Drinking Booker’s right now - dang this has a nice finish. Critical that you cut it to your taste though, it is a beast at 128.4 proof!!! I went 2:1 bourbon:water and then added 2 ice cubes. Perfect.
dipping my toe in the whiskeypool with a bottle of Buffalo Trace so far very nice
On my list of one’s to try.
more stuff going on then the makers mark I’ve been drinking…
might buy a pappy’s 20 from my buddy craig b. right around $90ish
is that a OK price?
Mel, That price sounds pretty good! I think I paid$60 for the last bottle I bought a few years ago
I found Buffalo Trace for $19.99 and Eagle Rare 10 yr for $24.99 at Wine Exchange.
No brainer there. Always drink these on the rocks with a twist. Wait for the ice to melt juuuuuuust the right amount.
Yep.
Glad you approve. 
Bob!! ![[swoon.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/f/f425e8dac3e7344bee264da02e55428971be23a9.gif "swoon"){kind=small}
jebus, i hope you are kidding!! i don’t know if i should cry, laugh, or get in my vehicle to come slap you around
Enjoyed some new ones over the weekend in NYC:
Blanton’s - definitely quality stuff with a nice balance of sweetness, oak and bite though I wasn’t floored.
(ri) - made by Jim Beam, I had it neat before the bartender made my manhattan. Very slick looking bottle with “ultra premium” labeled on the bottle which means nothing. A very agreeable and smooth rye, but too tame. Apparently, it retails at around $50; that’s pricey and I’d be much happier with Rittenhouse, Sazerac or Old Overholt at half the price.
I am historically a Makers and Knob Creek guy as my “house” bourbon, but lately I have been stockpiling this:
It’s aged 13 years and only released once a year, around the January or February timeframe. They don’t produce a ton of it, and I think the 2009 bottling is from less than 100 barrels. But if you can find some in your area, I encourage you to seek it out. The pricing around here is about $35 if I’m not mistaken.
I don’t pretend to know a ton about bourbon, but I’ve had a couple recently that I thought were pretty good. Not sure if it is worth mentioning that I prefer to take my bourbon neat, so anything that requires cutting is not something I will have been thrilled with. Sort of feels like you should be able to say “That '82 Lafite is delish but a little tannic, so I feel better with a healthy dose of Sprite added…” Ooops… not the same thing.
Anyway, Bulleit and Evan Williams Vintage 1999. Bulleit was the better of the two, both cost around $30. Have taken a LOT of notes in this thread and plan on a shopping spree this week to maybe get something to compare in notes! Thanks!
F
COunt me in as a blanton’s fan. Bookers, too.
I’ll have to look up some the the ones mentioned here.
For those of you looking for some ‘off the beaten path’ type bourbons–try looking into those produced by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (formerly Willett Family–though they still produce bourbons under the Willett name). Specifically, Noah’s Mill and Rowan’s Creek should satisfy those of you looking for an aged bourbon experience. They won’t release the exact ages but they are much older than anything else at the price (15-18yo and 12-15yo respectively). They should both run under $50. For those of you who haven’t tried older bourbons, know that a lot of the fruit and sweetness of the bourbon drops out and you tend to get more spice and game notes–they won’t be as rounded in mouthfeel either. That said, they are absolute steals for the quality of what is in the bottle.
Disclaimer: I sell or have sold most of the bourbons mentioned in the thread. Don’t worry about commercial interest, however, as there’s no way in hell I could ship anything to you if I wanted to.
This thread is bad for me. I picked up a few (4) bottles from these recommendations last night. As you will all agree, it was best to do so for the sake of being able to nurse them all over a few months in a purely academic light. My wife was not impressed.
First thoughts:
Black Maple Hill: Wonderful, but for something REALLY aggressive just as the finish starts. The latter part of the finish is very nice, but you get a real shock smack at the start of it.
1991 Jefferson’s Presidential Reserve: Fabulous, really rich and pretty, but did not give it much time last night.
Four Roses Small Batch: Tried tasting this uncut and will be vomiting the 2nd half of my stomach lining any moment now. As far as learning experiences go, this was like trying to hit a tennis ball between your legs – you figure it out quick or quit trying. A little water made this pretty excellent though.
Rock Hill Farms: This is going to be my go-to bourbon I think. Not too pricey but super high quality.
Will post more when I’ve had more time to evaluate them (without watchful company)
Bought a bottle of Eagle Rare today and am drinking some, first time to try this! Smooth but too sweet, not what I look for in bourbon, not the edge to it I like!
I’m a huge fan of the Prichards Double Barrel and the Elijah Craig 18yr Single Barrel. EC 18yr IMHO is the best bourbon for the money.
Looking at the ‘book’ here, Four Roses has the following:
A ‘cheap’ 80pf Bourbon
A ‘Small Batch’ 90pf
A ‘Single Barrel’ 100pf
A ‘Barrel Strength Private Selection’ 86pf
A Limited Edition 2009 Barrel Str 96pf
As you go down the list, they go up in price. Can anyone give me a primer on these?
For those of you who have mentioned Four Roses, which one do you drink?
Thanks!
All good. IMHO, the ‘cheap’ is a solid “old school” bourbon. Not a lot of complexity, but a good everyday sipper. The ‘single barrel’ is probably the best and the one I drink. Give it a little time in the glass and once it opens up you will get a ton of complexity. The ‘small batch’ is one step down from the “single barrel”. The ‘private selection’ and ‘limited edition’ have even more complexity and the price is somewhat reasonable. The problem is finding them. They are uber-allocated.
I drink the ‘Small Batch’ myself, although I don’t find that I go to that bottle very often when I have other options.