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Hank might eat cornbread but don't believe that other crap...

I was duck hunting in Arkansas and it was colder than a witches titty. Boat broke thick ice getting in there. As the hunt was winding down this older gentleman across the flooded timber said "come over hea boy and get you some of this transmission fluid"....

It looked like transmission fluid in the jar to me.

Blackberry brandy it sure warmed you up.

My pastor and I don't interpret some Scripture the same. I take Matt. 11:18 and Matt. 15:11 literally, as I try to do with all Scripture. Some don't. But, if you do you should take the last part of Matt. 15:11 very seriously.

SRH

Observations from KY:

They don't mess around when they make the stuff. This is done on an industrial scale even for the so called 'handmade' brands.

Maker's Mark will show you a quaint little still operation and want you to believe it's their sole plant. In truth, since they are on literally every bar in the country they run a huge operation out of sight to the tourists.

The interior of a rickhouse smells like heaven. They could rent recliner time in one.

The bottling line at Jim Beam is a blur. Their still (one of 2) is 60 feet high and three tall men couldn't get their arms around it. The distillate runs out of there like a firehose.

The bottleneck in the production line is cooperage. Beam alone barrels 1,000 barrels a day. They represent about 40% of the industry.

There are 8 million barrels aging in KY.

It's a money printing machine. The various taxes represent about half the final cost. The distiller/bottler has a couple bucks into each bottle, they make a couple bucks on each, the rest is distribution and tax - and advertising.

Beam is owned by the Japanese (Suntory), as is Four Roses (Kirin). Wild Turkey is owned by Groupo Campari (Italy).

Woodford is made using Scottich style pot stills, three in series.

Fermenting vessels are 10,000 gallons or so. They pitch hundreds of gallons of working yeast into the wort at the start and it's fermenting like a rolling boil in short order. They have chilling coils to keep it from getting hot enough to kill the yeast. Fermentation is done in 3 days, unlike beer which takes maybe 10 days. The idea is to keep the 'distillers beer' from being contaminated.

Then it's off to the still which are mostly made by a company called Vendome. They are stunningly beautiful pieces of metalwork.

If you like our national drink, you should make it point to visit Kentucky and see it made. The tours all exit to the gift shop. They don't compete with the package stores in price, but they do have special releases available at the distillery.

If I had to pick one tour it would be Buffalo Trace in Frankfort. The tour was very good, free, and the tour guides are not as scripted as some of the others. They directly answer intelligent questions.

I'll drink to that.

My buddy went to a tasting at Buffalo trace distillery. Got one of the Van Winkles to sign a bottle of 23 year old Pappy he brought with him the Van Winkle fellow died a few years later. It'll sell for 3 or 4 grande now.

Last year they did a special release of 25 year old Pappy I heard it went for close to 30 grande a bottle.

I was hunting at Cabin Bluff in Georgia....fellow offered me some Cognac claimed it was $1500 a bottle.

I told him Thanks but I don't care to try it I might like it.

In 2015 we were there when they were bottling the 20 year version of Pappy.

That is done by hand. There was a small assembly line where they were hand affixing the labels and packaging the 3 bottle cases. They are very proud of that product and put real effort into it.

The whole year supply was 11 barrels, which sounds like quite a bit until you realize that after 20 years there are only a few gallons left in each barrel.

The supply should be a bit larger in coming years since the supply of Weller is so tight. They are letting it grow up into something they can charge essentially what they want for.

My buddy got a few bottles of Weller 12 this year...I can take it or leave it. Rumor is they manipulate the barrels around to get the product they want...if the Weller tastes good enough it might turn into Pappy.

I heard they can't touch Col. EH Taylor because it's in a bonded warehouse ?

Yep, one bottle many years ago was enough for me. Tasted like cheap whiskey poured over Kingsford charcoal that had been doused with charcoal lighter fluid.

It would probably be OK as a shotgun bore cleaner to dissolve plastic wad residue though... which puts this thread right on topic.

A buddy sold an empty Pappy bottle for close to $400 on ebay. Gil

Old Crow was meant for one thing...to get you drunk.

My older brother had a cool old hot rod in the early 1960s....it was a black 1949 2 door Ford.
It had about "Old Crow" in about 3 in. red and white lettering on the front finders.

Not a bourbon, but I have recently been enjoying Old Overholt Bonded 100 proof rye. Not a high dollar investment by any means, but very enjoyable in my opinion.