Straight Dope Bourbon Society

Cafe Society
1

Like there’s not enough SDBS around here already… :slight_smile:

I’ve noticed in a few other booze related threads that we have some bourbon lovers around here. So hows about we discuss our habit and collection?

[ul]How many do you have open right now, and what are they?[/ul][ul]Which are your most and least favorites?[/ul][ul]Which is your everyday pour?[/ul][ul]Is there anything you’re on the lookout for, but haven’t tried yet?[/ul][ul]How do you usualy take your bourbon?[/ul]

Open
Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 90 proof
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12yr
Eagle Rare 10yr
George T. Stagg
Elijah Craig 18yr
Rock Hill Farms

Of these, I think the Van Winke 12yr is the current fave. I just bought the RHF today though, and it is pretty nice. My least favorite of these is definitely the Eagle Rare. There’s something abrasive about it that I really don’t like.

I’ve been on the lookout for Pappy Van Winkle 15yr. Any TC dopers know where I can score some?

I usually take my bourbon neat. The Stagg is 141 proof though. I’ll sometimes add a little water to that one. Also, the Eagle Rare is mostly being used now to make cocktails. Yeah, I know it’s a waste, but I’m trying to get rid of it.

2

Oh, Oh! I want to play! :smiley:

Open

Maker’s Mark

Evan Williams Single-Barrel

Old Weller Antique (107 proof)

W.L. Weller 12-year-old

Eagle Rare 10-year-old

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit

Old Grand Dad Bonded 100 proof

My everyday pour is usually either the Old Grand Dad or the Weller 12. My wife’s is either of the Wild Turkey expressions. Both of us drink it neat. We are out of Van Winkle currently, but I plan on making a beverage run this weekend to rectify that schocking situation. What we are currently missing in the collection is a bottle of Old Fitzgerald Birthday bourbon. I really like it, so it tends to go quick when I can find a bottle.

Of the ones we have in the cabinet right now, probably my least favorite is the Maker’s Mark, and I like it just fine. My favorite currently is the Old Grand Dad Bonded. I’ve never tried Blanton’s, so that is on the “someday” list.

Secondary question: Describe your favorite whiskey glass.

Mine was a Bowmore glass given away with their holiday packaging of 17-year-old Islay scotch. Now it is a generic glass of the same general shape.

3

Open:

Woodford Reserve

Booker’s (126.6 proof!)

That’s all the Bourbon I have. At the risk of a hijack I also have a couple bottles of Scotch (Lagavulin, Auchentoshan, and Johnny Walker Red & Black)

The Woodford is my favorite. Booker’s is excellent but you REALLY need to be in the mood. 126 proof and you can taste every bit of it (I refuse to water whiskey down).

4

I’m not an aficionado like all of you, but I love Maker’s Mark bourbon. I sip it with a splash of water and maybe an ice cube. I’ve never really been fond of hard liquor (always been a beer drinker), and never particularly liked the scotches and whiskies I had tried. Then one night at a bar during a particularly despondent time of my life, I ordered Maker’s Mark and became a huge fan. I wanted to drink something hard-boiled, like Tom Waits would, or a two-fisted film noir detective. And now I always keep a bottle in front of me (which is better than a frontal lobotomy!)

5

[QUOTE=Cyberhwk]
At the risk of a hijack I also have a couple bottles of Scotch (Lagavulin, Auchentoshan, and Johnny Walker Red & Black)
[/QUOTE]

Nothing like hitting the extremes. :smiley:

With the exception of the 17 year old expression, I generally dislike Islay malts. I’m more of a Speyside man…Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Edradour and the like. But I can’t drink them when it’s hot outside. Bourbon is the tipple for the summer.

Tomorrow I think I might just hit the market for some fresh mint and do me a couple of juleps!

6

[hijack] Has anyone tried OLD POTRERO from the Anchor Steam Brewery? How is it?

OLD POTRERO® 18TH CENTURY STYLE WHISKEY is our attempt to re-create the original whiskey of America. This release was distilled in a small copper pot still at our distillery on San Francisco’s Potrero Hill, from a mash of 100% rye malt. Rye was the grain of choice for America’s first distillers, and using a mash of 100% rye malt produces a uniquely American whiskey.

[/hijack]

7

[QUOTE=silenus]
I’m more of a Speyside man…
[/QUOTE]
I’m not too much on Scotch, but do sometimes have a bottle of Cragganmore around. How does that one compare?

[QUOTE=silenus]
Tomorrow I think I might just hit the market for some fresh mint and do me a couple of juleps!
[/QUOTE]
The perfect use for that Eagle Rare you’ve got! What’s your julep method?

8

Cragganmore is wonderful. I have a bottle a buddy brought me from the distillery. Quite nice.

My basic method for a julep is to dump a tablespoon of sugar into a glass. Add a handful of mint leaves and muddle with a pestle until you get a green paste at the bottom of the glass. Add ice and bourbon. Sip while watching Gone With The Wind.

9

[QUOTE=China Guy]
[hijack] Has anyone tried OLD POTRERO from the Anchor Steam Brewery? How is it?

OLD POTRERO® 18TH CENTURY STYLE WHISKEY is our attempt to re-create the original whiskey of America. This release was distilled in a small copper pot still at our distillery on San Francisco’s Potrero Hill, from a mash of 100% rye malt. Rye was the grain of choice for America’s first distillers, and using a mash of 100% rye malt produces a uniquely American whiskey.

[/hijack]
[/QUOTE]

I have a bottle that I haven’t cracked open yet, but I’m exicited about the opportunity. I’d been trying to find a bottle for what seemed like forever, but without luck thanks to the unimaginitively-stocked state run stores in Washington. I’ll report back.

I’ve become a serious rye fan despite the fact that real rye is damn hard to find anymore. I just finished my last bottle of the 13yo Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye with little prospect of finding more. :frowning:

10

How many do you have open right now, and what are they?
[ul]
[li]1792[/li][li]Makers Mark[/li][li]Elijah Craig (just out at the moment)[/li][li]Eagle Rare[/li][/ul]
Which are your most and least favorites?
Favorites for mixed drinks [ul]
[li]1792[/li][li]maker’s mark[/li][li]Elijah Craig (juleps only)[/li][/ul]
Favorites for sipping
[ul]
[li]Elijah Craig[/li][li]Eagle Rare[/ul] [/li]Which is your everyday pour?
[ul]
[li]1792[/li][/ul]
Is there anything you’re on the lookout for, but haven’t tried yet?
[ul]Not at the moment[/ul]
How do you usualy take your bourbon?
Mixed drinks[ul]
[li]Manhattan[/li][li]algonquin[/li][li]mint julep[/li][li]bourbon crustas[/li][li]whiskey sours[/li][li]a nip in coffee[/li][/ul]
Sometimes in a shot glass to sip.

11

My favorite bourbon is Knob Creek. Haven’t been able to afford a bottle for a few months now though.

12

[QUOTE=Pork Rind]
I have a bottle that I haven’t cracked open yet, but I’m exicited about the opportunity. I’d been trying to find a bottle for what seemed like forever, but without luck thanks to the unimaginitively-stocked state run stores in Washington. I’ll report back.

I’ve become a serious rye fan despite the fact that real rye is damn hard to find anymore. I just finished my last bottle of the 13yo Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye with little prospect of finding more. :frowning:
[/QUOTE]

I’ve been asking around trying to find good rye in Seattle, and the liquor store guys literally laugh in my face. Just give up and order it over the Internet.

The Old Potrero is IMO not really worth the money. It’s good, but is very very fiery. (Substitute the word “harsh” for “fiery” if you like.) I use rye in cocktails rather than drinking it straight, so I’d just prefer to use a good but cheaper rye.

13

I have two that I drink. My favorite, that I’ll go for when I can afford it (though it’s not really all that expensive) is Buffalo Trace. Very smooth, with a nice flavor (a word of warning about their BBQ sauce, it’s freakin’ CRACK!!! I bought a bottle, cracked it open, dipped a finger in it to taste it, and immediately began raiding the fridge for anything and everything I could put it on, it’s that good.). The one that I buy when I’m poor is Kessler’s. It does the job, and goes down easy, with no annoying taste like a certain Canadian concoction I could mention. I generally take them one or two ways, either a couple of shots in some coffee or a couple of shots in Dr Pepper (don’t laugh, it’s surprisingly good that way), occassionally, I’ll mix a whiskey sour.

14

I know this is gonna’ sound pedestrian as hell, and there will be objections that it’s not really a bourbon, but my everyday pour is Jack Daniels on the rocks. But in defense, I read an article once about bourbons, and as nearly as I can tell, Jack qualifies – according to what I read, it doesn’t have to be made in Kentucky, it just has to be made of at least 50% corn mash and aged at least two years in charred oak barrels. Of course, the distillery denies that the stuff is bourbon, and refuses to put the word on the label, which, according to straightbourbon.com, is one of the criteria. But by golly, the stuff sure tastes a lot like bourbon!

If I could afford it, I’d have Maker’s Mark in the liquor cabinet all the time.

15

How does the Van Winkle Special Reserve 12yr rate? I tried some and didn’t particularly care for it, so I’m wondering if bourbon maybe just isn’t for me.

16

Currently Open

Woodford Reserve
Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Currently in my back pocket:

3 mini bottles of Turkey 101

Everyday pour

Turkey 101

I like it most any way and, in fact, I’m leaving for the UNC vs Va Tech football game now (hence, the Turkey in my pocket), so I really should stop typing about it and go consume some. :slight_smile:

Jammer

17

[QUOTE=ultrafilter]
How does the Van Winkle Special Reserve 12yr rate? I tried some and didn’t particularly care for it, so I’m wondering if bourbon maybe just isn’t for me.
[/QUOTE]

I like the Special Reserve myself. If it wasn’t to your taste, try some Maker’s Mark or Knob Creek. Maker’s has a higher wheat proportion so it tends to be smoother and lighter than other bourbons.

18

When I’m writing or chilling with a book, Bulleit on the rocks in a thick-walled rocks glass.

When I’m out in a suit for dinner or meeting over cocktails, Knob Creek Manhattan on the rocks. If unavailable, I’ll take a Maker’s Manhattan, sometimes up.

Nothing, however, beats a throat-full of traildust like three fingers of Beam in an old jelly jar.

19

[QUOTE=Sunrazor]
I know this is gonna’ sound pedestrian as hell, and there will be objections that it’s not really a bourbon, but my everyday pour is Jack Daniels on the rocks. But in defense, I read an article once about bourbons, and as nearly as I can tell, Jack qualifies – according to what I read, it doesn’t have to be made in Kentucky, it just has to be made of at least 50% corn mash and aged at least two years in charred oak barrels. Of course, the distillery denies that the stuff is bourbon, and refuses to put the word on the label, which, according to straightbourbon.com, is one of the criteria. But by golly, the stuff sure tastes a lot like bourbon!

If I could afford it, I’d have Maker’s Mark in the liquor cabinet all the time.
[/QUOTE]

Jack doesn’t qualify as Boubon because it is charcoal filtered, it makes it a Tennesee process whiskey, which is similar, but not the same.

My everyday pour is Wild Turkey 101, for my money it is the best inexpensive corn bourbon out there. I actually like all of the Wild Turkey products, they make a fine bourbon.

I have a bottle of Old Forestor open right now also, but I only have it because someone wanted to make whiskey mixed drinks and Old Forester is the only bottom shelf bourbon I will allow in my house. For a $12 bolltle of whiskey it isn’t half bad, but I wouldn’t make it my everyday pour by a long shot.

I love both Bookers and Blantons, but am out at the moment. When I am in the mood for a Wheater (which isn’t all that often, I tend to prefer the less wheaty bourbons) I reach for my bottle of Old Granddad. It is a great bourbon.

I drink my whiskey neat with maybe just 2 or 3 drops of water to release the water soliuble compounds in the flavor profile. Sometimes I mix it with a good Ginger Beer. Occasionally I will do shots.
For non Bourbon whiskeys I turn to Bushmills. I loves me some Irish Whiskey! :smiley:

20

Being the smallest of the small batches (in that it comes from one freakin’ barrel), and being that it is completely uncut with water, I can’t imagine a better bourbon than Booker’s.

Also love Knob Creek, and to a slightly lesser extent, Maker’s Mark.

Tip: Although they are expensive, Maker’s Mark makes a fantastic cigar as well.