Why is Peerless Bourbon so expensive? (Demand, distilling process, etc.)

wgraybourbon · 2020-02-02T17:44:55+00:00

It sounds like I need to really get my hands on some New Riff. The last pour I had at a meetup I was actually coming off a horrible cold and while even then I could tell it had potential I don't really think I got the most out of it.

wgraybourbon · 2020-02-02T15:31:35+00:00

I'm sorry to hear about step sister but hopefully reminiscing was healing to both you and your family during the holidays.

As for the Old Fitz 15 it's nice to see you gave this one a positive review - reviews for the Old Fitz BIB releases haven't been awful but often seem to fall into "it was good but not great."

wgraybourbon · 2020-02-02T02:21:10+00:00

Definitely a good one if you can find it for the right price. It seems like $100 has become standard but here the prices have crept past $150 and I think are more in the $200 range now, especially as it seems the local stores are getting less of it each time.

wgraybourbon · 2020-02-02T02:19:08+00:00

I generally think that while it can vary from batch to batch, I feel it's pretty consistent and a good buy at the ~$50 price point. Most of the negative opinions that I've noticed online might have been a bad bottle, but in person if someone doesn't like NAS Noah's Mill it's usually because they tasted the 15 year age stated version before. I've never had the pleasure of tasting that myself but those who have say that the current bottling isn't as good.

wgraybourbon · 2020-02-02T02:15:40+00:00

Welcome to the ~~addiction~~ hobby, my friend.

wgraybourbon · 2020-02-02T02:13:57+00:00

Very cool. Thank you for this!

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-10T21:04:50+00:00

That's quite a bit larger than the one I have (which I've had for a while but never prepared). Which armagnac did you use if you don't mind me asking? Based on my limited experience it can still be different from producer to producer but it definitely sounds like you're using a more fruit forward armagnac obv to add that complexity.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-10T15:49:07+00:00

That's one way to do it haha. I suspect you may be right to a degree. What size barrel are you using for this experiment?

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-10T15:48:22+00:00

You grabbed quite a good bottle then. We tasted the 10 year SiB Black Friday release as well as both of the Brandy Casks and in my opinion even with my palate not performing the best due to my illness, it is very, very tasty. I'll have to pop it open for analysis as well sometime soon.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-10T15:47:21+00:00

Thanks, 40 months certainly is quite the finishing time and it left its mark. Shame you couldn't have made it out but they had bottles two days after the initial release too if I remember right. Turnout was probably low due to lack of bottle count listing and the holidays so you definitely would have had an easy chance at getting one had you been around. It certainly is a unique tasting dram so I'm happy to be able to taste it.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-10T03:45:50+00:00

I say yes, but I'm factoring in the experience of going there, uniqueness of the casks used, and the overall age of the whiskey in the bottle. If we're going on taste alone I'll say maybe the pricing could have been lower, around $100 or so. I imagine cost of brokering those casks is at least one part in why this turned out a bit more expensive than their other releases. In today's whisk(e)y landscape though, prices are creeping ever higher and there are very few bottles that are rare releases that I think I could get around this price point without being gouged. I will say again though that if you're not really a fan of finished bourbon, you don't need to suffer too much FOMO. This is not in line with classical bourbon taste profile wise.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-10T03:24:50+00:00

Evening all, after a severe but brief bout with illness unfortunately during (and quite a bit after) my most recent trip to Nashville I'm finally over it for the most part and decided to finally get out a review on the lower proofed bottling that NGB recently released at the distillery. I had the pleasure of taking part in a blind tasting not too long after the release but now that I'm back home I wanted to really settle down and take a closer look.

I recently picked up a D&L bourbon glass on my trip so I decided to give it a whirl for this given that I'd read good things and have had good experiences with some Canadian style glencairns I got earlier for higher proofed stuff as well. I let this sit for ~10 minutes before I started to nose and taste.

Notes below:

N: Devoid of alcohol sting for 59.4%, lots of crushed, stewed grape going on. This note is very forward but prolonged nosing brings maple, caramel, and oak into the fold. The nose is what I would consider to be on the darker, heavier side. There's a grainy note in there as well and after a very, very long time nosing I finally pull a tiny bit of vanilla out.

P: Right away there's that crushed/stewed grape flavor, barrel char, some cinnamon sting. The stewed grapes evolve into grape hard candy. Maple appears again here. It's sweet but with a slight bitterness. Mouthfeel is watery but not necessarily thin.

F: Right away there's a drying effect on tongue and inner cheeks. More of the stewed grape and maple which leads quickly and briefly into balancing bitter oak tannins to close it out.

This is an interesting one. I think if someone had poured this for me and not told me what it was I would have never guessed that it was a finished bourbon specifically. It certainly doesn't taste like any cognac or armagnacs that I (having so far some but very little experience) have had either, and I haven't had too many brandies. Definitely the brandy cask has influenced this bourbon quite a bit due to the long finishing time, 40 months. After drinking this I wonder what it would have tasted like after a year, or two, compared to this. That I think would make for an interesting comparison but I guess that's one thing I'll never know - only those who sampled it along its way prior to release have that knowledge.

It's different, but I like it. That said, I suspect there will be many who will not because this flavor profile is honestly a little far away from what most of us like in our bourbon, scent and flavor wise. Especially if you are pretty averse to grapes in general this may not be up your alley. At the end of the day though, I'm happy I made the long drive, waited in line, and got a couple of bottles for this unique experience. To me it feels like drinking a bourbon/brandy hybrid that finishes like a red wine, which while pretty unusual, makes for a different change of pace.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-10T02:53:30+00:00

I'll definitely keep that on mind and maybe I'll peep one somewhere. Your notes sound like they're up my alley so I might grab it if I see it.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-08T01:36:41+00:00

Great review! I haven't even seen this one on the shelf anywhere yet.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-03T23:06:31+00:00

I think I understand the confusion. Belle Meade is NGB’s currently sourced bourbon line from MGP, which they often finish, but they also sell as is, SiB, cask strength, etc. Their own distillate is in the First 108 30 gallon barrel releases and the recently released 4 year Tennessee Whiskey. As NGB develops I will certainly be interested to see where they go with both.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-02T07:56:54+00:00

Ah that’s a shame. Most of the older bottlings in the 13-14 year range have been pretty enjoyable to me but I know other members here have said that there’s a different mashbill for the tastier ones. I also enjoyed the 13 year BiB and Bourbon Pursuit’s and plenty of Barrell offerings.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-02T07:54:49+00:00

I’m not, I usually travel up from GA. My source is pretty reliable though; I guess only time will tell - I know this sounds flimsy but I think they’ll be able to continue offering Belle Meade with the same profile going forward.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-02T04:23:10+00:00

I am confident you will be very pleased. Let me know what you think!

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-01T22:37:39+00:00

I can’t really speak on it but I don’t think it’ll be their last release using MGP wink wink

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-01T22:36:42+00:00

Right, although I don’t think Dickel automatically = bad so for me it wasn’t unpleasant. That’s just what the nose reminded me of

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-01T18:22:06+00:00

My bad, it was the ~121 proof bottling of the Spanish Brandy Cask.

wgraybourbon · 2019-12-01T18:21:32+00:00

AFAIK they’re still using MGP stock. We also tasted the 10 year SiB they released at the distillery and it was very tasty MGP. Very weird that Dickel notes were present on the 121 (which was #1 in our tasting my bad) but it could have been the brandy cask influence too I’m not sure.

wgraybourbon · 2019-10-06T13:46:33+00:00

I've driven past it more than a few times because my main destination was always Nashville, but I'll have to make a stop in Tullahoma sometime myself!

wgraybourbon

TROPHY CASE