BourbonEnthusiast.com

As I travel through the World of Bourbon rather than continuing to seek out the new I find some stops worth revisiting. I find I have a growing appreciation for Evan Williams single barrel as a product that HH doesn't attempt to hold to a specific flavor profile, rather offer something unique each year.

I'm still new to the world of bourbon, but of all the ones I've tasted Evan Williams Single Barrel is the one that I would choose if I could keep only one.

I too like the idea of a readily available unique bourbon. I don't want to run down limited availability bourbons, nor do I want to spend more than $40 on a bottle (my self imposed limit), so the Evan Williams SB is a great alternative.

I just recently purchased a bottle of 2003 Evan Williams SB that I am enjoying and just bought the 2004 which I have not cracked, but like the description of a bolder version of the 2003.

I am a big fan of the black, white and SB. I can get a handle of black for $16.99, so that's my go-to cooking and mixing whiskey

It's extraordinary HH can keep up the quality of EWB at that price.

Squire wrote:It's extraordinary HH can keep up the quality of EWB at that price.

HH rocks the balance of quality and price.

393foureyedfox wrote:
HH rocks the balance of quality and price.

And then raises us availability. You can actually find their stuff!

ccm

Very true. The price even of mid-level bourbons is climbing steadily. High end stuff was never cheap, nor (for much, not all of it), should it be, but the mid-end has become costly with bottles in the $50 dollar range and more that seemed much less 8-10 years ago. This is why Heaven Hill's many excellent values are well-appreciated. We have the SB, the EWBL, and EC 12 as the main reference points for this. But some of the HH-branded bourbons are good too. As are their ryes. One of the top distillers in America and still independent.

Gary

I didn't fully appreciate Heaven Hill Bourbons until I injected them into blind tastings where they ranked quite well.

Squire wrote:I didn't fully appreciate Heaven Hill Bourbons until I injected them into blind tastings where they ranked quite well.

same here. out of pure curiosity last year i threw a 6 year 90 proof green label HH into a blind tasting and enjoyed seeing that it was well received....especially since it is $9 and easily attainable.

HH 6 year 90 and 100 proof bottles ($9-10), 9 year 120 proof KCSB ($35), and 103 proof Dickel 9 year ($45) ......these cover all the bases for me. I have others here, but those are the four I choose to keep on hand consistently....and the HH bottles are the ones I go to more than anything.

I remember liking the Elijah C 12 on the tour, but only vaguely, because we were basically being taught by the tour guide how to nose and taste bourbon at that point. We're going to get an EC12 next month to re-explore it.

We tried the William Heavenhill and Parker's Heritage Promise Of Hope. The WHH didn't really do much for me but the PH was a revelation for me. That finish just goes warmly on and on. It was very exciting.

We totally overpaid in the gift shop, because we didn't know any better. $130/bottle.

How do they do it? Do they start in the summer and charge $80 and then just gradually raise it up, in order to keep stock on the shelves as they get close to the end of the supply? They were asking $300 for a bottle of Elijah C 21 while we were there. I passed on that, then we found one at a store later for 170.

Lots to learn,

ccm

There are no stops on the journey.... just different destinations.

ccm high gift shop markups are just the nature of things and not unique to HH or any of the other distillers. They are selling to tourists for the most part and who doesn't part with cash more easily than those on vacation. There's nothing venal about it, just business, because no one has to buy.

Fair enough, Squire. But it's a bit different in this case I think because A) I've read people discussing the same bourbons bought from the same visitor center a year prior for almost half the price, and B) they like to give the impression that products like EC21 and PHC7 are only available at the visitor center, which turns out not to be the case.

I'm not bitter about it, the market will bear what the market will bear - but I was asking to see if it is common practice for high end products at the HH visitor center to start out low and then work up to stratospheric. I remember thinking "That's certainly one way to keep things in stock so that your visitors still get to see the fancy bottles".

Love the use of venal, btw

ccm

From posts of others who have made recent gift shop purchases the common practice seems to be price according to what the market will bear.