Whiskey Whisky

[cricketclub]

I'm not rich nor have I been into Bourbon long enough to have tried anything too fancy but bourbon is my shit if I'm drinking liquor.

My current favorites, all reasonably priced for what they are:

-Woodford Reserve
-Buffalo Trace
-Larceny

This thread is for Kentucky Bourbon, not whiskey in general. Tennessee whiskey can get a pass I guess. I wanna try some crazy hard to get shit but I'm pretty content with my basic ass selections. They taste damn good.

[arrbee]

If you ever have a chance to get some Pappy, do it.

[artskool]

Buffalo Trace is one of the best at really any price point. It's a little expensive, but not too terrible, though I go through a bottle a week. Best bang for your buck is Wild Turkey 101. I swear it used to be a lot cheaper, but they've tried to go upmarket. I find a lot of the expensive $50+ bourbons are good, but not really any better than anything you can get for $35.

I don't think bourbon should ever have been a luxury product and still feel kind of like a sucker for buying anything other than the Jim Beam handles I used to drink. It's one of my only real vices these days though.

[GardenSkater77]

Yo, Baker’s single malt bourbon is gonna bang y’all over the head.

https://internetwines.com/products/baker-s-bourbon-7-year-107-proof?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIla2mvczv5wIVBpyzCh3-6AjzEAQYAyABEgJbs_D_BwE

[formula420]

Another vote for Buffalo trace. It's great with like 3 ice cubes.

[animalflesh]

Noah’s mill!

And like 100 others too

[shucknjive]

we drink
we do drugs
we rap
we hook up w girls

[jay_nev]

here for the best bang for buck options

[friendly dave]

I go for High West, Buffalo, or Bulliet.

[sharkin]

Woodford Reserve is my steady for the past couple years
Bookers is fantastic stuff, but a bit too pricey to drink regularly
Basil Hayden a good middle tier choice

I always enjoy my bourbon as a 2 ounce pour with 1 regular sized ice cube

[ChuckRamone]

Elijah Craig is good. Sometimes Trader Joe's will have bottles of bourbon but with Trader Joe's labeling that are pretty good and well priced. They had a Kentucky Bourbon for a while that was ridiculously cheap, like $11, and tasty, but then they jacked the price up.

[artskool]

Another vote for Buffalo trace. It's great with like 3 ice cubes.

Agreed. I like lots of bourbon with lots of ice and don't care if it's not the approved manner of consumption.

[TheBoognish]

I was a big fan of bourbon 'til I had way too much of it one night and it turned its back on me. I can no longer drink it without puking now, my body wants nothing to do with it. I'm on tequila now.

For me it usually went like this:

Buffalo Trace and Elijah Craig = Don't feel like paying too much, but don't want to end up with cheap stuff like Old Fitzgeralds'

Woodford Reserve= My dad's go-to, same with me. A little more expensive, but not by much. Preferred this to BT.

Blanton's Special Reserve = I wanted a nice bottle. This stuff was fucking awesome, but more expensive and couldn't find it as much. Bottle was dope.

I'd have other other stuff from time to time, but that was the usual stuff. I'd get a nice bottle of something new every time I went to the States.

Keep in mind I'm in Canada and don't have much access to the fancy small-batch stuff and our prices might be a bit different... probably more expensive.

[jay_nev]

Elijah Craig is good. Sometimes Trader Joe's will have bottles of bourbon but with Trader Joe's labeling that are pretty good and well priced. They had a Kentucky Bourbon for a while that was ridiculously cheap, like $11, and tasty, but then they jacked the price up.

Ill have to check it out next time im at TJ. I don't mind their cheap wine.

[Peter Zagreus]

Blanton's Special Reserve = I wanted a nice bottle. This stuff was fucking awesome, but more expensive and couldn't find it as much. Bottle was dope.

Blanton's is superb. When I used to bartend, I'd sneak a finger or two every so often, but I've never dropped money on a bottle. I had a regular customer at the bar who'd been a chef on a cruise ship (he claimed he knew Tony Bourdain pretty well) and a few times when I'd get off early he would invite me to hang around, shoot the shit and have a few drinks. He drank nothing but Blanton's and would insist that I do the same. I drank like a king those nights.

Any time I've dropped money on a bottle 50-100 bucks, it's been for Scotch. Lately I've just been buying little flasks of bourbon, usually Beam or Evan Williams. Everything said about Woodford Reserve is true. It'd be my go-to if I was a little richer.

[brycickle]

Henry McKenna 10 year.

[SFblah]

Woodford is good stuff. I make Old Fashions at home and try a new bourbon every bottle.

[artskool]

Blantons is my fave. I felt like I had money for a little bit, and it was my nightly. I had a long row of that galloping horse run cycle on my bookshelf. Then I realized I'm not actually wealthy at all, and stepped it down a notch or two. I do think Blantons is worth the money if you have it. Not crazy expensive.

Expand Quote

Blanton's Special Reserve = I wanted a nice bottle. This stuff was fucking awesome, but more expensive and couldn't find it as much. Bottle was dope.

[close]

Blanton's is superb. When I used to bartend, I'd sneak a finger or two every so often, but I've never dropped money on a bottle. I had a regular customer at the bar who'd been a chef on a cruise ship (he claimed he knew Tony Bourdain pretty well) and a few times when I'd get off early he would invite me to hang around, shoot the shit and have a few drinks. He drank nothing but Blanton's and would insist that I do the same. I drank like a king those nights.

Any time I've dropped money on a bottle 50-100 bucks, it's been for Scotch. Lately I've just been buying little flasks of bourbon, usually Beam or Evan Williams. Everything said about Woodford Reserve is true. It'd be my go-to if I was a little richer.

[HugeBodBoyle]

Four Roses Small Batch or Single Barrel is seriously good stuff. It's usually Buffalo Trace for me (because Trace is basically Pappy...same distillery) but Four Roses should be tried.

[cricketclub]

Just got an Elijah Craig Small Batch.

2 ounces, 3 cubes 

Good shit. Much less smokey than the Buffalo Trace I had before this. Next time I see a BT I’m grabbing it to stock up.

[cricketclub]

Well shit I guess I want to start a little collection which I have never done. Grabbed a bottle of Angel’s Envy today.

Love it.

Seems like a bad time of year to be buying bourbon, every store around me is out of McKenna 10 year BIB which I want to try, Bakers, Eagle Rare, Blantons, etc.

I’m a total noob on this shit. Welcome any suggestions

[LesbianPUNCH]

I’m a bartender at a whiskey and cocktail bar so I’m a pretentious prick.

Four Roses. Any of the seasonal releases they do are generally awesome. Al young 50th, Elliott’s select, small batch 2014.

Michters toasted barrel rye is one of my favorites over the last couple years.

Barrel dovetail, or the bourbon batches 19 through 21. They generally do blends of sourced whiskeys, bottled cask strength. I love their portfolio thus far and think they do incredible work with weird cask finishes.

Old forester 1910 and 1920.

Cheaper go-to options, I drink a lot of Weller Antique 107 when I can find it, and Elijah Craig is great just to have if I’m making an old fashioned or boulevardier.

[Shifty Flip]

Definitely went through a long Blanton's phase last year. 
My local just started getting Woodinville from Washington State.  It's pretty damn good, especially for sub $40 price tag.
AD Laws is decent for anyone in Colorado.

[Jud Nestorkins]

My go to is Evan Williams black label. I can get a liter in my area for 16 bucks and it tastes like it should cost twice that in my opinion.

[cricketclub]

Damn this Angel’s Envy is the shit. The bottle was 50 bucks here in Chattanooga. I heard it’s more expensive elsewhere.

I enjoy this one neat. The flavor is great. Kinda wish I had a brandy sniffer glass for such a good drink. I had one on the rocks the other day and it was so delicious.

[drewsmahgoos]

Technically not a bourbon, but Michters "Unblended American Whiskey" is a phenomenal sub $50 bottle of whiskey. Great for cocktails but fuck is it so buttery smooth. Can't recommend it enough. It's one of my favorite whiskeys and I've been lucky enough to go through a very very expensive and drawn out bourbon and scotch phase. Really just a heavy liquor/cocktail phase but whiskey has my heart.

Michters American Unblended.

Don't get their bourbon, it isn't nearly as good.

On a budgetish, Eagle Rare is fucking solid for a $30 bottle. Buffalo Trace, despite being mainstream and mass produced, has an undeniably decent selection of whiskey when it comes down to it. If you have to go with a big whiskey brand, buffalo trace(same people making eagle rare) is the way to go.

[jay_nev]

This here ?

[cricketclub]

Just picked up a bottle of Evan Williams single barrel that was barreled in 2012. Damn smooth. Great price too. A little plain Jane.

Tried a glass of Blanton’s while I was at a restaurant. I haven’t seen any bottles in the wild and I was curious. It was good but not my favorite.

[drewsmahgoos]

Just picked up a bottle of Evan Williams single barrel that was barreled in 2012. Damn smooth. Great price too. A little plain Jane.

Tried a glass of Blanton’s while I was at a restaurant. I haven’t seen any bottles in the wild and I was curious. It was good but not my favorite.

Yeah, Blanton's never blew me away. Colonel E.H. Taylor is a solid bourbon that sells for a little less than Blanton's. I've had most top shelf bourbon and a ton of top shelf rye and scotch.

I'll give my unasked for opinion of some of my favorites.

Scotch: Tie between Balvenie Triple Cask and Arberlour A'bundh. Seriously great scotch. The A'bundh is a cask strength that has a mean flavor to it.
Bourbon: Colonel E.H. Taylor, Eagle Rare.
Japanese: Nikka Coffey Grain or Nikka Pure Malt.
All around: Michters Unblended  American
Rye: Whistle Pig


Any of these whiskeys would be a respectable gift. There are better booze out there, I just haven't had them yet. This is the best of what I've had. I've tried a lot of different whiskey.

[cricketclub]

So far Angel’s Envy is by far my favorite. I want to find some similar whiskeys. It seems to be hard to find port or wine finished bourbon around me though.