Buffalo Trace Antique Collection

@RoganFox, what options to you have available to you? Most hard core types prefer to get their hands on the barrel proof Antique Collection whiskeys: George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, and Thomas H. Handy. Personally I like Thomas Handy the best, but I've stashed quite a few bottles of Handy away back in the years before it became scarce. Nowadays I'd take a bottle of William Larue Weller or a George T. Stagg first, because I have fewer of them on hand. Stagg has more fame and panache, but I like Weller even better.

Truth be told, grab any one of the five of them if you get the chance. They have all gotten ridiculously competitive to obtain in the last few years.

I agree with @Victor, anything I saw I would purchase. If I had a choice of only 1, I would personally probably go Thomas H. Handy, William Larue Weller, and Stagg in that order with the Sazerac and Eagle Rare 17 being a toss up for the last spot. I would love to be able to amass the whole collection at some point but in my 5 years of searching, I've only ever been able to track down a single bottle of Stagg so I don't like my chances for any future bottles.

@Victor Thanks Victor. Have a chance at picking up one of them for sure so appreciate the feedback.

@InGreatSpirits Thanks for the info. If budget were no option we would all probably have one of each:-)

@Victor. I noticed Pappy Van Winkle is off your list. Any reason why?

@Benancio, this is not my discussion topic. @RoganFox wanted to know about the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. I addressed that.

BUT...looks like I will see some Van Winkle this year after all...About Van Winkle: I consider the 10-107 to be the best value for money, and Pappy Van Winkle 15 to be the overall best choice, including even the current Buffalo Trace releases. What we've been finding here is that the Buffalo Trace Pappy 15 yo does very well gathering one to two years of air time after the bottle is open. After about 2 years an open bottle of Buffalo Trace Pappy Van Winkle 15 yo evolved to taste very close to the old pre-2011 release Stitzel Weller Pappy Van Winkle 15 yo. So if I open a BT PVW 15 and I'm not thrilled immediately I'll just give it a lot of time.

Van Winkle 12 Special Reserve "Lot B" is delicate, if you can handle that. Great, but only for the right sort of mood and on a very clean palate. Pappy 20 is very nice, but will also be on the mild side for some folks. Pappy 23 is just ridiculously expensive, and some batches are awfuly woody.

I like them all, but each whiskey has its appropriate corresponding mood. A Corryvreckan mood is not a Van Winkle mood.

@Victor Thanks for the input. My Liquor claims his allotment of Pappy might arrive today. I'll be happy if I get one.

Here in Canada we can only look south and wish....

@Nozinan, keep your eyes peeled. Opportunities for BTAC and Van Winkle occasionally come to the LCBO. Three years ago you could have found 6 or 8 bottles of Van Winkle 12 yo sitting on the shelf at Summerhill in Toronto, ready to be bougtht. At that time you could not have done that in the US anywhere that I know of. Since then Ontarians have figured it out and Van Winkle no longer sits on shelves.

I hear that BTAC whiskeys come occasionally to the LCBO also, but there are massive lines, apparently.

The point is that the odd opportunity occasionally arises, and you have to be ready to pounce on it when it does. That is also true down here in the US.

A sidebar issue. Just curious. What are the BTACs selling for in your area, guys? One lone bottle of Handy is the only recent release I can find within a 50-mile radius. Two years ago, the local store had plenty of Handys on the shelf, and they were selling them for 80 bucks. Last year, they moved them to the glass case and added another $20 to the price tag. I was in the store today, and they're asking $200 for their prominently displayed Handy. (You could almost see the spotlight and hear the angel choirs.) Much as I love it, and much as it's as good or better than any $200 whisk(e)y I've tasted, I can't justify the expenditure. What are the less mercenary merchants asking for it these days?

@WhiskyBee, around here the BTAC pre-tax prices are currently $ 80- 100, but you just really can't easily find any.

@WhiskyBee
BTOC, 2 years ago it use to be $80 to $100 now its around $145 to $200.

3 years ago I was paying $24 for Rip Van Winkle 10y 107, $100 Pappy 20y, $55 Pappy 13y Rye.
Last year they were asking $100 RVW 10y 107, $225 Pappy 20y. I've never seen the 13y Rye in these parts ever again.

Back then the bottles use to sit on the shelves for weeks, now they never even make it to the self. I bought 3 bottles of the RVW 10y 107, Pappy 20y and 13y Rye. Had I know it was going to be like this I would have bought a lot more of the RVW 107 and Pappy 13y Rye.
I love the RVW 10y 107 bourbon but its not a $100 bourbon.

Now we have a real gem on the shelf , George T Stagg Jr. for $52. I picked up 2 so far, you never know what next year will bring. Barrel proof 66.05% ABV (WOW), great tasting bourbon, for $52 is a bargain. I would rate this one a 92. I just talked myself into getting another one today.

@Victor Take your time opening the Colonel EH Taylor Barrel Proof Bourbon 67%ABV, its a prize. I know you will give it an honest review. For me this has been the finest bourbon I have had. It has a nose I just don't want to stop smelling , taste is amazing, its a 96 in my book. The 1/2 bottle I got had been open for 6 months. Whats it selling for in your parts?

All of these are by Buffalo Trace, they are doing a great job.

@Benancio, the Col E H Taylor Barrel Proof cost me about $ 63.50 incl. tax. It was an allocated bottle, and this year's ABV is 64.5%.