Binny' Hand Picked Casks?

Joined Oct 2004
787 Posts | 0+
Binny's offers a number of burbons. Some are listed as "hand picked casks" or "Binny's hand-picked". Are they any different than what I would get off the shelf in a local store?

I ordered a Buffalo Trace and an Elmer T. Lee. I am taking them on a fishing trip. Will I be disappointed?
 
You won't necessarily be disappointed, as a lot of times, the "hand picked" casks offered by folks such as Binny's, Sam's, etc., are better than what you might usually get. It's like what I've referred to when I've noted a particular bottle or two or Baker's that I had recently as being above the norm, or when I ran across a bottle of Booker's two or so years ago, that I was so thrilled with I put up a post here all about that bottle.

What you are trusting when buying from a merchant such as Binny's, is that you will agree with their tasters that the bourbon is exceptional compared to the usual bottling of that label. You may or may not agree. I do have to say this about Binny's though. I find that the little reviews under a lot of their product listings are right on.

Binny's has built a tremendous whiskey selection over the past two or three years based on the influx of some new talent in that department. I would venture to say that the people who do the tasting and selecting of special barrels at Binny's are most trustworthy. You really can't go wrong taking a chance on the two you named, since they are not really expensive bourbons. I'd love to hear what you thought of them.
 
They arrived Friday. I opened the box with my sister-in-law in the room. She said "Good. Looks like you saved us some Christmas shopping.", and snatched the bottles up. You will have to wait for a review until after the holiday.
 
I didn't notice when I went from a "Binny's Hand Picked" Buffalo Trace to a regular one I bought here in St. Louis, though I'm sure there is variation with others. Personally I didn't care for the Elmer T. Lee, but that might just be Elmer T. Lee. I can't say it was bad, just too light for me.

I used to live about a block from a Binny's store, so I've had a few bottles of Binny's Hand Picked stuff. Buffalo Trace is the only one I have a direct comparison for though, as Binny's generally doesn't carry the normal version of something they have in a hand picked variety.
 
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight I like but it is not the most consistent whiskey. Comparing the regular shelf item to a hand picked would seem to increase the odds of having a not so similar experience between the two.

Consider Buffalo Trace's statement on the product:
Only the best bourbon produced by the distillery is bottled as Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Approximately 30-35 barrels of aged whiskey are selected from the middle floors of Warehouses C, I and K. Samples from these barrels are reviewed by the distillery’s tasting panel. If any one taster rejects a sample, the barrel it represents will not be used for Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Only the barrels of approved bourbon samples (usually no more than 25-30 barrels) will be married and bottled as Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The hand picked item would consist of (1) barrel hand selected by the purchasing party. The other potential consistency issue I see is it sounds like the tasting panel selects good barrels but not necessarily ones that adhere to a strict profile. I could be wrong and maybe they've just worded the quoted material loosely, but I've found the product to differ by the bottle.
 
Here are my results. Both the ETL and the BT were nice in the glass with a nice aroma and color. It was clear that they had been stored in casks at different times in their carreers with the ETL having a much more pronounced "oak" to it. In fact, a few drops on the back of my hand left it smelling of new oak. The ETL was lighter and younger than the BT. It had a nice balance of sweetness and burn. Woodsy and vanilla. It was a different animal altogether with a few drops of wateror an ice cube - it really shined. Not the "desert bourbon" they proclaim. All in all, a nice burbon.
The BT was a treat. I would say whoever picked this cask shared my taste. The best bottle of BT I have tasted. It was great from start to finish. A little sweet. Honey and vanilla. Great served neat. The oak was much less pronounced. A bourbon I would share with friends . . . and not tell them the price.