The Bar Towel

Hey guys/gals:

With no 2014 version of Utopias, I'm looking for something special to acquire around year-end to fill that emptiness.

Im not looking to get into another hobby, I want a bar convo piece like U that can be enjoyed by a beer tasting enthusiast.

Things I have tried and know that I like, but really know little about in terms of purchasing are bourbon (obv), scotch, port/sherry, cognac/brandy.

I'm open to almost anything, but I'm really looking for something that others aren't likely to have tried before (and, in turn, that I won't be offered when Im out).

Cost: preferably =< Utopias, but I'm really not that concerned about it.

Availability: LCBO or MI/NY.

Thanks in advance.

The 'BO had some beer schnapps on half price a little while ago, 50 bucks instead of 100. It's not as good as Scotch or bourbon for my reckoning, but it does get points for uniqueness.

It's not rare per se, but something like Willett Pot Still is a really attractive bottle, a great bourbon and they have told me in the past that they won't deal with government controlled states, so you can be fairly assured that it's not coming here anytime soon (unless someone convinces them otherwise). So a good conversation topic for the bar.

Really not that expensive to buy if you find yourself in the states. A quick search and it looks available in Buffalo.

And to be honest the bottles kind of match:

I always recomend people Dictador rum, from Columbia. Not sure how rare it is.....but I've never known anyone else to have a bottle. Its something like 65$ at lcbo. It's smoother and better than most single malt whisky's i've ever had. A great sipper. Well worth the price.

Great suggestions guys, keep em coming. Cass, that is quite interesting, awesome idea.

The Willett Pot Still is pretty good, and sometimes you can find it at a good price. I found it for $25 at Kroeger's in Bardstown, KY last year.

The bottle is shaped like the still that they installed a couple of years ago. They only recently started to distill their own whiskey after stopping for 20+ years. Every bottle of Willett Pot Still was distilled at another distillery (likely Heaven Hill). Up until this year they were a non-distiller producer.

Willett just released a rye this year as their first Willett distilled whiskey. It is quite young at only 2 years old......but I have heard it's pretty good.

Actually, I have had a few of their older rye's and they were very good. Of course, they were not distilled in Kentucky and were distilled in Indiana...here is a good article about that:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... diana.html

I don't know how you feel about tequilas, but The 1942 Don Julio is fantastic.

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/tequil ... CF_7_ldV8E

Just visited Willett last week (in the area for work).
While the pot still bottle is definitely gorgeous, the spirit inside is just okay. They didn't have any of the family reserve under 21 years and that bottle (and the 23yr) were $350 and $400 respectively.
I ended up opting for their Noah's Mill after a tasting. Bigger, smoother, but definitely a desert bourbon.

FEUO wrote:Just visited Willett last week (in the area for work).
While the pot still bottle is definitely gorgeous, the spirit inside is just okay. They didn't have any of the family reserve under 21 years and that bottle (and the 23yr) were $350 and $400 respectively.
I ended up opting for their Noah's Mill after a tasting. Bigger, smoother, but definitely a desert bourbon.

Did you happen to notice if they had any of their 2 year old rye still available?

Did you manage to get over to Heaven Hill and try the new Parkers Heritage?

admviolin wrote:I don't know how you feel about tequilas, but The 1942 Don Julio is fantastic.

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/tequil ... CF_7_ldV8E

Agree 100%

They're not bottling a Utopias this year? Interesting.
I'm not big on whisky or other spirits, but do enjoy a really good tequila sometimes...so like that suggestion.

BakaGaijin wrote:

FEUO wrote:Just visited Willett last week (in the area for work).
While the pot still bottle is definitely gorgeous, the spirit inside is just okay. They didn't have any of the family reserve under 21 years and that bottle (and the 23yr) were $350 and $400 respectively.
I ended up opting for their Noah's Mill after a tasting. Bigger, smoother, but definitely a desert bourbon.

Did you happen to notice if they had any of their 2 year old rye still available?

Did you manage to get over to Heaven Hill and try the new Parkers Heritage?

Yes, they did have some. Same cabinet with the 21 and 23 yr family reserve.
That rye was a bit young for my tastes.

Heaven Hill was jammed as my time in the area coincidentally was the start of bourbon fest in Bardstown.
Next time.

Pulled the trigger on Koval. Will report later.

Also picked up some qtr cask Laphroaig. Serious peat shortage in my house.

FEUO wrote: Yes, they did have some. Same cabinet with the 21 and 23 yr family reserve.
That rye was a bit young for my tastes.

Heaven Hill was jammed as my time in the area coincidentally was the start of bourbon fest in Bardstown.
Next time.

Did you go to any of the Bourbon Festival events? I went last year and I went to Boots and Bourbon, which was a Wild Turkey event, and I went to Loqui Facilis, which featured bourbon distillery's from the Bourbon Trail Craft Tour.

Both events were really fun. However, the best event was an improptu kitchen party at the house of the owners of Willett that I ended up at after Loqui Facilis.