I enjoy this thread very much when I’m chasing a Natural Ice with a Pabst Blue Ribbon
1 Like
i wrote in another thread that I bought a hard seltzer for the first time (white claw). It’s the Donald Trump of drinks. It’s like someone went “oh you think you’re so smart with your IBU and barrell aging and knowledge of things? here’s literally water with alcohol for 2 bucks a can” and it became a trillion dollar industry.
2 Likes
My brother served me some of the Elijah Craig Small Batch Barrel Proof. I liked it better than the Weller Antique 107 that he also had.
1 Like
Weller Antique is a favorite too but it gets scooped up off the shelves instantly and then sold on secondary for close to twice retail. Allocation is weird on this one though, as I’ve heard there are a couple places in the country that get a ton of it so it’s easier to find there.
yes, and I thought the same thing but then you remember what scotch costs, though at least you can just walk in pretty much any liquor store in the country that doesn’t have bulletproof glass and get a bottle of macallan 50, whereas it’s literally impossible to get weller 12. So I guess the future of bourbon is paying $500 for a bottle of eagle rare, but no longer having to suck a dick to get it. :(
in any case, that elijah craig small batch is pretty amazing and quite readily available.
2 Likes
basically I just drink makers at home now, I have a few bottles of more impressive stuff but nobody comes over anymore.
when I travel or go out (which, lol who does either now) I love to get a negroni but I can’t bring myself to buy campari or red vermouth for home. Just seems too fussy.
The BTAC stuff is the most absurd. Eagle Rare 17 retail price $99, secondary ~$1,500
If you like Makers Mark you should check out some of their higher proof Select stuff, it’s really good and still pretty widely available.
ok you’re probably kidding but i don’t drink wine or hard alcohol because i don’t like the taste and have a weak stomach (i would probably throw up i tried to take a shot), and i drank nothing but coors and natty light for a decade and was perfectly happy and only started drinking IPAs because they were a cheaper way to get drunk at bars, so for me to become a beer snob would just be completely fake and selling out who i once was and if people want to drink natty light their entire life i’m not going to shit on them for it.
No joke, I don’t buy even moderately priced beer except for an occasional treat (and it’s usually meh).
And people actually pay those prices? So if I understand you liquor store employees either buy up bottles right when they come in or tell their friends to do it and then it sells for 15x on thr internet? I had no idea this was a thing, I drink bourbon quite often but I’m definitely not in the scene and have no idea what the hot products are. I usually drink Bulleit Rye, High West stuff (usually Rendezvous Rye) Four Roses and Woodford. Sometimes i’ll grab a random bottle of something at Total Wine
Not really a bourbon fan but I really like Basil Hayden bourbon and their rye. Only real use for bourbon is that they send thier used barrels to Scotland to be filled with actually drinkable whisky.
My favorite High West offering is their Campfire. I’d like to track down some of their Bourye at some point.
I’ve been enjoying rye ever since my daughter bought me a bottle of Catskills Provisions Honey Rye a few years ago.
Since it’s not sold in NH, I’ve learned to make my own honey rye, and it’s now my go-to for a sweetened whiskey.
Simply drizzle a small splotch of honey into a rocks glass, and add an equally small amount of boiling water. Stir to create a clear, sweet syrup. Build the rest of the drink over it. In my case, a shot of Old Overholt, which is a cheap but decent rye, even for sipping.
Campfire is solid. Midwinter Nights Dram is my favorite but is more limited.
The example I used is on the extreme end, but seeing limited stuff go for 2x retail is a pretty regular occurrence. There are people that have essentially turned this into a full time job.
A good read for those unfamiliar with how this all works.
This talk of bourbon made me revisit my trip report of doing the Kentucky Bourbon Trail:
(Features not only bourbon, but a Reds game, homestyle buffet, and Skyline Chili)
Going to Kentucky to visit a bunch of the distilleries is on my list of trips to do. Had a friend do it a couple years ago and said it was a blast!
How does one access this secondary market to sell BTAC bottles?
…asking for a friend who has two bottles, one that he does not bother selling (ORVW 10) and another (Thomas Handy Sazerac) who he may want to enjoy in a special occasion.