Let's talk about Bourbon
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.
Comments
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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 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).
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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.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.
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.) -
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. -
Good stuff. Appreciate it. I have a guy in WA that can get me stuff. I call him the Shah of Kenmore.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). -
The only Old Forester I can find is 500 a bottle at resellers. FMLYellowSnow 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. -
Hmmm….Swaye said:
The only Old Forester I can find is 500 a bottle at resellers. FMLYellowSnow 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.
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. -
Maybe I'm cheap or a just a rookie, but I usually stick to Buffalo Trace.
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Are we talking about that swill that brewers keep using to ruin perfectly good stouts and then charge three times as much for them?
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*barrels1to392831weretaken 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?
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Four Roses is the big bottle I keep on hand for Bourbon. Something a bit obscure but I love is Driftless Glen's bourbon.
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Woodford is a nice tour.CFetters_Nacho_Lover said:
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.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.
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.)
Just realized I have an uncracked bottle of a special batch of their rye.
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It's tough to beat a B Bomb on a cold winter night.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?
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Bourbon is for girls. Rye or die bitches
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Sit this one out Crystal light n vodka boi.Pitchfork51 said:Bourbon is for girls. Rye or die bitches
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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.
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It's probably underrated, but still Wild Turkey 101 is easily the most underrated value bourbon there is.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.
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). -
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 said:
It's probably underrated, but still Wild Turkey 101 is easily the most underrated value bourbon there is.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.
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 remember my Blanton's phase.
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Let me guess, you drank Zima in high school?Pitchfork51 said:Bourbon is for girls. Rye or die bitches
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I like my bourbon like I like my women...neat. Never had an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan...the blood of bootleggers runs in my veins...
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I also forgot to add that all REAL house bourbon in one’s residence needs to be stored in a proper carafe.MikeDamone said:
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 said:
It's probably underrated, but still Wild Turkey 101 is easily the most underrated value bourbon there is.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.
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). -
Ahh, the decanter, just like on the soap operas, or any rich-people show from the 70's/80's. We have one, but it stores Mrs. Fish's brandy...YellowSnow said:
I also forgot to add that all REAL house bourbon in one’s residence needs to be stored in a proper carafe.MikeDamone said:
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 said:
It's probably underrated, but still Wild Turkey 101 is easily the most underrated value bourbon there is.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.
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).
EDIT: She came from money... -
Got good & drunk on the Bullet Rye. Cannot remember a goddamn thing about it, but it must've been good, cause I kept drinking it around the campfire til the wee hours of the morning and didn't feel like shit the next day.Pitchfork51 said:Bourbon is for girls. Rye or die bitches
Buffalo Trace is another surprisingly smooth and easy to drink bourbon. Goes down very easy and very, very good bang for the buck.
I must be allergic to Scotch of all types, although I'm 1/4 Scotch by blood. Always tastes like Turpentine that wants to kill me after it torches my taste buds and throat. McCallans (sp) is supposed to be really good, but I couldn't finish a 3 finger pour. Too fucking harsh. Literally painful to drink. -
Just inherited 3 sweet decanters from my in-laws when they sold the family home. Looking forward to acting out my JR Ewing and Blake Carrington fantasies soon.Fishpo31 said:
Ahh, the decanter, just like on the soap operas, or any rich-people show from the 70's/80's. We have one, but it stores Mrs. Fish's brandy...YellowSnow said:
I also forgot to add that all REAL house bourbon in one’s residence needs to be stored in a proper carafe.MikeDamone said:
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 said:
It's probably underrated, but still Wild Turkey 101 is easily the most underrated value bourbon there is.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.
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).
EDIT: She came from money...
So fucking 80s. Perfect. -
And always have a bucket of ice perpetually at the ready.TurdBomber said:
Just inherited 3 sweet decanters from my in-laws when they sold the family home. Looking forward to acting out my JR Ewing and Blake Carrington fantasies soon.Fishpo31 said:
Ahh, the decanter, just like on the soap operas, or any rich-people show from the 70's/80's. We have one, but it stores Mrs. Fish's brandy...YellowSnow said:
I also forgot to add that all REAL house bourbon in one’s residence needs to be stored in a proper carafe.MikeDamone said:
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 said:
It's probably underrated, but still Wild Turkey 101 is easily the most underrated value bourbon there is.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.
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).
EDIT: She came from money...
So fucking 80s. Perfect. -
I do old fashioned without sugar. Big ice cube, bitters, a cherry. I don't go to CrossFit 6 days a week to out sugar in my drink.Fishpo31 said:I like my bourbon like I like my women...neat. Never had an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan...the blood of bootleggers runs in my veins...
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I got dragged, kicking and screaming, into the world of scotch by my father-in-law. It took me a good two years to "acquire the taste", but it is do-able. If you're interested, I've had several Speyside scotches that, for me are similar to ryes, taste-wise. If you're starting with heavy peat, it is almost impossible to get it dialed in...TurdBomber said:
Got good & drunk on the Bullet Rye. Cannot remember a goddamn thing about it, but it must've been good, cause I kept drinking it around the campfire til the wee hours of the morning and didn't feel like shit the next day.Pitchfork51 said:Bourbon is for girls. Rye or die bitches
Buffalo Trace is another surprisingly smooth and easy to drink bourbon. Goes down very easy and very, very good bang for the buck.
I must be allergic to Scotch of all types, although I'm 1/4 Scotch by blood. Always tastes like Turpentine that wants to kill me after it torches my taste buds and throat. McCallans (sp) is supposed to be really good, but I couldn't finish a 3 finger pour. Too fucking harsh. Literally painful to drink.
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Just thinking about Scotch is making me grimace. A friend left a bottle of Dewer's at my E WA place and I did drink it, eventually, mixing it with anything I had, even just water. But again, I just can't drink Scotch straight, or I'm pretty sure I'll die.
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Scotch doesn't make me want to die, but it is still strong. The one I liked the best (small sample size but still) is when @PurpleBaze sent me a bottle of Arran 10. That was good stuff. Still put a big fat fucking ice cube in it but I liked it a bunch and didn't feel like I was getting throat punched. There were a few other Scotch brands that had a bunch of promise, but ultimately, like you, I just think I'm probably not a Scotch guy.TurdBomber said:Just thinking about Scotch is making me grimace. A friend left a bottle of Dewer's at my E WA place and I did drink it, eventually, mixing it with anything I had, even just water. But again, I just can't drink Scotch straight, or I'm pretty sure I'll die.
I have been a rum guy for 30 years (rum sodomy and the lash!), and my whiskey guides and others have correctly pointed out that the sweetness of bourbon is an easy transition for my taste buds after so many gallons of rum. I just dig bourbon. Especially wheated bourbons. I think I'm hooked.
