Thanks to you guys, I’ve delved into the wonderful world of bourbon, and started exploring rye as well. This summer I hit up a big bourbon tasting and discovered my new favorite: Eagle Rare.
I also had this pleasant experience upon spying Knob Creek single barrel behind the bar on our cruise:
Me: Knob Creek and water, please.
Bartender: pause For you, my lady?
Me: Yup.
Bartender: fist-bump
I’ve also found that a nice cheap bourbon for mixing can be found in Ancient Ancient Age. I once accidentally bought mere Ancient Age, and the difference was noticeable. But AAA is very fine in a whiskey sour.
Then there’s rye. I saw the name Whistle Pig on this board, so when I found a bottle I splurged on it. And holeeee shit, is it amazing! Unlike the Bulleit and Redemption I’ve tried (which are perfectly cromulent, for the record), it ends with a strong flavor of rye grain, very reminiscent of rye bread. Maybe this is sacrilege, but I really like it in a Manhattan too, though it’s hard to justify using the Precious in a cocktail.
So what’s your favorite? What else should I try? I’d love to try the elusive Pappy Van Winkle, but I don’t think it’s obtainable in NC.
I’ve got a couple of bottles of Pappy in the cabinet now but honestly I just don’t enjoy that ‘bourbony’ flavor all that much. Mind you it’s a very well-crafted whiskey, there’s no mistaking that but there are others I’ve enjoyed far more.
I mentioned it before but the only whiskey I ever really sip anymore is Stranahans Colorado Whiskey. It’s hard to get outside of Colorado, mainly become more folks there have discovered it and it’s limited production, but damn it’s the best neat sipping stuff I’ve ever tasted.
Manhattans demand rye. My default at home is Russell’s Reserve Rye from Wild Turkey.
Bulliett and Redemption are strictly low-level bourbons. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! (he typed after remembering the handle of Evan Williams in the liquor cabinet). But an easy step up would be Old Grand-Dad Bonded or Elijah Craig. Then move to Russell’s Reserve and Kentucky Spirit.
Pappy’s is heaven, but Old Forester Birthday bourbon is at least somewhere in the “Bliss” neighborhood. When you can find it. They only release it once a year and it disappears quite quickly.
I’ll second Elijah Craig, and also recommend all three varieties of Four Roses. The base brand, the small batch and the single barrel all taste better than their price range indicates. Another bourbon in the same price range as Bulliett and Knob Creek which I think is tastier than either is Larceny.
I never seem to have the pocket change available when I see a bottle of Pappy’s, and I’ve never seen Old Forrester Birthday bourbon. I’ll have to keep a look out for it.
I like ryes, too, and have been slowly working my way through the selection I have available. An inexpensive one that I liked recently was Templeton, and I’d second Knob Creek’s rye. I might have been the person asking about Whistle Pig. I’ve been lusting after it for awhile, but I’ve been too cheap, and haven’t gotten a bottle. However, I spent half my day today and yesterday hacking up a mulberry tree. I think that merits a treat ( as long as I promise to finish the rest of it tomorrow ), and I am ryeless. Your review has helped me decide what my treat is going to be.
There’s a bar near my office that has a “bourbon happy hour” every Thursday. Most bourbons are $4.00. Some ryes as well.
I’m working my way through the list. Have really liked the Eagle Rare, Four Roses, and Buffalo Trace. Willettt Pot might be my new favorite. Did NOT like Booker’s, though.
Oh yeah, add another vote from me for Willett rye. For under $30, it’s my favorite.
I’m having my first glass of Whistle Pig now. It is pretty amazing. It is sweet, amazingly smooth, and as Unauthorized Cinnamon noted it does have a stronger rye finish than most. It’s much stronger than even Templeton’s, which is pretty strong. However, it’s much more smooth, and has more going on than just the rye spice. I’m not certain it’s twice the whiskey of Willett, but it’s certainly a different level of the art.
divemaster, what was wrong with Booker’s? I’d been thinking about that and Baker’s recently, too, but haven’t gone for it. I’d had Basil Hayden’s from the same line, it’s fault was that it was amazingly smooth, but there wasn’t much else to love about it. My brother’s daily whiskey of choice is Knob Creek, and I’ve had just about everything Knob Creek has to offer through him - none of it’s my favorite, but it’s all pretty good.
Unauthorized Cinnamon, first, you take one of my favorite moments from my favorite show and make your user name. Now you are into bourbon and rye. Cary is only 2 hours from Charlotte… Just sayin’… (I kid…) (sorta)
I have become a big fan of Larceny. It has unseated Jim Beam Black as my regular pour. I have a bottle each of 15 and 12 year old Van Winkle (the 15 is a Pappy, the 12 just a VW…) That I haven’t opened, although I’ve had the 12 before and on one momentous occasion, the 23. That was the pinnacle of my bourbon drinking experience.
Next time I’m down that way, I’ll try to drop you a line. It would certainly be more fun sampling bourbons with you than chaperoning a bunch of Girl Scouts at Great Wolf Lodge, as I did on my last trip!
Thank you all for the recommendations. Looks like I’ve got a lot of exploring to do, which is almost as fun as having that special bottle you know you love.
For what it’s worth, Larceny didn’t knock my socks off. It’s very nice, but other things wow me a lot more. Similarly, Basil Hayden’s wowed me with its smoothness, but had nothing else to offer.
I need to be careful, or my husband is going to think I’m a burgeoning alcoholic. New bottles keep appearing in our cabinet.
Great idea! As far as Larceny goes, it’s not the best I’ve ever had by a long shot. But for the price I find it good for regular drinking. A lot of people like Buffalo Trace, but it didn’t do anything for me. I even find that the small batch/single barrel bourbons vary slightly from bottle to bottle.
There’s a great bourbon festival in Charlotte every May. It may also happen in Raleigh, I’m not sure. Great opportunity to sample a variety.
Sister-in-law’s sister works for a Kentucky distillery & our Christmas gifts have been bottles of bourbon ever since. Got a bottle of the Eagle Reserve last year, and loved it.
Also started trying a local distillery’s Breaking & Entering Bourbon, and it’s good, but not quite the Eagle Reserve.
I kind of wish I had gone to Whiskeyfest a month ago, but the tickets were a bit too much. Is the one in Charlotte pricey? (and, more importantly, is there a similar fest in Asheville or Altanta - I’m much more likely to be in either of those towns than in Charlotte?)
Here’s the link to the festival website. It did go to both Atalanta and Cary this year, so I expect the same next year. I think we paid $50 for VIP tickets, which got us in an hour earlier than regular tickets. It was worth it because we got to the high-end tables before they ran out of the good stuff.
ETA: Looks like they will be in Nashville on November 8th if that’s an option for you.
Looks great! And at $50 that’s a heck of a lot better than the $250 that was being asked for Whiskeyfest.
Nashville’s not an option, my regular travels to the south pretty much only take me to Atlanta, Asheville, and Florida. But this could be a possibility if it lines up with my next trip to Atlanta.
Wish I could visit Lexington again, that was definitely a good bourbon town.
