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The folks who own Buffalo Trace have done some swapping w/other distillers over the past 20 years. IMHO they've wound up w/a really great portfolio of bourbons, picking up some 'big shot' bottles as well as several of the better 'working man' bourbons to give those of us who don't plan to spend $80/750 for a 'single barrel' bottle.
The Very Old Barton is now in their stable, Barton is pretty much just making rum/vodka, etc... for their own label, and making bourbon that gets marketed under other labels. VOB was never available in KS, but may start appearing on local shelves (I don't buy much anymore, it might be out there now)
Y'all fans of Buffalo Trace are right - it's a danged good bourbon for the money. And your W.L. Weller - a 'wheated' bourbon - is the basis for the Van Winkle bottles (When Julian Van Winkle sold off the family distillery and it's rickhoused bourbon, he kept 'the best' and marketed it himself. That's mostly gone now but he still picks the 'honey barrels' to use for Van Winkle w/the Buffalo Trace folks). That said, I think the Weller 10 year old is the best bargain most of yez will need to find. Good, smooth bourbon w/enough time in the wood to develop some nice mellow flavor.
Doc has me 'off the juice' for now as my gall bladder has been acting sassy. Y'all will have to drink a double to keep my share of the whusky flowing like normal. We don't want to have any more distillers going out of bidness just because I'm on the sidelines.
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A man can never own too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition. -- R. Kipling
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