Any Bourbon Lovers here ?

Hugh · November 4th, 2009, 10:03 PM

Share your fav brands and tell us why you like 'em.

My fav is Elijah Craig 18yo, followed by Old Charter 12yo, and finally Elijah Craig 12yo. All are Kentucky Straight Bourbon. I like them because they are smooth and you don't have to reach for a chaser. I've tried other small batch/single barrel KSB's, but those just do it for me.

One of my kids came over a while back and was getting read to make a highball with coke and my 18yo EC ! I calmly explained that there are things in life you just don't do

still_fiddlin · November 4th, 2009, 10:07 PM

I will have to try one of those. I have been getting Blanton's most recently, and also like Old Grandad Barrel Proof. I keep Makers Mark around for the company

.

gliderider22 · November 4th, 2009, 10:22 PM

mmmmm Makers Mark.

StratoBrew · November 4th, 2009, 10:43 PM

I like Bulleit a lot. It's smooth, but not sweet at all. It's got a nice warming burn on the way down. It's not expensive, but not cheap either. I drink it straight, but don't feel guilty mixing it with ginger ale, either. It's just plain tasty.

Hugh · November 4th, 2009, 11:51 PM

Makers is decent and very popular here in KY. I've sampled most all the top shelf stuff, and I like them all. Bulleit, I haven't tried, but I will if I ever see it behind a bar.

I don't mind the cost of the top shelf ksb's, because I don't drink a lot anyway. The bottle of EC 18yo I have, I bought back in the spring, and it still has a half pint or so in it. I'm a sipper. Double shot glass full will last me about 45 minutes, about 3 - 4 sips.

The Old Charter I mentioned is one of the best buys in a 12 yo ksb. Most folks even here in town never heard of it because they don't advertise much. But that's why it's only about 5 bucks more than Makers. Lowest priced 12 yo and one of the best.

TexBiker · November 5th, 2009, 09:12 AM

I'm mostly a Woodford Reserve guy, but I also like Black Maple Hill, Elmer T. Lee and Blantons.

I keep Knob Creek and Buffalo Trace on hand for my friends who insist on mixing bourbon with Coke.

Ray-Boy · November 5th, 2009, 10:19 AM

Tex, friends don't let friends mix bourbon with Coke. SAVE THEM, do them a favor, do whatever it takes to knock some sense into them. Try this; Set out glasses of good bourbon and cold Coca-Cola (you were talking about Cola, right?) and every time one of them reaches for the Coke, swat him/her upside the head with a Warmoth Baritone neck. That should get through to even the most unsophisticated palate.

PorkRollExpress · November 5th, 2009, 10:29 AM

I don't like Jack. Makers is OK. KnobCreek is decent for a "corner store score" over $24.00

I prefer Rowan's Reserve small batch (cannot remember for the the life of me who the distillery is)

JB's Bakers and BasilHaydon small batch brands are nice.

Hugh · November 5th, 2009, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexBiker

I'm mostly a Woodford Reserve guy, but I also like Black Maple Hill, Elmer T. Lee and Blantons.

I keep Knob Creek and Buffalo Trace on hand for my friends who insist on mixing bourbon with Coke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray-Boy

Tex, friends don't let friends mix bourbon with Coke. SAVE THEM, do them a favor, do whatever it takes to knock some sense into them. Try this; Set out glasses of good bourbon and cold Coca-Cola (you were talking about Cola, right?) and every time one of them reaches for the Coke, swat him/her upside the head with a Warmoth Baritone neck. That should get through to even the most unsophisticated palate.

lol, I've got most of family and friends understanding why one doesn't commit sacrilege with good bourbon. With the holidays coming up though, I guess I better get a bottle of Kesslers for those who want to mix it.

Buffalo Trace is one I haven't tried. I'll look for that one on the shelf next time I go to buy some bourbon. Knob Creek is pretty good stuff.

I dunno, once I tried some 12 yo bourbon it spoiled me. I won't turn down 10 yo, but anything short of that, I'll just grab a beer if no good stuff is around. In my younger days I drank Rebel Yell. I probably couldn't handle it now.

Hugh · November 5th, 2009, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PorkRollExpress

I don't like Jack. Makers is OK. KnobCreek is decent for a "corner store score" over $24.00

I prefer Rowan's Reserve small batch (cannot remember for the the life of me who the distillery is)

JB's Bakers and BasilHaydon small batch brands are nice.

Yea, Jack is popular around here. "Jack and Coke" can be heard a lot if one is bellied up to the bar. Not knockin it, but I just don't like sour mash.

smsuryan · November 10th, 2009, 05:54 PM

i like bourbon, but i realllly like scotch...laphroaig is my fave!! woodsy smokey goodness.mmmm

Suthrn_BLU_Sman · November 10th, 2009, 06:39 PM

I dont have a top shelf budget but if Im gonna spend a little money on the "good stuff" I usually go with the Maker's Mark or The Old Charter 10 or 12 yr. On a normal occasion good ole Jack and Crown are my go to's. And BTW the only one of these you will ever catch my mixing with Coke is Jack. A nice shot glass or three cubes of ice is all I need for the others. I once had the pleasure of trying some Old Charter (10 yr) that had been aged another 10 years after it was bought (put up in a cabinet and forgotten). That was perfect, I cant afford to by something that would compare to that at the store.

07 road house · November 10th, 2009, 07:28 PM

I drink a crown and coke about once a year.

Hugh · November 10th, 2009, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suthrn_BLU_Sman

I dont have a top shelf budget but if Im gonna spend a little money on the "good stuff" I usually go with the Maker's Mark or The Old Charter 10 or 12 yr. On a normal occasion good ole Jack and Crown are my go to's. And BTW the only one of these you will ever catch my mixing with Coke is Jack. A nice shot glass or three cubes of ice is all I need for the others. I once had the pleasure of trying some Old Charter (10 yr) that had been aged another 10 years after it was bought (put up in a cabinet and forgotten). That was perfect, I cant afford to by something that would compare to that at the store.

Old Charter is a treat. It really is the best buy in a 10 or 12 yo KSB

Bluesbreaker · November 11th, 2009, 01:02 AM

My favourite is Glenfiddich 12 y.o.

another good one is the Famous Grouse blended. And Glenfiddich of course!

But I really don't drink much. I'm never drunk. Sometimes I have 1 drink, never more than 1!

I'm a "fan" of drinking rsponsibly.

But I like and enjoy scotch, and different kinds of whiskys. But after all my favourite is plain and simple Single Malt.

aircraftpro · November 11th, 2009, 02:40 AM

Austin Nichols Wild Turkey Bourbon 101proof is without a doubt the one of the finest to be had. Buy yourself a fifth and give it a whirl! It goes great with some Hank3 and Unknown Hinson!

50thFan · November 11th, 2009, 07:05 AM

I remember when the Wild Turkey warehouse burned. Fire and whiskey flowed down the hill into the Kentucky River. Lucky fish! Woodford Reserve on the rocks. Heck any of the good KY bourbons on the rocks works here!

TexBiker · November 13th, 2009, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suthrn_BLU_Sman

I once had the pleasure of trying some Old Charter (10 yr) that had been aged another 10 years after it was bought (put up in a cabinet and forgotten). That was perfect, I cant afford to by something that would compare to that at the store.

Be aware that aging stops when the bourbon leaves the barrel. Aging is a process that occurs only in wood. Once it goes in the bottle, it's done.

That bottle of Old Charter would have tasted the same as it did the day it left the distillery. The same would be true if that bottle was put up for another 50 years.

I've got a bottle of 12yo Scotch that was bottled in 1938. The bottle is 71 years old, but the Scotch is still only 12. ;)

Suthrn_BLU_Sman · November 13th, 2009, 02:22 PM

Im not sure I agree with that. Wine ages in bottles. Why wouldn't Bourbon? I make wine and I can tell you that the stuff thats been in the bottle for a year is WAY better than the fresh stuff.

Hugh · November 13th, 2009, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suthrn_BLU_Sman

Im not sure I agree with that. Wine ages in bottles. Why wouldn't Bourbon? I make wine and I can tell you that the stuff thats been in the bottle for a year is WAY better than the fresh stuff.

Bourbon doesn't age in the bottle. Yes, it is "older" than it was when bottled, but TB is correct.

Lot's of good info on Straight Bourbon here
The Straightbourbon FAQ

The bourbon has no interaction with glass. I don't know anything about wine or how it ages.

TexBiker · November 13th, 2009, 04:13 PM

Over the years, I've toured just about every bourbon distillery in Kentucky. Every one of them will tell you the same thing...once it goes in the bottle, it's done. If it did continue to age in the bottle, you'd see liquor stores putting back bottles of Knob Creek and tripling the price after 10yrs.

It's even printed on every single brochure I've acquired from them. For example, this is the text on my brochure from Buffalo Trace:

Quote:

Q. Does Bourbon continue to age once in the bottle?

A. No. Once bottled, the aging process stops. The taste will remain the same no matter when consumed.

The same text is printed on Evan Williams website: Bourbon FAQ

There are some exceptions. If you leave the top off the bottle, the alcohol will eventually evaporate, which changes the taste. Extreme heat will also change the flavor. But if you put it on a shelf in your kitchen or bar, it'll be the same until long after we're dead and gone. The taste profile of bourbon is determined by how long the mixture interacts with the charred wood inside those barrels. As Hugh stated, glass contributes nothing to the flavor of bourbon.

Wine is a completely different animal. That particular beverage has it's own set of rules. I'm no fan of wine, so I have no idea how things work on that side of the bar. Perhaps wine is still fermenting when bottled or maybe there are some other active reactions taking place in the mix. But that's not true with bourbon.

Suthrn_BLU_Sman · November 13th, 2009, 05:04 PM

Wow. If this is true for wine too then Im doin it all wrong... I have heard of putting a piece of wood in the bottle if you cant actually use a barrel. When I think about it though the really good wine is aged in a barrel for so many years then in the bottle for so many. There has to be some difference between the two. Thanks for sharing this with me guys.

still_fiddlin · November 13th, 2009, 05:31 PM

There's plenty of organic stuff still in wine after it's bottled, not so with bourbon, which starts off distilled, not to mention the much higher alcohol %. Wine gets better (though occasionally worse, and not indefinitely), beer gets worse, and booze just stays the same, seems to be the rule.

I'm going bourbon shopping this weekend. Going to try some of that Old Charter 12yo. Thanks for the tips.

Maverick · November 13th, 2009, 05:58 PM

Jim Beam Black

Hugh · November 14th, 2009, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by still_fiddlin

There's plenty of organic stuff still in wine after it's bottled, not so with bourbon, which starts off distilled, not to mention the much higher alcohol %. Wine gets better (though occasionally worse, and not indefinitely), beer gets worse, and booze just stays the same, seems to be the rule.

I'm going bourbon shopping this weekend. Going to try some of that Old Charter 12yo. Thanks for the tips.

OC 12 is nectar

It has a black label, unless they changed it recently.

Hugh · November 17th, 2009, 02:31 PM

hmm, Old Charter 12 may not be available. The place I usually get it is out and the staff member I asked said she hadn't seen it for quite some time. Bummer.

TexBiker · November 17th, 2009, 02:59 PM

I haven't seen it in a while. Lots of Old Charter 8 is out there, though. Not one of my favorites and nothing like the 12yo stuff.

Even my usual online resources are out of stock. Just went through a dozen different retailers with no luck. Most haven't had any for over a year.

phildobbin · November 17th, 2009, 03:13 PM

Rebel Yell... being half Scottish & half Irish though, nothing beats plain old Jamesons ;-)

scooteraz · November 17th, 2009, 04:13 PM

I like Blanton's bourbon the best (of what I have tasted). Also think Bookers and Knob Creek are fine. Maker's mark is more than adequate. Havent had the pleasure of tasting Elijah Craig or Woodford Reserve or Evan Williams.

Good news is that Burbons have not been hit with the Scotch pricing.

Hugh · November 17th, 2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexBiker

I haven't seen it in a while. Lots of Old Charter 8 is out there, though. Not one of my favorites and nothing like the 12yo stuff.

Even my usual online resources are out of stock. Just went through a dozen different retailers with no luck. Most haven't had any for over a year.

I found an online source that wants like 48 bucks for a bottle. I'll see what I can find out as far as why it's not available. The Old Charter 10 is good, but not quite like the 12.

There is a little store down the road a ways that had it a couple of years ago. There were 4 bottles on the shelf, and they were dusty. I bought one and the cashier said I was the first person to buy one in a long time. Maybe I'll get lucky and the others are still there.

still_fiddlin · November 17th, 2009, 11:02 PM

My local shop didn't have it, but I thought I detected a thinning of the higher end stuff - maybe the economy made it uneconomical to sell. I'm going to check a couple more before I give up on trying something new though.

Hugh · November 17th, 2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by still_fiddlin

My local shop didn't have it, but I thought I detected a thinning of the higher end stuff - maybe the economy made it uneconomical to sell. I'm going to check a couple more before I give up on trying something new though.

Yea, something is up with it. Did they have the 10 yo ?

still_fiddlin · November 18th, 2009, 07:55 PM

Only had 8 yo. I need to find a better class of package store

. I went to another and didn't have much better luck, but decided to try the 12yo Elijah Craig, as my own budget wasn't quite up to the Blanton's today. (Sometimes Santa leaves one in my stocking, so hopeful.) Have to drown my sorrows after coming up empty in the contest here and tdpri.com, ha.

Hugh · November 19th, 2009, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by still_fiddlin

Only had 8 yo. I need to find a better class of package store

. I went to another and didn't have much better luck, but decided to try the 12yo Elijah Craig, as my own budget wasn't quite up to the Blanton's today. (Sometimes Santa leaves one in my stocking, so hopeful.) Have to drown my sorrows after coming up empty in the contest here and tdpri.com, ha.

EC 12 aint shabby

TexBiker · November 19th, 2009, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh

EC 12 aint shabby

I certainly wouldn't pour it down the sink.

Hugh · November 19th, 2009, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexBiker

I certainly wouldn't pour it down the sink.

Indeed

shakey64 · November 19th, 2009, 03:41 AM

my favorite is Old Grandad. "bout the only thing I drink.