Right around Christmas, all that bourbon flowed in at one time. The timing could have been better...say, a month or two after the holidays. Along with the fall barrel picks were three selections of Willett. These bottles were actually from the Spring 2012 KY barrel picks but KBD took some time getting everything bottled up so they didn't actually make it into my bunker until December.
Old Weller Antique 7.8 yrs 107 pf (#14) - Profile of fruit, cream with a mild dose of oak mixed in. Virtually no heat with a flavor pop about mid palate and then a long soothing finish. This selection is not as sweet as some of the OWA picks and has a noticeable oakiness producing a nicely balanced bourbon.
Old Weller Antique 7.8 yrs 107 pf (#15) - This one is sweet right up front then transitions to a baking spice profile accented with caramel and a mild presence of cinnamon red hots. Finish is moderate with a sweetness still noticeable on the palate for a couple minutes after.
Four Roses (OBSF) 10.3 yrs 124.5 pf - Tons of flavor on this one with fudge right up front, very sweet (think brown sugar, cinnamon, butter), maple with a finish that includes some nice barrel notes. This one is dynamite and quickly topping my list of favorite Four Roses.
Four Roses (OESQ) 8.6 yrs 119.6 pf - This one was described by one member as "buttered popcorn" which I think nails the unique flavor in this bourbon. Not as sweet as the OBSF but it has a nice viscosity coating the mouth and palate make the finish long and lingering. The nose on this isn't overly pronounced but first sip puts a smile on your face. Delicious.
Willett 9 yr 125.4 pf -No heat on the nose and superb entry that's sweet and then transition to some nice barrel notes of dark chocolate, honey and vanilla. The finish is outstanding leaving a nice zing on the touch as it slowly fades away.
Willett 9 yr 128.4 pf - Zap...this one has some forward spice right out of the gate. This one is sweet also but more like fudge and toffee sweet, not spun sugar. Candied fruit and nut appears mid palate as the initial spice and heat takes a back seat. There's a nice oak undernote that plays all the way through the finish which is moderate to long.
Willett 8 yr 130.5 pf - Caramel, caramel, caramel! This wheat bourbon is a flavor bomb (which is why we picked it). Very creamy entry, lots of rich caramel, dark brown sugar, some bitter chocolate and slight wood. I could sip this all night long....a stunning wheater. Finish is fantastic with just a slight amount of heat popping up toward the end. Nice transition in this bourbon.
Already the gang is gearing up for April. I have my flight booked and we're finalizing schedules with the distillery reps for another round of barrel picks. This next round, we're adding a couple new labels, Elmer T. Lee and Jefferson Rye. Hope to find some nice barrels with these two new additions.
So jealous I could spit... again... :)
ReplyDeleteHow does one get in on a group buy?
ReplyDeleteCastelletti - If you're asking about the group I'm associated with, what we buy the membership consumes. If you're interested in a personal barrel purchase, the best thing to do is get a group of guys together to go in on a single barrel (that's how we started). I know a number of groups that do this and it's pretty informal. The distilleries I visit all have Barrel Programs with a rep so calling them and talking to the rep would be the first step. I have friends that purchase their own barrels but I know this is the extreme. Another option is if you have a local liquor store, they might be interested in sharing the purchase with the bottles personalized for their business. That way, the bulk of the cost is shared by them. Just some options to think about.
DeleteThanks for the insight Greg, planning a distillery trip this year. Salute!
DeleteHey Greg,
ReplyDeleteOnce again, my Julep cup runneth over with envy!
Question for you... Do any distilleries have a barrel program where one could purchase a barrel as it's filled rather than after it's been aged?
Great post. That Willett wheater sounds like one I would love.
I know of one that is looking at that possibility in the future! Angels Envy has discussed what the benefits are to it, and whether they outweigh the cons.
DeleteKyle - for clarity, you're saying that LDC is considering barrel purchase at fill? If you can share, what pros/cons are being discussed? Thanks.
DeleteI'd like to hear more on this. I'm working on a project with my cousin and we were looking into this option which is why I asked the question. Any response re: pro/con?
DeleteI don't have any further input on this. I hope to speak to Kyle at Julio's Go Whiskey Weekend in two weeks up in Boston. I'll see what his thoughts are.
DeleteI head to Boston on Saturday and will be there until the following Thursday. My dumb luck says that whiskey weekend is the 23rd-24th?
DeleteLet me know if you want/need any restaurant recommendation in the Greater Boston area. I also know some great whiskey bars.
Steve - too bad you can't stay over for the weekend. Julio's puts on a great event. I think we're good on food. We'll be up in VT doing some brewery tours on Saturday. I do plan on hitting the Armsby Abbey while in town.
DeleteSteve - what you're talking about is Warehouse receipts. This is where you buy the barrel at fill and then at some point have the option of taking posesssion or selling it back to the distillery. This is something we've actaully talked about doing but that's as far as it's gone...just talk. We would have to find a distillery that would be open to that kind of arrangement.
ReplyDeleteThe Willett wheater is awesome. This recent bottling is the 6th wheater we've done with the previous iterations being three 17 year old and two 18 year old....all are fantastic. This coming April we'll be tasting through another flight of wheaters at KBD that will be 9 years old at that time.
If you happen to be in the D.C. area, be sure to drop me a note.
Thanks for the info. I'm working a trade show in Baltimore in May and will likely build a trip to call on customers in DC/MD/VA area so I'll drop you a line once I have an idea on what the game plan is.
DeleteSounds good. Just drop me a note at the e-mail address at the left and maybe we can hook up to tip a few.
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