Whiskey Thread - Appalachian Trail Cafe (2024)

I had lunch at a local French restaurant a while back and they had Château Lafite Rothschild by the glass for a couple hundred dollars. I thought it would be the only way I may get to try that (but I didn't). This place actually just hired a new chef who won a Jame Beard award for best chef in the midwest. Looking forward to going back once they open up again.

I'll sell you a bottle for half that, shipping included.

Well hot damn! I just received notification that I won the right to purchase a bottle of W.L. Weller Single Barrel through the Ohio's Bourbon Lottery.

And on an unrelated note, I picked up a bottle of Jefferson's Ocean over Labor Day. The premise of Ocean is that the constant movement of an ocean vessel translates into the bourbon stored in a barrel that is in the cargo hold. The typical bourbon barrel is only occasionally rotated during the aging process. Sloshing around inside the barrel with every crest and trough sounds like it should add more flavor to the raw liquor.

The price for a bottle? $80. Was it worth it? Smoothest bourbon I ever tasted. I will buy a bottle every year for my birthday. And maybe an occasional special occasion. That first bottle didn't last long.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

My son-in-law if a certified bourbon snob. He speaks very highly of Weller. How much are they asking for that? I think I also recall reading an article about the Ocean aged bourbon.

As a bourbon novice, I go the the best bourbon money can buy (if you are spending less than $30 !). The "hot" bourbon these days in this category seem to be Buffalo Trace. I tried it several years ago and liked it. That was before it was all hip and trendy and they had a giant pile of bottles on display at the liquor store. Now you find only empty shelves in the BT section, with signs that say "Limit One Per Customer", which is a joke as your are really limited to zero per customer. But a few weeks ago I was at the local grocery store (which generally has a pretty crappy selection of liquor) and miraculously there was a lone bottle of BT on the shelf, which I of course snatched up. It's the only one I've seen in a few years.

Best chef in the midwest has to be the guy at Tony Packo's Cafe.

I am trying to think of a beverage description I would find less appealing....

...Nothing is coming to mind.

I was leary of it and first bought just a mini "airplane" bottle. This afternoon I poured about a half shot in my Dunkin iced coffee with cream and sugar and it was delicious.

I love the taste of peanut butter and always put PB2 in my protein shakes…bet I’d love the peanut butter bourbon (when my taste comes back).

I think there’s a saying, “Stupid is thinking you’ll have a different result the second time” (or something like that). A few weeks ago, I tried Scotch again and it still tasted like glue. Blech.

There are several foods I don't like but try every now and then to see if I still don't like them (mussels, okra, eggplant, come to mind).

Okra is great, as long as deep fry it in enough batter.

$50 for the bottle of Weller Single Barrel. But my retailer tried to disenfranchise me from purchasing it. I had to show my driver's license and provide a signature.

EDIT: I just saw that some folks are offering to sell the Weller Single Barrel 750 ml bottle for over $1K! I think I'll save it for my retirement date.

Eagle Rare has really become Eagle RARE.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

I've also tried to like Scotch. Both times it tasted like gasoline.Yuk

Just picked this up at The Party Source in Newport KY. I can't give a review because it won't get opened until after Sox and I summit Katahdin and exit Baxter State Park

.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

Trying out a new addition to the collection.

A little bit of burn that is quickly replaced with a burst of pleasant aftertastes. I think this is a good one to save for a bourbon-tasting evening vs. finishing the bottle. Different but very good.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

Too late! I'm on my second glass. Liking it more and more.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

Went out to dinner tonight with some wealthy friends.

Some crazy rich people they knew at the next table bought a bottle of Macallum 25 ($2,750 restaurant price). They send a pour over to me at my table. I was told that my generous pour was worth several hundred dollars. It was good!

OK, I'm willing to say it was really good. But I did not have the heart to tell them that I would have been just as happy with a shot of Tullamore Dew.

I've been remiss in posting up any of the recent bottles I've picked up. Toasted bourbons are first aged in a new charred barrel then transferred to a toasted barrel (high heat, not flame) for a second aging. For this bottle, it was fours years then six months. The toasting process brings sugars from the oak to the surface and imparts a nice toasted marshmallow taste.

The distillate is sourced from MGP in Indiana and then barreled / bottled in Bardstown KY. Smooth with a very nice finish. The only downside is that each batch uses a different level of char in the initial barrel and a different level of toast in the secondary barrel. It will be hard to find another bottle that tastes like this one.

Last Monday, I was able to enjoy a pour of Weller 12-Year at my work Christmas party. My boss encouraged us to order dessert and / or get another drink at the bar. I passed on dessert but thoroughly enjoyed the Weller. Smooth, great flavor profile, but next to impossible to find. I'd buy it for $100 but not the ~$400 it fetches on the secondary market.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

I've been picking up a lot of bourbons lately. Paying over MSRP for some stuff (EH Taylor Small Batch, Eagle Rare....). My cousin let me sample a Smoke Wagon while we visited them in Virginia. I've gotten several of their bottles with mail-order. Their Uncut Unfiltered is really good. Even their regular bourbon is very good. I got a Calmulet 12 YO that was $100 and I don't think much of it. I ignored the marketing fury around Old Forrester King Ranch for a few weeks, but saw some bottles at our Total Wine for retail and picked it up. It's actually very good.

All "It's good/It's not that good" are totally subjective.

One advantage to being pretty clueless about bourbon is it saves money. I usually buy what looks good on the middle shelf. Right now I have Rittenhouse Rye and Buffalo Trace Bourbon.

I'm taking my sister, her daughter and my wife to Buffalo Trace next Friday. I explained that they are all free to purchase a bottle of Buffalo Trace and the allocated-bourbon-of-the-day, but I will gladly use their presence to buy four bottles of each if they pass. We're also visiting Woodford Reserve earlier in the day.

The tally from my last visit:

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

I could survive with several options that are in the $23 - $40 range for the rest of my life. Doing the distillery tours adds in the 'souvenir' factor. If I have a taste and like it, I'll buy a bottle to enjoy and remember the visit.

My sister has completed her sommelier training so I am looking forward to breaking out some of the more unique bottles for evening tastings. More reviews next week!

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

I like BT, but then it became hip and trendy and impossible to find. It was just this uear I started seeing it on the shelves again. I also like their rye, Sazerac. But that is still generally never available.

Actually, Sazerac went from being one of the allocated bottles for sale at the distillery to being available every day. Looking forward to picking up a few bottles next week. And with the expansion activities (fermentation, distillation & rickhouses) there will come a day in 10 years or so where production meets or exceeds demand.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

I just reminded my daughter to check out Specs in Austin before she drives up for Christmas. But she doesn't have any Gold Premium Platinum Key Club Exclusive points.

Today was Single Barrel Saturday in Ohio. Lots of exclusive single barrel offerings from 10 different distilleries offered at select locations across the state. I was in line at 08:10 for a chance to purchase a bottle of Weller Full Proof. They had six, I was 12th in line. So I grabbed a Jefferson's and a Peerless to help drown my sorrows.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

Took another visit to Buffalo Trace Distillery yesterday. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that Blanton's was the allocated bourbon of the day. $63 per bottle. The Sazerac Rye is now available every day at the distillery but not in Ohio liquor stores. Figured it wouldn't hurt to stock up.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

She got me a 1.75L of the Weller Special Reserve. A fine addition to my Weller Cellar.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

Any UK fans here? I saw this at the Kentucky Artisan Distillery today. They did a special bottling of 1978 bottles to commemorate UK's 1978 NCAA Championship. I'm not sure who is doing the fundraising but each bottle will sell for $2000.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

Perhaps Sam Bowie, Rick Robey, and Kyle Macy time frame.

Going on memory there. Curiosity got the best of me. Missed the star Jack Givens, along with Melvin Turpin, and future NBA coach Dwayne Casey. Hey, 44 Years was a long time ago (45 years by Tournament time).

Spec's Liquor stores here in Texas had a "Bourbon Drop". One store in Houston, one in Austin and one in Dallas got the stuff. All their others stores, too bad. I'm on the North Texas Bourbon FB group. Some of them camped out for.....3 DAYS. There were something like 700 people in line. One person said he got in line on Friday at 5 AM (store opened at 10) and got into the store at 1:30. Most stuff was sold out but he got a few good ones. The first person in line got a gift of a Pappy's 23 YO. One of the group was posting some great, hysterical, "End of the world, the zombies, the death races, we are having ribs on the BBQ....don't ask whose they were" posts.

Someone in the group posted that the local Total Wine near me had Eagle Rare and Buffalo trace. I saw it but didn't get there for an hour. The ER was gone but I got a 750 ML BT for like $22! Everything else I mentioned was a "No". New Riff, any of the EH Taylor, the ER.....

Check online for news stories about the lines.

The lower label listed "Kyle 4 Macy Jack 21 Givens Rick 53 Robey" All three signed each bottle with the silver Sharpie.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

Good point. Looking at details of pictures (especially on phone) and reading cursive are not strengths for me. Didn't even notice it was there until now.

The New Riff standard BIB offerings are good, but I'm partial to their single barrel offerings. Whomever picks their single barrels has good taste.

New Riff is in every Ohio liquor store and of course at the distillery. But I have yet to see Buffalo Trace anywhere except at their distillery. I'm heading to Austin in February and my daughter agreed to take me bourbon hunting in-between family activities.

Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard