Increased my collection today. Decided to grab up some Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace while it was available. Then when I was at Costco, I was surprised to see 1.75L bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch and grabbed the Suntori Toki on impulse after seeing Mars_Attack’s post on Japanese Whisky





Just got into the Bourbon thing a couple months ago. Original plan was to buy two or three bottles. Um, yeah - didn’t work out as planned. I am now up to 9 bottles. Mind you I am not much of a drinker, I still have a bottle of Jim Beam that I literally bought in the 1900’s and just finished my bottle of Jack Daniels from the same era.

I am starting to catch up though… Been using the Jack and Jim in mixed drinks and sipping the new acquisitions.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 911Boss,

Be a shame if your started checking out Rye's, Canadian whiskies and Old Rums

Nice looking collection! I would be interested in seeing other members collections, and how they have them displayed? I currently have mine on a dresser in an extra bedroom. I’ve been thinking about getting a bourbon barrel, and making a display out of that. How are you guys displaying your collection?

One of these days I should set them out and take a picture of my humble collection. It’s probably easier to just post a list of opened/backups.

Besides no point flexing on people, whiskey is meant to be drank.

ETA: I have about 51 open bottles and around 20 backups.

Nice scores lately.

The Thomas Handy and EHTaylor are some of my favorites.

Display in kitchen


Closet storage

Nice selection GA Gator



Most of it

I don't collect it, I drink it,

I think I currently have,

Woodford
Bulliet
4 roses Small Batch
E Craig 94proof, cannot remember what it is called
Knob Creek
maybe some Wild Turkey left,

and a bottle of Ardberg and Jameson


hit 2 ABC stores last week, and they were about as empty as I have ever seen them as far as Bourbon selections

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
I don't collect it, I drink it...

Same for me. Right now I have the following:

Old Forester 1910
Old Forester 1920
Makers FAE-02
Bulleit 10 year
a single barrel 118 proof MGP
Blanton's

The 1910 and the Bulleit are almost gone. I might pick up a Booker's (if I can find the Tagalong batch local) to replace them. I've yet to open the Blanton's or MGP SiB. I'll probably end up trading the Blanton's for something else.

From todays Advent, Penelope Bourbon Barrel Strength

Very tasty but I suspect added flavorings, I despise flavorings. I find something I like but get sick of it quickly because of the "suspected" flavorings.

Is there a way to find out who uses them?

If it says Straight Bourbon on the label it cannot, by federal law / regulations,
contain anything but unadulterated Bourbon that meets a half dozen criteria, like aged 2yrs or more, in charred white oak barrels, at certait proofs, mash of at least 51% corn, and so on.

Angel's Envy can't call itself Straight Bourbon, for instance, nor can the Black Cherry Jim Beams and all that, even though in Jim Beam's case it's literally just their normal juice with a flavor added. If you add even one drop of something else, or switch barrels even one time, or deviate from the regs in any way at all, it's not "Straight Bourbon" anymore, and "Straight Bourbon" has an unambiguous definition in a legal sense.

In the most nerdy, pedantic, technical sense, the only thing Straight Bourbon can be mixed with and still be called Straight Bourbon is (a) more of itself from various barrels, and (b) water, both happening at the Vatting stage before Bottling.

Loosey-goosey language on the Label is the sole reliable indicator. "Whiskey" is much vaguer, so is "Bourbon" without the "Straight" part. Those other combinations are perfectly legal to see and have their fans, mind you, but when most people talk about "good Bourbon" what they are ultimately referring to is "Straight Bourbon", and if the label doesn't say that plainly, it's not... and when it's not "Straight Bourbon" it's usually for these reasons, not necessarily nefarious, but anything other than "Straight Bourbon" implies they've added something, or switched to a sherry barrel at the end, or it's a blended whiskey, or very very young, etc. It may not in all cases, but that's usually the deal.

I generally ignore everything that's not:

* Straight Bourbon, or (American) Rye
* of a known origin (which physical Distillery, when)
* preferably with an Age Statement (vs NAS/ no age statement)
* preferably 8-15yo (occasionally 16-20yo, a few 4-7yo in there too)

This excludes all flavored and rebarreled things, all overhyped and overmarketed trendy and holiday variations, all mystery whiskey, and most issues of ambiguous ages... as when it's a NAS expression it means they mixed various ages of the same whiskey at the vatting stage, usually to save money for them... or to simply stretch limited amounts of the better/older juice because they don't have enough to fill entire bottles with nothing but, say, 6yo, and still meet demand.

I only drink so much, and there are loads of options, even within this list, so... weeding out the bullshit and mediocre (of which there are as many shitty whiskeys as good ones) becomes a thing.

Great info 46and2, I will heed your advice

I suspected Angels Envy, especially their Rye

Some of my once favorite dark Rum's I have gotten tired of because of what I suspect are flavorings. I have found a few that specifically state "no added flavorings"

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
Great info 46and2, I will heed your advice

I suspected Angels Envy, especially their Rye

Some of my once favorite dark Rum's I have gotten tired of because of what I suspect are flavorings. I have found a few that specifically state "no added flavorings"

To Angel's Envy's credit, they are very upfront about their process and market themselves as a port-aged product.

It is the brands that hide their practices in some stupid gimmick like "somebody's grandpappy made whisky on this creek for 150 years", or some "we use small barrels so there's more contact with the oak," or "this is heirloom corn aged in heirloom oak barrels" that really make me roll my eyes. All the while they buy their distilled spirits from MGW.

Anytime I hear about a new brand I do research and try to find what their product really is before I'll try it. Like 46 said, even it tastes great, I'd rather buy something else that tastes great instead of their marketing gimmick/outright lies.

Yeah, to be fair, Angel's Envy is honest and also a successful brand with plenty of fans.

I just skip the whole category it's in and avoid them on principle (rebarreled expreseions).

I don't like the influence of the Scotch world in the Bourbon world (blended whiskeys and rebarrelling and collecting and snooty overtones and such).

Straight Bourbon is an exceptionally American thing to its core, simple and unpretentious (even when expensive), using American water, American oak trees, American grains, and literal sunshine that shines upon these lands and breezes that blow which literally affect the flavor of the whiskey in the bottle, using old early American recipes, with a rich history, and is delicious enough on its own... it doesn't need any fancy pants bullshit added.

I rarely care so much, in my day to day, have loads of Asian things and European things I love, but it's nice to have a few distinctly American things in the mix.

Straight Bourbon and American Rye, which is basically just Bourbon but with 51% Rye instead of 51% corn, same otherwise, this is what I drink 90% of the time.

Not a huge drinker, by volume, now or ever. Even more important to be picky...

Also I detest heavy peaty flavors and the medicinal undertones of most Scotch.

And while Red Breast, Green and Yellow Spot, Bushmills, and Jameson are good, I'll tske my cheapest and least interesting favorite Rye or Bourbon over them all, every time, I genuinely never once preferred or wanted a Scotch or Irish instead. They're fine, I've drank plenty of them, but ... (shrug) give me Straight Bourbon and Rye.

You can keep the Canadian, and Japanese varieties, too, thank you very much.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 46and2,

quote:

Originally posted by 46and2:
I generally ignore everything that's not:

* Straight Bourbon, or (American) Rye
* of a known origin (which physical Distillery, when)
* preferably with an Age Statement (vs NAS/ no age statement)
* preferably 8-15yo (occasionally 16-20yo, a few 4-7yo in there too)

This excludes all flavored and rebarreled things, all overhyped and overmarketed trendy and holiday variations, all mystery whiskey, and most issues of ambiguous ages... as when it's a NAS expression it means they mixed various ages of the same whiskey at the vatting stage, usually to save money for them... or to simply stretch limited amounts of the better/older juice because they don't have enough to fill entire bottles with nothing but, say, 6yo, and still meet demand.

I only drink so much, and there are loads of options, even within this list, so... weeding out the bullshit and mediocre (of which there are as many shitty whiskeys as good ones) becomes a thing.

I spent far to much time and money on shitty bourbons. Over the past few years I have slowly slid down a slope to only drinking Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey. For the WT, rare bread and KY spirit are my two favorites along with their BP rye. My storage posted above shows my approach, when I see BT on the market I buy it and drink it.

I was looking at the lottery list a couple of pages bag, and is that what retail pricing should be, if it’s not inflated? I have found a couple of bottles of Eagle rare, and a couple of bottles of EH Taylor, but I’m not sure what retail price is? I don’t mind paying a little extra to get what I want, but I don’t wanna get screwed, pay double, or something like that.

quote:

Originally posted by pepsiblue:
I was looking at the lottery list a couple of pages bag, and is that what retail pricing should be, if it’s not inflated? I have found a couple of bottles of Eagle rare, and a couple of bottles of EH Taylor, but I’m not sure what retail price is? I don’t mind paying a little extra to get what I want, but I don’t wanna get screwed, pay double, or something like that.

Eagle rare should cost $30-$40.

EH Taylor has many expressions. The Small Batch should cost $40. The rye should be $75ish. The other expressions, single barrel, barrel proof, and special releases, are unlikely to be found on a shelf for anything approaching reasonable.

Todays Advent offering was Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon, apparently they make their own juice, even farm some of their own grains. I like it and will buy some if I see it

https://flaviar.com/frey-ranch...ght-bourbon-whiskey/

The EH was small batch, and was $98.99
That was the first bottle I’ve seen so far! They also had the Eagle Rare for $89.99…..