marsbold

On 9/21/2021 at 8:18 AM, McLoofus said:

I love that there's paperwork involved, lol.

Seriously. If I brought home that many bottles of hooch at once- and especially so many hammers- I would also find some reason to get out pen and paper. Not kidding at all. 

I actually have all 38 spirits that have gone into my infinity decanter so far listed, along with proof for anything over 80. 10ml at a time. Once it's full I'll quit with that and just use it to dump remnants like a normal person, but I want to curate and document for the first fill. I might even calculate the proof, % straight bourbon vs rye vs "other" (there are trace amounts of Irish whisky, Scotch, rum, tequila and mezcal in there), etc. 

Sorry. Let us know how they are!

There is an app specifically for infinity bottles that, I think, helps track what is in them, proofs, mash bill, etc. Can't remember where I saw it being discussed though. Was searching some groups yesterday and couldn't find the thread; was hoping to share the specific app with you. Sounded really intriguing though. Guy shared a couple screenshots of what the app was tracking, and a couple others were using the app and really liked it. Realize this is pretty vague, but you may want to check apps in the app store to see if there is one that would help on your current or future infinity bottle.

2 hours ago, CleCoTiger said:

Hope this doesn't get me blasted, but I'm going to recommend people try a "bottom shelf" bourbon that I like very, very much. Before I say what it is, I think I have to point out that my belief is people are often biased by things like price, packaging and marketing such that they are predisposed to find higher priced, better marketed brands to be "better." This seems to be the case with everything from wines to bottled water where experts, blind to what they are tasting, will often find that they like what they thought they hated. In this case, with the bourbon I'm going to recommend, I wonder if putting it in a really upscale bottle prior to having someone taste might have some influence?

Anyway...

Bottom shelf. Cheap. But I think very, very good as a "sipping whiskey" with a touch of sweetness in the aftertaste, hints of vanilla and just very smooth: 101 Proof Virgin Bourbon

Virgin Bourbon 101 Proof is available in Alabama ABC stores for about 15 dollars for 750 ml. I originally tried this back in the early 90's and was pleasantly surprised. I forgot about it for many years as I'm typically not really a fan of most bourbons in general but tried it again a few years back and again found it to be very good, better even than some top shelf brands costing several times the price.

If folks can keep an open mind, give it a try. Don't judge by the cheap looking label or price. It's my "go to" bourbon of choice. No kidding.

A good whiskey is whatever you enjoy, regardless of pricing and packaging! I almost always have Old Grand Dad in the house, usually the BiB 100 proof that goes for about $24. Also keep Crown Royal, around $40 for a 1.75 liter "handle", for my crown & cokes during football games or neighborhood walks. Would say both are mid to bottom shelf, but I enjoy them.

Will keep an eye out for the Virgin Bourbon...I'll try anything and my wallet would prefer more $15-$25 bottles.

7 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Thanks right back at ya! Do you tend to find the Weller SR @  msrp or slightly above? Or is it typically marked way up? As much as I like that stuff, I just can't get into paying crazy markups for anything.

Not sure what MSRP is but guessing around $30?? Last week, picked up one bottle at $30 and other at $35 I think (both for friends). Most commonly see it at $40-$45. Definitely have seen it higher also, up to like $60. See it commonly enough that I never pay over $40. Didn't even get a bottle for me last week because I have 3 at home right now. 

3 hours ago, McLoofus said:

I can relate so much to all of this. Well, except taking such good care of your buddies. Mostly kidding!

When you go to south Atlanta, consider Empire Package at Flat Shoals and I20. Deceptively solid for being so overtly hood. One time I saw the owner's son- huge Korean dude- standing outside with a "patron" pinned to the wall in an armbar with one hand and on the phone with the other. Assuming he was talking to the cops. Looked bored out of his mind. Used to get Weller and Saz Rye at MSRP on the regular there. Probably not quite the unicorn store that it used to be but certainly worth checking out if you're over that way. Bonus points for being basically in East Atlanta Village. Lots of great bars and restaurants. That's where I used to live. 

Thanks for the tip! Just googled address & added Empire to my list of stores to visit. Not often in that area but will definitely check it out. 

First time I went to one of the better stores I've visited in SW Georgia the owner was outside yelling at some guy & had the cops on the phone. The stores I don't want to visit at night are the ones I've had better luck finding unicorns or semi-unicorns. The big & fancy stores in nice areas of town seem to have all the stuff hidden in the back and/or allocated for their best customers/club members.

Side note - the Weller SR is still pretty easy to find in GA still if you visit multiple stores. Probably saw it in at least 6 stores last week. Not much luck on the rest of the line up though. Saw one 12 year at $350 (left it there) and the CYPB that I nabbed; that was it.

2 hours ago, McLoofus said:

I love that there's paperwork involved, lol.

Seriously. If I brought home that many bottles of hooch at once- and especially so many hammers- I would also find some reason to get out pen and paper. Not kidding at all. 

I actually have all 38 spirits that have gone into my infinity decanter so far listed, along with proof for anything over 80. 10ml at a time. Once it's full I'll quit with that and just use it to dump remnants like a normal person, but I want to curate and document for the first fill. I might even calculate the proof, % straight bourbon vs rye vs "other" (there are trace amounts of Irish whisky, Scotch, rum, tequila and mezcal in there), etc. 

Sorry. Let us know how they are!

Most of my paperwork and notes are getting logged into a document of which stores are worth revisiting and what are good prices on bottles I like. (ex - paid $60 for the Heaven Hill BiB. Don't see it a lot but realized in visiting some other stores I can hold out for $45-$50 on that bottle). I hit 21 stores last week on the trip...fun but exhausting also. Mostly focusing on GA since I'm there a decent amount. Ton of work but hoping that down the road I have an idea of good stores to swing by in various areas instead of making so many random stops. Next trip I'll take a more southern route to south Atlanta and hit an entirely different group of stores and add more notes to the file. Ended up with 17 bottles last week so part of documents is just trying to figure out who it getting what & how much they owe me!

Going to try the infinity bottle at some point. Sounds like a lot of fun, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Really curious to hear your thoughts on your infinity bottle once you start drinking it!

Since no activity was mentioned, thought I'd post this. Was on a Georgia road trip last week & grabbed all these. I do this every few months. Some for me, others are bottles that friends wanted. I love hunting in GA & TN; always find things I don't see in AL. 

Really excited about the Glenfarclas 105. Love it & been looking for it for 2 years. I always have a Dickel BiB on hand; actually one of my favorites and can consistently find in GA around $40. Slowly consuming a Redwood Empire Lost Monarch right now; really like it and the $35 price point. Picked up the other Redwood bottle to see how it is. Opened first bottle of Woodinville a few weeks ago. Tried it in my bourbon group and we all liked it. So picked up the port finish bottle last week to try it. 

The Weller CYPB...stumbled across it and couldn't pass it up. Will hold it for a special occasion. EHT Barrel Proof is first one I've ever seen in a store...unfortunately it's going to a friend since I already blew the budget on the CYPB. 

On 9/8/2021 at 11:17 AM, aubiefifty said:

RED ZONE OFFENSE

2021: 100.0 percent (1st, 2nd)

Why: Auburn was 4-for-4 in the red zone with four touchdowns.

Seems like a mistake. Would like to know how someone did better than 100% so that we could do it in the future & move into first place!

Realizing that 100% can't be beat, one explanation may be another team hit 100% and was put in first because they had larger sample size (ex - 5 for 5 in the red zone). Otherwise, not sure why this would not be 1st place nationally in addition to in SEC.

Doesn't really matter. This just stood out to me as a potential mistake or something I'm not understanding.
 

17 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Finally bought a bottle of Makers 46. Am I crazy for thinking this is really good? 

 

Don't personally have any idea about Makers, but I'm in the camp of drink whatever is good to you. Especially if it is reasonable on the price & available. 

Glad to hear you like the Makers though. I put Makers 101 on my list last week of bottles to try after a discussion on another forum. Don't know anything about their line-up; guess I should Google it sometime to learn more.

14 hours ago, fredst said:

I loaded up on some Weller Antique and 12 year back in the day when they were actually reasonably priced. They are old enough at this point that they are in the old bottle style. They are both incredibly good, hard to believe I used to get them at like $30. I like Blantons fine but it is so wildly overpriced for what it is at this point it’s hard to justify

Very wise! Wish I had done the same. First few bottles of Weller I bought were the old style; never bought a 12 year though. Haven't even seen a 12 year or Antique in a store in the last 2 years as whiskey demand has gone crazy. I run across the Special Reserve in other states (not AL) somewhat frequently. 
Don't see Blantons much either but I'll buy it at $60-$70 whenever I do because it's good currency; lots of people in my area will trade me something I would rather have.

Got a bottle of Weller Antique 107 Friday...first one in nearly 2 years. Forgot how much I enjoy this whiskey. Think it is one of my favorites, but going to blind taste test vs some others soon. I know Weller is hyped to point prices can be stupid and it's hard to find, but I would recommend this bottle to anyone if it can be found at a decent price. I traded a bottle of Blantons that I picked up for $60 for the Weller 107; I would take it over Blantons every day of the week.

I opened a bottle of the Heaven Hill BiB last week. Friend & I both really liked it. It's a little harder to find, but I would recommend trying it if you can find it near MSRP (around $50 I think). 

On 5/30/2021 at 11:08 AM, ShocksMyBrain said:

Where’d you hit in Chattanooga?

Honestly it's pretty fuzzy where I got everything. I went to 5 stores in Chattanooga and 4-5 more in Dalton, GA. Obviously it took some shopping to get all this. I passed on some Weller Full Proof, Elijah Craig 18 yr, and Stag Jr b/c the prices were too high in my opinion...but I was really tempted since I never see them. It's amazing what some effort can produce when in Georgia and Tennessee; I have much more success in GA & TN vs AL. 

I know the Blantons and one of the EH Taylors was from JJs Liquor in Chattanooga. Hole in the wall looking place in a more industrial area of Chattanooga (south side near GA line). I have more success at these type stores. I didn't even try to "nicer" stores in the money parts of town. JJs made you buy a paired bottle to get the allocated product. Smooth Ambler went with the Taylor and the Forty Creek went with the Blantons. Allocated stuff was overpriced in my mind and then add on top of it having to buy some other bottle just to get the allocated stuff (although the paired bottles appeared to be at normal prices). I had friends willing to pay the prices for these bottles though. So, if you don't mind paying for a product you rarely see, JJs is worth a stop. I normally don't identify nice finds like this place in a public forum but this part of the AU Fam website is a small community, and the store is 5 hours from home; so hopefully one of you can benefit from it also!! Once these hole in the wall stores get "discovered" it gets much harder to get things from them. 

On 5/29/2021 at 6:55 PM, fredst said:

Dude. That is a nice haul. I’m wondering what time I should come over. You can go ahead and set up a pour of that Barrell for me....

Barrell Seagrass is one of the bottles going to a friend. He'll have to let me try it as part of the delivery fee! I haven't tried any of the Barrell products but am looking forward to it since I keep reading good things about them.

9 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Happy hunting! Hope you report back with your haul!

Here's the haul. Chattanooga & Dalton, GA. Went to about 8 stores. Lot of this isn't for me; had a couple friends place orders. Skipped the scotch as its easier to get around home.

12 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Hoo boy. This stuff is 57.8% and doesn't hide a bit of it.  Almost more brine than peat. Big lemon. Water sweetens it nicely but doesn't put the fire out. This really is the irresponsible younger brother of the 16.

Didn't know this bottle existed. Reading your comment as you think the 16 is better...is that correct? I'm in the Chattanooga area today and am going to hit a bunch of stores this afternoon to see if I find anything interesting so wondering if I should keep an eye out for this. I love the 16.

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Where in S. GA? I'm guessing on the western side of the state?

How much did you pay for the Weller, if you don't mind me asking?

All the stores were southwest GA. Around the Albany to Blakely areas. Pretty sure the Weller was in Blakely. It was $42 or $44. I've picked up several bottles of it around GA in last few months, one it Atlanta area other in Clayton (NE GA), and it seems to always be in the $40-45 range. 

Picked these up at various stores in South GA yesterday. Seems like I consistently find things in GA that I can't find in Dothan area & that I hear are just generally hard to get in AL. My perception may be wrong, but something about the liquor market in AL seems off (maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places and I definitely don't have any connections). However, thought I would pass this along for those close to GA or consistently in GA. I've found some other nice bottles in GA over the last year.

Now have to decide which bottle to open first!

On 1/22/2021 at 4:45 PM, ShocksMyBrain said:

Customer opened up a couple of bottles he purchased at the store. Barrel New Year and Barrel Armida. Both were amazing. Not usually big on sourced bourbons at all, but Barrel does it great every time. 
 

Armida was super interesting and complex. I hate that I slept on it. It’s a spirit that is more of an experience than it is just something you throw in a glass. If you like interesting bourbon, buy it. 
 

“Armida is a blend of three Straight Bourbon Whiskeys finished separately in Pear Brandy, Jamaican Rum, and Sicilian Amaro Casks.”

https://www.barrellbourbon.com/armida

In your experience, are the various Barrel options hard to find? Sounds like you think anything in their line is worth consideration if the price is reasonable. I've seen Barrel mentioned several times recently in various articles but haven't tried any of them. Was in the Destin area this weekend and a store had 4 of their offerings, but I didn't buy any of them. Should have taken a picture of the bottles & prices to research further & see if prices were good.

Same store had 1 bottle of the Alberta Cask Strength Rye that has picked up a few awards over the last year. I grabbed it.

Another store in the area had around 20 bottles of Blantons. I almost never see it; couldn't believe they had so many. Selling it at $170 though...might explain why they had so much. I passed on it. 

3 hours ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

I may have mentioned it here before but we tried Sweetens Cove(Peyton/Eli Manning whiskey they’re throwing their name behind) against Dickel BiB, and we almost felt bad that the Dickel at ~$40 a bottle tasted better than the $200 Sweetens Cove. Sweetens Cove is sourced from Dickel, so it was a fair comparison. 

I was surprised by how much I liked the Dickel BiB. Will buy a couple bottles if a run across it again; certainly a good purchase at $40-45 in my opinion. 

3 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Also an Islay guy and agree with the "bargain" choices listed.

Old Tub is a new 100 proof brand from Jim Beam that is actually quite good for the price ($25ish). I enjoy OF 100 proof and OF rye. 

In Dothan, @marsbold *might* be able to find Sazerac Rye at MSRP ($35-$38). It gets harder to find the further you get from NOLA, where you can buy it by the handle. Wouldn't be surprised if Mobile is flush with it. You probably already know all this. 

As for the Crown and coke, I think we all have our guilty pleasures. One of mine is Miller High Life in the bottle. We're all friends here. 

Also an Islay fan; just made a comment on Islays in response to fredst. 

I have an unopened bottle of Old Tub at home. Looking forward to comparing it with Old Grand Dad 100 to see which I like better since they are almost same price point.

I haven't seen Sazerac in a while (not sure if the stores around here don't get it, hide it in the back or just sell it fast). Good to know that distance from NOLA might matter. I'll check some stores next time I'm in Pensacola or Mobile.

Keep living the High Life!

15 hours ago, fredst said:

Your choice of single malts is excellent I think but I’m an Islay guy- this time of year, by my outdoor fireplace, give me a Lagavulin 16 or an Ardbeg Ueigeadail and I’m a happy man. I would personally go with the Elijah Craig small batch or Old Grandad 114, maybe Larceny for that wheat. Any of the OF whiskey row series are good at a little higher price point, 1920 for higher proof and 1910 for lower proof point. Just my humble opinion, other guys with good knowledge here to offer other reds I’m sure. Welcome btw!

I brought in the New Year with Lagavulin 16; couldn't think of a better way to start it! I need to blind taste test the 16 yr vs the Distillers edition I have. The Bunnahabahain Toitech a Dha in the pic I posted is also an Islay. I blind tested it with a friend a couple weeks ago vs the regular Bunn 12 year; both thought the Toiteach was clearly better. It's hard to find but I would recommend trying it if you stumble upon it.

I'm going to give the Old Grandad 114 a shot; I see it more than the bottled in bond in my area. The OF 1920 is on my wish list (phone note) of bottles to buy if I see them.

And now that I've officially introduced myself, I'll put my first question to the group. This may have been somewhat covered in the last 19 pages, but I can't remember what I read a few days back.

What's your go to whiskey in the $20-$40 range? I burn through the cheap bottles while holding back more expensive or harder to find bottles for the occasional drink. I like the Weller SR (but of course rarely see it), find that Old Grand Dad bottled in bond is pretty solid at $20-25, and recently finished a bottle of Legent that I'll probably replace. Crown and coke got me into whiskey and I still keep a bottle of Crown around at all times...may have just killed any iota of credibility I had.

I've been lurking on this site for 15 years going back to AU Nation, mostly to see if I can find any football news. Just saw the clubs & this Beer and Spirits group in the last few days...love this topic. Read all 19 pages a few days ago! I've contributed a grand total of nothing to the football forums, and I'm not sure I can add a whole lot here other than I'm jealous of the stuff ShocksMyBrain can get his hands on. However, I love whisky and hopefully can make a few comments here & there. 
Since it's a smaller group, I'll introduce myself a little further. 2001 AU grad living in Dothan, AL. Have no connections or sources in the liquor world. Only shopping I do is at liquor stores; love visiting stores in the area and anywhere I travel to see if I can find something interesting. It's like a treasure hunt that I usually fail at. Prefer scotch to american whiskey but I keep a lot of both at home. Also have a bunch of gin and amaro. Posting pics of the american whiskey & scotch whisky I'm currently drinking. Hopefully these are decent enough bottles to lend me a little credence in this group and at least keep me off the ignore lists!

http://auburn.247sports.com/Article/Four-star-linebacker-Kenney-Britt-commits-to-Auburn-over-Georgia-48651275

Here's your KN confirm. Watch the video that's part of the article.