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Good bourbon

ah, i just found it on google images when i searched "bourbon bunker"
 
aaahh this guy is awesome

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Bears and Deacs said:
Here's his recap of the last group of single barrel picks that we did. This was a VERY expensive bill that hit right before Christmas. I couldn't wait for my commission check to hit so I could put some money back in the bank account!

http://bourbondork.blogspot.com/2013/01/bourbon-influx-winter-2012.html
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What does it cost (say average) to commission a barrel? I am looking for a cool get together with friends this sounds like an awesome trip that ends with a delicious final product.
 
buckets said:
you guys spot any must-haves on this list? will be checking it out this weekend

http://www.beveragewarehouse.com/search/?category_id=31
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Some prices seemed a little high, but here's what I'd look for:

Bourbon:
Buffalo Trace (if you haven't had it...a good, standard rye based bourbon)
Weller 12

Irish Whiskey:
Black Bush (price is decent)
Redbreast 12 (both regular and cask strength are very good)

Rye Whiskey:
High West Rocky Mountain Rye 16yr or 21yr (no longer made...the 16yr is only in 375ml it looks like)
Whistle Pig 10yr Rye
Wild Turkey Rye 101 pf (if they have it. this is no longer made...now 81 proof)
Rittenhouse Rye 100 pf (the price looks high, but this is a pretty good rye...very low rye content so it drinks more like a bourbon)
 
discdude said:
What does it cost (say average) to commission a barrel? I am looking for a cool get together with friends this sounds like an awesome trip that ends with a delicious final product.
Click to expand...

It depends on what distillery you choose and what bourbon you want. If you purchase a barrel it has to be fulfilled through a retailer, so typically you get somewhere close to retail prices.

For example, when we do Old Weller Antique purchases we figure on an average of 216 bottles per barrel at a price of around $25/bottle. The actual count can change when the barrel is dumped though - we've had as low as 192 and as high as 240 bottles/barrel. 216 * $25 = $5400

When we choose Four Roses cask strength, we figure on about 162 bottles and $55/bottle. Because it's cask strength there are obviously fewer bottles and the FR are typically a little older, which also has an impact on price. 162 * $55 = $8900ish.

Label, age, and proof all go in to getting the final price and again it has to go through a retailer. If you have a relationship with any retailers in your area and don't have enough guys to cover an entire barrel, you might think about getting the retailer involved...especially if they have never done a barrel pick before (and hopefully they'll give you a great price!). See if they want to do the tasting with you and agree to take half of the bottles as a private pick that they can sell in the store, while you and your group divide the other half however you want....just a thought.
 
Bears and Deacs said:
It depends on what distillery you choose and what bourbon you want. If you purchase a barrel it has to be fulfilled through a retailer, so typically you get somewhere close to retail prices.

For example, when we do Old Weller Antique purchases we figure on an average of 216 bottles per barrel at a price of around $25/bottle. The actual count can change when the barrel is dumped though - we've had as low as 192 and as high as 240 bottles/barrel. 216 * $25 = $5400

When we choose Four Roses cask strength, we figure on about 162 bottles and $55/bottle. Because it's cask strength there are obviously fewer bottles and the FR are typically a little older, which also has an impact on price. 162 * $55 = $8900ish.

Label, age, and proof all go in to getting the final price and again it has to go through a retailer. If you have a relationship with any retailers in your area and don't have enough guys to cover an entire barrel, you might think about getting the retailer involved...especially if they have never done a barrel pick before (and hopefully they'll give you a great price!). See if they want to do the tasting with you and agree to take half of the bottles as a private pick that they can sell in the store, while you and your group divide the other half however you want....just a thought.
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Pos rep when I get on a desktop. Pricing is less than I thought it would be. I didn't realize you went through a retailer. I assumed you worked with the distillery. Thanks again for the insight, might have to pick your brain further if we get enough heads together for a venture like that.
 
buckets said:
you guys spot any must-haves on this list? will be checking it out this weekend

http://www.beveragewarehouse.com/search/?category_id=31
Click to expand...

Bears and Deacs said:
Some prices seemed a little high, but here's what I'd look for:

Bourbon:
Buffalo Trace (if you haven't had it...a good, standard rye based bourbon)
Weller 12

Irish Whiskey:
Black Bush (price is decent)
Redbreast 12 (both regular and cask strength are very good)

Rye Whiskey:
High West Rocky Mountain Rye 16yr or 21yr (no longer made...the 16yr is only in 375ml it looks like)
Whistle Pig 10yr Rye
Wild Turkey Rye 101 pf (if they have it. this is no longer made...now 81 proof)
Rittenhouse Rye 100 pf (the price looks high, but this is a pretty good rye...very low rye content so it drinks more like a bourbon)
Click to expand...

The price for Black Bush is very good. I usually pay between $36 and $40 around here. I always have a bottle of it in a decanter at home. Have not, not, had Black Bush in there in about 10 years.

I would also check out Templeton Rye. I've been drinking this quite a bit recently and really like it. And your price is about $10 cheaper than I get it around here.

Agree on the Redbreast 12, and I see they have the 15, which is priced about the same as around here. It's really good as well, but I think the 12 is a vastly better value.

Buckets, I don't know if you've ever had the Whistlepig, but I might suggest a taste at a bar or some place before buying. Being 100% rye, it is very different and not to everyone's liking. I like it for a change, but not on a regular basis.

I also see they have the Pritchards Double Barrel Bourbon, which I'm a fan of. The price looks a little high to me but not ridiculously so.

And if you've never tried the Hudson products, I highly recommend. The Baby Bourbon, Four Grain and Manhattan Rye are all great, and the prices are few dollars better than I pay here, with the Baby Bourbon being $5 cheaper. Keep in mind, though, that those are for 375mls, so it's not the cheapest whiskey in the world. The Manhattan Rye is my favorite.
 
wfudkn said:
Agree on the Redbreast 12, and I see they have the 15, which is priced about the same as around here. It's really good as well, but I think the 12 is a vastly better value.
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I agree that the 12 is a better value and I actually prefer it to the 15. There's just something about it that hits me a little bit better.

wfudkn said:
Buckets, I don't know if you've ever had the Whistlepig, but I might suggest a taste at a bar or some place before buying. Being 100% rye, it is very different and not to everyone's liking. I like it for a change, but not on a regular basis.
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Very good point on the Whistlepig. I enjoy it but a straight rye isn't for everyone.

wfudkn said:
And if you've never tried the Hudson products, I highly recommend. The Baby Bourbon, Four Grain and Manhattan Rye are all great, and the prices are few dollars better than I pay here, with the Baby Bourbon being $5 cheaper. Keep in mind, though, that those are for 375mls, so it's not the cheapest whiskey in the world. The Manhattan Rye is my favorite.
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I would not recommend these simply based on the price/value. I think they are decent for what they are, but the price is extremely high (for a 750ml much less a 375ml) and these are very young bourbons. I'd love to see what they could do when using a full size barrel and a seven or eight year product. Small barrels have a VERY different influence than full size barrels, but micro distilleries often use them because they can rush a product to market that much faster.
 
Bears and Deacs,

Did some research on the Willett that I found - it's the bronze wax, 21 years old, from barrel 4131. Let me know what you find out - my google search didn't pull back much info.
 
leftcoastdeac said:
Bears and Deacs,

Did some research on the Willett that I found - it's the bronze wax, 21 years old, from barrel 4131. Let me know what you find out - my google search didn't pull back much info.
Click to expand...

Here's what I got back...unfortunately it's not very specific but I don't think anyone in my group ever came across barrel 4131. I separated the three comments that I received. (Just an FYI - Binny's is a big Chicago retailer that does a lot of single barrel picks.)





I know nothing about this bottling but for price reference Binny's is selling their 21 year picks at $169.99. They are barrel #3633 and #3655.

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there seems to be a lot of willett 21's out there right now.

From my taster, there are 2 versions.

the higher proofers (125-135) seem to be a wheater. The couple I have had have been really good.

The lower proofers (102-115) seem to be a Heaven Hill (EC18 profile) I have had one that was phenomenal, and one that is not very good.

Pricing I have seen is in the $140(low proofer) to $225 (high proofer)

so bottom line, never know what your gonna get.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The beauty of off the shelf Willett.... you have no idea of what it is..... tough way to spend $170+ unless you get to taste it first...
 
Bears and Deacs said:
Here's what I got back...unfortunately it's not very specific but I don't think anyone in my group ever came across barrel 4131. I separated the three comments that I received. (Just an FYI - Binny's is a big Chicago retailer that does a lot of single barrel picks.)





I know nothing about this bottling but for price reference Binny's is selling their 21 year picks at $169.99. They are barrel #3633 and #3655.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

there seems to be a lot of willett 21's out there right now.

From my taster, there are 2 versions.

the higher proofers (125-135) seem to be a wheater. The couple I have had have been really good.

The lower proofers (102-115) seem to be a Heaven Hill (EC18 profile) I have had one that was phenomenal, and one that is not very good.

Pricing I have seen is in the $140(low proofer) to $225 (high proofer)

so bottom line, never know what your gonna get.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The beauty of off the shelf Willett.... you have no idea of what it is..... tough way to spend $170+ unless you get to taste it first...
Click to expand...

At $116/bottle it seems like a potential steal compared to Binny's price. The store had a half dozen bottles and given the location, I don't think they will move too quickly. I'm going to have to think a little bit about whether or not to gamble on this.

I greatly appreciate your help.
 
Live auction at the fundraiser I attended last night had a full barrel of Buffalo Trace bourbon for sale - final price was $5700 which seems like a pretty damn good deal.
 
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