Of Bourbon, Wine, Outhouses, and (Crashing) Bears, Oh My 2.11.2026

Rusty Hampton
Feb 11
3 min read

What a Weekend! --- It might be the down season, but Chinquapin was a happening place last weekend (Feb. 6-8) with not one, not two, but three parties!

Bourbon Barrel Pick --- The weekend kicked off Friday with the second Chinquapin Bourbon Barrel Pick. More than 50 folks came to the Outpost to taste offerings from four different Conviction Double Oak barrels, with a goal of choosing one for a special Chinquapin bottling for 2026.

After much sipping and discussion, the winner was Barrel 22-169, 105.8 Proof, with a barrel-in date of 9/17/2020. The Chinquapin Conviction Double Oak for 2026 will be available this spring at the ABC store in Cashiers. Watch here for updates.

Many thanks to HOA President Allen Dobson for arranging this night with Southern Grace Distillery, and a real tip of the hat to Thomas Thacker, CEO and Master Distiller at Southern Grace, who made the 200-mile drive from Mount Pleasant, NC, to Chinquapin to dispense the award-winning Conviction Double Oak and tell us all about the different barrels.

One other note: Not all in attendance sipped on bourbon. A variety of Italian wines were available for those who prefer grapes over grains.

Many folks brought food and snacks, and the bourbon bread pudding was to die for. It was a wonderful night of sipping, eating, chatting and catching up with neighbors.

Outhouse Crashes Out - Vows to Return! --- For the second straight year, Chinquapin had a entry in the Great Sapphire Outhouse Races that were held on Saturday on a beautiful blue-sky day. Dozens of Chinquapin residents were there to cheer for our bear-adorned Chinquapin Outhouse - nickname: Loo With a View - but sadly, our entry did not fare well. We tipped over early in each of our two runs and were two-and-done in the double-elimination event.

On the second crash, our potty house literally flipped its lid upon crashing, resulting in a broken-down sled and a DNF (did not finish) on the official scorecard. This development led to many cries for a fresh start in 2027. Plans are already underway to build a new Chinquapin Outhouse for next year's races, one that will be sleeker, faster, and, most importantly, built to withstand a crash without falling apart!

Many thanks to Mike Jameyson for organizing our entry and coercing, er recruiting, our three-man team of Greg Pullen (our sitter), and pushers David Osborne and Rusty Hampton (your humble correspondent). We are soliciting volunteers for next year's event. (It was fun but tumbling head over heals in a wooden box or running downhill on snow and ice and trying not to fall while pushing an outhouse is definitely a younger person's game!)

Chinquapin Super Bowl LX Party --- On Super Bowl Sunday, some 25-30 Chinquapin residents proved they had one more party in them for the weekend and gathered at the Outpost to eat lots of food and watch the Seahawks paste the Patriots, 29-13.

It was not a great game (unless you're a Seattle fan) but it was another awesome opportunity to chat with neighbors and dissect what went wrong on Saturday at Sapphire Valley and what it will take to be an Outhouse Race contender in 2027.

Alas, this party ran out of steam by halftime. As one homeowner said, "I don't have three parties in three days in me. I'm not at (college name redacted to protect the innocent) anymore!"

In summary, it was a weekend of fun for Chinquapin residents, and we can't wait to do it again next February!

Friday, February 6 - Conviction Double Oak Bourbon Barrel Pick