Brown liquor...

[45Smashemflat]

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Thought the tribe might enjoy a family photo...

[Greg Nichols]

Pappy Van Winkle is another nice sipper if you can find it.

[45Smashemflat]

That's 3 10-year old Pappys on the right, bubba. :)

I have bought a bottle a year over the past several, just have not opened these yet.

[Greg Nichols]

same family, different blend than the Rips

[45Smashemflat]

Yeah, but can't spring the $2k for one of the older bottles (my shop usually gets a 23 year old each year, and 1-2 10's). All f the Van Winkle stuff has sky rocketed since I bought my first back about 10 years ago.

[Mike Heckathorn]

I have had Pappy 23 like 4-5 times. It’s very good. It’s just not amazing (to my palate, at least). My brother disagrees as he just bought a Pappy 23. For me, this is the gold standard of whiskey production:
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190103/9e881643c8b7e7bfcfb114c8bfa7e221.jpg


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[45Smashemflat]

I really like Willett bourbon, it's very tasty. Give it a go if you haven't!

[Mike Heckathorn]

I really like Willett bourbon, it's very tasty. Give it a go if you haven't!

The Weller wheated bourbon is quite nice as well. My big complaint with Pappy is price to quality. It is excellent bourbon, just not a $500-$2,000 bottle (for me. My brother disagrees). At those prices, I’d be more apt to pick George T. Stagg... That being said, one will not be poorly served drinking any of the above (and every whiskey drinker should have Pappy at some point in their lifetime)


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[TFA303]

I've found this book to be an excellent resource for learning more about what makes a great whiskey:
https://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Whiskey-Insiders-Pleasures-Spirits/dp/1612123015/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546524499&sr=8-1&keywords=tasting+whiskey
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[mross]

Pappy Van Winkle is another nice sipper if you can find it.
Never even in seen it in my neck of the woods at any price. The George T Staggs are another unicorn but have seen one at around 500. The Willet is very nice and the rye is just as good. You guys that run across it are lucky. Guess that's another reason Jersey kinda sucks.

[Redneck Zen]

Pappy Van Winkle is another nice sipper if you can find it.

Yeah, a big sipper, all right. I'm not much of a bourbon drinker and can barely tell one brand from another; I do, however, like bourbon balls, a chocolate confection very popular here in Kentucky. Which is a shame, apparently, as I live just a couple of miles from the Buffalo Trace distillery.

There was a big ruckus a few years ago when some employees stole a shitton of Pappy. Following is a summary of the shenanigans, dubbed "Pappygate" by the local press. The real crime, of course, was that the family ordered the recovered Pappy destroyed.

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In mid-October 2013 the company reported the theft of 65 three-bottle cases of Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year and nine three-bottle cases of 13-year-old Van Winkle Family Reserve rye.Police theorized that it took the thief about two months to complete the heist, and noted that whoever did it avoided being recorded by security cameras.

On Monday December 2, Pat Melton, the sheriff of Franklin County, Ky. announced a$10,000 reward to anyone who could give information that leads to a conviction in the case. $1,000 of this reward money was offered by Bluegrass Crimestoppers and the other $9,000 by an anonymous donor.

A break in the case came in March 2014 when a Buffalo Trace employee was arrested by Franklin County deputies when five barrels of stolen Wild Turkey bourbon were found on his property. On April 21, 2015 nine Kentucky residents, three of whom were employees at both Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace, were indicted for thefts at the Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey distilleries dating back to 2008. Over$100,000 worth of the stolen whiskey was recovered, including more than two dozen bottles of Pappy Van Winkle and 15 barrels of Wild Turkey. The Van Winkle family has stated that the stolen whiskey should be destroyed as a precaution against tampering or contamination, pending the approval of the judge.

The heists included Pappy Van Winkle (more than 20 cases), 50 to 70 cases of Eagle Rare bourbon,and stolen barrels of other whiskey that are still missing. The warrants recovered one barrel of 17-year-old Eagle Rare worth more than $11,000. All nine defendants are charged with being members of a criminal syndicate, engaging in organized crime.

[Allen]

How the hell do you not catch someone taking a barrel out of a rick house? Damn things still had bars from prohibition on them last time I was down there, overt & covert security cameras aren't much $ compared to losing $100K at wholesale.

Al

[Greg Nichols]

How the hell do you not catch someone taking a barrel out of a rick house? Damn things still had bars from prohibition on them last time I was down there, overt & covert security cameras aren't much $ compared to losing $100K at wholesale.

Al

Locks just keep honest people honest. Dishonest can and will figure it out.

[Mike Heckathorn]

What can I say? I found a Phoenix dealer that can get me any of the above. They had 5 GT Stagg bottles when I was there and had several Pappys the day before. The dude I was talking to was awesome, too.


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[Brent Yamamoto]

I have an expensive palette and if I like something well enough I will shell out some coin. But there are limits. Most if what I like is around $100. I’ve spent maybe $180 at most.

If offered, of course I’d drink something more expensive. But there’s plenty good stuff for less than $200.

I don’t like whiskey THAT much to spend more.

[Redneck Zen]

How the hell do you not catch someone taking a barrel out of a rick house? Damn things still had bars from prohibition on them last time I was down there, overt & covert security cameras aren't much $ compared to losing $100K at wholesale.

Al

The company is probably just as guilty as anyone else, at least in terms of negligence. To show you the level of genius involved, the "criminal syndicate" consisted of some sticky-fingered employees and a softball team. No kidding. They actually distributed the contraband goods at tournaments. The sheriff took a lot of credit for solving the crime -- but only after one of the co-conspirators snitched on the whole scheme. Turned out the barrels had been painted black and kept under a tarp in the primary suspect's yard. They only convicted the main guy -- everyone else turned state's evidence or whatever -- sentenced him to fifteen years, then shock probation after a month in jail. This was The Big Story forever around here.

Here's an article on how it all supposedly took place, (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-06-29/the-pappy-van-winkle-bandit-speaks-and-says-he-didn-t-do-it) according to the convicted suspect.

The distillery is loving the infamy associated with the brand; anytime there's a mythology to something (like the Walther PPK, Rolex watches and anything SEAL related) value increases. Sales of Pappy are bonkers, it always sells out and scalpers prices are out of whack. You can't buy publicity like this. But you can certainly capitalize on it.

Except for the lack of bloodshed, this whole thing would make a pretty good Cohen brothers film, to be honest.

[Mike Heckathorn]

I have an expensive palette and if I like something well enough I will shell out some coin. But there are limits. Most if what I like is around $100. I’ve spent maybe $180 at most.

If offered, of course I’d drink something more expensive. But there’s plenty good stuff for less than $200.

I don’t like whiskey THAT much to spend more.

Just gotta step that whiskey game up, then! I can help.


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