Bourbon.

[Master-Classter]

Astors SA kept saying that their 4R Single was highly recommended and I ended up going with Willet instead to round out the collection in terms of tastes/styles. Hmmmm, oh well, good enough reason to go back and visit (assuming stock still left).

picked up Ugedail which I'm excited to try out. $75 at Astors, $175 in Toronto so even with the exchange rate ($85?) it's still excellent IMO

 

[Gibonius]



picked up Ugedail which I'm excited to try out. $75 at Astors, $175 in Toronto so even with the exchange rate ($85?) it's still excellent IMO

You guys get reamed on alcohol prices.

 

[Master-Classter]

generally speaking our stuff is a little higher, like $15-30 per bottle depending on what it is, but for anything special/limited it can be significantly higher. I price shop and given limited budget and how much I can bring back each trip, I really work the differences to the max to get the best price differences. There are plenty of $20-50 bottles where there's only like $5-10 difference, but even at that price there are a few where there's like $20-30 difference on a $50-75 bottle so it's worth knowing what to get where/when.

 

[Huntsman]

I did wind up going to Toronto, but just for the work trip, not the fun trip, and I stopped in the LCBO at Spadina and King W. That had a great selection, and many things I couldn't get in the States. Sadly, I figured I'd pick them up later and never quite got around to it. The Plantation 20 rum looked like a great deal at around $70, and there were some very interesting eau de vie and such that I have not seen down here.

Great city by the way. Great food culture. Low stress. Weird crazy intense condo buildings everywhere. Traffic is legendary though.Would go back for a vacation in a heartbeat.Love how everyone says 'Sor-REE!' for minor infractions.

 

[Master-Classter]

yeah there's that joke I just heard recently: how do you get a Canadian to say sorry? step on his foot.

we're generally pretty polite, enjoying lining up for things, and say sorry constantly.

 

[ama]



I did wind up going to Toronto, but just for the work trip, not the fun trip, and I stopped in the LCBO at Spadina and King W. That had a great selection, and many things I couldn't get in the States. Sadly, I figured I'd pick them up later and never quite got around to it. The Plantation 20 rum looked like a great deal at around $70, and there were some very interesting eau de vie and such that I have not seen down here.

Great city by the way. Great food culture. Low stress. Weird crazy intense condo buildings everywhere. Traffic is legendary though.Would go back for a vacation in a heartbeat.Love how everyone says 'Sor-REE!' for minor infractions.

Plantation 20 rum is $35 - $45 in the States.

 

[Master-Classter]

so I'm sure you guys are all more experienced, but I'm just starting out... went with a buddy to a bar yesterday with a strong scotch+bourbon list and tried a few firsts. They had Old Rip 1oz for $10.25 (bartender ended up undercharging it at $9.50) and all I can say is wow wow, really solid juice. I know a little about the Winkle hype but I don't go in with any expectations and even if I'd have known nothing, I would have been impressed. Sweet caramal, full mouth, warm and rich, tongue numbing but no real sharp burn, long long finish. Drank it all straight. Delicious stuff!

 

[NewYorkIslander]



so I'm sure you guys are all more experienced, but I'm just starting out... went with a buddy to a bar yesterday with a strong scotch+bourbon list and tried a few firsts. They had Old Rip 1oz for $10.25 (bartender ended up undercharging it at $9.50) and all I can say is wow wow, really solid juice. I know a little about the Winkle hype but I don't go in with any expectations and even if I'd have known nothing, I would have been impressed. Sweet caramal, full mouth, warm and rich, tongue numbing but no real sharp burn, long long finish. Drank it all straight. Delicious stuff!

If it was the 2013 (which I assume it was) it was the best of the bunch this year. Every craves the Yellow Label Pappy's, but the 15 was a bit funky this year, the 20 was nice and the 23 is a bit too woody (although its opened up nicely). Didn't try the 12 this year. I really like the 10 year old though.

 

[BrianVarick]

Just got back from bourbon country after visiting a few distilleries this weekend. Was really impressed with Woodford Reserve and how they produce their bourbon with their own wells and creating 5 summers in their storehouses. My wife loved the double oaked and she usually hates bourbon so that's good

 

[indesertum]

I got back from bourbon country last week too

Visited buffalo trace, four roses, woodford, Willett, and heaven hills

Woodfords stone warehouses are too well insulated that they have to steam up the place using pipes everywhere. The only place that used only wood fermenters (I think cypress) and three pot stills. Double oak wasn't as oaky as I thought (diatillers select us aged I think 7 to 8 in medium char and double oak is diatillers select aged another year or two in heavy char). The campus is beautiful and one of the most well renovated visitor center and tours (brand new everything, earphones and microphones for the tour, bus). I thought it was funny how everybody dressed super preppy and they even sold vineyard vines.

Buffalo trace was the most fun just seeing the scale of things. Also most hands on. Got to taste white dog and sweet and sour mash. They don't even need to cool down the fermentation because the vats are so large (everybody else needs cooling coils in the vats). Also the only one that was free. The Wheatley vodka wasn't terrible for something distilled 10 times.

Heaven hills we just did a whiskey tasting (ec22, ec23, William heavenhills, and heaven hills select aged in cognac barrels). Don't waste money on ec23. Way too woody. The rest was decent but gift shop exclusive and way overpriced.

Four roses made you watch a lame video which was most definitely a bourbon video because it was more than 51% corn. Tour was ok. Foreign language friendly. Liked the free glasses (a rose etched within the bottom part of the glass) but the only noteworthy thing is that Jim Rutledge hand selects the private selection single barrels for the gift shop. Only place with single story warehouses

Willett has a spiel about how they've made bourbon for a century plus (they only recently started distilling two years ago tho). I asked where they get their older barrels and they said an independent producer (prolly heaven hills cuz they're only a minute away). By far the best quality and best value whiskey for sale at the gift shop (competitive with retail prices). Really small operation (warehouses aren't full at all). One column still one pot still. Mixture of wooden and steel fermenters. They don't even really have machines (barrels lifted by crank and pulley and hand in warehouses)

With the exception of buffalo trace none of the tour guides know anything outside what the distillery tells them. The Willett tour guide never even heard of bottled in bond.

Was disappointed that downtown louisville bourbon prices weren't that cheap. Below average but also geared to take advantage of hype and tourists.

A+ trip. Highly recommend. Next time want to see the cooperage

 

[BrianVarick]

^Nice write up. I am looking forward to going back to hit Buffalo Trace. We didn't make it there this time around. Luckily I am only 2 hours away!

 

[joelscott7]

MC - Which bar was that? Was it in Toronto?

 

[Master-Classter]

Yep, Emit Ray around College West at maybe like Ossington or just past there? Small place, pretty solid scotch/bourbon/rye list and very reasonable prices.
Also, didn't end up staying, but stopped at Nobody Writes to the Colonel and they didn't have a lot of selection, but for example 1oz of Laphroag QC was $7.50 and 5/$20 bar shots including 40 Creek for example, so pretty cheap. Of course I'd rather just drink something like LQC at home, but if I was out it's cheap. Just down the street we (GF and I) stopped to check Bar Isabel and they wanted about $18-19 for the same LQC drink. Emit Ray bartender guy said they had a few bottles of the Old Rip (hell I wonder what they'd sell a whole bottle under the table for?)

 

[Huntsman]

yeah there's that joke I just heard recently: how do you get a Canadian to say sorry? step on his foot.

we're generally pretty polite, enjoying lining up for things, and say sorry constantly.

That's quite true about the queueing -- it was really pleasant to be in line with Canadians. It just works Americans up so much for no reason.

Quote:
Um, damn. Glad I didn't get it then.

Four roses made you watch a lame video which was most definitely a bourbon video because it was more than 51% corn. Tour was ok. Foreign language friendly. Liked the free glasses (a rose etched within the bottom part of the glass) but the only noteworthy thing is that Jim Rutledge hand selects the private selection single barrels for the gift shop. Only place with single story warehouses

Hahaha.

 

[NewYorkIslander]

Four Roses Gift Shop is great.