Adventures in bourbon - Bottled in Bond

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  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian

    Went to a blind bourbon tasting this weekend. The winner out of the 10 was my #2, but my #1 was the EH Taylor Single Barrel Bonded. A little more on the pricey side, but really good stuff.

    GHoosdum
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    edited March 2017

    EH Taylor is gooooood stuff. What was the 'winner'?

  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian

    Old Weller Antique. That was my #2. Elijah Craig took #2 overall.

    UPSLynx
  • doabarrellrolldoabarrellroll San Jose, CA Icrontian

    @UPSLynx I didn't know you were a Bourbon guy! We have a lot to talk about.

    GHoosdumUPSLynx
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian

    @doabarrellroll said:
    @UPSLynx I didn't know you were a Bourbon guy! We have a lot to talk about.

    I've been a whiskey fan for a long time, but only over the last 3 or 4 years have I really started digging into bourbon. I used to be hardcore scotch whisky, but these days I've been buying more bourbon than anything else (with the exception of beer, of course).

    Dude we need to hang out, drink bourbon and talk about Porsche.

  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    edited April 2017

    Henry McKenna time!

    Finally got around to trying the Henry McKenna 10 year Bottled in Bond. For a 10 year 100 proof whiskey, this is an amazing purchase for the price. I found this bottle for $26 bucks, and man, it tastes like a $40+ whiskey.

    The first sip hits you with huge caramel and butterscotch notes. There's a hint of vanilla in it, and then the finish it TONS of oaken wood. The oak lingers for a very long time, and the heat sneaks in. Man, the booze heat is big on this one. A splash of water won't hurt you with this whiskey, but for the truly bold, drinking this neat is an experience.

    This whiskey isn't particularly nuanced. It has it's strengths but doesn't stray far from them. It's not the best bourbon I've had, but it's damn hard to beat at the price point. Highly recommended.

    Also it's so weird to think that when this whiskey was distilled and barreled, Half-Life 2 was a new game and I was in college playing it, and TF2 wasn't even a thing yet.

    ThraxGHoosdum
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian

    @UPSLynx said:
    Also it's so weird to think that when this whiskey was distilled and barreled, Half-Life 2 was a new game and I was in college playing it, and TF2 wasn't even a thing yet.

    Would you say that it has a nostalgic flavor?

  • doabarrellrolldoabarrellroll San Jose, CA Icrontian

    @UPSLynx said:

    @doabarrellroll said:
    @UPSLynx I didn't know you were a Bourbon guy! We have a lot to talk about.

    I've been a whiskey fan for a long time, but only over the last 3 or 4 years have I really started digging into bourbon. I used to be hardcore scotch whisky, but these days I've been buying more bourbon than anything else (with the exception of beer, of course).

    Dude we need to hang out, drink bourbon and talk about Porsche.

    I'm trying to go to the Icrontic thing in June but yea man, I've got an open bottle of Blanton's on my bar cart anytime you want.

    GHoosdum
  • I just picked up a bottle of the Henry McKenna BiB 10 year for 28 dollars yesterday. It really is a fantastic value.

    UPSLynx
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian

    Finally got around to posting a review of this. I've had this bottle since late June thanks to @FettBacon who hand delivered it to me in Detroit during expo. This whiskey is so goddam good that I killed most of the bottle in a month and had to pump the brakes to enjoy it a little longer. It nails everything I love in a bourbon.

    The taste is heavy on caramel, vanilla, and super oaky. The mouthfeel is full and oily, accompanied by a long lasting alcohol burn and spicy tongue. It's incredibly well balanced, and shows its age well across the palette. A splash of water really opens this bourbon up but honestly, it's not needed. Drink it straight and live the dream.

    This is a ~$50 bottle of bourbon and let me tell you, it is worth it. If you're looking to splurge on an absolutely superb bourbon whiskey, this is the one to do it with.

    RyanMM
  • FettBaconFettBacon Viscount Icrontian


    I've recently gone in on this and I wasn't super fond of it at first but I think that's because it's my first bourbon after Old Forester. Now I'm about half finished and its really grown on me with is rich flavors and goodness.

    RyanMM
  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian

    Been dipping into the different Old Forester releases. I have the 115 proof 1920 at home. Got a pour of the 1897 bonded before dinner tonight. Definitely will consider for my next bottle purchase.

  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian

    @AlexDeGruven said:
    I haven't delved much into the BiB space, but I've never been disappointed by it. Mellow Corn was a very nice surprise, ESPECIALLY at the price point (MSRP $12!).

    lol dang. @AlexDeGruven preaching the ways of the Corn a year ago and we all ignored it. What fools!

  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian
    edited May 2018

    What can I say? I'm a man ahead of the times.

    Indulged in a (surprisingly large for $14) pour of E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bonded in FL last week. Just so good. Haven't hit any of the Taylors I didn't thoroughly enjoy.

    Edit:

    Oh, and a couple of tips I learned by dipping my toes into the barrel-proof arena (I should make a post):

    • Don't stop at one sip. Let the heat dissipate and try it again. Repeat. After a couple of sips, your palate will adjust to the heat and you'll catch more of the flavors.
    • If you are able (Bonded is set at 100 proof, so it should be easy), have a sip or two of something higher proof, even just by a few points. Your palate will adjust to that proof and you'll notice a LOT more of the flavors.
    • Be careful about doing the second, as sometimes, you'll run across flavors you REALLY don't like that are normally blown out by the heat of the alcohol. e.g. Mezcal. It's so much worse when you don't have the burn.
  • njbmdnjbmd Member

    I am quite partial to Virginia Gentleman which is from A.Smith Bowman Distillery outside Fredericksburg, VA. Since I am a Virginian, it's only natural that I enjoy the bourbon of my Commonwealth. I do enjoy Jim Beam and Old Granddad too. A sip of bourbon with a Cohiba cigar is my favorite way to spend the evening sitting on my front porch in the Midwest.

  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian

    Uh, listen, if any of you walk into a liquor store and see this bottle, or you ask about it and can buy it at retail (roughly $100-$110 depending on your region), do so instantly and I will happily reimburse you cost+.

    It's an 11 year BIB WHEATER. There are currently no BIB wheaters out there, and on top of that, it's in a throwback label with a goddamn decanter.

    Also, on the off chance you find one of the old bottles or more, buy them all.

  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian

    11 years? In
    BiB? In
    Wheated? SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

    RyanMM
  • HumerusMegHumerusMeg Something, something medical professional, Fitness bitch, Sexy chef Austin Icrontian

    Had this in a delightful old fashioned last night...

    GREAT. Also cheap as fuck, need to get some for the house for sure

    RyanMMUPSLynx
  • ChoochChooch K-Pop authority™, Pho King Madison Heights, MI Icrontian

  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian

    @HumerusMeg said:
    Had this in a delightful old fashioned last night...

    GREAT. Also cheap as fuck, need to get some for the house for sure

    This is one of my favorite go-to whiskies for making sazeracs. Unbelievably good for the price (I do miss the days of it being sub $15 tho). A real gem right out in the open.

    And then there's @Chooch posting non BiB whisk like a punk. (I wanna try that)

    RyanMM
  • HumerusMegHumerusMeg Something, something medical professional, Fitness bitch, Sexy chef Austin Icrontian

    And then there's @Chooch posting non BiB whisk like a punk. (I wanna try that)

    @UPSLynx TOKI is high on my list to try as well....

  • ChoochChooch K-Pop authority™, Pho King Madison Heights, MI Icrontian

    @HumerusMeg said:

    @UPSLynx TOKI is high on my list to try as well....

    I'll bring the bottle to EXPO

  • HumerusMegHumerusMeg Something, something medical professional, Fitness bitch, Sexy chef Austin Icrontian

    @Chooch said:

    @HumerusMeg said:

    @UPSLynx TOKI is high on my list to try as well....

    I'll bring the bottle to EXPO

    We cannot have liquor at EPIC

  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian

    @UPSLynx said:
    And then there's @Chooch posting non BiB whisk like a punk. (I wanna try that)

    You might want to stock up. Hibiki and Hakushu look to be unavailable for a while, so demand is probably going to jump on the Toki.

  • KarmaKarma Likes yoga Icrontian

    Toki is damnded good.

  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian

    Back on topic. Bought the first bottle of whiskey in a long time with a screw cap. Evan Williams bonded.

    For $17.99 it's not bad at all. A mash bill that fits my palate and a minimum 4 years in the barrel means it's a pretty safe bet.

    Would recommend especially at the price point.

    GHoosdum
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited July 2018

    Cheers, Icrontic! Mellow Corn rang up at 14 bucks but it sure is smooth.

    @UPSLynx my Rittenhouse BiB Rye came with a screw cap and a BiB seal over top, but not a paper label. I think that's how the Henry McKenna 10 year was packaged also, but I don't remember clearly. But hey, for the price point Mellow Corn comes in, I don't blame them for skipping the label over the top.

    UPSLynxAlexDeGruvenRyanMM
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian

    @GHoosdum said:
    Cheers, Icrontic! Mellow Corn rang up at 14 bucks but it sure is smooth.

    Dude nice! I've gone back to my bottle shop 4 or 5 times looking for this and it's been sold out regularly. I asked about it and they told me that demand is high and they've only been able to get 3 or 4 cases a time out of the distillery. Stock up if you see it!

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