Let's talk about Bourbon

Swaye

So, I have been on a multiyear journey with whiskeys. My able guides have been @PurpleBaze and @YellowSnow . Been a super enjoyable trip to try many bottles of all different sorts of stuff. Straight whiskey, scotch, bourbon. Had plenty of all the varieties. After much introspection I think I most identify as a bourbon guy. Specifically wheated bourbon. But, I am still a novice in the whiskey game, so although my palate likes bourbon the best, and specifically wheated at the tippy top (just plain old Weller Special Reserve tastes damn near perfect to me), I am open to suggestions.

Besides the obvious shit like the really high end Wellers, Stagg and Pappy, what else does everyone swear by for bourbon? I heard Olf Fitzgerald if you want to lighten your wallet a good bit, and I've also had recommendations for Redemption Wheated (affordable but I can't find it anywhere), Four Roses, and Elmer T Lee (also super pricey). Anything else? Any bottles of great bourbon you don't have to take out a second mortgage to buy? I've had Makers, which I liked, but it wasn't excellent to me. Wellers 7 year still the best until I try some of the more expensive shit I guess.

BleachedAnusDawg

I had a sample of Blanton's bourbon last night. $100 retail, but since it's hard to find people often sell it for $250 on the second market.

Personally, I do not care for whiskey/bourbon at all so I couldn't tell you if it's actually as good as the hype. I mostly stick with beer and even that has become kinda boring.

Fishpo31

I bounce around quite a bit. Regular rotation is Basil Hayden, Four Roses, Knob Creek, Buffalo Trace. I ran across Tatoosh (Seattle) several years ago, and that kind of got the bourbon-ball rolling for me. I really like it, and have given it as gifts several times, with good response.

A trip to Colorado to see the daughter (and son-in-law, who is a bourbon geek) helped. We checked in to the hotel in Denver, and lo-and-behold, they had complimentary tasting of Colorado bourbon in the lobby.

Of those I tasted there, and on a few distillery tours we went on, I brought home:

Laws Four Grain
Breckenridge Reserve
Old Elk

If I didn't live in Sin Tax Washington, I'd probably have Laws in regular roto, but $90 is a little steep for me. I have also latched on to a couple Heritage options (NOT BSB, too sweet, although the 103 proof high altitude brown sugar is pretty good, in small doses).

Heritage Dual Barrel with vanilla finish
Heritage Elk Rider Rye...my favorite rye

Don't know how easy the Colorado / WA stuff is to get to your neck of the woods, at a good price point (under $100).

CFetters_Nacho_Lover

BleachedAnusDawg said:

I had a sample of Blanton's bourbon last night. $100 retail, but since it's hard to find people often sell it for $250 on the second market.

Personally, I do not care for whiskey/bourbon at all so I couldn't tell you if it's actually as good as the hype. I mostly stick with beer and even that has become kinda boring.

I’m with @BleachedAnusDawg regarding bourbon which is kinda sad because I now live in Kentucky and Woodford distillery is probably 30 minutes from my house and I’m surrounded by bourbon experts.

Eagle Rare is something I’ve had, thought it was fine and have heard Kentucky natives speak highly of.

Maybe I’ll bring you a bottle if I lose enough weight to fit in a car again and can make the drive to your trailer park (your home has reinforced flooring, right? I still have PTSD from the last time I went inside a trailer and fell through the floor.)

YellowSnow

I remember my buying Blanton’s for $55 at SafeWay in Seattle phase. FML.

In the $50 price point don’t sleep on Wild Turkey Rare Bird at 116 proof and old forester Bottled in Bond at 100 proof.

Swaye

Fishpo31 said:

I bounce around quite a bit. Regular rotation is Basil Hayden, Four Roses, Knob Creek, Buffalo Trace. I ran across Tatoosh (Seattle) several years ago, and that kind of got the bourbon-ball rolling for me. I really like it, and have given it as gifts several times, with good response.

A trip to Colorado to see the daughter (and son-in-law, who is a bourbon geek) helped. We checked in to the hotel in Denver, and lo-and-behold, they had complimentary tasting of Colorado bourbon in the lobby.

Of those I tasted there, and on a few distillery tours we went on, I brought home:

Laws Four Grain
Breckenridge Reserve
Old Elk

If I didn't live in Sin Tax Washington, I'd probably have Laws in regular roto, but $90 is a little steep for me. I have also latched on to a couple Heritage options (NOT BSB, too sweet, although the 103 proof high altitude brown sugar is pretty good, in small doses).

Heritage Dual Barrel with vanilla finish
Heritage Elk Rider Rye...my favorite rye

Don't know how easy the Colorado / WA stuff is to get to your neck of the woods, at a good price point (under $100).

Good stuff. Appreciate it. I have a guy in WA that can get me stuff. I call him the Shah of Kenmore.

Swaye

YellowSnow said:

I remember my buying Blanton’s for $55 at SafeWay in Seattle phase. FML.

In the $50 price point don’t sleep on Wild Turkey Rare Bird at 116 proof and old forester Bottled in Bond at 100 proof.

The only Old Forester I can find is 500 a bottle at resellers. FML

YellowSnow

Swaye said:

YellowSnow said:

I remember my buying Blanton’s for $55 at SafeWay in Seattle phase. FML.

In the $50 price point don’t sleep on Wild Turkey Rare Bird at 116 proof and old forester Bottled in Bond at 100 proof.

The only Old Forester I can find is 500 a bottle at resellers. FML

Hmmm….

I just went to your Virginia is for Gay Lovers site. If you can find Elmer T Lee in the store buy all the bottles you can.

greenblood

Maybe I'm cheap or a just a rookie, but I usually stick to Buffalo Trace.

1to392831weretaken

Are we talking about that swill that brewers keep using to ruin perfectly good stouts and then charge three times as much for them?

YellowSnow

1to392831weretaken said:

Are we talking about that swill that brewers keep using to ruin perfectly good stouts and then charge three times as much for them?

*barrels

Mad_Son

Four Roses is the big bottle I keep on hand for Bourbon. Something a bit obscure but I love is Driftless Glen's bourbon.

PurpleThrobber

CFetters_Nacho_Lover said:

BleachedAnusDawg said:

I had a sample of Blanton's bourbon last night. $100 retail, but since it's hard to find people often sell it for $250 on the second market.

Personally, I do not care for whiskey/bourbon at all so I couldn't tell you if it's actually as good as the hype. I mostly stick with beer and even that has become kinda boring.

I’m with @BleachedAnusDawg regarding bourbon which is kinda sad because I now live in Kentucky and Woodford distillery is probably 30 minutes from my house and I’m surrounded by bourbon experts.

Eagle Rare is something I’ve had, thought it was fine and have heard Kentucky natives speak highly of.

Maybe I’ll bring you a bottle if I lose enough weight to fit in a car again and can make the drive to your trailer park (your home has reinforced flooring, right? I still have PTSD from the last time I went inside a trailer and fell through the floor.)

Woodford is a nice tour.

Just realized I have an uncracked bottle of a special batch of their rye.

BleachedAnusDawg

1to392831weretaken said:

Are we talking about that swill that brewers keep using to ruin perfectly good stouts and then charge three times as much for them?

It's tough to beat a B Bomb on a cold winter night.

Pitchfork51

Bourbon is for girls. Rye or die bitches

YellowSnow

Pitchfork51 said:

Bourbon is for girls. Rye or die bitches

Sit this one out Crystal light n vodka boi.

MikeDamone

I’m in my bourbon phase. And I’ve tasted and drank many from all over and many price points. After all that, I’ve settled on Evan Williams as my everyday house bourbon. Way underrated and over looked. In a different bottle this would be 3 times the price.

YellowSnow

MikeDamone said:

I’m in my bourbon phase. And I’ve tasted and drank many from all over and many price points. After all that, I’ve settled on Evan Williams as my everyday house bourbon. Way underrated and over looked. In a different bottle this would be 3 times the price.

It's probably underrated, but still Wild Turkey 101 is easily the most underrated value bourbon there is.

Always trust in higher proof whiskey. Iron law. Even Williams at 86 proof just doesn't hold together in an old fashioned like 101.

Watered down whiskey regardless of price point sucks. Hence, why Basil Hayden (80 proof is for fags).

MikeDamone

YellowSnow said:

MikeDamone said:

I’m in my bourbon phase. And I’ve tasted and drank many from all over and many price points. After all that, I’ve settled on Evan Williams as my everyday house bourbon. Way underrated and over looked. In a different bottle this would be 3 times the price.

It's probably underrated, but still Wild Turkey 101 is easily the most underrated value bourbon there is.

Always trust in higher proof whiskey. Iron law.

Watered down whiskey regardless of price point sucks. Hence, why Basil Hayden (80 proof is for fags).

I like wild turkey but at 101 I get way too fucked up for it to be a house bourbon. EW is a great everyday drinker.

YellowSnow

I remember my Blanton's phase.

greenblood

Pitchfork51 said:

Bourbon is for girls. Rye or die bitches

Let me guess, you drank Zima in high school?