Ten best bourbons: Top bottles of the all-American whiskey
- Thread starter buffdaddy
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Interesting stuff!
In another thread I indicated that I'm getting into whiskeys and was looking for suggestions.
I started with rye and I'm quite liking it. How would you bourbon experts say bourbon differs from rye? I've found rye to have sweet, caramel like undertones, sometimes vanilla and peat like flavours, too. I like.
Same/similar for bourbon?
In another thread I indicated that I'm getting into whiskeys and was looking for suggestions.
I started with rye and I'm quite liking it. How would you bourbon experts say bourbon differs from rye? I've found rye to have sweet, caramel like undertones, sometimes vanilla and peat like flavours, too. I like.
Same/similar for bourbon?
Bourbon tends to be sweeter with vanilla and baking spices. Rye tends to be spicier and earthier. It really depends on the rye and bourbon though. Bourbon must have a mash bill of 51% corn while rye must have a mash bill of 51% rye. So a rye could be 55% rye and taste similar to bourbon, or it could be 100% rye and be completely different.
Ok, was just asking because I find that Jack Daniels (probably a very poor example of a bourbon since nobody here has mentioned it!) tastes God awful to me, whereas I find ryes to be quite tasty.
So, hopefully you're saying that other bourbons won't disappoint me like JD has?
So, hopefully you're saying that other bourbons won't disappoint me like JD has?
If I were you, I would start with one of these.
Bourbon:
Elmer T Lee (maybe hard to find)-$30
Four Roses Single Barrel - $35
Old Grand Dad (either 100 or 114 proof) - $20
Weller 12 - $20
Very Old Barton - $20
The Weller 12 is a wheated bourbon and would provide a nice contrast to some of the high rye bourbons. As far as rye goes, pick up Rittenhouse 100 proof for $20. It is really great stuff.
Bourbon:
Elmer T Lee (maybe hard to find)-$30
Four Roses Single Barrel - $35
Old Grand Dad (either 100 or 114 proof) - $20
Weller 12 - $20
Very Old Barton - $20
The Weller 12 is a wheated bourbon and would provide a nice contrast to some of the high rye bourbons. As far as rye goes, pick up Rittenhouse 100 proof for $20. It is really great stuff.
My understanding is that Jack Daniels is a sour mash whiskey, not a true bourbon.
I love bourbon, my drink of choice when not drinking beer. I typically drink Basil Haydens but I also love stone fruit and have never heard of Peach Street Colorado Straight Bourbon,I am now on the hunt.
I believe the charcoal filtering is a no no for true bourbon, anyone know for sure?
That's the difference, but so far as I know, it doesn't prevent it from being legally labeled as bourbon. Truly, only Jack Daniels prevents itself from putting "bourbon" on its whiskey. It could legally do so, if it chose to.
Well, I can tell you that Jack Daniels label says"sour mash whiskey." Every Bourbon I've seen is labeled as Bourbon.
This is what I've noticed in my last couple of trips to Spec's.
This is what I've noticed in my last couple of trips to Spec's.
This "is it a bourbon or not" issue has been beaten about time and time again on here. Fact is that JD does in fact meet BATFE requirements to be labeled as a bourbon. Its mother company, Brown-Forman chooses to call it "Tennessee Whiskey" which I guess it can do as it is made in Tennessee. But.....Other authoritative sources claim that a whiskey subjected to the Lincoln County process (charcoal filtering) then disallows the spirit to be labelled as bourbon (this courtesy of Evan Williams).
Conversely Early Times, an old school spirit which was once sold as bourbon can no longer call itself such as part of the whiskey's aging procedure incorporates the use of previously used barrels. It is now known as "Kentucky Style Whiskey".
Call it what you may I suppose. Neither Jack Daniel's, Early Times, or Evan Williams are as good as Old Forester, especially their Birthday Bourbon (next release November 2014). I can't hardly wait.
Conversely Early Times, an old school spirit which was once sold as bourbon can no longer call itself such as part of the whiskey's aging procedure incorporates the use of previously used barrels. It is now known as "Kentucky Style Whiskey".
Call it what you may I suppose. Neither Jack Daniel's, Early Times, or Evan Williams are as good as Old Forester, especially their Birthday Bourbon (next release November 2014). I can't hardly wait.
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Almost all bourbon are sour mash whiskies as well, that is just something that JD and some others choose to include on their label.
In the end, that's pretty much it. JD doesn't call it's whiskey a bourbon, and no one else does either, so it's a Tennessee Whiskey. The rest of the debate pretty much becomes irrelevant, really.
I'm not much of a black label Jack fan, in fact, the bottle I have is probably 10 years old or more. The bottle of Gentleman Jack that I bought last year was gone within a couple of weeks, however.
Pretty sure my favorite local store still has a couple of bottles of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon from this year on the shelf. Worth the buy, eh?
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"Pretty sure my favorite local store still has a couple of bottles of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon from this year on the shelf. Worth the buy, eh?"
Given the opportunity to do so, I would snag them both. It is (in my learned opinion) one of the best Bourbons out there. Put it like this:
Given the choice-Old Forester Birthday or Van Winkle 10 or 12 year old??
Van Winkle can go back to sleep and I will be breaking out the birthday candles.......
Given the opportunity to do so, I would snag them both. It is (in my learned opinion) one of the best Bourbons out there. Put it like this:
Given the choice-Old Forester Birthday or Van Winkle 10 or 12 year old??
Van Winkle can go back to sleep and I will be breaking out the birthday candles.......
This one is proud to call itself bourbon, and also states that it is charcoal filtered on the bottle label. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Ezra_101
I'm currently working on a bottle, and for the money, it is a great buy.
Well, as luck would have it, nothing but an empty spot on the shelf where the Old Forester b-day was tonight. FWIW, it's priced at $49.99 here, which is precisely what I paid for a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle at the same store in November.
I ended up with Evan Williams '03 Vintage Single Barrel tonight.
I ended up with Evan Williams '03 Vintage Single Barrel tonight.
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Could be worse...ever try Kentucky Tavern 
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