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Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:22 pm
by libertybar
Hey there, All.

Ok - ready for the standard question: Anyone have a line on the Old Commonwealth 10yr?

A friend has a little left, and since I have had a few touches on his bottle, I'd like to be able to replace it for him as a gift.

Any thoughts? It's really an outstanding bourbon, and we'd surely like to enjoy some more here in Seattle.

Thanks in advance,


A.

Re: Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:19 pm
by TNbourbon
The Old Commonwealth 10/107 is an early issue by Julian Van Winkle for a Chicago retailer that eventually became the Old Rip Van Winkle 10yo/107 proof. Originally, even the same whiskey.
So, no, there is no 'line' on any more at retail. Other than the stray bottle here and there in the general Chicago vicinity and elsewhere, it is long gone.
The ORVW 10/107 continues to this day as a brand, though it now contains whiskey distilled not by Stitzel-Weller, but Bernheim under UDV auspices.

Re: Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 4:45 am
by libertybar
Ah ha. Well, that explains that! The bottle is the same kind obviously as the Pappy labels, so I imagined that there was something there. And, since the 10yr is outstanding, that makes sense that this would be in the same line. Now, if only I could get some of the 10yr here in Seattle, all would be right in the world.

Time to start calling up liquor stores in the Chicago region and see what the score is there.

Thanks again.

Re: Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:28 pm
by cowdery
Old Commonwealth (OC) was created specifically for Sam's, then Binny's when the Sam's whiskey buyer went there. Julian told me he also sold it to a few stores in Indiana. The point is, it wasn't in general distribution ever. When Tim talks about odd bottles here and there in Chicago, I think he means in private collections, not on retail shelves.

You can buy it by-the-drink at Delilah's.

At retail, you would be more likely to find a dusty bottle of ORVW 10/107, which would be exactly the same as the OC if made at the same time. The thing about OC was that it was $20 at a time when the ORVW 10/107 was selling for $25-$28. That's why I bought it, because it was the best value in a SW 10/107.

Re: Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:40 am
by shoshani
cowdery wrote:At retail, you would be more likely to find a dusty bottle of ORVW 10/107, which would be exactly the same as the OC if made at the same time. The thing about OC was that it was $20 at a time when the ORVW 10/107 was selling for $25-$28. That's why I bought it, because it was the best value in a SW 10/107.


What is the story with ORVW 10/107 these days? Julian's website still has it listed, but BT's website does not.

Likely as not, of ORVW has joined OC in silence, the closest thing we'll probably find for the money is Weller 107, which is BT wheat aged 7 years as opposed to Stitzel-Weller aged 10, but it sells for just under $20.

Re: Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 6:28 am
by libertybar
As a follow-up, I have tasted the Old Commonwealth and the ORVW 10yr/107 next to each other, and there seems to be (to my taste) quite a bit of difference).

The Old Commonwealth - at 107 - is one of the more full and balanced sweet bourbons that I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. I do enjoy the ORVW 10yr/107 and have a number of bottles, but these bottles have little in common - in smoothness and velvety body - as the ORVW 10yr/107.

Same recipe? Well, bourbons will obviously change depending on a lot of factors, but I have to say that after this additional tasting of the Old Commonwealth, this bottling is easily still one of my favorite bourbons that I have ever had the pleasure of nipping.

Re: Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 2:09 pm
by cowdery
Old Commonwealth was a very limited time offering, but when it was being bottled it and the Old Rip 10/107 were the exact same whiskey. I don't mean just the same recipe. I mean the barrels were dumped into a tank and some of the tank's contents went out as OC and some went out as ORVW 10/107. Thing is, there is and has been a lot of other ORVW 10/107 that came from different batches, but the batch that was bottled when OC was bottled was the exact same stuff, according to Julian. That was one of the reasons I liked it, because OC was $20 and ORVW 10/107 was $30.

Re: Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:59 pm
by libertybar
Ah - thanks for the scoop, Mr. Chowdry. The only last question that I have for you that you may know is what year were these bottles filled and labeled?

THIS is why this forum is so valuable - to be able to find out such significant information? Fantastic.

Thank you all again for being here. Bourbon Enthusiast really is a special resource.


Andrew

Re: Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 6:10 pm
by cowdery
Can't say for sure, but I think it was around 2002.

Re: Old Commonwealth 10yr?

Unread postPosted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 4:17 pm
by Bourbon Joe
cowdery wrote:Can't say for sure, but I think it was around 2002.
And it was all Lawrenceburg.
Joe