Taste Select Repeat: The place to go if want unique, not-sold-in Big Box spirit stores bottles
OJ Lima is the homie, and he's given me a ton of wisdom on my journey. In 2022, his passion project has diversified my liquor cabinet for the better.
The goals of Sip Mightily (my platform of content creation) and Brown Liquor Collective (our spirits club locally and online) are one and the same — to find ways to create access, expose and illuminate the sippers, enthusiasts and creatives of color in this community.
Finding sippers of color has been easy, because who doesn’t like a good dram or cocktail? Finding spirit enthusiasts (and experts) of color has made this journey worthwhile because the sharing of knowledge makes these experiences more fulfilling. However, finding creatives of color in this industry has been arduous, to say the least.
It doesn’t mean there aren’t any. My view of “creatives” in this space are those who are creating the experiences for others. That could be the juice itself (Uncle Nearest, Ten To One, Brough Brothers, etc.), it could be congregating communities (Black Bourbon Society, KOBBE, BLC, etc.) or building our own spaces (Sandbar in Oakland, Hermanito in Los Angeles, 67 Orange Street in NYC, etc.). I’ve made some relationships, learned a few things and expanded my horizons a bit, but the best thing I’ve done for my experimental journey was getting cool with OJ Lima.
Taste Select Repeat, the brainchild of co-founders Lima and Pierre Auguste, describes itself as, “An e-commerce liquor store with a diverse and active member program. We specialize in single barrel whiskey picks, mezcal and other hard-to-find spirits.” Their summarization gives a decent explainer, but I’d prefer to sell it more simply as — they make hunting for the good stuff easier.
Akin to sneaker shopping, buying bottles of unique and one-of-a-kind brown liquor can lend itself to overpaying, overnetworking and underwhelming results. Once, I desired a pair of “new” Air Jordan 1 Mid 'Hare' 2015s (a.k.a. Bugs Bunny Hare Jordans) that I paid $125 over MSRP to a reseller, and when I received them there were scuffs on the heel and the laces were a bit tattered. Thankfully, I was able to get a refund, but it also put me off completely from buying second-hand.
The thing I love about TSR is they offer their takes on expressions from distillers — or barrel picks — and make them accessible to their membership. (Sign up is free) So far, I’ve hauled in three bottles from their shop. Let’s go through them.
New Riff Taste Select Repeat 'Dad Life' Single Barrel
Age: 4 years, 3 months, 14 days
Proof: 105.8
Mashbill 65% Corn. 30% Rye. 5% Malted barley.
When I read ‘Dad Life’ on the label, all I could think of was the smell of Old Spice, motor oil, mowed grass, baseball, war movies and barbecue. Why this is how my brain works, I don’t have enough word count to explain. However, the callout of barbecue was apparently spot on.
To be clear, I haven’t consumed this one yet, as I’m saving it for my first Father’s Day celebration for yours truly this June. However, this Reddit thread backed up my initial notion:
Nose: Sweet and smoky BBQ, hints of rye and vanilla.
Taste: Smoke, meaty notes, sweet BBQ sauce, rye spice and subtler vanilla extract. Nice mouthfeel that is what I would expect from the proof.
Finish: Medium length with more sweet and smoky BBQ notes.
Frey Ranch Barrel Strength Straight Bourbon Women's History Month Select 2022
Age: 5 years, 16 days
Proof: 126.8
Mash Bill: 66.6% Corn. 12% Malted Barley. 11.4% Rye. 10% Wheat.
The last time I was in Las Vegas, one of the bartenders at Beauty & Essex (at the Cosmopolitan) mentioned one of the Nevada distillers he was a fan of, named Frey Ranch. He mentioned the fact that Frey Ranch — located about an hour east of Reno — were “estate distillers”, meaning that the grains needed to go into the barrel are sourced directly from their grounds. The end result is something made directly from Northern Nevada.
So when I saw that TSR did a collaboration with them, it was a no-brainer. Plus, the paid homage to Women’s History Month was the icing on … the glass? The cake? The bottle? Whatever.
Nose: Corn flakes. Light oak and stone fruits. For such a high proof, there was minimal burn on the sniff.
Taste: A Heath bar? Cracker Jacks? There are elements of my favorite snacks in there. A bit of vanilla and more stone fruit. Kind of one-note, but sips well.
Finish: The candy bar taste lingers a bit in the finish, but for the age and mash bill, I expected a bit more spice. Can’t tell if it could’ve used more or less time in the barrel. Still very enjoyable.
Old Forester 1910: Old Fine Whiskey
Age: No age statement
Proof: 93
Mash Bill: 72% Corn. 18% Rye. 10% Malted barley.
This isn’t a unique bottle so much as it’s not an easy one to find. Usually sold out or not carried, finding this available online was a value add to my cart. I’ve long said that Old Forester is pound-for-pound the best brand in the land. Their 1910 “Old Fine Whiskey” is one of my favorite things to sip, very slowly. Distilled by Brown-Forman, this is OF's take on a toasted barrel bourbon. Starting with 100 proof Old Forester, it is then re-barreled in a lightly toasted, heavily charred barrel.
Nose: Oak. Yellow cake. Caramels from the bottom of your grandma’s purse while in church. This is re-noseable. Meaning, that you should sniff it early and late, it improves once poured and opened up.
Taste: Feels a bit heavy in the mouth, not a bad thing. The sweetness comes forward here due to the barrel char. Tastes like a salted caramel latte from my favorite coffee shop.
Finish: It finishes like a traditional bourbon, with oak and vanilla coming forward. I also get a bit of black-and-mild in the finish.
Some final thoughts from Ed’s backyard
It’s 78 degrees outside, and I’m really proud of the fact that I paid some extra money to get treat for mosquitoes in our backyard. It’s nice outside, and more than ever, it feels like a necessity to get out of the house and take in some fresh air and enjoy some sunlight.
Mosquitoes — a true necessity for our ecosystem — are the devil.
My Uncle Bill called me to talk about Oklahoma Sooners football after the spring game last week. All I could tell him is that other than one stretch in the 90s — hello Howard Schnellenberger and John Blake — OU’s never been sorry. They’ll be fine. They’ll probably win the Big 12 again. And they’ll probably lose a game this year which will make me pull out my beard hair. Can’t wait for the fall.
The NBA playoffs are getting fun. The West will be a bloodbath, as the Suns-Mavs and Grizzlies-Warriors might both go seven games. The East feels like a bit of a letdown with Joel Embiid and Khris Middleton possibly going out for the rest of the playoffs. We’ll see if Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden can carry the load against the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, respectively.
Dandy Del Mar is my favorite clothing line going right now for the summer. Might be pushing for a 6-inch inseam this year. Knees out!
I made a fire Instagram reel spotlighting these bottles and my backyard. I am pleased with it.