The Liquor Thread

[PokerPacker]

4 hours ago, MisterPinstripe said:

I have typically just been into Scotch, but starting on a bourbon kick. I grabbed a cheap bottle of Henry McKenna 10 which was pretty good, probably going to try the Four Roses Single Barrel next. What are a couple of the best ones I can get for less than 50, maybe 60?

Larceny's not bad.

[HOF44]

Ok, who is running out to get one of these?????

[twa]

I will probably try it sometime, but no hurry 

Not a fan of flavored whiskey, but I do love Tabasco.

[China]

Great news, you can now buy whiskey flavored with beaver secretion

 

Castoreum is a yellowish, strong-smelling secretion that comes from the castor sacs found near the base of a beaver’s tail. It’s an FDA-approved food additive, and hey, you can now get whiskey that’s flavored with the stuff.

 

Per Snopes: “Getting a beaver to produce castoreum for purposes of food processing is tough. Foodies bent on acquiring some of the sticky stuff have to anesthetize the animal and then ‘milk’ its nether regions.”

 

Click on the link for the full article

Edited June 13, 2018 by China

[AsburySkinsFan]

Wow, keep the flavorings out of my bourbon thanks, especially the beaver juice.

[PokerPacker]

33 minutes ago, China said:

Great news, you can now buy whiskey flavored with beaver secretion

 

Castoreum is a yellowish, strong-smelling secretion that comes from the castor sacs found near the base of a beaver’s tail. It’s an FDA-approved food additive, and hey, you can now get whiskey that’s flavored with the stuff.

 

Per Snopes: “Getting a beaver to produce castoreum for purposes of food processing is tough. Foodies bent on acquiring some of the sticky stuff have to anesthetize the animal and then ‘milk’ its nether regions.”

 

Click on the link for the full article

Bartender: what'll you have?
Patron: Bourbon
Bartender: which one?
Patron: The one that they drugged and sodomized a beaver to make.

[Skinsfan1311]

Been wanting to try this. Wasn't available for sampling when we toured Woodford. Our local LS has a sampling and offered free engraving of you bought a bottle. $32.00. It's pretty good, not great, but good..I'd buy it again, but wouldn't pay more than $32.00.  I'll use the empty bottle as a solera.

[AsburySkinsFan]

A moment of silence for the fallen....

 

 

[twa]

are they gonna have a scratch and dent sale?

[AsburySkinsFan]

3 hours ago, twa said:

are they gonna have a scratch and dent sale?

From one of our members....

 

[China]

 

[HOF44]

A group I'm in just did a Private Barrel of Makers Mark Cask Strength.  Not sure about how I feel on these finished whiskies.  But I'm gonna give it a try.  Here is a synopsis of the day from one of our guys. 

 

Quote

so details...

They treated us like kings; really rolled out the red carpet. First they fed us a lunch, that was actually quite delicious. Then they did a detailed behind the scenes type of tour on which they covered everything. For most of us that have seen a distillery a hundred times, it was a tad long. For those that may not have, it was fabulous. 

Then they took us to the “pick.” The pick consists of essentially creating your own flavor profile. The base whiskey for these Makers Private Select bottles is the Makers Cask Strength. So you first taste that by itself. Then you individually taste the 5 different finishing staves that you can add into the barrel. Each have their own profile - spice, sweet, longer finish, more viscous, etc.

Then you figure out what you want your whiskey to taste like and go backwards from there basically. Say you want more spice, you’d add another stave of Makers 46, etc. We played around with numerous different combinations and tweaked them until we got what we thought we were trying to achieve. Then we did the two final choices blind. And did a “silent vote” and everyone unanimously picked the one we chose. 

After all that was over, we went over and actually put the staves into the barrel ourselves. And then got to fill the barrel ourselves too. 

All in all, it is. VERY highly recommended experience. They understand customer service and customer experience better than most.

Edited June 28, 2018 by HOF44

[AsburySkinsFan]

1 hour ago, HOF44 said:

A group I'm in just did a Private Barrel of Makers Mark Cask Strength.  Not sure about how I feel on these finished whiskies.  But I'm gonna give it a try.  Here is a synopsis of the day from one of our guys. 

 

How different is this than say a Woodford Double Oaked, or an Angels Envy?

Sure they're tailoring the final flavor profile, but that's what master distillers do from the start.

I think with the success of Angels Envy we're going to start seeing more of these "finished" bourbons especially as lazy consumers look for variety in their bourbons. Now, I like that this one was using Makers Cask Strength, but it won't be long until we're seeing the MGP's start flooding the market with these things. They've already confused the market with their branding gimmicks.

[HOF44]

3 minutes ago, AsburySkinsFan said:

How different is this than say a Woodford Double Oaked, or an Angels Envy?

Sure they're tailoring the final flavor profile, but that's what master distillers do from the start.

I think with the success of Angels Envy we're going to start seeing more of these "finished" bourbons especially as lazy consumers look for variety in their bourbons. Now, I like that this one was using Makers Cask Strength, but it won't be long until we're seeing the MGP's start flooding the market with these things. They've already confused the market with their branding gimmicks.

I'm not sure the differences.  I've had finished I love, AE and MidWinterNightsDram, and ones I've hated, YipeeKayee.  Some guys i trust picked this one and i have a few bottles coming so it'll be interesting to taste.  

 

About MGP you can't hate to much on them.  All they do is sell whiskey to distilleries.  Either because they are so new they have none aged or they need extra.  MGP sells no product to the public directly.  

[AsburySkinsFan]

8 minutes ago, HOF44 said:

About MGP you can't hate to much on them.  All they do is sell whiskey to distilleries.  Either because they are so new they have none aged or they need extra.  MGP sells no product to the public directly.  

Oh I know what they do, but the whole thing is deceptive. You have to "know bourbon" in order to avoid their generic products these days. Everyone is into the slick packaging and fake backstories, and all they're doing is taking MGP product and slapping a heritage looking label on it with a vintage looking bottle. I know it's the brands that are deceiving but MGP is providing that market. It's just frustrating. The sad part is that there are some "Kentucky" branded products that actually contain MGP. That disappoints me. I get why they do it, but seriously one of the things that makes bourbon great is that it requires time. MGP makes it so you can go in and pick your bourbon, design your bottle and label and then go to market virtually over night. We have a local distiller that I'm fond of here called Wilderness Trail, we watched them start their first bourbon and was there for some of the first sips of their first release. It took four years, they sold vodka and rum to pay the bills and they had a business on the side during that time, but now they have a real bourbon they can be proud of...those on the list that follows .....well..

 

31 N 50 Bourbon (Dry Diggings)

4 Spirits Bourbon and American Whiskey (4 Spirits)

1888 Bourbon (Diversa Brands)

99 Bottles Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)

Angel’s Envy Rye (Louisville Distilling Co.)

Aztec Spirits Whiskey Distilled from Bourbon Mash (Aztec Spirits)

Backbone Bourbon (Crossroads Vitners/Strong Spirits)

Barrell Whiskey (some batches) (Barrell Craft Spirits)

Batchers’ Bourbon (Litchfield Distillery)

Bearded Lady Bourbon (Vok Beverages)

Belle Meade Bourbon (Nelson’s Greenbriar)

Big Ass Bourbon (Diversa)

Big Bottom Bourbon (Big Bottom)

Big House Bourbon (Underdog Spirits)

Big Y Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)

Bone Snapper Rye (Strong Spirits)

Booze Brothers’ Corn Whiskey (NLV Tequila)

Bourbon 30

Bower Hill Rye (Meier’s)

Breaker Bourbon (Ascendant Spirits)

Bull Run Bourbon and American Whiskey (Bull Run Distilling)

Bulleit Rye (Diageo)

Cadée Bourbon & Rye (Cadée Distillery)

Cascadia Rye (Cadée Distillery)

Chattanooga Whiskey 1816 Reserve (Chattanooga Whiskey Co.)

Clarion Bourbon and Blended Whiskey (Distilled Spirits Epicenter)

Cleveland Rye Whiskey (Cleveland Whiskey)

Cloud’s Batch ’41 Blended Wheat Whiskey

Coney Island Carlo Bourbon (Terresentia)

Copper City Straight Bourbon (Arizona Distilling Co.)

Corn Star Corn Whiskey (Bardstown Barrel Selections)

Cougar Bourbon & Rye (Foster’s)

Country Smooth American Whiskey (Speakeasy Spirits)

Deceptivus Bourbon (Cadée Distillery)

Defiance Whiskey (Defiant Spirits)

Doubleday Bourbon (Cooperstown Distillery)

Eighteen 33 Bourbon (Boone County Distilling Co.)

Fast Luck Light Whiskey (Mosswood Distillers)

Filibuster Bourbon Rye (M.S. Trading LP)

George Dickel Rye (George Dickel)

George Remus Bourbon & Rye (Queen City Whiskey/Strong Spirits)

Henderson Rye (North Texas Distillers)

High Liquors Bourbon & Rye (High Liquors)

High West (an an element of many of their whiskeys blends)

Homestead Bourbon (Homestead American whiskey)

Hooker’s House (some of their bourbons and their rye; Prohibition Spirits)

Iowa Distilling Company Caribbean Cask Rye

J. Green Bourbon and Rye (Shadow Beverage Group)

James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon & Rye (James E. Pepper/Strong Spirits)

James Oliver Rye (Indio Spirits)

J.R. Revelry Bourbon (La Bodega Internacional/Speakeasy Spirits)

Joint Bourbon (Temperance Distilling Co.)

Joseph Magnus Bourbon (Jos. A. Magnus & Co.)

Knotter Bourbon & Rye (Blaum Bros.)

Krofters Double Barreled Bourbon (Litchfield Distillery)

LeMont Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)

Lost Republic Bourbon & Rye

Mayor Pingree 10 year old Bourbon (Valentine Distilling)

Melvale Bourbon (New Liberty Distillery)

Metze’s Bourbon

Maryland Club American Whiskey (some bottlings) (New Liberty Distillery)

Maryland Club Bourbon (New Liberty Distillery)

Mosswood American Light Whiskey (Mosswood Distillers)

O.K.I. Bourbon and Rye (New Riff Distilling)

Old Bones Bourbon (Strong Spirits)

Old Hickory Bourbon (Meier’s)

Old Scenter Bourbon and Rye (Strong Spirits for R. Griesedieck Distilling)

Pinhook Bourbon (CJS Beverage Corp.)

Preamble Bourbon and Rye (Seven Jars Distillery)

Prichard’s Rye (Prichard’s)

Rebel Yell Rye (Luxco)

Rebellion Bourbon (Market Street Spirits – newer batches)

Redemption Bourbon & Rye (Bardstown Barrel Selections)

Riverboat Rye (Bardstown Barrel Selections)

Rough Rider Bourbon & Rye (Long Island Spirits)

Rye Whiskey 30 (Bourbon 30)

Ryskie Rye Whiskey (Glenns Creek Distilling)

Sagamore Spirit Rye (Distilled Spirits Epicenter)

Seagram’s 7 Blended Whiskey (Diageo)

Single Track Rye (Range and River Distilling)

Smokin’ Joe’s Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)

Smooth Ambler Old Scout Bourbon, Rye and Corn Whiskey (Smooth Ambler)

Smuggler’s Notch Rye

Spirit of America Bourbon (Hobson & Roberts)

Spring Mill Bourbon (Heartland Distillers)

Stave & Barrel Bourbon (Glenns Creek Distilling)

Stoutheart Bourbon (Hobson & Roberts)

Taos Lightning (KGB Spirits)

Temperance Trader (American Whiskey and some bourbon; Bull Run Distilling)

Templeton Rye (Templeton)

Temptation Bourbon (Bardstown Barrel Selections)

The Saloon Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)

Tin Cup Whiskey (Proximo Spirits)

Troubadour Bourbon (The Original Texas Legend Distillery)

Untitled No. 1 Whiskey (One Eight Distilling)

Virginia Black (Proximo Spirits)

WH Harrison Bourbon (Tipton Spirits)

Whistle Pig Old World Rye

White Heart Bourbon (Hobson & Roberts)

Widow Jane Rye (Cacao Prieto)

Willett Rye (Indiana ryes)

Winghart’s Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)

[HOF44]

3 minutes ago, AsburySkinsFan said:

Oh I know what they do, but the whole thing is deceptive. You have to "know bourbon" in order to avoid their generic products these days. Everyone is into the slick packaging and fake backstories, and all they're doing is taking MGP product and slapping a heritage looking label on it with a vintage looking bottle. I know it's the brands that are deceiving but MGP is providing that market. It's just frustrating. The sad part is that there are some "Kentucky" branded products that actually contain MGP. That disappoints me. I get why they do it, but seriously one of the things that makes bourbon great is that it requires time. MGP makes it so you can go in and pick your bourbon, design your bottle and label and then go to market virtually over night. We have a local distiller that I'm fond of here called Wilderness Trail, we watched them start their first bourbon and was there for some of the first sips of their first release. It took four years, they sold vodka and rum to pay the bills and they had a business on the side during that time, but now they have a real bourbon they can be proud of...those on the list that follows .....well..

 

 

 

MGP is no a boogeyman and they put out some GREAT whiskey.  As a matter of fact we are doing a whistle pig barrel pick in August and one of our stipulations was that we get a barrel of MGP rye they have at 10+ years.  

 

To buy "high end" whiskey to day with zero knowledge is a fools errand.  

 

I too prefer the model you posted.  We are working with MB Rowland Distillery and waiting on some of their product to age. 

[NoCalMike]

19 minutes ago, HOF44 said:

MGP is no a boogeyman and they put out some GREAT whiskey.  As a matter of fact we are doing a whistle pig barrel pick in August and one of our stipulations was that we get a barrel of MGP rye they have at 10+ years.  

 

To buy "high end" whiskey to day with zero knowledge is a fools errand.  

 

I too prefer the model you posted.  We are working with MB Rowland Distillery and waiting on some of their product to age. 

 

Not to mention everyone's palette is different. Some people need to be eased into the higher end stuff or they are just wasting their money on stuff they might not like.

 

It's just like craft beer, give a double IPA to someone who has only had Coors or Bud Light and they will probably quit after 1 sip.

[HOF44]

4 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

 

Not to mention everyone's palette is different. Some people need to be eased into the higher end stuff or they are just wasting their money on stuff they might not like.

 

It's just like craft beer, give a double IPA to someone who has only had Coors or Bud Light and they will probably quit after 1 sip.

The problem in whiskey that ASF was referring too is these start up brands will buy whiskey form MGP and then come up with these awesome backstories of finding bourbon barrels on grandaddies farm and being SUPER exclusive and they selling them for 90 a bottle when in fact they are just a bad 5 year old MGP bourbon.  No law covers this deception.  So it's not higher end versus lower end it's actually fraudulent claims to inflate value.  Like someone filling a bottle and calling it triple 90 minute IPA when in fact it's Milwaukees Best. 

Edited June 28, 2018 by HOF44

[Skinsfan1311]

30 minutes ago, HOF44 said:

The problem in whiskey that ASF was referring too is these start up brands will buy whiskey form MGP and then come up with these awesome backstories of finding bourbon barrels on grandaddies farm and being SUPER exclusive and they selling them for 90 a bottle when in fact they are just a bad 5 year old MGP bourbon.  No law covers this deception.  So it's not higher end versus lower end it's actually fraudulent claims to inflate value.  Like someone filling a bottle and calling it triple 90 minute IPA when in fact it's Milwaukees Best. 

Amen!   

As an aside, I love Bulleit Rye, regardless of the source.

[Skinsfan1311]

56 minutes ago, HOF44 said:

MGP is no a boogeyman and they put out some GREAT whiskey.  As a matter of fact we are doing a whistle pig barrel pick in August and one of our stipulations was that we get a barrel of MGP rye they have at 10+ years.  

 

To buy "high end" whiskey to day with zero knowledge is a fools errand.  

 

I too prefer the model you posted.  We are working with MB Rowland Distillery and waiting on some of their product to age. 

Same here.  We tried a 2 year old rye, straight out of the barrel, at Jeptha Creed. We were all very pleasantly surprised at how good it was.  They distill other spirits too, and have a beautiful facility for events, and a nice bar, to help tide them over until the bourbon matures.  We're really pulling for them and hope to revisit them next year.

[PokerPacker]

Do want.

 

[HOF44]

Got my allocation of my first Bourbon Cartel barrel pick. 

[PleaseBlitz]

Can anyone opine on Booker’s Bluegill Creek Batch bourbon.  A bottle is getting raffled of for charity at work.

[AsburySkinsFan]

2 hours ago, PleaseBlitz said:

Can anyone opine on Booker’s Bluegill Creek Batch bourbon.  A bottle is getting raffled of for charity at work.

Bluegill Creek batch is I guess a small batch within a small batch. It’s Booker’s so rye, high proof, well aged six years plus. 120+ proof, so it’ll kick your ass neat. Booker’s is one of my favorite bourbons and is my favorite rye bourbon. I haven’t had the Bluegill Creek batch, but unless you’re a master distiller or havr a well trained palette you’ll probably never be able to tell the difference between regular Booker’s and this smaller batch. 

 

As for the raffle, I’d buy a few tickets, always room on the bar for more Booker’s.

[PleaseBlitz]

5 minutes ago, AsburySkinsFan said:

Bluegill Creek batch is I guess a small batch within a small batch. It’s Booker’s so rye, high proof, well aged six years plus. 120+ proof, so it’ll kick your ass neat. Booker’s is one of my favorite bourbons and is my favorite rye bourbon. I haven’t had the Bluegill Creek batch, but unless you’re a master distiller or havr a well trained palette you’ll probably never be able to tell the difference between regular Booker’s and this smaller batch. 

 

As for the raffle, I’d buy a few tickets, always room on the bar for more Booker’s.

 

Thanks.  And I misspoke, it's not a raffle, it is a silent auction.  This is currently going for $80.