This is why I no longer chase expensive hard to find bottles. "The hunt" nowadays, for me, is about finding good *affordable* bottles that I've never heard of before.
This is why bourbon isn’t as desirable. Too expensive for mediocre stuff. Everything is a limited release, special release or rare. It’s lost it’s luster and is over hyped.
I went on a vacation recently and branched out from American whiskeys. This week I came back and went back through my collection. I quickly realized how much the $30-$50 bottles were actually pretty great compared to the +$150 bottles. My favorite bottles right now are actually the Wild Turkey 70th anniversary and the Eagle Rare store pick that I both picked up at MSRP. I hope Wild Turkey 8 year 101 becomes a regularly available release in the US and that supply for Eagle Rare actually catches up with demand.
Both of those bottles are amazing. Don't be tricked into believing that only high dollar hard to get bottles are good. I will be the first to tell you that I fell for the trap in the beginning but quickly learn the truth. Cheers my friend
I can't afford the allocated stuff even if I could find it, but that doesn't bother me a-tall. I've had *wonderful* whisky that's always on the shelf for $70 and under. Shoot, the best whisky I've ever had was $30, and one of my favorites is Evan Williams BiB, which is only 20 bucks.
Hancock Reserve from Buffalo Trace needs to be on every list like this. It's really young watered down Mash Bill #2. Total Wine usually has a few of them sitting out at $100 during allocation season. I believe the MSRP is just below Stagg.
I think the batch 2 Penelope's have been misses. I have a batch 1 and tried a batch 3 this weekend. The earlier batches had a much more pronounced citrus note. I had similar experiences with Rio.
I had a whiskey night with my friends. And we had the RR13 and 15 along with the camp Nelson. And out of 5 of us I was the only one that thought it was just ok. I placed it last in that line up while everyone said 1st so I hear you brother.
The only high dollar allocated bottle I was happy with was Parkers Heritage 6th Ed Blend of Mashbills. But that was 2012. Today I just won't hunt or chase much of anything over $80. I stumbled across a Peerless double oak for $90, and I did pick it up. Talk about disappointing, Garrison Bros. Balmorhea at $215. The benchmark series aren't in my area, but I did find a Top Floor for $17. I was ecstatic the value it brings for $17. Yes it has flaws, but it's a great value.
Same boat here. I’ve been into bourbon for the last decade or so and have yet to pay over $100 for a bottle and I have some great stuff. I’m ok with not having any Wellers or the overpriced allocated stuff.
Hey Charles I really like Valencia with 7up Zero for a refreshing Drink, ,, I did enjoy 1924 but with you on that price ,,,, the rest of yours and have not seen but I was picked to buy a Russell's 15 and really enjoy it but man $250 ..... Merry Christmas to you and the family ..... Thanks
2XO GEM OF KY , I've had 4 different barrels and the first was #33 , FIRE 🔥 !! next 3 where not worth the price tag. Terribly disappointed , wont buy another. I'll ad OGD 16 to this list as well...
It's one thing to not really like the taste of an allocated bottle. It's extremely disappointing to get a rare bottle that is not very interesting or complex. Even if controversial, its helpful to have lots of opinions when considering to spend extra money or have the choice between several allocated bottles. Nice one!
1924 I didn’t care for either. Disappointing Woodford HBEP - really disappointing. Especially for $145. EC18 - Really thin with weak finish, and why 90p for that level allocation EC. Old Fitz 10 BiB was a little disappointing off the rip but does better with time. (All of this just nails down the fact that the $50-80 shelf find market has so many consistent available hitters.)
Great show. I like that you discuss different topics then others. I agree on Penelope but to me all have all been disappointing for me at their price. For me I got a pour of pappy 12 and man was it nothing special. The 15 was top tier though. I love michters 10 rye but got a pour of the 10 year bourbon and it also disappointed me. To each their own I gueas.
(H) We couldn’t agree more on that Willett man. Every bottle of it we had whether we bought or tried somewhere else it just didn’t hit! Great video as always!
I bought Valencia Batch 2 for $90 last month. Huge let down. It tastes like young whiskey. There's hardly any orange flavor at all. It was my first VDN bottle. Are all VDN finishes underwhelming?
UA-cam and FOMO has ruined bourbon. I've been drinking bourbon/whiskey way before it was popular. Friends used to call me an old man when I ordered bourbon at a bar. Now those same friends drop hundreds of dollars on allocated stuff because "xyz" YT said it was great and turns out it's really not. Wish we could go back to the days of Stagg Jr sitting on the shelf cause no one wanted to pay 50$ for it.
I know what you mean. I started drinking bourbon with my dad back in 2001 just so I could hang out with him more . Now, 20+ years later, we can't find half the stuff we drank back then. I will never forget the day he pulled out a pre Sazerac Eagle Rare to share with me on a camping trip. The good one days.....Cheers
To each their own. Not on board with the RRSRH but everything else. I agree. Purple Tops are one of the biggest frauds out there. Had an 11 year, store pick at Liquor Barn and it was fine. Not $499 fine. Although the 11 year rye was fantastic!
Charles great video I’m like you the price affects how much I enjoy the whiskey when a bottle is expensive and just average tasting I’m pissed off also if it’s over hyped and doesn’t deliver I’m frustrated. And dude I hope you get to do a Collab with Trev Wilson the Bourbon Wrench he’s great.
Fingers crossed.... he is one of my TOP 3 people i want to do a Live with. We share a lot of the same views. If you want to help make it happen. Be sure to comment on his videos about doing a live stream with me.
EH taylor small batch was a huge let down for me. It doesn’t even make a good manhattan. If I can’t find a buddy who likes it, I’m pouring it down the drain.
Opinions and taste buds vary from person to person, and I appreciate your understanding. So many people get their feathers ruffled when I say something that's contrary to what they believe.
I actually came across the last bottle at a state release this past year. $45. The last two times I've seen it? $449.99. Both times, I literally burst out laughing and walked out of the stores. I'm not buying a single thing from a store trying to hock any bottle at 1000% MSRP.
1. Penelope Valencia. I haven't had the Penelope vino de naranja finished bourbon but I have the Driftless Glen naranja finished bourbon. It took a good couple months to open up and the Driftless at least is moderately sweet. It's halfway to being an Old Fashioned taste wise, it's great! It's pretty available in my area at about $65 thankfully while the Penelope has not been. Another Wisconsin distillery just released their four grain rye finished in vino de naranja casks. That is J Henry & Sons Reserva Sevillana. I know where to find it but I want to sample it first because it's $80! 2. Old Forester 1924 10 Year. My local grocery chain got like 5 bottles of this total for the whole state. I haven't seen it at any other store and I'm only aware of it being available secondary for about $160-180 when its MSRP is already $115. I really want to try this one as I'm a fan of the Early Times mash bill, but I haven't even seen it available at any bar or restaurant. Its MSRP is what people don't like about it. People paying and tolerating these crazy costs is what led to the normalized higher prices for juice that pre-COVID would have been priced about 25-50% lower. It's the ratcheting effect just as much as it was supply and demand. Producers raised prices a little, people tolerated it. They'd bump prices up a little, people kept paying it. They raise prices again and suddenly everybody loses their minds. 3. Old Fitz Fall 2023 8 Year. Old Fitz decanters show up in the raffles occasionally but at like $150ish it's a pass for me all day. They're available at some bars/restaurants in my area, so I guess I could always try it. However, it just seems like one of those hype bottles that got caught up in the low supply high demand insanity similar to the Birthday Bourbon. Pre-COVID, nobody was really talking about these or chasing them outside of whiskey die-hards. 4. Willett Purple Top. I've never seen a bottle of this or heard of bottles being available in my area. Just the regular 4 year green top rye, which is overpriced IMO. Willett just seems overrated and due to the nature of single barrels, it's way too much of a gamble at their prices to hope I'm getting a good representation. 5. Russell's Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson F. Russell's limited releases are another one that basically never shows up in my area. My local grocery chain got 1 bottle of Russell's 15 in their system for the whole state and it was hoovered up by a higher up in the company before it ever made it to a store. Russell's barrel picks are not something available in my immediate area but if I travel an hour or two away, most of those stores will have a Russell's barrel pick available. Of the Russell's limited releases, I personally would only get the 15 year and only if I got it for its MSRP and its MSRP is obnoxious already. These people that vacuumed up the Russell's 15 and now want $500 for it on the secondary can go F off and F themselves!
My wife and I are quitting the hobby after a short 6 months. The amount of time, energy, gas, and research that we have done we can never get back. I would have much rather gone on a nice vacation and made memories. My experience is that spiteful shop owners are the gate-keepers of any decent allocated bottle. BigBox stores require that you spend $2500 in some instancing for access to buy overpriced allocated bottles. Other shops roll their eyes and ignore you if you ask for a bottle of Eagle Rare, Blanton, Weller, or any other good bourbon these UA-cam channels recommend. And heaven forbid you are not interested in their shitty store picks of cinnamon-flavored syrup. This community is toxic, expensive, and generally just not worth the time. And most importantly, I never smiled even once in this hobby in the past 6 months. Boring boring boring, and in the best case scenario you do buy a bottle, the guilt for spending that kind of money makes you sick each time you taste it. Best bottle I found in Kansas City was Rare Breed at Costco. Fuck Bourbon Hunting.
Come join us over in my private facebook group(That Bourbon Dude) and I'll show you a much different side of the bourbon community than you ever seen. If you decide to join, there's a couple questions, it ask to make sure you're not a scammer. Put something in your message so that I'll know it's you. I hope that I can show you that the whole bourbon world is not completely crazy.
This is why I no longer chase expensive hard to find bottles.
"The hunt" nowadays, for me, is about finding good *affordable* bottles that I've never heard of before.
I will live and die by Early Times bib and wild turkey 101. They never let me down
@@thatbourbondudeI bought an Old Grand Dad BIB, for $25 bucks. Best value by far of any bourbon I’ve ever bought.
I would add VOB 86, VOB 100, and Benchmark FP, SiB, and Top Floor to this list. Cheers. 🥃
@@cjmesqlike the wild turkey 80
@@FakingANerve I really enjoy the Benchmark FP, BiB, and SiB. Great bottles for the money.
Oh lord I dont think id ever spend 400 bucks on a bottle unless i was a mega millions winner.
Just think of how many fantastic bottles you could buy for that money.
This is why bourbon isn’t as desirable. Too expensive for mediocre stuff. Everything is a limited release, special release or rare. It’s lost it’s luster and is over hyped.
Glad I’m not the only one that was disappointed with the Single Rick CNF! Everyone hyped it up and then I tried it and was super underwhelmed!
I went on a vacation recently and branched out from American whiskeys. This week I came back and went back through my collection. I quickly realized how much the $30-$50 bottles were actually pretty great compared to the +$150 bottles. My favorite bottles right now are actually the Wild Turkey 70th anniversary and the Eagle Rare store pick that I both picked up at MSRP. I hope Wild Turkey 8 year 101 becomes a regularly available release in the US and that supply for Eagle Rare actually catches up with demand.
Both of those bottles are amazing. Don't be tricked into believing that only high dollar hard to get bottles are good. I will be the first to tell you that I fell for the trap in the beginning but quickly learn the truth.
Cheers my friend
I can't afford the allocated stuff even if I could find it, but that doesn't bother me a-tall. I've had *wonderful* whisky that's always on the shelf for $70 and under. Shoot, the best whisky I've ever had was $30, and one of my favorites is Evan Williams BiB, which is only 20 bucks.
Hancock Reserve from Buffalo Trace needs to be on every list like this. It's really young watered down Mash Bill #2. Total Wine usually has a few of them sitting out at $100 during allocation season. I believe the MSRP is just below Stagg.
I would pay $114 for 1924, all day. My buddy’s bottle was a bourbon paragon.
Shoot me an email at charles@thatbourbondude.com i would like to have you on a Live Stream sometime.
I think the batch 2 Penelope's have been misses. I have a batch 1 and tried a batch 3 this weekend. The earlier batches had a much more pronounced citrus note. I had similar experiences with Rio.
I agree 💯, I've bought bottles that highly disappointed me, and bought regular shelters that are amazing in my opinion.
No hate here, Cheers 😊
Nice list! Only disagreement is the 1924!
THIS
I too heard that the 1924 old Forrester was really bad. Not worth the price tag at all.
I had a whiskey night with my friends. And we had the RR13 and 15 along with the camp Nelson. And out of 5 of us I was the only one that thought it was just ok. I placed it last in that line up while everyone said 1st so I hear you brother.
The only high dollar allocated bottle I was happy with was Parkers Heritage 6th Ed Blend of Mashbills. But that was 2012.
Today I just won't hunt or chase much of anything over $80. I stumbled across a Peerless double oak for $90, and I did pick it up.
Talk about disappointing, Garrison Bros. Balmorhea at $215.
The benchmark series aren't in my area, but I did find a Top Floor for $17. I was ecstatic the value it brings for $17. Yes it has flaws, but it's a great value.
Same boat here. I’ve been into bourbon for the last decade or so and have yet to pay over $100 for a bottle and I have some great stuff. I’m ok with not having any Wellers or the overpriced allocated stuff.
Hey Charles I really like Valencia with 7up Zero for a refreshing Drink, ,, I did enjoy 1924 but with you on that price ,,,, the rest of yours and have not seen but I was picked to buy a Russell's 15 and really enjoy it but man $250 ..... Merry Christmas to you and the family ..... Thanks
I'll have to pick up some 7up Zero and give this a try... Merry Christmas 🎅
Nice video man. Appreciate your truthful comments. Cheers🥃🥃
spot on the 1924
Kentucky spirit CNF is just as good as the single Rick at a fraction of the price - if you can find one.
2XO GEM OF KY , I've had 4 different barrels and the first was #33 , FIRE 🔥 !! next 3 where not worth the price tag. Terribly disappointed , wont buy another. I'll ad OGD 16 to this list as well...
It's one thing to not really like the taste of an allocated bottle. It's extremely disappointing to get a rare bottle that is not very interesting or complex. Even if controversial, its helpful to have lots of opinions when considering to spend extra money or have the choice between several allocated bottles. Nice one!
I totally agree
1920 is better then 1924. I paid 130. Doesnt even come close to the single barrel.
I was 'lucky' enough to find and buy a Kentucky Owl Batch 12 (MSRP $400) for $150. Still not worth the $150. Live and learn.
1924 I didn’t care for either. Disappointing
Woodford HBEP - really disappointing. Especially for $145.
EC18 - Really thin with weak finish, and why 90p for that level allocation EC.
Old Fitz 10 BiB was a little disappointing off the rip but does better with time.
(All of this just nails down the fact that the $50-80 shelf find market has so many consistent available hitters.)
I agree
Great show. I like that you discuss different topics then others. I agree on Penelope but to me all have all been disappointing for me at their price. For me I got a pour of pappy 12 and man was it nothing special. The 15 was top tier though. I love michters 10 rye but got a pour of the 10 year bourbon and it also disappointed me. To each their own I gueas.
(H) We couldn’t agree more on that Willett man. Every bottle of it we had whether we bought or tried somewhere else it just didn’t hit! Great video as always!
I'll never buy another one
I bought Valencia Batch 2 for $90 last month. Huge let down. It tastes like young whiskey. There's hardly any orange flavor at all. It was my first VDN bottle. Are all VDN finishes underwhelming?
The starlight VDN was really good. You might want to give it a try. If it's a store pick, see if they will let you try before you buy
Always love your content ❤
I appreciate that!
I totally agree with your reviews. Well done
Price on willet is nuts I'll never own one
UA-cam and FOMO has ruined bourbon. I've been drinking bourbon/whiskey way before it was popular. Friends used to call me an old man when I ordered bourbon at a bar. Now those same friends drop hundreds of dollars on allocated stuff because "xyz" YT said it was great and turns out it's really not. Wish we could go back to the days of Stagg Jr sitting on the shelf cause no one wanted to pay 50$ for it.
I know what you mean. I started drinking bourbon with my dad back in 2001 just so I could hang out with him more . Now, 20+ years later, we can't find half the stuff we drank back then. I will never forget the day he pulled out a pre Sazerac Eagle Rare to share with me on a camping trip. The good one days.....Cheers
I try not to spend more than £60 as you can buy decent stuff for this price.
I'm sorry but you are bonkers if you think 1924 isn't good. I wouldn't overpay for it by any means, but that bottle is fantastic.
The juice is good, but the price sucks
The Hirsch doubke oaked willet mash bill are much better than 90% of purple tops
I 100% agree
To each their own. Not on board with the RRSRH but everything else. I agree. Purple Tops are one of the biggest frauds out there. Had an 11 year, store pick at Liquor Barn and it was fine. Not $499 fine. Although the 11 year rye was fantastic!
Have you tried Old Dominick yet? The 6 yr Cask strength is < $50 & it is really tasty! -Russ
I haven't yet, but I'll have a bottle for Tuesday night live stream
Charles great video I’m like you the price affects how much I enjoy the whiskey when a bottle is expensive and just average tasting I’m pissed off also if it’s over hyped and doesn’t deliver I’m frustrated. And dude I hope you get to do a Collab with Trev Wilson the Bourbon Wrench he’s great.
Fingers crossed.... he is one of my TOP 3 people i want to do a Live with. We share a lot of the same views. If you want to help make it happen. Be sure to comment on his videos about doing a live stream with me.
Before I knew better, I bought a GTS for 700…
Fun video and many on the list I agree with. Thanks for the video!
Thanks buddy...I'm digging your new setup.
Willett Purples are hit and miss. Had a recent 11 year. Loved it! Now double digit Willett ryes are worth the hunt!
Not sure what dlb digit is??
@johnford7627 10 years old or older!
A Jack Daniel’s SBBP Rye shelfer is better than a Willet Purple top 8 year store pick.
100% agree
I think willet over prices their bourbon. I was just at the distillery and I laughed at the prices
I feel the same way
@ I like Rowens creek. It’s a good sipper from Willet at a reasonable price.
EH taylor small batch was a huge let down for me. It doesn’t even make a good manhattan. If I can’t find a buddy who likes it, I’m pouring it down the drain.
Have you considered offering it up for a cheap price? Plenty would jump on that and prevent it from just being dumped.
Your never wrong in regards to your own opinion....I would add Woodford reserve double oak
Opinions and taste buds vary from person to person, and I appreciate your understanding. So many people get their feathers ruffled when I say something that's contrary to what they believe.
great content
I have a Valencia batch 1. I'm in Clarksville Tn.
shoot me an email at charles@thatbourbondude.com
Let me know if you want to meet up. I can give you a sample of Valencia batch 1. I can meet at Legion's in Oak Grove or anywhere in Clarksville
@@David-ej9lz we need to do that in the next few weeks.
Russell's Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson F is amazing. Your taste buds are wacked
Elmer T. Lee is WAAAY overpriced.
I actually came across the last bottle at a state release this past year. $45. The last two times I've seen it? $449.99. Both times, I literally burst out laughing and walked out of the stores. I'm not buying a single thing from a store trying to hock any bottle at 1000% MSRP.
Wasn’t worth 35 bucks when it was 35 bucks. I’m sure nothing has changed
I bought one for $150 a few weeks ago and was pissed. That was all my bourbon money for 2 weeks.
@@boagrius7765 I paid $95 for it..I thought it was a score. It's good, but not $100 good.
Always honest reviews, I’m with you on the WPT and RB NCF TE best hands down 🤌🏼
I've given up on all Penelope. Always disappointed.
I thought last year's 9yr bs was fantastic.
Was with you until the Russell’s single rickhouse then you lost me having rare breed over that
Check out the rare breed non chill filter. It's not the same as we have here in the US. It's 10x better than the one we have. Crazy good
What Tyrone warehouses are your favorite?
Off the top of my head, I can't recall which one it is. I'll have to look when I get home. I'm on a work trip for the next several days
@@thatbourbondudetake your time man.
Just because something is allocated doesn’t make it great whiskey. I have 60 dollar bourbon blind will kill many 150-300 dollar allocated bottles
Fireball 5 yr good
1924 is a great bottle. Cant agree with you there pal
1. Penelope Valencia. I haven't had the Penelope vino de naranja finished bourbon but I have the Driftless Glen naranja finished bourbon. It took a good couple months to open up and the Driftless at least is moderately sweet. It's halfway to being an Old Fashioned taste wise, it's great! It's pretty available in my area at about $65 thankfully while the Penelope has not been. Another Wisconsin distillery just released their four grain rye finished in vino de naranja casks. That is J Henry & Sons Reserva Sevillana. I know where to find it but I want to sample it first because it's $80!
2. Old Forester 1924 10 Year. My local grocery chain got like 5 bottles of this total for the whole state. I haven't seen it at any other store and I'm only aware of it being available secondary for about $160-180 when its MSRP is already $115. I really want to try this one as I'm a fan of the Early Times mash bill, but I haven't even seen it available at any bar or restaurant. Its MSRP is what people don't like about it. People paying and tolerating these crazy costs is what led to the normalized higher prices for juice that pre-COVID would have been priced about 25-50% lower. It's the ratcheting effect just as much as it was supply and demand. Producers raised prices a little, people tolerated it. They'd bump prices up a little, people kept paying it. They raise prices again and suddenly everybody loses their minds.
3. Old Fitz Fall 2023 8 Year. Old Fitz decanters show up in the raffles occasionally but at like $150ish it's a pass for me all day. They're available at some bars/restaurants in my area, so I guess I could always try it. However, it just seems like one of those hype bottles that got caught up in the low supply high demand insanity similar to the Birthday Bourbon. Pre-COVID, nobody was really talking about these or chasing them outside of whiskey die-hards.
4. Willett Purple Top. I've never seen a bottle of this or heard of bottles being available in my area. Just the regular 4 year green top rye, which is overpriced IMO. Willett just seems overrated and due to the nature of single barrels, it's way too much of a gamble at their prices to hope I'm getting a good representation.
5. Russell's Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson F. Russell's limited releases are another one that basically never shows up in my area. My local grocery chain got 1 bottle of Russell's 15 in their system for the whole state and it was hoovered up by a higher up in the company before it ever made it to a store. Russell's barrel picks are not something available in my immediate area but if I travel an hour or two away, most of those stores will have a Russell's barrel pick available. Of the Russell's limited releases, I personally would only get the 15 year and only if I got it for its MSRP and its MSRP is obnoxious already. These people that vacuumed up the Russell's 15 and now want $500 for it on the secondary can go F off and F themselves!
Penelope Valencia is allocated? lol
Sadly, here in KY it is
🎉🎉🎉
0
just stop drinking whiskies u hate everything
If I did that, I wouldn't have anything to talk about on my youtube videos, so you could complain about.
Bet your. Buffalo trace guy hey msg fisher 😂
My wife and I are quitting the hobby after a short 6 months. The amount of time, energy, gas, and research that we have done we can never get back. I would have much rather gone on a nice vacation and made memories. My experience is that spiteful shop owners are the gate-keepers of any decent allocated bottle. BigBox stores require that you spend $2500 in some instancing for access to buy overpriced allocated bottles. Other shops roll their eyes and ignore you if you ask for a bottle of Eagle Rare, Blanton, Weller, or any other good bourbon these UA-cam channels recommend. And heaven forbid you are not interested in their shitty store picks of cinnamon-flavored syrup. This community is toxic, expensive, and generally just not worth the time. And most importantly, I never smiled even once in this hobby in the past 6 months. Boring boring boring, and in the best case scenario you do buy a bottle, the guilt for spending that kind of money makes you sick each time you taste it. Best bottle I found in Kansas City was Rare Breed at Costco. Fuck Bourbon Hunting.
Come join us over in my private facebook group(That Bourbon Dude) and I'll show you a much different side of the bourbon community than you ever seen. If you decide to join, there's a couple questions, it ask to make sure you're not a scammer. Put something in your message so that I'll know it's you. I hope that I can show you that the whole bourbon world is not completely crazy.
Old Fritz is grossly overpriced.
The secondary market is insane. That being said, Old Fitz 17 might be the best pour I've ever had. 🫠
@@FakingANervewait till you try OF13 VSS 25th anniversary 🤌🏼
@@mylynolayan6711 Hey, I'm happy to give you a mailing address! 🤪😂