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OT: For the bourbon drinkers...

Woodford and Buffalo Trace are my favorites.

I keep a bottle of Fighting Cock also just because I am a Gamecock fan. It has good review for a lower tier Bourbon and is 103 proof. Made by the Heaven Hill line also.
 
Lower Tier - Evan Williams Bottled in Bond is the best deal in bourbon. You can get a handle (1.75) for $25-28. You can sip it or mix it. Wild Turkey 101 is also a good deal. Handle is around $35. Also like Four Roses base level in that price range. Also, pretty much any bonded bourbon (BIB) is good, even the cheap stuff. Early Times BIB is outstanding. I also love Old Grand Dad BIB and though not bonded OGD 114. It's the same base juice they make Basil Hayden's from. Hard to find but very good is Very Old Barton. I've had the 86 and 90 proofs. Prefer the higher proof but both are good. If you just want a tailgate bourbon for super cheap get McKenna (not the 10 year BIB) or Benchmark. That stuff is basically free and mixes a fine bourbon and coke. Also consider Mellow Corn BIB corn whiskey. Google it. Good stuff.
Mid-Tier - Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare when you can find them. Both are allocated now so harder to find but I do on occasion. For stuff you can find, Russell's Reserve, Cooper's Craft 100 proof, Smooth Rambler Old Scout. McKenna 10 went to allocation after it won international whiskey of the year in March 2019 and it was a steal at $28 before that. If you can get it around $40 do it. I'm seeing mostly $59 now. Dude in Florence wanted $99. Nope. Knob Creek is very good and Old Forester 86. Makers Mark is fine as an introduction bourbon but it isn't very complex. It's wheated so it's softer on the palate. I prefer my bourbon challenge me to a fight but have good technical boxing skills. Their 46 and cask strength are better.
Upper - the Angel's Envy line is nice, as is Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve. I don't buy much high end as there are too many reasonably priced bourbons. I've had Pappy 23. It was delicious. So is a lot of stuff I can actually buy and buy at reasonable prices. People recommending Pappy and Weller must live on the yellow brick road because I haven't seen that stuff outside of a glass case in a long time. The hipsters jacked the price up as with McKenna 10. Find something you like and can buy on the reg and stick with it. Don't go chasing waterfalls. The high end Old Foresters are all good. I particularly like the BIB and the Statesman.
Irish Whiskey - Jameson is good but they now have one aged in stout barrels that is more complex but still easy to drink neat.


You have a lot of good knowledge. I have been told that Pappy is the same a Buffalo Trace, just aged longer and in a different part of the same warehouse, is this true? I do like Buffalo Trace.

Score some Blanton's special releases in Beverly Hills last month at a hole in the wall liquor store. I got a British single barrel release and a Japan only release, holding on to these.

Maybe hipsters will start drinking craft vodka soon...
 
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You have a lot of good knowledge. I have been told that Pappy is the same a Buffalo Trace, just aged longer and in a different part of the same warehouse, is this true? I do like Buffalo Trace.

Score some Blanton's special releases in Beverly Hills last month at a hole in the wall liquor store. I got a British single barrel release and a Japan only release, holding on to these.

Maybe hipsters will start drinking craft vodka soon...

My understanding is that Buffalo Trace has four base juices: two are low rye (below 12% in their recipes; 20-35% is considered high rye but still a bourbon if made with 51% corn and the other bourbon requirements are met), one is wheated (rye replaced by wheat), one is at least 51% rye and used to make, well, rye. Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, the Staggs (Stagg and George H. Stagg), Benchmark and the EH Taylors and a few others come from mashbill 1. It's the lowest rye. Mashbill 2 is slightly higher rye and is what is used to make Blanton's and some others. The third is the wheated juice from which Pappy is made. No rye is used. (If you don't know rye well, it adds a spiciness. For a taste of inexpensive starter rye grab some Rittenhouse BIB. If you like it try Knob Creek's rye.) Wheateds benefit greatly from extra ageing thus the Pappy line. I think Makers bottles at low proof so they don't have to age as long and make it acceptable to a larger group of people. They want to be an entry level bourbon. So to answer your question, the mashbill is different for BT and Pappy as BT has no wheat at all and Pappy has no rye at all. What is the same is the Weller line which is also a wheated and shares Pappy's mashbill. If you find it at MSRP buy it.
 
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Anybody know what Blantons is going for these days? Haven’t prices it in a while!
 
BT, ER, Blanton's are all on allocation now and harder to find. Last bottle of Blanton's I saw on a shelf was in October in duty free at the Philly airport. It was $60. Had I not been headed to Spain, I'd have bought it.
 
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OP lots of good info ITT. What you can get your hands on these days (without going to the secondary market) depends on where you live and how tight you are with the owner of your liquor store.

@punydevil mentioned Coopers craft. I like this for making cocktails. But the price of this has jump $10 or so in the last year.

I enjoy and often make classic bourbon cocktails and there are many out there get you some good ingredients and enjoy.

Elijah Craig and Johnny Drum Private stock are good, didn’t see them mentioned, that won’t break the bank.

Most recently I picked up some Basil Hayden’s 10 year. Haven’t cracked into it yet.

Find the documentary “Neat, the story of bourbon.” It is worth an hour and is a good history and you will learn a few things. It’s available on Netflix (I think)


Weller's is the best IMO, other than Pappy's.

Try Elmer Lee. A little bit different flavor, but still top notch.

if you can find any Elmer I’ll gladly take it off your hands. Tough to find in the Rock Hill area.

Anybody know what Blantons is going for these days? Haven’t prices it in a while!

I got a bottle a few months ago I think it was $80 or so.
 
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So, I have recently discovered my love for bourbon, but have not tried many and am looking to expand my small collection. What are y'alls favorites?
My list in order -
Bowman Brothers - a Virginia bourbon - if you can find it, buy 2 and I will pay you double for 1 of them.
Eagle Rare - also hard to find. I'm on the waiting list - seriously.
Woodford Reserve - kinda a go to when I can't find the 2 above
 
My list in order -
Bowman Brothers - a Virginia bourbon - if you can find it, buy 2 and I will pay you double for 1 of them.
Eagle Rare - also hard to find. I'm on the waiting list - seriously.
Woodford Reserve - kinda a go to when I can't find the 2 above
Found a 1.75 of Eagle Rare in Norfolk over Christmas at MSRP. God bless state-run liquor stores.
 
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I prefer the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. Smooth and great flavor. Any of the Wellers are from the barrels aged to be Pappy, but did not quite make the distiller’s cut. They are hard to find. I was lucky enough to find two bottles of Weller Antique 107 over the holidays. They be came a “from me, to me , with love gift.” My everyday drinks is Jack. Not bourbon, but an old friend. No matter where I go, he is always there ahead of me waiting patiently, and does care if I have been out with other drinks. Oh, water is the only permissible mixer.
 
Agree on Jack. Probably underrated as a quality whiskey
Jack is fine. I'll drink it. The problem for me is as long as Evan Williams Bottled in Bond 100 proof is $25 a handle (or when I can find it Very Old Barton 90 proof at $23), there is no justification for me to pay $37 for the same sized bottle of Jack at 80 proof. The EWBIB is a better juice at a higher proof and a lower price.
 
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Apologies if this has already been listed, but Belle Meade is my favorite when I can get it. Unfortunately, the state-run stores up here in N.C. are like going to the DMV to buy alcohol. Zero product knowledge and poor selection compared to what I was used to in S.C.

But Belle Meade is a fantastic bourbon, and the distillery is very much worth a visit if you find yourself in Nashville. Great story behind this brand as well: https://www.bellemeadebourbon.com/history
 
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I just wish I had bought more of Heaven Hills Select Stock aged in Cognac barrels. Nice flavor with some heat. 126 proof with a hint of cherry. That was some good stuff with a semi decent price. The only place you could buy it was at the distillery gift shop in Bardstown.
 
You guys aren't mixing it with Coke are you?
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The bourbon. Rye whiskey is proto-bourbon. It gives you the idea of what the early Appalachian settlers had to use before they learned to successfully grow and ferment corn. Personally, I can't stand rye.
I can’t even eat rye bread
 
The bourbon. Rye whiskey is proto-bourbon. It gives you the idea of what the early Appalachian settlers had to use before they learned to successfully grow and ferment corn. Personally, I can't stand rye.
I was introduced to rye about 2 years ago. Now I enjoy it in both Manhattan's and Old Fashioned's. No doubt it is a completely different experience.
I do understand how some would not like the taste of rye compared to bourbons.
 
Good bourbon can be served with a couple of small ice cubes, a medium sized Ice cube or sphere, or with no ice (some call this neat).
Occasionally a double pour is appropriate.
 
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