My office is having a remote Christmas party. Boss is picking up and delivering drink orders, and delivering them to our doorsteps so we can have a fun happy hour next week. The limit is $60. And luckily, there’s a website to peruse their selection. I’d like to make myself a nice Sazerac or Old Fashioned. I have all the ingredients, but wanted to add a different whiskey to my shelf for the occasion. Sazeracs are best made with rye, which would probably be the way to go here.
I’d be interested in trying the Bowman Brothers bourbon. I’ve had their high end stuff and its phenomenal so I’d be curious about their base brand. They are in the buffalo trace family of brands.
On the rye side I’d probably go with the Rittenhouse bonded since I’ve been doing a bunch of research into Pennsylvanian rye lately for a research grant but I doubt Heaven Hill is trying to recreate the historic style. I’m also a sucker for bonded whiskies.
There are quite a few good bourbons in there for under $60. Four Roses Small Batch Select would be towards the top of my list as would the Angels Envy. The Bowman Brothers are very good (although they are distilled in Fredericksburg, VA and not part of the Buffalo Trace Distillery). The Woodford Double Oaked would also be a good choice. All would be great in a bourbon Old Fashioned.
For ryes to use in an Old Fashioned or a Sazerac, you won’t go wrong with the Basil Hayden Dark Rye, or the High West Rendevous Rye. I’ve recently had some of the Rabbit Hole Boxergrail and it is definitely a good rye as well.
Had to laugh… this thread was immediately followed by a thread where I got a lot of recommendations from: “Is there any agreed upon metrics for a “good” whiskey/bourbon/scotch?”
And then came “Help My Bourbon Chicken!”
It’s a sign. You should definitely go with a Bourbon Old Fashioned. It’s the ultimate “comfort food” of cocktails… and isn’t that what we all need right now?
I vote for any Woodford. I’ve made OFs with brandy, Irish Whisky and Monkey Shoulder (the scotch for bourbon fans). But lately I reach for Woodford Reserve for its warmth.
But I should try some new stuff. Bulleit just came out with their first Blenders’ Select and whisky snobs like it. As they do Old Tub… for $20. Paste magazine always has great reviews.
Do get some good bitters, and use them liberally. Bittercube makes great ones, but I just love the ol’ standby Angostura (to the extent that I sometimes have just whisky and bitters, or Campari and bitters).
And you’ll want good orange and cherry notes. I splurge and use some organic hippie Door County cherry juice, and sometimes Cointreau. Though last time I zested an entire orange, then juiced it as the base.
Experiment (it’s so much fun… I decided one recipe wasn’t sweet enough, so I muddled my orange rind with a splash of Canadian maple syrup).
Me too. I’ve always been a scotch guy, but now I seem to sip more Bulleitt bourbon than scotch. Also the rye.
Not true in a while.
One of my buddies is the head of marketing for Buffalo trace and while we were in Virginia he got me very nice bourbon from Bowman that was a 16 year old Buffalo trace barrel. They are very tightly tied together.
The best rye for that cocktail is Pikesville, but it is likely out of the price range specified. Second best would be Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye.
Have fun! Sounds like a great party.
ETA: Looking at the selection at 21st Amendment, go with the Whistle Pig.
If I was in your position, I would go with Sagamore Spirits Rye. They are putting Maryland rye back on the map where it belongs. For a bourbon I would go with Angel’s Envy. It’s a high quality product at a reasonable price. In my opinion the best rye whiskey available can only be found in Montana, Glacier Distilling’s North Fork Rye. Last summer I drove for 14 hours just to get me a bottle. Should have bought 2.
For rye whiskey, I quite liked the Bulleit rye and the George Dickel rye- both are the same 95% rye MGP distillate, but aged/processed their own way. Sazerac brand rye is also pretty solid stuff as is the Rittenhouse Rye.
Bourbon wise… can’t go wrong with Knob Creek or Elijah Craig. Or for that matter, Evan Williams Single Barrel is usually a great value as well.
So as not to derail the Single-malt whisky thread…
I still need to try Jim Beam. Haven’t yet. As for Knob Creek, it’s intriguing that you like it better than Maker’s Mark. I think this calls for a side-by-side. Maybe go down to the bar, and tell the wife I’m conducting research for Comparative Alcohol Appreciation.
I have some Trader Joe’s Kentucky Bourbon in the cupboard. It’s not something I ‘sip and enjoy’, but I’ll sip and appreciate a drink every now and again. This site gave it a poor review.
SHARE WITH: Friends who have been drinking a lot and you want to see if their taste buds are still working. You know, for a good laugh. WORTH THE PRICE : I’ve had much better for less. BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: If you’re looking for something as a mixer where Bourbon isn’t the dominant ingredient, like a cola, this might be worth having. For the most part, I’d rate this a bust. For my fellow Bourbon & Banter writers, I took one for the team. OVERALL: … I found this Bourbon to be an overall disappointment and earns its position on the bottom shelf.
ETA:
- DISTILLER: Undisclosed, but evidence points to Buffalo Trace’s Barton 1792 Distillery as the source
Currently, the two bottles in rotation for my evening dram are Redbreast 12 and Tin Cup. The latter is an American Whiskey (bourbon, but not legally) that I have grown rather fond of. It pairs well with both cheeseburgers and steak.
Personally, I like Knob Creek quite a bit (although I like Knob Creek Rye better) and I really don’t like Maker’s Mark. I’ve never had a wheated whiskey that I really cared for, and that includes the multiple bottles of Pappy that have passed through my hands over the years. I significantly prefer the flavors that rye grain brings to the mix as opposed to wheat.
No you don’t. It’s complete trash. All their premier stuff is quite good though. Knob Creek 9 year (the 120 proof stuff) is about as good as you can reliably find in Virginia.
At the very least you gotta love its name, right?
I’m reading this and the other thread, trying to get meself edga-macated.
Yeah, regular Beam white label is garbage. Same with Old Grand Dad and Old Forester. But their special versions are wonderful. Old Grand Dad Bonded, for example. Or Old Forester Birthday (good luck finding any!) Bonded anything like likely to be several steps up from the regular bottle.
If you like the rye-heavy bourbons, try some straight rye. I like Pikesville and Russell’s Reserve, but there are lots of excellent ones on the market these days. If Irish is how you roll, try Powers. For a deeper dive, Knappogue Castle and Redbreast Lustau.
Anybody know anything about Japanese whisky? I am totally ignorant of what they are doing in Asia. I know most of what passes for whiskey in India isn’t, but I’ve also heard that Amrut is cranking out some tasty stuff.
My BIL is really into bourbon- has a nice collection. Woodford Reserve is his go-to bourbon.
Oh man. You and me just about got into a fight. OGD BiB is my ‘always there’ bottle. It used to be the OGD 114, but I haven’t seen a bottle of that on the shelves in years.
Another vote for Woodford Reserve.
When I make an Old-Fashioned, I don’t use too much sugar, and I muddle the orange peel with the sugar.