Bourbon

[athlete cured]

All you Pappy drinkers: I was at Buffalo Trace on TH....they are really behind in bottling so the Pappy may be late this year. The day I was there, they were really doing a bottling push on Eagle Rare & Blanton - the Blanton was going to Japan (big seller there) & I think the ER was going to Australia... ER is selling like crazy I guess. The bottling hall smelled amazing! They still fill/label by hand.

BTW: I got to see several different barrels of the Experimental Collection resting in the warehouse - very interesting -they were the small barrels. I highly recommend the "Hard Hat" tour -really get to see a lot & the guide was excellent.

Thanks for the Hard Hat tip...from a Pappy drinker in waiting. By the way, can any bourbon enthusiasts confirm/deny that Jefferson's Presidential Select 17 & 18 (from the Stitzel Weller stock distilled in Fall 1991) is the same mashbill as Pappy Van Winkle 15 & 20? Thanks for any info that can be provided.

no expert here...but I think all Stitzel-Weller was 75/20/5. so, the Pappy 20/23 and Jeffersons 17/18 would have that mashbill. the origin of the current 15 is unclear (as I'm sure you know)....

[Pudge72]

By the way, can any bourbon enthusiasts confirm/deny that Jefferson's Presidential Select 17 & 18 (from the Stitzel Weller stock distilled in Fall 1991) is the same mashbill as Pappy Van Winkle 15 & 20? Thanks for any info that can be provided.

no expert here...but I think all Stitzel-Weller was 75/20/5. so, the Pappy 20/23 and Jeffersons 17/18 would have that mashbill. the origin of the current 15 is unclear (as I'm sure you know)....

Interesting...thanks, athlete cured!

[whiskytime]

Buffalo Trace's Blanton's single barrel is good. It's a round-shaped bottle with a wee soldier on the cork.. Maker's Mark is good as well. Don't know many more apart from the standards...


btw, this would be one for Gunfreak's soldier collection

I'll second the Blanton's gold - single barrel being good, but I thought is was a racehorse with jockey (Kentucky Derby) as opposed to a soldier?
(I had a few different ones, but they were lost with everything in the pub )

Don't paid so much attention on what was on the cork but more to the contents of the bottle... might well have been a racehorse

The corks have metal jockeys on race horses racing - there are 8 different versions of the horse/jockey with a letter on each that spell out BLANTONS....people collect them. The "S" is really hard to find. We stood next to the guy on the bottling line popping them in the bottles by hand.

[Wired1]

I have Pappy 23, 23 Family Reserve, George T Stagg, Eagle Rare 17, and Pappy 20 & 15.

I literally bought ALL of these (except the family reserve) bottles in December when my State, and the neighboring states got them in on the same day. Great pricing, too. $60 - $200 for each bottle. Not bad.

As for flavor, I can comment on all but the Family Reserve as I have yet to open it... Still, there are tasting notes galour online.

ER17 is good, not great. I found it one dimensional and rather traditional in it's flavors. If you have had ANY bourbon, you have had this one, except give it points for being less fruity and more nutty. Think very little cherry, a lot of pecan and walnuts.

Pappy 15 is great, as is 20... and I know this will sound like a copout, but the 23 is my favorite. Most complex, most flavorful, and most enjoyable to drink in that you really can pull out so much if you take your time. Again, take all of your bourbon standard flavors and imagine them all perfectly balanced in a glass. To me, this is Pappy 23. Just a perfect bourbon in every way. Vanilla bean, caramel, cherry, all sorts of nuts, some licorice, burnt sugar like the top of creme' brulee, and a super viscous mouthfeel. The finish is ridiculous, too. Love this stuff.

As for GTS... well. It's awesome. And at $60 it might be the best value, too. HOWEVER, it needs water, and mixing it to the proper proportions takes practice. In other words, before I loved it, I made a few mistakes in which I barely liked it and then sort of liked it and so on... until I got it right. Perhaps that's just my naivety in adding water, but it was my experience.

Hope that helps!

Let me know if you have any more questions!

[ktothec]

Some great bourbons and ryes in my collection too. Lots of BTAC bottles.
Best bourbon in my opinion is Pappy Van Winkle 15yo Family Reserve closely followed by George T Stagg.
My favourite rye is Thomas H Handy - absolutely superb stuff.

Looking forward to trying some Woodford Reserve actually...

[athlete cured]

I found a place with 3 bottles of the Parker's Heritage 'Golden Anniversary'.
Even with a 97/100 from Malt Advocate I can't spend $134 on a bourbon.
If any MN bourbon guys happen to see this and are interested pm me....

[athlete cured]

It sounds like Heaven Hill is 'temporarily suspending production' of Elijah Craig 18yr SB ($40 here) in favor of a 20yr SB ($130).
It's funny because I had decided only a couple months ago that EC 18yr would be the one extra-aged bourbon I'd always keep stocked because it was as good or better than rye-recipe bourbons twice its price. Hmmm.

[whiskytime]

It sounds like Heaven Hill is 'temporarily suspending production' of Elijah Craig 18yr SB ($40 here) in favor of a 20yr SB ($130).
It's funny because I had decided only a couple months ago that EC 18yr would be the one extra-aged bourbon I'd always keep stocked because it was as good or better than rye-recipe bourbons twice its price. Hmmm.

I think they've discovered they can make more $ selling these "special" bottlings. I'll bet there will be more of this in the future. I won't really miss the 18 yo since I find it kind of boring (not much there) - it should have been bottled at maybe 15/16 yo...but I do like it mixed in the 12 yo. Which really makes me wonder what a 20 yo will be like....not one I'll buy untasted, especially at that price! The Evan Williams 23 yo is very good, though; it actually tastes like something. It's very complex & not too woody which surprised me. If I were in charge at HH, I'd be making a blend of the 12 yo & the 18 yo - that would be delicious & they could probably get away w/selling it at or near the 18yo price.