What are you eating (or drinking)?

[Eleven]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

Wherethehell in NY are you seeing those prices? 

 

1 hour ago, ubkev said:

CNY. My friends friend ended up knowing the owner and evidently they got hooked up pretty sweet. I await delivery.

Your friends are only getting "hooked up" because those prices are insane to begin with.  At my neighborhood liquor store, Buffalo Trace is $32, Eagle Rare is $45 (but is out of stock, so price is probably jacked), and Wild Turkey 101 is $27, all for standard fifths.

https://gatescircleliquor.com/shop/special-Bourbon/

[SwampD]

Who buys fifths?

 

[Weave]

43 minutes ago, Eleven said:

 

Your friends are only getting "hooked up" because those prices are insane to begin with.  At my neighborhood liquor store, Buffalo Trace is $32, Eagle Rare is $45 (but is out of stock, so price is probably jacked), and Wild Turkey 101 is $27, all for standard fifths.

https://gatescircleliquor.com/shop/special-Bourbon/

That's closer to my experience.

29 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Who buys fifths?

 

WT101 is meant to be bought in handle quantities.  It's my preferred every day pour.

[Eleven]

29 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Who buys fifths?

 

It's been the standard liquor size in the US for about forever--one fifth of a gallon, today approximated at 750 ml.  In my experience, most of the good stuff isn't available in "handles" (1.5L).

[Indabuff]

Please tell me they accidentally left an extra zero off of that mL amount...

[Eleven]

33 minutes ago, Indabuff said:

Please tell me they accidentally left an extra zero off of that mL amount...

@Weave what do you think?  My thought is that they were lucky enough to have it in stock, if they ever did.

[Weave]

19 minutes ago, Eleven said:

@Weave what do you think?  My thought is that they were lucky enough to have it in stock, if they ever did.

I've never seen cask strength Angel's Envy, but I wouldn't pay $250 for it regardless.  I buy the standard Angel's Envy regularly and keep it on my cabinet at less than $50. 

Hell, I stopped buying Weller 12 yr when it hit $40/bottle.  I was getting that for $19 before the world got stupid for bourbon.

You want cask strength delicious at a reasonable price?  Old Grandad 114 is a bargain.

[SwampD]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

It's been the standard liquor size in the US for about forever--one fifth of a gallon, today approximated at 750 ml.  In my experience, most of the good stuff isn't available in "handles" (1.5L).

Handles are 1.75.

you are dead to me.

[Eleven]

12 minutes ago, Weave said:

I've never seen cask strength Angel's Envy, but I wouldn't pay $250 for it regardless.  I buy the standard Angel's Envy regularly and keep it on my cabinet at less than $50. 

Hell, I stopped buying Weller 12 yr when it hit $40/bottle.  I was getting that for $19 before the world got stupid for bourbon.

You want cask strength delicious at a reasonable price?  Old Grandad 114 is a bargain.

Cask strength is probably not right for me anyway, so no big deal...

6 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Handles are 1.75.

you are dead to me.

Ok then.

Still, you're not getting anything of quality in those, are you?  I mean, some utility vodka or whisky that you're just going to mix with something is fine, but I don't think I've ever seen anything in a bottle that big that I'd want to drink straight or over ice.  Except like milk or lemonade or something.

[Weave]

5 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Handles are 1.75.

you are dead to me.

There are two bottles I buy in handles.  WT101 and Evan Williams black label.  Before things got stupid Weller Antique was on that list too.

The world needs an awesome value tequila that is sold in handles.  I would kick a puppy for a handle of La Camerena reposado in a 1.75l.

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, Indabuff said:

Please tell me they accidentally left an extra zero off of that mL amount...

Also I know of a cognac that is $250 for a 1.5 oz pour at a place I used to frequent.

No, I never did.

No, it wouldn't be worth it to me.

1 minute ago, Weave said:

There are two bottles I buy in handles.  WT101 and Evan Williams black label.

I remember texting with you about just this last fall--I was looking for bargain good bourbons.  I'm just not a fan of either.  Settled on Four Roses, right?

[Weave]

2 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Cask strength is probably not right for me anyway, so no big deal...

Ok then.

Still, you're not getting anything of quality in those, are you?  I mean, some utility vodka or whisky that you're just going to mix with something is fine, but I don't think I've ever seen anything in a bottle that big that I'd want to drink straight or over ice.  Except like milk or lemonade or something.

WT101 and Evan Williams is a good pour.

[Eleven]

Just now, Weave said:

WT101 and Evan Williams is a good pour.

We crossed each other--see above.

[Weave]

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

Also I know of a cognac that is $250 for a 1.5 oz pour at a place I used to frequent.

No, I never did.

No, it wouldn't be worth it to me.

I remember texting with you about just this last fall--I was looking for bargain good bourbons.  I'm just not a fan of either.  Settled on Four Roses, right?

If I remember correctly you were looking for Manhattan bourbon and Four Roses is solid there.

[Eleven]

Just now, Weave said:

If I remember correctly you were looking for Manhattan bourbon and Four Roses is solid there.

I needed the two-way player.  Can make a Manhattan, can drink on rocks.  Four Roses did the trick at the right price.

[ubkev]

Well, this thread picked up in the last couple hours! Anyways, yes @Eleventhose prices do seem to be jacked. Liquor in PA tends to be about $5 or so bucks cheaper than in NY. And @SwampD I can almost never get a handle.

[SwampD]

34 minutes ago, Weave said:

There are two bottles I buy in handles.  WT101 and Evan Williams black label.  Before things got stupid Weller Antique was on that list too.

The world needs an awesome value tequila that is sold in handles.  I would kick a puppy for a handle of La Camerena reposado in a 1.75l.

I used to to love that stuff, but La Camerena, I believe, got sold and the quality isn’t there anymore. It’s pretty harsh now.

 

Evan is great, but it’s working man’s pour. It’s got a job to do. And it does it well.

There are a lot of great gins (Bombay, Tangaray, Hendricks...), vodkas (Kettle, Sobieski,...) in handles. And I can make a Manhattan to remember with anything brown (you’re adding vermouth, cherry juice, and bitters ffs. Why would I use something super refined for that, other than I was trying to impress someone, I mean).

Edited May 16, 2020 by SwampD

[Eleven]

13 minutes ago, SwampD said:

I used to to love that stuff, but La Camerena, I believe, got sold and the quality isn’t there anymore. It’s pretty harsh now.

 

Evan is great, but it’s working man’s pour. It’s got a job to do. And it does it well.

There are a lot of great gins (Bombay, Tangaray, Hendricks...), vodkas (Kettle, Sobieski,...) in handles. And I can make a Manhattan to remember with anything brown (you’re adding vermouth, cherry juice, and bitters ffs. Why would I use something super refined for that, other than I was trying to impress someone, I mean).

OK.  Let's get to work here.

Sobieski in a giant bottle isn't a bad idea.  You're going to mix that with something that overtakes the flavor anyway.  I hope.  One of my brothers needed a shot to "settle his stomach" last semester, and that was all I had, and well, we really choked it down.  Nasty stuff, "live."  

Ketel is actually a fairly good vodka.  It's pretty clean-tasting, which is what I want in a vodka (unless it's buffalo grass vodka).  When I used to drink vodka martinis, I wouldn't even necessarily mind Ketel in a martini.  I had no idea it was sold in larger bottles.  TIL.

But on the Manhattan situation, oh boy.  There are good bourbons that make horrible Manhattans (Maker's comes to mind) and good bourbons that make good ones (Jack, and don't start on the Tennessee sour mash thing; it's the same stuff). But there are no bad bourbons that make good Manhattans. It's impossible.  I've tried.  The best I've had involve some mid-high bourbons, and the worst I've had involve stuff that you find in handles.

Edited May 16, 2020 by Eleven

[SwampD]

I should probably confess that the last Bulleit rye I bought was a “handle.”

[SwampD]

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

OK.  Let's get to work here.

Sobieski in a giant bottle isn't a bad idea.  You're going to mix that with something that overtakes the flavor anyway.  I hope.  One of my brothers needed a shot to "settle his stomach" last semester, and that was all I had, and well, we really choked it down.  Nasty stuff, "live."  

Ketel is actually a fairly good vodka.  It's pretty clean-tasting, which is what I want in a vodka (unless it's buffalo grass vodka).  When I used to drink vodka martinis, I wouldn't even necessarily mind Ketel in a martini.  I had no idea it was sold in larger bottles.  TIL.

But on the Manhattan situation, oh boy.  There are good bourbons that make horrible Manhattans (Maker's comes to mind) and good bourbons that make good ones (Jack, and don't start on the Tennessee sour mash thing; it's the same stuff).  The best I've had involve some mid-high bourbons, and the worst I've had involve stuff that you find in handles.

Maker’s isn’t the greatest. It’s just OK neat or on ice. I actually prefer VO, or Canadien Club or even 7 in a Manhattan.

[Eleven]

4 minutes ago, SwampD said:

I should probably confess that the last Bulleit rye I bought was a “handle.”

@weave remember when Bulleit was a less-than-average priced bottle?  I MISS THOSE DAYS!  Bulleit used to be about $5- $7 less than Jack.  And it is such a better whisky--both the bourbon and the rye.  I remember buying a bottle from Hodge (that's a store on Elmwood Ave) for about $16 about ten years ago and the owner saying, "you know your stuff."

I never have seen it in a handle.  I would probably need to adjust my pants if I did.

2 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Maker’s isn’t the greatest. It’s just OK neat or on ice. I actually prefer VO, or Canadien Club or even 7 in a Manhattan.

Agreed, very good but not great on rocks; bad neat, on the Maker's. 

I don't drink Canadian whisky Manhattans so I can't speak to that part of the situation.

Edited May 16, 2020 by Eleven

[SwampD]

But ya gotta have these

 

So nice I posted them twice,... apparently.

[Eleven]

Just now, SwampD said:

But ya gotta have these

 

I would like to try those.

Lately (last 5-8 years?), the "sour cherry" thing has been all the rage for Manhattans, old fashioneds, etc., here.  Certainly, they are better than the bright red dyed stuff.  But I don't know the brand--maybe they actually are Luxardo.

[SwampD]

2 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I would like to try those.

Lately (last 5-8 years?), the "sour cherry" thing has been all the rage for Manhattans, old fashioneds, etc., here.  Certainly, they are better than the bright red dyed stuff.  But I don't know the brand--maybe they actually are Luxardo.

These are the original, or so they’ve told me. 

Whatever. They ain’t cheap and they are worth every penny.

[Eleven]

Just now, SwampD said:

These are the original, or so they’ve told me. 

Whatever. They ain’t cheap and they are worth every penny.

I'll be honest:  I don't usually ask for fruit unless I'm with a date (not exactly possible in seminary) and/or with my niece.  I don't usually eat the cherries, in other words; I give them away.  But when I get one that looks like a REAL cherry, like the ones you posted, I ask for extra.