BonScot
Straight Flush
Now you know what to ask for at your next birthday.never had it
Official PCF Whisk(e)y Thread (33 Viewers)
- Thread starter jbutler
- Start date
detroitdad
Royal Flush
20th?
At Bryan’s?
detroitdad
Royal Flush
yes, cool, see you then.
Not gonna lie, I enjoy the quarter cask more.
More than the Lagavulin 12?
The LV12 is Cason strength so if you’re not used to it, it can be a bit overwhelming. But I’m a fan of the Quarter Cask as well.
Eh it’s not the cask strength. But first time I’ve had it. Don’t get me wrong they are both great. Just not sure if it’s double the price great to me. Which in reality is a good thing..I think?
Forty4
Full House
Is this a must get at my store and they have a bottle. @ChaosRockReceived this email ad today. Has anyone beensucker enough to buyfortunate enough to taste any of these bottlings?
Blood Oath Pact No. 5 – the fifth instalment of the series
just arrived!!
The Blood Oath series, the creation of Lux Row Distillers’ Head Distiller and Master Blender John Rempe. Pact No. 5 starts with an eight-year-old rye bourbon rested in ex-Caribbean rum barrels for six months. Once this bourbon picked up rum notes, Rempe combined it with an 11-year-old wheated bourbon and a peppery 13-year-old rye bourbon.
“When selecting these bourbons, I knew the dark rum sweet notes would be a perfect complement for these well-aged bourbons, and the result is extremely satisfying,” says Rempe. “On the nose, Pact No. 5 comes right off with dark fruit notes, brown sugar and a touch of orange zest, followed by sugar cane and dark chocolate notes and a little heat once you sip it. This one offers a lingering finish, accented by notes of honey.”
This year’s release returns to its original fire-branded wooden display box. Like its predecessors, the bottle is topped with a custom natural cork, sealed and hand-labeled with certificate-style paper stock, including Rempe’s signature, and bottled at 98.6 proof — the temperature of blood.
The Blood Oath Attests
That every batch of Blood Oath is the undertaking of one man — a student of both bourbon and science. Loyal to no one family, favoring no one distillery and bound by no one philosophy – this bourbon connoisseur has one goal in mind – to seek out bourbons rare and wonderful, famous and forgotten. Then bottle them in combinations previously unimagined for a lucky few. Not to cater to anyone’s loyalties, he has sworn to never reveal where he finds his bourbon, but only to promise to choose and make the best he knows. Loose lips never tasted something so special.
Hard to say KC. I haven't had the Pact 5 yet but from what I've heard, it is good and on the sweeter side given one of the bourbons in the blend is finished in Rum. I think MSRP is around $100, right? I have all the other Pacts and I most likely will get this one as well, LOL!!! Pact 4 is my favorite so far, I think. Is the series the most exciting series out there? IMO, no. But neither is the Rhetoric series for example, and people still buy them. In honesty though, the way bourbon prices have increased, $100 for a unique bottle might not be that bad.
So the decision of buying imo should be whether or not you have other priority bottles in your shopping list, LOL!!!
Forty4
Full House
I did grab it. $110 plus tax.
It might not, Paolo, but the rampant bullshit just turns me off.
You're paying for what you only *know* is an 8-yr. old bourbon, in a "fire-branded wooden display box", with a "custom natural cork, "hand-labeled with certificate-style paper stock", "Rempe’s signature", and the "bottled at 98.6 proof — the temperature of blood" hokum.
Without all the worthless marketing crap, it *might* be an outstanding whiskey at $60-$80, but we'll never know.
"Not to cater to anyone’s loyalties, he has sworn to never reveal where he finds his bourbon, but only to promise to choose and make the best he knows."
-- Classic con-man lingo.
BonScot
Straight Flush
Crazy prices over there. A decent whisky here is less than half that.
Those presentation boxes are for people buying presents for someone who they’ve heard likes whisky.
Forty4
Full House
Sounds like I wasted some money.
Forty4
Full House
But at the same time I do enjoy meritage wines so why not do the same thing with spirits. I get what you’re saying about hype but it appears to me that everything bourbon related is hype/fad currently.
Since we're headed over to the UK in less than two weeks, what do you pay up there for, say, Springbank 25-year or Ardbeg 18?
Often true, but some Armagnac and Cognac producers do it routinely as well. Of course, some of those bottlings sell for over $1300 US (not to me!)
Yep. It all started with Pappy.
BonScot
Straight Flush
A good way to end the week.
Slange Var from Scotland
Slange Var from Scotland
I do not disagree with your sentiment at all, Larry.
It's happening on both Bourbon Land as well as in Scotch Land. Let alone Japanese Land, LOL!!!
I'm sick and tired of Ardbeg releasing a bunch of bullshit bottles. And Macallan, And Highland Park with all the Viking bullshit.
However, for as much as I loathe all this marketing/hype crap, there are some good bottles coming out of this pile of garbage. Ardbeg Dark Cove is an example. So is Highland Park Full Volume. I would have missed the chance to taste those if I was too rigid on my views.
I'm not sure if the Blood Oath Series is worth the price. In fairness, and absolute value, probably not. But the amount of bottles going for stupid amounts is immense. In relative terms, some of those are not that bad.
Macallan Edition No1 at $900? Weller 12 at $150? LOL!
Also, for as much as I would like the "good days" to come back, we live in a different reality right now. It is our missing to find where the good values are. Stagg Jr at $50, ECBP at $60, Glenfarclas 25 at $140, Glengoyne 21 at $130? Yes, please.
Never forget that for the first two years of its existence, Johnny Walker Blue was sold *only* on non-stop flights to Japan. That success didn't go unnoticed by other distillers...
Dammit, Paolo, be quiet!
For my money, Glenfarclas has been the most underrated whisky for about as long as I've been drinking Scotch -- Springbank at half the price.
Milo013
Flush
With Scotch, it is all related to diminishing stockpiles of long-aged casks. Same reason the Japanese are almost completely "disappearing" their age-statement bottlings.
Even Highland Park is said to have their 25 YO bottling at risk if the surge in interest continues.
Me? I will eventually be down to my basics . . . Talisker 10 for Scotch, with occasional augmentation of Laga 12 CS, or Laphroiag 1/4 Cask. I do like the Douglas Laing blends, too. Bourbon will be Eagle Rare & Rare Breed, with other bottles of interest being brought in for spice. And Canadian Whisky will be selected bottles from every year's Northern Border Collection.
Even Highland Park is said to have their 25 YO bottling at risk if the surge in interest continues.
Me? I will eventually be down to my basics . . . Talisker 10 for Scotch, with occasional augmentation of Laga 12 CS, or Laphroiag 1/4 Cask. I do like the Douglas Laing blends, too. Bourbon will be Eagle Rare & Rare Breed, with other bottles of interest being brought in for spice. And Canadian Whisky will be selected bottles from every year's Northern Border Collection.
Milo013
Flush
Never forget that for the first two years of its existence, Johnny Walker Blue was sold *only* on non-stop flights to Japan. That success didn't go unnoticed by other distillers...
Dammit, Paolo, be quiet!
For my money, Glenfarclas has been the most underrated whisky for about as long as I've been drinking Scotch -- Springbank at half the price.
Well then STOP TALKING IT UP !!! The 15 YO is a current favourite I struggle to keep from the Missus.
It's a catch 22. Yes, stocks are definitely depleted due to high demand. Specially in Japan, but also in Scotland. We all love that many people/friends are enjoying Single Malts and Bourbons more. The shortage is inevitable because of that. I for one can live with that shortage and having a more widespread scotch appeal.
As I wrote above, the new reality is here. There is not much point is reminisce about how things were, like buying Pappy 20 for $75. Or Macallan 18 for $60. However, and because of the popularity of brown spirits, there has been an abundance of absolutely GREAT new bottling and distilleries. Glen Scotia, Kilkerran, Glencadam are putting out some great stuff. Quality has been really high across Scotland and US, imo. Not all distilleries can keep up. Just drink an old Macallan 18 vs a new Macallan 18 and they might as well be apples vs oranges. As I also said, it's up to all of us to find where the value is.
$50 -- $48 on sale. I'm older than you are.
15 years ago, MD liquor stores weer selling Glen Scotia for $15...sigh. Also Tomintoul Glenlivet at the same price.
Agreed. But it's not only recent demands. Most long-time Islay drinkers thought Ardbeg dropped massively in complexity after 1974 -- the 1978 blends were obviously a step down.
Personnel changes at the distillery, etc. can have a great effect on the product....
Jonesey07
Full House
Decided to go with Bulleit on the rocks with dinner.
detroitdad
Royal Flush
Phone is about dead. Enjoying a Laphroaig 10 for desert!
I'm older than you are.
By only a few years.
Agree 100%!
Especially for Macallans, and other sherry matured Malts, shortage of Sherry Casks might be the single most important driver in the distinct difference between old bottling and new bottling. People around the world hardy drink Sherry anymore so it's super hard, and expensive, to acquire good to great Sherry casks for maturation.
The other side of the coin is that Bourbon barrels are plentiful. The percentage of Bourbon Cask matured Scotch vs Sherry Cask matured Scotch has been increasing. But what has been increasing the most, due to people palate's favoring some sort of wine maturing is Malts being aged in Bourbon and then only finished in Sherry (or other wine type) cask. That will never produce the same effect as fully matured in Oloroso.
But yeah, personal change, ownership change, water change, casks change, and man other things affect the final product.
So no reason in pointing out (like I was) that Macallan is not Macallan anymore. My bad. Just gotta find what's good now! LOL!!! And there's plenty of good stuff around.
gopherblue
Straight Flush
@pltrgyst, will you be in London? Go to The Whisky Exchange. Ask for Duncan. Their prices are pretty good, better than most, but compare to Berry Bros and Royal Mile, as sometimes better prices on offer. All of them will pour tastings if you ask.
Also, check what is on offer at Waitrose and Tesco.
Best value now (especially with the pound where it is) is the Oban 14 at Heathrow, if on sale. Last time I went thru there it was 30 quid.
Also, check what is on offer at Waitrose and Tesco.
Best value now (especially with the pound where it is) is the Oban 14 at Heathrow, if on sale. Last time I went thru there it was 30 quid.
ssanel54
Flush
You could probably flip it for $50 profit if you decide you don’t want it.
I grabbed a bottle myself. My local guy set one aside for me thinking I may want it. I’ll pretty much buy anything that he does like that.
Jonesey07
Full House
Bet you can guess which bottle I admired and which one I took home.
What! That’s a steal!
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