Bourbon

[LBC]

I just recently started getting into drinking bourbon enough to start a fairly basic cabinet...all these but 1 are under $40...some well below...here is what I'm currently holding...what are your favorites and what am I missing?

Buffalo Trace...has become almost impossible to find but one of my absolute favorites

Eagle Rare...ditto

Old Forester 86...really good bourbon at this price

Old Forester 1920...GREAT bottle of bourbon

Russell's Reserve

Woodford Reserve

Early Times Bottled-In-Bond...another sneaky good yet super affordable pour

Larceny...for you Maker's Mark fans but with more going on

Bulleit

Knob Creek...not a huge fan and I'm not sure why

I don't currently have any but Wild Turkey 101/Rare Breed are obvious and absolute classics as well

 

[markymark550]

Love bourbon. My wife and I took a trip to Kentucky a few years ago and went to lots of the distilleries on the "bourbon trail." Highly recommend that trip and outside of bourbon, Louisville is a pretty cool city. If anyone needs recommendations for distilleries, just let me know.

My favorite is Woodford Reserve. I like that their mash bill has more rye than others and love that peppery, spicey bite. Old Forester 1910 and 1920 are both excellent imo. Old Fitzgerald and Henry McKenna Single Barrel (both Heaven Hill) are really good, but I wouldn't pay that much for it when there are others as good or better for a better price. Four Roses has some really good selections for the $40-$60 price.

I would love to try some of the higher end bourbons, but I'm not going to pay those crazy prices. Secondary market for some is just ridiculous. 

 

[TKE226]

I just recently started getting into drinking bourbon enough to start a fairly basic cabinet...all these but 1 are under $40...some well below...here is what I'm currently holding...what are your favorites and what am I missing?

Buffalo Trace...has become almost impossible to find but one of my absolute favorites

Eagle Rare...ditto

Old Forester 86...really good bourbon at this price

Old Forester 1920...GREAT bottle of bourbon

Russell's Reserve

Woodford Reserve

Early Times Bottled-In-Bond...another sneaky good yet super affordable pour

Larceny...for you Maker's Mark fans but with more going on

Bulleit

Knob Creek...not a huge fan and I'm not sure why

I don't currently have any but Wild Turkey 101/Rare Breed are obvious and absolute classics as well

OF 1920 is one of The best out there and findable. Higher proof but more going on. 
 

BT and ER are hard to find here but affordable so worth one or two when you find them. 
 

I enjoy WT Rare Breed and Russels single barrel. And Woodford Double Oaked. 
 

Give the Knob 12 year a try. It’s a litttle bit more pricey $52 but it’s way better than the regular Knob. 
 

My regular go to, don’t want to say daily drinker because I don’t drink every night, are WT101, Old Grandad 114. Also these are cheap and good for cocktails. 
 

I enjoy Rye too especially in Old fashions or Sours. 

 

[TKE226]

Love bourbon. My wife and I took a trip to Kentucky a few years ago and went to lots of the distilleries on the "bourbon trail." Highly recommend that trip and outside of bourbon, Louisville is a pretty cool city. If anyone needs recommendations for distilleries, just let me know.

My favorite is Woodford Reserve. I like that their mash bill has more rye than others and love that peppery, spicey bite. Old Forester 1910 and 1920 are both excellent imo. Old Fitzgerald and Henry McKenna Single Barrel (both Heaven Hill) are really good, but I wouldn't pay that much for it when there are others as good or better for a better price. Four Roses has some really good selections for the $40-$60 price.

I would love to try some of the higher end bourbons, but I'm not going to pay those crazy prices. Secondary market for some is just ridiculous. 

I did the same a few years ago and since then more distilleries have opened up in Louisville so gotta go back. 
 

I agree about bourbon. There is so much good stuff with good prices that I tend to shy away from anything over $70. In fact a lot of good stuff is $45 and under, where I am anyway. Don’t get me wrong I have had a Barrel Bourbon which was $90 but I got it as a gift. And I used to hunt for the rare stuff or allocated but I’ve given up on it, happy to drink and share what I have. 

 

[TKE226]

Oh lastly, wanna try something that might blow you away that you have never thought about....

Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof. It’s a whopper at like 60% abv but it’s excellent. And it comes in a cool bottle. 

 

[Spur's Addiction]

Gave up drinking liquor many years ago. When I was drinking bourbon, my go to was Wild Turkey.

 

[markymark550]

Oh lastly, wanna try something that might blow you away that you have never thought about....

Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof. It’s a whopper at like 60% abv but it’s excellent. And it comes in a cool bottle. 

I got to try that when we went to the JD distillery (different trip lol). It was very good, as was the Single Barrel Select. I got a bottle of Single Barrel Select....wound up drinking most of it during our 2017 Final Four run!

 

[LBC]

Love bourbon. My wife and I took a trip to Kentucky a few years ago and went to lots of the distilleries on the "bourbon trail." Highly recommend that trip and outside of bourbon, Louisville is a pretty cool city. If anyone needs recommendations for distilleries, just let me know.

My favorite is Woodford Reserve. I like that their mash bill has more rye than others and love that peppery, spicey bite. Old Forester 1910 and 1920 are both excellent imo. Old Fitzgerald and Henry McKenna Single Barrel (both Heaven Hill) are really good, but I wouldn't pay that much for it when there are others as good or better for a better price. Four Roses has some really good selections for the $40-$60 price.

I would love to try some of the higher end bourbons, but I'm not going to pay those crazy prices. Secondary market for some is just ridiculous. 

I've heard nothing but good things about the Henry McKenna single barrel...problem is that ever since it won best Bourbon/Whiskey it has basically disappeared from shelves all over the country so I may never actually be able to have a taste

Old Forester 1920 is as good as anything I have ever had...and its available. I have heard the new 117 is ridiculous! 

 

[LBC]

OF 1920 is one of The best out there and findable. Higher proof but more going on. 
 

BT and ER are hard to find here but affordable so worth one or two when you find them. 
 

I enjoy WT Rare Breed and Russels single barrel. And Woodford Double Oaked. 
 

Give the Knob 12 year a try. It’s a litttle bit more pricey $52 but it’s way better than the regular Knob. 
 

My regular go to, don’t want to say daily drinker because I don’t drink every night, are WT101, Old Grandad 114. Also these are cheap and good for cocktails. 
 

I enjoy Rye too especially in Old fashions or Sours. 

OF 1920 is as good or better than anything I've ever had...not sure there is anything even sorta close in its price range...and I like Rare Breed. I'm a big Old Forester fan...from 86 on up...of what I've tried anyway. I think what Jackie Zykan is doing for them is next level impressive. Again...I've heard the new 117 is crazy good!

Yeah...if you ever find BT or ER buy it...and if you don't want it I'll buy it from you.

I think I would really like the Russell's single barrel because I really enjoy the Reserve 10 year. Its a little 'sweet' for my taste and not very complex...its really good bourbon...it also has that special something that only WT has...and I love the mouth feel...but its pretty straight forward...not that there is anything wrong with that...I just think the single barrel may have more character to it. 

I owe it to myself to try the Knob 12 because I want to like the 9...I just don't 

And I totally get WT101 as a daily drinker...an absolute classic that completely blows the Jacks or Jims out of the water...IMHO

 

[TKE226]

Enjoy the journey. Lol I have probably 60 bottles of bourbon/rye/scotch. So much that I built built-in shelves in my office to accommodate. Makes for a good Zoom background! 
 

Gotta keep the OF1920 under wraps so it doesn’t go up in price and sells out! 
 

we have a really good distillery here in Baltimore, and not Sagamore. Baltimore Spirits puts out one of the best ryes I’ve ever had. And it’s $36. Blows Sagamore way out of the water. Sagamore is overpriced IMO. 

 

[markymark550]

I've heard nothing but good things about the Henry McKenna single barrel...problem is that ever since it won best Bourbon/Whiskey it has basically disappeared from shelves all over the country so I may never actually be able to have a taste

Old Forester 1920 is as good as anything I have ever had...and its available. I have heard the new 117 is ridiculous! 

The McKenna was definitely very good. The tasting guide at the Heaven Hill distillery pretty much told us that the only reason we could try it is because they keep so many bottles for the tastings and hadn't run out yet. I would drink it more often if I could, but again, I refuse to pay the price for it.

 

[TKE226]

The McKenna was definitely very good. The tasting guide at the Heaven Hill distillery pretty much told us that the only reason we could try it is because they keep so many bottles for the tastings and hadn't run out yet. I would drink it more often if I could, but again, I refuse to pay the price for it.

I have a bottle of McKenna 10 and I would be happy to offload it. I don’t know what it is but I do not like it at all. Maybe it’s a bad bottle but I will not seek out another. Blantons is another that I’ve given up on. 

 

[Raddad]

Basil Hayden is the go to for our group.

 

[markymark550]

I have a bottle of McKenna 10 and I would be happy to offload it. I don’t know what it is but I do not like it at all. Maybe it’s a bad bottle but I will not seek out another. Blantons is another that I’ve given up on. 

This one? If so, then I'd be interested. 

 

[TKE226]

This one? If so, then I'd be interested. 

Yup, I cannot get into it. 

 

[TKE226]

Now that the week is over, hopefully for most, what is your Friday night sipper? 

 

[cocky0]

I know most people turn their noses up at it, but my usual go-to is black label Evan Williams. It's dirt cheap at $10-$12 for a 750ml bottle, but tastes on par with a lot of the brands in the $20-$25 range. Now when I want a change of pace, Forty Creek barrel select is a good one for that. but that's Canadian Whiskey, not bourbon.

 

[markymark550]

I know most people turn their noses up at it, but my usual go-to is black label Evan Williams. It's dirt cheap at $10-$12 for a 750ml bottle, but tastes on par with a lot of the brands in the $20-$25 range. Now when I want a change of pace, Forty Creek barrel select is a good one for that. but that's Canadian Whiskey, not bourbon.

Nothing wrong with Evan Williams. I know some people can look down at what others drink, but I tend to go with what is said at many of the tastings I've been to: the best bourbon is the one that tastes best to you. Overpriced and/or overly complex doesn't mean it's better.

 

[AC/DC/GC]

The three in my cabinet at the moment are Cooper's Choice 100, Widow Jane 10 year, and Chattanooga 111. That last one is ultra smooth but really heats up after a few swallows. I am really enjoying that one. Another one I like is Clyde's May's Alabama whiskey.  It has a bit of peach in it but definitely not sickly sweet.