Fifth Avenue Forum

Whiskey musings:

I kicked my bottle of Balcones Baby Blue. That's a Texas corn whiskey (not bourbon) made from roasted blue corn. It's less sweet than I would have expected from a whiskey made almost exclusively from corn, and while it's somewhat fruity with a little caramel, it's not very complex. There's no age statement, but Balcones calls it "intentionally youthful," so I don't think its very old. At $40, I think it's too one-dimensional for that price. It would be a good $20 buy, not not at $40. Won't buy again.

Bernheim wheat whiskey is similarly simple and one-dimensional, although its softer and sweeter than the Balcones. It's also got a 7-year age statement. Not complex at all, but it makes for a decent mixer, and it would be a sipper for those who want a milder experience. I would say it's definitely a better value at $30 than the Balcones at $40. Might buy again.

I can see why so many think Wild Turkey 101 is a great value. It opens with orange peel, baking spices, and black pepper, shifts to a flash of sweet caramel and vanilla, and then finishes with a dry oakiness where you can practically see the charred barrels. Certainly not the best bourbon I've ever had, but when you can buy it all day every day for $25 or less, it represents a great value, especially if you like the smoky/oaky finish. Will likely buy again.

Old Tub is basically a unfiltered version of Jim Beam's gold label bottled in bond. When I first opened the bottle, I got a horrendous nose that smelled like nail-polish remover. Letting my pour sit for a couple hours made a world of difference. Now I get citrus and orange peel with a bit of peanuts. The palate is more citrus and honey with a peppery spiciness. Not the best bourbon in the world either, but the PALCB is selling this stuff for $17, and I think it may have even been a buck or two on sale when I bought it a couple months ago. Even at $17, it represents a great value; that's a 100-proof bonded bourbon for the same price as a bottle of regular 80-proof Beam white label. I think Old Tub is a limited release, so I'm not sure how long it will stick around, but there is a still a ton of it on the shelves. For the price, I will likely buy some more.

Reviews are pretty decent on Old Tub. Need to check it out.

Got some Volcan de mi Tierra blanco. New Years is gonna be a tequila night. Will report back later.

Friends got me a bottle of Glenlivet 14. I'd never tried it, and likely wouldn't have bought a bottle for myself. It's finished in cognac barrels, and for some reason I was just not that interested.

Yeah, I'm an idiot. Definitely a different flavor profile, much sweeter initially than something like the 12, but still had that nice finish. Not much smoke or peat...just a really nice smooth sipper. Gonna enjoy the the shizzle out of this over the next couple weeks.

At the Burbank airport yesterday we had lunch. At a Guy Fierri restaurant. That had a bottle of Pappy 12 on the lowest bar shelf. Stunt bottle?

Probably. You should’ve asked for a pour to see how much.

My daughter, last night- "Dad can I have a bloody mary without the vodka?"

That's my kid! Bloody marys and football! She liked it ok. I was out of mix so I made them with spicy V8, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, paprika, lemon juice, and a celery stalk. Oh and Crater Lake pepper vodka in mine.

- Has anyone ever had (or even seen) Buchanan's Blended Scotch Whisky? That **** is EVERYWHERE in Mexico City. Billboard after billboard with Chris Hemsworth. I have never seen this stuff in the US.

- Good tequila haul yesterday. Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo: not impossible to find in the US but been a couple years since I’ve seen it at a FW&GS. Only Cuervo product worth getting; Centinela 3 Year: never seen this in the US. From a small, family owned distillery that has yet to be bought by a liquor giant. Excellent reviews.; Fortaleza Blanco: the holy grail as it has become near impossible to find in the US due to supply issues. Small, family owned distillery from a Sauza descendent who does everything the old school way.

We have reinstated 'cocktail night' at Casa de Tif. We used to a happy hour kind of thing every Friday, but over time it just sorta ended. But we were talking about it yesterday, and decided we'd bring it back with a bang by doing happy hours at home every night this week, doing drinks we've never made before. A $200 trip to the local liquor store to stock on on bottles we might not ever go to again later, and we're all ready to go. Last night was a Boulevardier (which is basically a Negroni with the gin switched out for rye), and tonight it's a proper Ernest Hemmingway-type daiquiri.

- Has anyone ever had (or even seen) Buchanan's Blended Scotch Whisky? That **** is EVERYWHERE in Mexico City. Billboard after billboard with Chris Hemsworth. I have never seen this stuff in the US.

They have it at my local. (Assuming this is the same thing)

https://www.missionliquor.com/search?q=Buchanan

That is it. Nowhere to be found in PA.

Boulevardier is my go to most nights. I also enjoy The Toronto. It’s a nice use of fernet branca.

Store's literally less than half a mile from our house. If you want, I'll buy a bottle and FedEx it to you.

That is it. Nowhere to be found in PA.

It and its varieties are in all altoona wine and spirits. It's decent

Just like beers, you can have situations where some spirits are super popular in other counties even though they aren't popular at home. I know, for example, that Early Times is one of the best-selling whiskies in the world even though here in the US it's considered a strictly bottom-shelf bottle (and in the US it actually doesn't legally qualify as a bourbon because it uses used barrels). It's the best-selling bourbon in Japan, from what I've read.

We have reinstated 'cocktail night' at Casa de Tif. We used to a happy hour kind of thing every Friday, but over time it just sorta ended. But we were talking about it yesterday, and decided we'd bring it back with a bang by doing happy hours at home every night this week, doing drinks we've never made before. A $200 trip to the local liquor store to stock on on bottles we might not ever go to again later, and we're all ready to go. Last night was a Boulevardier (which is basically a Negroni with the gin switched out for rye), and tonight it's a proper Ernest Hemmingway-type daiquiri.

I've recently been making Hunter Cocktails, which is bourbon and cherry:

2.5 oz Bourbon
0.5 oz Cherry Heering liqueur
0.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
3 dash Orange Bitters

Saw it on the SLB Drinks YouTube channel:



The origins are unknown, but the Hunter has been popularized by Hidetsugu Ueno's Bar High Five in Ginza, Tokyo.

Bar High Five is reason enough to go to Tokyo. Ueno-san's the man.

Was out of bourbon so I stopped at the liquor store. Was nearly out of scotch too, so I grabbed my go to: ardbeg 10. Went to the bourbon section and they were out of all my normals. Grabbed a bottle of michter’s small batch. Made myself a boulevardier and I’m impressed. Really like the fresh pop this has over some other bourbons I’ve tried… almost minty? In any case, I’d recommend. Looking forward to trying but with some fernet.

Btw, I live in Bellefonte… a distillery just down the road from me is opening a place in the old Joe S Finch distillery near station square in the future. Should give Wigle a run for their money.

The thing about Wigle is that it’s generally not good.

Yeah. I’ve never been impressed, but they win best in Pittsburgh pretty much every year because they’re the only in Pittsburgh every year.

In the last couple weeks, the bourbon section in every state store I've been in has looked like the milk and TP sections in a Giant Eagle right before a projected big snow storm. Empty shelves everywhere.

Yup. North Carolina abc stores are awful right now. Across the boarder in SC, selection is great still.

They've been at under half stock for scotch all month.

The thing about Wigle is that it’s generally not good.

well said