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I mean, I have a few general rules when selecting bourbon I've never had before.... Older is better. If it has an age statement older than four or five years, it will help mellow a bourbon and take off any sharp corners and taste less alcohol-y. Bonus if it's 9-15 years old. Know your preference, do you like sweeter or spicier bourbons? A wheater is going to taste different than a rye heavy bourbon and a good liquor store owner should be able to tell you which to try based on your preference. Is it made by a distillery that's been around for a while? Four Roses, BT, Jim Beam/Knob Creek, etc will all put out good stuff. Of course any small distillery doing their own stuff or buying from MGP could be good but it's a gamble until you've tried it. Beware of fancy bottles and any gimmick to get you to buy, like celebrity "made" brands, it was put into space, comes with a gun, etc. It should be a darker color. It's not good if it's the color of apple juice. But ultimately, once you try it and like it, then it doesn't matter what other people think. I will judge you if you have Bib & Tucker because that is the nastiest poo poo I've ever had.
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Jan 20, 2023 13:51
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Yeah, I mean, those all sound like sensible rules but there's a ton of complicating factors everywhere. If older is better, why do some places specifically sell a "baby bourbon" (like Hudson) whose whole selling point is that it's barely aged at all and it's $55? Darker is better, sure, but then you find out that half the distilleries (of rum especially) use food coloring. Sweeter/spicier — I wish I could say. I've tried many times to distinguish between a bourbon and a rye in side-by-side shot glasses and I can barely tell a difference, but apparently they're so wildly different to other people that swapping them in a cocktail turns a masterpiece into a travesty or vice versa. I don't know if it's a me problem or if everyone's just playing up tiny distinctions because it's fun. Maybe it's that I have a hard time distinguishing between "like" and "dislike"? I think everything from scotch to aquavit to Malört is individually interesting and they all have their own unique flavors and characters, but I don't think I "like" or "dislike" any one over another, except for real wild outliers like the most-of-a-liter of stale dry vermouth that I drank rather than let it go to waste. Now that I type that out it's sounding more and more like I'm just a freak e: I promise I'm not just doing this lmao https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS-07dh9-NA Data Graham fucked around with this message at 14:19 on Jan 20, 2023 |
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Jan 20, 2023 14:04
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Data Graham posted:Yeah, I mean, those all sound like sensible rules but there's a ton of complicating factors everywhere. edit: clarification - older isn't ALWAYS better - with bourbon and rye when you start getting into the teens things can get over oaked or tannic. There's a sweet spot between 6 and 12 years for most products Data Graham posted:Darker is better, sure, but then you find out that half the distilleries (of rum especially) use food coloring. Data Graham posted:Sweeter/spicier — I wish I could say. I've tried many times to distinguish between a bourbon and a rye in side-by-side shot glasses and I can barely tell a difference, but apparently they're so wildly different to other people that swapping them in a cocktail turns a masterpiece into a travesty or vice versa. I don't know if it's a me problem or if everyone's just playing up tiny distinctions because it's fun. Something like Willett, New Riff, or MGP (Rossville Union, High West, other sourced "indiana" rye) will have a much more spice forward flavor Data Graham posted:Maybe it's that I have a hard time distinguishing between "like" and "dislike"? I think everything from scotch to aquavit to Malört is individually interesting and they all have their own unique flavors and characters, but I don't think I "like" or "dislike" any one over another, except for real wild outliers like the most-of-a-liter of stale dry vermouth that I drank rather than let it go to waste. Now that I type that out it's sounding more and more like I'm just a freak With regards to whether Buffalo Trace is good - I would take Buffalo Trace over the more expensive and harder to find Blanton's almost any day of the week. Actually - with 99.9% of people you could pour a bottle of Buffalo Trace into an empty Blanton's bottle and they wouldn't know the difference.
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Jan 20, 2023 14:33
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Hey, just give a half assed 1 paragraph review of Buffalo Trace. That would have done.
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Jan 20, 2023 15:36
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Do I like the taste of the bourbon and/or how "hot" does it taste vs. how much is a bottle and how easy is it to find? Example: I really like the taste of Eagle Rare. It used to be $35 / bottle and not too hard to find. Now if I find it, it's $70+. I no longer drink Eagle Rare because I don't think it's a $70 bourbon. As I try bourbons and find what I like, I then read reviews where people compare to other bourbons or talk about bourbons they like. Gives me an idea of what to try next.
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Jan 20, 2023 16:55
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I have 6 or 8 bottles of whiskey in my bar, from a cheap wild turkey and chivas to glendronach 15. They all taste different, but the main flavor in any I have tried is hot alcohol.
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Jan 20, 2023 17:11
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Yeah, one of the biggest obvious differentiating factors to me is "hotness". Like some gins I've had and most scotches are just super powerful on the tongue and I can barely sip them. But I try not to let that color my impression of the flavor notes? It's difficult though. I get the impression "hotness" is a function of whether the liquor is taken from the heads of the distillation primarily? Something like that?
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Jan 20, 2023 17:29
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It's why I can't stand Weller. I have a bottle of Weller Antique that's barely missing a sip because I tried it and it basically exploded the tip of my tongue.
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Jan 20, 2023 17:38
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I find you just get used to the heat. I love sipping on hot stuff these days, but it was a gradual change over time. These days something like Basil Haydens is as easy as water.Data Graham posted:I get the impression "hotness" is a function of whether the liquor is taken from the heads of the distillation primarily? Something like that? AFAIK it's basically down to proof and mashbill with proof being the real big deciding factor. Also, the first pour from a fresh bottle is always way hotter than the rest.
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Jan 20, 2023 17:51
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Yeah it’s proof first and foremost unless you’re drinking total rotgut. Add a splash (a literal splash) of water to stuff you find “too hot,” it’ll mellow right out.
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Jan 20, 2023 18:16
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Almost everything I've ever tried is like 42-45% ABV though, and the hotness seems to have no bearing on the number even within that narrow range. And 55%+ stuff like Chartreuse doesn't taste hot at all to me, not in the same way.
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Jan 20, 2023 18:19
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Well, Chartreuse may have less water but also as a liqueur it has sugar added.
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Jan 20, 2023 18:31
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S.W.O.R.D. Agent posted:I find you just get used to the heat. I love sipping on hot stuff these days, but it was a gradual change over time. These days something like Basil Haydens is as easy as water. This is all true…but I have found gently rocking an unopened (or long-sitting opened) bottle makes the hotter first-sip experience go away. And 100+ proof whiskey is about every bourbon currently in my home’s liquor cabinet! It’s definitely a real enough thing that years ago we noticed it and took steps to remedy it.
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Jan 20, 2023 21:27
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Swirling your glass a bit with the liquor in it, and then letting it rest in the glass for a few minutes helps tame some of the volatiles too
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Jan 20, 2023 21:43
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Deceptive Thinker posted:Swirling your glass a bit with the liquor in it, and then letting it rest in the glass for a few minutes helps tame some of the volatiles too 
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Jan 20, 2023 21:53
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Whenever I open a new bottle, I always force myself to wait a few minutes after I make the first pour before I sip. Doesn't seem as necessary on subsequent pours, but just letting some of those volatile flavors come off it seems to help me better appreciate a new bottle than I if I pour and sip immediately.
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Jan 20, 2023 22:02
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Whenever I open a new bottle, I always force myself to wait a few minutes after I make the first pour before I sip. Doesn't seem as necessary on subsequent pours, but just letting some of those volatile flavors come off it seems to help me better appreciate a new bottle than I if I pour and sip immediately. Maybe it's time for us to start Hyper-Decanting our whiskeys a la The Menu Can somebody suggest me a bourbon that tastes like a scotch. I want spice, I want weird flavors, I want smoke I want funk. I found a bottle of Rare Beast Rye and was very happy but not entirely sure I'm a big bourbon guy versus say paying too much money for Octomore variants.
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Jan 20, 2023 22:51
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adnam posted:Maybe it's time for us to start Hyper-Decanting our whiskeys a la The Menu New Riff Backsetter?
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Jan 20, 2023 23:00
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adnam posted:Can somebody suggest me a bourbon that tastes like a scotch. I want spice, I want weird flavors, I want smoke I want funk. I found a bottle of Rare Beast Rye and was very happy but not entirely sure I'm a big bourbon guy versus say paying too much money for Octomore variants. Not a bourbon but I would recommend Balcones Single Malt. If you like Octomore their Brimstone might be right up your alley too.
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Jan 20, 2023 23:11
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I recently won a raffle for the chance to purchase a rare bottle at MSRP from a local store. Is there anything from this list I should really go for? Right now my top choices are Willett 8Y, George T Stag, EH Taylor, WT Masters Keep, Jack Daniels Twice Barreled, or Russell's 13yo. I'm not familiar with most of these but I do love WT101 and Russell's reserve. I've had EH Taylor before and it was quite nice but not so great that I wouldn't want to try something new. I'm thinking Willett 8 unless there is a real gem I'm overlooking. Heaven Hill 17yo Willett 8yo Wheated George T Stag Thomas Handy Rye William Larue Weller Weller C.Y.P.B Weller Single Barrel Weller Full Proof SP bbl #104 Weller Full Proof Weller 12yo E.H. Taylor Single Barrel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Stag Jr. Old Fitzgerald Bib 17yo Hirsch Cask Strength WildTurkey Master's Keep Unforgotten Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition Jack Daniels Twice Barreled Elijah Craig 18yo Russell’s Reserve 13yo Gold Spot Magnus Cigar Blend Red Spot Old Fitz BIB 19yo Parkers Heritage
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Jan 21, 2023 01:10
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I would buy the old fitz in a heartbeat
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Jan 21, 2023 01:37
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I'd probably pick the William Larue Weller but there are tons of solid options.
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Jan 21, 2023 01:51
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Stagg is a good light wheated bourbon. I've had a bottle of the Elijah Craig 18 and it was nothing special. A lot of people love Weller but I don't get it.
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Jan 21, 2023 02:39
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William Larue Weller hands down for me
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Jan 21, 2023 02:42
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Gravitee posted:I would buy the old fitz in a heartbeat 17 or 19? Paul Proteus posted:I'd probably pick the William Larue Weller but there are tons of solid options. GD_American posted:Stagg is a good light wheated bourbon. I've had a bottle of the Elijah Craig 18 and it was nothing special. Thanks, I need to rank these so I'm really focusing on the top 10 or so to get after what I think I'll really like (there are 29 total choices and I left off the ones I had near the bottom). I had the William Larue Weller lower than the Elijah Craig so I swapped those around. I have Old Fitz near the bottom since I know little about it but seems like that might be a mistake.
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Jan 21, 2023 02:43
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Horn posted:I recently won a raffle for the chance to purchase a rare bottle at MSRP from a local store. Is there anything from this list I should really go for? Right now my top choices are Willett 8Y, George T Stag, EH Taylor, WT Masters Keep, Jack Daniels Twice Barreled, or Russell's 13yo. I'm not familiar with most of these but I do love WT101 and Russell's reserve. I've had EH Taylor before and it was quite nice but not so great that I wouldn't want to try something new. I'm thinking Willett 8 unless there is a real gem I'm overlooking. Don't get the Willet 8 unless you're planning to flip it. (Don't) Get the WLW.
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Jan 21, 2023 03:13
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stratego posted:Don't get the Willet 8 unless you're planning to flip it. (Don't) Yeah my instinct was that the Willet 8 was the weakest option. Of course it's all subjective.
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Jan 21, 2023 03:31
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As someone who sometimes gets paid to drink whisky and rate it. There are objectively bad whiskies. We try and put personal preferences aside and instead rate based on the structure, complexity, how it's impacted by a few drops of water, and more. That's why any spirits competition worth caring about will have multiple judges rate the same products blindly. Then throw away highest and lowest scores from the judge pool etc. From a consumer perspective though. Yeah drink whatever you want and can afford. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Jan 21, 2023 |
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Jan 21, 2023 04:03
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Besides WL Weller and Old Fitz, I'd also prob try going after the Four Roses LE
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Jan 21, 2023 04:07
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GD_American posted:Stagg is a good light wheated bourbon. I hope this is a joke. And either 17 or 19 Old Fitz. I have an 11yr and it's top five all time for me. I also love all things Weller so I'm biased for sure.
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Jan 21, 2023 04:35
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I'm going to buck the trend and say Russell's 13 if you don't want to spend too much, and Heaven Hill 17 or Parker's Heritage if you do The BTAC bottles are nice, but can be boring and single note, especially if you weren't a huge fan of EH Taylor, but like Wild Turkey.
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Jan 21, 2023 05:14
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zmcnulty posted:As someone who sometimes gets paid to drink whisky and rate it. There are objectively bad whiskies. We try and put personal preferences aside and instead rate based on the structure, complexity, how it's impacted by a few drops of water, and more. As long as it's not Whisky Advocate because their list last year was pure BS.
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Jan 21, 2023 06:25
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Gravitee posted:I hope this is a joke. No, but as it turns out it was a complete mistake. I was thinking of Elmer T. Lee in my description, not Stagg.
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Jan 21, 2023 08:30
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The George T. Stagg or the Old Fitz BIB would be my choice. If for some reason you left Old Forrester Birthday Bourbon off your list I'd consider that too.
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Jan 21, 2023 16:09
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Thanks folks! I submitted my list this morning. In case anyone is wondering here's where I ended up with my rankings. Probably should have put the Old Forester Birthday higher but I've heard a lot of middling things about it so I let it drift down towards the bottom. I didn't have the William Larue Weller ranked that highly initially but enough of y'all thought it was special I pushed it to the top. 1 William Larue Weller 2 George T Stag 3 Old Fitzgerald Bib 17yo 4 Old Fitz BIB 19yo 5 Stag Jr. 6 WildTurkey Master's Keep Unforgotten 7 Russell’s Reserve 13yo 8 E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof 9 E.H. Taylor Single Barrel 10 Hirsch Cask Strength 11 Willett 8yo Wheated 12 Weller 12yo 13 Jack Daniels Twice Barreled 14 Elijah Craig 18yo 15 High West Prisoner’s Share 16 Sazerac 18yo 17 Weller C.Y.P.B 18 Weller Single Barrel 19 Weller Full Proof SP bbl #104 20 Thomas Handy Rye 21 Old Forester Birthday 22 Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition
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Jan 21, 2023 16:16
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Oh man I got an OF Birthday Bourbon back in like...2013? 2014? One of my all time favorites. I've never found it again.
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Jan 21, 2023 16:24
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GD_American posted:No, but as it turns out it was a complete mistake. I was thinking of Elmer T. Lee in my description, not Stagg. Elmer T Lee is a high rye mashbill too. Both good bourbons but very rye heavy. Out of his list, besides the one that says wheated, just the Wellers and Old Fitz are wheaters.
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Jan 21, 2023 18:01
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Anyone have opinions on Virginian whiskeys? Here are my amateur impressions. VHW port cask finish: Really enjoyed this one. It's a blend of scotch and VA made single-malt and tastes like a youngish unpeated scotch. Maybe I'm just suggestable but I felt like I could really taste the port finish impart fruit and raisin notes that paired the two nicely. The rep grumbled that it used to be called Virginia Highland Whisky but the Scottish industry has since claimed ownership of the word "highland". Reservoir Bourbon: It has a 100% corn mashbill which I don't think I've ever tried and it was an educational experience. It was maybe the sweetest whiskey I've ever tasted but not unpleasantly so. The scent was very orangey and the taste was super nutty. Ragged Branch Signature Bourbon: This label has won the most awards and has been raved about the most. Yet somehow despite the impressive, authentic small-batch farm-to-table etc. production method this was my least favorite. The taste was overpowered by tobacco, leather and charcoal. I concede I probably just need more exposure to these flavor notes and maybe I'll come to appreciate Ragged Branch after some time.
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Jan 21, 2023 18:14
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zmcnulty posted:As someone who sometimes gets paid to drink whisky and rate it. There are objectively bad whiskies. We try and put personal preferences aside and instead rate based on the structure, complexity, how it's impacted by a few drops of water, and more. I want to be able to sip something and go "oh yeah, that's a W.B. Saffell" or "That's Four Roses, I'd recognize it anywhere" But I sort of get the impression that coming at it from that angle may be a fool's errand
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Jan 21, 2023 20:59
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Gravitee posted:Elmer T Lee is a high rye mashbill too. Both good bourbons but very rye heavy. Out of his list, besides the one that says wheated, just the Wellers and Old Fitz are wheaters. No poo poo? It was one of the first bourbons I tried about 5-6 years ago (besides the obvious Jack Daniels-level stuff) and I remember it as being light and sweet. I don't think I had even tried rye whiskey at that point
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Jan 21, 2023 21:05
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