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Pappy;s Van Winkle bourbon? Update on 2019 release.

Maggot

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood"
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Jul 27, 2007
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    Virginia
    Crazy shit there. I read/heard a story about a bartender in NY(?) that was pissed about the whole artificial demand for this bourbon, so when he got his allotment for the year he made all the pappy’s into Jell-O shots and gave them out for free. If I remember the story correctly he didn’t get the same allotment the following years lol.
     
    Crazy shit there. I read/heard a story about a bartender in NY(?) that was pissed about the whole artificial demand for this bourbon, so when he got his allotment for the year he made all the pappy’s into Jell-O shots and gave them out for free. If I remember the story correctly he didn’t get the same allotment the following years lol.

    I didnt read that but one year I got three bottles at the local ABC store. Paid $59 each for them and sold one for $600. It really is better than any other bourbon Ive tasted but not at yhose astronomical prices. Woodford Reserve is close but not quite as smooth and refined.
     
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    Pappy is all hype, years ago before the bourbon bs they could not sell it. And it was a better product than it is now.
     
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    I like my whisky over ice in a yeti cup with a little dust and grass clippings on the lid for extra grit/flavor. Should I splurge on the Pappy or stick with Jack Black?

    Jack.
     
    When I was working in Seattle for a while, there was a bar we used to frequent fairly often. The very hot female bar tender was moving a couple bottles around to wipe down the shelf they were sitting on. She dropped a bottle of either the 12 or 15 year old reserve (I can't remember which it was) and broke the neck off the bottle when it kind of did a glancing blow off the concrete floor. Amazingly it didn't shatter the whole bottle, just broke the neck off. She started crying, because she knew the bottle cost like 1500 bucks. She called the manager, he come looked at it and told her to pore out the rest, he would file an insurance claim. She told the 6 of us we could have what was left if we wanted it. We filtered it through a couple cloth napkins a few times and split it between the small group of us that were there. It was about 2 shots each, man it was great. We had been tipping her well, probably the reason she let us have it, but she got heavily tipped that night. The only time I have ever had any Pappy VanWinkle.
     
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    We here really like Bourbon. No, we've never had any "Van Winkle" of any kind. That offering you've put up there Maggot is a somewhat 'zen-utopia' according to all the hype and opinions of so-many-others.

    And at the same time, that offering is no-where near even thinkable in our situation. But it's nice to see that it exists, and that there are others who're able. We'll keep working along here, and maybe one-day, we'll cross paths with an opportunity to try "some of the good stuff".....

    Up here, our "Good Stuff" is Blanton's, Booker's, EH Taylor Small Batch, and Four Roses.
     
    You have no idea. Do you know how pappy became famous.
    I do. But don't care.

    20181206_175051.jpg
     
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    Being a pretty seasoned Bourbon drinker, I laugh at shit like this.

    Yes Pappy is good but to say it is the BEST is laughable. The taste of any given liquor is completely personal. I have had Pappy many times and a variety of the different vintages. I haven't bought any in the past 8-10 years due to the hyperbolic climb of the cost. No whiskey, for me, is worth several thousand dollars. Not even the rarest of cognacs are worth that kind of money. I freely admit that my palate is far from refined enough to notice a difference between a $10,000 bottle of whisky and a $300 bottle of whiskey which is still a ridiculous amount.

    Some judge somewhere writes some notes about what his palate experienced and I go gah gah...give me a break. I'll stick to Widow Jane or Angel Envy or any number of other tier one brands

    A fool and his money are soon parted was coined specifically to address things like this one
     
    Call me a FOOL!!!!! Don't blame Pappy! Blame the liquor stores!!!! I find it fun to hunt down obscure bottles that are tough to get because of allocation. Last year the local Jewel-Osco got a case of Pappy 12 yr. They put it out and let anyone that walked by purchase it with no strings attached!!!!(good on them) It lasted longer than I would have thought! One Liquor store had a line around the building and sold tickets to have a chance at buying a bottle. Another liquor store got 3 cases of assorted vintages and you had to purchase "x" dollars worth of liquor other than the Pappy to be able to buy the bottle. I got a bottle of 23 yr and spent $2100 in Bourbon, Whiskey, Whisky, Scotch, and Wine! Let me tell you.......I had so much fun buying stuff I never would have thought to buy or try!!! I called a bunch of buddies over after that and we had one of the best "Tastings" you could imagine. I hope to have the opportunity to do it again this year!!!! It might turn in to a tradition! Is Pappy the best? Who cares!!!! It's a game! It is just like trying to find Blantans, Old Forester Birthday, or William Larue Weller. It is like trying to find 22lr 6 yrs ago!!!! Now that was the real challenge!!!!! Bottoms up! Alcohol was made to be drank just like firearms were made to be shot! Don't leave em on the shelf...........Enjoy life you only get to try it once!!!
     
    Being a pretty seasoned Bourbon drinker, I laugh at shit like this.

    Yes Pappy is good but to say it is the BEST is laughable. The taste of any given liquor is completely personal. I have had Pappy many times and a variety of the different vintages. I haven't bought any in the past 8-10 years due to the hyperbolic climb of the cost. No whiskey, for me, is worth several thousand dollars. Not even the rarest of cognacs are worth that kind of money. I freely admit that my palate is far from refined enough to notice a difference between a $10,000 bottle of whisky and a $300 bottle of whiskey which is still a ridiculous amount.

    Some judge somewhere writes some notes about what his palate experienced and I go gah gah...give me a break. I'll stick to Widow Jane or Angel Envy or any number of other tier one brands

    A fool and his money are soon parted was coined specifically to address things like this one

    I agree, but I never said it was the best, just the best Ive had. I only bought it because I got it by standing in line in the rain at the ABC store to get 3 bottles for $59.00 each one year and two another year. Now you can only get it here by lottery. Ive paid $200 for a bottle of great cognac, and marginally, if youve got the coin, its worth it. Id rather have a $200 bottle of Cognac, or $60 for a bottle of Woodford Reserve, that pay thousands for Pappy's.
     
    My brother took his son down this road on wines years ago.
    The kid was buying pricey bottles and parroting online reviews and blog comments about how the superior vintages were worth the money and effort.
    His dad played a few tricks on him with some blind taste testing and humbled him pretty well.

    I taste, and if I like it I'll buy some more. If not, regardless of the price, fuck it.
    I do still prefer barley malt spirits over wheat and corn, but rye makes a nice play.

     
    My brother took his son down this road on wines years ago.
    The kid was buying pricey bottles and parroting online reviews and blog comments about how the superior vintages were worth the money and effort.
    His dad played a few tricks on him with some blind taste testing and humbled him pretty well.

    I taste, and if I like it I'll buy some more. If not, regardless of the price, fuck it.
    I do still prefer barley malt spirits over wheat and corn, but rye makes a nice play.




    Thats the bottom line. My 'house table wine' is $2.99 Three Wishes from Whole Foods. Not great by any means but good enough for every day drinking.
     
    I like my whisky over ice in a yeti cup with a little dust and grass clippings on the lid for extra grit/flavor. Should I splurge on the Pappy or stick with Jack Black?

    Once you go Jim Beam Black, you’ll never go back....
     
    Haven’t seen anyone mention Basil Hayden...
    I really enjoy this stuff. Bought this along with some Angel’s Envy and Four Roses for a buddy and I a few Christmas’ back.... good times!!!
    Didn’t care for the “Dark Rye” variant...
     
    Haven’t seen anyone mention Basil Hayden...
    I really enjoy this stuff. Bought this along with some Angel’s Envy and Four Roses for a buddy and I a few Christmas’ back.... good times!!!
    Didn’t care for the “Dark Rye” variant...

    Basil is always WAY underrated. It is a great whisky. Super consistent and reasonable in terms of cost
     
    Basil is always WAY underrated. It is a great whisky. Super consistent and reasonable in terms of cost

    80 horsepower....{yawn} oh it's tasty and smooth enough....but boring, and overpriced for what you are getting. Another TV show driven hype job. No one knew anything about it until Deadwood put the name out there.
    Hey it's good likker, not saying it isn't, I have some at all times. Beats hell out of lots of others.

    Elijah Craig small batch is 94 horsepower......and smooth and very tasty.
    Rare Breed is phenomenal and ~113 horsepower.
    The list of betters goes on and on.

    I would strat a likker thread, but some of you guys have better access to great likker than me.

    I treat vacations as likker quests. Drives my wife nuts. Last time we went to the Keys I bought likker everywhere we went. Can only buy what the state decides we can have around here.
     
    My brother took his son down this road on wines years ago.
    The kid was buying pricey bottles and parroting online reviews and blog comments about how the superior vintages were worth the money and effort.
    His dad played a few tricks on him with some blind taste testing and humbled him pretty well.

    I taste, and if I like it I'll buy some more. If not, regardless of the price, fuck it.
    I do still prefer barley malt spirits over wheat and corn, but rye makes a nice play.



    The Wellers are both great. And affordable.
     
    A buddy of mine is bringing a couple bottles of Blanton's to the Pigg River Precision match this weekend. Looking forward to trying it.
    I've so far only had Bulleit (all styles), Weller, Maker's, Jefferson's, and Woodford.
     
    Pappy is fine stuff but now valued way beyond what it delivers. And no, I don't think it's anywhere near as good as A.H Hirsch (unfortunately another that's near impossible to find and astronomically priced due to rarity).
     
    Just wanted to add a completely different tangent to this thread, by bringing up the "rye" factor. We here (myself and My Lady) both REALLY like our Bourbon's. In many different ways, out of many different bottles.

    Call that a 'refined yet eclectic' taste, eh? HA.

    But we got a bottle of the Bulleit Rye (green label, iirc) and that crap was repulsively hideous to the both of us. It was bad, it was 'ick' it was "no way in hell am I drinking that..." and we gave the bottle away (minus the 2 shots) to a bro of mine. He and his brother both enjoyed it. Knock yerselves out!

    I like rye whiskey, such as 'crown royal (overhyped local product)' Canadian Club, Wisers, .... but they too are nowhere near what that Bulleit Rye was. Not at all.

    Just throwing that out there, seeing what sticks. Maybe we're the only two 'broken' folks on the planet?
     
    Hence what I said...the bottle is more expensive and valuable than the liquor...

    If you want to stop being poor, I can guide you to some real cognac

    lol it was a gift, I actually dont like it that much as what makes it so 'special' in that it has literally a ton of different tastes in it is what makes me not like it that much. I prefer certain things over others (I actually do NOT like any wood/oak flavors at all) and while the Louis XIII achieves a combination of a long list, its what kills it for me. The upside is it has literally zero alcohol taste (I hate the taste of alcohol). But its kind of like eating an entire handful of different flavored jelly beans at the same time.

    But I'm curious what you'd suggest.
     
    I know what you mean...That is what I like about Johnnie Walker Blue label. Most people turn their nose up at that since it is a blend. MY point is it is easily the smoothest scotch and the flavor balance they achieve is really amazing. No single malt I have ever had can match its depth.

    Cognac is a super complex topic because it is so hideously expensive. I can never justify the cost so it is a RARE occurrence that I will spring for special cognac. $400 is about my limit for a bottle of booze and that only happens once every couple of years. Has to be a real good deal at that price for me to go for it. I can look at my notes to see what gifts I had been given that we're noteworthy. I have some suppliers in Asia that usually send me something special once a year.
     
    Let’s not bring Cognac into this. Louis XIII is like Pappy in that it is way overrated. What is in the bottle is worth less than the bottle.

    Yep to that. Ive had some $200 cognacs that are just as good a Louis Trece. Your paying for the bottle and the prestige.
     
    lol it was a gift, I actually dont like it that much as what makes it so 'special' in that it has literally a ton of different tastes in it is what makes me not like it that much. I prefer certain things over others (I actually do NOT like any wood/oak flavors at all) and while the Louis XIII achieves a combination of a long list, its what kills it for me. The upside is it has literally zero alcohol taste (I hate the taste of alcohol). But its kind of like eating an entire handful of different flavored jelly beans at the same time.

    But I'm curious what you'd suggest.

    Try Pierre Ferrand. Excellent cognac's and not terribly over priced. This one is a good entry level.

    cognac-pierre-ferrand-selection-des-anges.jpg

    Pierre Ferrand Sélection des Anges
    A deep mahogany color. The nose opens on scents of jasmine tea, honeysuckle and walnut, followed by oaky vanilla, chocolate and a hint of curry. The bouquet expands on notes of candied fruit, saffron spices, ginger and honey mingled with nutmeg and cedarwood. Pierre Ferrand Séle
     
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    I have drank case’s of 7yr 80 proof Jim Beam. Now to my knowledge JB has quit it totally. Now its same o same o JB. I do splurge ocasionally on bottle Buffalo Trace. It is better by long shot. But, I do mix with Coke!! ?
     
    I know what you mean...That is what I like about Johnnie Walker Blue label. Most people turn their nose up at that since it is a blend. MY point is it is easily the smoothest scotch and the flavor balance they achieve is really amazing. No single malt I have ever had can match its depth.

    Cognac is a super complex topic because it is so hideously expensive. I can never justify the cost so it is a RARE occurrence that I will spring for special cognac. $400 is about my limit for a bottle of booze and that only happens once every couple of years. Has to be a real good deal at that price for me to go for it. I can look at my notes to see what gifts I had been given that we're noteworthy. I have some suppliers in Asia that usually send me something special once a year.

    So what do you suggest?

    I dont care about cost, as in, I won't not try or buy a cognac because its not expensive. Hell, some of my favorite I've ever bought were less than 50$ a bottle; Chalfonte VSOP and Roullet VSOP.

    Only thing on my radar right now is to finally try the Louis Royer XO because I keep having people mention it to me and to try a Napoleon aged Ferrand that has an interesting mix of flavors I don't think I've ever seen (fruit on fruit with a mint/tobacco finish).

    Cognac is literally the epitome of something I'd try more of if they made samples and/or carried them at bars. You're hard pressed to find anything past the usual Remy XO and such at even higher end places; so me spending several hundred dollars on a new bottle I've never tried but the reviews/tasting notes seem to be what I'd like, is non existant.
     
    Try Pierre Ferrand. Excellent cognac's and not terribly over priced. This one is a good entry level.

    cognac-pierre-ferrand-selection-des-anges.jpg

    Pierre Ferrand Sélection des Anges
    A deep mahogany color. The nose opens on scents of jasmine tea, honeysuckle and walnut, followed by oaky vanilla, chocolate and a hint of curry. The bouquet expands on notes of candied fruit, saffron spices, ginger and honey mingled with nutmeg and cedarwood. Pierre Ferrand Séle

    lol read my last post, Ferrand has a Napoleon Ive been wanting to try.
     
    lol read my last post, Ferrand has a Napoleon Ive been wanting to try.

    I dont know the Napoleon but the Selection de Anges should run around $170. You wont regret it.
     
    Sitting on some Elijah small batch now, and lucked into a bottle of Weller Special Reserve a few weeks ago. Still want to try to find some Pappy, but for now I can live off my Weller, Elijah, and when I can find it Eagle Rare
     
    So what do you suggest?

    I dont care about cost, as in, I won't not try or buy a cognac because its not expensive. Hell, some of my favorite I've ever bought were less than 50$ a bottle; Chalfonte VSOP and Roullet VSOP.

    Only thing on my radar right now is to finally try the Louis Royer XO because I keep having people mention it to me and to try a Napoleon aged Ferrand that has an interesting mix of flavors I don't think I've ever seen (fruit on fruit with a mint/tobacco finish).

    Cognac is literally the epitome of something I'd try more of if they made samples and/or carried them at bars. You're hard pressed to find anything past the usual Remy XO and such at even higher end places; so me spending several hundred dollars on a new bottle I've never tried but the reviews/tasting notes seem to be what I'd like, is non existant.

    I would try to find a bottle of Hine Millesime 1985 Early Landed Cognac...~$450 to $500....nothing close at triple the price
     
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    I like my whisky over ice in a yeti cup with a little dust and grass clippings on the lid for extra grit/flavor. Should I splurge on the Pappy or stick with Jack Black?

    Lose the Tennessee swill ... even Beam is better than that stuff (in my opinion).