Bourbon

[a fan]

Knob Creek has become my "everyday" bourbon.

Used to keep a bottle from this outfit from Colorado in my liquor cabinet, but they aren't carried by any of my local stores anymore.

Sorry mate, it's a new economy we're dealing with now.

Happily, my brother and I have been prepping for it for 10 years.....wholesalers consolidation coupled with a zillion small distilleries in your State have made out of State sales very difficult.

Sometime in the next 20 years, I'm hoping for DTC....but we're certainly not counting on it.

[HooDat]

Knob Creek has become my "everyday" bourbon.

Used to keep a bottle from this outfit from Colorado in my liquor cabinet, but they aren't carried by any of my local stores anymore.

Sorry mate, it's a new economy we're dealing with now.

Happily, my brother and I have been prepping for it for 10 years.....wholesalers consolidation coupled with a zillion small distilleries in your State have made out of State sales very difficult.

Sometime in the next 20 years, I'm hoping for DTC....but we're certainly not counting on it.

I ask every time I go in, but I don't think it is going to change anything....

[a fan]

Knob Creek has become my "everyday" bourbon.

Used to keep a bottle from this outfit from Colorado in my liquor cabinet, but they aren't carried by any of my local stores anymore.

Sorry mate, it's a new economy we're dealing with now.

Happily, my brother and I have been prepping for it for 10 years.....wholesalers consolidation coupled with a zillion small distilleries in your State have made out of State sales very difficult.

Sometime in the next 20 years, I'm hoping for DTC....but we're certainly not counting on it.

I ask every time I go in, but I don't think it is going to change anything....

Appreciate it! You just need to come out to Colorado.....skiing has been great this year!

[DMac]

On a better note, my buddy found out you can buy Leopold Bros. Rocky Mountain Blackberry Flavored Whiskey here in NY and will be buying a bottle. Too funny, I had told him about you guys many times and the reviews you always get. He came in the other day and told me in his search your place came up and he read all about the place and was very impressed. Only had been telling him about it for a couple of years but better late than never I suppose.

[get it to x]

On a better note, my buddy found out you can buy Leopold Bros. Rocky Mountain Blackberry Flavored Whiskey here in NY and will be buying a bottle. Too funny, I had told him about you guys many times and the reviews you always get. He came in the other day and told me in his search your place came up and he read all about the place and was very impressed. Only had been telling him about it for a couple of years but better late than never I suppose.

I still think we're kind of in the "Golden Age" of bourbon. So many great old distillers turning out top shelf stuff, some non-distilleries experimenting with finishing such as in Sherry casks with juice from Ross and Squibb (MGP) and Barton. Lots of talented blenders not using their own distillate. You can get such a variety of styles, proofs and mash bills it's easy to find some favorites, assuming you like bourbon. My bar has on it right now:

Russell's Single Barrell
Tin Cup 10 Year
WT Rare Breed
Blue Note Juke Joint Store Pick (120 Proof)
Early Times Bottled in Bond

None of these was over $75. I would put all of these up against a Blanton's or EH Taylor and they would hold their own. I do have a somewhat pricey Leopold/Dickel Collaboration Rye I will crack when my Granddaughter is born in March.

[a fan]

On a better note, my buddy found out you can buy Leopold Bros. Rocky Mountain Blackberry Flavored Whiskey here in NY and will be buying a bottle. Too funny, I had told him about you guys many times and the reviews you always get. He came in the other day and told me in his search your place came up and he read all about the place and was very impressed. Only had been telling him about it for a couple of years but better late than never I suppose.

I still think we're kind of in the "Golden Age" of bourbon. So many great old distillers turning out top shelf stuff, some non-distilleries experimenting with finishing such as in Sherry casks with juice from Ross and Squibb (MGP) and Barton. Lots of talented blenders not using their own distillate. You can get such a variety of styles, proofs and mash bills it's easy to find some favorites, assuming you like bourbon. My bar has on it right now:

Russell's Single Barrell
Tin Cup 10 Year
WT Rare Breed
Blue Note Juke Joint Store Pick (120 Proof)
Early Times Bottled in Bond

None of these was over $75. I would put all of these up against a Blanton's or EH Taylor and they would hold their own. I do have a somewhat pricey Leopold/Dickel Collaboration Rye I will crack when my Granddaughter is born in March.

You can lead a horse to water, DMac.....

I like that your collection is small, Get it to X....it means you're drinking them!! Congrats on the granddaughter!! Means a lot to be a part of that special day....make sure you save some for the new Mom!!

BTW DMac, George Dickel's Nicole Austin is from Auburn. We've trying to arrange an event up that way for this year so we can hang with her super-cool Mom. I'll keep you posted if we're successful. As a reminder, my Dad went to Liverpool (then Syracuse U) and my Mom is from Genny (then Cornell). Haven't been up that way in a looooong time!

[youthathletics]

I try to keep a bottle of the Dickel Rye on my shelf at all times....great mixer and daily sipper. For ~ $25 bucks, its a win.

I also enjoy Mello Corn (~$15)...go ahead and hate, but as afan says....depends on the mood, sometimes I just want to taste some liquid corn bread.

I LOVE Mellow Corn. So do many of the best whiskey writers in the world.....you're in good stead. It's a last vestige of a dying style.

We'll be making some when our new Three Chamber arrives....

This was my write up on Mellow Corn awhile back. I am available for freelance work...

Mellow Corn Whiskey - BiB

Oh my!! I have stumbled upon a hidden gem. At 80% corn, you get a taste of our ancestors of yesteryear. I can picture a farmer exiting his barn, bottle in hand, no label, with one of his suspenders on his overalls draped alongside his waist....smiling ear to ear knowing he perfected the fruit of his labor with no trained skill in whiskey making, other than past failures; Mellow Corn carried on his legacy.
After you pour a dram, sip it immediately, why?, because each sip thereafter will be prove more rewarding. This whiskey wants to breath, like it was cooped up in a starting gate.

The nose, there isn’t much there, to me, maybe some apple juice with a hint of dried banana and a dash of vanilla. Swish it around and the name is true to its name, ‘Mellow’. Afterward, you are graced with much the same as the nose, with a subtle bite that is a result of the charred barrel that once robbed the Mellow Corn of more potential. But you know what, I appreciate that.
Beyond pleased.
~ Cheers!

[kramerica.inc]

This conversation just confirms that you all have fantastic pickers and we all need to try and get together this spring for a lax game and sip or two...

[DMac]

BTW DMac, George Dickel's Nicole Austin is from Auburn. We've trying to arrange an event up that way for this year so we can hang with her super-cool Mom. I'll keep you posted if we're successful. As a reminder, my Dad went to Liverpool (then Syracuse U) and my Mom is from Genny (then Cornell). Haven't been up that way in a looooong time!

Nice, do keep me posted. Mighty tough to beat the Finger Lakes in the spring and summer. Oh, and extend my sympathies to your mom for that '09 game, I know that wound still bleeds.

[youthathletics]

More shenanigan's in the bourbon industry...https://www.wdrb.com/news/business/kent ... _foXNR3rss

[youthathletics]

My friend and I are making our own 'cigar batch' or "Amburana-finished" bourbon. Going to let this marinate in the a dark room for about a week. I chose to go on the minimal side of grams/liter for the first batch. This could be fun.

The bag of chips smell amazing all on their own....kinda like a cinnamon toast, smores, vanilla, maybe a bit of coconut. aroma. And you can't go wrong with WT101. Put the chips in cheesecloth to help minimize filtering when we dump the batch.

[a fan]

Cool!!!

[youthathletics]

My friend and I are making our own 'cigar batch' or "Amburana-finished" bourbon. Going to let this marinate in the a dark room for about a week. I chose to go on the minimal side of grams/liter for the first batch. This could be fun.

The bag of chips smell amazing all on their own....kinda like a cinnamon toast, smores, vanilla, maybe a bit of coconut. aroma. And you can't go wrong with WT101. Put the chips in cheesecloth to help minimize filtering when we dump the batch.

update…
Day 1: a little shake to keep the chips moving. Did not open jar.
Day 2: another shake and a quick opening for a burp of air. New aromas setting in and a bit more darker color taking hold.

[Kismet]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/us/o ... Position=2

"Oregon Liquor Officials Are Accused of Hoarding Rare Bourbon

An investigation found that six officials with the state’s liquor commission had diverted bottles of high-end alcohol for themselves, including Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

The investigation found that six officials at the commission, which regulates alcoholic beverage sales in Oregon, had abused their positions by diverting bottles of Pappy Van Winkle and other liquor from a state warehouse so that they could buy them in stores. The liquor was intended for the public.

A longtime purchasing coordinator who complained about the practice said that commission managers had for years requested liquor from the “safety stock,” a reserve supply that was kept at the warehouse to replace bottles that broke in transit to restaurants, hotels and liquor stores, the investigation found.

After commission officials put in their requests, the bottles were shipped to liquor stores, usually to one in Milwaukie, Ore., near the office where commission officials worked, the investigation found. Commission officials were notified when the bottles had arrived, the employee said in a report detailing the findings.

Commission officials paid market price for the bottles and, according to their interviews with an investigator, either drank them or gave them as gifts, said Mark Pettinger, a commission spokesman."

[a fan]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/us/o ... Position=2

"Oregon Liquor Officials Are Accused of Hoarding Rare Bourbon

An investigation found that six officials with the state’s liquor commission had diverted bottles of high-end alcohol for themselves, including Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

The investigation found that six officials at the commission, which regulates alcoholic beverage sales in Oregon, had abused their positions by diverting bottles of Pappy Van Winkle and other liquor from a state warehouse so that they could buy them in stores. The liquor was intended for the public.

A longtime purchasing coordinator who complained about the practice said that commission managers had for years requested liquor from the “safety stock,” a reserve supply that was kept at the warehouse to replace bottles that broke in transit to restaurants, hotels and liquor stores, the investigation found.

After commission officials put in their requests, the bottles were shipped to liquor stores, usually to one in Milwaukie, Ore., near the office where commission officials worked, the investigation found. Commission officials were notified when the bottles had arrived, the employee said in a report detailing the findings.

Commission officials paid market price for the bottles and, according to their interviews with an investigator, either drank them or gave them as gifts, said Mark Pettinger, a commission spokesman."

Happens through private distributors, too.

I'm in Portland now....this is another dagger in the State-run system out this way. They've been pushing to get rid of it like they did years back in Wash State.

Suffice it to say, it's NOT GOOD for a piddly State agency to make the NYTimes......this could easily get leverage moving to privatize the OR system.

[get it to x]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/us/o ... Position=2

"Oregon Liquor Officials Are Accused of Hoarding Rare Bourbon

An investigation found that six officials with the state’s liquor commission had diverted bottles of high-end alcohol for themselves, including Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

The investigation found that six officials at the commission, which regulates alcoholic beverage sales in Oregon, had abused their positions by diverting bottles of Pappy Van Winkle and other liquor from a state warehouse so that they could buy them in stores. The liquor was intended for the public.

A longtime purchasing coordinator who complained about the practice said that commission managers had for years requested liquor from the “safety stock,” a reserve supply that was kept at the warehouse to replace bottles that broke in transit to restaurants, hotels and liquor stores, the investigation found.

After commission officials put in their requests, the bottles were shipped to liquor stores, usually to one in Milwaukie, Ore., near the office where commission officials worked, the investigation found. Commission officials were notified when the bottles had arrived, the employee said in a report detailing the findings.

Commission officials paid market price for the bottles and, according to their interviews with an investigator, either drank them or gave them as gifts, said Mark Pettinger, a commission spokesman."

Happens through private distributors, too.

I'm in Portland now....this is another dagger in the State-run system out this way. They've been pushing to get rid of it like they did years back in Wash State.

Suffice it to say, it's NOT GOOD for a piddly State agency to make the NYTimes......this could easily get leverage moving to privatize the OR system.

Running liquor distribution with government personnel is ridiculous. If we had the ideal, it would be direct to consumer. We might get some stuff that tastes like mulch, but product liability suits would keep distilleries from poisoning us.

[a fan]

Running liquor distribution with government personnel is ridiculous. If we had the ideal, it would be direct to consumer. We might get some stuff that tastes like mulch, but product liability suits would keep distilleries from poisoning us.

Can you imagine if FedEx operated like a liquor distributor? Where they'd take 25% - 33% of the value of each delivery, instead of a flat fee?

The State run system in Michigan was so corrupt, and the markups were so bad, that in order for my brother and I to make as much money as we do selling a $32 bottle of Gin or Whiskey, it would wind up on the shelf in Michigan at $45. And that was in 2008. I'm sure it's worse now.

It's the biggest reason why we left.

It's even worse in Oregon. Or Pennsylvania.

[HooDat]

Running liquor distribution with government personnel is ridiculous. If we had the ideal, it would be direct to consumer. We might get some stuff that tastes like mulch, but product liability suits would keep distilleries from poisoning us.

Can you imagine if FedEx operated like a liquor distributor? Where they'd take 25% - 33% of the value of each delivery, instead of a flat fee?

The State run system in Michigan was so corrupt, and the markups were so bad, that in order for my brother and I to make as much money as we do selling a $32 bottle of Gin or Whiskey, it would wind up on the shelf in Michigan at $45. And that was in 2008. I'm sure it's worse now.

It's the biggest reason why we left.

It's even worse in Oregon. Or Pennsylvania.

PA liquor laws seem designed for the purpose of promoting corruption....

[youthathletics]

My friend and I are making our own 'cigar batch' or "Amburana-finished" bourbon. Going to let this marinate in the a dark room for about a week. I chose to go on the minimal side of grams/liter for the first batch. This could be fun.

The bag of chips smell amazing all on their own....kinda like a cinnamon toast, smores, vanilla, maybe a bit of coconut. aroma. And you can't go wrong with WT101. Put the chips in cheesecloth to help minimize filtering when we dump the batch.

update…
Day 1: a little shake to keep the chips moving. Did not open jar.
Day 2: another shake and a quick opening for a burp of air. New aromas setting in and a bit more darker color taking hold.

a week or so late...
Finally ready for bottling. WT 101 homemade "cigar batch 1 finishing" for 10 days with Amburana chips. Came out amazingly well. Had the wife do a nose test, who can't stand whiskey and she picked the finished batch both times.
The finish added an extra dose of caramel and something close to a a combination of toffee, butterscotch, graham cracker. When I did the side by tasting, the straight wt101 came across very young and not boring, which it is no and I do enjoy it on the regular. I had another dram last night over ice and it even opened up those added notes even more. It certainly transitioned it from a standard bourbon to something you would immediately say is bourbon, and this was with only 4-5 oz of chips per 1.75ml.

In any event....I would say a success.

[youthathletics]

Crazy Hedge Fund Legal battle with Wilderrness Trail: https://www.wdrb.com/wdrb-investigates/ ... FzGBdgwNEE