^ i've seen it at plenty of fine restuarants in Charleston and Atlanta, but never seen a bottle available for purchase!! And every time I ask, I get the same ol' "welll, that's tough to find, yup". I've heard they bottle it twice a year - once in the spring around April, once in the fall around October, so it may be easier then. But I had no luck the past year! Got my name on the waiting list at a couple of places here in ATL, but I feel like it's gonna be like waiting for Packers season tickets to open up

Agree that Elmer T Lee is a great bourbon, especially for the price. REALLY enjoy it. My favorite recent discovery is the new 10-year Rye Whiskey from Jefferson's. Excellent for making Manhattans. Runs about $30-$35 a bottle, so not overly expensive either. Haven't tried the Knob Creek rye yet, would be interested to hear how that one is too..

Tried some Black Mapel Hill Farms a few weeks back and was a little disappointed. Anyone else given it a shot?


[Edited on May 8, 2012 at 3:31 PM. Reason : .]

5/8/2012 3:28:49 PM

Quote :

"Speaking of, anyone spotted Woodford Double Oaked around here yet?"

The store at Walnut/Maynard/Cary Town Blvd has it.

Just finished a bottle of it, and my top 3 now looks like:

Woodford Double Oaked
Buffalo Trace
Bulleit

5/13/2012 7:51:44 AM

Bought some Willet single barrel this week. Really enjoy it. Plus the bottle is quite cool. Very smooth stuff, yet potent.

If any of you are in the ATL, should check out a bar called The Porter, in little 5 points. Known more as a beer bar, with a ridiculous selection of craft and imported beers, it also may have the best bourbon selection in town. And at reasonable prices. They have 15, 20, and 23 year Pappy ($45 for the 23 year, which is the cheapest I've ever seen it) along with the Rip Van Winkle 12 and 10 years. They also have some Parker bourbons that I've had a hard time finding anywhere else, and a bottle of 23-year old Evan Williams (which I think you can only get at the distillery - I didn't try it as it was $60 a glass). Here's a link to the whiskey menu:
http://www.theporterbeerbar.com/drink/cocktails-wine-other/?postTabs=2

[Edited on May 25, 2012 at 12:51 PM. Reason : .]

5/25/2012 12:47:17 PM

Anyone else see this:

http://gizmodo.com/5914858/how-to-make-smooth-whiskey-even-smoother/gallery/1

Thinking about trying the green apple approach with some buffalo trace just to see how it works. Wouldn't try it on anything more expensive.

6/1/2012 6:09:25 PM

Quote :

"$45 for the 23 year, which is the cheapest I've ever seen it"

I got it for $38. unfortunately, i had to live in Florida to find it that cheap.

6/2/2012 2:56:50 PM

Went to the Makers Mark Lounge in Louisville KY while in town for business...delicious on all fronts.

6/2/2012 3:36:59 PM

http://gizmodo.com/5914858/how-to-make-smooth-whiskey-even-smoother/gallery/1


i've been thinking about doing this, just for fun and then having a small pint of the same bourbon to do a side by side tasting.

7/31/2012 10:31:14 AM

^deja vu? double post? or just didn't look up?

8/1/2012 9:20:21 AM

OMG. D'Oh. I clicked this thread, and that link more than an hour before I was able to actually read it. Completely forgot where I had originally seen it

8/1/2012 9:32:04 AM

hey guise, check out this really cool idea!

http://gizmodo.com/5914858/how-to-make-smooth-whiskey-even-smoother/gallery/1

8/1/2012 10:48:05 AM

there was actually a bottle of 23 yr Van Winkle on the shelf at my liquor store for $300

just couldnt bring myself to pull the trigger.

10/2/2012 6:23:12 PM

holy crap: where?

I would've purchased it

10/2/2012 7:13:31 PM

Badass bourbon, and reasonably priced, $35/750ml

Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey
https://www.breckenridgedistillery.com/hooch/products/



[Edited on October 2, 2012 at 9:18 PM. Reason : .]

10/2/2012 9:18:17 PM

Does anyone like Elijah Craig?

http://www.heavenhill.co.nz/prod01_copy(1).htm

10/2/2012 10:02:32 PM

Man I wish I could find some good bourbons out here. Most of what my ABC store carries is crap and the Knob Creek (my usual) is like $56.

10/2/2012 10:43:30 PM

^^ Elijah Craig is good. I'm bummed that the 18-year is discontinued for the next 3 or 4 years, though.

I've really been enjoying Old Weller Antique 107 lately.

10/2/2012 11:16:50 PM

Quote :

"there was actually a bottle of 23 yr Van Winkle on the shelf at my liquor store for $300 just couldnt bring myself to pull the trigger."

went back and bought it 2 days later

i now have a 23 yr van winkle

in other news, there is an abc in florida where a 23 VW can sit on a shelf for days on end.

10/7/2012 10:52:02 PM

i wonder how dried crabapples would turn out in that gizmodo recipe

10/8/2012 2:42:49 PM

I did it with Granny Smith apples and it was too sweet. Tasted good but too sweet for my taste. I can really see how crab apples would be really good though, I wish I knew a place around here that actually sells them

10/8/2012 3:15:25 PM

anyone familiar with Jefferson's Small Batch? was in the ABC the other day just browsing and came across it. Priced in the Knob Creek/Bulleit price range

10/8/2012 3:18:25 PM

^ It's pretty darn good, I've had a couple of bottles and enjoyed both. I enjoy their 10-year rye even more. I think it's fairly widely available now too.

Picked up a couple of nice bottles this weekend. Parker's Heritage new release:
http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/09/parkers-heritage-collection-bourbon-2012-review-blend-of-mashbills-best-whiskey-gift.html
Also found a bottle of Whistle Pig Rye, had been searching for a while:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/03/25/world-class-whiskey-from-vermont/

I think the Parker's Heritage was just released last month, so hopefully y'all can find some locally. I haven't tried the new bottle I just bought, but i LOVED last year's release. Hopefully this one will match it.

10/8/2012 4:45:45 PM

^^

The regular Jefferson's is okay, although I don't have much interest in paying $30 for an 82 proof bourbon.

10/10/2012 12:44:14 AM

Had some Eagle Rare 10yr over the weekend. Bought it on a whim since it was "on sale" at the ABC store, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very smooth, and a little sweeter than I was expecting

10/10/2012 8:12:30 AM

Bought a bottle of the Four Rose small batch 2012 limited edition yesterday. Man, it's fantastic, absolutely going to buy a second bottle this week and stash it away. I feel like next year I just need to save up money all summer to fund all the annual releases that come out in the fall (Parker's, four roses, etc)

10/28/2012 7:34:06 PM

10/28/2012 7:59:15 PM

stuntin on you hoes.

12/1/2012 7:38:08 PM

you asshole

12/1/2012 9:18:03 PM

It's not a boutique bottle or anything, but I'm currently enjoying a glass of egg nog with a pretty sizable dose of Gentleman Jack in it.

12/1/2012 9:31:13 PM

they also had a 12, but that's a little easier to find, plus it's essentially buffalo trace by this point.

12/1/2012 9:54:55 PM

haha, i might go back and see if that 12 is still there actually. would be good to have so that people dont ask to taste the 23, or to a lesser degree, the 20.

the 20 is pretty much something id pour for myself and a few close friends who I know appreciate extremely high quality liquor, but that 23...man. im going to have a hard time deciding what occasion warrants it, unless i come across another bottle anytime in the future. then ill probably be a bit more lenient with it.

actually, fuck it, i've been meaning to pick up a bottle of 8 year old willett for a bit now. that will be a reasonable middle-ground. a bit nicer than my standard bulleit/old pogue/four roses rotation, but comparable to the pappy 12.

[Edited on December 2, 2012 at 11:51 AM. Reason : .]

12/2/2012 11:49:28 AM

^did you come across those randomly or did you have to put yourself on a list at a liquor store?

12/2/2012 3:50:30 PM

A little audacity, a little luck. The annual shipment is supposed to hit here sometime this coming week, not sure if the store I bought from got it early, or what. They only had one bottle of each. Definitely marked up a bit from what I would consider normal market price, but fuck it, Merry Christmas to me.

12/2/2012 4:39:06 PM

We got two bottles of 10 and one of 20 from being on a variety of lists in the area

the 23 is indeed amazing

but considering the price tag, the 20 will suit us quite well for a while

12/2/2012 5:45:06 PM

monday evening i broke up with a girl who apparently had bought me a bottle of Pappy 20 yr for Christmas. Oh well

on a brighter note, i tried this year's George T. Stagg last week. it is PHENOMENAL. at 170 proof i had to sip it extremely lightly, which is an added bonus as it took me about 2x as long as other bourbons to finish a pour. i've been searching for a bottle of it around Atlanta (and in Durham/Chapel Hill when I was home over Thanksgiving) and have come up completely short, I think the buffalo trace antique collection bottles are becoming nearly as difficult to find as Pappy.

[Edited on December 20, 2012 at 12:26 PM. Reason : .]

12/20/2012 12:21:53 PM

I've been on the Bulliet train for quite a while thanks to this thread

12/20/2012 12:46:46 PM

Derp. no instagram linking eh.

well, anyway, i bought a bottle of 9 year old willett to celebrate being finished with fall 2L exams.

[Edited on December 20, 2012 at 2:37 PM. Reason : .]

12/20/2012 2:34:44 PM

^^I bought some Bulleit last time and I think it's my #2 now. Woodford Reserve is still my go-to, but I've never had anything more expensive than ~$40 a fifth...

12/20/2012 4:53:51 PM

I really want to try some of these, but as much as I drink Jim will do most days Might look for some tomorrow and save for xmas

12/20/2012 6:23:48 PM

^^ in the under $40 price range, see if you can find some Elmer T. Lee or some Four Roses single barrel. Can also find some Evan Williams single barrel, which is a great bargain at about $20-25 a bottle. Good stuff!

[Edited on December 20, 2012 at 11:12 PM. Reason : .]

12/20/2012 11:12:27 PM

Got a nice crystal decanter for xmas, guess that means I'll have to drink more

12/22/2012 6:55:51 PM

^ amen to that! I have a set of two that I keep my "house" gin and bourbon in. Always makes me feel all Roger Sterling when I pour a drink from them. That's a great gift!

Saw a bottle of Pappy 20 in a store in DC yesterday. Asked the guy what they're asking for it - no shit he told me $700. Ummm, naw son!! I did splurge and buy myself a bottle of George Stagg, and it had been marked up 100% from "suggested retail". But still cheaper than I've seen online. And hell, it's Christmas, need to buy myself something I reckon. But damn, a 500% mark-up on the pappy seemed a bit absurd, no wonder it was on the shelf still...

12/23/2012 12:41:49 PM

Any of you bourbon guys like single malt? I got this for Xmas.

12/26/2012 1:25:41 PM

I switch between bourbon and single malt regularly. Macallan 15yr and cask strength are my scotches of choice at the moment.

12/26/2012 3:56:51 PM

living in Louisville, I've been spoiled with bourbon. Great job grabbing up that PVW 23yr agent 0, some of the best stuff on the market.

I've been drinking a good amount of Michter's recently that and Russell Rye. Started moving more to small batch Ryes..lots of KY distilleries are starting to put them out.

I've seen it mentioned before, but Buffalo Trace is a great bang for the buck, much better than Maker's, Knob Creek and the like.

12/26/2012 9:46:25 PM

Generally, which Raleigh ABCs do you all tend to find have the best varieties?

Surprisingly I've had the best luck finding rarer stuff at the one around the Millbrook/Glenwood intersection.

12/27/2012 8:36:39 AM

i'm requesting a bottle of blanton's for my birthday since you people and the abc guy were raving about it. hopefully they don't sell out before my mom can get over there

12/27/2012 5:38:22 PM

^^Granted, I haven't lived in Raleigh since 2010, but i remember the Cameron Village ABC having a particularly good selection of Scotch

12/27/2012 11:10:02 PM

anyone tried bernheim's wheat small batch? guy at the store said it was similar to bulleit

12/28/2012 4:47:58 PM

tried it tonight, smooth as a silk. highly recommend

12/28/2012 10:35:19 PM

^^^^ blanton's is good stuff. the stoppers are lettered i think and spell out "blantons" if you collect all of them

12/29/2012 5:08:02 AM