World of Whiskey

[Bryman]

Rock Hill Farms
OWA (Old Weller Antique 107)
Eagle Rare
Blantons

From other distilleries:
Rowen's Creek
Noah's Mill (especially the dusty old wax tops!!)
Rebel Yell (10 Year single barrel) *not the cheep bottom shelf label

I highly recommend Old Forester 1910 (& 1920 for higher proof)
not as keen on the others in the vintage line

Good to know. There’s a couple on that list I haven’t gotten to yet. I’ll check them out, thanks.

[Bryman]

I just picked up Stagg Jr. and a bottle of Elmer T. Lee last week. The Stagg Jr. ran me $85 and clocks in at over 130 proof.
I got lucky with the Elmer T. Lee... finding it...not the price. Jersey is tough. It really is excellent though.

Congrats man! As I’ve mentioned, those two are at the top of my list. Enjoy!

[jjbehren]

there is a swath of Buffalo Trace bourbons that uses the same (or quite similar) mash bill. Variances might be the type of yeast, time aged & wharehouse location, but there are several like ETL that they offer. I think they all use a % of wheat in the mix, so they have a sweeter flavor profile.
Rock Hill Farms
OWA (Old Weller Antique 107)
Eagle Rare
Blantons

I believe only the Weller line and the Van Winkle line use wheat.

Other BT products that use the same mash bill as ETL are Blanton's (all varieties), Rock Hill Farms, Hancock Reserve, and Ancient Age.

[kcn0]

Where has the secondary market moved to? I have a few bottles I'd like to unload and/or trade.

[Irishman12]

By the way, is there anything you can compare the Elmer to? I’m really curious.

Maybe Blanton's but it's hard to say. I'm trying to ration it so I didn't have much of it but it is good (not a lot of spice or burn, which I prefer). Smooth and not overly strong at 90 proof.

there is a swath of Buffalo Trace bourbons that uses the same (or quite similar) mash bill. Variances might be the type of yeast, time aged & wharehouse location, but there are several like ETL that they offer. I think they all use a % of wheat in the mix, so they have a sweeter flavor profile.
Rock Hill Farms
OWA (Old Weller Antique 107)
Eagle Rare
Blantons

From other distilleries:
Rowen's Creek
Noah's Mill (especially the dusty old wax tops!!)
Rebel Yell (10 Year single barrel) *not the cheep bottom shelf label

I highly recommend Old Forester 1910 (& 1920 for higher proof)
not as keen on the others in the vintage line

I've heard the Old Forester 1910 & 1920 are good. They're on my list. Just haven 't tried them yet. Good to know they've got your endorsement as well.

[Irishman12]

Well this thread is long as hell for me to wander into it. So I ask of you whiskey connoisseurs, whats your top five whiskeys?(realistic ones preferably, not the $300 bottle you tried once). Maybe if I compare the top five of a few of you folks I can get a good consensus, and get some good ideas. Anything goes; rye, irish, bourbon, blended, japanese, whatever. Cheers!

1) Blanton's
2) Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
3) Mitcher's Original Sour Mash Whiskey
4) Buffalo Trace
5) Green Spot (only Irish Whiskey on the list)

Bryman, if you shop at Total Wine and haven't tried it yet, give Wolcott a shot. It's $25 a bottle by me and my favorite "daily sipper" along with Buffalo Trace.

[Irishman12]

Oh, way more. I think reserve is fine, but for the minimal $35 I pay for it there’s better bottles. The Antique is probably in my top 5. I would have made the exact same call on the 12 though man. That’s part of the reason I passed on the Full Proof. My guy had it priced at $118 and he sells the 12 for $150 when he has it in stock. I’ve heard for the price difference, just go with the 12 so I let the Full Proof go.

Dang he's gouging you! I paid $33 for the 12 and $40 for the Elmer, which I just tried and it's delicious! As of now, from what I've tried in Weller, I'd rank them:

1) OWA
2) 12
3) Special Reserve

I just picked up Stagg Jr. and a bottle of Elmer T. Lee last week. The Stagg Jr. ran me $85 and clocks in at over 130 proof.
I got lucky with the Elmer T. Lee... finding it...not the price. Jersey is tough. It really is excellent though.

Thoughts on the Stagg Jr.?

[Bryman]

Bryman, if you shop at Total Wine and haven't tried it yet, give Wolcott a shot. It's $25 a bottle by me and my favorite "daily sipper" along with Buffalo Trace.

Added.

I like Trace and also Elijah Craig as cheap sippers, but for me Wild Turkey 101 is my go-to at that bottom shelf price point. Excellent for the money.

[Irishman12]

I haven't tried EC yet but not a fan of WT (too much spice for me).

[Bryman]

Then yeah, maybe the 101 isn’t for you. I like a warm oily bourbon. Although, if you’ve only had the regular Wild Turkey, the 101 is worth a try. It still has some spice, but I find that beyond that it’s actually a really flavorful bourbon for the price. You should definitely try the the Elijah Craig though. I like it a bit more than Trace and its also very affordable.

[Irishman12]

I've had the 101, that's the one I was referring to.

EC is on the list (as so many others). I'll make my way to it sooner or later.

[morecoffee]

Oh, way more. I think reserve is fine, but for the minimal $35 I pay for it there’s better bottles. The Antique is probably in my top 5. I would have made the exact same call on the 12 though man. That’s part of the reason I passed on the Full Proof. My guy had it priced at $118 and he sells the 12 for $150 when he has it in stock. I’ve heard for the price difference, just go with the 12 so I let the Full Proof go.

Dang he's gouging you! I paid $33 for the 12 and $40 for the Elmer, which I just tried and it's delicious! As of now, from what I've tried in Weller, I'd rank them:

1) OWA
2) 12
3) Special Reserve

I just picked up Stagg Jr. and a bottle of Elmer T. Lee last week. The Stagg Jr. ran me $85 and clocks in at over 130 proof.
I got lucky with the Elmer T. Lee... finding it...not the price. Jersey is tough. It really is excellent though.

Thoughts on the Stagg Jr.?

I'm a big fan. This most recent batch is very good. It's strong, but I like that. It makes the bottle last a lot longer because the pour is smaller.
I like a couple of small ice cubes in it. It's definitely worth searching out.
I use an ap on my phone called wine-searcher, but it only works for those outlets that subscribe to it. I was able to buy the Stagg Jr. and the ETL this year because of that ap.

[jjbehren]

I'm a big fan. This most recent batch is very good. It's strong, but I like that. It makes the bottle last a lot longer because the pour is smaller.
I like a couple of small ice cubes in it. It's definitely worth searching out.
I use an ap on my phone called wine-searcher, but it only works for those outlets that subscribe to it. I was able to buy the Stagg Jr. and the ETL this year because of that ap.

Curious what you paid for those bottles via Wine Searcher. In the secondary community, Wine Searcher is much maligned for driving up retail and secondary prices. Prices are usually much higher than typical secondary prices.

[morecoffee]

I'm a big fan. This most recent batch is very good. It's strong, but I like that. It makes the bottle last a lot longer because the pour is smaller.
I like a couple of small ice cubes in it. It's definitely worth searching out.
I use an ap on my phone called wine-searcher, but it only works for those outlets that subscribe to it. I was able to buy the Stagg Jr. and the ETL this year because of that ap.

Curious what you paid for those bottles via Wine Searcher. In the secondary community, Wine Searcher is much maligned for driving up retail and secondary prices. Prices are usually much higher than typical secondary prices.

There was a whole range of prices on the Stagg Jr., from $56 a bottle up to $200. I paid $85. The less expensive stores had sold out of it by the time I had searched.
It was selling for over $150 a bottle in south east PA.

[Bryman]

Yeah, $80 is about what my guy said he charges when he gets it. I’ve seen it go for $200+. Nope.