Yep. A friend and I bought a case of 20 year old a few years ago when it was about $150 per bottle. We got it direct from PA, as their liquor stores are apparently all state run. We just kept a couple of bottles each and sold most of it at our cost to friends who wanted a bottle. Who knew bourbon, and particularly Pappy would be such a damn big deal. It's ridiculous, honestly.
Bulleitt used to be my house rail bourbon. It was $20-25 per bottle, so you didn't mind mixing it, but the taste was both good and interesting enough that it drank fine on the rocks or neat. I could easily restock my bourbon collections for $100 (Bulleit as house, Basil as my personal all day rocks drinker, Blanton's as my "treat yo'self"). That same purchase now would be $150, and that's if all of them are even in stock.
Fucking hipsters. I've responded by switching most of my spirit drinking to rye and scotch. If I'm paying the cost of single malt for bourbon, I'm just going to go ahead and drink a Speyside single malt.
Also, I promised someone a report back on the Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters. I will say that it makes a spectacularly good Manhattan. Two thumbs up. I don't drink Old Fashioneds because I'm a grown ass man, but I bet it would shine even more there.
Despite my lobbying for the interesting flavor of the Lacuesta reserve vermouth, the Carpano Antica is the way to go if you are only going to levelup with one vermouth. I'll never go back to Rossi for red vermouth. It has a very chemical taste that is nearly intolerable after stepping up to better offerings. And Carpano Antica is about as good as you can get with vermouth, and a big ass bottle is only $30. Given the price per pour difference being maybe 50 cents difference, you're better off spending your money there even if you step down the whiskey.
To keep this topical, I'll add that it doesn't matter what you mix with Red Bull. It all tastes like big game choking and radiation-poisoned cat piss.
