halfgeek.codes

Hello World!

This is my new page, dedicated to my relatively new adventure into whiskeys and bourbons.

So, for my inaugural post, I thought I'd start with the bourbon I received today: Old Rip Van Winkle.

I first heard about the Old Rip Van Winkle series of bourbons a couple of years ago from a friend who was learning about whiskey: a fabled small-batch distillery whose product is legendarily difficult to come by — only a handful of distributors have access to it.

Not too long afterwards I found it at a bar in Las Vegas. A glass of it on the rocks was quite expensive (I thought).

My wife and I are learning about whiskey together. She has a friend who happens to live in Kentucky, and reached out to her about Old Rip Van Winkle. She confirmed the bourbon was only available for purchase from the distillery through a lottery, and enlisted the help of a friend to get us into the lottery.

Laurel was thrilled to later learn that she'd won the opportunity to buy a bottle of the 10-year, and immediately took advantage.

We have an old library card catalog in our office, which we have decided to put to good use as a liquor cabinet. Old Rip Van Winkle is laying at rest in the cabinet for a special occasion!

Now I figured I'd tell you about my brush with greatness.

As you saw from the previous post, I'm excited about my bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr — because I know how good the REALLY good stuff is: Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15yr.

I've already told you about how I learned about the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, and how scarce their product is.

Set your wayback machine for late May of this year. We were house hunting in Dallas, and staying at a hotel in Las Colinas, which is a small city in orbit around the metroplex.

After a long day of looking at houses, we went up to the bar and I happened to spot this bottle set back a ways behind the bar. I couldn't believe what I was seeing:



— A bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve.

I couldn't believe my luck -— and the bartender gave me a very generous pour. I am convinced she had no idea what she had back there — like maybe they'd had the bottle forever and just wanted to finally be rid of it.

Of course I obliged.

Bourbon heaven is an amber syrup in a low-ball glass. And I know I'll likely never taste it again, but I'm so thrilled to say that I did for one weekend.

This is my "on the regular" whiskey.

Sinatra Select and I were introduced a few years ago at Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant in Las Vegas. Historically, I hadn't been a fan of the Jack Daniels' brand. But the Sinatra Select amazes.

— and you should taste what it does for a pecan pie.

My wife bought our first bottle around the holidays last year. Kept under lock and key at the liquor store, it is held in a black box bearing a simple orange ribbon and an orange image of a trilby — the style of hat Frank Sinatra wore.