# Bourbon alert!!!



## jmforge (Dec 15, 2012)

If any of you are fans of wheated bourbon like Makers Mark, Weller, Van Winkle and what have you, I would suggest that you scrape up the cash ($87.50 for a fifth here in my neck of the woods) and buy you a bottle or two of Jeffersons Presidential Select 18 year old. Why, you may ask? Well, Ill tell you. This stuff is supposedly the LAST of what was left aging at the old Stitzel-Weller distillery when Sazerac/Buffalo Trace bought it a number of years ago and closed it down. A fair bit of what has been released in the premium line of stuff like 19 year old Weller and I think t eh Van Winkle stuff has ben that leftover. This is the last. They relased some last year as a 17 year old and this batch as an 18. In addition to being some monster hooch, it represents the end of an era. My brother, whi has a bit more cah than I do, bought one bottle, tried it, and went back and bought 6 more. One of his normal borbouns is Basil hayden, which is some damn good stuff and not cheap. He said tha after drinking this Jefferson, the first sip of normally smooth Hayden tasted like lighter fluid. :lol2: The suttf is expensive, but nothing like the $200+ you pay for the 22-23 year old Van Winkle and the same or slightly less than you pay for the current 18 year old William Larue Weller. This stuff is better than the Weller they are selling now and possibly the equal of the old 19 year old Weller that I say is stlll the best bourbon that i have ever had.


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## heldentenor (Dec 15, 2012)

Seconded. I don't know that I like it more than Van Winkle 15, but it's good stuff and--as ******* says--worth getting while you can.


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## jmforge (Dec 15, 2012)

FYI, 2010 was the last year for the Van Winkle 15 from leftover S-W stock. As of 2011, it is Buffalo Trace product like all of the younger Weller, etc. The 22 and 23 Van Winkle is still S-W as is this Jefferson. I would suspect that the William Larue Weller is going to be switching over to BT made booze assuming that they continue making these lines.


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## ecchef (Dec 15, 2012)

I wonder if my local can order some of this. Best I can get here regularly is Woodford.


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## jmforge (Dec 15, 2012)

I think I just lucked into the stuff. These limited Weller/Van Winkle runs usually go pretty fast.


ecchef said:


> I wonder if my local can order some of this. Best I can get here regularly is Woodford.


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## pitonboy (Dec 15, 2012)

Funny, just bought a bottle of this today almost at random for a present--maybe I should keep it for myself


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## quantumcloud509 (Dec 16, 2012)

pitonboy said:


> Funny, just bought a bottle of this today almost at random for a present--maybe I should keep it for myself



Yes


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## turbochef422 (Dec 16, 2012)

Is this one any good. I always like gin more but it think I can get into bourbon. I got 4 of these from my meat guy for Christmas.


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## Andrew H (Dec 16, 2012)

I was looking to buy a bottle of bourbon as a Christmas gift and I saw your post this morning. Went out and got a bottle of batch #10, thanks jm!


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## Duckfat (Dec 16, 2012)

I usually have Blanton's on the desk but I'll have to watch out for this. Thanks for the heads up.

Dave


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## ecchef (Dec 16, 2012)

turbochef422 said:


> Is this one any good. I always like gin more but it think I can get into bourbon. I got 4 of these from my meat guy for Christmas.
> 
> View attachment 12152



No, that stuff sucks. Send it to me for proper disposal. I'll even pay the postage.


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## jmforge (Dec 16, 2012)

Same batch as mine. Interesting that they let it sit around for a couple of years after they took it out of the barrels. The bottle says that it was distilled in fall of '91. With special batches like this, they tend to stop the aging it when they don't think that it is going to improve significantly with more aging and as you know, unlike wine or bottle conditioned beer, once it comes out of the barrel, it's done.


Andrew H said:


> I was looking to buy a bottle of bourbon as a Christmas gift and I saw your post this morning. Went out and got a bottle of batch #10, thanks jm!


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## dough (Dec 16, 2012)

just so i understand i thought we are talking about 






anywho i wanna buy a bottle just have to find it in PA(which doesnt allow you to just buy it and have it shipped to me) or have to do a SLO through the restaurant but if i am able i will soon own a bottle or two.


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## jmforge (Dec 16, 2012)

That be the stuff.


dough said:


> just so i understand i thought we are talking about
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Andrew H (Dec 16, 2012)

******* said:


> Same batch as mine. Interesting that they let it sit around for a couple of years after they took it out of the barrels. The bottle says that it was distilled in fall of '91. With special batches like this, they tend to stop the aging it when they don't think that it is going to improve significantly with more aging and as you know, unlike wine or bottle conditioned beer, once it comes out of the barrel, it's done.



Yeah, I don't know what that's about. Looking at the thread on Bourbon Enthusiasts it looks like we got a good batch. :whistling:


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## jmforge (Dec 16, 2012)

Okay, i think that I might have figured out some more backstory on this stuff. It is bottled by McClain and Kine in Louisville, which is owned by Castle Brands, who also make Goslings rum and Boru vodka. No idea how they got hold of the S-W hooch. I was under the impression that Buffalo Trace and Julian Van Winkle III were the only ones who had access to that leftover stock from the old distillery. Guess not. The original story that I heard about the first batch of the 19 year old Weller was that when they were doing inventory of the aging warehouses after that sale of the distillery in 1992, they found this stuff that had been sitting in the back for 19 years. The warehouse guys allegedly said that it was an extraordinarily good batch of the "Old Weller" "feedstock" that they made their premium 10-12 year old 107 proof stuff in the purple velvet bag and they had left it and kept checking every year or so to see how it was doing.


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## jmforge (Dec 16, 2012)

Well, I haven't opened mine yet (almost afraid to open it without some good reason) but my brother bought the one bottle, tried it, proclaimed it be, and i quote, "good sh*t" (that's what he texted to me) and went out and bought three more for himself, one for my dad for Christmas and one for his doctor buddy up in DC. :lol2: I will be a mooch and taste it at his house next week.:biggrin: I am tempted to try to find at least one more because we are still kicking oursleves for not buying last the two bottles of that old 19 year old Weller that were at our local store back in the day. It turns out that they were two of the last four in all of Florida and we were unable to find any more even in Kentucky with about 4 people looking!!


Andrew H said:


> Yeah, I don't know what that's about. Looking at the thread on Bourbon Enthusiasts it looks like we got a good batch. :whistling:


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## Duckfat (Dec 18, 2012)

The Buffalo Trace distillery tour is well worth a visit if you ever get near Lexington, KY. I just wish I would have bought that 20 YO Pappy Van Winkle when I was there.

Dave


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## cnochef (Dec 18, 2012)

Loved Buffalo Trace! We took the "Hard hat" tour, which is longer and more detailed.

BTW I buy the basic Weller wheated bourbon, it's a tremendous value.


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## jmforge (Dec 18, 2012)

Yes, it is. They have recently brought back what looks like the previous "Old Weller" 107 proof.


cnochef said:


> Loved Buffalo Trace! We took the "Hard hat" tour, which is longer and more detailed.
> 
> BTW I buy the basic Weller wheated bourbon, it's a tremendous value.


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## Namaxy (Dec 19, 2012)

Thanks for the tip JM, and thanks for the tour pics Duck!


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## jmforge (Dec 19, 2012)

I am going to be in BIG trouble if my brother got that last bottle out of the one good barrel and all the rest taste like goat pee!!!:lol2:


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## JohnnyChance (Jan 25, 2013)

Got a bottle of this today. Trying it after work.


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## GlassEye (Jan 26, 2013)

I looked for a bottle today, no luck.


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## JohnnyChance (Jan 29, 2013)

Since finally finding a place that had this near me, I have been into 3 other places that also stocked it.

Now I need to find some Four Roses 2012 Limited Edition Small Batch. They are about the same price, if someone wants to trade a Jefferson for a Four Roses, I would be down.


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## AFKitchenknivesguy (Jan 29, 2013)

I wish I could find some Pappy. I don't even like whisky, just want to say I tried it.


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## JohnnyChance (Jan 29, 2013)

No bourbon bars near you that you can buy a nip or a sliver?


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## AFKitchenknivesguy (Jan 29, 2013)

I don't believe so. CS is not known as a foodie town.


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## JohnnyChance (Jan 29, 2013)

AFKitchenknivesguy said:


> I don't believe so. CS is not known as a foodie town.



When five of the top ten search results for "bourbon" near Colorado Springs in Google Maps are Applebees, this is probably true.


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## GlassEye (Jan 29, 2013)

JohnnyChance said:


> Since finally finding a place that had this near me, I have been into 3 other places that also stocked it.
> 
> Now I need to find some Four Roses 2012 Limited Edition Small Batch. They are about the same price, if someone wants to trade a Jefferson for a Four Roses, I would be down.


I may have seen a bottle of this at the store, I will add it to the list to check.


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## bear1889 (Feb 1, 2013)

I guess I am lucky where I live, which is right now is in northern Kentucky. The big liquor stores have been able to select their own barrels for bottling. I just bought a bottle of barrel select 10 yr old Eagle Rare that is just fantastic for $26. Luckily the guy that is selecting has a real good palate.:biggrin:


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## mhlee (Feb 9, 2013)

I just got my order of five bottles of Jefferson's Presidential Select 18 Years Old, Batch 9.


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## El Pescador (Feb 9, 2013)

I know it isn't burbon but the Kirkland brand 20yr old scotch from Costco is a great deal for $45.


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