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Look for Old Bardstown black label or estate bottled, Johnny Drum private stock, any Old GrandDad other than the 86 proof, 1792, Henry McKenna, Heaven Hill BIB white label, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, Beam Black, Medley Brothers, Old Fitz BIB, Wathens, Evan Williams single barrel and Larceny. If you see any Rock Hill Farms or Elmer T Lee, grab it. The EC barrel proof is also very good. Any of the Four Roses are good ( yellow label, small batch and single barrel). A personal favorite is the Old Forester 1920, and it sells for $60 or less at most places. The Col. E H Taylor small batch is also good. Have fun.
Awesome. I'll make a list of stuff I don't have and look for those you mention.
Currently do have a few of those on your list though. I try to keep my cabinet pretty full.
Old Granddad 114
1792 single barrel
Evan Williams single barrel '05, '07, '08 (man the '05 is fantastic!)
Larceny (had to drive 2 hours north to get this. LOL)
Four Roses Single Barrel
Knob Creek Small batch
Haven't tried any of the EH Taylor so might look for one of those. Have been trying to find Elmer T Lee as well so that's definitely on the list. I've seen the Old Forester 1920 here (currently at Total Wine for $55) but haven't pulled the trigger on that yet. Thanks for all your information.
Awesome. I'll make a list of stuff I don't have and look for those you mention.
Currently do have a few of those on your list though. I try to keep my cabinet pretty full.
Old Granddad 114
1792 single barrel
Evan Williams single barrel '05, '07, '08 (man the '05 is fantastic!)
Larceny (had to drive 2 hours north to get this. LOL)
Four Roses Single Barrel
Knob Creek Small batch
Haven't tried any of the EH Taylor so might look for one of those. Have been trying to find Elmer T Lee as well so that's definitely on the list. I've seen the Old Forester 1920 here (currently at Total Wine for $55) but haven't pulled the trigger on that yet. Thanks for all your information.
Just a final note. Do you ever buy online? I buy a lot of bourbon, tequila and gin online from California. Even with shipping fees it is much less expensive than where I live now. The primary stores I buy from are Remedy Liquor, Mission Liquor and Hi-Times. Prices in California are really pretty competitive and the selection is also good. Just an idea.
Just a final note. Do you ever buy online? I buy a lot of bourbon, tequila and gin online from California. Even with shipping fees it is much less expensive than where I live now. The primary stores I buy from are Remedy Liquor, Mission Liquor and Hi-Times. Prices in California are really pretty competitive and the selection is also good. Just an idea.
Well I'll be dammed. Never knew online ordering would be so reasonable. Just scanned through Hi-Times site. EH Small batch $45, 10 MCkenna for $25, Sazerac Rye for $30. Had no idea online would be that affordable and sometimes the only option of locating here in AZ. This could be life changing information that my wife will hate to hear! Thanks.
Well I'll be dammed. Never knew online ordering would be so reasonable. Just scanned through Hi-Times site. EH Small batch $45, 10 MCkenna for $25, Sazerac Rye for $30. Had no idea online would be that affordable and sometimes the only option of locating here in AZ. This could be life changing information that my wife will hate to hear! Thanks.
One other online store you might try is internetwines.com, out of St.Louis. Get on their mailing list and you will get notifications of their sale items. They have some great deals from time to time.
One other online store you might try is internetwines.com, out of St.Louis. Get on their mailing list and you will get notifications of their sale items. They have some great deals from time to time.
So what's the reason that certain states are harder to locate bourbon items, such as AZ? We are right next door to California and have 4M people here in the valley alone, but California has all these bottles we can't EVER find most of them here. What gives? Is this a distributor or retailer thing?
I belong to a Bourbon Society page here and some of these guys buy tons of bottles when travelling, simply because we cannot find many of them here.
So what's the reason that certain states are harder to locate bourbon items, such as AZ? We are right next door to California and have 4M people here in the valley alone, but California has all these bottles we can't EVER find most of them here. What gives? Is this a distributor or retailer thing?
I belong to a Bourbon Society page here and some of these guys buy tons of bottles when travelling, simply because we cannot find many of them here.
You can never be sure but I imagine it is demographics. Retailers want to move product and if bourbon was in demand there would be plenty of it available. I imagine the tequila selection in AZ is off the charts, and I like tequila, but can't find much locally. Actually, as someone who lived in KY for some time I have to laugh when you say CA has all these bourbons. Their supply is pretty good, but nothing like you can find in KY. In fact, there are many bourbons that are sold only in KY. Anyway CA does have good prices. If you ever get to Texas you will also find a good selection, as well as lots of Weller. For some reason while the rest of the country dries up, Weller is still flowing in the Lone Star state. Happy hunting.
I just saw Blood Oath on the shelf last week and learned that its the third release in a series of bourbons with this name. The story reminds me of labels like Orphan Barrel which emphasize origins from a "secret stash" of old barrels which are used to try all sorts of experimental trials.
How many more of these "series" style products are out there? And do you think its a valid stock or just someone's good marketing that's making a killing?
I am not a fan of most of the "story" releases, and really don't like anything released by Luxco, with the exception of David Nicholson 1843. I have not tried Pact 3, but the reviews were okay, as they were for Pact 2. It is the pricing that shocks me as this is a blend of high-rye 12 yr. and 7 yr bourbons. I have seen it on the shelves around here for $150 and that is insane. I judge bourbons now by one yardstick - - how many Four Roses Single Barrels can I buy for the price of this new trendy juice. In this case I could buy 5 Four Roses for the price of one Pact 3. I know Four Roses is very good. The only question is whether Pact 3 is 5 times as good. I suspect it is not and therefore I will pass. I might try it at a bar for a single pour, but I will let the whole bottle sit on my retailers shelf. By the way, I bought many of the Orphan Barrel releases. Some were good and some were awful, but all were overpriced. Burned once, twice shy.
We have a few of the Orphan barrels and also have mixed opinions, but for us its about learning the bourbons and their flavors and not about "the show", so though we may not care for some, we have friends with different palates that ours, so its nice to have on hand something special that they like and may not get for themselves when they visit.
I'm just so curious to know where all these "lost barrels" come from.....its hard to imagine that the Stizel-Weller property was virtually abandoned with hundreds of barrels still in the rickhouses as one might assume given the Orphan Barrel stories.
You seem to have quite a breadth of insider knowledge about the industry...just how many of these "story bourbons" are out there, anyway?
Honestly, it is possible for barrels to "get lost" as KY in the 70's did not have the level of rickhouse sophistication that exists today, but I am dubious of any storied bourbon and there are many, many out there. I saw somewhere the other day that KY has over 6.6 million barrels in storage, which equals the high water mark in the mid-70's ( the last time before now when bourbon was king). In the 80's and 90's the industry fell on hard times and companies, and distillers, and their inventory changed hands all too frequently. I don't doubt that some bourbon was orphaned. What I do doubt is that bourbon that had no supervision turned out to be a great product. It's possible. Who would have thought the Col. EH Taylor Jr. Warehouse C Tornado Surviving bourbon would be fantastic, but it was. Anyway, you have the right attitude. Buy something new, share it with friends. You may not like it but your friend might. I happen to love Very Special Old Fitzgerald 12 yr, which is no longer distributed but on sale from time to time at Heaven Hill's Bourbon Heritage Center. I have friends who intensely dislike it. It takes all kinds. Just be wary. There is a lot of hype in the industry now as marketers, rather than distillers, are in control. I don't see that changing anytime soon.
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Blood Oath and trendy endeavors
