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What Whiskey, Rum or Cognac are you drinking today.

The selection isn't that great though..

The usual bottom shelf stuff (JD, Beam, Monkey Shoulder etc) and a mix of single malts.

Bottle of Stagg Jr for €500 :(

American liquor laws are 'odd'.
 
ggiese said:
Persistence does pay off! It was not easy talking the manager into selling it to me, but the best feeling was purchasing it at retail. The only drawback was I had to promise and swear I’d not reveal where I found it….

View attachment 49301
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It's stupid how rare this stuff is. In my local grocery raffle they had 6 cases of it...
 
CBoukal said:
It's stupid how rare this stuff is. In my local grocery raffle they had 6 cases of it...
Click to expand...
If I can be honest…. I went to my local grocery store and they actually have a shelf tag fit Blanton’s. I asked if they had it in stock. He told me @not kn a very long time, but the boss makes them keep the sign up”. But he did tell me he was talking g to the liquor distributor driver, who told him one of the largest retail liquor store chains get regular delivery of Blanton’s - and do not put any in the floor. Apparently there are a lot of cases ALWAYS in stock in their back room. I chose to go to that liquor store and asked…

What seemed strange to me was the floor clerk led me to believe there might be some in the back room. He told me to buy it I needed to be on the “list”. “Liat”? I said. He said “yeah - if you buy a lot of product from the store they will let you buy a bottle”. I happen to spend a pretty penny at that retailer (though not at that particular store) and thought I should be put on the “list”. So I talked to the manager…

he confirmed they did have a “list” - and he would definitely put me kn it - but because I have not bought anything at his store it would be a while before they’d call me. He could see from my members club card I bought a lot of merch, just not as his store. So he suggested I go to my regular store and get on their “list”. Passed me off, but ok - I’ll go get on their “list”..

so I drive 30 minutes to the other store (literally equal distance from my house) only to be told by that manager there was no “list” for Blanton’s - I just had to ask for it because they never put it in the shelf. “If we get to know you, we will sell it to you”. I guess I was unimpressive because apparently they did not recognize I was a regular customer - so asking about Blanton’s was apparently not appropriate. I asked him to look up my member club card to see my purchase history (I’m sure it was NOT unimpressive). He asked me to hang in front while he checked the back room. Bammm…. Magically there it was!

if I can be honest - the whole episode left a horrible taste in my mouth. It seemed I met all the thresholds to be treated as a VIP customer but I had to convince them to sell me a bottle. I love Blanton’s but I don’t need it so bad I have to turn to begging to get it…

I’m seriously thinking how I want to approach the home office of this retailer to express my total displeasure with their process. It’s disgusting and they should know it.
 
Never had Blantons myself, but the general attitude towards it among the whiskey reviewers is it's average...at best. The 'faked' rareness inflates the price greatly.

Lavagulin are trying to pull the same trick with the 16yo. Tiresome.
 
ggiese said:
If I can be honest…. I went to my local grocery store and they actually have a shelf tag fit Blanton’s. I asked if they had it in stock. He told me @not kn a very long time, but the boss makes them keep the sign up”. But he did tell me he was talking g to the liquor distributor driver, who told him one of the largest retail liquor store chains get regular delivery of Blanton’s - and do not put any in the floor. Apparently there are a lot of cases ALWAYS in stock in their back room. I chose to go to that liquor store and asked…

What seemed strange to me was the floor clerk led me to believe there might be some in the back room. He told me to buy it I needed to be on the “list”. “Liat”? I said. He said “yeah - if you buy a lot of product from the store they will let you buy a bottle”. I happen to spend a pretty penny at that retailer (though not at that particular store) and thought I should be put on the “list”. So I talked to the manager…

he confirmed they did have a “list” - and he would definitely put me kn it - but because I have not bought anything at his store it would be a while before they’d call me. He could see from my members club card I bought a lot of merch, just not as his store. So he suggested I go to my regular store and get on their “list”. Passed me off, but ok - I’ll go get on their “list”..

so I drive 30 minutes to the other store (literally equal distance from my house) only to be told by that manager there was no “list” for Blanton’s - I just had to ask for it because they never put it in the shelf. “If we get to know you, we will sell it to you”. I guess I was unimpressive because apparently they did not recognize I was a regular customer - so asking about Blanton’s was apparently not appropriate. I asked him to look up my member club card to see my purchase history (I’m sure it was NOT unimpressive). He asked me to hang in front while he checked the back room. Bammm…. Magically there it was!

if I can be honest - the whole episode left a horrible taste in my mouth. It seemed I met all the thresholds to be treated as a VIP customer but I had to convince them to sell me a bottle. I love Blanton’s but I don’t need it so bad I have to turn to begging to get it…

I’m seriously thinking how I want to approach the home office of this retailer to express my total displeasure with their process. It’s disgusting and they should know it.
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This is true everywhere. They use it as bait to get people to check the stores way more often than they Should be visiting. Most places around me do raffles with all their allocated stuff for the opportunity to buy. That creates less foot traffic however
 
Hixs said:
Never had Blantons myself, but the general attitude towards it among the whiskey reviewers is it's average...at best. The 'faked' rareness inflates the price greatly.

Lavagulin are trying to pull the same trick with the 16yo. Tiresome.
Click to expand...
I really hate to say this - but I really like it. It fits my flavor profile perfectly. And it has nothing to do with the rarity - I could care less about that other than I hate that I have to chase a bottle. To be honest - Trader Joe's has a doggone good wheat bourbon that's far less expensive and always in stock. I generally sip on that if I can't find Blanton's...
 
CBoukal said:
This is true everywhere. They use it as bait to get people to check the stores way more often than they Should be visiting. Most places around me do raffles with all their allocated stuff for the opportunity to buy. That creates less foot traffic however
Click to expand...
The place does have a "list" for "rare stuff" (he mentioned Pappy's) which is ultimately ranked by the dollars spent over the year. The more you spend, the more likely you are to get the "rare stuff". What I thought very odd - Blanton's is not considered "rare" so it's not on that "list"...
 
ggiese said:
I really hate to say this - but I really like it. It fits my flavor profile perfectly. And it has nothing to do with the rarity - I could care less about that other than I hate that I have to chase a bottle. To be honest - Trader Joe's has a doggone good wheat bourbon that's far less expensive and always in stock. I generally sip on that if I can't find Blanton's...
Click to expand...

Mine too. It's exquisite. 🥃

My absolute favorite bourbon is George T. Stagg, which I discovered a couple years before they apparently started bottling it in unobtainium . . . the first couple years, I could buy it by the case, at retail. Always at least one case of three, and then multiple single bottles. All of a sudden, nada. One year, a SINGLE BOTTLE of it made here to the end of the freeway, and a high end steakhouse got it, because they spent thousands a week at the distributor. 😕

Blanton's I discovered AFTER it got put on everyone's "rare" list but fortunately I had bought so much expensive Scotch at Spec's I was on their "list" and had an inside guy, so I got a bottle whenever they had it in, as well as the occasional Stagg. All this was pre-pandemic though, and because that store didn't do home delivery I'm probably not even on their list anymore.

Anyway, my house bourbon is Woodford Reserve, which I've been making into Boulevardiers and Old Fashioneds lately. And am about to do again!

Will say, however, that Walking Stick is just as good as Blanton's---it's got the same smoothness, but with the flavor profile of Stagg---and still pretty widely available (so far! 🤞)

~Boar
 
Stagg is on of my favorites as well but can’t be had by me for less than $700-800 a bottle. I did get lucky with a bottle of stagg JR that I need to crack open
 
ggiese said:
If I can be honest…. I went to my local grocery store and they actually have a shelf tag fit Blanton’s. I asked if they had it in stock. He told me @not kn a very long time, but the boss makes them keep the sign up”. But he did tell me he was talking g to the liquor distributor driver, who told him one of the largest retail liquor store chains get regular delivery of Blanton’s - and do not put any in the floor. Apparently there are a lot of cases ALWAYS in stock in their back room. I chose to go to that liquor store and asked…

What seemed strange to me was the floor clerk led me to believe there might be some in the back room. He told me to buy it I needed to be on the “list”. “Liat”? I said. He said “yeah - if you buy a lot of product from the store they will let you buy a bottle”. I happen to spend a pretty penny at that retailer (though not at that particular store) and thought I should be put on the “list”. So I talked to the manager…

he confirmed they did have a “list” - and he would definitely put me kn it - but because I have not bought anything at his store it would be a while before they’d call me. He could see from my members club card I bought a lot of merch, just not as his store. So he suggested I go to my regular store and get on their “list”. Passed me off, but ok - I’ll go get on their “list”..

so I drive 30 minutes to the other store (literally equal distance from my house) only to be told by that manager there was no “list” for Blanton’s - I just had to ask for it because they never put it in the shelf. “If we get to know you, we will sell it to you”. I guess I was unimpressive because apparently they did not recognize I was a regular customer - so asking about Blanton’s was apparently not appropriate. I asked him to look up my member club card to see my purchase history (I’m sure it was NOT unimpressive). He asked me to hang in front while he checked the back room. Bammm…. Magically there it was!

if I can be honest - the whole episode left a horrible taste in my mouth. It seemed I met all the thresholds to be treated as a VIP customer but I had to convince them to sell me a bottle. I love Blanton’s but I don’t need it so bad I have to turn to begging to get it…

I’m seriously thinking how I want to approach the home office of this retailer to express my total displeasure with their process. It’s disgusting and they should know it.
Click to expand...
Geese. What a lot of work! I’d be a bit miffed too.
 
ggiese said:
I really hate to say this - but I really like it. It fits my flavor profile perfectly. And it has nothing to do with the rarity - I could care less about that other than I hate that I have to chase a bottle. To be honest - Trader Joe's has a doggone good wheat bourbon that's far less expensive and always in stock. I generally sip on that if I can't find Blanton's...
Click to expand...
I'll give a try if it ever comes up for a decent price. Amazon occasionally have it for around 150. Bit above my self imposed limit of 50-60! Bought 2 bottles of laphroaig 10 and 2 buffalo trace for that today!
 
Hixs said:
I'll give a try if it ever comes up for a decent price. Amazon occasionally have it for around 150. Bit above my self imposed limit of 50-60! Bought 2 bottles of laphroaig 10 and 2 buffalo trace for that today!
Click to expand...
Good choices!
 
Not actually tried standard Buffulo Trace yet strangely enough. Went with Eagle Rare last time, and while it was a solid pour I didn't rate it as being a €50 bottle (esp since Rare Breed is €55 - and it's a favorite). The standard comes in at €23 so makes for a cheap daily. Would usually go with Monkey Shoulder, but they didn't have any.
 
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