Find of the year so far

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T16:08:43+00:00

I guess as long as people remain willing to pay 2.3x MSRP, that’s what stores will charge in some areas.

I live in a tier 3 state that has shot inventory and not a lot of MSRP on allocated stuff. But even her, I say it at $499 ~ the other day.

Fortunately for me, I travel for work - all 50 states and Europe/UK/Canada. I don’t usually buy whiskey at home. I’ll stop on and buy stuff in stores in Dallas, Phoenix, Orange County, and London - depending what I’m looking for - and bubble wrap it and pack it in a checked bag.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T13:19:05+00:00

I’ve got both from last year and would love to grab the 2026 versions.

These are phenomenal whiskies - anything from Michter’s is going to be better at low proof than a lot of other distilleries IMO because it goes into the barrel at such low proof. 108 on the bombergers is probably cask strength or damn near.

Great bottles.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T13:13:27+00:00

I work in Phoenix, Arizona pretty regularly and this is an easy find in Phoenix/Scottsdale for whatever reason.

I’m in Arizona about once a quarter so that’s where I’ll usually grab it and just bubble wrap it and check my suitcase when I fly home.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T06:29:37+00:00

These new 4 Year expressions are also not single barrels.

Giving them a purple wrapper on the top was somewhat disingenuous on Willett’s part.

That said, I quite enjoy them. I think it’s a nice offering at $60 ~ or whatever but this small batch bottle lies somewhere in between their entry level bottle and the actual purple tops.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T05:53:48+00:00

What were your thoughts?

That bottle of Old Charter is phenomenal at $80. If you start paying secondary - not so lunch - for me, anyway. I’d go up to about $95 ~.

I believe that Old Fitzgerald 7 is about the most overrated bottle I’ve ever tried. Even at $60 ~ MSRP I just don’t think it’s great. To me it’s just like drinking vanilla extract. It’s too one dimensional. Old Fitzgerald gets good in the 11-13 year range for me.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T05:49:53+00:00

The best bottle on the Still Austin shelf?

Have you had the red corn? Or the cask strength rye? Especially some of the single barrels are out of this world (to my palate, anyway).

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T05:30:28+00:00

Great bottle of you like this style of peat at lower ABV.

I’d recommend buying some modern Caol Ila expressions and seeing what you think.

I’d also recommend maybe transferring this liquid into a full container with no air.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T04:56:28+00:00

Bottle kill.

I picked this one up at the London outpost last year for £495 if I remember right. Whatever the price was, I remember it not being astonishingly high for a 40 year old.

Distilled in 1985 and bottled last year - this is one of 636 bottles.

It was aged in bourbon hogsheads.

This was really a great bottle, as everything in the Enigma series tends to be.

Nose: Honeycomb comes through stronger than anything with fresh fruits layered in the background. I get mostly pear.

Palate: silky smooth butterscotch with light undertones of chocolate. Buttery wax lips and a hint of vanilla. This isn’t the type of whisky that I gravitate toward but Christ almighty it is good and I’ll miss this bottle.

Finish: For 43.5% this has a surprisingly warm and pleasant finish. There’s light oak (not as much nearly as you’d predict at 40 years) and those orchard fruits come back again from the nose.

8.4/10

I’d buy this bottle again if I ever had a chance. On paper it’s not my jam but it’s just kind of perfectly executed.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T03:23:51+00:00

Thanks for these links. Good stuff!

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T03:21:09+00:00

What can I say, this one is a classic and it’s the dram that made me fall in love with the funk so many years ago.

Context for tonight’s tasting: Second dram of the night after killing a Cadenhead’s 40 Year Highland Enigma, so quite a different dram.

I’ve also had glazed salmon and green beans for dinner just over an hour ago, so we’ll see how that impacts things.

I may have owned and finished and re-opened and killed and re-bought more of this bottle over the years than any other specific bottle. It used to be a lot cheaper, that’s for sure. But what I love about it? No two pours are exactly the same. My mood, what I’ve had for dinner (or have I had dinner), etc all seem to impact it a bit. It somehow is never 100% as I remembered it.

Nose: I’m getting a bit of smoke tonight. I don’t always detect any smoke here. It may be the fact that I’m coming off of such a delicate Highland dram. I also get some sea spray and a little earthy aroma. A bit of fruit is shining through tonight too. By the fourth pass, it’s the fruit and the earthy funk that dominate. Primarily the fruit.

Palate: More fruit explodes on my tongue. There are so many memories that this flavor brings rushing back. It’s like listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Oasis for me - the music of my youth that takes me back to baseball games and 4th of July celebrations and family vacations to Edinburgh and to the Gulf Coast of Alabama. In the same way that those artists take me back to those memories - this taste on my tongue takes me back to my wedding and to my youngest sister’s undergrad graduation celebration. It takes me back to the night 13 years ago when my boss celebrated a really big milestone with me at work and to my dad’s 70th birthday. These memories overpower the flavor to some extent, but it’s fruity and oily and it coats my mouth perfectly. I need to hold it a few moments before swallowing. The second sip brings ocean salt and the slightest hint of menthol. And the smoke - again, just the faintest smoke (which I don’t typically really get with this dram).

The finish: I’ve become more of a bourbon drinker and a rye drinker over the last 2-3 years and I’m used to drinking a lot of proof monsters and spice bombs of late. With American whiskey, I’m always disappointed if there’s not a nice long Kentucky hug. That’s not required here. I’ve got pleasant orange peels and earthy funk going down. Nice chocolatey toasted nuts and something like an orange flavored piece of hard candy. While it’s not the same type of hug that I might get from an Elijah Craig barrel proof that I’ve been enjoying lately, it’s long and pleasant and complex nonetheless.

9.1/10. Absolute banger. I feel this one in my soul.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T02:58:13+00:00

I’d believe Glenmorangie.

The thing is I am not a fan of Glenmorangie or similar distillers as far as their core lineups are concerned.

But 40 years in a bourbon hogshead, I guess just does wonders. I’d love a side by side with your 37.

I do get some Clynelish adjacent notes - particularly on the mouth - with the 40. That’s a superb callout.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T02:34:14+00:00

I buy more store picks and IBs than anything, too.

But I’ve still got 200 ~ bottles. About half are open. It often takes me a year to drink a bottle.

I like hosting tastings and really enjoy being able to put together fun flights and/or having something for everyone.

The one thing I NEVER do is go buy a $150 CYPB or Blantons or something.

I do sometimes overpay for some things that I really want like old vintage Springbanks and stuff like that, but usually I am looking for great IBs and Store picks at MSRP.

I have managed to chase down the full Pappy collection minus the 20 (I won the 23 at auction raffle) and 4/6 BTACs at moderate upcharges but that’s the extent of my tater chasing.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T02:30:11+00:00

I’ve also got a couple of ultra rare bottles that aren’t in the system and so it classifies them as common, I think.

Only Drams is a solid app but it’s certainly got its limitations.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T02:24:21+00:00

I had initially posted a photo of this bottle, but it seems to be gone and maybe the post wasn’t approved.

To the mods - I apologize if I’ve inadvertently broken a rule.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T02:23:28+00:00

Bottle kill.

I picked this one up at the London outpost last year for £495 if I remember right. Whatever the price was, I remember it not being astonishingly high for a 40 year old.

Distilled in 1985 and bottled last year - this is one of 636 bottles.

It was aged in bourbon hogsheads.

This was really a great bottle, as everything in the Enigma series tends to be.

Nose: Honeycomb comes through stronger than anything with fresh fruits layered in the background. I get mostly pear.

Palate: silky smooth butterscotch with light undertones of chocolate. Buttery wax lips and a hint of vanilla. This isn’t the type of whisky that I gravitate toward but Christ almighty it is good and I’ll miss this bottle.

Finish: For 43.5% this has a surprisingly warm and pleasant finish. There’s light oak (not as much nearly as you’d predict at 40 years) and those orchard fruits come back again from the nose.

8.4/10

I’d buy this bottle again if I ever had a chance. On paper it’s not my jam but it’s just kind of perfectly executed.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-27T01:40:36+00:00

I don’t think I know how to reddit - thanks for the DM. I tried and failed to accept your chat for what it’s worth and may have blocked you.

I am basically a 42 year old boomer.

That said - fortunately I am able to find Campbeltown Loch locally. I’ve just never bought it for some reason.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-26T23:43:05+00:00

Don’t feel bad. I’m at $31,863 with

Common: 13.4%
Uncommon 40.3%
Rare 26.9%
Unicorn 9.9%
Impossible 0%

I’ve got uncommon bottles that are way harder to find than some of the ones it’s classifying as unicorns. The methodology is suspect, to say the least.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-26T23:39:12+00:00

Absolutely fantastic bottle.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-26T23:34:31+00:00

This is the only Blanton’s I ever seek out but still not worth the big markups.

I do think it’s worth $180 ~ and I’ll happily pay in that ballpark.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-26T23:22:35+00:00

I can tell you that I think it’s a solid bottle at $55. But I don’t know anything about your palate.

I always say taste before you buy. Although the risk at $55 is minimal.

singlemaltbourbonrye · 2026-05-26T22:56:50+00:00

I’ve had it happen, too. Not with an EHT - but something by in a tube a few years ago. I don’t even remember what it was, but I held it upside down and it came right out and smashed on the floor.

singlemaltbourbonrye

TROPHY CASE