BourbonEnthusiast.com

Just for fun and curiosity, we thought we'd ask:

1) What's the most you ever paid for a bottle of bourbon?

2) Would you do it again?

For us, after months of swearing we wouldn't get sucked into what we perceived to be hype, we bought WT Tribute for $85. In hindsight...LeNell, being the generous enthusiast that she is, got us a second bottle for $77, but we still think it was a good decision. If we hadn't bought that first bottle, we wouldn't have had the experience of a very gracious Jimmy Russell signing it at 12:30am in the General Nelson parking lot as he and his wife chatted with us. Heck, that might have been worth $85 right there.

Dave,

The most I've ever paid for a bottle was $90 for 20 year old Pappy. I did enjoy it, but sadly can no longer afford such extravagance.

I paid $109 for Black Maple Hills 21 YO bourbon once. It is a very, very good bourbon........but I have not bought another bottle and there are a couple on the shelf at the liquor store. I have spent more than that on non-bourbon spirits........but they don't count now, do they?

If I may, I suggest that the best value in bourbon (about $32), if you can get it, is Four Roses Single Barrel!

Mike--I totally agree with you on the 4 Roses Single Barrel.

Are you going to KY anytime soon? I'll split a case with you if you are interested.

Let me know!

abcgroup

Angelshare(s). May I be so bold as to suggest that the two of you put your heads together and do a review of Tribute......please........pretty please!!

abc, no immediate KY trips on the horizon. Did you ever find any ORVW 10 YO.?

$200 for this 1956/1964 bottle, as yet unopened, so can't say if I'd do it again. Though the bottle itself is a little banged up, the whiskey inside looks perfect. If it's anywhere near the quality of a 1940/1948 Weller Special Reserve BIB I paid much less for, it will be a good deal:

My all-time record is $140 for Distiller's Masterpiece 18yo (Cognac Finish).

Montgomery County, Maryland actually listed that price in one of their online weekly specials, so I figured if I was ever going to take the plunge that was the time. It's funny...I knew there weren't a whole lot of those bottles around, so I called multiple store locations to make sure they actually had one before driving up there.

When I got to the store that supposedly had it, the guy I had spoken with starts purusing the lower shelf to find it...I asked the guy "you do know that this stuff normally costs over $200 a bottle, right!?"

He had mistaken it for "Distiller's Pride", which is an $8.99 blend!

All worked out though...he found one at a location about 3 miles away.

Would I do it again? Well, I can't exactly say it's worth the $140 I spent, but it is unique and quite good. I'd have to say yes, but only for the rare experience, not because of its value.

Mike: 4R SB is indeed a bargain in our opinion, based on cost vs. quality. We are rationing our current supply. An aside - maybe it's just us, but we feel like Bulleit is is the non-Kentuckyians' (is that a word?) best shot at the 4R SB flavor profile. Do you taste a similarity?

Bunghole: If you found one of those rare $100 bills that said "legal tender for bourbon purchases only," would you buy the Pappy 20 again or spend it differently?

Tim: Your purchase is a tough one; if we found that bourbon for $200, would we buy it? Hmm...if we would ever consider spending $200 on a bourbon, that would be a contender.

As for OneCube...in terms of generosity, he has shared with us Hirsch, Pappy 20 and the Distiller's Masterpiece he mentioned. He exemplifies the Bourbon Enthusiast...willing to pay the price of quality or rarity, but always willing to share.

angelshare wrote:Mike: 4R SB is indeed a bargain in our opinion, based on cost vs. quality. We are rationing our current supply. An aside - maybe it's just us, but we feel like Bulleit is is the non-Kentuckyians' (is that a word?) best shot at the 4R SB flavor profile. Do you taste a similarity?

Yes, I think you are right, there are similiarities twixt the two, with the FRSB being a bit more refined and not as boisterous. I like to keep all both on hand.........but I am getting low on FRSB. I WILL go out of my way for that bourbon, though.

angelshare wrote:Bunghole: If you found one of those rare $100 bills that said "legal tender for bourbon purchases only," would you buy the Pappy 20 again or spend it differently?

Dave, as you well know C-notes of legal bourbo-tender all have the same portrait of Pappy on them as it appears on the Pappy 20 label. While you could purchase a different bourbon, I can see no reason not to buy another bottle of Pappy 20 or two of Pappy 15. Sometimes I get very thirsty and a pair of 15 year olds often do the trick!

ima

Several months ago I picked up a beautiful bottle of Old Fitzgerald 8yo BIB, 1957-1965 for $80. It is phenominal and easily worth the price. That price record was broken this week by an early 50's IW Harper BIB. I will report back if that was worth it...

I bought a Pappy 23 from original bottling (not SW whiskey) for $250. Would do it again because you can't touch them for that price anymore. This one is unopened but I have tasted it from other bottles.

Also bought a VWSR 17yo made for the japanese market in the mid '90's for $550 at the Getz Museum auction several years ago. The money did go for a good cause. Prices at the auction have only gotten crazier lately.

Then there were two bottles of VWFR from the '80's. I don't recall the exact figure, but it was alot. The whiskey was great, but wouldn't do again.

WT Tributes would be next on the list. I like this whiskey and have bought many bottles......and left many bottles on the shelf here in Houston. Priced at $90 currently.

Randy

Oh, Yes, The bottles Julian bottled before the letter from Bill's lawyers! I remember selling them at the auction.

I bought a Rittenhouse Rye 21 YO two weeks ago; $138 which I think is the most I have paid. Of course, that is Rye, not bourbon.

wade wrote:I bought a Rittenhouse Rye 21 YO two weeks ago; $138 which I think is the most I have paid. Of course, that is Rye, not bourbon.

Have you cracked it open yet?