Tell me about your favorite whiskey or bourbon

[TRAMPER]

I’ve been meaning to open this one for a while now.

 

[Briski]

View attachment 211401
I’ve been meaning to open this one for a while now.

How is the Rye versus Bourbon taste? Curious
Cheers

 

[TRAMPER]

How is the Rye versus Bourbon taste? Curious
Cheers

So it’s a little sweet. Toasted sugar and red fruit. It’s pretty good honestly but I’m not sure if it’s worth the price of admission….

Definitely enjoyable but it’s a pretty high dollar bottle.

 

[Nightwalker]

I drink Talisker Distiller's Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky. I visited their distillery on a trip to Scotland. I developed a taste for the smokier whiskys.

 

[TRAMPER]

I drink Talisker Distiller's Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky. I visited their distillery on a trip to Scotland. I developed a taste for the smokier whiskys.

No one asked about your scotch

 

[Briski]

I could never develop a taste for scotch. It’s not for lack of trying. I spent a couple weeks in Scotland and really liked their ale in the end.
Cheers

 

[DTX2023Tremor]

Got a delivery today with some cool bottles in it. Rare Perfection is a brand of Preservation Distillery. If you're not familiar with the distillery, they have a controversial and complex history. While they have only recently come to market with their own distillate, the company was built on two of their core brands - Very Olde St. Nick (VSON) and Rare Perfection. Very Old St. Nick was the original brand and was a large part of bringing American whiskey to Japan (who for some reason took a liking to the Santa Claus figure on the bottles). The founder in the 80's and 90's bought an undisclosed quantity of whiskey from the large legacy distilleries (e.g., from Julian Van Winkle at Stitzel-Weller, and from some of the other big names at the time). She got these barrels at pennies on the dollar as distilleries were struggling to sell to American consumers at that time and the foreign demand for our whiskey was nothing like it is today (where Scotch really dominated the field on a global scale).

During this period, a Canadian distillery went out of business and liquidated its inventory, which was also purchased by the same person (large fortune from a liquor distribution business on the West Coast that her husband owned). The 12 year that I acquired is supposed to be very very good, but can't be found in stores for several years now. You can find the 14 year (which is liquid butterscotch in a bottle) and the 15 year is a very drinkable pour - both the 14 and 15 year are Canadian. The most recent release was the 8 year which along with the 12 year are Kentucky Bourbons. Unclear why these bourbons got bottled under the Rare Perfection brand and not VSON.

So this 12 year was likely sourced from Willet who got them contract distilled by Heaven Hill (more specifically the Bernheim distillery) in the early 2000s - back when Willet was a NDP.

So why the controversy? Well, Preservation is not transparent about their sources for their stock or really any details related to what's in the bottle. There is no way to know if you're drinking distillate from Heaven Hill or Stitzel-Weller or if they sourced these stocks more recently to keep putting out bottles. No insight as to how much old / original stock is left from their buying spree 30+ years ago and their MSRPs are stupidly high. I admittedly bought into the story of the legacy stocks and have a few of their bottles in my collection and most are very good, but can't say that they justify their price when there are amazing bottles for a fraction of the price (e.g., Tremor Reserve 1). This 12 year had been reviewed a few times as great so saw a more reasonable price for it and decided to get one.

Oh, Rare Character is putting out some great MGP barrels lately and the 11 year Tumblin Dice is another solid pour. Cheers!

 

[Streetcruzer]

Scored a unusual bottle today! The Chicago Cubs must have an affiliation with Makers Mark for special labeling on these limited edition bottles. I'm sure the bottle will sell quickly in this area!

 

[DTX2023Tremor]

So last night we had a going away party for a colleague who is moving on... the restaurant we went to had Pappy 10, 12 and Family Reserve in addition to GTS, Thomas H. Handy. So I decided to splurge on a pour of the Pappy's 12 (never having tried it before). They gave me a pretty healthy pour, probably 1.5 - 1.75 oz for $90 + tax and tip. The bottle was about 80% full, so not too much air in the bottle to drastically change the profile of the pour.

I don't chase ultra premium whiskies or the Buffalo Trace Antique collection because the bottles are just so hard to get and I'm not willing to drop that kind of money on a single bottle. I recently tried a 2009 and 2011 George T. Stagg as well as 1979 bottle of Weller Antique 107 which were phenomenal, each probably the best three pours of whiskey I've ever had. I have actually avoided trying (and definitely buying) anything from the Pappy line-up because I hate how bottles that used to sell for sub-$100 to even sub-$50 are now going to 25x - 50x their historic MSRP. Last night I decided to see what all the hype was about.

I'm not one to try to pick-out all of the different notes from nose, to palate, and finish. I just like to enjoy a nice pour and not think about what's in the glass. With the high expectations for Pappy, I would say that it is good... maybe a little above average. I was expecting something that would rank on the T8KE scale an easy 8 or 9. The 12 year Pappy was something I would give a 5.5 - 6 on. Is it just me? Does Pappy Van Winkle whiskey rank in your top pours or is it overhyped for the price?

By comparison, I'd give our bottle of Tremor Reserve an 8 on the T8KE scale:

The T8KE Scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect

 

[Rodd187]

And just think this whole time you were one jack off!

Brilliant, classic Cletus T. Judd song! Love it brother

 

[speeddev]

So last night we had a going away party for a colleague who is moving on... the restaurant we went to had Pappy 10, 12 and Family Reserve in addition to GTS, Thomas H. Handy. So I decided to splurge on a pour of the Pappy's 12 (never having tried it before). They gave me a pretty healthy pour, probably 1.5 - 1.75 oz for $90 + tax and tip. The bottle was about 80% full, so not too much air in the bottle to drastically change the profile of the pour.

I don't chase ultra premium whiskies or the Buffalo Trace Antique collection because the bottles are just so hard to get and I'm not willing to drop that kind of money on a single bottle. I recently tried a 2009 and 2011 George T. Stagg as well as 1979 bottle of Weller Antique 107 which were phenomenal, each probably the best three pours of whiskey I've ever had. I have actually avoided trying (and definitely buying) anything from the Pappy line-up because I hate how bottles that used to sell for sub-$100 to even sub-$50 are now going to 25x - 50x their historic MSRP. Last night I decided to see what all the hype was about.

I'm not one to try to pick-out all of the different notes from nose, to palate, and finish. I just like to enjoy a nice pour and not think about what's in the glass. With the high expectations for Pappy, I would say that it is good... maybe a little above average. I was expecting something that would rank on the T8KE scale an easy 8 or 9. The 12 year Pappy was something I would give a 5.5 - 6 on. Is it just me? Does Pappy Van Winkle whiskey rank in your top pours or is it overhyped for the price?

By comparison, I'd give our bottle of Tremor Reserve an 8 on the T8KE scale:

The T8KE Scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect

I tried a Pappy's 12 years ago up in D.C. @ Jack Rose's Saloon (used the be the largest whiskey collection in the Western Hemisphere; sadly no longer in existence post-COVID). We were celebrating something and I'd always wanted to try it, so I did. I found it to be spectacular. Thing I found most impressive was how long the finish lasted--enjoyed an hour long conversation over one pour.

That being said, this was a long time ago. My palate was definitely not as refined as it is now (very relative, I know!), and there might have been the psychological aspect of finally getting to try a holy grail juice. I think I'll have to have it again to see if it evokes the same feelings now, or if it slips down the scale for me.

Either way, I'm glad you got to try it. And thank you for turning me on to some amazing bottles that are not unobtainium!!

 

[TRAMPER]

So last night we had a going away party for a colleague who is moving on... the restaurant we went to had Pappy 10, 12 and Family Reserve in addition to GTS, Thomas H. Handy. So I decided to splurge on a pour of the Pappy's 12 (never having tried it before). They gave me a pretty healthy pour, probably 1.5 - 1.75 oz for $90 + tax and tip. The bottle was about 80% full, so not too much air in the bottle to drastically change the profile of the pour.

I don't chase ultra premium whiskies or the Buffalo Trace Antique collection because the bottles are just so hard to get and I'm not willing to drop that kind of money on a single bottle. I recently tried a 2009 and 2011 George T. Stagg as well as 1979 bottle of Weller Antique 107 which were phenomenal, each probably the best three pours of whiskey I've ever had. I have actually avoided trying (and definitely buying) anything from the Pappy line-up because I hate how bottles that used to sell for sub-$100 to even sub-$50 are now going to 25x - 50x their historic MSRP. Last night I decided to see what all the hype was about.

I'm not one to try to pick-out all of the different notes from nose, to palate, and finish. I just like to enjoy a nice pour and not think about what's in the glass. With the high expectations for Pappy, I would say that it is good... maybe a little above average. I was expecting something that would rank on the T8KE scale an easy 8 or 9. The 12 year Pappy was something I would give a 5.5 - 6 on. Is it just me? Does Pappy Van Winkle whiskey rank in your top pours or is it overhyped for the price?

By comparison, I'd give our bottle of Tremor Reserve an 8 on the T8KE scale:

The T8KE Scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect

I haven’t had the 12 yet, I do need a reason to open it, but the 10 year is probably the best bottle I’ve ever had. Nearly everyone I’ve shared it with completely agrees, it’s so close to empty now though…. I was eyeing another bottle of it but I can’t find one for less than $800 lol.

 

[DTX2023Tremor]

I tried a Pappy's 12 years ago up in D.C. @ Jack Rose's Saloon (used the be the largest whiskey collection in the Western Hemisphere; sadly no longer in existence post-COVID). We were celebrating something and I'd always wanted to try it, so I did. I found it to be spectacular. Thing I found most impressive was how long the finish lasted--enjoyed an hour long conversation over one pour.

That being said, this was a long time ago. My palate was definitely not as refined as it is now (very relative, I know!), and there might have been the psychological aspect of finally getting to try a holy grail juice. I think I'll have to have it again to see if it evokes the same feelings now, or if it slips down the scale for me.

Either way, I'm glad you got to try it. And thank you for turning me on to some amazing bottles that are not unobtainium!!

The GTS 2009 and 2011 are phenomenal pours while my 2023 GTS is no where near as good, and was in fact disappointing when I had enjoyed a pour of the 2009 a few days prior to opening my 2023, expecting a similar experience. I imagine a Pappy bottle from several years ago would likely be considerably better than what is likely being released today.

Production volumes were smaller, allowing for more careful attention to individual batches. The distillery was also less pressed to meet massive demand, so they could be more selective about which barrels made it into premium releases. As bourbon demand exploded in the 2010s, Buffalo Trace faced increasing pressure to maintain supply levels for their allocated releases. After hitting a low of just 12,000 barrels per year in 1992 during the downturn, Buffalo Trace dramatically ramped up production starting in the 2000s, reaching over 200,000 barrels annually. This represented a fundamental shift from scarcity-based production to volume-driven manufacturing. This likely meant dipping into barrels that previously wouldn't have made the cut for George T. Stagg, diluting the overall quality of the vatting.

Increased production to meet growing demand, which can introduce quality control challenges. When you're producing more whiskey, maintaining the exact same standards across every batch becomes more difficult. The whiskey going into barrels in the 1990s was made with minimal technological intervention, while whiskey produced in the 2000s and beyond came from increasingly sophisticated, sensor-driven, and volume-optimized systems.

In addition, there was a master distiller transition: Gary Gayheart, who became master distiller in 1985, retired in 2005, with Harlen Wheatley taking over in the mid-2000s brought different approaches to production decisions and quality standards.

 

[TRAMPER]

The GTS 2009 and 2011 are phenomenal pours while my 2023 GTS is no where near as good, and was in fact disappointing when I had enjoyed a pour of the 2009 a few days prior to opening my 2023, expecting a similar experience. I imagine a Pappy bottle from several years ago would likely be considerably better than what is likely being released today.

Production volumes were smaller, allowing for more careful attention to individual batches. The distillery was also less pressed to meet massive demand, so they could be more selective about which barrels made it into premium releases. As bourbon demand exploded in the 2010s, Buffalo Trace faced increasing pressure to maintain supply levels for their allocated releases. After hitting a low of just 12,000 barrels per year in 1992 during the downturn, Buffalo Trace dramatically ramped up production starting in the 2000s, reaching over 200,000 barrels annually. This represented a fundamental shift from scarcity-based production to volume-driven manufacturing. This likely meant dipping into barrels that previously wouldn't have made the cut for George T. Stagg, diluting the overall quality of the vatting.

Increased production to meet growing demand, which can introduce quality control challenges. When you're producing more whiskey, maintaining the exact same standards across every batch becomes more difficult. The whiskey going into barrels in the 1990s was made with minimal technological intervention, while whiskey produced in the 2000s and beyond came from increasingly sophisticated, sensor-driven, and volume-optimized systems.

In addition, there was a master distiller transition: Gary Gayheart, who became master distiller in 1985, retired in 2005, with Harlen Wheatley taking over in the mid-2000s brought different approaches to production decisions and quality standards.

Idk why but I love the idea of a guy named Harlem Wheatley being the master distiller. I feel like that’s as Kentucky/ Whiskey as it gets!!!

 

[Optimus🤖]

Idk why but I love the idea of a guy named Harlem Wheatley being the master distiller. I feel like that’s as Kentucky/ Whiskey as it gets!!!

Sounds a little New York to me .

 

[Camarox2]

So last night we had a going away party for a colleague who is moving on... the restaurant we went to had Pappy 10, 12 and Family Reserve in addition to GTS, Thomas H. Handy. So I decided to splurge on a pour of the Pappy's 12 (never having tried it before). They gave me a pretty healthy pour, probably 1.5 - 1.75 oz for $90 + tax and tip. The bottle was about 80% full, so not too much air in the bottle to drastically change the profile of the pour.

I don't chase ultra premium whiskies or the Buffalo Trace Antique collection because the bottles are just so hard to get and I'm not willing to drop that kind of money on a single bottle. I recently tried a 2009 and 2011 George T. Stagg as well as 1979 bottle of Weller Antique 107 which were phenomenal, each probably the best three pours of whiskey I've ever had. I have actually avoided trying (and definitely buying) anything from the Pappy line-up because I hate how bottles that used to sell for sub-$100 to even sub-$50 are now going to 25x - 50x their historic MSRP. Last night I decided to see what all the hype was about.

I'm not one to try to pick-out all of the different notes from nose, to palate, and finish. I just like to enjoy a nice pour and not think about what's in the glass. With the high expectations for Pappy, I would say that it is good... maybe a little above average. I was expecting something that would rank on the T8KE scale an easy 8 or 9. The 12 year Pappy was something I would give a 5.5 - 6 on. Is it just me? Does Pappy Van Winkle whiskey rank in your top pours or is it overhyped for the price?

By comparison, I'd give our bottle of Tremor Reserve an 8 on the T8KE scale:

The T8KE Scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect

Yes, I would have to totally agree!

I have had 3 different years of the GTS and they have all been a good 8-9. I would also give the Tremor Reserve a good solid 8/8.5.

The pour we had of Pappy 12 yr in a downtown Napa, CA bar about 7 yrs ago was probably only a 7-7.5.

Another great pour was a fews years back of Thomas H. Handy while in Reno, NV for Hot August nights. Good solid 8-8.5.

Still looking to try WLW!

 

[DTX2023Tremor]

Did you ever see a new article and think to yourself, "Well, guess this is how I'm going to go?"

https://www.yahoo.com/news/cancer-deaths-tied-alcohol-rising-210000264.html

So any of you with really great whiskey that you want to give up to live longer, please PM me and I'll be happy to arrange shipping / picking-up what you don't want (in the name of supporting your health). Whatever is left when I go will get loaded up on a barge for a Viking-style funeral (ice tea and lemonade will be served to attendees).

 

[TRAMPER]

You ripped that winkle didn't you, you dirty dog you!

After packing up a sample I finished it off last night. Now I need to track down another…

 

[TRAMPER]

Tonight…. The final letter. Saved the “S” for last

 

[Canyon Trekker]

View attachment 211759
After packing up a sample I finished it off last night. Now I need to track down another…

Wait a minute! Rip Van Winkle slept for 20 years, not 10. This is an imposter I tell ya.