The couple Willet purple tops I have sampled have been amazing, Ben. Enjoy. :-)

Picked up a new Jay West Knob Creek single barrel pick. Beam has recently been letting some 9+ year single barrels be released above their standard 120 proof. This one sits at 125.9 proof.

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I'd rather have 5.9 proofs less and 6 more years in the barrel, but don't see that happening again any time soon so we'll take what we can get :-)
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Heard.
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Like I said, Ben, I agree and would love some more 15 year barrels.

That being said, this one IS a banger. :-): :-)

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jay west knows his sh!t
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Does anyone else keep a bottle of inexpensive yet decent (a subjective judgment, yes, I know) bourbon on the bar for that last pour of the night?

I usually have three (okay, sometimes four :-) ) quality bourbons in an evening, along with one or two cigars. By the time I'm getting ready to wind down for the night, my palette is pretty much shot, so I'm not pouring a great whiskey.

I usually reach for Evan Williams, but recently I've been throwing some George Dickel 8-Year into the mix. I used to always have some WT101 around, too, but since the quality's gone down I've stopped buying it.

So, if you have a "last pour" bottle, what's your poison?
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I have a bottle on my table in the man cave (dungeon), James. It's whatever decent bottle is down to the last couple/few pours. Most recent was a Maker's Mark private pick. Before that it was a 1792 Full Proof. Nothing crazy, still good pours. Gets a few empty so I can crack a few more. :-)
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Popped into Binny's, the manager asked me if I wanted the new Stagg. They didn't even put it on their customer service counter. "Of course", I said. I finished my last Stagg (24D) a few weeks back so this was good timing.

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Yes, there are often some that I picked up such as a four roses single barrel that is good but not something that i gravitate to first so as a "last pour" that is what I tend to look to. Often I will open something that I like and something that I have that fits that bill as I work through the "better" bottles.

Often they are lower proof, BiB that I will also use to fill the aged & ore bottles to take out to the golf course that others who may not like my barell proof bourbon tend to like better.

some that fit that bill, OF 1910, 1792 regular, KC 9, EC regular, Wilderness Trail yellow and black, four roses single barrel and small batch, JD triple mash, early times BiB, buffalo trace, weller green label.

Evan Williams BiB is always one that over delivers for its price point!

I am sure I am forgetting a few but that is a good start for me.
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Bought my first bottle of Angel's Envy.

I've tried (and hated) their port wine finished, ice wine finished, crapola finished bourbons. Wouldn't buy a bottle on a bet.

This one is unfinished (yahoo!!) and bottled in bond. I actually liked the sample I tried at Binny's a lot.

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I've been wanting to get another bottle of the Blue Run Trifecta blend, but at a tick under $200 at MSRP with taxes, I couldn't pull the trigger at Binny's. Local guy offered one under $100, so I grabbed it.

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Got a couple of twelve-pointers as deer season opened.

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Nice! Haven't seen that around here in a long time.
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Picked up one of those myself, this weekend.
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Opened up Little Book Chapter 9 last night. My second favorite LB already after Chapter 3.

A little more sweet, a little less oak. Solid pour for sure, but still a wide gap between it and Chapter 3. :-)

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I like Elijah Craig barrel proof, most of the releases anyway, especially some of the local ones. Booker's Apprentice batch is also very nice with a cigar, clean and almost cognac-like. I recently got to taste a dram of Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve, and while I am not particularly a Buffalo Trace fan in general, that one was pretty amazing.
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Last night's nightcap.

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QT and I hit a couple joints yesterday. At Maize & Mash, I had the latest EH Taylor Barrel Proof, Batch 14.

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At Proof No. 5, I tried their Weller Antique 107 barrel pick. I was super disappointed they were all sold out of he full bottles.

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Ended the night much later with some more Little Book Chapter 9.

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Cigars taste much better. The other thing will ruin your palate. :-)
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Had some KC 9-Year last night, followed by Heaven Hill BIB.
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But then I wouldn't care, right? :-) :-)

Last night some Knob Creek single barrel pick.

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