It was an unusual week for me income-wise, and it led to a trip to my new favorite liquor store, Beekman Liquors at 47th Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. How much more convenient can you get to Grand Central Terminal, practically a second home for me, and my "jumping off" point to either hit the big city or head for home? Early in the day on Thursday, after leaving "the firm" and then working for one of my freelance clients in the same area for a couple hours, I stopped by and plunked down $211.82 on a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 year old bourbon.
GASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSPPPPPPPP!!!
Hildegarde: Why Martha, did you hear what that man said, a bottle of 211.82 proof champagne!?!!??!
Martha: (rolling her eyes) Oh, Hildegarde dear, must you be such a dunce? First, at the party we attended the other day, you claimed to talk to that nice, happy faced dog and now a bottle of 211.82 proof champagne? You do realize don't you, that ANY spirit cannot exceed 200 proof, and it certainly wouldn't be champagne if it even approached that mark!!
Hildegarde: Such a smarty! Well, I may have heard that remark a bit unclearly, but as for that talking dog, it shows what YOU know, dear Martha. Why DO you suppose they call him SPECIAL Ed? It's because of his unique gifts, and one of them is that he can actually TALK!! I happen to know it for a fact, soused or not, and-------
Martha: Oh Hildy, never you mind, I just caught sight of Ermenegilde! Do you suppose she's the gate crasher those people over there mentioned before? Oh Meenie, Meenie dear, over here!
Hildegarde: Yes indeed, there's dear Meenie, do get her to come over, she can clear this business up about Special Ed. SHE'S talked to him herself before.
Martha: Oh would you stop your nonsense, oh Meenie dear, over here!
Hildegarde: Well, I never-----
Martha: Yes, you have, about six glasses too much if you ask me.
Ermenegilde: Hildy, Martha, fancy meeting you two here!!! Have you heard about the gate crasher?
Martha: (after air kisses all around) Why no, we were just trying to find out. And never mind Hildegarde, she's at least halfway into the bottle already, all this stuff and nonsense about 211.82 proof champagne and talking dogs. Harumph!!!
Ermenegilde: Oh, have you met Special Ed already? Here's here tonight too, you know!!!
Martha: Oh no, dear Meenie, not you too???!?!?!!??
mg:
Ermenegilde: Shhhhhhhh, they're about to expose the gate crasher!!! Let's hear.
Well folks, while the gals sit back and enjoy themselves at the big society bash, why don't we explore that one more time.
TWO HUNDRED ELEVEN DOLLARS AND EIGHTY TWO CENTS FOR A BOTTLE OF BOURBON???!!?!?!?!?!?? :dunno:mg: mg: mg: :dunno:
It's the old don't ask, don't tell policy. :wink:
I do believe this is the second expression of this by now famous offering from the Van Winkle Distillery, a very limited edition in which only 3,000 bottles were produced the first time. Not sure about the production run of this expression, but it can't be from the first one two or three years ago, because they wouldn't have just placed a bottle in the window last week if it was. This is bottle No. 415 at 95.6 proof.
Man, those folks at Van Winkle sure do love that 95.6 proof thingy, just like the 13 year old rye.
This is described as being of the same mash bill recipe as the Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 year old bourbon, a bottle that can be had for less than half the price of the 23 year old. I wonder how much bourbon was left in each barrel after 23 years. Couldn't be much, that's for sure. From what I've heard in the past couple of months, I'm probably fortunate that I ever saw a bottle of this stuff, let alone had the kind of week where I could actually afford this. Well, maybe not really afford it in the common sense of the word, but give me a few hundred dollars too much in my pocket, the time to work out a few things with this calculator of a brain of mine, and the gonads to "damn the torpedos" and I'll walk out of a store with a $200+ bottle of bourbon.
Well, better me than the folks in the Far East, where I hear most of this is going. Better this bottle anyway.
After checking out the ryes they had in stock, and examining the prices on some other bourbons, and chatting up a distinguished woman a few years older than myself who stepped up to handle me and discuss my selection, I decided to go for it. I had the bucks, I had the balls, and I had the time to do it without thinking too much.
My conversation with the well dressed, distinguished and quite knowledgeable lady was very nice, and along with checking prices on certain select items with her, made it easily my choice to replace any other local liquor store I've been to. It won't mean any less business for my favorite web sites, just a switch to a better local purveyor however.
So, Friday evening rolls around, and although the temperature hit an unofficial high of 88 here yesterday at the Olde Homesteade, it was time for some bourbon. We have been blessed with an unusually wonderful late spring and early summer here in Lower Dutchess County, New York. The past few weeks, especially weekends, have been marked by cool, crisp nights in the 45-55 degree range, and days that have had extremely low humidity, temperatures at only 75-85 degrees and an overall pleasant vibration to the area around here, notwithstanding some local wisenheimers of the teenaged variety, which all us olde folkes are keeping an eye on.
And as such, it was time to taste a new bourbon. So, at 1846 hours, 25 minutes after the pour, I took my first sip. Definitely different than the bold, straightforward, distinct and clear blast of cinnamon, unsweetened cherries and smooth oak that is the signature of the 20 year old, which is at 90.4 proof by the way.
After my second sip at 1906 hours, I noticed that this bourbon had an extremely long finish. After about a minute, the flavor was still strong in my mouth, and I was wondering, "that's great, but what gives?" And it went on and on. After my fourth sip at the one hour and fifteen minute mark, 1946 hours, I realized that although there were a lot of certain flavors in this bourbon, one of which was like pouring dark amber maple syrup on some of the lumber at Home Depot or wherever you go for lumber and licking it, that this bourbon tasted like, . . .
like, . . .
this bourbon just kept adding up to, . . .
ROOT BEER!!!!!mg:
Yes, even after the fifth and sixth sips, I just could not shake it, the flavor or the notion.
I JUST PAID $211.82 FOR A BOTTLE OF ROOT BEER!!!!
Well, it's slightly more than twice the size of a 12 oz. can, and it IS 95.6 proof. :wink:
And it's bound for my Top 25, although it's SO hard to tell where. But folks, as long as The Lord keeps the nights cool and summer days not so oppressive, bourbon and rye season will continue.
If not, wait until football season for a final review.
And THAT, ladies and gentleman, is the story of my gate crasher.
GASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSPPPPPPPP!!!
Hildegarde: Why Martha, did you hear what that man said, a bottle of 211.82 proof champagne!?!!??!
Martha: (rolling her eyes) Oh, Hildegarde dear, must you be such a dunce? First, at the party we attended the other day, you claimed to talk to that nice, happy faced dog and now a bottle of 211.82 proof champagne? You do realize don't you, that ANY spirit cannot exceed 200 proof, and it certainly wouldn't be champagne if it even approached that mark!!
Hildegarde: Such a smarty! Well, I may have heard that remark a bit unclearly, but as for that talking dog, it shows what YOU know, dear Martha. Why DO you suppose they call him SPECIAL Ed? It's because of his unique gifts, and one of them is that he can actually TALK!! I happen to know it for a fact, soused or not, and-------
Martha: Oh Hildy, never you mind, I just caught sight of Ermenegilde! Do you suppose she's the gate crasher those people over there mentioned before? Oh Meenie, Meenie dear, over here!
Hildegarde: Yes indeed, there's dear Meenie, do get her to come over, she can clear this business up about Special Ed. SHE'S talked to him herself before.
Martha: Oh would you stop your nonsense, oh Meenie dear, over here!
Hildegarde: Well, I never-----
Martha: Yes, you have, about six glasses too much if you ask me.
Ermenegilde: Hildy, Martha, fancy meeting you two here!!! Have you heard about the gate crasher?
Martha: (after air kisses all around) Why no, we were just trying to find out. And never mind Hildegarde, she's at least halfway into the bottle already, all this stuff and nonsense about 211.82 proof champagne and talking dogs. Harumph!!!
Ermenegilde: Oh, have you met Special Ed already? Here's here tonight too, you know!!!
Martha: Oh no, dear Meenie, not you too???!?!?!!??
mg: Ermenegilde: Shhhhhhhh, they're about to expose the gate crasher!!! Let's hear.
Well folks, while the gals sit back and enjoy themselves at the big society bash, why don't we explore that one more time.
TWO HUNDRED ELEVEN DOLLARS AND EIGHTY TWO CENTS FOR A BOTTLE OF BOURBON???!!?!?!?!?!?? :dunno:
mg: mg: mg: :dunno: It's the old don't ask, don't tell policy. :wink:
I do believe this is the second expression of this by now famous offering from the Van Winkle Distillery, a very limited edition in which only 3,000 bottles were produced the first time. Not sure about the production run of this expression, but it can't be from the first one two or three years ago, because they wouldn't have just placed a bottle in the window last week if it was. This is bottle No. 415 at 95.6 proof.
Man, those folks at Van Winkle sure do love that 95.6 proof thingy, just like the 13 year old rye.
This is described as being of the same mash bill recipe as the Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 year old bourbon, a bottle that can be had for less than half the price of the 23 year old. I wonder how much bourbon was left in each barrel after 23 years. Couldn't be much, that's for sure. From what I've heard in the past couple of months, I'm probably fortunate that I ever saw a bottle of this stuff, let alone had the kind of week where I could actually afford this. Well, maybe not really afford it in the common sense of the word, but give me a few hundred dollars too much in my pocket, the time to work out a few things with this calculator of a brain of mine, and the gonads to "damn the torpedos" and I'll walk out of a store with a $200+ bottle of bourbon.
Well, better me than the folks in the Far East, where I hear most of this is going. Better this bottle anyway.
After checking out the ryes they had in stock, and examining the prices on some other bourbons, and chatting up a distinguished woman a few years older than myself who stepped up to handle me and discuss my selection, I decided to go for it. I had the bucks, I had the balls, and I had the time to do it without thinking too much.
My conversation with the well dressed, distinguished and quite knowledgeable lady was very nice, and along with checking prices on certain select items with her, made it easily my choice to replace any other local liquor store I've been to. It won't mean any less business for my favorite web sites, just a switch to a better local purveyor however.
So, Friday evening rolls around, and although the temperature hit an unofficial high of 88 here yesterday at the Olde Homesteade, it was time for some bourbon. We have been blessed with an unusually wonderful late spring and early summer here in Lower Dutchess County, New York. The past few weeks, especially weekends, have been marked by cool, crisp nights in the 45-55 degree range, and days that have had extremely low humidity, temperatures at only 75-85 degrees and an overall pleasant vibration to the area around here, notwithstanding some local wisenheimers of the teenaged variety, which all us olde folkes are keeping an eye on.
And as such, it was time to taste a new bourbon. So, at 1846 hours, 25 minutes after the pour, I took my first sip. Definitely different than the bold, straightforward, distinct and clear blast of cinnamon, unsweetened cherries and smooth oak that is the signature of the 20 year old, which is at 90.4 proof by the way.
After my second sip at 1906 hours, I noticed that this bourbon had an extremely long finish. After about a minute, the flavor was still strong in my mouth, and I was wondering, "that's great, but what gives?" And it went on and on. After my fourth sip at the one hour and fifteen minute mark, 1946 hours, I realized that although there were a lot of certain flavors in this bourbon, one of which was like pouring dark amber maple syrup on some of the lumber at Home Depot or wherever you go for lumber and licking it, that this bourbon tasted like, . . .
like, . . .
this bourbon just kept adding up to, . . .
ROOT BEER!!!!!
mg: Yes, even after the fifth and sixth sips, I just could not shake it, the flavor or the notion.
I JUST PAID $211.82 FOR A BOTTLE OF ROOT BEER!!!!
Well, it's slightly more than twice the size of a 12 oz. can, and it IS 95.6 proof. :wink:
And it's bound for my Top 25, although it's SO hard to tell where. But folks, as long as The Lord keeps the nights cool and summer days not so oppressive, bourbon and rye season will continue.
If not, wait until football season for a final review.
And THAT, ladies and gentleman, is the story of my gate crasher.
