I’ve given up collecting alcohol. For years I tried building a wine cellar but I eventually figured it was a false economy because a) I had thousands of $& tied up at any time and b) there were too many times at 8.30 on a Tuesday when I found myself opening an $80 bottle of red because it was the only thing I had in the house

Now I just buy it when I want it and drink it

The Bourbon market is pretty liquid right now, but lots of reasons to think its a bit of a bubble.

I'm not doing it for investment purposes though. I enjoy having a collection and drinking a variety of whiskeys.

Speaking of Kirkland (CostCo), picked up a bottle of this jem:

for $19.99 on my last CostCo run. I have low expectations, mostly picked up for the novelty, and to toast a pal (RIP) who probably would have loved it. Haven't tried it yet.

After seeing recommendations for Four Roses Small Batch itt and a few other places recently, I picked up some at Costco a few days ago. It is slightly sweet, but it is very easy to drink. Perhaps too easy for me--LOL!

I always have a morbid curiosity about what the basic Four Roses yellow label tastes like, but I've never had it. When you carry around a Jim Beam price tag, I'm going to make certain assumptions.

This is actually the first Four Roses product I've ever tried. Four Roses was belittled so much by my parents and their friends when I was a kid that I was never tempted even to taste it until I read several opinions about their Small Batch in the past few months.

I suppose Old Crow will be up next even though I did occasionally see a bottle of that in my parents' home.

This serves to strengthen my guess that Four Roses yellow label is probably awful trash.

The Four Roses single barrel is excellent too, albeit pricey. I think all the variants of it are less sweet than the small batch. I don't mind the sweetness though (at least at the Four Roses small batch level).

I guess not really Bourbon but I've been dipping my toes into ryes. Rittenhouse is pretty basic but will let you know if you are interested in ryes pretty quickly and cheaply.

Kings Family Ryeconic is like butterscotch pepper spray, but in a good way

Willet Family 4 year rye is like drinking a plum green tea. Incredibly delicious for my pallet.

Abbott and Wallace is a local distillery and their Barrel Strength Rye is like drinking minty anise

Still sipping the bourbs too. Getting pretty big into Russels Reserve. The 10 year is too light for me, but the Single Barrel is nearly perfect. I think you actually get value between the 10 and SiB despite the price increase. Private Single Barrels are somehow even better.

Got to try the Woodford Reserve Master Collection HBE and its a little bit like drinking a flat grape soda lol. Not worth the price of a whole bottle but worth a taste if you get the chance.

The 16 year 140 proof Copper Sky is like drinking Oak Nectar. Incredibly rich and balanced it drinks well below its proof. Zero downside to that sip.

I haven't come across much I just don't like. I like it a little or I like it a lot, and there is a lot I like a lot.

This almost made me snort beer out my nose, but in a good way.

Local Total Wine had Buffalo Trace at "1 per customer" and I'd never actually bought a bottle so grabbed it. Totally fine for $25. Is there really that much demand for it that they have to limit it like that?

Yeah a lot of places here limit 1 on all BT products. They are way over-sought. Weller is mediocre wheat whiskey and people will pay 4-8x msrp for whatever reason. EH Taylor barrel proof is a 75$ bottle and had multiple idiots on reddit telling someone to buy a bottle for 300$ because “it’s 4-500$ on secondary. “

Makers mark, Macallan

LOL the Costco about a mile from the above Total Wine has 1 L bottles of Buffalo Trace for 22.89, so maybe that restriction is about to be lifted (or some of the locals are going to buy from Costco a case at a time)

My CostCo has a fine selection of mid-level and some top-shelf (and some bottom-of-the-barrel) bourbons/whiskies at pretty decent prices. Still haven't tried that Knucklenoogins, but probably will tonight to toast my buddy's b-day. He'd smack me in the mouth if I referred to it as his heavenly b-day. RIP my friend.

I'd been seeing some Costcos getting Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered on reddit, but never our local...until now. Pretty reasonable, too, 64.99. By comparison, Total Wine sells it for 78.99 here

Yellow label is fine, but small batch is definitely better and can't be beaten for the price point. I'll buy yellow label for mixing sometimes, but I also think small batch is an excellent value and is the bourbon I buy 90% of the time.

Tried Maker's Mark 101 the other day. OMG was it bad. Tasted like chainsaw fuel. I was disappoint. Also tried Blade and Bow. Perfectly fine, if somewhat gimmicky.

Gotten into the bourbon scene in the past few years. I usually keep a rotation of 8 bottles on hand. Within the next month or so I will be down to 7 so I will need to pick up another bottle. Any suggestions?

Here is what I have currently to give you a sense of what I have/like.


Stagg (jr.) but first batch that did not have the jr. label

Blantons (2 bottles currently, one is the one thats going out the door so need to find a replace)

Elijiah Craig Toasted Barrel

Elijiah Craig Barrel Proof A122

Heaven Hill Bottle-in-Bond

Eagle Rare

Knob Creek 12


Was thinking Ezra BP or Larceny BP but could be talked into others.

Elijah Craig BP C923 is probably the best whiskey around as far as taste, price, and availability. Absolute palate puncher.

I'm not a big wheater fan but the Larceny BPs from this year all have received high praise. Breaking Bourbon put 523 in their top 5 whiskies of the year and Fred Minnick put A123 and C923 3 and 2 respectively.

Green River only produces banger bottles as well. Their Bourbon is punchy despite being ~30$ and 90 proof. I don't think paying more for the single barrel gets you much so would recommend sticking with the base offering.

Some potentially less known things I've been sipping on lately

Buzzards Roost Cigar Rye: Pretty standard rye until the finish which coats your mouth with a delicate tobacco flavor that is delightful if you enjoy cigars. They achieve this by toasting their barrel with tobacco leaves

Kings County Single Barrel store pick: Rich with dark fruits, has this rising bitterness in the mid palate that makes you think things are about to fly off the rails then it mellows into a viscous oily mouth coating that I describe as blackberry pie. Unique and delightful

Copper Sky Copper Accord: This is their yearly experimental release and they have a bunch of finished wheaters blended together. Merlot, Amaretto, and Apple Cider finishes. The nose is fantastic. Wine fruits and cider spices mix with the wheat to create a pies/pastries effect. Still can't decide if I like the palate. My two main notes are the wine finish and the wheat, which aren't exactly my jams.

I had Jack Daniel's Bonded Rye a few weeks ago. Surprisingly good and pretty easy to drink. Surprising since normal JD sucks. Worth trying anything else from them?

The Barrel Strength Single Barrel Rye is incredible. Like peanut butter covered banana bread. Pretty hard to find most places though.

Similarly the Barrel Strength Single Barrel Whiskey is quite good and readily available, around me at least.

All their recent special releases have received rave reviews. The 10, the 12, the Double Barrels, all good but highly allocated.

Big fan of the bonded rye as well.

On a similar note, Basil Hayden, a separate label by Jim Beam, is surprisingly good, though I wouldn't drink Jim Beam on a dare.

Basil Hayden is quite good.

Maybe 20 years ago I bought a bottle of Jack Daniel's Monogram at a duty free shop because the bottle had leather around it and looked cool. Also pretty good and easy to drink. Still have half the bottle somewhere though.