“Whiskey, like a beautiful woman, demands appreciation. You gaze first, then it’s time to drink.” ― Haruki Murakami
I enjoyed a great road trip (bourbon ramble as I call it). Took my son back to Georgia Tech after spring break and bought a Pappy 15 and 20 from an Atlanta collector. Then came back by Z&Z Package Store which I always frequent on my drive from Savannah to Atlanta. Luckily, I found some Weller 12, but it was a package deal including two craft bourbons (Hudson Four Grain and Strahan’s). Not sure how these sell at $50 a pop but I talked the manager into replacing Strahan’s with a barrel pick Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. I’m not much of a JD fan but my dad loves it so I will send it to him. So all in all, I got a Weller 12, a Hudson Four Grain (which she said I would like, but we shall see) and a present for my dad all for $150.
Then, I stopped at a place in Macon, Macon Beverage Outlet and talked to the bourbon guy. They had a nice supply of Barrel Bourbon which I like, but I also discovered they got 44 bottles of Pappy in 2017 and just like in Savannah it is based on 1792 sales. And when I asked about Weller 12, he said they were out, but had some Special Reserve “in the back.” So I took home a 1.75-liter bottle of Weller 7 year at retail. I also learned that this year’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof will not be allocated, meaning it should be readily available. I hope so. Buy all you can at retail. Great stuff!
The moral of the story, when you travel hit a few stores along the path and see what you can find. Speaking of that, read the article below about Whiskey Antiquing. Plus you have two chances to win Pappy and an interesting podcast on the entire Pappy lineup.
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This Week’s 4 Shots:
GIVEAWAY: Win a Bottle of Pappy Van Winkle
Pappy is the most hallowed name in bourbon. It’s the spirit that’s launched epic hunts and heists, and its scarcity is matched only by its quality. We don’t want you to go on a wild goose chase or don a ski mask to get your fill, however. We simply want to give you some. One lucky winner will take home a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Years Old, which is valued at around $1,300. No hounding your local bottle shop. No taking out a loan. All you need to do is sign up at the link below and enter for your chance to win. Then kick back and get your favorite tumbler ready for the finest hooch its ever seen.
The Cure Starts Now – 2018 Once in a Lifetime Galas
Pappy & Rip Van Winkle Once In A Lifetime Bourbon Raffle!
Purchase a ticket for your chance at one of 2 incredible bourbon prizes! Winners will be drawn at the Once in a Lifetime Gala.
Thank you to our friends at Party Source for this amazing donation!
The first ticket drawn will win a collection of 5 bottles and the second ticket drawn will win the grand prize Old Rip Vanwinkle bottle.
5 Bottle Pappy Van Winkle Collection is valued at $6,000 and Includes:
10 year bottle
12 year bottle
15 year family reserve bottle
20 year family reserve bottle
23 year family reserve bottleGrand Prize Bottle:
Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year
Valued at $14,000.Once a ticket is drawn it does not get reentered into the raffle, so purchase multiple tickets for multiple chances to win!
Winner does not need to be present to win. Winner must be 21+ years old. Winner must pick up the bourbon in person for age verification.
The Bourbon Show Pint Size Edition #73 – The Pappy Van Winkle Product Lineup
(Go to 12:10 if you want to skip chit chat intor and commercials) Steve, Kaitlyn and Evan (filling in for Jeremy) talk about all of the offerings in the Pappy Van Winkle product lineup. Be sure to listen to the end to hear Evan’s new segment, “Bourbon Back Label Review.” Today’s show is sponsored by Steve Akley’s book, Mules and More (https://goo.gl/EN3wEj).The Bourbon Show music (Whiskey on the Mississippi) is by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Join the ABV Network Revolution by adding #ABVNetworkCrew to your profile in social media.Heaven Hill’s Kate Latts On Bourbon’s Future
A Guide to Whisky Antiquing
From the outside, whisky collecting seems like an exclusive sport, a world of international auction houses, unattainable Japanese whisky, and pre-Prohibition bottles of bourbon. But not everyone who appreciates art has to own a Basquiat. Beyond the most rarefied whiskies and record-breaking bottles is a much larger, much more accessible realm of collectible whiskies. Collecting doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming—and above all else, it should be fun.
COLLECTING TYPES
There are a few kinds of whisky collectors. Trophy hunters might buy for personal satisfaction or investment, but they tend to target rare current releases—think Pappy Van Winkle or Buffalo Trace Antique Collection—and cult distilleries like Ardbeg and Karuizawa (see our story on the most collectible distilleries, page 76). These are superb whiskies, but they’re beyond the reach of most people, even most collectors. The second type, dusty hunters, chase the best vestiges of whisky history, lost treasures like pre-1970s Wild Turkey, Stitzel-Weller, or Prohibition-era scotch. Successful dusty hunters are true experts. They’re able to decipher tax stamps that prove when a bottle was filled and distillery DSP numbers, which reveal where it was made. They badger private collectors, frequent liquor stores in forgotten neighborhoods, browse estate sales, and—like Scythian horsemen riding across the steppes—will travel hundreds of miles in search of treasure. For them, the thrill of the hunt is everything.
I’m in a third category. “Whisky antiquing” embraces an open-ended search, and revels in the experience as much as the outcome. When I go whisky antiquing, I’m not searching for specific bottles. I’m simply foraging for interesting whisky, whatever it may be. I’m not a dusty hunter—I’m a dusty hunter-gatherer.
Cheers and Enjoy the Chase!