Bourbon Festival 2004

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Bourbon Festival 2004

Unread postby NeoTexan » Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:47 pm

How many had the chance to go this year?

What events did you attend?

(For those of you at the Gala, I was one of the guys in a kilt)
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Unread postby Mark » Tue Oct 12, 2004 7:25 pm

I wasn't able to go this year 'Neo' (made the 2 previous though) but plan on attending the sampler in early 2005. Have you done the sampler in any previous year and if so how would you compare it to the festival? I'm hoping it is a little bit more laid back and not as 'busy'.

I hae spoken with people who went a few weeks back and it seems a great time was, of course, had by most! :cheers:
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Bourbon Festival 2004

Unread postby NeoTexan » Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:55 pm

I have not made ony of the tastings. I have attended the festival the last four years. Maker's is my daily pour with Pappy, Wild Turkey Rare Bred and Weller for some different tastes once in a while. I also collect a lot of the Maker's promotional items and special bottles.

I assume you also visit the other sites related to Bourbon (straightbourbon.com etc.). The folks a SB.com get together everynight at the gazebo behind the hotel for tastings and fine cigars. You meet some interesting folks and some good bourbon there.

This site seems to be doing well for it's young age. I wish it well. The more sites with more information and various views regarding this wonderful libation the better. :thumbup:
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Unread postby Mark » Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:32 pm

Yes I have, I'm a moderator over there as well (Paradox). :) I've been to the gazebo both years I went but enjoyed it a bit better in 02 only because the crowd was smaller. But that's just me; I don't enjoy overly large groups of people at parties etc. Nonetheless, it still makes for a fun time to share drinks and stories with people you meet online and write with day in and day out.

Thanks for the compliment on the site as well, it is appreciated. :cheers: We (me and Chris) hope that in time we can develop a site that is not only informative but fun for people to come to and shoot the breeze. The only way we'll grow is with active participation and I know that takes quite some time... We feel, like you mentioned, that there can never be too many sites talking about this wonderful libation! :D
Last edited by Mark on Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Unread postby Brewer » Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:06 pm

Neo,

My wife and I went to the Festival this year, and we met out there at the Gazebo. Had a great time. We didn't go to any of the pay events this year, but visited Buffalo Trace & Wild Turkey distilleries. If I remember correctly, you went to Wild Turkey, right? Anyway, we also got over to the Festival itself a couple of times and saw the barrel rolling contest. We made a couple of stops at Liquor Barn (Lexington & Louisville), numerous stops at Toddy's and spent way too much money! :lol:

We left Saturday afternoon, so we didn't get to hear much about that Gala. How was it?

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Unread postby OneCubeOnly » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:16 pm

My experience with this year's Bourbon Festival closely echoes Bob's--toured Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey, attended no formal events, but had a blast at the Gazebo. Left too early to invest in this year's Stagg, and came up dry looking for the new Birthday Bourbon. My big score was two bottles of Pappy 15yo (great stuff!) and the new Four Roses SB (both found at Toddy's).

Great time!
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Bourbon Festival

Unread postby tlsmothers » Thu Oct 14, 2004 11:09 pm

This was our first year in attendance. We toured Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey (I still hope Santa brings me a Rockin' Turkey). After that Ben said he'd seen enough distillery guts and wanted to do other fun things since the Festival was our only vacation in quite some time. We hiked in the Bernheim Forest and spelunkered around in an Indiana forest which was quite a nice getaway from bourbon mania. We met some really lovely people at the General Nelson. I had my first taste of VOB 100 in Marvin's room and am forever grateful for that act of kindness. I missed out on meeting the Pogues at the Gazebo (we were listening to the live music at the festival site), but it was a treat to meet Bill Frill.

I've never been to the Sampler but would love to go in 2005. We're not sure if we'll do the Festival again next year since my vacation time is so limited, but I went ahead and made my reservations at the General Nelson just in case. We were too tight with money to attend paid events this year. Maybe in later years we'll dress up and party like prom kids.
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Re: Bourbon Festival

Unread postby Brewer » Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:48 pm

Maybe in later years we'll dress up and party like prom kids.


LeNell,

Let us know when you and Ben will be there dressed up like prom kids. That would really be worth seeing, especially on the "Rockin' Turkey"! :lol: :lol:

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Unread postby tlsmothers » Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:00 pm

If we ever make it to the Gala, I think Ben and I must pull out our feather boa's and leopard prints and show 'em some NY, er, uh-hum....style. Maybe I'll wear the tux and Ben can go in drag!
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Unread postby dgonano » Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:29 pm

My wife and I made it to the Festival and enjoyed meeting everyone there. The gazebo crowds were small on every night except Friday.
It seemed like we were visiting old friends even though it was our first time attending the festival. We did the BT and WT tours but passed on others. Went to Bernheim Forest also and drove up to Louisville later in the week. We also enjoyed " My Old Kentucky Dinner Train" which offered a mystery show in addition to a nice meal while rolling out to Clermont.

I didn't get to any Liquor Barn but Toddy's was my second home. Found many bourbons unavailable back home. Picked up a few bottles of Very Old Barton, AAA, Tribute, Rare Breed(signed by Jimmy Russell), Old Pogue, Ridgemont 1792(signed by Greg Davis) Kentucky Pride, Heaven Hill 10 old Rare, Pappy 15, Four Roses SB,Pure Kentucky XO.

Picked up through trades or private purchase some BMH 18 rye, RVW Old Time rye, OFBB 04, EW Millenium, Ridgewood 1792, Jacob's Well.

And Randy's (doubleblank) thoughtful gift of of his private bottling of Van Winkle 12 lot b.
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Unread postby OneCubeOnly » Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:51 am

Dave--no need to trek to KY for AAA 10yo--VA ABC's shelves are loaded to the brim with it. It's a complete miscarriage of justice! Nobody buys the stuff because it's placed (and priced) with the bottom-shelf dwellers.
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Unread postby tlsmothers » Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:39 pm

We can't even get the 10 year here in NYC. I asked Comstock about it at BT when we were down at the Fest and he said, "Oh, just sell the Eagle Rare or Benchmark."
"Drinking just to get drunk is like having sex just to get pregnant." --Robert Hess
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Unread postby bunghole » Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:36 pm

OneCubeOnly wrote:Dave--no need to trek to KY for AAA 10yo--VA ABC's shelves are loaded to the brim with it. It's a complete miscarriage of justice! Nobody buys the stuff because it's placed (and priced) with the bottom-shelf dwellers.


I've got a slightly different take on the AAA 10 year old. In my store it is one shelf off the floor and is priced in the lower end of the pack of big sellers at $9.90 for a 750ml bottle. Beam 'white' is $13.95, and Evan Williams 'Black' is $10.95. Now that's a damn good bourbon for a very (for Virginia) reasonable price. The best AAA 10 y.o. deal is the one liter bottles at $12.90. Even when the 1.75L's are 'on sale' it's still cheaper (by volume) to buy the one liter bottles.

My store manager tells me that the AAA 10 year old sells very well and has it's devoted buyers. I happen to buy quite a bit of it and it has surplanted Old Forester ($13.95 per 750ml) as my everyday pour.

I can get a full liter of damn good tasting 10 year old 86 proof bourbon for less than many younger 750ml bottlings of the same or lower proof.

This does not escape the casual bourbon lover. No they may never have read a book on bourbon; or visited a distillery, or gone online to a bourbon site - but they know what they like, and that's why AAA 10 year old is selling well in Virginia.

Or maybe it's just us hillbillys that buy it. Either way if it didn't produce a pretty profit for the Commonwealth they'd pull that puppy right off the shelf.

ima - prices quoted form the VA Dept of ABC pricelist - Vol.3 #3 AUG '04
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Unread postby dgonano » Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:46 pm

Gary and Bungy,

I'll be headin' down to Ol' Virginnie to pick some up. I have heard that is is only available in Ky and Va. Does anybody know differently? I see Binnys has some available and some other Internet sites but I guess the 10 star goes to some other states.
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Unread postby OneCubeOnly » Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:50 pm

Ima--

I think you misunderstood my post!? AAA 10yo is a personal favorite of mine! When I said it's a miscarriage of justice, it's because nobody I've *EVER* met who's not a bourbon fanatic has ever even tried the stuff, and it's largely because it's priced lower than Beam White.

IMO, AAA 10yo is the perfect "diamond in the rough"...an incredible bargain that few know about (at least among my drinking friends).

What makes you think it's a big seller!?
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