Bourbon & Rye

[Chin Diesel]

Bought a bottle of Michter's Small Batch. Basically their entry level bourbon. Got it for about $50.

Meh. Nice, but nothing stands out. Really not any better than Woodford Reserve or other bourbons $10-$15 cheaper.

I wouldn't ever turn it down, but I don't think I'll buy it again.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Bought a bottle of Michter's Small Batch. Basically their entry level bourbon. Got it for about $50.

Meh. Nice, but nothing stands out. Really not any better than Woodford Reserve or other bourbons $10-$15 cheaper.

I wouldn't ever turn it down, but I don't think I'll buy it again.

I think I paid $35 for that. Was pretty ok with it, but wouldn't have been at $50.

 

[HobokenHusky]

I think I paid $35 for that. Was pretty ok with it, but wouldn't have been at $50.

Yea I think msrp is $40 at least in NJ. I actually like the flavor profile as a no frills standard 80 proof bourbon that is readily available (that used to be Eagle Rare for me but those days are long gone), but yea $50 is steep for what it is.

 

[Deepelm]

Really good local private release

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yea I think msrp is $40 at least in NJ. I actually like the flavor profile as a no frills standard 80 proof bourbon that is readily available (that used to be Eagle Rare for me but those days are long gone), but yea $50 is steep for what it is.

I bought this recently. It was $42 I think. These guys distill what becomes Pinhook and some others. First of their own label. 4 years old

 

[HuskyHawk]

Really good local private release

View attachment 88031

I see a lot of those and never buy because they are all $80-90.

 

[Deepelm]

I bought this recently. It was $42 I think. These guys distill what becomes Pinhook and some others. First of their own label. 4 years old

View attachment 88030

My customers give mixed reviews on this one. Thoughts?

 

[Deepelm]

I see a lot of those and never buy because they are all $80-90.

Yup. Totally worth it to me, its delicious, nice proof, good age.

 

[HuskyHawk]

My customers give mixed reviews on this one. Thoughts?

It is early still, but mild thumbs down. Just has a little of that "craft" taste, where the wood tastes too much like wood. Likely needed another year. I should have grabbed the rye, it probably wouldn't taste as young. It's certainly not bad, but it's a very low rye bourbon, and that high malt content calls out for more time.

For comparison sake, I would put it behind Wilderness Trail and New Riff.

 

[Deepelm]

It is early still, but mild thumbs down. Just has a little of that "craft" taste, where the wood tastes too much like wood. Likely needed another year. I should have grabbed the rye, it probably wouldn't taste as young. It's certainly not bad, but it's a very low rye bourbon, and that high malt content calls out for more time.

For comparison sake, I would put it behind Wilderness Trail and New Riff.

Pretty much the consensus. They make a gin and a vodka that are OK. The rye I have not heard good or bad on as I have never seen it. We had their wheated version and it was supposed to be good.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Pretty much the consensus. They make a gin and a vodka that are OK. The rye I have not heard good or bad on as I have never seen it. We had their wheated version and it was supposed to be good.

The wheater was older. Either 5 or 6 years. Cost more, hence why I didn't grab it. I've had some good Pinhooks, so it's not like the distillate is bad.

If anything, I appreciate just how good most base big distillery bourbons are. They are pretty damn solid really. Ordinary 4 Roses small batch is better than this.

 

[Deepelm]

 

[Deepelm]

Not a fan of Weller but a buddy wanted one when I spotted it. These Barrell blends are really good and this one is no exception.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Not a fan of Weller but a buddy wanted one when I spotted it. These Barrell blends are really good and this one is no exception.

Weller getting bid up was such a weird thing. It was $25 for a reason. Now idiots will pay $100 for it. I need to grab some of the Barrell picks around here.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Bought a New Riff Single Barrel and a Sagamore Rye. The New Riff is solid stuff, certainly beats the Castle and Key. The Sagamore is fine given the price $35. I had a store pick that was much better, but also almost double the price.

 

[Deepelm]

Bought a New Riff Single Barrel and a Sagamore Rye. The New Riff is solid stuff, certainly beats the Castle and Key. The Sagamore is fine given the price $35. I had a store pick that was much better, but also almost double the price.

Just regular Sagamore?

 

[Fishy]

Weller getting bid up was such a weird thing. It was $25 for a reason. Now idiots will pay $100 for it. I need to grab some of the Barrell picks around here.

I won’t buy Weller at retail, let alone marked up.

And yes, you need the Barrels

 

[Fishy]

Bought a New Riff Single Barrel and a Sagamore Rye. The New Riff is solid stuff, certainly beats the Castle and Key. The Sagamore is fine given the price $35. I had a store pick that was much better, but also almost double the price.

The New Riff Single Malt Rye is terrific and goes for an easy price.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Just regular Sagamore?

Yeah the straight rye. It's nothing special. But better than HW Double Rye and better than Bulleit. I've purchased my last bottle of Bulleit bourbon or rye. It's a mixer.

@Fishy The Malted Rye? I've never seen it in a store. Kentucky Straight 100% Malted Rye Whiskey - New Riff The Backsetter looks good too.

 

[Fishy]

Yeah the straight rye. It's nothing special. But better than HW Double Rye and better than Bulleit. I've purchased my last bottle of Bulleit bourbon or rye. It's a mixer.

@Fishy The Malted Rye? I've never seen it in a store. Kentucky Straight 100% Malted Rye Whiskey - New Riff The Backsetter looks good too.

Keep looking - it was hard to find, but is now pretty widely available. (At least in the northeast.)

 

[Fishy]

Also, we don’t have a Japanese whiskey thread, but anecdotally, they’re getting much easier to find and demand/supply seems to be leveling. Just bought a Nikka from the Bottle for $64.

All of the other Nikkas seem readily available as well.

 

[Drumguy]

We don't have a gin thread either - picked up some Empress 1908 Indigo Gin and it was really good - also like the purplish cast to my G&T!

 

[HuskyHawk]

Also, we don’t have a Japanese whiskey thread, but anecdotally, they’re getting much easier to find and demand/supply seems to be leveling. Just bought a Nikka from the Bottle for $64.

All of the other Nikkas seem readily available as well.

The Nikka's are also real. That's a pretty good price for it. Loads of Japanese whiskies are Scotch or World malt. Since much of it is expensive, I found this a great resource.

Infographic: Japanese Whisky, Real or Fake? - Nomunication

The latest infographic makes it easy to tell if the “Japanese” whisky you’re drinking is actually Japanese or not! This is a bit of a hot-button topic at the moment — see my recent interview with Dave Broom to find out why. 2023 update: The below graphic has not been updated since around 2020...

www.nomunication.jp

 

[Fishy]

Shopping today….

 

[Deepelm]

Shopping today….

That Foursquare is a banger. I have this one myself, it tastes a lot like whiskey.