Gary’s Blog

Old Forester Distillery Tour

/ / Distillery Tours, Gary's Blog
Old Forester Distillery sign

Old Forester Distilling Co.

119 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202
Website

I’ve toured all of the major distilleries in Kentucky that offer public tours (many of which aren’t right by a major city), so was excited when Brown-Forman opened the Old Forester Distillery in downtown Louisville in June 2018. No, this isn’t where all of the Old Forester on the shelves is being made, but it is much more than a micro-still.

They offer many different tours, although I have to admit I was disappointed when reviewing them on their website. I would have loved to have done their ‘Taste Through History’ tour – except when looking at availability – there were only four days (yes, FOUR) in the remainder of 2019 when it was being offered – and we weren’t going to be in Louisville on those days. (NOTE: a month after our visit, I had the opportunity to attend a ‘Taste Through History‘ event in Atlanta with Master Taster Jackie Zykan – and that was all it was cracked up to be!  While she couldn’t facilitate these on a regular basis at the distillery, I hope they consider having alternatives offer this more frequently there!)

They also offered a ‘119 Tour’ . . . or at least talk about it on their website (there are no upcoming dates as of this writing, and were none a month earlier when I was booking my tour). All of that disappointment aside, we made reservations (which they strongly encourage) for the basic ‘Old Forester Distillery Tour’. These tours are offered every 15 minutes during the available hours (last tour begins an hour before they close). The price is $16 per person on Tues-Sat, and $12 per on Sunday and Monday ($4 off for minors, active duty military, and vets; $2 off for seniors).

I booked for a 4:15pm tour on a Friday in late April for my father and I. This was to be our last stop after doing three tours earlier (some actual distillery tours, some ‘experience’ tours; will share details later). We’d been on our feet since 9:30am, aside from some drive time and sitting. All that said, we were excited as we’re both fans of Old Forester’s products. We arrived a bit early, and they were able to squeeze us into the 4pm tour with no trouble, which we appreciated.

You start out with the tour guide providing some history of the building, and of bourbon in America in general (reminding us of the horrors of prohibition, etc) before starting a short but informative video. After this, you’re ushered into the next room where they explain the basics of bourbon (51% corn, new charred oak containers, etc) and tout the limestone filtered water of Kentucky. They explain the grains used (their mashbill is 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% barley) and how the process extracts sugars from the grain to be fermented into alcohol.

Next you walk up to their four fermenters, each with mash at different ages allowing the guests to smell how a 3 day old mash fermenting smells more like a sour dough bread compared to a newly started mash, which is a more sweet cereal aroma. They explain the process, how coils help maintain the temperature to keep the yeast happy, how the activity you see is really the carbon dioxide being produced, and so forth.

Following this you’re taken to a glass elevator and ride up directly behind their 44-foot copper column still as they begin to explain the process of distillation. You exit the elevator and walk around to where if the still was running you’d see the spirit coming off, and where quality control can check the proof (which their target proof for the heart of the run is 140 proof). During our tour the still wasn’t running, but I’ve seen new make before, so this wasn’t a big deal for me. The still has a capacity far beyond what they’re running through it (currently they’re filling up to 14 barrels a day when running). They explain the cuts (heads, tails, etc) and why that’s all necessary, and then turn to the on-site cooperage.

This is where the Old Forester distillery tour is significantly different from the other urban distilleries (and frankly, even most major distilleries). If you tour Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, Maker’s Mark, or Barton – you won’t see barrels being produced as they purchase barrels from a cooperage (which if you ever have an opportunity to tour Independent Stave’s Kentucky Cooperage in Lebanon, KY – I’d recommend it!) Note that this is not a critque of those fine distilleries; just a fact.  Historically it wasn’t such a great idea to have an industrial process that involves firing wood next to an industrial process producing highly flammable spirits (or aging those same spirits!)  But if you’ve never seen how a barrel is made, the Old Forester Distillery Tour gives you that opportunity.

(This is only a portion, not showing barrel assembly or toasting)

Their limited capacity allows them to construct 14 barrels a day, so you won’t see every stage ‘in action’. But they leave a barrel at each stage so you’re not looking at an empty station, and the tour guide can step you through what is being done from assembly, to toasting, to firing, and so forth. Their web-site states that “One member of each tour group will activate the charring process by ‘igniting’ the inside of a new, white oak barrel.”, and I don’t doubt this claim – although it does raise a question as to whether they re-char the same barrel, or are bringing in extra barrels to be charred (as there are more than 14 tours a day). Regardless, it is pretty freaking cool to see, and smell.

After the cooperage portion, you’re escorted through a visualization of how much color the spirit takes on in the wood over time, which is a nice segue as you enter their ‘urban rickhouse’. While you do get some of the aroma, it isn’t the same as walking into a traditional rickhouse. This is climate controlled, and only holds 800-900 barrels. They’re producing more than that on-site, so some of the filled barrels are taken to other rickhouses (or rackhouses if you prefer), while some are kept here. This allows them to experiment with how climate control impacts the same distillate over a period of time, besides providing a nice tour experience. They explain a bit about how factors involved in maturation (higher temps in the higher ricks and such), and step you through the dumping and filtration process.

Next you see the bottling line, which again may or may not be running during your tour but shows that final step in the process before the tasting. The standard tour includes fairly standard pours to taste. Ours included Old Forester 86 proof, Old Forester Statesman, and Old Forester Signature 100 proof (whose label no longer calls out “Signature”, but bygones). I’d had all three before, but the tasting was well organized with all three presented in Glencairn nosing glasses with a glass of water and some pretzels for each taster, along with a small water dropper. Our tour guide (Sarah, who by the way did an excellent job; one of the better distillery tours I’d been on) walked everyone through how to nose whiskey (keeping your mouth slightly opened), and how just 3 drops of water can open up a whiskey.

After the tasting, you’re taken through the gift shop (of course!) although this gives you an up close and personal look at their column still.  On a lovely day like we had, the blue sky really makes for a lovely view.

All things considered, I’d highly recommend their tour.  There are several tours or ‘experiences’ in Louisville (and I’ll work on providing write-ups on those in the future), but I found this to be the most comprehensive by far.  If someone who isn’t a whisk(e)y geek and only wanted to visit ONE of these during a trip to the city, hands down this would be the one I’d go with.

Cheers!
Gary

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Old Forester – Taste Through History

/ / Bourbon, Gary's Blog

Old Forester – Taste Through History
with Master Taster Jackie Zykan

Thursday, May 30th 2019 – $15 per person
Tower Tasting Room
5877 Buford Highway, Suite A
Doraville, GA 30340
We would like to thank Brown-Forman and Weber Shandwick for the complimentary invitation to the event!

Event Description
Please join us for a tasting of Old Forester and a chance to meet Master Taster Jackie Zykan.
We will be sampling:
1910 Old Fine Whiskey
1870 Original Batch
1897 Bottled in Bond
1920 Prohibition Style

Event Review

The Tower Tasting Room sits off the side of Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits in Doraville, GA, with an independent entrance from the retail store. They host various events such as this, and if you’re local to Atlanta, I’d recommend checking in from time to time. I’ve attended a couple of tasting events here and at their other location, and they have a really nice setup.

Each participant was welcomed with bottled water,  7 samples placed over an image of the originating bottle, and some brief tasting notes – seen below.  I’d estimate that the samples were 1/3 to 1/2 ounce each, and all were covered with paper prior to the event kicking off.
Old Forester Taste Through History
We also received an Old Forester pen, a small Moleskine, and cards for each of the products on the placemat (along with one for Old Forester The Statesmen). Appreciated the cards since those were easier to take with than the placemat.  Also thankful for the Moleskine, as while I had thought to bring my own pen – I forgot a notebook!
Old Forester Taste Through History Swag
A representative from Old Forester/Brown-Forman did a nice introduction to Jackie Zykan, the Master Taster at Old Forester – including ‘What does a Master Taster do?’ which is a question I had coming into the event. I’ve met many Master Distillers over the years, including Chris Morris (Master Distiller for Brown-Forman, which makes Old Forester along with Woodford Reserve, Early Times, and Jack Daniels), but wasn’t familiar with this role. Easiest explanation offered was ‘Chris Morris oversees what goes into the barrel, Jackie oversees what comes out’. She’s involved in barrel selection for their Whiskey Row series, leading their private barrel program, and also leads the Birthday Bourbon proofing tasting (where they taste what will be bottled as Birthday Bourbon at every proof starting at 86 on up to identify the best proof point for that batch).  Jackie’s background includes an education in chemistry and biology, and she started bar-tending before working her way up to a beverage director role, and ultimately where she is now.

She introduced each product, explaining first the historical context and significance of the year, and what they were aiming to represent with each.  We’ve done reviews on almost all (working on getting the last one later this month!) so will skip the tasting details but share some of the notes from the history lesson.

1870 Original Batch

– Brown-Forman created Old Forester as a non-distilling producer, batching barrels from three different distilleries to create a consistent profile (they bought the Mattingly distillery in 1901-1902 and begin distilling for themselves).
– This offering is the smallest batch of Old Forester produced (excluding ‘single barrel’ obviously), with only 21 barrels – 7 barrels selected from 3 different warehouses (all distilled by OF, but to get different flavor profiles).
– The average age of barrels batched for this are 4 1/2 to 5 yrs.

1897 Bottled In Bond

– 1897 is when the U.S. Bottled-in-Bond Act was passed, which George Garvin Brown wasn’t a fan of. The intent was to ensure quality – which they had been doing for the last 27 years already. But now they couldn’t bottle the same product with this new ‘quality ensured label’ (to be labeled Bottled-in-Bond, the whiskey must all be produced from the same distillery during the same distilling season, etc).
– This batch (and all other Whiskey Row series products, other than 1870 Original Batch) is comprised of 100 barrels or less.

1910 Old Fine Whisky

– In 1910 there was a fire (not their offices, but a neighbor) which caused their bottling line to be shut down. Waiting to be bottled was a vat of mature whisky already brought down to 100 proof to be bottled. They couldn’t let it sit indefinitely, so they had to put it back into new, charred oak barrels until the bottling line was repaired.
– As the flavor profile of this was different from the Old Forester which was bottled-in-bond, they didn’t label this whisky as Old Forester and instead labeled it as Very Fine Old Whisky to avoid confusion.
– This is the only Old Forester expression that is double-barreled.
– Standard Old Forester barrels are charred for 22 seconds; the second barrels used here are charred for 60 seconds!
– Barrels are dumped at 4.5 to 5 yrs, and cut to 100 proof before going into the second barrel.
– Bottled at 93 proof because frankly – it tasted best at that proof.

1920 Prohibition Style

– During Prohibition, the only whisky made was for medicinal purposes, and was bottled at 100 proof. But with the 1897 Bottled in Bond, wanted to showcase to consumers how it would have tasted straight from the barrel. Back in 1920, their archives show that the proof coming out of the barrels was 115 (note that it was only 100 proof going INTO the barrels back then; today it is 125 proof).
– Side note:  I asked Jackie if they have experimented with going into the barrel at a lower proof and might offer such an expression in the future. Understandably she couldn’t talk about future products but did share that they experiment with a lot of different things – and she would love to see them have an offering that goes in at a lower proof, as this would create a sweeter bourbon based on chemistry and stuff (my interpretation; I couldn’t write fast enough to capture the actual chemistry explanation!)  While likely delicious, it would be a more expensive bourbon as you’re getting fewer proof-gallons as a result (and the barrel is the most expensive component). Crossing my fingers that we’ll see some limited bottling of Old Forester in the future (maybe ‘100 Proof In & Out?’)

Rye

– While Old Forester never made a rye until their new product, they have bought other brands and recipes, and in 1940 owned the recipe for Normandy Rye (hence why it follows the 1920 on the timeline). The mashbill of 65% rye, 20% malted barley and 15% corn is unique, and Jackie explained that they tested 30 different recipes before settling on this one. A big factor was wanting to avoid the need for added enzymes, as rye can create a foamy mess while fermenting. The higher barley content allows them to avoid the added enzymes, and also adds some unique flavors.

86 Proof

– During the 1950s, there was an explosion of ‘blended whisky’, which can include straight bourbon blended with ‘grain neutral spirits’ to make a lighter spirit in both color and flavor. The 86 proof Old Forester was introduced to meet this market demand. Barrels for this are pulled on their 4th birthday – as young as they can bottle without including an age statement.

100 Proof

– Formerly called Old Forester Signature, this product was introduced during the early 1990s, thanks to the 1980s. Bourbon buffs are familiar with that period, where bourbon wasn’t selling as well and stocks were piling up. Because you can’t sell as ‘bottled-in-bond’ if you have barrels from different distilling seasons, these barrels that were older couldn’t be used in that product so they created Old Forester Signature – bottled at 100 proof but including barrels of various ages.
– Jackie shared that when they are selecting barrels for Birthday Bourbon each year (which are typically 9 to 13 yrs old), the barrels that don’t quite make the cut for that wind up in Old Forester Signature.

While not on the tasting mat, after the conclusion of the Taste Through History they offered a sample of Old Forester Statesman, a bourbon created for the movie  The Kingsman: The Golden Circle.  I enjoyed it, but after 7 prior samples couldn’t capture detailed enough notes (although received a sample later, which is reviewed here!)

Beyond the history lesson and some insights into each product, I also learned:

1. All Old Forester whisky is non-chill filtered.

2. While Old Forester and Woodford Reserve both use the same mashbill of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley, the barrels used are seasoned differently for Woodford Reserve.

3. The story behind the odd-bottle used in Birthday Bourbon? When they first had the idea of the expression, to release it around George Garvin Brown’s birthday in early September, they were limited to what they could get on about 3 months notice. They didn’t want to use the same bottles used in Old Forester to ensure this differentiated itself. Process of elimination left they with really one choice – what it has been bottled in since.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and learned a fair amount too (including where to eat when I finally get to Lynchburg, TN to visit Jack Daniels – Jackie recommended Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House as a can’t miss!)  Hope if you have the chance to attend a similar event, you’re able to carve out some time (and get a ticket, as these apparently sell out quickly!)

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Any given whisk(e)y on any given Sunday

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I’m sure most have heard the phrase “On any given Sunday“, which is a short version of “On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team“.  In my experience, the same can be said about whisk(e)y . . . to some extent. “Any” is probably too generous (I can’t imagine the day when I would find Buffalo Trace more to my liking than George T Stagg), but there are absolutely days when I like a particular whisk(e)y more or less.

We’ve talked about the variables that impact whisk(e)y, but the dram is only a part of the equation – lest we forget about the drinker and the environment. When it comes to the drinker – there are a lot of things that could impact what WE sense, including time of day, what we’ve had to eat prior, how hydrated we are, if we’re suffering from seasonal allergies, if we’ve got (or are just overcoming) a head-cold, or any number of other things.  It’s easy to know when you’ve got a cold, but there are days I feel perfectly fine, have poured a dram that I’m fairly familiar with, and it doesn’t taste right to me.  Maybe I get the herbal notes but I’m missing most of the sweetness (I personally find this happens after a head-cold – sometimes for a week or more).  Or I get a bit of everything I expect to, but it feels like the volume was turned down.  Sometimes I get almost nothing but alcohol – which is when I pour it back in the bottle and tap out for the day.

Let me share a quick story.  I’m with a gathering of whisk(e)y friends, where we’ve got 30+ bottles on the table and everyone is welcome to sample whatever you want. There’s been food, drink, and some cigar smoking on the back porch, as well as plenty of laughs. Someone brings out a decanter that is damned impressive looking, and passes it around – but isn’t saying what it is. I think to myself that it might be one of the best pours I’ve had all night. It strikes me as well balanced, sweet with fruit, oak, and spice notes, and a finish that doesn’t quit. After much debate about what this marvelous dram was, he discloses it was ‘just Macallan 12 yr’ in a decanter that cost more than the bottle of whisk(e)y.

My point is this: our enjoyment of the water of life is about more than the liquid itself.  While the spirit is important, take time to appreciate the setting, and savor those moments spent with friends and family over a glass of the water of life.  When I think of my most fond whisk(e)y memories, the first thing I recall is who I was with – not necessarily what we were drinking.

Cheers!
Gary

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“I love bourbon, but can’t get into Scotch? Why?”

/ / Gary's Blog

First, while both bourbon and scotch are “whisk(e)y”, they’re very different products. Expecting to enjoy one just because you enjoy the other would be like expecting to enjoy grapefruit juice because you enjoy apple juice (I mean, they are both fruit juices, right?)  Sure – there are loads of folks who happen to enjoy both (including me!) but a fondness for one isn’t a strong predictor necessarily of how one feels about the other.  I know plenty of folks who love one group intensely, and scratch their heads over what the fuss is all about over the other.

I believe this question may come from a misplaced expectation that they’ll be somewhat similar. If you love bourbon and are hoping to find what you love about bourbon in a scotch – you’re probably setting yourself up to be disappointed. The opposite is just as true; someone who loves a delicate, fruity, smokey single malt and is looking for that same profile in a bourbon is likely to have their expectations fall short.

Let’s cover some of the major differences between these two broad categories of whisk(e)y:

1. GRAINS
  • Bourbon includes by law a minimum of 51% corn in its mashbill.  Typically it is higher than that – 60-70% corn – with the remainder consisting of other grains (such as wheat or rye, and barley). Each of these grains have different purposes, characteristics and impart different flavors. Compare products that are a majority of one grain (like Mellow Corn BIB, Bernheim Wheat or Rittenhouse Rye) with Evan Williams and you get the idea. The proportion of these grains in the mashbill provide unique character to different bourbons (along with a bunch of other factors).
  • Scotch (single malt at least) is made with barley – period. No other grains involved. Blended scotch or single grain scotch whisky may use other grains, so let’s set those aside for now.  While barley is often a grain in many bourbon mashbills, it is typically the smallest grain component (like 12% or less).
2. WOOD
  • Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak containers (almost always a barrel, but the regs state “container”). This is a critical point, as the charring of that new oak leads to the caramelization of the natural sugars in the wood. As the spirit moves in and out of the wood during the aging period, it is picking up flavors from that caramelization, such as vanilla and caramel. It also gets its dark color from moving in/out of the charred oak.  This is why a 4 yr old bourbon will almost always have more color than any 4 yr old scotch (assuming no artificial color is added – which is allowed in scotch but NOT in bourbon).
  • Scotch is rarely aged in new oak and is typically aged in used barrels. This makes a huge difference in terms of how quickly the spirit takes on color and flavor, as well as what flavors. Yet another facet is how those barrels were previously used. Because bourbon requires the use of a new barrel, there are a LOT of barrels which previously held bourbon on the market, and a lot of them wind up holding scotch. But scotch can also be aged in barrels which once held sherry, port, and other products. These products each impart different flavors and characters on the spirit. For example, sherry casks give a lot of deep color and dark fruit flavors (and whether it is the first fill of a sherry cask vs a second or even third fill will have an impact).  While these used barrels are charred again to ensure there aren’t ugly baddies taking up shop in the wood, this won’t have the same affect as when the wood is new (the sugars were already caramelized the first go round, and have given up some portion of what they have to offer).  Oh – and a “single malt scotch” may consists of whisky aged in different containers blended together in the final product.
3. CLIMATE
  • Bourbon has to be made in the United States by law, and the overwhelming majority of it is produced in Kentucky – which sits between 36th and 39th parallel (the entire continental US runs from the 25th to the 49th parallel). Bardstown, the “bourbon capital of the world” (just ask anyone from Bardstown; they’ll confirm this is THEIR title), sees average high temps ranging from 43°F in January to 87°F in July, with a typical swing of 20-25 degrees between the average lows and highs each month. What that has to do with bourbon is how much that spirit goes into and out of the wood. Keep in mind that within those rickhouses, the summer temps get considerably hotter in the summer (and vary based on location within the rickhouse), and maintain more steady temps in the winter – but let’s set that aside for the sake of a more direct comparison to scotch. Besides going in/out of the wood, the temps (along with some other factors like humidity, etc) tend to drive the proof of the whiskey up in casks aged higher in the rickhouses.
  • Scotch has to be made in Scotland by law, and the mainland all sits between the 55th and 59th parallel – only a slightly larger zone than Kentucky (but much further north!) Just for the sake of comparison, let’s look at Glasgow’s climate. Their average low temp is also 43°F in January, but in July their average high is only 66°F – about half the jump that Bardstown sees! As important as that, they see a typical swing of only 7-12 degrees between their average low and high temps. This all means that the spirit is interacting with the wood a lot more slowly. Besides taking longer for the cask to impart flavors, it provides for more of an impact from oxidation and good ol’ time. Coupled with humidity and other factors, the proof tends to go down in the whisky as it ages – which is one reason you don’t see a lot of “high proof” scotch compared to bourbon.

Now there are absolutely other differences between these two (notice how I’m avoiding peat entirely?)  In fact, if you’re curious about what other variables impact a whiskey, Richard did a great job of listing many more here.  When you start combining just the three mentioned above – hopefully it is clear why these whiskies are so different. In my opinion, those differences aren’t a disappointment in any way/shape/form.  They’re wonderful and should be celebrated!

At the end of the day – it is perfectly OK to not like one or the other (or either, although I’m not sure why you’re reading this if that’s the case). It shouldn’t be a chore to “like” something for crying out loud (in-laws and co-workers excluded). But I hope you’ll continue to try new things because that’s the only way to learn what you will or won’t like. Keep an open mind going in, and most importantly – have fun. A wise old man once told me “If you’re having fun, you’re doing it right”. I’m not sure exactly how wise he is, but on that note I think he got it exactly right.

Cheers!
Gary

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Trying Before Buying . . . (a whole bottle)

/ / Gary's Blog

I’ve shared some thoughts on how to guestimate if you might like something that you’ve never tried before, and admitted there that the only foolproof method IS to try it.  But – trying doesn’t means you have to run out and buy an entire bottle.

If you’re just starting out on your whiskey journey, the good news is that you can find a lot of brands offered in “mini” bottles (50 mL; the size you get on an airplane).  Some stores have a pretty wide selection, others not so much.  Now you’re paying a premium when buying a smaller size, but I’d much rather spend $4 on a 50 mL of something and discover I don’t like it than spend $25 on a 750 mL of the same with the same results.  The availability varies based on location, so I’ll focus here on bourbon to illustrate.

Between Georgia and Kentucky (the two states where I’ve made the majority of my whiskey purchases), I’ve seen the following offered in 50 mL mini bottles – typically for $4 or less:

Jim Beam white label, Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey 101, Evan Williams black label, Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniel’s (spare me the ‘not a bourbon’ emails please), Buffalo Trace, Larceny, Old Forester, and Bulleit bourbon.

Some larger retailers (especially in Kentucky) carry a selection of some higher-end labels in 50 mL minis, which may run $5-$10, but again – same logic applies.  Examples I’ve seen include:

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Baker’s, Booker’s, Four Roses Single Barrel, Knob Creek, Wild Turkey Rare Breed, and Blanton’s.

Most premium whiskies (which for this definition I’ll say are $90 or more for a 700/750 mL bottle) unfortunately aren’t offered in “mini” bottles.  Hell, most aren’t offered in any size other than the standard bottle (700/750 mL), although sometimes you’re pleasantly surprised.  Switching styles to scotch – there is a Johnnie Walker sampler pack with 4 200 mL bottles, including Johnnie Walker Blue Label (locally, this runs about $100).  I looked for that as I wanted to try Johnnie Walker Blue, but didn’t want to spend on a full price bottle (and while paying a premium, the chance to have several visits across their lineup was a lot of fun, and well worth it).

Now you can also try something at a bar or restaurant (also known as “on-premise”) before buying a whole bottle, but have you done the math for what that premium cost?  It isn’t an exact science (and there are different strategies involved, wholesale pricing, etc) – and this isn’t a complaint about on-premise mark-up either (they’ve got labor costs involved, insurance, etc).  But typically the product component is running 20-30% of the price you pay.  For example – one local bar pours 2 oz of Buffalo Trace for $10 (so $5/oz).  A full bottle (25 oz+) runs around $25 – so the retail cost is about $1/oz.  Now sometimes as the product cost increases, the mark-up decreases since the labor costs are really the same (again, NOT in the on-premise business; understand there are all sorts of strategies, market demand, etc).  I’ve seen Johnnie Walker Blue poured for $50 (and $75).  That’s a lot of coin, but again – if I hadn’t ever tried it, even $75 is a lot less than $200-$250 for a bottle (especially if I’m underwhelmed).  So that’s another option to try something before you buy – although personally I reserve that for the more premium offerings.

While most high-end labels aren’t available in the smaller sizes, I recently came across an exception:  Peerless Rye 24 month.  Now while I enjoyed the whiskey, the price (offered around $125, then discounted to $99, and now in some areas down to $69) I think is absurd.  Yes, it is an interesting whiskey to try if you’re a whiskey geek, but an expensive proposition.  So I was floored when browsing a local retailer and I saw they were offering 200 mL bottles of Peerless Rye 24 month for $28.  If I hadn’t tried that before, I absolutely would have bought one just to satisfy my curiosity.

“Wait . . . $28 for a 200 mL?  Seriously?”

Absolutely.  Hear me out – the premium you pay for a 200 mL size is typically 35% to 75%.  For example – Maker’s Mark goes for $10 for a 200 mL while a 750 mL is $22.50; a 67% premium when you calculate the price per mL.  The Peerless Rye 24 month has been going for $100 for a 750 mL.  At the 200 mL pricing, there is barely any premium (5%).  Even when they drop the price to $70; the premium you’re paying is 50%, which isn’t out of the norm.

Now I haven’t gone searching for Peerless Rye at local bars, but if I found it there, and their pricing is based on the new reduced rate of $70, depending upon how they set their price (which is a whole other thing; I get it) I can reasonably expect to pay $20-$25 for a 2 oz pour.  If I’m going to spend $20-$25 for 2 oz (just shut of 60 mL), why wouldn’t I spend $28 and get more than three times that amount?  Not only is it a better price, but with 200 mL I can revisit it multiple times, and better control my tasting environment.  Hell, I could test it in several cocktails, neat, etc.

The Peerless Rye example is an exception to be sure, but a great example of where buying small can save you some money – especially when you’re trying to figure out what you like or don’t like.  I made the mistake when starting out of buying a lot of bottles, only to discover I wasn’t crazy about some – and was stuck with 90% of a bottle.  Yeah, you can mix it in cocktails or cook with it – but life’s too short to have to find ways to get rid of whiskey you just don’t enjoy.

Some other alternatives to consider based on your situation:

    1. Find a whiskey society/club in your area!  These vary greatly in terms of how they work, what they do and don’t do.  I’ve attended function for one where you pay a reasonable fee for some snacks (sometimes a meal) and a tasting of 4-6 various pours (typically a 1/3 oz, but again – this can vary).  I belong to one where it is quite informal, and fellow enthusiasts gather together and share what they care to.  The generosity of this type of group can be (and still is to this day) humbling, and some of the most fun you can have legally and dressed.
    2. Split a bottle with friends!  Maybe you don’t have a club or society, but if you’ve got a couple of friends who are just as keenly interested as you are, but everyone is gun shy about buying a whole bottle “just to find out” – figure out some arrangement to split the cost.  Hell – a $120 bottle split three ways is only $40 for 8 oz (which is likely what you’d pay for a shot in a bar – so splurge and have the opportunity to try it in various settings, neat or on the rocks, in a cocktail, etc.)
    3. Amazon wish-list.  Ok – I’ll admit I’ve done this before when there was something I was interested in, but too cheap to spring for.  Granted – most of my family would rather not buy me another bottle of whiskey for a birthday or Christmas present, so I’d put this at the bottom of my list – but it has worked (although keep in mind pricing expectations and effort; don’t put something down that isn’t fairly easily attainable, and is in whatever price range you’d spend on them!)

Cheers!
Gary

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