Which bourbon deal would you do?

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Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Birdo » Sun Sep 20, 2015 5:26 pm

I was in Bardstown for the bourbon festival and went to the Heaven Hill Heritage center. They have Elijah Craig 23y/o for $279.00, or you could get 10 bottles of Elijah Craig NAS formerly 12y/o for the same cash.

I take the 10 bottles of the ordinary juice. I love EC, its great for $28/bottle and sometimes on sale here. I have to confess, I have not had the NAS version yet because I still have a couple bottles of 12 year on hand. I'm also not overly impressed with super aged bourbon, stuff in the 6-10 year range taste great to me.

They also had Henry mcKenna BIB 10 year which would have been good.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Squire » Sun Sep 20, 2015 7:31 pm

The ten bottles of Elijah Craig, no question. Also, in the World of Bourbon I wouldn't call EC ordinary.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Birdo » Mon Sep 21, 2015 7:26 am

Squire wrote:The ten bottles of Elijah Craig, no question. Also, in the World of Bourbon I wouldn't call EC ordinary.


Ordinary isn't the right word. I meant it's readily available at a great price. Cheers.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby 393foureyedfox » Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:01 pm

EC12 is good, but id take McKenna BIB over it every time. Never had EC18/21/23 or even seen it. And dont get me started on my feelings toward ECBP. The whole EC attitude toward bourbon profiles is too wood-forward for my liking, but some people dig that. Also, Id take 3 bottles of HH 6 year BIB over either McKenna or EC12 for the price. 6-8 year is my preference as a broad statement. Even 9 year Knob Creek sometimes is pushing it in oakiness to me, but generally I like the profile.

Point being, unless you really like alcohol flavored wood, the super aged EC bottles are a novelty. If you do like that, its worth whatever youre comfortable paying
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Birdo » Thu Sep 24, 2015 7:58 am

393foureyedfox wrote:EC12 is good, but id take McKenna BIB over it every time. Never had EC18/21/23 or even seen it. And dont get me started on my feelings toward ECBP. The whole EC attitude toward bourbon profiles is too wood-forward for my liking, but some people dig that. Also, Id take 3 bottles of HH 6 year BIB over either McKenna or EC12 for the price. 6-8 year is my preference as a broad statement. Even 9 year Knob Creek sometimes is pushing it in oakiness to me, but generally I like the profile.

Point being, unless you really like alcohol flavored wood, the super aged EC bottles are a novelty. If you do like that, its worth whatever youre comfortable paying


I think we like the same stuff. 6-8 years is good plus or minus a couple, rye or high rye mash bill and bottle at around 100 proof would be my main stuff. I'd be interested to see what you think of Evan Williams BIB white label, that has piqued my interest.
I wonder if thats where the HH Gold label juice wound up.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Squire » Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:48 am

It makes sense for Heaven Hill to promote BIBs under the Evan Williams label rather than the standard HH name which probably only has regional exposure. Evan is already an international brand so build on that.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby fricky » Thu Sep 24, 2015 9:16 am

Birdo wrote:I was in Bardstown for the bourbon festival and went to the Heaven Hill Heritage center. They have Elijah Craig 23y/o for $279.00, or you could get 10 bottles of Elijah Craig NAS formerly 12y/o for the same cash.

I take the 10 bottles of the ordinary juice. I love EC, its great for $28/bottle and sometimes on sale here. I have to confess, I have not had the NAS version yet because I still have a couple bottles of 12 year on hand. I'm also not overly impressed with super aged bourbon, stuff in the 6-10 year range taste great to me.

They also had Henry mcKenna BIB 10 year which would have been good.


On Elijah Craig 12 yr bottles, the age statement was initially moved to the back label. Has it been deleted from that label as well? I have experienced significant variability in Elijah Craig 12 as well as Henry McKenna. I would buy 1 of each and use the balance for other bourbons such as Eagle Rare.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby 393foureyedfox » Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:07 am

Birdo wrote: I'd be interested to see what you think of Evan Williams BIB white label. I wonder if thats where the HH Gold label juice wound up.


since HH BIB gold disappeared about the time EWBIB showed up, and my intrpretation that they taste alike......thats what Ive been saying for some time, that theyre the same thing, different labels. They do the job, but arent great profiles. But, at sub $15 (sub $10 when it was gold label), you cant complain even a little bit
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Squire » Thu Sep 24, 2015 7:03 pm

No we can't complain, it's still a good deal. I do recall a similar happening some years back when Heaven Hill quietly removed 12 year old, 86 proof, Old 1889 Royal from the market about the time 12 year old, 94 proof, Elijah Craig started taking off as a brand.

Royal sold for $8.69 a bottle and Craig for $11.99.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Vital » Thu Sep 24, 2015 7:59 pm

This "new" EC is NOT NAS. It's the same exact 12 year old, it just doesn't get mentioned on the front like it used to. It is still mentioned in the back of the bottle thou. I also spoke to staff at Heaven Hill Heritage center about half a year ago when I was there and they assured me it's the same exact liquid inside, they simply went for a new look, nothing else. I like old look better but whatever, same liquid.

With that said - prices in any distillery/heritage centers are always a few bucks more over any local liquor store. Not sure what EC12 goes for in Kentucky but in Brooklyn, NY I can easily locate it for $23 so buying 10 for $28 each makes no sense to me at all.

As for EC23 - when in KY I found a bottle in "hole in the wall" store 40 miles from Louisville, KY for $250. BUUUUT I was lucky to find it, chances are that there's not many of them available so paying $279 is still a good deal based on bottles rarity/availability.

With that said I'd go for EC23 if I was in your shoes.

p.s. Everything I wrote above is strictly based on cost/availability in my neck of the woods, your local pries could be much different of course. Also - if you don't like very aged stuff EC23 is just not for you no matter the cost. It's very woody and leathery, completely different ball game in comparison to 6-10yo anything.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Birdo » Fri Sep 25, 2015 9:00 am

since HH BIB gold disappeared about the time EWBIB showed up, and my intrpretation that they taste alike......thats what Ive been saying for some time, that theyre the same thing, different labels. They do the job, but arent great profiles. But, at sub $15 (sub $10 when it was gold label), you cant complain even a little bit[/quote]

Sounds a heck of a lot like Fighting Cock, hmmm.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Birdo » Fri Sep 25, 2015 9:01 am

Vital wrote:This "new" EC is NOT NAS. It's the same exact 12 year old, it just doesn't get mentioned on the front like it used to. It is still mentioned in the back of the bottle thou. I also spoke to staff at Heaven Hill Heritage center about half a year ago when I was there and they assured me it's the same exact liquid inside, they simply went for a new look, nothing else. I like old look better but whatever, same liquid.

With that said - prices in any distillery/heritage centers are always a few bucks more over any local liquor store. Not sure what EC12 goes for in Kentucky but in Brooklyn, NY I can easily locate it for $23 so buying 10 for $28 each makes no sense to me at all.

As for EC23 - when in KY I found a bottle in "hole in the wall" store 40 miles from Louisville, KY for $250. BUUUUT I was lucky to find it, chances are that there's not many of them available so paying $279 is still a good deal based on bottles rarity/availability.

With that said I'd go for EC23 if I was in your shoes.

p.s. Everything I wrote above is strictly based on cost/availability in my neck of the woods, your local pries could be much different of course. Also - if you don't like very aged stuff EC23 is just not for you no matter the cost. It's very woody and leathery, completely different ball game in comparison to 6-10yo anything.


Yea, I don't actually by at the Heritage center, I get it for $23 or 25 in Louisville when on sale.
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby RandyG » Sat Sep 26, 2015 2:40 am

I'll go against the grain a little here and say, if I knew exactly what the bottle of 23 tastes like, and it was really exceptional, then I would buy the 23.

I know the heritage center has a tasting after the tours, but are the tastings that of the same juice they are selling?

RG
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Re: Which bourbon deal would you do?

Unread postby Vital » Sat Sep 26, 2015 8:47 pm

RandyG wrote:I'll go against the grain a little here and say, if I knew exactly what the bottle of 23 tastes like, and it was really exceptional, then I would buy the 23.

I know the heritage center has a tasting after the tours, but are the tastings that of the same juice they are selling?

RG


Yes. They offer a "high end" tasting which includes 4 pours (if I remember correctly) one of which is EC23
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