Poor Man's Pappy - How to Make a Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year Bourbon Substitute

[@earcandy1855]

Just finished dumping my little barrel of "Poor Mans Pappy" - picture of my first glass is my avatar picture. Wow, really smooth, touch of Oak, sweet rasberries and nice finish. Getting ready to load up the little barrel again. Thank you for the video! Can we get the label you showed on your bottle?

[@MeatPlanet]

Earcandy 1 !!!! watches vid and writes down steps as fast as possible.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

@Earcandy 1 You can check out the labels on my Patreon page: bit.ly/2tCEE1d Cheers!

[@CraigslistUser310]

@@DistinguishedSpirits - are these labels stickers that are available for purchase through your patreon? Or is it a file I would print from my computer? I'd like to buy a couple.

[@mramos884]

Such an underrated channel

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Thanks for the love.

[@viperhalberd]

Yeah, this channel needs to blow up. For the amount of work that goes into each and every video, and the amazingly cool voiceover, this channel deserves hundreds of thousands of subscribers! Thanks DS for the videos. I hope you keep on making them!

[@ezralimm]

I agree. It's got that ASMR quality to it as well.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

ezra limm feel free to share the videos. Doesn't the music and booming voice disqualify it from ASMR? If not, maybe you should share them on reddit or wherever they have ASMR forums. Haha. Cheers!

[@tkking2331]

I had the opportunity to drink a glass of Pappy 23 at my uncle's house on Christmas eve a few years ago. He waited until everyone else left and it was only him, my dad and me. They poured me a glass with 1 large ice cube inside. They taught me the "Kentucky chew". To smell it first then take a drink and hold it on your tongue. It was the best whiskey I've ever had! My dad also had a few bottles of Old Rip Van Winkle 12 year at his house we drank a few times.

[@jackiemirage2634]

I was getting tired of bourbon, but somehow this video got me all fired up, thank you!

[@ThePartySourceReviews]

Love how you give history, and attention to the finer details of the spirits. Please keep up the good work. I like your channel.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Thank you. I appreciate the support.

[@shawnmuller7378]

Love this video! Got my Bluegrass Barrel today and currently curing it. My Poor Man's Pappy journey begins tomorrow!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Awesome! Let me know how it turns out.

[@christinecamley]

This method sounds fabulous!! I'd love to make a Boulevardier, or a Manhattan, with "Poor Mans Pappy!!"

[@banditthesiberian8156]

Weller 107 lol its on the shelf right next to the Blantons be careful not to knock any over because so many bottles are so tightly packed do to the overwhelming supply

[@RebeccaPaige]

Thank you so much for writing this out.

[@JG-zv9hr]

Could I achieve a similar Pappy using White Dog Wheated and the Kentucky limestone water? Using a three liter barrel what would the ratio be?

[@SB-lm8bh]

The barrel being 200 time smaller means that the esters in the wood will leech into the bourbon much faster. However, part of the barrel aging process is esterification and trans esterificiation, where a carboxylic acid and an alcohol come together to form an ester and a water molecule. This process takes a lot of time, and/or a catalytic amount of acid, neither of which are provided by the barrel being 200 times smaller. Still though, absolutely love the channel, and you have an amazing voice.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Thanks! Glad to hear you dig the channel and thanks for the insight. Cheers!

[@supermannyg3]

I read all about this and how Buffalo Trace were unable to create a good enough bourbon with smaller barrels but this looks like a fun project to try. I totally agree with you about the channel and great voice.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Awesome. Thanks. Glad you dig the channel. Let me know how yours turns out. Cheers!

[@JG-zv9hr]

Would I have to age this for 90 days for a 3 liter barrel?

[@thewhiskeyrickhouse6000]

Great video. Always great to meet another whisky fan on KZbin.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Thank you. Glad you liked it. Cheers!

[@PiousPriest]

I subbed. I haven't tried this, but I've got a few Antique bottles stocked back(did a side by side of OWA and Pappy 15, they are super similar but Pappy 15 has the same flavors of OWA just the OWA is less mature as to be expected) so I'll give this a go and do a side by side with the 15. I've had all the Van Winkle Specialties apart from the 23 year and Rye and I will say that the Van Winkle Bourbons are VERY good but there are other bourbons out there that are worth your time and are much easier to find than PvW. The best thing to do is to see if you can try whatever you want to go after in a restaurant and see if it is worth the arduous hunt.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

I was at a bar the other day that had a lot of Pappy, including some dusties going for $1600 per pour. But even the 2015 bottles were several hundred dollars per pour. I've had the 15 before and the rye and I think it was the 12 (which is Van Winkle). They were all really good, but they are not worth mortgaging the house. I can't wait for you to compare them back to back. I'm sure it will be interesting, but you'll have to have someone else pour them for you so you can taste them blind. I'm sure it will be fun, but I'm sure the real Pappy will be a lot more refined and delicate. Either way, let me know what happens. Cheers!

[@rdaltry777]

Distillery near me offers a 2-liter charred oak barrel and 2 x 750ml cask-strength bottles (124 proof) for you to age your own. I have been wanting to try it, and this video makes me even more anxious to start the process. No, it won't be a poor man's Pappy, but it will be fun to see how it turns out. Thanks for posting.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Yeah, it will be fun either way. But I think you'll want to get 3 bottles so you'll be able to fill the barrel. Plus you'll have some left over as a point of comparison before it went into the barrel. Let me know how it turns out.

[@bagelSC07]

This reminds me of the experiment of using wood chips and a ultrasonic water bath with whisky to "age" it in a matter of minutes.

[@supermannyg3]

Thanks for the idea. I've been wanting to get a little oak barrel but wasn't sure what to do with it. I just picked up a bottle of the antique. Wish me luck.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Great timing! Good luck. Let me know how it turns out. Cheers!

[@BeastOfTraal]

I just ordered a barrel. There is a new distillery in Louisiana currently making a rice vodka which will eventually be a rice whiskey but sense they have been around for less than a year it will be a couple more years before that becomes available so I figured I would take a shortcut.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Nice. I've got a new barrel-aged cocktail coming soon. So, there's one to look forward to. Barrels are fun. You'll be sure to get some good use out of it.

[@briancorley1159]

Best video yet!! Absolutely incredible. I want to do this now.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Awesome. Glad you liked it. There are links to 2 out of 3 components in the description if you need them. Try it out. Let me know what you think...in about a month. Haha.

[@chilimartini2076]

Refreshing presentation of drinks and great delivery - subscribed!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Glad you dig it. Cheers!

[@Velveteenloungekitsch-en]

Now this is a good & fun DIY method to add flavor & character to a spirit--must try!

[@jw7665]

And now Old Weller's Antique is going up both in price and scarcity.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Yeah, it's getting scarce out there.

[@wdirtymonkey]

Hey just wanted to say I got myself a small barrel and plan to try this. I got some good advice from a rum group on Facebook, so before you try this BE AWARE: a brand new small oak barrel will have a very powerful effect, and will probably introduce undesirable flavours well before a month of resting. The guys on Ministry of Rum reckon you should break the barrel in with something you don’t mind wasting first - and that the third or even fourth fills will get the best result. I used a £10 supermarket bourbon for a week and it was indeed pretty harsh. My second experiment with white rum has been much better. I’d also say don’t be afraid of using a newer barrel but taste a tiny bit every few days after, say, the first ten. Of course this might all be irrelevant if you’re using a small barrel made of used bourbon oak to start with, but be aware! (My rhum agricole has worked out awesome btw.)

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Yeah, this one was a sourced from ex-bourbon barrels and toasted. Wherever your barrel comes from, you're definitely going to want to taste it as it goes along. I did another video about aging rum (kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2amp5eHgL6qbLM). For that one, 30 days was perfect. But your basic order would be ideal. Do some bourbon first. Do some rum. Then maybe dive into some cocktails after that.

[@wdirtymonkey]

Yes I'm going to try some Wray & Nephew next, we'll see. My Trois Riviere Blanc worked well but I left it just a couple of days too long, I think - it's just got a *hint* of "eating matchsticks" that I'd like to avoid in future ;)

[@CelticKeltill]

Great ideas here, I'll definitely have to try this! On an unrelated note, you've got a great voice! It sounds a lot like Keith David's at times!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Thanks! I love Keith David. I wish I were as good as him. Haha. Cheers!

[@BigPawTivald]

Well made video!!! Informative and great camera work, along with voice over. Subscribed.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Cheers! Thanks for the love.

[@bukbukbukka]

What other types of bourbon could be used if I can't find Old Weller Antique or W.L. Weller Special Reserve? What would be the next closest thing?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

So, you can age any bourbon in the barrels. However, the reason Weller is used for this because it is the exact same mashbill as Pappy. It's the same juice with less age, different barrels and different placement in the rickhouse. If you can't get Weller, you can try another Wheated Bourbon like Maker's, Larceny, Old Fitzgerald or Rebel Yell. That could get you in the neighborhood.

[@philscherer3217]

Luv your pump label, do u have any for sale

[@tackntuckholsters6457]

do you have the lable file I have my own Bach ageing now

[@fishingwithdalqueast7890]

Its true that smaller barrels age whiskey faster. My father and I distill whiskey and age it in quart-sized mason jars with chips of ised whiskey barrels intended for grilling. After a month on wood, our whiskey is nearly indistinguishable from makers mark. Awesome channel!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Thanks! Glad you dug the channel. I can't find the link to the Buffalo Trace press release about this at the moment, but here's a reprinting of it from Alcademics. www.alcademics.com/2012/08/celebrate-failure-buffalo-traces-small-barrel-experiments.html

[@Metropolis777]

First barrel was amazing although almost too drinkable! Have 3 more barrels in various stages of aging with a little hotter ratio. Such an awesome creation!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Great! Glad it's working out. I had three barrels percolating at the same time and it was kind of a handful. I had to bust out some spreadsheets. Haha. Let me know how your hot one turns out. Cheers!

[@Metropolis777]

Distinguished Spirits Spreadsheets are too fancy! I use masking tape and a Sharpie!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Haha. Yeah, but I was also doing cocktails so, it was measurements and ratios and all kinds of stuff.

[@stevenhefter5637]

you probably would actually want to age it at full strength (in this case 107 proof) to get as close to the 125 barrel proof that it is actually aged at, and then dilute it down once its done if you so choose. if you age on oak at this low of an ABV you won't get the flavor profile that you're after. no bourbon that I'm aware of is barreled at this low of a strength.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Totally. No one barrels bourbon that low. You can do it that way (full 107 proof), but if and when you cut it down to 90.4 proof, you'll have to add water, which raise your total volume by another 15.5% or so. That is unless you lose a lot to the Angel's Share. In which case, depending on your climate, the proof might go up. So you'd need to measure it with a hydrometer and recalculate the water you add. That is if you care about the 90.4 proof. Really, either way, the results are going to be different than actually using 52-gallon barrels and waiting another 15-16 years. This method, with 200x the surface area, will pull out some vanillins and sand down some of those rough edges on the youngish bourbon, but it won't be the same thing. As a lot of folks, particularly Stan Bode, like to point out, you won't get the same esters in a small barrel. It will, however, change the flavor of the juice, albeit in a different way. And will be fun, which is the most important part. Cheers!

[@stevenhefter5637]

Agreed!

[@beatricek.2325]

enjoyed the video and your voice made it better lol

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Haha. Awesome! Glad you dug it. Cheers!

[@bcoughlin08]

Awesome video man! Thanks so much! Well done!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Great! Glad you dug it. If you make a batch, let me know how it turns out. Cheers!

[@eladj243]

Amazing video 👌

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@lt2tanks]

love this video, can't wait to try it, has anyone tried using Antique and Special reserve in this process? If so please share. i'm tempted to give it a shot.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Glad you liked the video. You mean using Antique and Special Reserve in a blend then age it? Both Antique and Special Reserve are the same juice, just with different amounts of water added to dilute it. You wanted to do that rather than cutting it with water? That could work.

[@fillyal85]

Should i just age the barrel in a cool dry place, or should i leave it in the garage where its a bit humid?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

I'd opt for the dry. Humid could lead to fungus issues. It might be unlikely, but also in humid conditions more of the alcohol will evaporate (Angel's Share), where as in dry conditions, the water will be more likely to evaporate. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel#Angels.27_share

[@kathleenwhitfield9880]

Were you ever able to post a link to your label? I just got my barrel in and I'm wanting to make this one first. So excited!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Check out my Patreon page for the label: bit.ly/2tCEE1d Cheers!

[@mrm4453]

Solid channel. Subscribed!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Awesome. Welcome aboard!

[@54isabeast]

This was different and just as good as the cocktail videos. I need a good poolside cocktail. Do you have any suggestions?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Right on. Glad you dug it. Poolside cocktails? Yeah, I mostly crave rum drinks or tropical drinks for some reason. El Presidentes, Mojitos, Daiquiris, Bacardi Cocktails, a good, fresh ingredient Piña Colada are all good options. I've got a playlist with all of those on there: kzbin.info/aero/PLw3w-Gljemekgnd3mf78ejBG_2Q7Yp6nJ I could also do with a well-made Gimlet (kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHbchap9nLqEga8) as a poolside drink. Hope that helps.

[@dailetx]

I noticed you suggested to 'army of roombas' alternative bourbons. have you tried maker's mark cask strength? Using your formula could the outcome be like using weller's? weller's cannot be found here in Florida or anywhere unless you are willing to pay between 300-500 dollars. I certainly am not.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Don’t pay that much. Haha. Yeah, Makers Cask is a wheater so it’s the same “style” of bourbon, but it’s not going to be the same as Weller. It’s also more expensive than some of the other options. David Nicholson Bonded Bourbon is a great wheater if you can get ahold of that one.The idea with aging a bourbon at home is to use a cheap-ish bottle, age it and change the flavor. Weller used to be perfect for that. It was $25 and it had the same mashbill as Pappy. But if it’s costing 10x to 20x more, it’s not a great candidate for this. David Nicholson 1843 Old Fitzgerald Larceny Rebel Reserve Maker’s Wyoming Whiskey Bourbon (also a wheater)

[@dailetx]

So, if I use David Nicholson Bonded Bourbon, do I use the same ratio of limestone water & Bourbon?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

No, it's a different proof, so I'd dial back on the water. So about 32.25 oz (956 ml) of David Nicholson and 1.5 oz (44 ml) of Limestone.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

I added another one to your list: Wyoming Whiskey

[@dailetx]

So DS, D.Nicholson or Wyoming? which is closer to Weller mash bill? I can't seem to find that info online. If I am trying to make a PMP, shouldn't the alternatives be close to Weller? I have never heard nor even tried these, but then again I am a novice I have always enjoyed a nice straight single malt Scotch and on occasion other bourbons and rye's. As I approach my 70's my palette is forever changing and I find my self drinking more bourbon neat, with maybe a frozen stone as not to water down my choice of spirit. BTW, I cannot find Wyoming here in Melbourne, FL, I am hitting a wall on this journey into PMP. I love your channel. Thanks for responding and for your advice.

[@featherfoot9529]

Awesome dude, say could u age wine in dat barrel afterwards? Or maybe vodka reuse it ya know bro

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

You could age all kinds of spirits and cocktails in there. Here are some ideas for ya: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i36Tfnmgd7qaptE

[@JWestLoans]

I'm having trouble finding Weller in IL. May have to have a KY buddy mail some up. Got me thinking though...can you do the same barrel aging for a good rum like El Dorado 15 and turn it into one of those 500.00 bottles of 25yr?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Yeah, all Wellers seem to be hard to find right now. Try going for another wheater. That'll have to do for the poorer man's Pappy. In terms of the rum, I did a video on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2amp5eHgL6qbLM Cheers!

[@SFB138]

I just found your channel. Awesome content! Unfortunately, OWA seems almost impossible to find these days and has gotten quite expensive. Can you recommend a more easily accessible wheat bourbon that would be similar? How do you think Makers Mark 46 would turn out from this process?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

David Nicholson wheated BiB is a good one

[@keanubartolata3465]

Level up again!!! What's next? How about formulating you signature Liqour...or Cocktail....or how about walk us through homemade Liqour Distillery...Cheers!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Thanks! Glad you liked it. Distilling liquor at home, making moonshine or bathtub gin or something, is really difficult. If I made it, I'd probably go blind. Haha.

[@bennyrobin7694]

Currently waiting for my batch of PMP to finish brewing. I created myself a homemade label, but I was wondering, what kind of adhesive did you use to attach the paper label to the glass bottle?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Awesome! I just use double sided tape. Easy enough. Let me know how yours turns out. Cheers!

[@PatrickFelger]

First off, awesome video! I have a couple of questions: First, has anyone tried doing these with an oak infusion spiral instead? They are much more cost efficient than buying a mini barrel and I have had successful results using them in the past. Second, is that mini barrel charred or new oak? Thanks!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Glad you liked the video. 1) You can do it with charred oak spirals. It will have a similar effect, but over a different period of time. I talk about this in the Aged Tiki Rum video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2amp5eHgL6qbLM). 2) Yes, this barrel is charred on the inside. You can find uncharred barrels, but you definitely want to use the charred ones in this case. Hope that helps. Cheers!

[@uncle-epicurus]

Wish I knew where you're getting this $18 W.L.WELLER SPECIAL RESERVE!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

6 years ago, at most liquor stores.

[@largenj]

I have been told to use 60% OWA107 and 40% W12, Is this a better recipe?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Sure. That was the "original" Poor Man's Pappy. I addressed it in the video. The big problem is getting ahold of 12-year Weller and, especially for the price you'd pay, it would probably be something you just want to sip neat.

[@largenj]

to be honest, I opened a bottle of the W12 I picked up over the holidays in store and it was not that good to me. I vastly prefer the 107 to the W12 for sure. I have 2 bottles of the W12 as well. I will use one to make the PMP and save the other..

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

@@largenj Then, you'll have to make this version and compare the two. Haha. Let me know how your PMP turns out. Cheers!

[@gmMendi]

Can we have the label file?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Oh right on. I'll have to upload that.

[@briancorley1159]

+Distinguished Spirits yes please do that. :D

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

@gmMendi Check out more about the labels on my Pateron page: bit.ly/2tCEE1d Cheers!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

@Brian Check out the labels on my Pareon page: bit.ly/2tCEE1d They're even available in PA. 😉

[@bananka4905]

This is so new to me

[@JohnsDrams]

Really cool method! Loved the video - I've subscribed :)

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Cheers! Glad you dug it.

[@Ktech16]

So if you do more than 30 say 69 or 90 will it help or hurt the bourbon?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Well, you want to make sure to pull it out of the barrel before it ages too long. After a certain point, the flavor will shift into being super oaky and all other flavors disappear. So, if this is a new barrel, I'd say, 90 days would probably be too long. But ultimately that's up to your tastebuds to decide.

[@andrewgauvain830]

Did you hear that folks? It brings it's own bells and whistles.

[@sharifjamaldin3600]

Are you located in Kentucky? I ask because you seem to be pretty excited about bourbon. I'm a lexingtonian myself! Love the videos! you are my go to when I am curious how to make a new drink

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

+sharif jamaldin glad to hear you dig the channel. No, I'm not from Kentucky. I've been there a couple times and am definitely a fan of bourbon and rye.

[@davidcollier6156]

What about using this for bourbon sours?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Go for it.

[@johnn8223]

How many uses does one barrel usually yield?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

I'm not sure exactly. It will diminish every time you use it, but you should be able to get about half a dozen agings out of it. After the 4th, 5th, 6th aging, you'll just have to see if it gives you the right flavors. If not, you'll have to replace it. Hope that helps.

[@doctorx0079]

Any reason not to stir this first? Don't you want to make sure it's evenly mixed?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

It's easier to measure them separately. You could measure, combine, stir then pour it into the barrel. But either way, they will be fully integrated when they come out the other side. Cheers!

[@anarmyofroombas8880]

I've been trying to get my hands on W.L weller for years, pretty hard to find in my state. Any suggestions for a similar wheated bourbon?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Here are some options: David Nicholson Bonded Maker’s Mark Old Fitzgerald Rebel Yell Larceny

[@a95014]

Where do you find the weller? I can't find it anywhere.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

At a local liquor store just a couple blocks away. I keep seeing people posting about buying Weller with the new labels, so hopefully it's coming back more broadly.

[@JWestLoans]

Great channel

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Cheers!

[@redinthesky1]

Over 4 years ago this was somewhat relavent, although the 107 was my favorite bottle, so you wouldnt catch me putting anything besides maybe an ice cube in it.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Weller Antique is tasty and all, but it's not sacred. You can make an Old Fashioned with it. It's just that it's so scarce now that it's hard to find and the price has been inflated. But at the end of the day, it's still a $20-$25 bottle of bourbon.

[@imaginethatttt]

How'd you get such clear ice??!!?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Directional freezing. I'll have a video on it shortly. Stay tuned!

[@ianfranklin9124]

Did you ever post that video as I can't find it after subscribing and searching. Great video and thank you!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

I didn't. Sorry. I shot most of it, but never finished it. I will some day. I keep getting distracted by drinks. Haha.

[@carloayars2175]

I'm sure this is a fun thing to play around with but I almost guarantee the Bourbon you put in the 1 Liter barrel will taste worse after a month then it did coming right out of the bottle. You would be better off using a small stave toasted and charred in a large glass mason jar. Small barrels just add a wicked amount of oak way too fast. The smaller the barrel the worse it is. What these small barrels are cool for is to have on top of the bar or similar but you have to break them in properly and get rid of as much tannin and oak leaching as you can. Simply adding warm water and changing it out weekly for a month will help, then using cheaper whiskey a few times without letting it set to long in the barrel. Once you have worn out the "oaking/leaching" they are cool to use. Also knocking a whiskey down from say 107 proof to 90, 80 or other proof doesn't always work as you think it will taste wise. Often times you loose the flavors that made it was it was in the bottle at the higher strength and the master distillers know this from testing and sell the spirits at specific ABV because it's the best strength for that particular spirit/mash bill/aging. Other whiskeys like a Wild Turkey 101 taste almost exactly like the 80 proof cousin when watered down adding good RO water. It's best to use a small syringe for accurate measurement and work on a shot glass size mixture before you decide to change the proof of a whole bottle (at least the first time for each new whiskey). For example if you started with 101 proof Wild Turkey and had 50 ML of WT and wanted to knock it down to 80 proof you would bring up the total volume to 63.125 ML. Simple math. But anyway, my point is that just a couple of days of a good Bourbon in a fresh 1 Liter barrel can ruin it quick and certain won't help you achieve any "grand whiskey", certainly not Pappy. Buy yourself a good Wheat Bourbon like Makers Mark 46 and call it day knowing it's of a similar wheat profile as Pappy and be happy you have something tasty to drink before you go and muck it up. :) If you want to play with a new barrel go buy a liter of "moonshine" or corn licker that is unaged and experience the oak/aging for yourself from day one in any barrel. This will likely be more fun anyway as you get to see it change color and take on the properties of the barrel first hand.

[@wdirtymonkey]

Seriously thinking about asking Father Christmas for an oak barrel now (but more to do your aged Wray & Nephew) - how many fills is a new barrel good for before it loses its potency? Can you char them out yourself to start over? Thanks!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

You can get a good 6-7 agings out of them. I haven't tried re-charring them but I'd be curious how it turns out if you try it.

[@wdirtymonkey]

Thanks! I also have a litre bottle of 100 proof Trois Riviere Blanc that I think would be tremendous with a little oak influence.

[@badkid73]

how does it taste??

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

It's good. The hard edges of the young Weller are rounded off and it has a bigger vanilla profile. It is a lot oakier after being aged, so if that's not your thing, don't age it quite as long (15-20 days maybe). The big thing is to taste it along the way. When it gets to a good place, pull it. Hope that helps. Cheers!

[@kevinpape4936]

are you saying the Special reserve done without adding water will come out the same as the antique with water?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

It will be very similar. The exact measurements for this recipe leave the Antique a little above the Special Reserve proof, but Special Reserve and Old Weller Antique are the exact same thing, one just has more water added to it than the other.

[@hubiesynn5908]

@@DistinguishedSpirits So if you use Special reserve you put it in the barrel and age 30 days? I can only find Special Reserve so I am working with it.

[@TheMasterfish1234]

Can a poor man use an oak stave instead of a barrel like your aged Wray&Nephews rum?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Go for it! Just like the Wray & Nephew video, you'll probably want to give it a little more time than you would if it were aged in a 1L Barrel.

[@niabobia7502]

Your voice 🎶👂

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Haha. Cheers!

[@jamesvaldez3535]

That's a awesome label. Where did you get it? If you made it you mind if I buy one from u.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

You can check out these labels on my Patreon page: bit.ly/2tCEE1d Cheers!

[@squiremuldoon5462]

The hype is difficult to duplicate.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Haha. That's true, so who needs it?

[@eberbacher007]

now what is so special about that limestone water stuff and how could you replicate that for us European folks who can´t order that limestone water Is it just a water that has a ton of lime in it?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

No, not lime. It's been filtered through limestone, which gives it larger trace amounts of calcium and magnesium, but more importantly no iron. There's a link in the Description to order it on Amazon. I know it can be shipped to Germany. Not sure where you are, but you should check to see if they can ship it to you.

[@eberbacher007]

Distinguished Spirits yes, but since US mails has such crazy shipping rates (I could send 3 to 5 packages to the USA for the price of on USA to Germany package) plus import tax and german sales tax (which all include the shipping cost in the base price),. In the end the limestone water would be more expensive than a bottle of Wellers Antique, which goes for around 40€ in germany

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

I see. Well, the idea with the water is just to keep the flavor the same as what they use at the distillery. What's great is for those who can get it, Old Limestone water is pretty much the same thing that they use at Buffalo Trace. However, another water may be okay especially if it does not have any iron in it. But you could also just age the Weller Antique and keep it at 107 proof. The 15-year Pappy is 107 proof, so there you go. Just make a Poor Man's 15-Year Pappy instead. Weller Special Reserve and Weller Antique are typically priced around $20-$25, but some liquor stores will charge "German prices" and jack the price of the bottle up to $40-$45. So, it's not much better here unfortunately.

[@damarei]

@@DistinguishedSpirits They do NOT use limestone water after distillation. It is only used for cooking the mash, prior to distillation and aging.

[@scottyplug]

This voice over artist is a freakin' rock star.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Cheers!

[@pauleyh]

It works

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

👍

[@alexk3088]

With OWA107 having gone up in price AND being difficult to find, we will now need a poor man's OWA107 recipe so we can use that to then age into "pappy". Perhaps we could use Rebel Yell? 😂 We could call it Broke man's grand-pappy 😀

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Haha. Yeah, I should do a follow up to this one and use a different wheater. I like your name idea. Cheers!

[@johnmud5085]

Weller Antique 107 is close to perfection... messing with it is sacrilegious!!! And, just to mention, the 90 proof Weller is Nothing like the 107. It IS NOT just a lowered alcohol version of it as you stated.... try them side by side. If you have 107, enjoy it... PVW is mot that much better, trust me!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

According to the distillery that makes them, Antique and Special Reserve are the same thing, just one has more water than the other. I like Antique as it is too. You don't need to do this to have a great bourbon. If you like Antique on its own, you're right, there's no reason to touch it. Cheers!

[@gordonyetter2932]

So how similar is this compared to actual pappy?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

It's certainly not as refined. It takes some of the hard edge off the young spirit, so I like it better, but you have to be careful not to over oak it. Weller is pretty good on its own, especially the Old Weller Antique, but it's definitely got a little more to it after being barrel-aged. I did a little blind test of Weller Special Reserve, Old Weller Antique, the blend I barrel aged and the blend that I married in a small glass bottle (not barrel-aged) as a control. The barrel aged was definitely the best in my opinion, then the OWA, then the unaged blend, and finally SR. Anyway, hope that helps.

[@gordonyetter2932]

Thank you for the reply! I will definitely have to try this. I already have an opened bottle of old weller antique 107 which I really enjoy. Would love to experience the possibility of making it taste better

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Great! Let me know how it turns out. Cheers!

[@timthrash2145]

Gordon Yetter how did it turn out. Doing it now.

[@JoeS-NY]

That 18 bottle of weller he speaks of is now 65 lol

[@MerkinMuffly]

I live in Frankfort where the whiskey is made, a couple years back a guy that worked at Buffalo Trace stole a bunch of Pappy, he also had barrels of whiskey covered in tarps at the back of his yard. Saddest part of the story is that according to Kentucky law, all recovered stolen liquor is considered contraband and ordered to be destroyed. So the Pappy was put on death row.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

I remember that story. What a mess. So, you're right in the heart of all the best stuff. You got Buffalo there and Woodford, Wild Turkey and Four Roses just south of you. That's some beautiful country out there. I took a couple trips out in your neck of the woods not too long ago. I couldn't get enough of the bourbon tours.

[@MerkinMuffly]

Yeah, they really go all out here on their bourbon, I only wish I was more of a whiskey connoisseur. Keep up the great videos, your descriptions of the history is the best.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Great to hear. Thanks!

[@namenotfound34]

Why don't you just leave a batch in there for like a year just to see what happens.

[@tesable]

so easy- just do it.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

New Nike slogan? Haha.

[@church751]

This video is hilarious by the standards of today's market. Weller prices have went insane. Not many people out there buying it to perform kitchen science experiments these days.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

For sure. Weller is now harder to find than Pappy in some places. At the time this video was made, those Weller bottles were pretty cheap and still fairly available. Now, forget it.

[@donscotuslives]

Love this line: "It can turn the disenfranchised Anthony Bourdain into a squealing teenage girl in the clutches of Beatlemania." Well done!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Haha. Glad you liked it. 👌😉

[@ahnaf135]

I feel like I just watched national treasure

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Are you saying I'm Nicholas Cage? If so, "NOT THE BEES!!!"

[@joebruceman]

I gotta Liter of Weller 12 for 26 bucks! thank god for working at a liquor store

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Oh nice score! Enjoy!

[@TruelyBadassAmerican]

Dude, you're a badass. Have you ever thought about doing a snapchat for the channel??

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Haha. Thanks. I have a Snapchat mostly because there was a strong insistence by friends to get on it. But I don't use it very much. I'm like an old man wandering around in the dark on that thing. I can't figure out how to upload dickpics to it.

[@TruelyBadassAmerican]

+Distinguished Spirits lol, I know right. the struggle is real sending out dick pics... 😂

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

😉👍

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

+TruelyBadassAmerican I just snapped a little something...not what you're thinking. Check it out. My Snapcode just went out on Instagram, FB & Twitter.

[@TruelyBadassAmerican]

+Distinguished Spirits ayy, right on man. I'll add you ASAP.

[@clinttoney]

You sound like Cowboy Curtis.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

media.giphy.com/media/iAYupOdWXQy5a4nVGk/source.gif

[@unsane78]

$18 Weller special reserve? 😂

[@BloodySawBlade]

All of this JUST to achieve making Poor Man's Pappy? Well fuck, I might as well just empty my savings account to aquire a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 20 Years Old. That will be easier than getting all the crap just to make Poor Man's Pappy. One thing is for sure, though; Weller bourbon is hard to come by. It doesn't matter which one of the three you're looking for, they're like the sacred scrolls to some realm of bourbon paradise. I live in California, and I had to drive to a neighboring county just to find Weller Special Reserve, and bought two bottles. Weller Antique 107 and Weller 12 are nowhere in sight.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Or just get another bourbon. There are good ones out there that are not so rare. Four Roses has some good single barrel cask strengths that are really great neat. Those aren't everywhere, but specialty liquor stores will have them for $60-$65. Russell's Reserve Single Barrel is around $55. It's a great sipping bourbon. Neither of those are wheaters, but they are tasty and not something you have to spend weeks and months searching for.

[@black_dog_barks]

Or just drink Eagle Rare.... LOL

[@someonesdad5986]

When I started drinking plain old Weller it said aged 7 years on the bottle and it cost $9 A bottle. Fast forward 12 years and a bunch of hipsters believe the lie that it is just young Pappy and it's $18 A bottle. It isn't young Pappy and it isn't worth $18 A bottle. Nor is Weller 12 worth $50 a bottle. That's insane. It's just wheated Bourbon. Willet and Makers are better and sadly now cheaper than what used to be a great Bourbon for the money.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Do you know the differences between Pappy and Weller? There are not a lot of them.

[@someonesdad5986]

Distinguished Spirits Weller has been my daily pour for a decade. The differences between the two are akin to the differences between Weller and Willet or Weller and Makers. Substantial. Being from the same distillery doesn't mean they are the same. Any distillery has dozens of mashbills at any given time. Two wheated mashbills are still both wheated, but they are also still two different mashbills.

[@someonesdad5986]

Distinguished Spirits it was a stroke of genius by Buffalo Trace to put it out there a few years ago that Weller was Pappy. Weller was the second from the bottom of their portfolio and like so many bottom of the barrel brands(think Old Forester) it has now been revived and sold to all the cool kids with a more than doubled price in a decade. As with any business, follow the money not the marketing, no matter how zeitgeisty it appears to be.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

It is the same distillery and mashbill. That info has been made public. I also confirmed it with a rep from the company. The things that make up the difference are barrel selection, the placement in the rickhouse (less temp fluctuation) and of course, a lot more age. The barrels and the placement are not trivial matters. They are selecting the best juice and the juice that meets their criteria. And of course this process of home barrel-aging is not the same thing. Weller is not the same thing. The process makes a difference in the final juice. Again, this is process is supposed to be for fun, not an actual replacement for Pappy. To your point, a lot of the hype around this particular line of Wheaters makes it frustrating because the supply is so constrained. It's not quite at the same scale, but I used to get Wild Turkey 101 Rye for $9, then it disappeared for a few years and it's slowly trickling back in, but now it's $40 for a 1L bottle. The cause was the same though, Rye sat on the shelves collecting dust for decades, like a lot of good whiskeys and then there was an explosion of interest and they all disappeared. The distillers couldn't keep up. So, yeah the whisk(e)y shortage is certainly a pain in the ass.

[@sieve5]

No way in hell i'm even going to think about dumping my OWA i'll just drink it. cool experiment though.

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Hahaha. That works too.

[@txaggievet]

Pappy? meh, overhyped and overpriced.... get a bottle of woodford double oaked... better, cheaper and AVAILABLE!

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

Haha. Definitely. Really, there are so many good bourbons out there. A lot of places put out amazing single barrel expressions if you wanna splurge. This process was fun and the results were tasty. But between now and when I made the video, all Weller expressions have been harder to come by, so even this is difficult.

[@tkking2331]

I had the opportunity to drink a glass of Pappy 23 at my uncle's house on Christmas eve a few years ago. He waited until everyone else left and it was only him, my dad and me. They poured me a glass with 1 large ice cube inside. They taught me the "Kentucky chew". To smell it first then take a drink and hold it on your tongue. It was the best whiskey I've ever had! My dad also had a few bottles of Old Rip Van Winkle 12 year at his house we drank a few times.

[@GamesByJDK]

How many times can you use the little barrel to age a whiskey?

[@DistinguishedSpirits]

You can use it about a dozen times. You just start getting diminishing returns and the aging process takes longer and longer. I’ve never pushed it to the absolute max. I haven’t even gotten near it with a spirit. I’ve only aged probably 4 spirits in a row then I switch to cocktails. It’s fun to do. I’m sure you’d enjoy it. Just be ready with the next spirit the moment you dump the barrel. Cheers!