• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Good bourbon

Racer, didn't you pick up the age your own whiskey from TOPO in Chapel Hill? How did it turn out?
 
deacfan78 said:
Racer, didn't you pick up the age your own whiskey from TOPO in Chapel Hill? How did it turn out?
Click to expand...

It was a fun experiment, but the end product was only ho hum. Tasted really young and really oaky/charred. I think I ended up using most of it to make a lemonade punch for a party since I didn't really enjoy it as a sipping whiskey. I do still have the barrel. I've been meaning to make up a pitcher full of Manhattans and add it to the barrel to age a bit. Having a Manhattan on tap each day post-work sounds like a worthwhile endeavor.
 
RacerDeac said:
It was a fun experiment, but the end product was only ho hum. Tasted really young and really oaky/charred. I think I ended up using most of it to make a lemonade punch for a party since I didn't really enjoy it as a sipping whiskey. I do still have the barrel. I've been meaning to make up a pitcher full of Manhattans and add it to the barrel to age a bit. Having a Manhattan on tap each day post-work sounds like a worthwhile endeavor.
Click to expand...

What size barrel do you have? Was it a new charred barrel that came in the kit?
 
Bears and Deacs said:
What size barrel do you have? Was it a new charred barrel that came in the kit?
Click to expand...

2 liter, and yes. I let the barrel sit for a while full of water, as per the instructions, to seal up the staves and mellow the char, but it was still too much IMO. There's no replacement for time.

Glad that this thread reminded me about it though. That sucker is going back into a tub of water to seal up tonight. Time to get started on an aged Manhattan.

After a couple more runs of whiskey through it, I'm going to grab some home brew from a friend to barrel age.
 
Last edited:
RacerDeac said:
2 liter, and yes. I let the barrel sit for a while full of water, as per the instructions, to seal up the staves and mellow the char, but it was still too much IMO. There's no replacement for time.
Click to expand...

Some buddies of mine that do a lot of re-barrel projects use either Everclear or vodka to season a new charred barrel. It is amazing how dark those small barrels turn a clear spirit like vodka in just a short period of time
 
Bears and Deacs said:
Some buddies of mine that do a lot of re-barrel projects use either Everclear or vodka to season a new charred barrel. It is amazing how dark those small barrels turn a clear spirit like vodka in just a short period of time
Click to expand...

Yeah, it was amazing to watch the moonshine transform over time. I'd sneak a pour every week or so during the process.
 
Tried a new whiskey last night: Orphan Barrel's Barterhouse 20 year. To be honest, I didn't care for it. I almost bought a bottle on a whim a few weeks ago but didn't want to spend the money (it was like $90 I think) on something I'd never had. But the bar I was at last night has it and was able to try. It really didn't taste like much other than oak. But there was ZERO burn or bite. I got absolutely nothing out of it. They also had the older brother, Old Blowhard 26 year, but after trying the 20 year I didn't feel like wasting more money. The 20 year was $15 for a 1oz pour and the 26 year was, I think, $26 for a 1oz pour. Anyone else tried these?

Untitled-1.png
 
wfudkn said:
Tried a new whiskey last night: Orphan Barrel's Barterhouse 20 year. To be honest, I didn't care for it. I almost bought a bottle on a whim a few weeks ago but didn't want to spend the money (it was like $90 I think) on something I'd never had. But the bar I was at last night has it and was able to try. It really didn't taste like much other than oak. But there was ZERO burn or bite. I got absolutely nothing out of it. They also had the older brother, Old Blowhard 26 year, but after trying the 20 year I didn't feel like wasting more money. The 20 year was $15 for a 1oz pour and the 26 year was, I think, $26 for a 1oz pour. Anyone else tried these?

Untitled-1.png
Click to expand...

Some friends said the same thing about Barterhouse - one said that he thought it had a good finish but a very weak palate. The consensus among my group was that Old Blowhard was much better (but drier)...and it obviously carries a higher price tag as well.
 
Someone gave me a bottle of Blanton's as a gift, but I don't really care for the stuff as a sipping whiskey. I made up some homemade simply syrup a few weeks ago and stuck some fresh jalapeno slices in one of the jars (also made some with ginger), so I decided to give it a try last night. A strong pour of blantons, a bit of bitters, some jalapeno simple syrup and just a little fit of fizzy water over ice made for a nice little cocktail last night.
 
Is there any point to stashing unopened bottles of bourbon for the chance they might be worth some money 20 + years down the road or just cool to open a bottle of bourbon that was bottled 20 + years ago? I ask only because I have a hard time thinking of ideas when people ask what I want for birthday or Christmas gifts and since I have been getting into bourbon this past year, I think it is an easy, reasonably priced gift that I don't mind getting lots of to ask for. Or, should I just up my drinking?

Thoughts?
 
deacfan78 said:
Is there any point to stashing unopened bottles of bourbon for the chance they might be worth some money 20 + years down the road or just cool to open a bottle of bourbon that was bottled 20 + years ago? I ask only because I have a hard time thinking of ideas when people ask what I want for birthday or Christmas gifts and since I have been getting into bourbon this past year, I think it is an easy, reasonably priced gift that I don't mind getting lots of to ask for. Or, should I just up my drinking?

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Yes to all of it. Set some aside and drink more. For me, I don't bunker my bourbon for the monetary value, I do it for the second part of your question. It will be very cool to open a limited release bottle 10, 15, 20+ years down the road when no one can find it anymore. It can also be fun to compare the bourbon you've bunkered with whatever is released at that time.

When wfudkn came over last year I had a ton of bourbon set out, but my favorite pour of the night might have been Old Grand Dad BIB from 1984 that I found one time in a little liquor store in South Carolina. They don't make bourbon like that anymore and for some reason it just really hit the spot for me that night. It's very cool to be able to taste something like that and compare it to today's product (OGD was made by National Distillers at that time...the current stuff is made by Beam).
 
Ate Ronnie's tonight and now sipping a 2 finger pour of Jefferson's with an ice ball. Much better this time. Last time I added ice and a splash of water.
 
is willett really selling a 2-yr old rye for $45?!
 
Bears and Deacs said:
Is it their own whiskey or their sourced stuff?
Click to expand...

its their own. just got this email from K&L:

Willett Distillery 2 Year Old Rye Whiskey 750ml ($43.99)

It's been a long time in the making, but the first batch of 100% Willett-distilled rye is finally here and it's glorious. For years, Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, run by the Kulsveen family, has been bottling fantastic whiskey under their numerous labels; Willett being just one of the expressions (along with Noah's Mill, Rowan's Creek, Johnny Drum, etc.). Willett Distillery was actually founded in the 1930s by former Bernheim superintendent Thompson Willett, but subsequent generations of the family would become disinterested in Bourbon until the distillery finally closed. Evan Kulsveen, who married Willett's daughter, purchased the abandoned site in 1984 with plans to reopen his father-in-law's once-great operation. Almost thirty years later, his son Drew and son-in-law Hunter have the site refurbished and back on track. This batch of two year old rye marks the first time the whiskey in a Willett rye bottle has been the product of the Willett distillery and not a purchased barrel from LDI distillery in Indiana. It's shockingly good considering the young age. Imagine the pure rye flavors of Anchor's Old Potrero with the cinnamon and baking spices of the Templeton. Bottled at 54.7% ABV, the power and intensity of the whiskey is also on display, but it's balanced beautifully by the richness. It's a giant leap forward for the Willett distillery and it's an exciting day for those of us who have been waiting for this moment for some time.
 
man... i'm LOVING this bottle of rock hill farms that i picked up
 
buckets said:
man... i'm LOVING this bottle of rock hill farms that i picked up
Click to expand...

Glad you like it. I've been mentioning it for a while but no one seemed too interested in giving it a try (although it is a little on the expensive side). It's one that I always enjoy when I have a pour. Is your bottle a private pick or off-the-shelf?
 
private pick

picked up a bottle when i went to a van winkle tasting from the buffalo trace rep
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top