 12 years ago a forum member (Thomas, I think?) sent me a bottle of George T Stagg as a Secret Santa. I’m sure it was a pricey bottle at the time relative to other bourbons but can you imagine someone paying $1500 for that bottle of bourbon today???

I'll go you on better. A colleague gave me a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 20 year old as a going away gift when I left Atlanta. This was in 2007 (I think) when the 20 year old retailed around $100 and collected dust because it was too expensive. When I was in Memphis recently, I told my wife about finding a bottle of the 20 year old (this would have been in 2010, maybe 2011) at a liquor store near the Children's Hospital just sitting there on the shelf (yeah, I bought it). Since then, I have had mixed luck with the allocated stuff at least until we moved to Philly and lost all of my connections to the owner operated liquor stores (PA stores are all government monopoly) and haven't had anything allocated since! I still have a half dozen unicorns that I will likely open one of these days, as opposed to selling, mainly because f__k it, I don't know how to go about doing this (i.e. can't just post these things on eBay) easily, and not worth the hassle to me.

And yeah, that GTS would have retailed close to $79 at that time, so it was definitely in the upper tier of pricing then.

 

[Gibonius]

It’s crazy to me that Stagg Jr. and Eagle Rare 10 are now on “allocation”. I used to buy them 3 at a time for $40ish and would give them out during the holidays, I think I sent a few during the forum’s Secret Santa.
This weekend my guy called me all excited and said he had some Eagle Rare 10 at retail so I went over and bought them, wasn’t really looking for it but the owner of this place always hooks me up so whenever he says jump, I ask how high.

All kinds of bottles that I used to use as my well bourbons are allocated these days. It's ridiculous. Buffalo Trace often sells out.

It's funny, I've had some friends who got into bourbon later in the game tell me all excited that they got a bottle of Eagle Rare or Yamazaki 12 or Blanton's, and I just have a hard time providing the expected level of enthusiasm.

 

[Gibonius]

I'll go you on better. A colleague gave me a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 20 year old as a going away gift when I left Atlanta. This was in 2007 (I think) when the 20 year old retailed around $100 and collected dust because it was too expensive. When I was in Memphis recently, I told my wife about finding a bottle of the 20 year old (this would have been in 2010, maybe 2011) at a liquor store near the Children's Hospital just sitting there on the shelf (yeah, I bought it). Since then, I have had mixed luck with the allocated stuff at least until we moved to Philly and lost all of my connections to the owner operated liquor stores (PA stores are all government monopoly) and haven't had anything allocated since! I still have a half dozen unicorns that I will likely open one of these days, as opposed to selling, mainly because f__k it, I don't know how to go about doing this (i.e. can't just post these things on eBay) easily, and not worth the hassle to me.

And yeah, that GTS would have retailed close to $79 at that time, so it was definitely in the upper tier of pricing then.

Back when I was a grad student I gave bottles of Pappy 15 as gifts to friends, multiple times. Always had one on my bar. Think it was $54/bottle back then.

 

[armedferret]

I'll grab ER and Trace and Blanton's all day at NEX prices (23, 19, and 43 respectively). no way in hell i'd pay "maryland" prices for any of them. or wait in line lol.

plenty out there that isn't allocated that's a far superior value, but it's fun to pour a flight for friends that's stuff like Trace, Eagle, Elijah, Yellowstone, Blantons, and Woodford DO, blind. See which they like most, but impresses upon them that just because it's hyped on social media, doesn't make it the best out there.

And in about 6-7 weeks I'll be snagging a trio of Japanese Blanton's ("red") from a buddy stationed over there, coming back here for a bit for some classes. Definitely not paying secondary on those.

 

[cocostella]

Man, I love me some Stagg and StaggJr. I also love/hate ruminating on the good ‘ol days when all of it, including all the Pappy iterations, were so much cheaper! Oh well… like many have said, there’s still plenty of excellent, un-hyped juice out there. Dickel being one of the most plentiful for sure. @armedferret that’s a damn fine Monday in my book!

 

[jcman311]

I only started in on bourbon after single malts got too expensive and far inferior quality. For both, we’ll have to wait out the cycle of bad business/terrible quality which will likely shutter a number of operations in the 5-10yr period. Or have inflation accelerate that.