I really like Copper Fox rye, it makes amazing Manhattans.
I don’t know if I’d say “low level”; maybe “starter” or “mass-market”. I’d put Bulleit above say… Jim Beam White for sure, and somewhere near Jim Beam Black.
There are still some worse/cheaper bourbons below Bulleit before you get into the blended stuff in plastic bottles.
Their rye is ok too; not quite Rittenhouse, but decent.
I’ve had some really good experiences with the Elijah Craig 12 and 18 yr old, and the Evan Williams Single Barrel, and also with some more expensive ones, like my current bottle- Knob Creek 9 yr Single Barrel Reserve which is excellent by any measure.
I’ve never had Whistle Pig, but according to this site, it is a rebottling of a less expensive Canadian whiskey. I don’t know if it’s true or not.
http://www.realmendrinkwhiskey.com/whistlepig-rye-the-spectacular-lie/
Excellent! Bulleit is my go-to cheap bourbon just to have around the house for the odd Old Fashioned, bourbon & soda, and the like. It’s also nice with a dash of brown sugar. I tried to make Rock and Rye with it once, but it was unbearably sweet. If you try the recipe, cut down on the sugar.
I don’t have much to add to the thread, given previous responses. I dredged the SDMB archives when my father asked for a good bourbon for Christmas last year. I ended up getting him a bottle of Eagle Rare and another of Old Forrester Antique.
I’ve found that I absolutely love Booker’s. It’s very high proof, but doesn’t taste like it. I can understand how some people may not like it, though. Worth a shot if you can get it on sale. It’s $70 a bottle in VA and $40-50 in MD. I’d pay $50 for it, but not $70.
Evan Williams does some special editions that are quite tasty and relatively inexpensive, if you can find them.
Have you tried an Old Fashioned yet? I’m finding I enjoy them quite a bit, and that they’re much better if prepared with a proper muddler rather than an improvised spoon.
Pork Rind has pointed out that a great deal of the small batch bourbons and ryes in the U.S. are all different aging/blending strategies of what they can get their hands on. I’m not surprised that they source their stock from other distillers, and the different tastes of the bottler changes what the product is. That story does make me sad that I can’t get the ryes of their distiller here, they apparently make a 30 year straight rye that sells for less than whistle pig! :eek:
I’m not sure what you’re going for here. My comment about the Manhattan is because I’m always a little surprised when a bartender asks if I want bourbon in a Manhattan.
…and I’ve never heard that east whiskeys are traditionally rye whiskeys, and in my experience that just isn’t true.
I’ve been happy to see that bourbon seems have gained in popularity in recent years…at least around here, anyway. Used to be, even at nicer bars and restaurants, I’d ask what they have for bourbon, be told “Well…we have Jack Daniel’s”. :rolleyes: Best case, they’d have Makers. Not that there’s anything wrong with Makers.
I never understood why Wild Turkey 101 wasn’t every bar’s stand-by, cheap bourbon. For the money, I think it’s great. Good enough to drink straight. Cheap enough to mix with. I like pretty much all of WT’s bourbons though. I always used to have a bottle of Kentucky Spirit on hand, but they may not be making that anymore.
Nowadays, my go to sipper is Four Roses Single Barrel. Yum.
I was fortunate enough to try Blanton’s and Basil Hayden’s last night. Both were excellent, but the Blanton’s was better. Going to need to pick up a bottle of that next time I’m in MD.
I don’t disagree with you there. Bourbons run a little sweet for my tastes, but the Wild Turkey 101 always worked fine for me when I was in the mood for one. I’m kind of simple when it comes to bourbon. Wild Turkey or Four Roses keeps me happy.
Bulleit is supposed to be cheap near-bottom-of-the-shelf bourbon? Where I live, it’s price is around the same as Maker’s Mark and only slightly less than Knob Creek. Now I feel ripped off for paying $6 for one shot in a bar a couple weeks ago.
I think of Bulleit bourbon as a good serviceable bourbon for cocktails, but not great.
Bulleit rye, on the other hand is great value for its price. I really think their rye punches above its weight class.
I keep some Blanton’s on the shelf for special occasions. Normally, my whiskey bottles get ‘leaky’ but this one apparently has a disciplined cork and doesn’t seem to evaporate like the others.
Rye typically doesn’t agree with my belly and they start arguing. One thing leads to another and a knife fight breaks out. Soon enough, they escalate to cutlasses and, finally, a barrage of cannon fire ends the party. For some reason, cheap & overproof Rittenhouse rye is ok, though.
Bulleit’s not my idea of low-level. That would be Old Crow, which is actually a good value - I prefer it to Jim Beam.
I like anything by Beam except Devils Cut. I didn’t care for that at all. It’s rough as hell. Like liquid wood or something.
I like Bookers. But keep in mind that because of how it’s made & bottled there is a gap in consistency. So one bottle may not taste exactly like another.
For a while Knob Creek was all the rage around here. But I found it strictly mediocre.
Fighting Cock is good on the rocks or with a smash. Straight up it’s liquid fire.
Kentucky Tavern & Old Crow are ok as mixers, but they taste like store brand rot gut when drank neat or on the rocks. But if you’re going to dilute bourbon by mixing it you might as well use the cheap stuff.
Jack Daniels single Barrel, specifically if you can find the Holiday select 2011 bottle…
I have tried a few and most were good until I tried Glenlivet Archive 21, WOW!!, neat at room temperature…
Blanton’s is very good, as is Woodford Reserve. I like both of those better than Booker’s, which is a little harsh for me - I like my bourbon smooth.
I’ll take Maker’s Mark or Knob Creek if that’s all the bar has, but then I’m definitely mixing it with Coke. Feel free to throw things at me.
Bourbon is definitely taking off here in the the states - on my last trip to the liquor store, I saw a number that were new (at least to that store) in just in the past few months. including Willet’s, Hudson Baby, E. H. Taylor, and Cedar Ridge.
Overseas is another matter. I found that bars in Taipei have a decent selection of single-malt scotch, but no bourbon to speak of - you’re drinking Jack Daniels or Jim Beam if you’re a bourbon man. Same deal in Vienna.
Here’s hoping the world learns about American whisky.
The JD Single Barrel is a Tennessee whiskey and the Glenlivet is a Scotch. Neither is a Bourbon nor a rye.
From the Jack Daniels website:
Jack Daniel’s is not a bourbon - it’s a Tennessee Whiskey.
That’s just a marketing stance - it meets all the Federal requirements to be labeled as “bourbon” (51+% corn mashbill, aged in new charred oak barrels, etc.) if they wanted to do so.
Now Glenlivet is obviously a different story…
By these standards a cow born in a tree is a bird. JD is not Bourbon.
Real Bourbon isn’t filtered by charcoal.