Thank you Fred for a GREAT review. I just got my very first BTAC bottle. Was able to grab a bottle of William Larue Weller and will be opening it up tonight in fact to take a taste. Can't even tell you how excited I am! LOVE your reviews. They are ALWAYS educational and informative as well as just plain ole' fun to watch and learn! Thank you for ALL you do for the bourbon community.
Fred-I’m so happy you love this year’s Handy this much! I scored one today at MRSP (👀), and I am absolutely blown away. One of my favorite ryes in many moons.
Fred, I really appreciated most how you explained how you compare different kinds of whiskey to each other in this video. Personal tastes matter, but explaining how you differentiate makes a huge impact for me in how I explain different kinds of whiskey to beginner or non-whiskey drinkers when we are tasting together. The greatest part of drinking whiskey is sharing whiskey with friends.
Mike, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and for the kind words. Educating with friends, i mean whiskey, is the absolute best!!! Cheers!
Always great to watch, wish I could get my hands on a BTAC, I was fortunate to try a Stag a few years back and it was about the best thing I've ever tried.
To get one of these- get a job at a decent size liquor store, be there the day the managers friend decides to pass on one…beg,borrow, and do not steal! Repeat till luck kicks in! Great job Fred!
These allocated releases just piss me off. They rarely come to my state, and when they do you never see them because the liquor stores sell them to their buddies who own bars and who sell them for exorbitant prices for a pour. Let’s do the math: 12 x 2oz pours x $50 = $600. Go figure.
Wow! Fred, my favorite show to date. I was blessed to have “open access” to a GTS17. The greatest bourbon I’ve ever enjoyed. As a wheater, I would love a moment with WLW. look forward to getting a pour of this soon.
Was able to get Samples like yours of BTAC 2022. I will say, our palates are slightly different, I placed THH above all. It’s flavor is just out of this world. It and GTS is very close but WLW came in a distant 3rd. definitely the 3 best bourbons of 2022 BTAC, ER17 and Saz18 were still much better than their younger counterparts, but now will not be hunting/paying over MSRP. That THH was special and I can’t believe it fell to 3rd in your rankings! On the palate it just hit every area and gave so much with virtually no burn, lingered smoothly, and finished calmly. I was so impressed and would pay whatever was asked for a THH 2022.
Well, lightning strikes twice! Earlier this fall I won a lottery to get a WLW 2021 and today I just won another to get a GTS 2022. Never thought I'd have a chance at these, so feeling incredibly lucky. I'll open these to celebrate my retirement in a couple years. :)
Phew, as if we didn't need more hype on the 138.7 GTS after a year off! Gotta admit though, WLW is my true unicorn and #1 most wanted this year! Glad to hear it's phenomenal!
Fred. I love how you are so open and truthful to your mind and pallette! I especially like when you react to a bourbon with that "Wow" factor. I feel like I am there with you. Keep working on providing us with Taste-o-vision! You are awesome my friend.
Nice review! I have a question. I have an opportunity to acquire a bottle of the 2022 THH via a trade for a SW Rare & Limited Batch 1 Batch and was wondering in your opinion is that a good trade? I’ve never had the THH so that’s why I was asking. Also I just got a bottle of the 2016 GTS at 144.1 proof last week through a trade for a bottle of Stagg Jr and JD Twice Barreled that I’m popping open this weekend. I’m a proof hound so I know I’ll love it
fred i subscribed because of your lovely tasting notes and i never thought i would be able to get these super rare allocated bourbons i entered my first raffle and won a gts a handy and a pappy 15 maybe its because i was subed to you ps i really wanted the wlw those were my one and two picks cant win them all and happy to get what i got at retail
I'm surprised you went from cask strength back down to 90 proof so quickly during your tasting. What was the thought process in setting the tasting order this way? For my pallette, it's a challenge to go back down in proof so quickly and not miss the subtlety of the lower proof pour.
I've been doing this so long, for a flight of this size, which is small, it really doesn't matter the order for me. You should never look too much into the order of things in competition. Either one glass is better than the other or it is not. That's how I view it.
I have an unopened 2012 George T Stagg in the cabinet that I bought for retail in 2012. I like the oak note and am saving it for an as yet unknown special occasion. I can't afford what it goes for now. I do agree with you that William Larue Weller is my favorite. At least it would be if it was still obtainable. I miss the days of buying all these for retail.
This dog don't hunt. I've got better things to do than drive all over the place to try to find an overpriced bottle. I've been able to buy a GTS and a Handy in lotteries for slightly above MSRP over the years. Most years I get bupkis. If I get a chance I'll buy one, if I don't maybe one of my friends will. I did just get an Old Fitz 17 and I've got my first taste of Pappy coming up because I made a charity donation. Life is good, cheers Fred.
Luckily there's a couple bars in Buffalo that offer very reasonable prices on pours of these so I can at least get a taste if I make it there. I think last year I tried WLW for like 15 bucks and a couple of the Van Winkle line. I'll go for Stagg and Handy this year hopefully.
FYI, I wouldn't name those spots on the internet if you still want a chance to enjoy. There are guys who will show up with a friend and order over and over till the bottle is killed. Kinda crappy behavior, but....🤷
I have a bottle of Stagg from 2018 that I received through VA ABC, so only obtainable through pure dumb luck. On the plus side, I only paid $100 for it.
And now the secondary price on GTS and WLW just doubled before you can even buy them. Thanks Fred. Well I guess it doesn’t matter because I’ll never see a bottle at retail in the wild nor will I purchase anything at secondary prices. Oh well at least the rich and connected will enjoy them.
I wish some day... The unfortunate reality is that Sazerac's business model is built around BTAC being unobtainable. Since one cannot easily obtain BTAC, consumers opt for down-stream products (e.g. Eagle Rare, Blanton's, Weller SR, etc.) due to the affinity of distillation. This in turn, drives higher sales volumes of the down-stream products; which in many cases are unremarkable whiskies (e.g. Weller SR or even Blanton's). Other companies have copied this business model; Brown-Forman with OF Birthday Bourbon; Four Roses with Limited Edition; and Heaven Hill with Old Fitzgerald. Good news is that some producers are sharply increasing prices to match the market. Constellation Brands raised the MSRP of High West Mid-Winter Night's Dram to 150-ish from less than 100 last year. Hopefully, it will keep the top tier products on the shelf longer instead of languishing in the dark markets.
If the 2022 THH is the best since 2016/17 and the 2021 THH was the best since the legendary 2012/2013 Handy's (per your 2021 video), then which is better. H2H time if you still have some 2021 left?
Genuinely curious if these guys are exaggerating with these tasting notes. I never know all these things when I taste I just know that I enjoy good whiskey.
Fred you are a lucky son of a gun. The BTAC collection doesn't need promotion from Bourbon influencers. Why Buffalo Trace sends out samples to you and others is just a waste of time and bourbon.
Love the video… but if stagg was your number 1 here… how did it get beat by WLW on your #1 of the year??… you even said the GTS was “special”… what happened?!?
I have never been a fan of limited releases as the hype surrounding these bottles is a waste of space. I think these should scrap these releases as they just piss the community off.I won't be chasing this as I am happy with reasonably priced products that you ca actually find at retail
You doing a video like this just pisses me off. It's like going to a steak house and standing outside watching thru the window while people eat. I'd much rather see reviews of Bourbon I can actually purchase!
I will approach your point, but first a story... one time I was a judge on a barbecue contest and there were crowds watching us eat. When I was done, They all wanted my leftovers. They literally ate after me to see if they could taste what I tasted. now, to your point, this channel has a shit ton of everyday bourbon videos to watch. :-)
No one made you watch this video. Go watch the others that pertain to you. This one gives me much needed opinions because this one pertains to me. I appreciate this video because of that. See how that works?
Great video - appreciated the comment about how the hunt is fun but not necessary to enjoy great bourbon
So pumped to get a Thomas Handy this year at msrp! My first BTAC ever. Love that you’re excited about this years release
Had an opportunity to try WLW from 2020. Paid 50$ for a 2 oz pour. I dont regret it.
That’s the only way I’ll ever get to try any of these. $50 ain’t bad!
that is cheap
I’m cracking my 2020 bottle tomorrow night
It was amazing
Thank you Fred for a GREAT review. I just got my very first BTAC bottle. Was able to grab a bottle of William Larue Weller and will be opening it up tonight in fact to take a taste. Can't even tell you how excited I am! LOVE your reviews. They are ALWAYS educational and informative as well as just plain ole' fun to watch and learn! Thank you for ALL you do for the bourbon community.
When I die, I want to come back as Fred Minnick! Thanks for a great review Fred!
Fred you lucky dog. I would be happy just getting sample bottles. I wish b-trace did 50ml of these so everyone could try it.
Fred-I’m so happy you love this year’s Handy this much! I scored one today at MRSP (👀), and I am absolutely blown away. One of my favorite ryes in many moons.
Fred, I really appreciated most how you explained how you compare different kinds of whiskey to each other in this video. Personal tastes matter, but explaining how you differentiate makes a huge impact for me in how I explain different kinds of whiskey to beginner or non-whiskey drinkers when we are tasting together. The greatest part of drinking whiskey is sharing whiskey with friends.
Mike, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and for the kind words. Educating with friends, i mean whiskey, is the absolute best!!! Cheers!
Definitely enjoyed the reviews. Loved that you called the smell of the Weller varnish, then reset your nose and tried it again!
The value of this years BTAC just went up! Great review!
Always great to watch, wish I could get my hands on a BTAC, I was fortunate to try a Stag a few years back and it was about the best thing I've ever tried.
Thanks to covid between me and my buddy we got entire collection and 2 of the handy in 2020
4:45 thanks for the tips on getting the best handies! 😀 lol
" Best Handy of the past five years...." sorry had a Bevis and Butthead moment.
I got very fortunate in lotteries this year and scored wlw and gts all at msrp and man they are fantastic this year!!
To get one of these- get a job at a decent size liquor store, be there the day the managers friend decides to pass on one…beg,borrow, and do not steal! Repeat till luck kicks in! Great job Fred!
These allocated releases just piss me off. They rarely come to my state, and when they do you never see them because the liquor stores sell them to their buddies who own bars and who sell them for exorbitant prices for a pour. Let’s do the math: 12 x 2oz pours x $50 = $600. Go figure.
That’s on the cheap end. Try more like $50 for 1oz here in Florida.
“The shit” is a very technical term!! lol
Wow! Fred, my favorite show to date.
I was blessed to have “open access” to a GTS17. The greatest bourbon I’ve ever enjoyed. As a wheater, I would love a moment with WLW. look forward to getting a pour of this soon.
Glad you enjoyed the GTS! I was on vacation recently and was able to get 2 of the 2022 and it is very very good! 🥃 cheers!
Was able to get Samples like yours of BTAC 2022. I will say, our palates are slightly different, I placed THH above all. It’s flavor is just out of this world. It and GTS is very close but WLW came in a distant 3rd. definitely the 3 best bourbons of 2022 BTAC, ER17 and Saz18 were still much better than their younger counterparts, but now will not be hunting/paying over MSRP. That THH was special and I can’t believe it fell to 3rd in your rankings! On the palate it just hit every area and gave so much with virtually no burn, lingered smoothly, and finished calmly. I was so impressed and would pay whatever was asked for a THH 2022.
We all have different palates, which is like every thing else. So glad you nabbed a tasting of these
They took a year off of Stagg and sounds like they came back with a hitter of a BTAC bottle. Awesome!!
Well, lightning strikes twice! Earlier this fall I won a lottery to get a WLW 2021 and today I just won another to get a GTS 2022. Never thought I'd have a chance at these, so feeling incredibly lucky. I'll open these to celebrate my retirement in a couple years. :)
Love the review on this every year, Fred. At the very least when I find all of these at a bar, I use your advice on which one to treat myself to.
I subscribed not because you have a whole tasting set for btacs but because you said cannabis as a tasting note
“What’s going on? You from around here?”
You know it’s sexy when Fred starts flirting with it.
Thank you Fred.
This review is appreciated.
Now I’ll lock n load for the hunt.
Fred you’re the only UA-camr I immediately hit the like button for because I know I’m about to receive some solid information! GO ARMY!!!
BEAT NAVY
When you mention the steak savory and sauté garlic. Umami comes to mind, a sweet broth. Just my interpretation. Great review !
Phew, as if we didn't need more hype on the 138.7 GTS after a year off! Gotta admit though, WLW is my true unicorn and #1 most wanted this year! Glad to hear it's phenomenal!
Just got my bottle of this years GTS today. After watching this, I don’t think it’ll stay unopened long.
Great review thanks Fred
Love the honesty hopefully I will get the opportunity to try the lineup
Fred. I love how you are so open and truthful to your mind and pallette! I especially like when you react to a bourbon with that "Wow" factor. I feel like I am there with you. Keep working on providing us with Taste-o-vision! You are awesome my friend.
Nice review! I have a question. I have an opportunity to acquire a bottle of the 2022 THH via a trade for a SW Rare & Limited Batch 1 Batch and was wondering in your opinion is that a good trade? I’ve never had the THH so that’s why I was asking.
Also I just got a bottle of the 2016 GTS at 144.1 proof last week through a trade for a bottle of Stagg Jr and JD Twice Barreled that I’m popping open this weekend. I’m a proof hound so I know I’ll love it
fred i subscribed because of your lovely tasting notes and i never thought i would be able to get these super rare allocated bourbons i entered my first raffle and won a gts a handy and a pappy 15 maybe its because i was subed to you ps i really wanted the wlw those were my one and two picks cant win them all and happy to get what i got at retail
Thanks for the review Fred! Not that I will be able to find this stuff, but is cool to hear what they taste like and who steals the show
Man I want to taste that WLW... but will likely never. Thanks anyway Fred! I can sort of taste them just through your reviews!
"You often can not find this" understatement of the year.
Wasn't going to miss this review...
I'm surprised you went from cask strength back down to 90 proof so quickly during your tasting. What was the thought process in setting the tasting order this way? For my pallette, it's a challenge to go back down in proof so quickly and not miss the subtlety of the lower proof pour.
I've been doing this so long, for a flight of this size, which is small, it really doesn't matter the order for me. You should never look too much into the order of things in competition. Either one glass is better than the other or it is not. That's how I view it.
How can I get a sampler of them?
27:20 Don't we all Fred, don't we all :D
I have an unopened 2012 George T Stagg in the cabinet that I bought for retail in 2012. I like the oak note and am saving it for an as yet unknown special occasion. I can't afford what it goes for now. I do agree with you that William Larue Weller is my favorite. At least it would be if it was still obtainable. I miss the days of buying all these for retail.
Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Find a special moment and open it up soon!
I'll give you $1000 for it lol
1001 here 😂
I really love a handy too Fred.
This dog don't hunt. I've got better things to do than drive all over the place to try to find an overpriced bottle. I've been able to buy a GTS and a Handy in lotteries for slightly above MSRP over the years. Most years I get bupkis. If I get a chance I'll buy one, if I don't maybe one of my friends will. I did just get an Old Fitz 17 and I've got my first taste of Pappy coming up because I made a charity donation. Life is good, cheers Fred.
Luckily there's a couple bars in Buffalo that offer very reasonable prices on pours of these so I can at least get a taste if I make it there. I think last year I tried WLW for like 15 bucks and a couple of the Van Winkle line. I'll go for Stagg and Handy this year hopefully.
Which spots?
@@dirtybeats2797 roaming bison and Hartman's Barrel room have been my favorites so far. Also Lloyd has a sneaky good bourbon selection
@@marcwhiskey dam thanks going to have to check them out. The prices in the city are insane.
FYI, I wouldn't name those spots on the internet if you still want a chance to enjoy. There are guys who will show up with a friend and order over and over till the bottle is killed. Kinda crappy behavior, but....🤷
Cannabis note in the Sazerac rye eh? Maybe they did a collab with someone in Colorado!
😂
Makes me feel better about grabbing the GTS 2022 over the King of Kentucky this year at our lottery
will there be any way to get these in VA from ABC?
I have a bottle of Stagg from 2018 that I received through VA ABC, so only obtainable through pure dumb luck. On the plus side, I only paid $100 for it.
Like Chris said Dumb Luck!
It’s a lottery in VA now. No more camping out overnight.
Fred - how does the Bardstown Disc 9 stack up against BTAC?
We will find out. This gonna be a tough year for me
And now the secondary price on GTS and WLW just doubled before you can even buy them. Thanks Fred. Well I guess it doesn’t matter because I’ll never see a bottle at retail in the wild nor will I purchase anything at secondary prices. Oh well at least the rich and connected will enjoy them.
I’m watching a guy drink and rank unicorn blood samples….weird.
Nice holiday ascot
In my mind.. I just keep thinking about the handy... me and you both brother
How do I score myself a Whisky glass?🥃🥃🥃
You're job can be a real slog, can't it Fred? 😆
Is 2022 WLW worth $650?
Why can distilleries sell these unobtainable bourbons in smaller size bottles?
Can = can’t
I wish some day...
The unfortunate reality is that Sazerac's business model is built around BTAC being unobtainable. Since one cannot easily obtain BTAC, consumers opt for down-stream products (e.g. Eagle Rare, Blanton's, Weller SR, etc.) due to the affinity of distillation. This in turn, drives higher sales volumes of the down-stream products; which in many cases are unremarkable whiskies (e.g. Weller SR or even Blanton's).
Other companies have copied this business model; Brown-Forman with OF Birthday Bourbon; Four Roses with Limited Edition; and Heaven Hill with Old Fitzgerald.
Good news is that some producers are sharply increasing prices to match the market. Constellation Brands raised the MSRP of High West Mid-Winter Night's Dram to 150-ish from less than 100 last year. Hopefully, it will keep the top tier products on the shelf longer instead of languishing in the dark markets.
If the 2022 THH is the best since 2016/17 and the 2021 THH was the best since the legendary 2012/2013 Handy's (per your 2021 video), then which is better. H2H time if you still have some 2021 left?
Let me get some and find out
Must be nice being sent samples like that.......
Doesn’t everyone get their coffee from Mick Fleetwood?🤷🏻♂️🙋🏻♂️
Those sample bottle sizes 👀
Where did he get those?
@@ilikethesun2009 sent to him by the distillery as a media kit
I just hope when I die my wife doesnt sell these bottles for msrp
Genuinely curious if these guys are exaggerating with these tasting notes. I never know all these things when I taste I just know that I enjoy good whiskey.
looks like you talked yourself out of giving the handy second place lol
TLDR:
Rank
1. GTS
2. WLW
3. THH
4. ER17
5. Saz 18
Fred you are a lucky son of a gun. The BTAC collection doesn't need promotion from Bourbon influencers. Why Buffalo Trace sends out samples to you and others is just a waste of time and bourbon.
Jealous
Love the video… but if stagg was your number 1 here… how did it get beat by WLW on your #1 of the year??… you even said the GTS was “special”… what happened?!?
I can find them but they're $2,500 per bottle 🙄
I'll always hunt WLW
🦃
😭
No one chases these except secondary flippers
I have never been a fan of limited releases as the hype surrounding these bottles is a waste of space. I think these should scrap these releases as they just piss the community off.I won't be chasing this as I am happy with reasonably priced products that you ca actually find at retail
You doing a video like this just pisses me off. It's like going to a steak house and standing outside watching thru the window while people eat. I'd much rather see reviews of Bourbon I can actually purchase!
I will approach your point, but first a story... one time I was a judge on a barbecue contest and there were crowds watching us eat. When I was done, They all wanted my leftovers. They literally ate after me to see if they could taste what I tasted. now, to your point, this channel has a shit ton of everyday bourbon videos to watch. :-)
No one made you watch this video. Go watch the others that pertain to you. This one gives me much needed opinions because this one pertains to me. I appreciate this video because of that. See how that works?
The word that you wanted to combine with ‘Sautéed-Garlic’ Cloves and Pepper Corn is “Minced”. 2022 Fall Batch George T Stagg is Grilled Decadence!
Is 2022 WLW worth $650?