The secondary market for whiskey has gone absolutely bats**t nuts. I don't care how delicious it is, when a 750ml bottle of whiskey costs more than a mortgage payment on a 1 bedroom condo in Chicago, we have entered 15th (16th?) century Dutch tulip market mania territory.
Thou mustn't anger the whisky gods, twill surely cause the crops to wither and yield poor quality spirits. Henceforth, some will have to find other alternatives to Our Benevolent Beverage. Thy punishment is the one whisky thee liketh to imbibe, the way thee liketh to imbibe. Sorry couldn't help it, In all seriousness I agree. Even the new price market seems to be going up. At least where I am
Makes me happy to live in a state where 2ndary market prices don't really exist & all whiskey legally has to be sold at MSRP. I can get most anything, at way cheaper than they ever list them.
I like how Brianna is practically a savant. She comes up with complex (and frankly absurd at times) description of smells and tastes that ACTUALLY make sense.
The homie whispering "for justice" broke me. That was way too funny. Great episode. Also... Brianna (sorry if misspelled) is my favorite human. She is so effortlessly funny and just a joy to watch in these episodes. Thanks for the video folks!
Special reserve is a $25 bottle, antique 107 is a $50 bottle, William Larue Weller is a $100 bottle. Just so everyone knows, these are the actual prices, what this video is showing are secondary prices. Don’t pay secondary prices for Bourbon
I like the curveball of the Maker's Mark in here, and honestly thought it would catch more people. One item standing out as really distinct in a blind tasting sometimes tricks people into thinking "that must be the crazy old one." Also, the editing in these is really enjoyable. I love the moments after they taste a new whiskey, cutting together snippets of people saying similar things, or completely different notes.
I absolutely love that where I live - the William Larue Weller is $179 Canadian ($137 USD), so about $2, 363 USD less than they had to pay for it... Give me a shout and I'll fly down with a few bottles for you.
Having had a $30 scotch and a $2000 scotch, I can say there's a level of complexity and smoothness that cheaper scotches have a hard time replicating. WHat I will say, is that age should never be considered a benchmark for quality, someone can really like a 12 year old vs a 25 yr. Really enjoyed this video and definitely gained a subscriber!
I've had the WLW once - it might be the best bourbon I've ever had. That being said, anyone paying $2,500 for it has lost their freakin' mind! (Same for anyone paying $60 for WSR and $120 for OWA, but less so). The bourbon market has jumped the shark.
I order for all the f&b where I work so I see the wholesale price for all these. We currently have reserve, 107 and the makers; we get Blantons and eagle rare as well. It’s crazy how the secondary market has these inexpensive bottles at such stupid prices!!
@237 I recently went for a barrel pick release for a local bourbon club; they did a bulleit barrel pick and a 1792. Both super good and both around 60 a bottle. Those to me were well worth it. Also love the makers private select picks. And yea would never pay those sums for any of the welders/Blanton/eagle…..
@237 ECBP is my jam! I’ll pass over just about everything for that bottle. Unfortunately it’s been suffering from the hype train as well, luckily just not as severe as BT products
I never buy expensive bourbon but randomly I saw wlw at eureka a few weeks ago and for $80 for a pour I jumped on it. Shocked that I loved it. Super fantastic. I went back again 2 weeks later and got the last pour. Extremely satisfied.
If I paid $2,500 for a bottle of f***ing bourbon, I'd never be able to drink bourbon again... unless I won the friggin lotto. I'll stick with Evan Williams Bottled In Bond thank you very much. Add some fake luxardo Walmart brand $4 dark cherries, a dash of Angostura bitters, and call it a day. Screw that... just the Evan Williams. Lovin the channel, hope to visit in the near future. Keep up the good work!
I just love how Daniel is still a gangster when you compare him to everyone else is guessing abv and density and watching others freak out with the high ethanol and having Daniel be like "oh yeah, that's the flavor I like" tasting through the ethanol lol. keep up the good work guys!
The prices you have for all the Weller bottles were secondary market prices. The MSRP of the same bottles are much more reasonable (SR for $30, 107 for $50, and WLW for $125).
Love this stuff. Fascinating that all these folks have such different perspectives on the same drinks; different fruits, spirits, scents, etc. Just shows no matter what it costs, it’s more about do YOU like it vs what somebody else thinks. Price is likely relevant to certain elements/complexities (as it is in most things), but is generally not an indicator of whether someone will enjoy it more or less.
My first time watching this, I came out realizing I needed to try Maker’s Mark. The next time I went into a store, they had Maker’s Mark on sale and I impulse bought it because it had to be a sign.
I understand the obsession over certain "value" whiskeys that were once affordable, but personally I think it's best to find an affordable one you like and stick with that. For me, it's 4 roses single barrel.
I don't want to stick with anything though. Variety is the spice of life. Which variation of the 4 roses do you go with by the way? On the tag it has a 4 letter designation and I find that they vary a decent
Hard same, I'd say for decent everyday whiskey around $50 is the sweet-spot where you get enough complexity and proof but don't feel super guilty at the price (YMMV of course). 4 Roses SB is also my go-to bourbon for the record :) It's 90% of the way there for a fraction of the price of the high-end.
Clearly, secondary market prices are absolutely insane right now. Here in Ohio (price controlled state), I get Weller Special Reserve and 107 at retail for $25 and $50 respectively. Granted, I only find them on the shelf every few months, if I'm lucky, and I've never actually seen a bottle of William Larue Weller ($100 in Ohio) in the the wild. I'm sure it's excellent, but for $2,500, there is no way to justify that cost when I could take that same money and buy 40 - 50 bottles or more of very good whiskeys that live in the $25-$70 range.
@@RS-686 Yeah, I know. Seems like that's true of almost all Buffalo Trace products at the moment. Its funny, when I lived in Chicago around 2016, I used to find Blanton's all the time, 5 or 6 deep on the shelf. Then I moved back home to Cincinnati, almost 300 miles closer to the actual distillery, and I haven't seen it since. Fortunately, there is still a ton of very good, easily obtainable whiskey out there. Still, I'd kinda like to find a bottle of Blanton's at retail again before I die. lol
@@scottbartlett2087 Yeah, I luck into Buffalo Trace and Weller every few months or so. I haven't had the same luck with Eagle Rare or Blanton's though. Just missed them a few times over the last few years. They both seem to be hunted pretty strongly around me and there's so many on my list to try that I don't really hunt too hard, as there's always something available to pique my interest. Also, that's awesome on the Blanton's Gold. I haven't had a bottle of any Blanton's in about 6 years, so I'm a little jealous. lol
@@BadMovieRealm Just come to kentucky mate. Stocks are packed with buffalo trace products here in kentucky. And mark up isn't crazy in ky either. Hell just go straight to the distiller if you live in cinci. Only a couple hours. 2 and a half if i'm not mistaken. Be a fun day trip and you can come home with an arm full of blantons for retail price.
I bought weller special reserve for around $18-21 less than five years ago. Hype and rarity have people splurging for such a bottom shelf find. It was really good for sub $20, on par with Old Forester 86 or Larceny as far as quality in that price range. Antique 107 is amped up but still... I bought a bottle for $32 in February this year....
That isn't that bad, because a bottle of Redbreast jumped 18 dollars since March, the combination of covid (people bought more and I am not sure how much different state legislatures limited production while that demand shot up) and the overall inflation (which affects all aspects of manufacture from ingredients to distribution) it seems like everyone went up significantly. If the grocery bill went up, what makes someone think their liquor bill wouldn't as well.
I bought it for $10 maybe 10 yrs ago, could have bought all I wanted but I thought it was boring. But the 107 for around $20 and the 12 yr weller for $25 were great buys back then.
Great episode! I LOVE when you do blind tests and was especially happy that you did blinds with the same mash. Blind tasting a bourbon and a scotch isn't very helpful. Comparing apples to apples helps you find the best apple (rather than that you like oranges better)
How do you know when you made a great youtube channel? Well even though I never drink whiskey (I'm a rum enthusiast) and your whole channel is based around whiskey. I still keep comming back for more. Thank you for making really entertaining content. You got a new sub from me. 😊
I’ve been a beer dork for a long time and know quite a lot about it but don’t know crap about whiskey. Also don’t know that I even like it all that much yet I keep watching these. 🤷🏻♂️ Good content is good content I suppose.
Watching this again, It is interesting to hear similar descriptions where one says " lemon" and another says "citrus" and " slight bitter". Great video.
Comparing my WT Master’s Keep One to 101 and Rare Breed while watching this. I’m not upset at the price I paid for the Master’s Keep and I’m happy to have it in my collection as a huge WT fan, but it’s definitely priced for rarity and not necessarily quality- as is often the case. Very rarely do I spend more than $50 on a bottle and find it to be “worth the price” because of how many great bottles are in the $20-$30 range, but once again, whiskey is usually priced for rarity and not on a linear scale based on quality. You gain a new appreciation for “the best whiskey is the whiskey you like to drink, the way you like to drink it” after spending a few thousand dollars trying different things 😅
I remember when Weller 107, the Weller Special Reserve, and the Weller 12 were widely available and great values. Then the Pappy nonsense spilled over to the market for these whiskies. Now they're three times as expensive as they once were and the 12 is essentially impossible to find.
I sell all these at regular retail, but theyre all hard to get now, even stuff like eagle rare. unfortunately I'm in wa state where the liquor taxes are insane, so elmer t Lee and all the wellers are around 60 bucks. stuff was hard to get during the pandemic, barely got any Buffalo stuff. but the hard to get stuff is creeping back up in availability. I've gotten in elmer, staggs jr, the wellers, even got in 4 bottles of cypb a few weeks ago. so if I'm getting these at a mom and pop shop I'm gonna assume stuff will get a little easier to get your hands on.
@@adamletschin7759 when I got into Bourbon aorund 2010, I could walk into any ABC and get - Weller 12 yr $25, 107 $20, ETL $25, Craig 18 yr $42. Last time I bought Weller SR I paid $10, still have 3 unopened.
This is my new favorite youtube channel and i dont even drink whiskey like this... i dont even drink alcohol like this... but yall are entertaining asf
Love the interactions and the notes mentioned on the nose and pallets. I'd give anything to have that level of refinement. I got a peated whisky sent to me and only this last weekend did I finally get what that "chemical" smell was..... iodine! Only took me like 2 weeks.
I thought I was the only one who found Weller SR “flat”. I’m happy Maker’s placed first for two of them. It’s my #1 value for money bourbon, $12-$17 where I’m from. Maybe they could’ve included a high proof, affordable wheated, like Maker’s 46 CS.
@@RKramer105 it was a store pick OWA so $120 is not to crazy. A non store pick OWA runs about $70 in SoCal. WSR runs for $24 out here pretty regularly.
Great episode, these comparison videos always entertain and I especially enjoyed the different level of experience (especially the lv 2 som vs the "hobbiest"). This definitely makes me want to take a som class.
I was at my local feelgood-store (yeah, I´m swedish. Only the state can sell me alcoholic drinks) And I was looking to buy a Lagavulin 16. But it´s price here is $86 so I glanced at cheaper options and found Finlaggan Batch Strength, and gosh darn it. It might taste a wee better than the Lagavulin. No hate here, just going by taste. I will buy a Lagavulin 16 soon.
Back in the 90s, we had a deer camp & did blind taste tests. One of the guys was a liquor slsps. He had a bottle of Pappy's before it got super expensive. To the point Wild Turkey 101 won like 6 yrs a row!
always have to go with OF as my favorite, even the base level is good for the money. 1920 proby is my go to, birthday is amazing. never pay secondary on stuff though, find a good liquor store and build a relationship with them. gotta love high west as well for making interesting bottles. also really like joeseph magnus, but their a bit pricey on the shelf. always liked weller 107, got a bottle of 12 year im plugging away at but still think I like 107 better.
Weller cost about $12 a fifth.About 10-12 years back.Bumbs around town would drink it.Im not kiding!!!I bought a bottle.Dident really think much about it.But I don't drink for taste.Just for the effect.But I can tell a drinkable liquor vs rotgut.
The funny thing is in Canada in my local liquor store, Maker's Mark costs more than Weller Special Reserve. I had to do a double take on what were considered the price points here. lol
Red Apple! That's what I've been struggling to describe for Maker's!. Star anise is what I taste in most bourbons. I don't have a sophisticated palate.
great episode!! Just confused as to why Rex used Makers instead of actual Buffalo Trace. That's the same price as standard Makers ($35) and it's from the same distillery. Maker's seemed too much of an outlier.
Rarely find Weller SR in Louisiana, but I find it everywhere in Texas for retail ($25 or less). WLW is the best bourbon I’ve tasted, but can’t find that one anywhere.
I've had the Weller Special Reserve. My local liquor guy saved me a bottle during the height of the pandemic to try. Personally I was unimpressed. It was okay in cocktails but not very good neat.
Love you guy and this type of content! Just gotta ask, and it's probably already been asked here in the comments, but why not use standard Buffalo Trace for the budget option?? Also, was it really fair to put the Makers AFTER the BTAC? :)
I guess it’s been around 6 months since I last bought the special reserve and antique 107, but it’s hard to believe the price has more than doubled. The special reserve was everywhere, and the 107 could be found by just checking out a couple stores. Now I’m curious if these have become rare around me.
I don't know anyone that test any alcohol like this. You like what you like your taste buds won't fail you. I've never seen anyone tasting for notes of this or that. You purchase what you like and maybe something else comes your way and you add it to your favorites.
Not at all. Best whiskey for the money is WT 101 at about $25. Always have a bottle handy. My limit is about $65. My typical go to's are under $40. Knob Creek 9 yr old for $38 and Four Roses small batch at $33. Runners up for me are Makers Mark at $29 and Larceny at $28. One doesn't have to spend a fortune to enjoy good whiskey. Have learned a lot from this channel. Thanks guys!
The prices stated just show how crazy things have become. The bottle of 107 I have came from Amazon UK and cost me GBP36.50 in 2017, and I have been nursing it ever since as I know it will be expensive and a pain to replace. I've had WLW before (at the London Whisky Show where the entire BTAC and Pappy ranges were included for tasting in the ticket price) and struggle with the idea that it costs as much as 20 bottles of 107.
Just found you guys & you have fast become my favourite channel! I love the knowledge being passed on in such an easy & entertaining way. Also, Brianna is exactly my kinda gal - hilarious & a little bit weird 😂 Love her guts!
I live in ohio and can get all the antique and special reserve at msrp. I've seen boxes of antique stacked up almost 6ft tall at my store. 25 dollars for reserve and 55 for antique.
Using secondary prices as the metric here is a bit misleading IMO. Yes, you probably won't find WLW or A107 for their $100 and $50 MSRPs, respectively. However, while WLW is a fantastic bourbon and a no-brainer at ~$100, the bonkers secondary price of $2,500 for it is more about a supply and demand curve and less about the quality of the whiskey itself.
I have a bottle of Collaboration that I bought from Bardstown Distillery around 4 or 5 years ago. The bottle was $150.00. My buddy went to Kentucky last year and tried to get me a bottle as I was almost done with it. They only had bottles above their bar on the top shelf and they said it was part of their "historical collection" Apparently this bottle is now $10,000 to $15,000 if you can find it. So now I savor what is left of the 15k bottle of Bourbon that I paid 150 for.
@ Yeah I know it’s Old Rip Van Winkle and Van Winkle Reserve, but the majority of the people I’ve ever met just call it pappy’s so I get less confusion most of the time just calling it that.
I finally learned the correct spelling of Briana's name, so worth watching just forward that, nut I also verified that I am more than happy wih my WT101! Plus add Evan Williama BIB.
Exactly, that's one thing I find fun when I start a new hobby is trying to find the best deals and "good enough" stuff before diminishing returns falls off a cliff. Super interesting!
Question, where is the Whiskey Tribe based? I only ask because I've purchased a 1.5L Weller Special Reserve in Texas for under $60 as of 2021. The 750ml is like $29
Being a part of the secondary market I do not feel bad with these prices. We get some complaints, but still sell a ton. The market drives prices. Just like the $1,700 phone that's in many people's pockets that cost $100 to make. That being said. I'll put up a bottle of Basil Haydens against any small batch
I'd love to see the BTAC go against things like rare breed or a makers pick...because I'm willing to bet the accessible whiskeys would come out on top. Also agree with cutting out the secondary BS. You should be clarifying that's the secondary value or only declare the msrp.
The secondary market for whiskey has gone absolutely bats**t nuts. I don't care how delicious it is, when a 750ml bottle of whiskey costs more than a mortgage payment on a 1 bedroom condo in Chicago, we have entered 15th (16th?) century Dutch tulip market mania territory.
This is true for a lot of things but fortunately the markets are crashing. GPUs have already, watches and whisky are tumbling as we speak.
AGREE.
Thou mustn't anger the whisky gods, twill surely cause the crops to wither and yield poor quality spirits. Henceforth, some will have to find other alternatives to Our Benevolent Beverage.
Thy punishment is the one whisky thee liketh to imbibe, the way thee liketh to imbibe.
Sorry couldn't help it, In all seriousness I agree.
Even the new price market seems to be going up. At least where I am
Have you tried a tulip infused bourbon??????
Makes me happy to live in a state where 2ndary market prices don't really exist & all whiskey legally has to be sold at MSRP. I can get most anything, at way cheaper than they ever list them.
I like how Brianna is practically a savant.
She comes up with complex (and frankly absurd at times) description of smells and tastes that ACTUALLY make sense.
And the sheer bonkers-ness of her makes her even cuter and more likable in my eyes. Shes great. Shes 55% (ABV) of the reason I watch this. lols.
Basically you saw the guys say this in a bunch of videos lol
@@philymccann Well, 4 months ago I watched a couple of videos of them, so no; but great minds think alike.
The homie whispering "for justice" broke me. That was way too funny. Great episode. Also... Brianna (sorry if misspelled) is my favorite human. She is so effortlessly funny and just a joy to watch in these episodes. Thanks for the video folks!
My personal experience is, that the price to taste curve rises pretty steep until about 60€ per bottle and then stagnates pretty fast.
Kudos to Peter for recognizing the $2500 bottle but still choosing the $35 (he thought was $120) as his favorite.
That would honestly be hard to do
Special reserve is a $25 bottle, antique 107 is a $50 bottle, William Larue Weller is a $100 bottle. Just so everyone knows, these are the actual prices, what this video is showing are secondary prices. Don’t pay secondary prices for Bourbon
Good luck drinking them then... ;) have yet to find them for retail.
This
My bottle of WLW cost me $150 a few months ago. I definitely wouldn’t spend $2,500.
@@mbarry2910 I have SR, 107, a Full Proof store pick and WLW 2020, paid MSRP for each of them.
You can make the argument that the secondary price is the true price because it’s impossible to get otherwise
I love this series. It’s fun to see a variety of backgrounds giving their tasting notes. Do more!
Briana is the best!
Hell of an ad for Makers Mark. Gotta love it.
I like the curveball of the Maker's Mark in here, and honestly thought it would catch more people. One item standing out as really distinct in a blind tasting sometimes tricks people into thinking "that must be the crazy old one."
Also, the editing in these is really enjoyable. I love the moments after they taste a new whiskey, cutting together snippets of people saying similar things, or completely different notes.
I absolutely love that where I live - the William Larue Weller is $179 Canadian ($137 USD), so about $2, 363 USD less than they had to pay for it... Give me a shout and I'll fly down with a few bottles for you.
Dang that sounds like a steal! Lol
Having had a $30 scotch and a $2000 scotch, I can say there's a level of complexity and smoothness that cheaper scotches have a hard time replicating. WHat I will say, is that age should never be considered a benchmark for quality, someone can really like a 12 year old vs a 25 yr. Really enjoyed this video and definitely gained a subscriber!
I've had the WLW once - it might be the best bourbon I've ever had. That being said, anyone paying $2,500 for it has lost their freakin' mind! (Same for anyone paying $60 for WSR and $120 for OWA, but less so). The bourbon market has jumped the shark.
agree with all of the above
I order for all the f&b where I work so I see the wholesale price for all these. We currently have reserve, 107 and the makers; we get Blantons and eagle rare as well. It’s crazy how the secondary market has these inexpensive bottles at such stupid prices!!
@237 I recently went for a barrel pick release for a local bourbon club; they did a bulleit barrel pick and a 1792. Both super good and both around 60 a bottle. Those to me were well worth it. Also love the makers private select picks. And yea would never pay those sums for any of the welders/Blanton/eagle…..
@237 ECBP is my jam! I’ll pass over just about everything for that bottle. Unfortunately it’s been suffering from the hype train as well, luckily just not as severe as BT products
I never buy expensive bourbon but randomly I saw wlw at eureka a few weeks ago and for $80 for a pour I jumped on it. Shocked that I loved it. Super fantastic. I went back again 2 weeks later and got the last pour. Extremely satisfied.
If I paid $2,500 for a bottle of f***ing bourbon, I'd never be able to drink bourbon again... unless I won the friggin lotto. I'll stick with Evan Williams Bottled In Bond thank you very much. Add some fake luxardo Walmart brand $4 dark cherries, a dash of Angostura bitters, and call it a day. Screw that... just the Evan Williams. Lovin the channel, hope to visit in the near future. Keep up the good work!
Big takeaway is that good old Maker's Mark is proving to still be a solid whisky
Yeah for sure, it is solid
Maker's Mark is the best Bourbon.
It is delicious
Can’t beat it. Also makes great old fashioneds
I find standard Makers a bit thin. Makers 101 and Cask Strength are fantastic. (I would drink std Makers over the Special Reserve!)
I just love how Daniel is still a gangster when you compare him to everyone else is guessing abv and density and watching others freak out with the high ethanol and having Daniel be like "oh yeah, that's the flavor I like" tasting through the ethanol lol. keep up the good work guys!
The prices you have for all the Weller bottles were secondary market prices.
The MSRP of the same bottles are much more reasonable (SR for $30, 107 for $50, and WLW for $125).
Love this stuff. Fascinating that all these folks have such different perspectives on the same drinks; different fruits, spirits, scents, etc. Just shows no matter what it costs, it’s more about do YOU like it vs what somebody else thinks. Price is likely relevant to certain elements/complexities (as it is in most things), but is generally not an indicator of whether someone will enjoy it more or less.
Please check turkish whisky, its not a crap malt, its good!! The brand name is Tekel Ankara Malt Viski
My first time watching this, I came out realizing I needed to try Maker’s Mark. The next time I went into a store, they had Maker’s Mark on sale and I impulse bought it because it had to be a sign.
I understand the obsession over certain "value" whiskeys that were once affordable, but personally I think it's best to find an affordable one you like and stick with that. For me, it's 4 roses single barrel.
I don't want to stick with anything though. Variety is the spice of life. Which variation of the 4 roses do you go with by the way? On the tag it has a 4 letter designation and I find that they vary a decent
Hard same, I'd say for decent everyday whiskey around $50 is the sweet-spot where you get enough complexity and proof but don't feel super guilty at the price (YMMV of course). 4 Roses SB is also my go-to bourbon for the record :) It's 90% of the way there for a fraction of the price of the high-end.
@@GilgameshEthics The Four roses single barrel only uses recipe No 1 (OBSV).
WT101 or Evan Williams BIB as daily drinkers and other stuff as Oh Why Not from time to time.
Clearly, secondary market prices are absolutely insane right now. Here in Ohio (price controlled state), I get Weller Special Reserve and 107 at retail for $25 and $50 respectively. Granted, I only find them on the shelf every few months, if I'm lucky, and I've never actually seen a bottle of William Larue Weller ($100 in Ohio) in the the wild. I'm sure it's excellent, but for $2,500, there is no way to justify that cost when I could take that same money and buy 40 - 50 bottles or more of very good whiskeys that live in the $25-$70 range.
William LaRue isn't currently available in Ohio at all unfortunately
@@RS-686 Yeah, I know. Seems like that's true of almost all Buffalo Trace products at the moment. Its funny, when I lived in Chicago around 2016, I used to find Blanton's all the time, 5 or 6 deep on the shelf. Then I moved back home to Cincinnati, almost 300 miles closer to the actual distillery, and I haven't seen it since. Fortunately, there is still a ton of very good, easily obtainable whiskey out there. Still, I'd kinda like to find a bottle of Blanton's at retail again before I die. lol
@@scottbartlett2087 Yeah, I luck into Buffalo Trace and Weller every few months or so. I haven't had the same luck with Eagle Rare or Blanton's though. Just missed them a few times over the last few years. They both seem to be hunted pretty strongly around me and there's so many on my list to try that I don't really hunt too hard, as there's always something available to pique my interest.
Also, that's awesome on the Blanton's Gold. I haven't had a bottle of any Blanton's in about 6 years, so I'm a little jealous. lol
Same in Oregon...except most the ones people are listing below I can usually find on the shelf everyday
@@BadMovieRealm Just come to kentucky mate. Stocks are packed with buffalo trace products here in kentucky. And mark up isn't crazy in ky either. Hell just go straight to the distiller if you live in cinci. Only a couple hours. 2 and a half if i'm not mistaken. Be a fun day trip and you can come home with an arm full of blantons for retail price.
I bought weller special reserve for around $18-21 less than five years ago. Hype and rarity have people splurging for such a bottom shelf find. It was really good for sub $20, on par with Old Forester 86 or Larceny as far as quality in that price range. Antique 107 is amped up but still... I bought a bottle for $32 in February this year....
That isn't that bad, because a bottle of Redbreast jumped 18 dollars since March, the combination of covid (people bought more and I am not sure how much different state legislatures limited production while that demand shot up) and the overall inflation (which affects all aspects of manufacture from ingredients to distribution) it seems like everyone went up significantly. If the grocery bill went up, what makes someone think their liquor bill wouldn't as well.
I bought it for $10 maybe 10 yrs ago, could have bought all I wanted but I thought it was boring. But the 107 for around $20 and the 12 yr weller for $25 were great buys back then.
Love this, do more brands. The only problem is it's easy to tell when one has a drastically higher proof. Try to use more similar proofs if possible.
Great episode! I LOVE when you do blind tests and was especially happy that you did blinds with the same mash. Blind tasting a bourbon and a scotch isn't very helpful. Comparing apples to apples helps you find the best apple (rather than that you like oranges better)
Can we appreciate the humor and skits that Rex comes up with? That scavenging Helix bit was great!
Really loved Kyle's genuine shyness. Love the episode!
Would love to see this done with whiskeys at similar proof levels. I feel like in a lot of blinds the higher proofs are more likely to win.
Nailed it!
How do you know when you made a great youtube channel?
Well even though I never drink whiskey (I'm a rum enthusiast) and your whole channel is based around whiskey. I still keep comming back for more.
Thank you for making really entertaining content. You got a new sub from me. 😊
I don't really drink at all and I watch. Makes me wish I liked to drink.
I’ve been a beer dork for a long time and know quite a lot about it but don’t know crap about whiskey. Also don’t know that I even like it all that much yet I keep watching these. 🤷🏻♂️ Good content is good content I suppose.
Watching this again, It is interesting to hear similar descriptions where one says " lemon" and another says "citrus" and " slight bitter". Great video.
Amazing the difference in all four descriptions of taste
Comparing my WT Master’s Keep One to 101 and Rare Breed while watching this. I’m not upset at the price I paid for the Master’s Keep and I’m happy to have it in my collection as a huge WT fan, but it’s definitely priced for rarity and not necessarily quality- as is often the case. Very rarely do I spend more than $50 on a bottle and find it to be “worth the price” because of how many great bottles are in the $20-$30 range, but once again, whiskey is usually priced for rarity and not on a linear scale based on quality. You gain a new appreciation for “the best whiskey is the whiskey you like to drink, the way you like to drink it” after spending a few thousand dollars trying different things 😅
I remember when Weller 107, the Weller Special Reserve, and the Weller 12 were widely available and great values. Then the Pappy nonsense spilled over to the market for these whiskies. Now they're three times as expensive as they once were and the 12 is essentially impossible to find.
I remember grabbing a bottle of 107 for $30.. Those were the times!!
I feel ya. I used to be able to get a case discount on Elmer T Lee.
I sell all these at regular retail, but theyre all hard to get now, even stuff like eagle rare.
unfortunately I'm in wa state where the liquor taxes are insane, so elmer t Lee and all the wellers are around 60 bucks.
stuff was hard to get during the pandemic, barely got any Buffalo stuff. but the hard to get stuff is creeping back up in availability.
I've gotten in elmer, staggs jr, the wellers, even got in 4 bottles of cypb a few weeks ago. so if I'm getting these at a mom and pop shop I'm gonna assume stuff will get a little easier to get your hands on.
They are all really hard to find
@@adamletschin7759 when I got into Bourbon aorund 2010, I could walk into any ABC and get - Weller 12 yr $25, 107 $20, ETL $25, Craig 18 yr $42. Last time I bought Weller SR I paid $10, still have 3 unopened.
Great series. Luckily, living in Ohio, we get Antique & Special Reserve at MSRP all day. Antique 107 for $50 is the monster of wheated bourbon IMO.
Can you grab me a couple 😂😂😂never seen here in PA
In what universe is the Larue Weller $2500 good lord. Even the Weller special reserve was $25 at retail.
They're using secondary prices.
i think the key words was, what you can get them for. Most people cant find these at retail and if they want a bottle have to pay secondary prices.
@@Hotlog69 and even going off of secondary prices, you can still get them for cheaper then what they claim they paid.
@@Sound_Spark Yeah, I'm sure someone wants to make a fast sale.
This is my new favorite youtube channel and i dont even drink whiskey like this... i dont even drink alcohol like this... but yall are entertaining asf
Wanted to comment that i really enjoyed your helix ad. It made me laugh and thumbs up the video. Good job!!
I took my maiden voyage there last weekend. Had the pleasure of meeting Caitlin. Looking forward to going back. Cheers!
That might be the best sponsor skit I've ever seen. Brianna is the best thing that's happened to this channel since the Mooch.
Would have been interesting to put the Old Grand Dad 114 against the higher proof $2500 whiskey in the blind taste test.
The peanuts would have been a dead giveaway in this lineup.
Love the interactions and the notes mentioned on the nose and pallets. I'd give anything to have that level of refinement. I got a peated whisky sent to me and only this last weekend did I finally get what that "chemical" smell was..... iodine! Only took me like 2 weeks.
I thought I was the only one who found Weller SR “flat”. I’m happy Maker’s placed first for two of them. It’s my #1 value for money bourbon, $12-$17 where I’m from.
Maybe they could’ve included a high proof, affordable wheated, like Maker’s 46 CS.
Absolutely! It only starts getting decent with the 107 I'd say. And of course there is no way anyone should pay $120 for the 107.
@@RKramer105 it was a store pick OWA so $120 is not to crazy. A non store pick OWA runs about $70 in SoCal. WSR runs for $24 out here pretty regularly.
Makers CS is honestly my favorite "daily drinker"
$12 for a bottle of real whiskey? How?
@@nickbyrd1027 I found an online retailer with liters for $40, one of the best bargains around. And I am not a fan of the regular MM.
Great episode, these comparison videos always entertain and I especially enjoyed the different level of experience (especially the lv 2 som vs the "hobbiest"). This definitely makes me want to take a som class.
I was at my local feelgood-store (yeah, I´m swedish. Only the state can sell me alcoholic drinks) And I was looking to buy a Lagavulin 16. But it´s price here is $86 so I glanced at cheaper options and found Finlaggan Batch Strength, and gosh darn it. It might taste a wee better than the Lagavulin. No hate here, just going by taste. I will buy a Lagavulin 16 soon.
Back in the 90s, we had a deer camp & did blind taste tests. One of the guys was a liquor slsps. He had a bottle of Pappy's before it got super expensive. To the point Wild Turkey 101 won like 6 yrs a row!
always have to go with OF as my favorite, even the base level is good for the money.
1920 proby is my go to, birthday is amazing. never pay secondary on stuff though, find a good liquor store and build a relationship with them.
gotta love high west as well for making interesting bottles. also really like joeseph magnus, but their a bit pricey on the shelf.
always liked weller 107, got a bottle of 12 year im plugging away at but still think I like 107 better.
The video title should be ‘We needed to find an excuse to drink the William Larue’
Bri- "Afterbirth". LOL. Rex's face. I was like what? She's a keeper!
you folks are so fun. thank you.
Wow, super impressed how much they all were very similar in their feedback each time. Kudos to the newbies!
Weller cost about $12 a fifth.About 10-12 years back.Bumbs around town would drink it.Im not kiding!!!I bought a bottle.Dident really think much about it.But I don't drink for taste.Just for the effect.But I can tell a drinkable liquor vs rotgut.
The funny thing is in Canada in my local liquor store, Maker's Mark costs more than Weller Special Reserve. I had to do a double take on what were considered the price points here. lol
Red Apple! That's what I've been struggling to describe for Maker's!. Star anise is what I taste in most bourbons. I don't have a sophisticated palate.
Grass, soil, floral,
Makers Mark. The drink i always choose when i have a round of Golf ⛳ 🥃
Absolutely love Makers Mark. Makes the perfect Old Fashioned
I'm really glad I found this channel, I've enjoyed everything I've watched so far
I love how Rex stacks the bottles on top of the glasses!
great episode!! Just confused as to why Rex used Makers instead of actual Buffalo Trace. That's the same price as standard Makers ($35) and it's from the same distillery. Maker's seemed too much of an outlier.
Rarely find Weller SR in Louisiana, but I find it everywhere in Texas for retail ($25 or less). WLW is the best bourbon I’ve tasted, but can’t find that one anywhere.
I've had the Weller Special Reserve. My local liquor guy saved me a bottle during the height of the pandemic to try. Personally I was unimpressed. It was okay in cocktails but not very good neat.
SR is $25 and available about once a month at most liquor stores in Texas.
Imagine pouring someone a glass of $2500 whiskey and they tell you it smells like a Toys R Us.
Love you guy and this type of content! Just gotta ask, and it's probably already been asked here in the comments, but why not use standard Buffalo Trace for the budget option?? Also, was it really fair to put the Makers AFTER the BTAC? :)
I guess it’s been around 6 months since I last bought the special reserve and antique 107, but it’s hard to believe the price has more than doubled. The special reserve was everywhere, and the 107 could be found by just checking out a couple stores. Now I’m curious if these have become rare around me.
the weller 12 is ridiculous now too.
The price hasnt doubled, they just didnt use the actual prices
Anyone can find an expensive whiskey they like. The real challenge is finding an inexpensive one you really enjoy.
OGD 114, Evan Williams Bottled In Bond, Rittenhouse 100.....
Damn the mash bill of Pappy Van Winkle throughout till the end which basically gives the bird to Makers following a literal unicorn.
I don't know anyone that test any alcohol like this. You like what you like your taste buds won't fail you. I've never seen anyone tasting for notes of this or that. You purchase what you like and maybe something else comes your way and you add it to your favorites.
This was fun to watch, please do more of these :D
Not at all. Best whiskey for the money is WT 101 at about $25. Always have a bottle handy. My limit is about $65. My typical go to's are under $40. Knob Creek 9 yr old for $38 and Four Roses small batch at $33. Runners up for me are Makers Mark at $29 and Larceny at $28. One doesn't have to spend a fortune to enjoy good whiskey. Have learned a lot from this channel. Thanks guys!
Love those prices when retail for weller in Oregon rolls from 28 for special to about 50 for antique and 12yr
The prices stated just show how crazy things have become. The bottle of 107 I have came from Amazon UK and cost me GBP36.50 in 2017, and I have been nursing it ever since as I know it will be expensive and a pain to replace. I've had WLW before (at the London Whisky Show where the entire BTAC and Pappy ranges were included for tasting in the ticket price) and struggle with the idea that it costs as much as 20 bottles of 107.
Just discovered the channel yesterday. You guys are amazing. You look like very good peoples
Love makers mark. And you can get cask strength for 37$ where I live.
I get Weller Antique for $59 and Weller Special Reserve for $25 here in Oklahoma.
Just found you guys & you have fast become my favourite channel! I love the knowledge being passed on in such an easy & entertaining way. Also, Brianna is exactly my kinda gal - hilarious & a little bit weird 😂 Love her guts!
I paid $25 for my Weller Special Reserve and that was a tad overpriced IMO
I tried it at a bar and I had no desire to seek it out, the 107 is much better but again it's not special enough to seek out I wouldn't say.
They were 19.99 at the grocery store near me. Hearing that the special reserve is going for $60 is gross
ah gods the ads are still the best part. brianna killing rex was soooo funny
I love all the different perspectives before trying knowing that they were
Is wood varnish a good tasting note to pair with paint chips ?🎉
I live in ohio and can get all the antique and special reserve at msrp. I've seen boxes of antique stacked up almost 6ft tall at my store. 25 dollars for reserve and 55 for antique.
If I could find any Weller I wouldn’t pay any way near the prices you stated. I find them to be more myth than legend.
Using secondary prices as the metric here is a bit misleading IMO. Yes, you probably won't find WLW or A107 for their $100 and $50 MSRPs, respectively. However, while WLW is a fantastic bourbon and a no-brainer at ~$100, the bonkers secondary price of $2,500 for it is more about a supply and demand curve and less about the quality of the whiskey itself.
Agreed. My state has it to where everything has to be sold MSRP, so all the things they're talking about are crazy cheaper here.
2500 for WLW is about 800 over actual secondary. Not sure where they got that number
I have a bottle of Collaboration that I bought from Bardstown Distillery around 4 or 5 years ago. The bottle was $150.00. My buddy went to Kentucky last year and tried to get me a bottle as I was almost done with it. They only had bottles above their bar on the top shelf and they said it was part of their "historical collection" Apparently this bottle is now $10,000 to $15,000 if you can find it. So now I savor what is left of the 15k bottle of Bourbon that I paid 150 for.
I really really really enjoyed this video. Thank you.
That special reserve around here is I believe 35 or 40 at my local liquor store and it's always there haven't ever seen the other 2
Great episode. My wife has expensive taste too. Fortunately, she hates bourbon.
1st time I liked a commercial , well done.
Cigars are the same way. I have 3 dollar sticks that are better than 30 dollar ones. good video
Things are looking pretty bad up here in Canada too. A lot of pressure being felt by the craft beer industry.
Back in 2013 I was offered a pappy 10 and a 12 for 500 dollars. Pretty much right before Bourbon became insane. The most I ever spent on whiskey
No such thing as Pappy 10 and 12.. Just saying.
@ Yeah I know it’s Old Rip Van Winkle and Van Winkle Reserve, but the majority of the people I’ve ever met just call it pappy’s so I get less confusion most of the time just calling it that.
I finally learned the correct spelling of Briana's name, so worth watching just forward that, nut I also verified that I am more than happy wih my WT101! Plus add Evan Williama BIB.
I think Brianna’s adjectives needs to become more mainstream. Sassy vanilla it is.
Happy Whiskey Weekend!
Cheers!
Love whiskey but hate makers mark but I drank ale with it so I probably should give it another try but just by itself xD
In Dallas, Weller Special Reserve and Maker's Mark are @ $22 for a 750ml.
Like sound equipment or anything, there is a point where it’s undetectable on the value assigned
Exactly, that's one thing I find fun when I start a new hobby is trying to find the best deals and "good enough" stuff before diminishing returns falls off a cliff. Super interesting!
Question, where is the Whiskey Tribe based? I only ask because I've purchased a 1.5L Weller Special Reserve in Texas for under $60 as of 2021. The 750ml is like $29
Honestly I like Makers better than Weller SR. It was ok, I finished the bottle, but I shared it for sure
Being a part of the secondary market I do not feel bad with these prices. We get some complaints, but still sell a ton. The market drives prices. Just like the $1,700 phone that's in many people's pockets that cost $100 to make.
That being said. I'll put up a bottle of Basil Haydens against any small batch
I'd love to see the BTAC go against things like rare breed or a makers pick...because I'm willing to bet the accessible whiskeys would come out on top. Also agree with cutting out the secondary BS. You should be clarifying that's the secondary value or only declare the msrp.