Fiji ST Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 Blantons, Eagle Rare and Weller Reserve sits on the shelf here in Nashville. Skip the kiddie shit and get into some Blaums, OKI, anything age stated MGP and Willett Send me some Blanton’s then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big A Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 Blantons, Eagle Rare and Weller Reserve sits on the shelf here in Nashville. Skip the kiddie shit and get into some Blaums, OKI, anything age stated MGP and Willett Going there next month, I'll see if I can find some then. Just picked up some willett. Will have to try it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 Skip the kiddie shit and get into some Blaums, OKI, anything age stated MGP and Willett I've never heard of OKI so I did some research and found this review of their 10 year. The O.K.I. brand has been on my radar for a while, however it wasn’t until I had a few pours of various barrel finished varieties at Proof on Main in Louisville that I took interest in diving deeper for a full review. Unlike the barrel finished versions I tried, which were really intriguing and memorable, the standard 10 year bottling isn’t anywhere near as interesting. While its nose is inviting and gives me hope for things to come, the rest of the sip slowly goes downhill, ending on a weak finish that leaves much to be desired. It’s nice to see a 10 year age stated bourbon still selling for under $50, however in the end this bottling is nothing more or less than any other average bottle in the market. For $50 I'd hope that isn't the case but I will still look for a bottle to try myself. Never had Blaum's either but their website was lacking any real info. I found this review on it: Blaum Bros Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Review Color: Burnt orange On the nose: Raw, corn-driven top note. Some milky vanilla aromas, an estery scent, and a lingering faintly yeasty smell. Damp pennies and a hint of wet newsprint. In the mouth: The tartness of underripe orange quickly gives way to a metallic coppery flavor. The autumnal flavor of damp, leaf-strewn earth persists into a finish that once again evinces some ferric notes before fading into a long aftertaste of metal and moistened dirt. Conclusions Smells and tastes like so many of the lesser Midwestern craft bourbons, with a cut drifting into the tails releasing some muddy earthy notes that underpin a spirit that is otherwise dominated by abrasive metallic flavors. It’s thin-bodied and shrill, with little of the generous warmth or ample fruitiness of other bourbons. I’m flummoxed. While I’m not a fan of the strategy of using sourced whiskey to get a name out there and buy some time, I at least understand the necessity of it. But once a distillery has gone down that road, why not take the time to make its own Bourbon, like… you know… good? If they want to fart out a weak, muddy-tasting mess to dump into cocktails, they can do so with the help of 15-gallon barrels and 6 months’ time. Why waste three years watching the stuff mature, when the finished product isn’t much of an improvement over the same junk being churned out elsewhere? It sucks to give out a paltry mark to people who are making an earnest go of it, but honestly, I’m not a fan of the puddle water school of craft distilling. Score: 3/10 I haven't tried Willett yet either but most reviews I just read were at least favorable. As for the other 2 I want to give them a try to see for myself but it seems as though Blaum's is more hoaky and OKI is run of the mill. If that's the case I'll stick to the tried and true "kiddie shit" (not really sure what you meant by that, ). I'm always looking for new things to try though so if I happen across any of those I may snag a bottle to try and review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radio Flyer1647545514 Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 Oki isn't open anymore. Bottles are going for over 200 now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 Oki isn't open anymore. Bottles are going for over 200 now. Ope. Never mind. Thanks for the heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh8sti Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 Oki isn't open anymore. Bottles are going for over 200 now. ill buy every bottle you can find for $200.... I have several bottles of 10y and 12y that go for well over $300-$600+/e. OKI, Blaum and some of the best Willett is an MGP bottling and are widely regarded as some of the best bourbon in the world. This stuff is not something you will find on shelves, specially in Ohio. It takes being in with store owners and usually spending decent money at a select few stores. There's plenty of bourbon that I really enjoy and that I share with friends that are getting into it. Eagle Rare is one of the best in my opinion thats pretty easy to get and is priced really good (around $30-$35 retail). I will admit, I have had a large collection of bourbon over the years, but have cut back and really only bought the things I will drink, so my tastes are not going to be the same as the next guy. I was able to pick and buy a whole barrel back in Feb with a local store to me that I really like and it turned out to be a great bottle and it was relatively affordable until the secondary market got ahold of it. Last I saw it was was going for $450/e. Here is a few pictures of the bottles I was talking about. If you see any of these with the purple or green tops and they are 5-9years olf of Willett, id buy them to try if I were you. The Blaums will be almost impossible to find in the wild, but if you get them, buy them. Fantastic bourbon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 Nice. Thanks for the info. I'll look/ask around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 Willett bourbon (sourced Bernheim wheaters) can truly be defined as the best bourbon ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh8sti Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 Willett bourbon (sourced Bernheim wheaters) can truly be defined as the best bourbon ever. Go on - post your willett shot and put me to shame Bobby binzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big A Posted October 5, 2019 Report Share Posted October 5, 2019 Is willett rare or more isolated to here as it's my understanding ohio doesn't get any. I found pot still and rye while in KY waiting to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted October 7, 2019 Report Share Posted October 7, 2019 Go on - post your willett shot and put me to shame Bobby binzz Too much work to upload photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted October 7, 2019 Report Share Posted October 7, 2019 Is willett rare or more isolated to here as it's my understanding ohio doesn't get any. I found pot still and rye while in KY waiting to try. Willett has what I’d call (4 different) tiers. None of which have ever been sold in Ohio. Current batch product (4 year rye, pot still, old Bardstown, johnny Drum, pure KY) which is very easy to find in Kentucky and other stares where they distribute. The 4 year batch rye is good. Nothing else in this tier is good. These bottles are typically 20-60 bucks. Current single barrel products that are their own distillate (most-but-not-all will be 4-7 year old bourbon). You will see these being released as “store picks” all around the USA at stores that are “really big” like the party source or at really cool boutiques where the master distiller (Drew) has a relationship with someone he’s drawn-to. These bottles typically retail for about 70-100. However, with all the recent flipping (people flip for 250-350) the stores have started charging more to deter flippers. Older single barrel products that have been released in the past few years where 97% of it was sourced from Heaven Hill. These offerings are highly sought after and are between 6-27 years old. These bottles come from an era where Willett had to source products while they were getting their first runs of distillate into barrels and beginning the aging process. Typically bottles go for about 600-1000 for a 13/14/15/16 year old bottle. However, the more aged product may cost you upwards of 2-4K per bottle. Super OG (sourced distillate) bottles. These could be as young as 4 years old. They could be as old as 25 years. These were offerings that came out at stores and their gift shop between 2009-2013 and they were sourced from all over by Drew’s dad Even Kulsveen (yes, E-V-E-N). Even is/was known for getting some of the best barrels in the bourbon game (back when bourbon/ryes was/we’re not popular) from Bernheim, Wild turkey, Brown Forman, Stitzel Weller, Heaven Hill, and some others that were never fully validated. These bottles typically came as wax tops with hand written labels. But some (20%) also look like their newer packaging with purple foil and printed labels (released 2014-2015). Some bottles can get insane as far as price and go as high as 20k for one single bottle. I’ve seen them sell, and recently. However, most of them go for about 2k-6k. Anyhow, the Willett game is a crazy one. And it’s not all created equal. I’m happy to help folks learn more about the brand, the profiles, and how they gained their cult following. Keep in mind, when I am talking current prices I’m talking secondary-Market prices due to supply and demand. For Willett, the demand comes from people that want it... but, bottles were sold years ago in the gift shop and (some, few) stores over 5 years ago (and they have no more of that certain sourced-distillate). These bottles used to cost 10 bucks per year at the Giftshop and stores just 5-8 years ago. Talk about an investment! Buying an 18 year old bourbon for 180.00 that’s now worth 3-5k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big A Posted October 7, 2019 Report Share Posted October 7, 2019 Thanks for some great info, it has been kind of hard to find info like that. That will help me at least know what i am looking for when i travel to TN next month so hopefully i don't get ripped off. Sounds like ill have to keep an eye out for the current single barrel products to add to my rye and pot still stock. how is Rowans Creek? I passed that up in KY but feel i should of picked some up now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99StockGT Posted October 7, 2019 Report Share Posted October 7, 2019 Pot Still is getting rather difficult to get your hands on for a "non rare" bottle they aren't distributing much. As a drinker and collector this all gets challenging, I don't want to open a bottle until I have a backup bottle ready! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted October 7, 2019 Report Share Posted October 7, 2019 Thanks for some great info, it has been kind of hard to find info like that. That will help me at least know what i am looking for when i travel to TN next month so hopefully i don't get ripped off. Sounds like ill have to keep an eye out for the current single barrel products to add to my rye and pot still stock. how is Rowans Creek? I passed that up in KY but feel i should of picked some up now. If you are heading down 65s to TN you will pass right by Willett (12 miles off of 65) and get all the pot still/4 year rye/johnny drum you can handle! As for Rowans Creek, Noah's Mill, etc, etc... i'm just not a fan. It tastes like hot cinnamon or is so bland that it doesn't taste like anything. As for the current single barrel products. A retail buy is great. But.... paying 300/bottle (secondary) will let you down most likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh8sti Posted October 7, 2019 Report Share Posted October 7, 2019 Willett has what I’d call (4 different) tiers. None of which have ever been sold in Ohio. Current batch product (4 year rye, pot still, old Bardstown, johnny Drum, pure KY) which is very easy to find in Kentucky and other stares where they distribute. The 4 year batch rye is good. Nothing else in this tier is good. These bottles are typically 20-60 bucks. Current single barrel products that are their own distillate (most-but-not-all will be 4-7 year old bourbon). You will see these being released as “store picks” all around the USA at stores that are “really big” like the party source or at really cool boutiques where the master distiller (Drew) has a relationship with someone he’s drawn-to. These bottles typically retail for about 70-100. However, with all the recent flipping (people flip for 250-350) the stores have started charging more to deter flippers. Older single barrel products that have been released in the past few years where 97% of it was sourced from Heaven Hill. These offerings are highly sought after and are between 6-27 years old. These bottles come from an era where Willett had to source products while they were getting their first runs of distillate into barrels and beginning the aging process. Typically bottles go for about 600-1000 for a 13/14/15/16 year old bottle. However, the more aged product may cost you upwards of 2-4K per bottle. Super OG (sourced distillate) bottles. These could be as young as 4 years old. They could be as old as 25 years. These were offerings that came out at stores and their gift shop between 2009-2013 and they were sourced from all over by Drew’s dad Even Kulsveen (yes, E-V-E-N). Even is/was known for getting some of the best barrels in the bourbon game (back when bourbon/ryes was/we’re not popular) from Bernheim, Wild turkey, Brown Forman, Stitzel Weller, Heaven Hill, and some others that were never fully validated. These bottles typically came as wax tops with hand written labels. But some (20%) also look like their newer packaging with purple foil and printed labels (released 2014-2015). Some bottles can get insane as far as price and go as high as 20k for one single bottle. I’ve seen them sell, and recently. However, most of them go for about 2k-6k. Anyhow, the Willett game is a crazy one. And it’s not all created equal. I’m happy to help folks learn more about the brand, the profiles, and how they gained their cult following. Keep in mind, when I am talking current prices I’m talking secondary-Market prices due to supply and demand. For Willett, the demand comes from people that want it... but, bottles were sold years ago in the gift shop and (some, few) stores over 5 years ago (and they have no more of that certain sourced-distillate). These bottles used to cost 10 bucks per year at the Giftshop and stores just 5-8 years ago. Talk about an investment! Buying an 18 year old bourbon for 180.00 that’s now worth 3-5k. There is some info in here that I didnt even know. Thanks for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted October 8, 2019 Report Share Posted October 8, 2019 Great info, and call me poor white trash, but there's not a bourbon on the planet worth thousands. Not even into the deep hundreds. I don't care what anyone says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh8sti Posted October 9, 2019 Report Share Posted October 9, 2019 Great info, and call me poor white trash, but there's not a bourbon on the planet worth thousands. Not even into the deep hundreds. I don't care what anyone says. I dont think thats poor or white trash to think that. Its simply supply/demand. They are incredibly rare and desirable, thus making the very valuable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted October 9, 2019 Report Share Posted October 9, 2019 I would say... that I like plenty of 20-50 dollar bourbons. However, some of the stuff that costs 200-400 is simply magnificent (depending on what you buy). And, (some of) the stuff that goes for 2k-20k is purely for collecting/investments. However, they are pretty amazing pours too based on what I’ve been fortunate enough to try (from friends). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted October 9, 2019 Report Share Posted October 9, 2019 I don't disagree. I also don't see the value. Investment wise potentially, but I don't get it I guess. I know. That's a "me" problem and I'm prob wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted October 9, 2019 Report Share Posted October 9, 2019 I don't disagree. I also don't see the value. Investment wise potentially, but I don't get it I guess. I know. That's a "me" problem and I'm prob wrong. Not knocking you... but my question would be... what have you tasted that is in the 400+ realm that made you say “this is not worth the price?”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted October 9, 2019 Report Share Posted October 9, 2019 Not knocking you... but my question would be... what have you tasted that is in the 400+ realm that made you say “this is not worth the price?”. I don't take it as a knock. I can't bring myself to drop that kind of coin on something so...perishable. Poor people problems. It's like an exotic car. I'm not saying it's not worth $250k, I'm just saying even if I could afford it I'm not sure I could bring myself to do so just for something used so little that will do nothing but depreciate. I know bourbon may not depreciate but it's just something to drink. If I like something anywhere in the $15-100 range I'll just stick with that. My favorite thus far, as mentioned several times during reviews on our podcast, is Jefferson's Ocean Voyage 3. I'm good sticking around the $75-100 range for my personal "good" bourbon's. Again, not that some isn't worth $400+ due to rarity or what not but I don't get it. That's just me though. Same reason I don't get paying $18 or something for some fancy IPA. Cliff's: I'm poor white trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossle Posted October 9, 2019 Report Share Posted October 9, 2019 I like Peerless, which doesn't get mentioned very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstmg8 Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 Picked up a bottle of Angels envy the today. Being a rum fan, I thought this might help ease me into the bourbon world. Not bad, the rum spices really come through and smooth out the rye. Fairly sweet. Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS69 Posted November 28, 2019 Report Share Posted November 28, 2019 Picked up a bottle of Angels envy the today. Being a rum fan, I thought this might help ease me into the bourbon world. Not bad, the rum spices really come through and smooth out the rye. Fairly sweet. Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk Yes, that is my favorite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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