Selections picked last September have been slowly rolling in over the last couple of months with the latest arrival just this week (Old Weller Antique).
Willett 8 Year 128.5 proof - This bottle is the 4th installment of a series of barrels over the last couple of years that have turned out some outstanding bourbon. Big flavor, low heat and long finish is the profile we typically shoot for and this has it all in spades. This bourbon is almost insidious in the way it drinks. Big flavors of caramel, vanilla, oak with an underlying creaminess. Finish is long and delicious. Even at barrel proof, this bourbon is too easy to drink right out of the bottle.
Willett 18 year 140.8 proof - This is the second 18 year I've picked up of this particular bourbon which is a wheat mashbill. This is a big whiskey and bold because of its age. This bourbon rolls over the palate in layers exhibiting creme brulee on entry with molasses, dark fruit and semi-bitter chocolate. Complex, gripping and all around top shelf. The wood influence is completely in check and adds to the overall balance of this bourbon. This bourbon cut down to around 110 proof opens up nicely and brings out the more subtle qualities of this bourbon. Superb.
Four Roses (OESO) 10 year 8 month 112.2 proof - It wasn't too long ago I'd tell you I don't like Four Roses. With the help of the fine folks at Four Roses they've converted me to a fan. This is the fourth barrel pick I've been involved with and to date, this one is my favorite. Four Roses uses 10 different recipes that are a combination of various grain and yeast to achieve this. The OESO is a 75% corn mashbill using the "O" yeast. The profile is described as fruit (red berries), medium body. Fruit indeed and lots of it. This is a silky smooth bourbon and at the barrel proof of 112, devoid of heat but plenty of flavor. The nose exhibits traces of floral, caramel and a hint of mint. This particular recipe is far outside the flavor bounds of the normal OBSV recipe which is why I like it.
Old Weller Antique 8 year 107 proof #5 - I've been a fan of Old Weller Antique for many years. A couple years back Buffalo Trace made the decision to change the bottle design and remove the age statement of 7 years. It's a real shame they did that. So, since I couldn't purchase the age stated OWA, the next best thing is buy my own. During the pick in September, the tasting panel could not decide between barrel 5 or 6 so we did the logical thing, bought both. #5 is the crowd pleaser with an essence similar to a younger Pappy Van Winkle 15 with big flavor of caramel sweetness; a candied profile with a long warming finish. I could drink this all day long and not lose interest. To me, one of the best OWA I've had from the BT barrels.
Old Weller Antique 8 year 107 proof #6 - This barrel and #5 came from the same distillate run yet the flavor profile could not be more different. This selection has a little more heat than #5 and exhibits a baking spice profile layered with dark chocolate, wood, fruit and a heat pop on the finish. My lips were tingling as I sipped on this bourbon. If bourbon had emotions, this one would be introspective and slightly brooding while 5 would be cheery and tranquil.
I spent a number of years chasing down limited release whiskey such as Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, Parkers Heritage and others. That practice has stopped as my focus is now on these personal barrel picks. To me, this gives me the opportunity to zero in on what we, as a group, truly believe is some of the best bourbon out there.
Very cool Greg. I don't suppose you would let certain enthusiasts buy some of these bottles from you? ;)
ReplyDeleteRyan - The group buy never leaves anything behind. In fact, in most cases, the barrels have been short from distillery estimates leaving some with less than allocation. This was the case with the OWA, both short barrels and I ended up with less than I originally ordered.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Greg. You mention that your group typically is looking for big flavor, low heat and a long finish. In your opinion, what is currently available to the average enthusiast that fits that profile?
ReplyDeleteGary - to be honest, I haven't bought on the retail shelf for quite a while. The barrel picks have been my go to purchases for the last couple of years. I typically drink bourbon that's over 100 proof. In the past, for value pours I liked were Very Old Barton BIB and Old Weller Antique; they were low cost and reasonably good. The BTAC's were typically good although the cost was making it difficult to justify the investment. Old Taylor and Parkers Heritage have also been decent pours. To achieve the profile I pointed out in the post takes tasting before buying which is the primary reason we do just that. Don't mean to be vague but bottles do vary, especially single barrels so heat / no heat can vary from bottle to bottle.
ReplyDeleteI love your posts Greg...you inspire me to be a better person and bourbon drinker!
ReplyDeleteGreg,
ReplyDeleteGreat post--I love seeing this type of information. Just out of curiosity, how big of a group is it that participates in these barrel selections?
It varies from half a dozen to a couple, three dozen. Just depends on appetite and selection.
DeleteGreg,
DeleteHow does the cost of a private barrel buy compare to the off-the-shelf price on a per bottle basis? I've bought single-barrel bottlings of known brands from established retailers, and the cost is usually right in line with the regular issue. How many people are in your group?
Forgive the questions, but there are a lot of dynamics involved here that some of us are totally unfamiliar with. I'm intrigued by the concept. Thanks!
Sorry, I see someone asked about the number of members just before I did!
DeleteSam - in some cases the cost is in line with retail and other times slightly less. It depends on who we use and local/state taxes, etc that affect the total cost per bottle. The cost really isn't that important to me from a savings perspective, the real goal is getting great whiskey that is typically not found or hit or miss on some of the premiums. As for the size of the group, less than 100 of like minded enthusiasts.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the average yield when you go in on a barrel with your group? A case? Couple cases?
ReplyDeleteDepends on the age and other factors but we've found the best barrels to be short a number of times. Bottle yield ranges from 120-150
ReplyDeleteHi Greg, First off, great blog. My question for you is, how exactly can I go about getting a private barrel? Should I try contacting distilleries directly? Any in particular? You're groups have gone with Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, A Smith and Willett? Were they the best to work with?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mike
Mike - shoot me an email at brbnizgud@yahoo.com. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreg- Where do you get your hands on the Willett 18yr? I'd love to try this bourbon as I'm a high proof wheated mashbill fan. Thanks for your great posts.
ReplyDeleteEric
Eric - the 18 yr comes from barrel picks we've done. The ones we pick are not available retail but I know there have been some retail stores that have also offered the 18 year. I know Shoppers Vineyard had some a couple years ago and it's possible Party Source did one but don't hold me to that.
ReplyDeleteGreg - Thank you for the insight and I assumed this might be the case as the packaging of the Willett you have in the pics looked special. Kudos to you and the guys on your excellent pick. I will definitely check out the Shoppers Vineyard site to see if they have any. Don't mean to bother you with another question but in choosing the OWA 107 how did you go about differentiating which bottles were from barell #5 versus #6? Thank you for your quick response.
DeleteBT put medallions on the bottles that denoted which barrel it came from.
DeleteHi Greg,
ReplyDeleteIt is great to see you doing something a bit different than the other bloggers out there who seem to focus on the standard shelf offerings. I really don't need another review on Knob Creek 120PF. While some the the whiskey you review is privately bottled all of us can usually find private bottles with some of the better retailers... and your reviews provide guidance as to some of the things we should look for. Keep up the good work!!
Clifton - you are 100% correct. There are many retailers that do barrel picks and go through a very similar process that our group goes through. The only real difference is our bottles go into our respective bunkers while retail goes right on the shelf for folks like us to grab. Three stores that do quite a few barrels picks that you should check out. Julio's Liquor, Binny's and Party Source. YMMV on shipping depending on where you live. If you live in KY, you're out of luck. I happen to know that Julio's will be getting in a spring release of Single Barrel OWA so keep an eye out for those.
ReplyDelete