Favorite Whiskey?

Grabbed this yesterday, not a high dollar item but its been on my want list for quite awhile

 

High enough; $50 around here

One of my favorites, though.

 

Went to a restaurant about 45 minutes north of us for a date night since our daughter is in Disney with my Mom for the week. Before our reservation we went across the state line to Georgia to scope bottles that we can't find here. Found a store pick Whistlepig Single Barrel, a sample of 3 Redbreast releases, and two bottles of Henry Mckenna 10yr. Worth the extra drive to snag those. $85 for the WP, $18 for the RB samples and $36 for the HM 10.

Got back for our reservation and the place has an extensive Whiskey selection, (why I wanted to go) and some really damn good food. Sold out of all their Pappy except the 23, so I passed at $80 a pour. Got some OF Birthday, Handy Sazerac and EHT Four Grain. Not so pumped on the OF, not bad at all, but the other two were awesome! Of course they're both impossible to find, so I'm just going to have to live with the memory, LOL. To me, they were some of the single best bourbons I've had so far.

So, anybody got a line on some EHT Four Grain?!?!?

 

It is a very good bourbon. It falls in that middle ground of batches that are all quintessential Booker's experiences, so when it is average to slightly above average for Booker's, that still means one hell of a drinker. It is a little more subtle than, say, Kathleen's Batch or even that Annis' Answer. Lot's of folks Saturday night were saying it had notes of peanuts. I didn't pick those up a ton, but the cinnamon and leathery notes were pretty prominent. I did put it 3rd in our tasting Saturday of the regular 2018 releases, but only just behind Kentucky Chew and that was because the Kentucky Chew was a relatively unique flavor that worked for me. The only one of the four that I didn't particularly care for (relative to other Booker's) was the Backyard BBQ.

Side note on that Annis' Answer - That is the bottle I have for my youngest daughter's birth year (I have a 2013 bottle for my oldest's). It'll stay closed until a future date of some import (wedding day?).

 

OFBB is so good. I've had one pour and I instantly understood the fuss around it. So pleasant. I keep my eyes peeled for a bottle, but I'm not holding my breath.

I know a guy with the EHT Four Grain that might pour you some if you stopped by for a visit, but as for finding one in the wild, that'll be tough to pull off.

Good pickups at the store, too!

 

Booker's tasting was a success. Great night. Given the high ABV, we kept the pours fairly small at the start. Didn't want to wreck the palate, either. We tasted them in order of release for the standard releases and saved the 30th Anniversary for the end.

The 30th is a really, really special pour. It's a blend of 9 year and 16 year bourbons and the result is pretty unique. I've never had the Booker's high ABV so eloquently masked as I have with this one. If you've ever had William Larue Weller, it's a similar experience. Granted, the WLW is a wheater and has a much different flavor profile, but it doesn't feel nearly as high proof as it is, either. More oak on the finish than any other Booker's, too. Credit the 16 year in the final result for that. It is really, really, really good. It is immediately in my pantheon of Booker's batches, along with 2015-01 "Big Man, Small Batch" and 2018-01 "Kathleen's Batch". I think it might be even better than those, but I want to revisit it. I have those other batches on hand as well, so it might be worth it to do a blind tasting. "Big Man, Small Batch" is my favorite bourbon of them all, so for this to be included in that conversation really says something.



Had 8 others over and gave them all a pour. Nearly half the bottle gone in a night! Like all of the best whiskey - it's better enjoyed in good company, than by yourself.


Following the Booker's tasting, I opened up the cabinet for folks. New Riff Single Barrel, a LE High West Double Rye (Gin barrel finish), Compass Box - The Spaniard, Dalmore Cigar Malt, Old Forester Rye, Poor Man's Pappy, and some others were all sampled by various different friends. That Gin barrel Double Rye is so good. Need to try to find another bottle or three of it.

 

If I had known that the Four Grain was so limited I might not have tried it. Really like the other EHT's that I've had and figured,"Hey haven't seen that one around yet, lets get it." Damn.

 

Yeah, unfortunately, the Small Batch, Straight Rye, and Single Barrel are the only ones you're likely to come across (and in that order). Then the Barrel Proof, probably, but that's a fairly tough get.

Sour Mash
Seasoned Wood
Cured Oak
Four Grain

Those are all going to be really tough finds (speaking of finding bottles in the store at retail).

Warehouse C Tornado Surviving? Forget about it.

I've had Small Batch and Seasoned Wood - that's it.

 

The restaurant had the Seasoned Wood too. Just opted for the Thomas Handy at that point, my first and only BTAC so far.

The only time I've seen the Rye it was $150, and I just have to pass on an unknown at that price. Really enjoy the SB, got a bottle of that for retail. It's even hard to find around here.

 

I love a bottle of lagavulin 16 but too bad alcohol is illegal where I'm working right now which is Khartoum, Sudan.

 

One of my favorites as well. Local shop had it on sale for $32.99 a while back, picked up two at that price. Shop across town had same thing for closer to $70. Crazy how much the prices fluctuate.

 

The GF and I are planning a trip to Scotland this fall, and Islay is on our 'to do' list. Can't wait to do the tour at Laphroaig; I've been a 'friend' for years.

 

So....yesterday I turned 34, having recently gotten into whiskey's I am largely finding Bourbon's are my favorites by far. My wife went out of her way to make it extra special for me.

I was at the local grocery store this weekend and saw a bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve that was "Barrel #5508 Hand Selected by HyVee Grand Island" I thought this was kind of cool and I do like Knob Creek as a cheap drink for the evenings so I picked it up as my gift to myself.



Next my step dad has always been a big Elijah Craig fan, so my parents gave me a bottle of EC Small Batch



Lastly is my wife's gift to me, I said she made it extra special right? My sister in law is a person who you would say is not "smart" with her money, she signed her brother up for a monthly whiskey club and he hates whiskey....so my wife bought his collection from him and is gave it to me as my gift. All bottles are sealed with the exception of the Knob Creek 25th Anniversary which I opened last night for a drink.

-Prichards Double Barreled
-Bower Hill Barrel Strength
-Bookers 2014
-EH Taylor Single Barrel
-Jack Daniels Limited #5 Edition
-Yellow Stone Limited
-Knob Creek 25th Anniversary
-TinCup

 

Wow, that was a big day.

HBD man!

 

Haha, yup... I wonder if you have any square foot land plots next to mine in their peat fields. I've been to Ireland twice now, but never Scotland. If I could have it my way - give me a backpack, hiking boots, and drop me off anywhere around Islay. Come back and find me in two weeks.

 

Outstanding haul!

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is one heck of a pickup by your parents. Tell them my birthday is in a month .

That Yellow Stone Limited is some pretty cool stuff. The backstory on them is a fun read - it traces back through the Beam lineage back before Jim Beam, even.

I've tried the 2018 version, but none of the others, yet. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

And a 2014 Booker's....can't go wrong with that. Pretty cool that it was laying around, unopened, and gifted to you. Great job by your wife!

Oh, and Happy Birthday .

 

HBD! Quite a haul!! Lot of goodness there. I still can’t find a ECBP at a reasonable price..

 

Popped open weller antique, eh taylor small batch and rye..taylor was pretty tasty

 

Stopped at Total Wine today, I'm not sure if I've never been on a Tuesday or maybe the stars aligned but there wasn't a single empty space on ANY shelves

After much pacing & counting lunch money I decided on a 750 of Eagle Rare. Haven't seen it the last 3x I was in there. They also had a bottle of George Dickel Barrel Select that had my interest but it was $41 & that extra $12 over Eagle Rare was putting me off.

 

The EH Taylor small batch is currently my favorite whiskey