I find it very sweet. Not my favorite pour. If you're near the Woodlands I'll give you a sample.

Rye bourbon?

Is that like those Russians and their potato bourbon?

Rye old timer? Rye will do as long as it gets here quick

I get it. I screwed up

Was at a bar tonight and had a pour of Willet Family Estate SB 10yr - it was effin exceptional

Also had a pour of Wild Turkey Diamond Aniversary and found it to be ok - nothing great for the price

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It's very different. The rum finish makes it very unique, and I hear there is about a gallon of dark rum in the barrels when they pour the rye in. You won't be disappointed.

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This. AE Rye is absolutely awesome - especially after a medium rare ribeye or a tenderloin cut. The sweet finish pairs extremely well with red meat to me. One of my favorite ryes.

I'm on a different kick right now - I dont' have the desire to chase bourbon like many of you do, and I don't really get into the wave after wave of special bottlings that every distillery is producing these days to market their juice.

I just dumped (05-30-2015) my 3L small barrel of Four Roses YL that i put in on 12-30-2014 and ahve been whole heartedly impressed with drinking a blue collar bourbon that the extra aging has added a lot of depth and flavor to. Just enough oak now to give it a completely different flavor than out of the bottle.

I"m also enjoying some Larceny that I dumped out of my smaller barrel a month or so ago. About time now to find something new to try out, and right now the HH 6 year BIB is what I'm leaning towards.

Watching the Ags win the regional. Started with a Rittenhouse whiskey sour. Great whiskey for a really nice cocktail.

Kept the nerves in check the rest of the way with some Weller 12. Was a good reminder of how great that bourbon is, especially at the $20-$25 price point.

Began the game with Jim Beam and caffeine free Coke zero and and three 16 oz styrophoam cups later am finishing the TCU with same.

Started with coke zero and sazerac for some reason tonight. Then FRSmB, smooth ambler cask, and stagg jr to finish it off. I have been loving the smooth ambler cask lately, very good stuff!

Just finished a bottle of Breckenridge Bourbon last night. Absolutely incredible whiskey, I highly recommend. Distilled in Breckenridge, CO

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Started with coke zero and sazerac for some reason tonight. Then FRSmB, smooth ambler cask, and stagg jr to finish it off. I have been loving the smooth ambler cask lately, very good stuff!

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I've been passively looking for the SACS in Houston area, but not had any luck. You drinking the bourbon or rye?

Both! However I much prefer the bourbon. It is very good, while I only consider the rye decent for a cask strength offering. I definitely prefer Willet rye at the same price point. Full disclosure, I just have had one glass so far of the rye so maybe it will grow on me. Last time i found the bourbon SACS I bought 2 more bottles. I am steadily reaching for it every time I go to the cabinet.

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Began the game with Jim Beam and caffeine free Coke zero and and three 16 oz styrophoam cups later am finishing the TCU with same.

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I love my bourbon and cola in a styrofoam cup. It taste so much better. Must have something to do with chemical reactions.

I can't hardly enjoy the bourbon and coke if its not in styrophoam. That includes red solo cups.

The bourbon world is officially a mess. I did my semi monthly troll through the local Specs, just browsing the aisle seeing if something different hit me. In talking to the bourbon guy, he said that you have to be on a list to get Blantons. They get 2-3 cases every 3 weeks or so and most of it is spoken for on a list every time. A list for Blantons. I give up.

I did walk out with something to try. Old Grand Dad 114. It's a high rye recipe. It has nice legs in a Glencairn glass. It has some orange rind on the nose and front side and the proof is not at all in the way. It was $25 so it's is a great little buy in the crazy world where you have to be on a list to get Blantons.

Maybe get away from Specs. I've seen plenty of Blantons around on the shelves the last few weeks at other stores

I often get frustrated with bourbon and am constantly shaking my head and then I remember wine and that whole crazy world puts the recent bourbon mess to shame.

I agree - stay away from Specs and find you a mom and pop store that knows a bit on what to keep on their shelves.

The bourbon world is a bit of a mess due to the surge in popularity - but a lot of that is self inflicted stemming from the idea that you need to have nothing but super special one off bottles in your cabinet to even be considered a human being capable of liking bourbon.

It seems that every week the distilleries are coming out with some new marketed bourbon - this one is special because of X or Y reason, and there are legions of people that will stumble all over themselves just to have a bottle of it - many so they can simply say they have. Some are good, some are not as good - but the marketing keeps the hype up (see EH Taylor Cured Oak for an example - Buffalo Trace did a great job marketing it before it ever hit the streets, and when it did - people went nuts for it. But almost every review I've seen on it pretty much falls in the "meh" category).

There are plenty of good bourbons on the shelves - and they don't have to be single barrels, barrels that were stored in some warehouse sprinkled with fairy dust, or barrels that had a stave that was soaked in unicorn urine, or some "lost" warehouse somewhere that was recently rediscovered as if it were some Mayan pyramid that was recently reclaimed from the jungle, or any other of the thousands of marketing techniques that you see day in and day out.

Remember - there are only something like 14 distilleries out there in the US, and they produce well over 100 different labels.

Most reviews I have seen for the Cured Oak have been pretty good. Not saying it's worth the $400 it seems to be fetching on the secondary market, but couldn't imagine skipping it anywhere close to retail.

FYI Conroe Ags - Specs at I45 and 336 was flush with Weller 12. +/-36 bottles on Tuesday, but they were boxed up on the top shelf near the bourbon section.

Bourbon esta buena

What's the chances of finding Blantons or another higher end bourbon with a specific bottling date?

Just picked up a bottle of Blood Oath Pact 1 for $59.50 at Twin Liquors - the guy at the store told me their allotment was three bottles. They are having whiskey sale (15% off two or more 750 ml bottles). The shelf price was $69.99. My buddy in Louisville says the list there is $89.99 and it's going for as much as $140. The review says it's a blend of three different bourbons of various ages (6 to 12 years) and mashbills (mix of rye and wheat). Anyone tried it yet?

Nm. Wrong board.

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Just picked up a bottle of Blood Oath Pact 1 for $59.50 at Twin Liquors - the guy at the store told me their allotment was three bottles. They are having whiskey sale (15% off two or more 750 ml bottles). The shelf price was $69.99. My buddy in Louisville says the list there is $89.99 and it's going for as much as $140. The review says it's a blend of three different bourbons of various ages (6 to 12 years) and mashbills (mix of rye and wheat). Anyone tried it yet?

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The review says it's a blend of a 6 year old wheater, a 7 year old rye, and a 12 year old "rye based" bourbon (presumably just meaning more than the traditional 8-10% rye)

Luxco sources most of its whiskeys from Heaven Hill already, including the Ezra Brooks line.

Heaven Hill is also the only distillery I know of that normally keeps significant stocks of a 12 year old (slightly) higher-than-average rye content bourbon, in Elijah Craig 12, which contains 13% rye. The also possess large stocks of a 6 year old wheated bourbon in Larceny.

The 7 Year Rye is a product currently offered by MGD in Lawrenceburg Indiana, currently sold to bottlers such as Smooth Ambler, who sells it as Old Scout 7 Year Rye. I don't know of any other 7 year old rye bourbons on the market, Sazerac and Rittenhouse are both too young, and most other ryes are MGD produced anyway.

So my scientific wild ass guess is that this bourbon is essentially a proprietary blend of what you would see on the shelf as Old Scout 7 Year Rye, Larceny, and Elijah Craig 12 stocks from MGP and Heaven Hill respectively.

Just my guess based on the descriptions of the input bourbons, and the known relationship between Heaven Hill and Luxco.

Well, I cracked the Blood Oath open. Not bad. Smooth up front, then you get the heat of the rye in the end. I'm getting hints of caramel, but the flavors are not very strong. I like it. Still a little too pricey for what you get, I think. Glad I got it 15% off.

I can usually get Blantons for mid $40's in Dallas.

But it's hard to compare liquor prices across state lines because each state taxes it differently. The price difference could just be a result of New Jersey's tax rates.

My buddy got me a bottle of Elijah Craig 12. I had never had it, but I'm a fan. Has a little more bite to it than the Weller 12 year that I keep all the time, but it's still very nice to sip on. Carry on if it's already been discussed in this massive thread.

Elijah Craig 12 yr will always have a place in my cabinet. It is great for a bargain bourbon. I have read that they are getting ready to drop the age statement, but I am sure the flavor profile will remain very similar.

Also I need to update on the SACS rye. It is definitely worthy of picking up if you see it. I have grown fond of it since my last posting and wish I had grabbed another bottle when I saw it.

As far as the mom and pop store vs. specs conversation, I definitely prefer to shop in a small store. My usual store doesn't carry as much as I live in a small town, but the owner was able to order me a bottle of Elijah Craig barrel proof at a slightly higher than list price. I only wish this store could get some of the higher allocated bottles as I am sure I would get anything I wanted. I bounce between this store and specs to make sure I cover all of my bases but I prefer to give my business to the person who knows me and my family by name.

Sorry if this was already posted, but SAOS Rye production is on halt. I imagine the hoarding has already begun for many.

SAOS Rye Production Halt

What are you drinking tonight in honor of the passing of John David Crow? I think I'll crack open my Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Barrel Strength (it's probably the best juice I have in the house) and toast a great Aggie.