Bourbon: What are you sipping on?
- Thread starter buckethead1978
- Start date
Alright Bill, like you asked I am going to tell you what I think of the Michter's Toasted.... I don't love it.
I really like the bourbon and sour mash they put out, great stuff, but this seems to be a bit spicy/citrusy, like a rye. It's as if they toasted barrel finish made an older whiskey taste young. Like there use to be lots of complex flavor, but they got wiped out by the finishing process. I don't know because I don't have a sophisticated pallet, but I thought this one disappointed. That may be my fault though, getting my hopes all high like I do. I will most certainly finish this bottle and enjoy every drop.
...it also might be what I have been drinking before and a lot lately. Cask Strength, 4RSmBa, EC12, etc. Sometimes if I switch in the same night I find myself hypersensitive to certain flavors.
This post was edited on 12/15 10:53 PM by TKE_
I really like the bourbon and sour mash they put out, great stuff, but this seems to be a bit spicy/citrusy, like a rye. It's as if they toasted barrel finish made an older whiskey taste young. Like there use to be lots of complex flavor, but they got wiped out by the finishing process. I don't know because I don't have a sophisticated pallet, but I thought this one disappointed. That may be my fault though, getting my hopes all high like I do. I will most certainly finish this bottle and enjoy every drop.
...it also might be what I have been drinking before and a lot lately. Cask Strength, 4RSmBa, EC12, etc. Sometimes if I switch in the same night I find myself hypersensitive to certain flavors.
This post was edited on 12/15 10:53 PM by TKE_
Damn. that's disappointing. I tasted it a month or so ago, and my impression was pretty positive, but I tried 3 or 4 new ones that night, and I haven't sat down with a full glass to sip it. I may have just liked it in comparison to the others I was sipping. I did just pay for a bottle from a buddy in cincy, though. I haven't got it from him yet (I've got a bottle of EHT Barrel Proof for him), but I'll give it a fair taste when I do.
I'm not sure where I stand on Michter's as a whole. I don't like their marketing at all, but some of their stuff has been pretty good.
I have learned that there is no "definitive opinion" on these things. Taste is an individual thing. Even the stuff I don't care for much (Jefferson's reserve, Town Branch, etc) I drink every drop. It's become more of 'which do I like more than others' as really like them all to some degree.
I think I've said a few times in this thread that I can't get near the quality stuff you guys can. But I did nab the following for Christmas Gifts:
Blanton's
Bulleit Rye (For crafting Rye drinks)
Journeyman Distillery Featherbone Bourbon
The Featherbone tastes like it could use a few more years in the barrel. Comes out a little raw and a little too clear. The Blanton's is fantastic and was super excited to get this as a gift. Even in Upstate NY, you have to specially order this (or luck out).
Getting more and more into whisk(e)y, reading about the process from a few books, along with the history. There are even a few bars and restaurants that have opened in the past few years that specialize in whiskeys, one is even a Bourbon-only bar. I have to imagine the Bourbon industry is taking off.
Blanton's
Bulleit Rye (For crafting Rye drinks)
Journeyman Distillery Featherbone Bourbon
The Featherbone tastes like it could use a few more years in the barrel. Comes out a little raw and a little too clear. The Blanton's is fantastic and was super excited to get this as a gift. Even in Upstate NY, you have to specially order this (or luck out).
Getting more and more into whisk(e)y, reading about the process from a few books, along with the history. There are even a few bars and restaurants that have opened in the past few years that specialize in whiskeys, one is even a Bourbon-only bar. I have to imagine the Bourbon industry is taking off.
Perused through the thread, again, can't add too much as I'm still learning:
New York, particularly upstate and a bit out West, do have very similar landscape as Kentucky with many Limestone hills, along with tons of small quarries and shale/slate waterfalls, a few of which are in my backyard. I'd imagine that as far as the water goes, it's very much the same.
I saw a few people say they had trouble getting 4 Roses. I can never find it around here, but it is all over in Europe. And, like many here surely know, a lot of the company was moved over to Europe before the war. But it is just as common as JD there, and was in almost every bar I visited in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. An old-timey bartender explained that U.S. soldiers found it easy to order 4 Roses as all they had to do was hold up 4 fingers to the non-English speaking staff. Not sure how true it is..
New York, particularly upstate and a bit out West, do have very similar landscape as Kentucky with many Limestone hills, along with tons of small quarries and shale/slate waterfalls, a few of which are in my backyard. I'd imagine that as far as the water goes, it's very much the same.
I saw a few people say they had trouble getting 4 Roses. I can never find it around here, but it is all over in Europe. And, like many here surely know, a lot of the company was moved over to Europe before the war. But it is just as common as JD there, and was in almost every bar I visited in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. An old-timey bartender explained that U.S. soldiers found it easy to order 4 Roses as all they had to do was hold up 4 fingers to the non-English speaking staff. Not sure how true it is..
I had a nice Christmas..I received a Blantons,Hancock's Reserve,Wild Turkey 101,Basil Hayden,Buffalo Trace,Jefferson's 8 yr old and Rowans Creek...Very fortunate and love them all.
If you can find a bottle of EH Taylor Barrel Proof, I highly suggest you grab one. Awesome stuff!
Thanks!
I've had a LOT of Knob Creek over the past 5-10 years. I mean a LOT. As I wrote in the review Beavis linked (Thanks, Beavis!), It's sort of the perfect bourbon to keep around the house. it's not too expensive that you feel guilty drinking it for no reason, or mixing, but it's not swill that bourbon snobs would turn their nose up at. it's consistent as hell, so you can always order it at a bar with no worries.
It works in pretty much any format...neat, it's tasty. On the rocks- it's got enough heat (100 proof) to stand up to ice. And it isn't too pricey to mix. Plus, and this is a big plus in today's environment, you can go into virtually ANY liquor store and find it on the shelf. I really don't have anything bad to say about it. it's one of my standard sippers. If I had to nit-pick, I'd say that if it is decanted, it can get really woody.
The single barrel knob creek at 120 proof is actually an outstanding drink as well. tons of cinnamon red-hot on the finish. And it's not too pricey either.
Oddly, I really like most of Jim beam's Small batch collection (bookers, baker's, Knob Creek), but really dislike most anything with the name "JIM BEAM" on the label (White label, black label, 8 year, Signature Craft, etc). Even Old Grand Dad(Beam's High Rye recipe bourbon) is better. (Basil Hayden also uses that recipe, but is sadly too low proof to be enjoyable for me).
I have noticed that there seems to be a small divide amongst a lot of bourbon drinkers...the base line for a premium bourbon is often either Woodford or Knob Creek, but rarely both. Woodford drinkers usually are somewhat derisive of knob creek, and vice versa. Weird, really.
This post was edited on 1/5 2:19 PM by ModernThirst_Bill
This post was edited on 1/5 2:47 PM by ModernThirst_Bill
That's excellent. I grabbed two of those.
The Old Forester 1870 Original Batch is really good if you can find some of it, too. Limited to about 8-9 cities on release, around $42.
I've found a few for that price, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I did pick up a new bottle called Bib & Tucker.Originally posted by ModernThirst_Bill:
That's excellent. I grabbed two of those.
The Old Forester 1870 Original Batch is really good if you can find some of it, too. Limited to about 8-9 cities on release, around $42.
Have you had this yet? I am going to a tasting next weekend and plan on taking it with me for the event. The store where I got it from said it was a great pour.
It's just the run on all Buffalo Trace products...with the craze on Pappy and the Antique Collection, plus ETL, all Buffalo trace stuff has been in high demand, and it's all on allocation now.
You can still find it, just buy a couple bottles at a time when it's on shelves, because it will sell out.
Haven't tried it yet. Let me know what you think, though. That's a sourced whiskey, and I'm not typically in a hurry to buy whiskey if I don't know the source until I've heard something more about it. I may try to contact them for a sample, though.Originally posted by makersmarkambassador:
I've found a few for that price, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I did pick up a new bottle called Bib & Tucker.
Have you had this yet? I am going to a tasting next weekend and plan on taking it with me for the event. The store where I got it from said it was a great pour.
This post was edited on 1/12 12:18 PM by ModernThirst_Bill
BT allocations are released mid-month. So...this week or next for the eagle rare, ancient age, ETL, Rock Hill, Blantons
Posted from Rivals Mobile
Posted from Rivals Mobile
There were 6 or 8 bottles of eagle rare at Liquor Barn in Springhurst yesterday around noon for about $30. I actually see it pretty often, to be honest.
Question for you guys. Do you drink every day? If so, how much? 1-2 drinks?
My doctor encouraged me a while back to cut back on bourbon, said vodka is much better for you and actually has health benefits. I mainly drink absolute now, but miss bourbon.
My doctor encouraged me a while back to cut back on bourbon, said vodka is much better for you and actually has health benefits. I mainly drink absolute now, but miss bourbon.
I try to limit myself.
I usually don't drink Monday through Thursday. In reality, I drink about 1-2 times per week, sometimes once more depending on my social calendar, but it's usually not heavily. During the week, I usually just have a bourbon . Most of the time, it's one glencairn of bourbon, straight. Probably 2.5-3 ounces on average. On weekends, at a social function, I may have a beer or two, or some red wine. I rarely drink heavily...my daughter still doesn't sleep through the night, and I can't be loaded when she starts drying at 3 am...and ...4 am... and 5 am...
As to what's the healthiest, vodka is usually the lowest in calories, with about 105 calories per 1.5 ounces (bourbon can be as low as 97 calories, but averages around 110) at about 80 proof.
For comparison:
Schmirnoff Blue Label 100 proof vodka is 121 calories per 1.5 ounce serving.
Wild Turkey 101 is 124 calories.
80 proof 3 Olives vodka is 117 calories
80 Proof Jim Beam is 99 calories.
Neither vodka nor bourbon have carbs.
Pretty negligible. Some research says that bourbon has vitamin C from the barrel, while others say Gin's use of berries makes it a natural diuretic, and thus healthier.
The real question is how you're drinking it. Bourbon has more flavor, by nature, than Vodka. so you'll get more punch per ounce for only a couple more calories, on average, with bourbon. But you can mix vodka with tonic water, for instance, (still remaining a bland tasting drink) and bourbon doesn't mix as well with non-flavored mixers, usually requiring a soda of some sort, or a sweetened mixer, which makes it more unhealthy.
Really a vodka tonic, though incredibly bland, will be better for you than most other mixed drinks. the difference between the liquors themselves, however, is minimal.
I usually don't drink Monday through Thursday. In reality, I drink about 1-2 times per week, sometimes once more depending on my social calendar, but it's usually not heavily. During the week, I usually just have a bourbon . Most of the time, it's one glencairn of bourbon, straight. Probably 2.5-3 ounces on average. On weekends, at a social function, I may have a beer or two, or some red wine. I rarely drink heavily...my daughter still doesn't sleep through the night, and I can't be loaded when she starts drying at 3 am...and ...4 am... and 5 am...
As to what's the healthiest, vodka is usually the lowest in calories, with about 105 calories per 1.5 ounces (bourbon can be as low as 97 calories, but averages around 110) at about 80 proof.
For comparison:
Schmirnoff Blue Label 100 proof vodka is 121 calories per 1.5 ounce serving.
Wild Turkey 101 is 124 calories.
80 proof 3 Olives vodka is 117 calories
80 Proof Jim Beam is 99 calories.
Neither vodka nor bourbon have carbs.
Pretty negligible. Some research says that bourbon has vitamin C from the barrel, while others say Gin's use of berries makes it a natural diuretic, and thus healthier.
The real question is how you're drinking it. Bourbon has more flavor, by nature, than Vodka. so you'll get more punch per ounce for only a couple more calories, on average, with bourbon. But you can mix vodka with tonic water, for instance, (still remaining a bland tasting drink) and bourbon doesn't mix as well with non-flavored mixers, usually requiring a soda of some sort, or a sweetened mixer, which makes it more unhealthy.
Really a vodka tonic, though incredibly bland, will be better for you than most other mixed drinks. the difference between the liquors themselves, however, is minimal.
You should go. I'm a member, and go most months (missed November for travel and December for the holidays). I'll be there Monday. It's usually a lot of fun, and the speakers are usually top notch. Plus, they do a great job on barrel selections through Westport whiskey and wine. (Chris Z. is the head of their barrel selection committee).
Look me up if you go.
When I was drinking bourbon, I was mixing with Diet Pepsi. It was just OK.
Since switching to Vodka I mix with Diet Ginger Ale (Cranberry when available). It's surprisingly crisp and refreshing. If I am going to have a mixed drink, I much prefer that.
Drinking straight, it's no doubt which I had rather have.
Since switching to Vodka I mix with Diet Ginger Ale (Cranberry when available). It's surprisingly crisp and refreshing. If I am going to have a mixed drink, I much prefer that.
Drinking straight, it's no doubt which I had rather have.
I used to drink bourbon with as plash of ginger ale as well. Then I realized I liked the bourbon more than the ginger ale, and now it's just neat.
Fellas,
Newby to the bourbon game here. Traditionally a scotch man, but have lately been wanting to explore bourbon a bit. First bottle was Basil Hayden, which I liked, but seemed to tail off/weaken a little on the finish. Picked up a bottle of Angel's Envy last night. The regular bottle, not the Cask Strength or Rye ones. I've heard a lot of opinions on the Cask Strength and Rye offerings, but not much on the straight bourbon/port finished one. Anybody have an opinion on this one? Will I enjoy?
Newby to the bourbon game here. Traditionally a scotch man, but have lately been wanting to explore bourbon a bit. First bottle was Basil Hayden, which I liked, but seemed to tail off/weaken a little on the finish. Picked up a bottle of Angel's Envy last night. The regular bottle, not the Cask Strength or Rye ones. I've heard a lot of opinions on the Cask Strength and Rye offerings, but not much on the straight bourbon/port finished one. Anybody have an opinion on this one? Will I enjoy?
Some people love AE, some think it's okay, but I've not met anyone who actually dislikes it. I'm in the "okay" category with it. I have a little bit of an issue with sourced bourbons (where the company doesn't actually make their own whiskey, but buys it and bottles it on their own without revealing the source). Angels Envy sources their whiskey (for now).
It's also 86 proof, and I would probably put it in the medium finish category. I prefer it to Basil Hayden's. BH is only 80 proof, so it gets overpowered by, well, anything. It tastes like a rye whiskey to me.
If you're looking for a longer finish, go with an oakier, older bourbon. Elijah Craig is 12 years old, around $30, and is excellent. If you want a stronger bourbon, the finish on the Knob Creek Single Barrel 120 proof is long and very spicy with notes of cinnamon red hots. I like both of those quite a bit.
It's also 86 proof, and I would probably put it in the medium finish category. I prefer it to Basil Hayden's. BH is only 80 proof, so it gets overpowered by, well, anything. It tastes like a rye whiskey to me.
If you're looking for a longer finish, go with an oakier, older bourbon. Elijah Craig is 12 years old, around $30, and is excellent. If you want a stronger bourbon, the finish on the Knob Creek Single Barrel 120 proof is long and very spicy with notes of cinnamon red hots. I like both of those quite a bit.
angel's envy is fairly unique in terms of flavor profile. i find it to be pretty average and overpriced, but an interesting tasting experience. it's not representative of "bourbon" as a whole, despite being marketed and priced as a premium label.
I'll give you one from each major distiller:
Distiller : Bourbon
Heaven Hill: Elijah Craig
Wild Turkey: Russell's Reserve
Jim Beam: Knob Creek
Buffalo Trace: Eagle Rare
Maker's Mark: Maker's 46
Four Roses: Four Roses Single Barrel
Brown-Foreman: Old Forester Signature
Distiller : Bourbon
Heaven Hill: Elijah Craig
Wild Turkey: Russell's Reserve
Jim Beam: Knob Creek
Buffalo Trace: Eagle Rare
Maker's Mark: Maker's 46
Four Roses: Four Roses Single Barrel
Brown-Foreman: Old Forester Signature
Great list. I'll offer an alternative on a few.
Distiller : Bourbon[/B]
Heaven Hill: Evan Williams 10 yr.
Wild Turkey: Russell's Reserve Single Barrel
Jim Beam: Baker's
Buffalo Trace: E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Four Roses: Four Roses Small Batch
I have been drinking the higher proof bourbon here lately. To me, it has way more taste than the lower proof. Try to drink anything over 100proof. Always put a splash of spring/distilled water in with it. That will bring out the flavors big time.
Bill,
That Bib & Tucker is from the Masterson's line. Haven't tried that one either.
Bill,
That Bib & Tucker is from the Masterson's line. Haven't tried that one either.
I generally prefer higher proof bourbons as well, but lately I'm tyring to re-learn to appreciate things at 90 proof a bit more.
The Bib & Tucker is apparently 6 year old MGP juice bottled by 35 West (Also does Mastersons, as you mentioned) .
Color me uninterested. 5-9 year old MGP distillate is so common these days it's becoming boring, despite actually being decent bourbon.
Smooth Ambler
Bellemeade
Probably Willett Family Estate
Filibuster
High West
Redemption
Widow jane
Tin Cup
JAmes E. Pepper
the list is literally as long as my arm. When/if I want MGP juice, I'll go with Smooth Ambler, who have always been very up front and straightforward about their sourcing. I don't have an issue with anyone buying MGP's liquor and bottling it, but I don't need to pay a premium, and I'd prefer they not try to pass it off as an original product with some hokey back-story that is completely fabricated. (Yes, I'm talking to you, too, Bulleit Bourbon.)
This post was edited on 1/16 10:18 AM by ModernThirst_Bill
AE is good to me, but not for the price. $$$ can make food whiskey taste less food when you can get a comparable bottle for almost half.
I usually don't recommend single barrels to newbies due to flavor variations. Small batches and regular blend shoot for a specific flavor profile.
I usually don't recommend single barrels to newbies due to flavor variations. Small batches and regular blend shoot for a specific flavor profile.
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