OT.. Whiskey options

[fishwater99]

I get to buy one bottle from below if available.

What would you choose?

Hello,


Below is a list of the items that will be available through our Charity Whiskey Raffle.

• 1792 Bottled in Bond Bourbon 750 ml - $45.99
• 1792 Single Barrel Bourbon 750 ml - $45.99
• Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon 750 ml - $70.99
• Bomberger’s Declaration Whiskey 750 ml - $89.99
• Colonel EH Taylor Applejack Single Barrel 750 ml - $69.99
• Colonel EH Taylor Warehouse C Bourbon 750 ml - $75.99
• Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $38.99
• Eagle Rare 17 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $124.99
• Elijah Craig 18 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $169.99
• Four Roses 2021 Limited Edition Bourbon 750 ml - $219.99
• George T Stagg Bourbon 750 ml - $124.99
• George T Stagg JR Bourbon 750 ml - $62.99
• High West Midwinter Nights Dram 750 ml - $104.99
• Jack Daniels 10 Year Whiskey 750 ml - $79.99
• Old Fitzgerald 11 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $125.99
• Old Fitzgerald 14 year Bourbon 750 ml - $159.99
• Old Fitzgerald 8 year Bourbon 750 ml - $105.99
• Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 750 ml - $169.99
• Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $95.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $109.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 13 Year Rye Whiskey 750 ml - $146.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $169.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $279.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 23 year Bourbon 750 ml - $444.99
• Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey 750 ml - $79.99
• Thomas Handy Straight Rye Whiskey 750 ml - $124.99
• William Larue Weller 750 ml - $124.99
• WL Weller 12 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $49.99
• WL Weller Full Proof Bourbon 750 ml - $59.99
• WL Weller Special Reserve Bourbon 1.75 l - $44.99
• Sazerac 18 Year Rye 750 ml - $124.99

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Assuming you're not going to resell it.. What's your favorite whiskey to drink? Not necessarily every day, but a good bottle you like to break into?

ETA. That's a hell of a list.

 

[Crazy Cotton]

By all the Pappy. Those prices are incredibly cheap. And get that Sazerac 18 while you're there.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

It's a raffle. I imagine the best odds are on stuff other than Pappy.

 

[johnson86-1]

I get to buy one bottle from below if available.

What would you choose?

Hello,


Below is a list of the items that will be available through our Charity Whiskey Raffle.

• 1792 Bottled in Bond Bourbon 750 ml - $45.99
• 1792 Single Barrel Bourbon 750 ml - $45.99
• Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon 750 ml - $70.99
• Bomberger’s Declaration Whiskey 750 ml - $89.99
• Colonel EH Taylor Applejack Single Barrel 750 ml - $69.99
• Colonel EH Taylor Warehouse C Bourbon 750 ml - $75.99
• Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $38.99
• Eagle Rare 17 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $124.99
• Elijah Craig 18 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $169.99
• Four Roses 2021 Limited Edition Bourbon 750 ml - $219.99
• George T Stagg Bourbon 750 ml - $124.99
• George T Stagg JR Bourbon 750 ml - $62.99
• High West Midwinter Nights Dram 750 ml - $104.99
• Jack Daniels 10 Year Whiskey 750 ml - $79.99
• Old Fitzgerald 11 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $125.99
• Old Fitzgerald 14 year Bourbon 750 ml - $159.99
• Old Fitzgerald 8 year Bourbon 750 ml - $105.99
• Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 750 ml - $169.99
• Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $95.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $109.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 13 Year Rye Whiskey 750 ml - $146.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $169.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $279.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 23 year Bourbon 750 ml - $444.99
• Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey 750 ml - $79.99
• Thomas Handy Straight Rye Whiskey 750 ml - $124.99
• William Larue Weller 750 ml - $124.99
• WL Weller 12 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $49.99
• WL Weller Full Proof Bourbon 750 ml - $59.99
• WL Weller Special Reserve Bourbon 1.75 l - $44.99
• Sazerac 18 Year Rye 750 ml - $124.99

With the caveat that I have trouble spending money on Bourbon, I'd get the Blanton's. Not something you can just walk into any store and get, but also not >$100 for bourbon. If you want to have something on hand for guests, the Pappy is recognizable, not easy to get, and not a bad price. But again, not sure if I just don't have the palate, but I have not found high priced bourbon to be worth it. I feel like I can get a better bottle of scotch in the $80-$100versus the $50 range, and a much better scotch in the $50 range than the $30 range, but the difference in bourbons doesn't seem to be there to me. I can get my favorite bourbon for $45, and bourbons that I like plenty for $30.

 

[NTDawg]

Other than the Pappy which everyone knows I'm the most jealous of the

Stagg
William Laure Weller
Thomas Handy Straight Rye Whiskey
Stagg JR
Sazerac 18 Year Rye
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
Old Fitzgerald 14 year

hell of a list

 

[She Mate Me]

That's a big (and outstanding) list. How does the raffle work? When will you know exactly what you have left to choose from.

What I would recommend depends on if you would consider buying one to put back as a small investment because some of those bottles are instantly worth a lot more than the prices shown, in a liquor auction setting.

 

[DawgInThe256]

I don't think I've ever actually seen a bottle of the 23 year Pappy, so that's #1. The Weller 12 Year is great at that price point, and has become almost impossible to find.

 

[aTotal360]

You probably know, but those "retail" prices are WAAAAAY low. Weller, if you can find it, is $150 in my neck of the woods.

 

[fishwater99]

They have at least a case of each and I am number #105, so the list might be shorter by then.

yes, i will be drinking it.

I was looking at any Pappy available. I already have bottles of Blantons and 2 Wellers at the house.

Anything else ya'll like?

 

[fishwater99]

https://applejack.com/

 

[fishwater99]

That's a big (and outstanding) list. How does the raffle work? When will you know exactly what you have left to choose from.

What I would recommend depends on if you would consider buying one to put back as a small investment because some of those bottles are instantly worth a lot more than the prices shown, in a liquor auction setting.

This is with Applejacks liquor store here in CO, I entered the last two year but did not get chosen.
You pay $25 fee to enter, and then for ever $100 spent in November you get one entry in the raffle, you can only win once a year.
There are close to 300 winners and I am #105. They will call me when it's my turn and give me an updated list to chose from.

 

[Drebin]

I get to buy one bottle from below if available.

What would you choose?

Hello,


Below is a list of the items that will be available through our Charity Whiskey Raffle.

• 1792 Bottled in Bond Bourbon 750 ml - $45.99
• 1792 Single Barrel Bourbon 750 ml - $45.99
• Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon 750 ml - $70.99
• Bomberger’s Declaration Whiskey 750 ml - $89.99
• Colonel EH Taylor Applejack Single Barrel 750 ml - $69.99
• Colonel EH Taylor Warehouse C Bourbon 750 ml - $75.99
• Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $38.99
• Eagle Rare 17 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $124.99
• Elijah Craig 18 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $169.99
• Four Roses 2021 Limited Edition Bourbon 750 ml - $219.99
• George T Stagg Bourbon 750 ml - $124.99
• George T Stagg JR Bourbon 750 ml - $62.99
• High West Midwinter Nights Dram 750 ml - $104.99
• Jack Daniels 10 Year Whiskey 750 ml - $79.99
• Old Fitzgerald 11 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $125.99
• Old Fitzgerald 14 year Bourbon 750 ml - $159.99
• Old Fitzgerald 8 year Bourbon 750 ml - $105.99
• Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 750 ml - $169.99
• Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $95.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $109.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 13 Year Rye Whiskey 750 ml - $146.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $169.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $279.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 23 year Bourbon 750 ml - $444.99
• Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey 750 ml - $79.99
• Thomas Handy Straight Rye Whiskey 750 ml - $124.99
• William Larue Weller 750 ml - $124.99
• WL Weller 12 Year Bourbon 750 ml - $49.99
• WL Weller Full Proof Bourbon 750 ml - $59.99
• WL Weller Special Reserve Bourbon 1.75 l - $44.99
• Sazerac 18 Year Rye 750 ml - $124.99

Considering money is no object for you, you should go for the Pappy 23.

 

[She Mate Me]

This is with Applejacks liquor store here in CO, I entered the last two year but did not get chosen.
You pay $25 fee to enter, and then for ever $100 spent in November you get one entry in the raffle, you can only win once a year.
There are close to 300 winners and I am #105. They will call me when it's my turn and give me an updated list to chose from.

That's cool.

I'll give you the order I would buy the bottles in assuming they were all available. I don't know if the rare stuff comes in 12 bottle cases (probably not) or smaller, but you should at least have an opportunity at some rare or at the least very good whiskey. Quite a few of those are basically impossible to find without connections or a large budget for alcohol.

Here goes...

Pappy 23
Pappy 20
Pappy 15
Four Roses 2021 Limited
William Larue Weller
Eagle Rare 17
George T Stagg
Saz 18 Rye
Thomas Handy Rye
Old Forester Birthday
Elijah Craig 18
Pappy 12
Old Rip 10
Old Fitz 14
Old Fitz 11
Weller 12
Taylor Warehouse C

Stopping here, that's just an amazing group of whiskies. And some folks may balk at the high retail on some of it, but if you can get any of those towards the top I would not hesitate. Worst case you can find a buyer and buy a shitload of really good whiskey with the proceeds (your laws may vary, but it happens all the time).

After that list I'd buy any of the others available as well, really can't go wrong.

Good luck!!

 

[Jrobb]

Pappy because you will never find it in a store
Stagg
Birthday would probably be my first choice

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

So there are a few flavor profiles mixed in there. I will break it into the 4 big ones.

Rye whiskey
High rye bourbon
Low rye bourbon
Wheated bourbon

I'm not a rye/high rye guy, gives me a splitting headache. So I will rank a few within the other categories of low rye and wheated I have plenty of experience with. Asterisks next to bottles I currently have or have had.

Low Rye - Classic low rye bourbons are Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig, and Evan Williams.

#1 Taylor Warehouse C
#2 ER 17
#3 Stagg Jr*
#4 Stagg*
#5 Elijah Craig 18 *
#6 Taylor Single Barrel *
#7 Bomberegers*


Wheated - common wheaters are Weller, Makers, Larceny

#1 Any Van Winkle, just because.
#2 William Larue Weller
#3 Old Fitzgerald 14
#4 Weller Full Proof*
#5 Old Fitzgerald 11*
#6 Weller 12*

 

[MS-halfstep]

I'd go with the Weller BTAC.

Hard to go wrong with that list though

 

[MS-halfstep]

Anybody familiar with the Bomberger & Shenk's? Had a chance in our release this fall to get those, but was a little hesitant due to price/unfamiliarity. I keep hearing about them everywhere now.

 

[She Mate Me]

Anybody familiar with the Bomberger & Shenk's? Had a chance in our release this fall to get those, but was a little hesitant due to price/unfamiliarity. I keep hearing about them everywhere now.

Here's a good summary...

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

It's a Michter's product and has a lot of the characters I like from Michter's. Mainly the transitions from sniff, drink, and finish. 3 completely different profiles. One of the coolest things about Michter's products is they go into the barrel at lower proof so its just not cut as much which gives it that complexity. So the Bomberger's is 108 proof but drink had the complexity of a barrel proof over 120. The only complaint I had outside of price is that there is a hint of bitterness to it. Just a little. It goes away in the finish though. I had a shot at it this year myself, but went with Booker's instead.

It's a really good low rye bourbon.

ETA. I had a bottle of Bomberger's last year. Never had Shenk's.

 

[NOATLDAWG]

My rant in regards to the pricing of bourbon... why do the manufacturer's not do more to stop this?? THEY are not making the big bucks here... The distributors and secondary market people are... Same as with The Masters. It's cool and all to pretend that it is a 'lottery' but we all know that the same people and same secondary market people get the tickets. They run up the prices so why do the manufacturer's not do something to quell this with a direct to consumers offer or something??

 

[MS-halfstep]

Thanks, didn't realize they were both Michter's products. I'll give one a try next time I have the opportunity.

 

[Mobile Bay]

How the heck did y'all get a whole case of Pappy? The entire state of Alabama doesn't get a full case some years.

 

[She Mate Me]

How the heck did y'all get a whole case of Pappy? The entire state of Alabama doesn't get a full case some years.

That's not true, but it is very limited. Allocation of rare stuff is or was based to an extent on how much Sazerac (the parent of Buffalo Trace) product a store moves.

That's why it was possible to occasionally find Pappy in strange places in the early days of the craze. Sazerac has a lot of lower end labels as well, Taaka vodka for example.

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

Where you at my lottery this Saturday? Because that was essentially our list. I did hit a Michter 20 yr on mine.

All those are good bourbons. And the markup looks to be only 10-20% the suggested retail in most cases.

With a case each (I can’t imagine a case of 23). You will be at the end of case 9, that means:

Pappy 23,20,15,13,12&10 will be gone. George T Stagg, William LaRue Weller or Eagle Rare 17 should be almost gone.

Next to go will be Warehouse C Taylor, old Fitz 14 & Sazerac 18.

I personally would rather have William LaRue Weller, Stagg, Eagle Rare 17 or warehouse C over the 15, 13, 12 & 10 VW. William LaRue Weller is my personal white whale.

Cheers man, you are going to have a nice bourbon or rye to drink.

 

[WeHollaAtYa]

William Larue Weller Antique

Had most on the list and Weller antique is my pick. I would then go Elijah Craig 18 and either of the Colonel Taylor’s next. Pappy is cool on the shelf but I have had some fantastic ones and some that were just good.

 

[WeHollaAtYa]

Those are the actual retail prices.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Lucky bastard... Love Michter's. Working on a bottle of us1 American Whiskey this week. Got my rejection emails yesterday.

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[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

That’s a good question. Pappy 23 msrp is $299.99. I bought my bottle at msrp because our local store is just awesome to its customer. It sells Elmer T. Lee at the msrp $39.99 in the lottery. Another store sells it at $99 when they get it and there is a 3rd local store with Elmer on the shelf right now for $249.99. I laughed in the owners face for that one.

I’m not sure why they are ok with retail price gauging, but I do know they will pull distribution to stores/restaurants that sell it cheap.

 

[III.sixpack]

The Weller Special Reserve is 1.75 L!!!

 

[Deen.sixpack]

My draft board

William Larue Weller
Pappy 20
Pappy 15
Eagle Rare 17
Old Forester Birthday
Pappy Lot B 13yr
Four Roses 2021 Limited
Pappy 12
Old Rip 10
Old Fitz 14
Old Fitz 11
EH Taylor Warehouse C
Weller FP
Weller 12
Stagg Jr.
Midwinters Night

There is no George T. Stagg in 2021 maybe they have some saved from 2020.

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

I was in a lottery for a George T Stagg 2020, 2019 & 2018 pack. I am seeing several with a 2020 included.

I did see several local lotteries did not have their Pappy or BTAC yet. They said it isn’t coming this year or they will do another lottery when they get it in early 2022.

 

[NOATLDAWG]

That's insanity!! In ATL, it is beyond a mess. Yesterday, there was a store that got in 2 boxes (about 12 bottles) of allocated stuff and there were 50+ people waiting for them when they hit the floor. It is almost impossible to find an Elmer T. Lee or Rock Hill Farms for anything less than $300 in a store... those are retail $60 bottles... Pappy 23 are $2k plus... Hell, I have a store near me that is selling an entire set of Blanton's for $2000... $250/bottle for a $59 bottle... insanity.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Elmer T Lee actually retails (MSRP) for $40, so the insanity is worse than you described.

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

You need to shop in the suburbs. I’m in Gwinnett. I can put you on 2 stores that have msrp lotteries.

 

[NOATLDAWG]

I'm in the wrong ATL suburbs!!! LOL!!!

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

PM me and I can set you up for next year. Actually our setup is so good that I want to get some non-bourbon drinkers to tag along and get them to some for me.

 

[MS-halfstep]

The Weller Special Reserve is 1.75 L!!!

Believe or not, just a few years ago I was finding the 1.75L Weller SR on the shelf

 

[She Mate Me]

Believe or not, just a few years ago I was finding the 1.75L Weller SR on the shelf

10 years ago all the Wellers were easy to find (if the store even carried it) and got dusty on shelves. The Pappy wheated bourbon craze is realer than real.

I honestly think the Weller SR going way over retail retail is pretty crazy. Its a nice sweet and light bourbon and was a great value at $20 to $25 a fifth. Way over that is just mania IMO.

 

[NOATLDAWG]

Sounds like a plan. I PM'd you. And just let me know any that you want and I will keep an eye out. ALways happy to share where I can.