I adore Bookers. It is very sweet and warming and the oiliness makes sure the flavour stays with you to the next morning. Sadly it's no longer available in the UK.

George T Stagg is wonderful too, but perhaps the rye bitterness would offend some. From the same stable, Sazerac Rye (not a Bourbon, I know) shows the true flavour of rye in the mashbill - a useful reference point. William Larue Weller, in the same stable, shows the toffee and chocolate flavours of a high class wheated whiskey.

Four Roses Single Barrel also gets my vote - sweet and complex.

Currently working through a bottle of Parker's Heritage Collection cask strength bourbon. Not in the same league as the Buffalo Trace offerings but good enough. Perhaps a wee bit astringent.

Worst was Mellow Corn (another not-Bourbon in the pure corn style). It started out nice but turned oily and cloying. Nasty. Can't say Rebel Yell did it for me either. Something astringent and one dimensional about it.

US domestic Early Times is not, but the export one is -- and a completely different (far superior) product. Don't you just hate this kind of market differentiation? I'm told ET has a big reputation in Japan and thus the brand was kept as a premium product while in the US it was made into cheap entry-level undrinkable swill :) Gotta love the US market! Pity the poor tourists who buy it in the US. There are many other spirits which suffer from this same condition -- same branding but a different product in different countries.

Had some for the first time last week and found it stale and smokey. But as a relatively new bourbon drinker, I wonder if this is an acquired taste.

Next time I'm at a place with a decent Bourbon selection, I'll look for any of the suggestions and report back whether I'll be a partial convert. I'll have to be careful about Early Times since not sure if Canada would get the premium or swill version.

Jack Daniels does not "own" Woodford Reserve--Brown-Forman, based in Louisville, "owns" and markets the brand.

For those asking about rye whiskey, if you can find Black Maple Hill 23 year, be sure to pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

Wow, how did I miss this thread? I've been drinking Bourbon for decades. I started with Wild Turkey 101 and use to buy it by the case. For a period of time I switched to Bookers which was great. Hand made by Jim Beam's grandson and around 114 proof if I recall correctly? I didn't know many people who could match me drinking it and got lots of guys sick trying. :D

One great story was from my local bar which was owned and operated by a Vietnam Marine. He would take any dare and I got him hooked on Bookers til one day someone pissed him off and he pulled a .45 from behind the bar and pumped a few rounds into the ceiling to show how he felt. He never drank Bookers again. :)

As I got older I had to drop back down to 101 and ultimately 80 proof. Outside of America I usually have to settle for Jim Beam or in Europe they usually have Four Roses. But now in the BA F lounge at LHR they have Woodford Reserve which is nice.

And P.S., I agree. Jack is NOT bourbon. I try my best to educate bartenders and stewardesses around the world on this fact. ;)

This thread has got me hooked on bourbon! I've been trying to loose weight, so I've cut back on beer, and bourbon on the rocks is my standby.

So far I've tried Woody (BA Galleries Lounge), and I have a bottle of Knob Creek I drink at home. Last Saturday, my wife and I went out for dinner and I noticed a bottle of Buffalo Trace and 4 Roses Yellow label at the bar.

I tried the 4 Roses (I was driving, so stuck to one drink), it was fairly smooth and not bad. I'll make it a point to try to Buffalo Trace next time!

Oddly, I haven't tried Jim Beam yet, how does it compare to 4 Roses Yellow Label?

No, Jack Daniels, a "Tennessee Whisk(e)y" is not "Bourbon", but there are several comparable "Sour Mash" Bourbons of similar "yeasty" flavor and residual sweetness. The cheaper Evan Williams Black Label is a better buy and has a similar palate.

Four Roses, at least in its original formulation was not really Bourbon either, but an "American Blended Whisk(e)y", a combination of corn distillate and caramel blended with "Grain Neutral Spirits", alky from unidentified grain, at least not from the top of some PetroChemical Catalytic Cracking tower. Four Roses in my youth was only a modest step above "Carstair's White Feather", the stuff of shots taken with a short beer chaser in cheap saloons.

Today? I don't know. My taste buds shuddre at the thought. ....Better a tumbler of Anis del Mono, the breakfast of champions.

The Four Roses they have in France says Bourbon on the bottle. To me it doesn't taste very good even if you mix it with coke. I'd rather have Jim Beam if those are the only choices.

My two favorites are Gentleman Jack and Bernheim Wheat...

Are there many other Makers Mark ambassadors here?

I'm not but my husband is. We went down to the distillery last fall to dip his bottle from his matured barrel. Quite fun and great marketing on their part.

I forgot to mention 'Pritchards'. A ton of flavor in this guy. Not the 'best of the best', but not fur back either. wj

Sorry. I know a lot of people like Makers, but it tastes like glue to me. Taste bud issue I guess.

I'm a little curious about the programme. What are the benefits, and what is expected?

I don't think they have it outside the USA - nothing much is expected, but each year at Christmas they send promotional gifts: Makers Mark holiday cards, heavy plastic tumblers, wrapping paper, etc.

Jim Beam:)
I ain't got no taste, but I know what I like:p;):D.

I had Buffalo Trace last night for my first time. It wasn't great, not as sweet as I like, but not terrible either.

Timely bump! I'm enjoying some Woodford Reserve in the BA F lounge at LHR at this moment. :)

They no longer serve JW Blue? :)

Blanton's ... yum.

I've been given a bottle of Basil Hayden's for Christmas and it is excellent. I usually order Maker's in bars as it is a sure thing but I'm going to start asking for Basil.

As for American whiskies I order Jack or Jim reflexively in bars or on planes -- prefer Jim actually -- but at home I buy and drink Evan Williams. Most of the palate for a fraction of the price, especially if you are mixing it. The Green Label goes in Cokes.

Yes, it was there too. But I am a bourbon drinker. Not a fan of Scotch.

Have to 2nd the nomination of George T Stagg & Black Maple Hill. I know this is a Bourbon thread, but last night I tried an 18 yr old Rye from Vermont (?) - Whistle Pig. Best Rye I've ever had. wj

The Buffalo Trace Antiquities Collection is great.. The George T Stagg is exceptional and the William Larue Weller tasty as well... Eagle Rare 17 though was a bit of a disappointment....

Did a whisky tasting last weekend and here's how they ranked
1) George T Stagg
2) Pappy Van Winkle 15
3) William Larue Weller
4) Redbreast 12 year
5) Taylor Tornado Collection
6) Yamakazi 12 yr

Basil Hayden's is an excellent summer bourbon for sure. One of my favorite bottles I had was a private Willet 18 yr bottling... I've never been so sad to finish a bottle...

FDW

For drinking plain ? I like Blanton's

Good stuff.

I enjoy Bookers and Basil Hayden as well, but for an everyday, reasonably priced and flavorful bourbon I really like Russell's Reserve, a ten year old bourbon made by the folks at Wild Turkey.

This summer I'm enjoying Bulleit Bourbon http://www.bulleitbourbon.com/ and their Rye version too.

I bought it in NYC and carried it here to France. I almost never check bags when flying, but this was a worthy exception.

I've got maybe 50 or 60 Bourbons & Ryes in my bar. Bulliet Rye is among the best Ryes. Bulleit Bourbon is on the bottom end of my Bourbons in quality IMO. wj

I wonder with small batch bourbons if some batches are better than others. Why should we assume that every year the bourbon tastes the same with these brands?

Good question. As long as they have the same formula & aging it should taste about the same. I think weather may change things a bit though. Hot-cold, dry-wet etc, can change the effect of the barrel on the whiskey - probably. wj

There is weather. But I think the bigger issue is how these relatively small (compared to Beam or Turkey) businesses invest in quality control and ingredients.

I think smaller is better in just about everything consumable. Just look at wine - the smaller producers are 'hands on' and oversee everything. Their hearts and souls are in the product. The quality is very high and that's why they're expensive. I'm a big fan of micro-distillers, brewers, cheese makers, bakeries, farmers, sausage makers etc etc etc. wj

Living in Burgundy I completely agree with the idea. But there are no guarantees that a given year will be good with wine as we have had two hailstorms wreck several plots of vines here this summer. It may be more weatherproof, but as well there are no guarantees with small batch bourbon.

With wine yes. With whiskey no. They don't have to use corn & rye from a specific commune, county, or state. They can access it from anywhere if they have to. That makes it MUCH easier to maintain quality year to year. wj

One of the best and most fun this I have done is a Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project tasting...

The premise is this: take the same recipe/batch of of bourbon; age it in barrels in which they subtler alter the characteristics of each barrel, ie location in the tree, varying degrees of char, etc etc... number each bottle and voila....

So I tasted 6 different barrelings... and each barrel had a different taste; some were more peppery than others.. Fun to taste; though a bit pricey...

FDW

I have had this one (a whole bottle actually), not bad at all.

My favorite of all time is Old Fitzgerald

Has anyone tried Wild Turkey Rare Breed or Jim Beam Devil's Cut? Both look like they might be good "middle shelf" bourbons.

On the top shelf, I've heard good things about Jim Beam 1795 and Parker's Heritage Collection but haven't tried either.

I like Makers Mark or Elijah Craig for routine drinking and Bookers for top shelf.

Worst has to be Rebel Yell or Real McCoy. Gag!

Just got a gift of Parker's Heritage Collection. Neat in a nosing glass I would put it two notches above Woodford reserve; a brand that I am too familiar with in the 50ml size.

I forgot about that stuff ! I think that is the old Parker Beam 27 yr (they changed the name). Is it 96 proof and 27 years old ? It rocks ! wj