All Things Whisk(e)y

[ronnie_suburban]

I miss this thread and I've been working my way through this bottle so I thought I would resurrect it.

And how does it compare to Slane, or Bushmills, or Sexton, or Jameson?

It's bourbon, so a very different beast than the whiskys you mentioned. This one is sweeter, with more caramel, vanilla, butterscotch and faint smokiness than Jameson or Bushmill. I haven't tried Slane or Sexton.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Yeah I like it a lot. Definitely get vanilla and it’s nice and smooth. I like to sip it while playing the guitar after work.

[ronnie_suburban]

Yeah I like it a lot. Definitely get vanilla and it’s nice and smooth. I like to sip it while playing the guitar after work.

I've noticed that in WI, those Four Roses Single Barrels are always 100 proof. In IL they're usually bottled and sold at barrel strength. I'm guessing that for whatever reason, WI has impeded or obstructed the sale of bourbon over 100 proof. Either way, still great juice and for my palate, at either proof, it's best with a splash of water or an ice cube. The only time I really want the overproof stuff is when making a cocktail because it mixes down nicely but I don't imagine many people are making cocktails with bourbon in that price range.

[XexoX]

I miss this thread and I've been working my way through this bottle so I thought I would resurrect it.

And how does it compare to Slane, or Bushmills, or Sexton, or Jameson?

It's bourbon, so a very different beast than the whiskys you mentioned. This one is sweeter, with more caramel, vanilla, butterscotch and faint smokiness than Jameson or Bushmill. I haven't tried Slane or Sexton.

Well said Mr. Suburban. I didn't notice it was a bourbon and not a whiskey. I'm easily confussed on some things. I see scotch being called whiskey, but I'm not sure that all whiskey is scotch. Oh well, I'm too old to learn now.

If you have a chance, try both Sexton and Slane. Slane improves with a drop or two of water added to a shot, but is quite good without it.

[ronnie_suburban]

And how does it compare to Slane, or Bushmills, or Sexton, or Jameson?

It's bourbon, so a very different beast than the whiskys you mentioned. This one is sweeter, with more caramel, vanilla, butterscotch and faint smokiness than Jameson or Bushmill. I haven't tried Slane or Sexton.

Well said Mr. Suburban. I didn't notice it was a bourbon and not a whiskey. I'm easily confussed on some things. I see scotch being called whiskey, but I'm not sure that all whiskey is scotch. Oh well, I'm too old to learn now.

If you have a chance, try both Sexton and Slane. Slane improves with a drop or two of water added to a shot, but is quite good without it.

I'm sure I'll cross paths with those whiskys at some point and when I do, I'll definitely try them out. Fwiw, bourbon is whiskey, bourbon whiskey, so you weren't entirely off-base. Jameson, Bushmill, Slane and Sexton are all Irish whiskys, with the Sexton being a single malt.

[polytope]

I miss this thread and I've been working my way through this bottle so I thought I would resurrect it.

Evan Williams Single Barrel was my my go-to "nice but not super expensive" bourbon for a long while, but just earlier this year they decided to stop shipping it outside of Kentucky

[Wjhunt]

Yeah I like it a lot. Definitely get vanilla and it’s nice and smooth. I like to sip it while playing the guitar after work.

I've noticed that in WI, those Four Roses Single Barrels are always 100 proof. In IL they're usually bottled and sold at barrel strength. I'm guessing that for whatever reason, WI has impeded or obstructed the sale of bourbon over 100 proof. Either way, still great juice and for my palate, at either proof, it's best with a splash of water or an ice cube. The only time I really want the overproof stuff is when making a cocktail because it mixes down nicely but I don't imagine many people are making cocktails with bourbon in that price range.

Four Roses Single Barrel is my favorite bourbon. I completely agree with adding an ice cube, but for cocktails I usually go to Old Grandad Bonded. The OG has a similar high rye flavor and it’s about half the price.

[ronnie_suburban]

Yeah I like it a lot. Definitely get vanilla and it’s nice and smooth. I like to sip it while playing the guitar after work.

I've noticed that in WI, those Four Roses Single Barrels are always 100 proof. In IL they're usually bottled and sold at barrel strength. I'm guessing that for whatever reason, WI has impeded or obstructed the sale of bourbon over 100 proof. Either way, still great juice and for my palate, at either proof, it's best with a splash of water or an ice cube. The only time I really want the overproof stuff is when making a cocktail because it mixes down nicely but I don't imagine many people are making cocktails with bourbon in that price range.

Four Roses Single Barrel is my favorite bourbon. I completely agree with adding an ice cube, but for cocktails I usually go to Old Grandad Bonded. The OG has a similar high rye flavor and it’s about half the price.

Definitely sold on the OGD Bonded. It's a staple around here. it also happens to be many of our local bartenders' shot of choice, so I've had more than my fair share over the years.

For a while there, I was making ultra-dry Old Fashioneds with the Stagg Jr. (now rebranded as Stagg). Unlike the original George T. Stagg, I never really liked it as a sipper but it had some unique flavor notes that went particularly well with rich demerara syrup (2:1), ango and freshly expressed lemon/orange oils. The ~65% ABV resulted in some crazily potent cocktails and the price was right. But artificial scarcity and the secondary market killed that. I'm pretty sure it's well over $100/bottle these days. I remember buying it retail for around $50/bottle for a few years after it came out. That was a solid value and a lot of fun.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

I enjoyed this one. Smooth and floral and a nice finish.

[Ut_ron]

I enjoyed this one. Smooth and floral and a nice finish.

It’s a nice sipping rye, too bad I can’t get it her in Utah .

[ChefKnivesToGo]

You need to move.

[XexoX]

You need to move.

Or you could just ship him a bottle or three.

[Ut_ron]

You need to move.

Or you could just ship him a bottle or three.

Love to see that

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Any recommendations on a good bourbon for about $60? I'm all out of booze and want to try something different.

[ronnie_suburban]

Any recommendations on a good bourbon for about $60? I'm all out of booze and want to try something different.

If you're looking for something different, you might want to try some Balcones (out of Texas). It's not my cup of tea (or whiskey) but they are an up-and-comer with a lot of rabid devotees. A lot of what they make is corn whiskey but they do produce a few bourbons. Their Texas Pot Still Bourbon is around $30 and if you can find it, the Texas High Rye Bourbon Limited Release is about $65. If you want to stay local, J. Henry is based in WI. I tried their stuff a few years ago and it didn't blow me away but it is very different than KY-made stuff and local to you.

Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Kentucky Straight Bourbon is really nice and comes in at about $60/bottle. Small Batch 1792 is a fine sipper and a value at $30/bottle. Based on how much I liked their previous releases, the Pinhook Straight High Proof Bourbon (2022 edition) could be worth a try but I haven't tried the 22 yet. The Pinhook Vertical Series Bourbon War 6 year old Bourbon 2021 is great.

If you can find Pure Kentucky Extra Old 10 Year Old Bourbon, $45 is a good price for anything with a 10-year age statement. Ditto for the Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel, which comes in a bit higher but is a great juice. It used to be ~$30/bottle. Now it's closer to $75 but given the market, that's a fair price.

Other than those, you can never really go wrong with Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace or Larceny, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon or just good-old Wild Turkey 101.

[stevem627]

I’m in agreement with Ronnie about his recommendations. Balcones is great and I’d recommend their single malt whiskey highly, but if you can find Ironroot (anything) you will probably be happy with their bourbons.

For the money, Redemption Rye and their regular bourbon are exceptional, and Woodford Reserve barrel select is always a good selection as is Elijah Craig small batch.

Unfortunately, good bourbon is like nice knives in that so many are hard to get. We never see Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, or McKenna 10 year any more.

[polytope]

Evan Williams Single Barrel, if you can find any stock left in WI. It is < $60 and was my go-to, but mid-2022 they stopped distributing outside KY because of demand. Still possible you might find a dusty bottle on a shelf somewhere!

[ronnie_suburban]

I’m in agreement with Ronnie about his recommendations. Balcones is great and I’d recommend their single malt whiskey highly, but if you can find Ironroot (anything) you will probably be happy with their bourbons.

For the money, Redemption Rye and their regular bourbon are exceptional, and Woodford Reserve barrel select is always a good selection as is Elijah Craig small batch.

Unfortunately, good bourbon is like nice knives in that so many are hard to get. We never see Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, or McKenna 10 year any more.

Nice call, Steve. I really enjoy both Elijah and Woodford. Iirc, Redemption Rye is made with 100% rye, so a very distinctive dram. Around here BT, Eagle Rare and McKenna 10 are also hard find. They appear and disappear quickly. Most stores allocate them at 1 bottle per customer. My local shop used to call me when they came in but they have different dance partners now (they know that I sold most of my collection earlier this year).

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Ok, I'm going to print these out and go torture my local liquor store.

[gladius]

Any recommendations on a good bourbon for about $60? I'm all out of booze and want to try something different.

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