Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Had a couple glasses of Angels Envy this weekend. Wow, new favorite!

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

well Bulleit 95% rye for $20 Makers Mark for $23 seems good enough .. but I am CHEAP! eeeeerrr I mean THRIFTY !

;)

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

I like Angels Envy alot...it's in my current rotation :tu

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

I've been wanting to try this for a while and my local store got some in.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7741/1...78bf1fc3_z.jpg

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Nice! I picked up a bottle of Angels Envy

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Looks delicious James:tu

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

I tried some WL Weller last night, very very good for $17!

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Most of what is known as "Bourbon" and what made Prohibition news was rye mash bills. Wheated mash bills were very few and in between, in general, although sales of Van Winkle for decades suffered due to that. SO, in order to make ends meet they had to sell barrels to others. This is where Black Maple Hill story comes in.

Black Maple Hill, or at least what it used to be, is no more. Sadly. Name and bottling rights were bought and moved to OR distillery, their new bottling, with the black type and label, is just not what the old one used to be and not worth the effort. New mash bill, new everything, and way below par.

Original one, as I dug into the story and rather very few details, seems the 15-17 year Van Winkle barrels that could not be sold in the days past and before the hoopla with Van Winkle started after a TV show a few years ago. Those barrels, previously scooped up by the guy in San Mateo and bottled as Black Maple, basically just a registered label in CA, are no longer available, as one can imagine with Van Winkle selling every bottle they have now. Oh well... Best Bourbon on the market, by far. Have only 9 bottles left after sharing some with my cousin. Cases of "old" Black Maple were sitting in SF Bay Area at $34 per bottle just a bit over a year ago, wish I just bought them all. Hindsight and all that... Although asked the shops to let me ASAP if they somehow see any old bottle appear.

If you see the new black font Black Maple bottles, and eventually you will as they ramp up production, stay away and save your money. Its not the same stuff.

Stocking up on Black Maple "siblings" now, seems many caught on and are now buying all they can, in Las Vegas there are maybe 2-3 bottles sitting on a shelf at any one time, seems new owners will not be producing them going forward with the new distillery now up and running. Shame, it was a good run, I'll just make sure to stock up on these 2 before they also "expire" like Black Maple Hill did. Total Wine in NY area ran out months ago and have no idea when new stock shows up, if ever.

As daily drinkers, though, Four Roses should not be discounted, even their very affordable Small Batch, which I prefer over Single barrel. They have 2 mash bills, and where Single Barrel has these two with 2 yeasts each blend (for "4 complexity levels"), Single Batch, has same 2 mash bills over 5 yeasts each for more than double the complexity. And its cheaper, to boot, at $25 per its probably the best QPR out there in Bourbon. Which reminds me as I am looking at empty bottles...

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Picked these uo today!
http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/...620_121744.jpg

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Picked this up on Tues. Very smooth!

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1437658973

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Grabbed another bottle of Old Weller Antique and some Rittenhouse Rye:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/295/2...d1345e24_c.jpg

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

2 bottles of Knob Creek on offer...

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Got some new Sweet Wheat, very tasting. I suggestion you try it if you are a wheater.

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Just checking in to say that after a decade of hating on Bourbon, I really enjoy Bulleit.

That's all I got

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Has anyone been disappointed in an ultra-premium Bourbon? For only regular retail stuff; not the inflated collector bottles...

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Does Blanton's count? It just doesn't do it for me at all.

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

Sure, that is in this category. Is it their style or quality level for the money that doesn't do it for you?

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

There's a depth of flavor and character that I look for when spending $50-60 on a bourbon that Blanton's just seems to be missing to me. For that price I can get a bottle of Booker's or two bottles of Old Weller Antique, or even Knob Creek, and get more complexity.

There's another one that I just can't think of right now. I'd heard great things about it for a couple of years, finally tried it, and it's flavor was utterly overpowered by a burnt marshmallow aftertaste. I'll rack my brain and try to remember it...

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

I favor Booker's and it's available most of the time. That is an issue here in Iowa.

Re: The Bourbon Thread!!
 

My wife does some arts & crafts at home and recently discovered that the Booker's case is the perfect size to hold her spools of ribbon. The other night she came to me and said "Honey, you need to buy some more Booker's as I have about 20 more spools of ribbon that I need a box for." "How many do you need?" I replied. She said "One will probably do it but you should get two just to be on the safe side."

So damn the bad luck, I need to pick up two bottles of Booker's. Not because I enjoy it, of course, but only to help my wife get her crafts organized. :D

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5754/...138a7734_c.jpg

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