Yup, payback from very good nephew for saving his butt, lock, stock and barrel few years back.

I find that fine bourbon like fine single malt should be left at cask strength.

I find Rebel Yell to offer a great price/performance ratio and
to not taste so bad all around.

I guess if you are partying with the buddies that ride the Iron Horse ( in this case the hog HD) you will never get a word from the Wild Turkey 100

Why pay for H2O ? I like my whisky-whiskey at about 100 though. A cube & a splash please.

In the mid-priced realm for sipping I really like Eagle Rare. It's super-smooth and easy drinking but still has some interesting flavors. It's from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. It has displaced Woodford in that category for me.

My wallet hasn't allowed me to try enough of the "top-shelf" to lend a worthy opinion. As for bottom of the barrel, if Old Crow doesn't win I don't know what does.

******* EVAN WILLIAMS ! Their cheap stuff is a 7 yr & d*mn tasty. Another Buffalo Trace product, Elmer T Lee is my everyday. Love Eagle Rare. The 10 is great - the 17 is tough to acquire (& for a reason). For a nasty butt-kicking roller coaster ride - George T Stagg ! wj

Perhaps it's decades of conditioning, but I prefer several of the Tennessee Sour Mashes to even the premium and small batch KY Bourbons. Excluding all of Jack Daniel's bottlings which seem to carry a "sweet" after taste, the Sour Mashes carry both yeasty aroma and flavor, while the small batch bourbons err on the edge of harshness (at least to my palate).

My grandfather was an Old Fitz man, and that the first Bourbon I ever learned to drink to appreciate. In my teen years, the choices were price-driven, Old Crow and Ancient (Un)Age, but palate and pocket book soon made me: "A Dickel man bred, a Dickel man born, and likely a Dickel man dead."

+1 ^

Best for the buck IMO too!

Best: Pappy Van Winkle 20.

I think I agree, because the 23 costs 2X as much. Another $80 for 3 fricking years ! It's the only 'Pappy' I can get right now at my bar & it's a rip-off. Word on the street is that Costco bought it all. The Black Maple Hill (Black Label) & the Parker Beam 27 (or Heritage or whatever) can compete though. wj

Can't get Pappy Van Winkle in Utah (at least, have never seen it) which is probably good as it would dry up the liquor account awfully quick.

I finally got a bottle of JB Devils Cut the other day. Not bad at all. Slightly overproof (90 proof) and cheap enough that I don't feel bad mixing it with Coke but good enough to sip straight as well.

Pappy this year was the hardest to get.. I managed to get a bottle @ $160.. they sure have jacked their prices. 2 years ago I was able to get a bottle of 20 for $120 and a bottle of 23 for $180. The 23 is going for $300 now....

but, in my mind, my favorites are the barrel strength William La Rue Weller and George T Stagg... with a drop or two of water to open them up a bit....

mmmmm

FDW

I've recently been introduced to, and much enjoying, Knob Creek, especially in a mug of hot chocolate on a cold night or homemade mint julep.

Basil Hayden's is my favorite. I like Knob Creek a lot, too.

Overall, though, I think I prefer scotch. A good Speyside malt is always the cure for what ails ya.

Well, I prefer an Isley but in general I have to agree.

Which Isley? Ron or Ernie? :D

I really don't like Islay malts...they taste like you retrieved the bottle from the wreckage of your burnt down house.

Blanton's is my favorite. :)

Mea culpa. ;)

Lagavoulin is my favorite but I also like Bowmore and the 15 and above Laphroig. I like the more salty a bit more than the more smokey.

Try an older Islay. The barrel mellows them out. The 10 and 12 yrs are a little rough - like drinking a liquid 'band aid'. IMO most Scotch doesn't get better after 18yrs. They end up tasting more like the barrel (Bourbon) than Scotch. Islays, being so funky, can take almost unlimited barrel aging. BTW, this is a Bourbon thread and I love me some Pappy Van Winkle 20 ! Just got some back in. wj

For FTers in Ontario, Canada, I've seen some recent sightings of both Bulleit and a few Buffalo Trace products in even some smallish stores. Usually you can be fortunate to find even a Maker's Mark at most places.

I'm in Kanata now and all I can find is some Maker's. I was looking for Alberta Premium Rye, but no dice.

On the other hand, Blanton's bourbon is to be avoided at all costs. Just tastes like harsh heat with no flavor. And it gives me a headache.

I like Blanton's. Since you like Basil, maybe try it w/a cube or 2 to bring down the proof. Bulleit Bourbon is just OK IMO, but their Rye is brilliant.

Introduced to a new premium "Bourbon' type whiskey recently, supposedly winner of some recent contests. "1835" out of (God save me from such heresy!) Lewisville, Texas. Very pleasant, smooth and mild, but without the darker over-tones which i seek in corn whiskey.

At the same time, I was gifted with a bottle of "Yellow Rose" Rye from another Texas distiller. Impressive, with a full, rich flavor....

Just took the Anchor Brewery tour and the guide said they distill one barrel of whiskey a year (aged for 17) for personal consumption. I'd kill to get my hands on a taste. He also said they'll drastically scale up their distilling when they open their new brew house soon. Old Portrero is a great rye, so that's good news. They also make a decent gin.

I've found the Old Potrero very inconsistent over the years. One year the stuff would be chestnut brown, the next year the color of Mazola. Same product. If it wasn't dark brown I wouldn't buy it. Many props to Fritz Maytag for being one of the 1st micro-distillers of Rye though. Hopefully, the new owners will produce more consistent styles. Their gin (Junipero) has always been excellent IMO.

I tried the "1835" because they were practically giving it away at Spec's for less than $20 a bottle and I agree with every thing you said about it. Not disappointing exactly, but neither is it exceptional.

Going to have to give the Yellow Rose Rye a go, however. Bulleit Rye is my favorite lately, but you have to expand your horizons, or so they say. ;)

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

I read an article about Canadian Rye which said that Alberta Premium is the best Rye and the only one that is 100% Rye. But I couldn't find it in Ottawa. So I bought another bottle of Bulliet 95% Rye which I do like very much.

The article also said that most all the Rye whiskey made in the US uses Canadian rye.

That probably makes sense since Canada produces twice as much rye as the US. Of course, Russia, Poland, and Germany produce three times as much as Canada, but I'm guessing the transportation costs make Canadian rye a better deal.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Probably more NAFTA than transport, but yes. :)

Never tasted Bourbon in my life....next time I'm in an airport lounge I must give it a go.
Do you drink it straight or use a mixer?

If you've never tasted it, why would you use a mixer ?

Depends on the bourbon. Good stuff neat, inexpensive stuff with coke (or another mixer.)

Makers' is kind of on the fence.

It's sweeter than scotch. Try Basil Hayden's or Knob Creek for starters...or Woodford Reserve.

Maker's Mark is the de facto not-cheap-but-not-fancy bourbon that would be top shelf in a dive bar and well in a fancy bar.

Drink bourbon as you would scotch: the fancier stuff should be drunk with a little water or a little ice; the less fancy stuff gets mixed with other stuff.

Thanks for that....^

To keep everyone happy I shall taste it without a mixer first. :)

So, I gave this a try last night and I have to say that it wasn't bad at all. It is about $9 more a bottle than Bulleit Rye, however, so that will probably remain my go-to for now.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

I've been enjoying a bottle of Rock Hill Farms. It's from Buffalo Trace. Quite good stuff, and a solid value at under $50. Jason of Sour Mash Manifesto awarded it an "outstanding/superb" rating.

Rock Hill Farm Single Barrel Bourbon, 50% abv (100 Proof), $45-50
Background: Rock Hill Farm is a Single Barrel bourbon made by Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, KY. Like Blanton’s, Rock Hill Farm is made using Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #2.

Color: Deep Golden/Amber

Nose: Corn, honey, apple cider, a sprinkle of rye, mint, and wet oak. What a fantastic nose this is, and with fruit and corn prevailing and enough oak and spice character to keep it lively.

Flavor: Again we have corn right from the fore, loads of honey, rye, peppery bite, burned sugar, maple, and again that apple note.

Finish: Moderate length -fruity with caramel and peppery spice.

Overall: Rock Hill Farm is a tremendous bourbon that really doesn’t get its due. It has depth and layers of flavor that Blanton’s didn’t quite measure up to. More than anything I enjoyed the balance of grain and fruit that shines through.

Sour Mash Manifesto Rating: 9.0 (Outstanding/Superb)

Since we've met, and I have some feeling for your objective perspective, I read your post after driving in (3 hours) from Houston, unloading the car, and pouring about 4 ounces of Dickel Red Label (Cheap!) over ice before facing 3 days or emails and FT 'Catch up".

Tasted pretty damn good as a reward from having successfully transited Navasota, BCS, Hearne, Calvert (speed trap) Marlin, and Riesel (minor speed trap) and arrived home as darkness fell over the prairie.

On the other hand, a tumbler of Old Crow would have probably tasted good too.

Just had some 1835 in Phnom Penh of all places (the Lone Star). Middle of the pack at best IMO. Light & nondescript w/a high rye content (I think). Tastes like Canadian Whiskey almost.