I love your videos. I agreed on everything you talked about except KC12. I think KC12 is a massive value at 70 (what we csn find it for in AZ), and is probably still great value at 100. My reasoning is the quality is superior to a lot of 12y products at the 90-105 proof range and most of those are priced around the 80-120 mark. Also my palate notices a pretty sharp demarcation between the 9y and 12y with the 12y being incredibly more complex. But I'd love it to stay below 75.
Pretty fair on all. Only thing I'd add is paying "a little" more, like a store with higher prices, versus paying secondary. If I see a Russell's 13 or Weller 12 for $20 over SRP I'm still getting it. But the 4-5-6 X's SRP you see on secondary is ridiculous.
IMO RR13 is the only bottle on the market I feel is worth secondary of 225. Up to 19 year old barrel proof whiskey from a heritage distillery… tough to come by. Glad people still don’t think its worth a little markup
The JM cigar blend now pretty available when released in my area & sits on shelves for a while. It’s $200 & there are now plenty of other “cigar blends” on the market so tough to pull the trigger.
Great show as always! Being long past the FOMO business taking advantage of so many people who only want to enjoy a good bottle of bourbon, I went shopping today and bought the power house of bourbon offerings. Spending 175 bucks, I brought home the quintessential bourbon purchase. The Turkey Trot! Russell's Reserve 10yr, Wild Turkey 101, Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, and Wild Turkey Rare Breed! I've never found a selection that compares with the value available in these offerings! Being an organized retired inside wireman, I have an interest in not patronizing any company that brags about not using organized labor. If I can patronize a bourbon produer that uses organized labor, younger workers might have an opportunity to earn a living for their families, and contribute to a retirement benefit for theirselves as well. In life, it's not just about ourselves! It's about the younger generation who also work hard to provide for their future. Cheers! Will you be joining Kurt and Trent's golf extravaganza?
KC 12 is awesome. I buy it every time, but wont do secondary. Never doing secondary again as a matter of fact. Too many good bourbons and ryes at retail.
I’ve just gotten to the point where I’m not willing to pay much over MSRP for any whiskey. There’s just too many to choose from to worry about what you’re not going to get in one allocated moment. Gotta say, though, I do like those Weller whiskeys, as well as the Russell’s 13 and the JMCB… Actually tried a couple batches of that last one, due to the generosity of a BRTC brother
Thanks for your video. Always entertaining and informative I haven't pulled the trigger on some of these because of price, but its good to know they are worth SRP
Virginia is an ABC controlled state so everything is at SRP. UNFORTUNATELY distribution is limited and premium stuff is only accessible through a lottery system. I will go hunting when I travel but I still only pay SRP or very close.
Pretty much agree with everything on the list, but I'd pay $75 for OWA and the 12yr. I'll pass on the JM Cigar Blend at $210 and Remus Repeal is usually around $120 here and I pay it, but almost everything here is marked up.
Knob Creek 9 is so good at $20 that the incremental increase in cost for the single barrels and the higher age stated releases is hard to justify. I do like the 12 and the single barrel 9, but do I like them 3x as much? No. I still buy them because I like them, but I don't buy or drink them nearly as much as good ol' KC9.
I had two bottles of a Knob Creek Single Barrel Select store pick, and it was worth more than the $56 I paid (the second bottle's almost done, and I'm going to miss it). Whether a non-store pick would be that good I don't know. But you just can't find better bourbon at the price than Knob Creek 9 year. That's my favorite bourbon.
I can't afford secondary prices, so that's not a problem. But even with a number of samples I've never tasted anything that I thought was worth the secondary price, so I have zero FOMO. 🙂 16:38 I don't know about the other Wellers - I've not had 'em - but the Weller Special Reserve, while it isn't quite bottom shelf stuff, certainly isn't ready for the top shelf. It's good bourbon, but that's all. That sounds like a great giveaway. 🥃
Great lineup. I only go slightly over MSRP in the long run. I've probably only paid $10 over a few times. I tend to not shop stores that do a high markup on certain bottles.
I am one of those that will not pay more than retail.. I don’t care how good the whiskey is, if a retailer or secondary marketer inflates the price that’s fine, they will not get my dollar..
I would agree with most of your selections except I would easily pay around 150 for the Remus Repeal V if I see it again. The VI and VIi have been just okay and not worth anymore than MSRP.
The only real value in buying secondary is clout. Just wait, everything always comes around when it does. Just buy something else, YOU will value that bottle so much more when you find it fair and square.
Great video! A quick note: Jos. Magnus might have been the first American whiskey producer to do a "cigar blend," but Dalmore already had a "cigar malt" whisky designed to pair with cigars. Perhaps that's what prompted Magnus?
@whisk-e-y_problems9075, No, I was inspired to make a Cigar Blend Bourbon from the even longer tradition of "Cigare" Blend Cognacs. I was trained by a 10th generation Cognac maker who came to California in the early 1980's to make New World brandies using Old World techniques, and our distillery first made a Cigar Blend brandy back in 1995. Thus, the inspiration came from my mentor, not the Dalmore Cigar Malt.
@@whiskeyblenderfraley4235, Wow! A response from the great Nancy Fraley herself! I'm honored! Thanks so much for filling us in on your inspiration for the release. I have to say that while there have been many imitators since, the execution of the Magnus Cigar blend is a level above.
@@whiskeyblenderfraley4235, Nancy, I'm wondering if you can shed some light on why more whiskey makers (in the US and Scotland) don't do more Madeira-finished whiskeys. I think it's a fantastic finish for both Bourbon and Scotch. It seems less heavy-handed than Port and offers the same spectrum from dry to sweet as Sherry, but with that hint of nuttiness Madeira is known for.
@@whisk-e-y_problems9075 Oh, I completely agree with you, I absolutely LOVE a Madeira finish! That nuttiness is amazing. However, finding "quality" Madeira casks is much more difficult that finding quality Sherry casks, especially when you consider that there are only 7 Madeira producers in the world.
I have full respect for anyone who only buys and keeps bottles that have value to them. I am grateful that my situation in life permits me to hold bottles that have more value for sharing than for my own drinking pleasure, but I remember what it was like to live under stricter budgetary constraints. Buy responsibly and sustainably and look forward to that time in your life when your budget becomes more flexible for you!
