Joined Sep 2003
9K Posts | 0+
Puerto Rico/NYC
There's been a massive cool-down here in Pleasant Valley Sunday, USA over the past few days. Four straight days where the low has ranged from the upper 40's to the mid-50's. Now, that doesn't mean more hot weather, even triple digit highs, can't happen, but it's in about the second or third week of August every year, that the loss of daylight is really noticeable, and visions of cold weather, pumpkin pie and the NFL dance in my head.
That also means it's time to at least start thinking about, if not just plain stocking up, on bourbon and rye. Soon, merchants will be changing their window displays to bear witness to the coming season, and bottles of bourbon and rye will be in full view. And what's to come of the new season? What will the 2006 George T. Stagg be like? Where is the Vintage Rye that should have been in/on more than just a couple web sites by now? And will the Vintage Bourbon line, two of which impressed me enough to become instant all-time favorites, stand up to the at-large opinion polls of the internet bourbon smoking community?
Hey, I just said bourbon smoking community. I must be Da Swimmah!!!
:cryinlaugh: :cryinlaugh: :duh: :duh:
It is in anticipation of that season, and with bourbon weather already being upon us up here, at least temporarily, that I have begun stocking up, and shopping around. If you live in or very close to NYC, 70 miles south of me, and where I am a good part of each week, you think I'm speaking Southern Clingon here. The nights down there have only just begun to dip in to the 60's, so it's still not exactly prime bourbon drinking weather just yet. But, trust me, like Jesus some day, autumn is indeed coming, . . .
soon. So stock up.
And before I go any further, I would like to say that although certain life crises have sapped a great deal of my internet time, as well as focus, the Top 25 has been attained by Sam Houston "Bang, Bang, Shoot 'Em Up" 10 year old bourbon. Actually, the Bang, Bang, Shoot 'Em Up is just my silly shtick :roll: , but I have been continually impressed by this bourbon, and all my tastings have come during the summer. When my palate becomes a bit more adjusted to some cooler weather, perhaps it will be an even better time for me to figure out exactly where to place it. My initial thoughts are that it warrants a placement somewhere between No. 20-25, but it has indeed cracked the list.
Back to my Jewish side. Let's do some shopping!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Because I am within striking distance of two of the best liquor stores in The History of The World :roll: , located within a couple blocks of each other in NYC, I have begun to purchase an increasing percentage of my bourbon from these locales.
What's easy about Astor Wines is that they have a web site. If you are in, near or going to be in NYC any time soon, or any time at all, this is a fantastic place, with great prices on most items. They are STILL running that ridiculously low price on Knob Creek ($20.58/$18/99 + tax), and I just picked up another one of those bourbons that Bloof's been curious about for a while, Peter Jake's Private Keep 10 year old, 90 proof, on sale ($34.66/$31.98 + tax).
Please note that certain items will not appear if you just use a keyword search that says "bourbon." Sometimes you have to put in the product name, as with Knob Creek. Don't ask me, but just get down there, if you can.
The other place is Warehouse Wines. No web site, the surroundings that you walk in to are not "expensive," or as some folks might like to say, "classy." It doesn't matter, if you know your stuff, what you're looking for, and what a good price is, you couldn't have come to a better place. It's located at 753 Broadway, directly upstairs from the front of "R" train platform's 8th Street stop.
Warehouse Wines is just a place that I have to make a mental note of to stop in at whenever I'm near, even if I'm not spending money. You just never know. On a recent trip in there, I noticed that they had marked the Baker's down to the incredibly low price of $32.50/$29.99 + tax. Folks, you're not going to get a better price on Bloof's No. 14, and remember, it tastes like oaky butter. Got a better idea at that price? So, I am now the proud owner of my latest bottle of Baker's.
This season is going to be taking the knowledge of the El Cheapo market that I explored last year, coupled with the increasing amount of frugality I've had to reach for in my life, and exploring only certain avenues. Those will be new releases of Stagg and any other new release that isn't beyond a certain price range, no matter who's putting it out, and some carefully selected new tries, like the Sam Houston and the Peter Jakes Private Keep in tasting now. If the finances change, I might loosen up. And also, I'll be focusing exclusively, aside from those new releases and tries, on old favorites, Top 25 material only, and with a very discriminating air, particularly according to price.
To that end, I currently have unopened, a bottle of William Larue Weller, for which I paid a great price at Binny's at the end of last season, a bottle of Vintage 21 year old, and also the 23 year old, which Michaelsean sent me on the sly. These will remain unopened for a while, at least until some good 20-something degree mornings and/or NFL games have been viewed.
For the time being, some cheaper and lesser old favorites, such as the very cheap Baker's I just bought, along with an opened bottle of Knob Creek, and a backup bottle of Knob Creek, both bought for that crazy low price at Astor Wines, and the aforementioned new tries, will suffice.
Remember folks, drink responsibly, and enjoy the NFL season. My Jets will go 0-16, and that's a fact. But we already all know that.
That also means it's time to at least start thinking about, if not just plain stocking up, on bourbon and rye. Soon, merchants will be changing their window displays to bear witness to the coming season, and bottles of bourbon and rye will be in full view. And what's to come of the new season? What will the 2006 George T. Stagg be like? Where is the Vintage Rye that should have been in/on more than just a couple web sites by now? And will the Vintage Bourbon line, two of which impressed me enough to become instant all-time favorites, stand up to the at-large opinion polls of the internet bourbon smoking community?
Hey, I just said bourbon smoking community. I must be Da Swimmah!!!
:cryinlaugh: :cryinlaugh: :duh: :duh:
It is in anticipation of that season, and with bourbon weather already being upon us up here, at least temporarily, that I have begun stocking up, and shopping around. If you live in or very close to NYC, 70 miles south of me, and where I am a good part of each week, you think I'm speaking Southern Clingon here. The nights down there have only just begun to dip in to the 60's, so it's still not exactly prime bourbon drinking weather just yet. But, trust me, like Jesus some day, autumn is indeed coming, . . .
soon. So stock up.
And before I go any further, I would like to say that although certain life crises have sapped a great deal of my internet time, as well as focus, the Top 25 has been attained by Sam Houston "Bang, Bang, Shoot 'Em Up" 10 year old bourbon. Actually, the Bang, Bang, Shoot 'Em Up is just my silly shtick :roll: , but I have been continually impressed by this bourbon, and all my tastings have come during the summer. When my palate becomes a bit more adjusted to some cooler weather, perhaps it will be an even better time for me to figure out exactly where to place it. My initial thoughts are that it warrants a placement somewhere between No. 20-25, but it has indeed cracked the list.
Back to my Jewish side. Let's do some shopping!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Because I am within striking distance of two of the best liquor stores in The History of The World :roll: , located within a couple blocks of each other in NYC, I have begun to purchase an increasing percentage of my bourbon from these locales.
What's easy about Astor Wines is that they have a web site. If you are in, near or going to be in NYC any time soon, or any time at all, this is a fantastic place, with great prices on most items. They are STILL running that ridiculously low price on Knob Creek ($20.58/$18/99 + tax), and I just picked up another one of those bourbons that Bloof's been curious about for a while, Peter Jake's Private Keep 10 year old, 90 proof, on sale ($34.66/$31.98 + tax).
Please note that certain items will not appear if you just use a keyword search that says "bourbon." Sometimes you have to put in the product name, as with Knob Creek. Don't ask me, but just get down there, if you can.
The other place is Warehouse Wines. No web site, the surroundings that you walk in to are not "expensive," or as some folks might like to say, "classy." It doesn't matter, if you know your stuff, what you're looking for, and what a good price is, you couldn't have come to a better place. It's located at 753 Broadway, directly upstairs from the front of "R" train platform's 8th Street stop.
Warehouse Wines is just a place that I have to make a mental note of to stop in at whenever I'm near, even if I'm not spending money. You just never know. On a recent trip in there, I noticed that they had marked the Baker's down to the incredibly low price of $32.50/$29.99 + tax. Folks, you're not going to get a better price on Bloof's No. 14, and remember, it tastes like oaky butter. Got a better idea at that price? So, I am now the proud owner of my latest bottle of Baker's.
This season is going to be taking the knowledge of the El Cheapo market that I explored last year, coupled with the increasing amount of frugality I've had to reach for in my life, and exploring only certain avenues. Those will be new releases of Stagg and any other new release that isn't beyond a certain price range, no matter who's putting it out, and some carefully selected new tries, like the Sam Houston and the Peter Jakes Private Keep in tasting now. If the finances change, I might loosen up. And also, I'll be focusing exclusively, aside from those new releases and tries, on old favorites, Top 25 material only, and with a very discriminating air, particularly according to price.
To that end, I currently have unopened, a bottle of William Larue Weller, for which I paid a great price at Binny's at the end of last season, a bottle of Vintage 21 year old, and also the 23 year old, which Michaelsean sent me on the sly. These will remain unopened for a while, at least until some good 20-something degree mornings and/or NFL games have been viewed.
For the time being, some cheaper and lesser old favorites, such as the very cheap Baker's I just bought, along with an opened bottle of Knob Creek, and a backup bottle of Knob Creek, both bought for that crazy low price at Astor Wines, and the aforementioned new tries, will suffice.
Remember folks, drink responsibly, and enjoy the NFL season. My Jets will go 0-16, and that's a fact. But we already all know that.