So, I’ve somehow managed to follow the Tees&Coins Instagram account for the last 3-5 months without knowing about the Tees&Coins website or lounge forums until today. I was excited to find the “Kentucky Straight Bourbon” thread as that’s long been a hobby/passion of mine. Also, it was great to see a number of names contributing to the thread that I have followed for a while via Instagram.
For me, especially over the last 10-12 months, I’m reaching more and more for one of several incredible brands and/or bottles that Jimmy and Eddie Russell have been turning out of Wild Turkey for decades. After years of primarily drinking barrel strength releases averaging between 120-130 proof, I am quickly becoming a convert to Jimmy’s belief that the sweet spot is somewhere around 101 proof. I mean even WT’s higher proof releases like Russell’s Reserve and Rare Breed are relatively “lower proof” compared with the barrel strength releases that seem to have become the norm these days. I still love a pour of something with a much higher proof from time to time (like GTS Hazmat, WLW Hazmat, or EHT Barrel Proof); however, I find certain qualities of the higher proofs lose their appeal whenever I start pouring them too regularly or too consistently. 
