The Vice Thread --- Whisk(e)y, other spirits, beer, wine, and cigars

[The San Diegan]

On 8/19/2024 at 11:31 AM, retrofade said:

Nice. I don't think I ever tried their OBSF mash. Sounds interesting from the description. 

Also, it's 11 yrs, 2 months old. 😎

[The San Diegan]

On 8/18/2024 at 2:44 PM, Mano said:

How about 3 - 4 bottles of Elijah Craig Rye?

If you are looking for other ryes, some I like:

Jack Daniels Barrel Proof Rye

Knob Creek Rye

Pikesville Rye

Whistlepig Rye

Sagamore Rye

High West Rendezvous Rye

 

A few others that are over the $100 mark, but all these are pretty good.

 

 

Sagamore's Manhattan Finish rye is the shit. @Bitteraztec this is one truly worth considering as well - priced at $70ish, and neat drinks pretty damn much just like a Manhattan. Distinct from every other rye out there, and utterly crushable.

[The San Diegan]

One last one...

So a buddy of mine is a giant Michter's fanboi and just had a birthday within the last week. He has or has had every expression of Michter's save one - Shenk's Homestead, one of several annual Michter's releases that are rarer than hen's teeth. So when he told me he had received word that there would be a drop that included one 3-bottle case of Shenk's at a local store, I jumped on it, hoping to score a birthday bottle for him.

Over the last 2 1/2 weeks, I made no fewer than a half-dozen trips to said store. the delivery finally came, but it arrived late, about an hour or two after I had popped in. And by the time I stopped back by a few hours later, all three bottles were gone. I gave up and went with Plan B instead, a nice whiskey tote.

And then one day this last week I stopped in midday, and the manager responsible for receivables told me his distributor told him there was another case inbound. I made sure I was there when it arrived, and the manager put a bottle in my hand. He knows my bourbon sherpa by name, and knew I was buying this bottle for him. But I've been in there enough that he knows me as well, so when I asked him if by chance I could score a bottle for myself, he rang me up himself to ensure I could buy two (they have a one per person policy on allocated stuff).

And then that evening, my friend calls. "Dude! You won't believe what I just scored." I cringed. Sure as shit, he walked in hours later after work, and there was this damn Shenk's case, just sitting on the floor with the 3rd bottle still in it. I put in work to get him that shit - hours - and really looked forward to surprising him. Then that fucker just strolls on into the store one evening and there's the case, with one more bottle in it. 

Anyway, I decided to style him the fuck out and put his now 2nd bottle of Shenk's in the tote. We cracked it this weekend. He brought home the now-empty case and I took it home with me as change for my efforts. And now I have a bottle to boot.

It's kind of cool we got the entire case between the two of us. 

[Mano]

On 7/25/2024 at 10:18 AM, The San Diegan said:

That is the favorite expression of a friend of mine as well, and I've often thought about adding it to the house bar menu for 4R drinkers, but keep putting it off bc I'm searching for an OSEO store pick. How would you score the SmBS (and how do you core their entry-level SmB?)? 🤔

Bought 2 OESO's, drank one and have one left, really enjoyed it.

 

If you want to go through the different recipes, the tasting kit is fun ( bought 2 for ~$120 per )

 

[The San Diegan]

On 8/19/2024 at 2:05 PM, Mano said:

Bought 2 OESO's, drank one and have one left, really enjoyed it.

 

If you want to go through the different recipes, the tasting kit is fun:

 

I've eyeballed that many times and thought about it. Based on the recipe descriptions, OESO is the one that sounds the most appealing, and in fact is the one recipe I've been on the lookout for.

[Mano]

On 8/19/2024 at 12:31 PM, retrofade said:

Nice. I don't think I ever tried their OBSF mash. Sounds interesting from the description. 

I did the tasting experience thing, and don't think that the different recipes really matched up with the descriptions that well. If I recall correctly, the delicate fruit one tasted spicier than the one they described as spicy.

[Mano]

On 8/19/2024 at 3:09 PM, The San Diegan said:

I've eyeballed that many times and thought about it. Based on the recipe descriptions, OESO is the one that sounds the most appealing, and in fact is the one recipe I've been on the lookout for.

I bought a couple of bottles off of a secondary site ( I think I paid around $115/bottle ) just because so many people were raving about it. Thought it was really good, but I have liked all the Barrel Proof single recopies  I have had. I believe in the tasting kit they are all proofed to 100 or something like that so you can compare the flavors without proof influencing. 

[The San Diegan]

On 8/19/2024 at 2:09 PM, Mano said:

I did the tasting experience thing, and don't think that the different recipes really matched up with the descriptions that well. If I recall correctly, the delicate fruit one tasted spicier than the one they described as spicy.

I imagine even with their strict climate control and single-story rickhouses, there is still some variation from barrel to barrel. Of course, copywriters gonna write copy. It would be interesting to see tho in a blind how many of their recipes actually matched up with their respective descriptions...

[Mano]

On 8/19/2024 at 12:26 PM, The San Diegan said:

As luck would have it, when I dropped into my local TW on a drop-day looking for a birthday gift for a friend, they had a lone bottle of OBSF SiB BP coming in at 112.4 proof for $85. Never had it, but the recipe sounds delicious ("Minty, Fruity, Spicy, Full Body"). My bourbon sherpa buddy has OBSV (barrel proof) as well as another recipe, and we plan to do a 4R tasting on an upcoming Friday, warming up with their standard 100 proof OBSV, followed by each of the three barrel proof recipes at barrel proof, and capping it with last year's 135th anniversary LE.

Would be interesting to include the standard-release SBS as well tho to see how hot compares... 🤔 Just not sure I need to include it bad enough to buy it. 

Missed out on the 135th, and don't want to pay secondary when the SiB and SBS are so good for so much less. I do have 3 bottles of the LE from 21 and 22 ( had 4, forget which years we drank ).

[Bitteraztec]

On 8/19/2024 at 11:50 AM, The San Diegan said:

Sagamore's Manhattan Finish rye is the shit. @Bitteraztec this is one truly worth considering as well - priced at $70ish, and neat drinks pretty damn much just like a Manhattan. Distinct from every other rye out there, and utterly crushable.

Funny after @Mano ‘s recommendation I looked up Sagamore and saw the Manhattan Finish Rye and it had great reviews. Last time I saw BIL he made us Manhattans

[The San Diegan]

On 8/19/2024 at 3:33 PM, Bitteraztec said:

Funny after @Mano ‘s recommendation I looked up Sagamore and saw the Manhattan Finish Rye and it had great reviews. Last time I saw BIL he made us Manhattans

Serendipity can be cool as shit sometimes. 

[The San Diegan]

So 2024 marked the handover of Sazerac distribution from RNDC to another/other distributor(s). This includes, among other things, all Buffalo Trace products.

And over the last week, my TW received Hancock's, Blanton's, ER10, BT store picks, and three (!!) cases of Stagg.

And today, one SD-area Costco got five cases of EHT SmB, another s shitton of ER10, and another five cases of Blanton's.

Shit's flowing like water lol.

[tailingpermit]

On 8/19/2024 at 3:18 PM, The San Diegan said:

One last one...

So a buddy of mine is a giant Michter's fanboi and just had a birthday within the last week. He has or has had every expression of Michter's save one - Shenk's Homestead, one of several annual Michter's releases that are rarer than hen's teeth. So when he told me he had received word that there would be a drop that included one 3-bottle case of Shenk's at a local store, I jumped on it, hoping to score a birthday bottle for him.

Over the last 2 1/2 weeks, I made no fewer than a half-dozen trips to said store. the delivery finally came, but it arrived late, about an hour or two after I had popped in. And by the time I stopped back by a few hours later, all three bottles were gone. I gave up and went with Plan B instead, a nice whiskey tote.

And then one day this last week I stopped in midday, and the manager responsible for receivables told me his distributor told him there was another case inbound. I made sure I was there when it arrived, and the manager put a bottle in my hand. He knows my bourbon sherpa by name, and knew I was buying this bottle for him. But I've been in there enough that he knows me as well, so when I asked him if by chance I could score a bottle for myself, he rang me up himself to ensure I could buy two (they have a one per person policy on allocated stuff).

And then that evening, my friend calls. "Dude! You won't believe what I just scored." I cringed. Sure as shit, he walked in hours later after work, and there was this damn Shenk's case, just sitting on the floor with the 3rd bottle still in it. I put in work to get him that shit - hours - and really looked forward to surprising him. Then that fucker just strolls on into the store one evening and there's the case, with one more bottle in it. 

Anyway, I decided to style him the fuck out and put his now 2nd bottle of Shenk's in the tote. We cracked it this weekend. He brought home the now-empty case and I took it home with me as change for my efforts. And now I have a bottle to boot.

It's kind of cool we got the entire case between the two of us. 

Seeing on the book of face that it dropped at total wine’s around here. Didn’t get the bombgardens? (Sp)

[tailingpermit]

On 8/20/2024 at 6:14 PM, The San Diegan said:

So 2024 marked the handover of Sazerac distribution from RNDC to another/other distributor(s). This includes, among other things, all Buffalo Trace products.

And over the last week, my TW received Hancock's, Blanton's, ER10, BT store picks, and three (!!) cases of Stagg.

And today, one SD-area Costco got five cases of EHT SmB, another s shitton of ER10, and another five cases of Blanton's.

Shit's flowing like water lol.

Not seeing any of that here, looking forward to the MIL’s house being fixed (flooded during Ian) on Sanibel. Liquor stores there are pretty reasonable and put everything out on the shelf.  

[StealthLobo]

Not whiskey related, but wine.

Going full into NZ wine mode. Been trying all kinds from bothe the north and south Island. Tomorrow heading to Waiheke island for wine tasting/touring, but have been trying good stuff from Marlborough, Hawke's Bay,  and Central Otago. Going to love this new wine adventure.

[The San Diegan]

On 8/20/2024 at 4:49 PM, tailingpermit said:

Seeing on the book of face that it dropped at total wine’s around here. Didn’t get the bombgardens? (Sp)

Oh man, I've only had one release of the Bomberger's (last year's) but it was - and remains - the best Michter's expression I've had (which includes their most recent limited 10-year, BP, and BP Toasted expressions). But there wasn't any included in this drop here, either. Wondering if they release at different times of the year? 🤔

On 8/20/2024 at 4:51 PM, tailingpermit said:

Not seeing any of that here, looking forward to the MIL’s house being fixed (flooded during Ian) on Sanibel. Liquor stores there are pretty reasonable and put everything out on the shelf.  

Yeah, after combing the Costco_alcohol sub for many moons now, I have become increasingly convinced we are incredibly fucking lucky and/or blessed here, what with the regularity with which our Costco's receive allocated shit. And I do also believe we may see a return to non-allocated status for some staples. It's amazing to me that ER10 was one of my early bourbon staples nearly 20 years ago, and I'm only paying $3 more at Costco than I used to at grocery stores back then. 

Speaking of which, for shits and giggles, I tucked three bottles of the Costco ER10 away here and there to see if they would remain undiscovered. And yep! Sure as shit, all three were still there as of today. I picked one up, and will stop by there again tomorrow or the next day to see if the others are still there. If they are, then I shall reward myself for being clever with another $32 bottle of ER10... 🙂 I kind of like stocking up on it, so I can grab a bottle whenever we're heading to a friend's house, give them as gifts to bourbon drinking friends, etc. 

Happy bourbon hunting on Sanibel - my bourbon sherpa buddy and I are going to spend an upcoming Saturday hunting in some more obscure areas of town.

[tailingpermit]

On 8/21/2024 at 3:25 PM, The San Diegan said:

Oh man, I've only had one release of the Bomberger's (last year's) but it was - and remains - the best Michter's expression I've had (which includes their most recent limited 10-year, BP, and BP Toasted expressions). But there wasn't any included in this drop here, either. Wondering if they release at different times of the year? 🤔

Yeah, after combing the Costco_alcohol sub for many moons now, I have become increasingly convinced we are incredibly fucking lucky and/or blessed here, what with the regularity with which our Costco's receive allocated shit. And I do also believe we may see a return to non-allocated status for some staples. It's amazing to me that ER10 was one of my early bourbon staples nearly 20 years ago, and I'm only paying $3 more at Costco than I used to at grocery stores back then. 

Speaking of which, for shits and giggles, I tucked three bottles of the Costco ER10 away here and there to see if they would remain undiscovered. And yep! Sure as shit, all three were still there as of today. I picked one up, and will stop by there again tomorrow or the next day to see if the others are still there. If they are, then I shall reward myself for being clever with another $32 bottle of ER10... 🙂 I kind of like stocking up on it, so I can grab a bottle whenever we're heading to a friend's house, give them as gifts to bourbon drinking friends, etc. 

Happy bourbon hunting on Sanibel - my bourbon sherpa buddy and I are going to spend an upcoming Saturday hunting in some more obscure areas of town.

Every time I see Shenks there’s a Bombergers right next to it, so I would guess the release is the same. 

[Mano]

They keep trying to improve distribution here in Utah, and make it worse each time. Used to be that you just checked the site every morning, and if you saw something you like your raced to the store to get in line. They now do it every 3rd Saturday and publish what they are releasing, but now the flippers are camping out with a large group of people from the night before and grabbing everything. They released Weller CYPB, FP and Stagg this past Saturday, but when I drove by at 1:00 AM at stores near me saw I would not be able to get CYPB, and at 7:00 AM would not be able to get the other 2. Stores open at 11:00 AM. Have a decent reserve of stuff that I trade, and will spend a little over MSRP for stuff I really want ( not the outrageous > $500/bottle many are commanding ) but seem to be getting shut out of the stuff I used to regularly get.

[tailingpermit]

On 8/21/2024 at 6:33 PM, Mano said:

They keep trying to improve distribution here in Utah, and make it worse each time. Used to be that you just checked the site every morning, and if you saw something you like your raced to the store to get in line. They now do it every 3rd Saturday and publish what they are releasing, but now the flippers are camping out with a large group of people from the night before and grabbing everything. They released Weller CYPB, FP and Stagg this past Saturday, but when I drove by at 1:00 AM at stores near me saw I would not be able to get CYPB, and at 7:00 AM would not be able to get the other 2. Stores open at 11:00 AM. Have a decent reserve of stuff that I trade, and will spend a little over MSRP for stuff I really want ( not the outrageous > $500/bottle many are commanding ) but seem to be getting shut out of the stuff I used to regularly get.

I remember seeing the distribution of ER17 one year, the whole state of Utah got one bottle. My liquor store down the street got two.  

[Mano]

On 8/21/2024 at 7:32 PM, tailingpermit said:

I remember seeing the distribution of ER17 one year, the whole state of Utah got one bottle. My liquor store down the street got two.  

Utah used to get taken care of with the PVW and BTAC stuff, but my understanding is they got rid of the guy who had the relationship with BT, and it has been slim pickings ever since.