BOURBON questions & comments

[(909)]

Originally Posted by hooperjetcar

Well then it wouldn't be a family recipe would it?

Fair enough

[TideRoll]

Originally Posted by hooperjetcar

Well then it wouldn't be a family recipe would it?

That sort of reminds me of Conecuh Ridge Alabama Style Bourbon. Conecuh County is south of Montgomery, and the bourbon is based on a guys grandaddy's moonshine recipe. It stopped production shortly after being introduced, but recently shifted to another distillery and is made in Kentucky. The guy behind it apparently wants to eventually move it to Alabama, but I think legal issues may be impeding the move at the moment.

On the subject of moonshine, I don't know who else has had similar experiences, but I have come across working stills on a couple of different occasions, once while hunting and another time while riding dirt bikes. It's probably been close to twenty years since I last ran across one, though I did manage to sip some at a party around ten years ago, brought by none other than the then head of the state ABC board!

[Ivory Tower]

Originally Posted by billybarue

I have heard great things about Buffalo Traceand $18.00 seems like a good price, but I have no basis for that.

Looking through there stuff this would be my to try list:

1) Buffalo trace
2) Eagle Rare
3) Elmer T. Lee
4) Old Charter
5) Weller 12 year
6) Blantons

Good list.

I've read on a bourbon forum that Elmer T. Lee is nearly identical to Blanton's. I have a bottle of ETL that I really enjoyed but have not compared head-to-head with Blanton's, something I'd really like to do. If pressed, I'd say Blanton's is my favorite.

I believe Buffalo Trace is the distiller for Buffalo Trace (of course), Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee, Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare, and several others.

I met Elmer T. Lee a few months ago at a Buffalo Trace tasting. We sampled BT, Eagle Rare 17 YO, Pappy 20 YO, Weller 12 YO, Elmer T Lee Single Barrel and a few others. Mr. Lee is a lively old man. I think he said he was 86 YO. He said he still tastes for BT and picks the barrels for his own single barrel bottlings. So if you pick up one of those or just about anything from BT it is hard to go wrong.

Bourbon, when i do drink hard stuff, is a mainstay. I like corn in the mash what can i say.
Had some Elijah Craig 18yr single barrel this past weekend at the ACC herf and i tell you, i've never had a finer drink than that stuff. Smooth intense vanilla, there is no better way to describe it. I can see a bottle for my 30th b-day in Sept.

[berk-m]

Thanks everyone for all of the posts, I knew there had to be bourbon fans out there, and this would be the best place to find knowledgeable drinkers. I just got the 1st quarter 2007 edition of Malt Advocate and it rates only 6 brands of bourbon, and 26 brands of Scotch. That is the perfect example of the point I was asking about in this thread.

I thought this would be interesting – I’m sure most of you guys know what makes whisky bourbon and not any other type of whiskey –but these steps make whiskey a bourbon by LAW (I’m not joking):

- Must be made in the USA (not just Kentucky)
- Must be at least 51% corn
- Must be aged a minimum of 2 years
- Must be aged in new charred white oak barrels (Scotch is aged in used bourbon barrels)
- Nothing can be added to the bourbon to enhance flavor, sweetness, or color (they can only use water to cut the proof)

If they don’t follow each of these rules then you just have whisky, not bourbon

[berk-m]

Originally Posted by billybarue

Went here to refresh my memory on some Bourbons I know I have wanted to try in the past:

https://www.binnys.com/search/spirit...&otext=bourbon

I have heard great things about Buffalo Traceand $18.00 seems like a good price, but I have no basis for that.

Looking through there stuff this would be my to try list:


1) Buffalo trace
2) Eagle Rare
3) Elmer T. Lee
4) Old Charter
5) Weller 12 year
6) Blantons

That is a good list of stuff to try and every bourbon on that list is made by Buffalo Trace (they were just named Distillery of the Year by Malt Advocate for the 2nd year in a row). Buffalo Trace is good but I think there is a lot better stuff out there for the same price. Of their products Eagle Rare is my favorite. I don’t know what all you have tried but you said Maker’s Mark and Beam on the “low end” – I would not consider Maker’s Mark low end at all, one of the best out there IMO. In the $30 - $50 price range you can try a ton of great stuff – here would by my top 5 recommendations (without Makers) –

1 – Evan Williams Single Barrel (any year is good but 1994 & the 1997 (which just came out) are great – (Someone above mentioned this)
2 – Knob Creek – 100 proof, but it’s rich, sweet and smooth
3 – Basil Hayden’s – at 80 proof it’s mellower and softer, but it has a little spicy flavor because they use more barley
4 – Eagle Rare - 10 year 90 proof, good smooth stuff
5 – 1792 – 93 proof, again just smooth, easy drinking

-If you want to go over budget just a little a MUST TRY is Jefferson’s Reserve it’s 90 proof and aged 12 – 17 years, I have paid anywhere from $55 - $65 for a bottle but worth every penny, smooth as silk I would go on and on describing it but the proof is in the bottle. IMHO this is better than any higher priced bottle, such as Pappy 20-year old, or Hirsh 16 year at twice the price.

- The best recommendation is if you can find the Beam Small Batch Collection Sampler – it has one of each – Bookers, Basil, Baker’s, and Knob in those “airplane” size bottles and is around $20.


Most of those were mentioned in above posts buy I wanted to throw in my 2 cents on a list of stuff to try – tasting all of these bourbons for the first time to see what you like is one great time.

[Demented]

just don't do it!

It's a nasty drunk, you passout on the lady next doors stoop then your wife wakes you up bithching.

[TERPSTER]

All in moderation...

[berk-m]

Moderation???? Wouldn’t a website dedicated to smoking cigars, (talking about cigars, looking at pictures of cigars, breaking down every last detail of not only cigars but food, drink, pipe tobacco, sports, generally the good things in life) A place where most people (including myself) keep a cooler that they have set up with Spanish Cedar, humidity beads, wireless humidity sensors, fans, etc. etc. for storage because they have outgrown their first 3 or 4 100+ count humidors be the last place to talk about moderation? I know I am one of these people, and I enjoy fine spirits and other good things in life.
Don’t take this the wrong way - I’m being SARCASTIC here, but we are just discussing types of bourbon, not knocking down 2 bottles and speeding around town trying to mow down pedestrians.

[novasurf]

Eagle Rare - 10 year 90 proof, good smooth stuff

A great "everyday" bourbon.......LOL. Always in stock here.

[newcigarz]

Bourbon bows to no one. IMHO it doesn't get much better than this

[berk-m]

Nice Pics man, I may have a new background for my desktop

[oddball]

I like JD and Makers Mark as "everyday" bourbons. The Van Winkle line is a favorite also, especially the Pappy's



Yep, I noticed; I need to get some more!

[carni]

Knob Creek and any cigar I like.

To me bourbon has a more agressive flavor, which suits our American full flavored palate with our 50+ ring gauged cigars. Scotch seems to offer more subtle flavors that fit the European palate. I know there are exceptions but I am speaking about on the whole..."Yes preparation H does fill good, on the whole"

Name that movie...

[gvarsity]

I love the Evan Williams Single Barrel like I mentioned earlier.

Cobe Winston gifted me a bottle Elijah Craig 12 year 94 proof. It is a very nice bourbon but because of it's strength I like to cut it with a little water or an ice cube.

I also tried Eagle Rare last night. That is a wonderfully smooth and flavorful bourbon. I think it may have moved past Evan Williams Single Barrel as my prefered bourbon. Although I'll probably just keep a bottle of both on hand to be safe.