Favorite Boubon or U.S. Whiskey?

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Takes all kinds.

Rye's a different monster, but a subtle one. Good ones are based on a weird balance of "spicy" and "smooth." Only whiskey I have had to date that seems to mesh a yin/yang approach to such success.

Everyone else that wants something of that nature but omits the subtlety can go drink "Fireball." :lol: :grossout:

8)
 
George Stagg for special events. Old Fitzgerald for a daily--it's cheap and excellent.
 
Well took the list from here and /r/bourbon and went to my ABC store in a nutshell, ended up doing my go-to with Bulleit Rye. Didn't feel like dropping an extra 30-40 on Blanton's or Bookers. They didn't have Four Roses Single Barrel. Most others are not sold in NC. Maybe when I head up to Maryland the end of the month I can find some gems.
 
1. Bulleit
2. Four roses
3. Buffalo Trace

Im not a huge rye fan but find the amount of rye in Bullet adds just the right change of pace. I will need to try Bulleit rye bourbon soon
 
I’m a bourbon well experienced connoisseur of Kentucky straight. I have a collection of about 25 different bourbons and buy a new .750 every 10 days or so.
I can tell you that drinking bourbon is very subjective, you may hate what I like and visa versa!
Good bourbon should be done neat….or in a Manhattan or an old fashioned. If you are mixing it with coke or club soda, don’t waste your money, drink Old Grand Dad or Evan Williams Black (best of cheap stuff).

First you don’t have to spend a lot of money for some damn fine bourbon.
My favorites by price.
Under $20 here in Fla:

Evan Williams White label, 100 proof bottled-in-bond. Hard to find! My favorite under $20. Better than a lot of $40-$50 bourbons. I just bought a case!

Old Grand Dad, 100 proof bottled-in-bond. A little spicier, maybe more rye….damn good!

Ancient Age 10 year old (not the 10 star). I heard a rumor that it is being discontinued… buy it if you can find it!

Evan Williams 1793

$20-$30 range:

Evan Williams Single barrel vintage. If you can find one from 2000, grab it!

Russell’s Reserve 10 year old.

Old Grand Dad 114. (114 proof and spicy) Great for making powerful manhattans!

Buffalo Trace…very popular now.

Elijah Criag 12 year old. $29.99 here in Fla…worth every penny.

Over $30

Too many to list but the Eagle Rare and the J.T. Stagg are my go to’s.

What I think is over rated: Makers Mark (good for old fashioned), but I think it has changed over the past 10 years. Most beam products except for Bookers, but it is hot (126 proof).
 
I'm a Blanton's fan but just about any thing out of the Buffalo Trace distillery works for me. They have an excellent tour if any one gets near Lexington, KY. It's been a while but on our last visit they had killer deals on 20 year old Pappy Van Winkle .
                                                                                                                                                               
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I'm more of a Scotch drinker these days but a bourbon Manhattan is still my favorite cocktail. I'm an old Wild Turkey 101 man. If your looking for a good inexpensive bourbon than I suggest Fighting Cock 103 proof 6yr.old. Here in Jersey I get it for about $18. It's pretty tasty stuff and I usually drink it with a cube or two to tone it down a little. As for Ryes, Rittenhouse 100 is tasty and a great bargain to boot.
 
The Russel's Reserve is a solid option, and one I favor greatly.  There is also the Russel's Reserve Rye that's available now, too...but I have yet to try it.[/quote]

Surprisingly, the higher echelon Wild Turkey product are all very good (not a fan of the standard 101 at all). The Kentucky Spirit and American Spirit are stellar (101 proofed as well). As was mentioned previously, Jefferson's and Jefferson's RSV are very good; they also offer a 25yr Presidential Select. Anything from Woodford is worth getting, especially their Masters series.

For a more moderately priced bottle, Bulleit 10yr is quite smooth...much more so than the standard Bulleit, though only worth it if you partake neat or with a cube of ice to open it up.

On a different note, has anyone tried Parkers Heritage? I'm interested to hear opinions before I pick up a bottle....of course I suppose I could be the guinea pig.
 
The bourbons I enjoy most often (great taste and not obscenely priced) are Woodford Reserve and Knob Creek.  I am also a big fan of Templeton Rye.

My signature old fashioned took me many months to perfect  ;)  :

In rocks glass put a splash of water, 2 sugar cubes, 3 dashes Angostura bitters and one orange zest, muddle. Add one maraschino cherry, crush the cherry but don't muddle it (you don't want little cherry bits floating around in your drink).  Add 2 jiggers of Woodford Reserve and a handful of ice.  Stir for AT LEAST a minute.  Enjoy!
 
I'm more of a scotch drinker, but I love a good bourbon as well.

My bourbon collection is small at the moment, but my current favorite may have to be Blanton's, and my favorite rye is Whistle Pig.

A cool one to check out is Hudson Whiskey, a small distillery in New York. I have a small bottle of their four grain bourbon (http://hudsonwhiskey.com/whiskeys/four-grain-bourbon/) and it's pretty good, although the rye really comes through pronounced.
 
20-30 years ago I'd said anything that comes in half gallon bottles.
 
Last time I made it home, I enjoyed a couple 750's of Four Roses OESQ "Wheater."
 
Makers mark is my after work go to. On special occasians it is Bullit and on extra special ones Bookers.
 
Woodies reserve for me... not a huge whiskey guy, but once in a while it hits the spot.
 
Maker's 46 ain't too bad; I rather like it, even after an initial disappointment with it. I had been sipping (I only drink whiskey neat) Kentucky Spirit, and the 46 seemed to lack top-end nuances like flowers, vanilla, caramel, etc. But they're there--just kind of mellowed or muted, if that's your thing. 94-proof. Would like to try several of the others mentioned above, but several are hard to get. Buffalo Trace, for instance, is allocated around here I'm told, and I have yet to see it on a shelf. Perhaps that's because I'm an infrequent visitor to liquor stores, being mostly a beer drinker. Spirit remains my favorite bourbon, and I usually take a small flask on hikes or to people gatherings and other boring venues.
 
Glad to see this old thread resurrected.  
For about a year, I’ve been drinking almost nothing but Bourbon.
Naturally, I dove in with both feet, just like pipes and cigars.

Most of what I remember of my Bourbon Journey so far:
Angel's Envy
Basil Hayden's
Buffalo Trace
Bulleit
Cooper’s Craft
E H Taylor
Eagle Rare
Elijah Craig
Four Roses Single Barrel
Jefferson's Reserve
Jim Beam Single Barrel
John E. Fitzgerald Larceny
Kirkland - (Welcome to CostCo)   ;)
Knob Creek Small Batch
Maker’s Mark 46
Noah's Mill Small Batch
Rowan's Creek
Stagg Jr.
Wathen’s Single Barrel
Wild Turkey 101
Willet Pot
Woodford Reserve

Can’t say there’s a one of em I didn’t like.
What I buy regularly are Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig and Bulleit.
Angel’s Envy is just Heavenly, buy pricey.   :twisted:

Still lookin’ for Booker's, Weller and Blanton's when I shop.
 
I am a fan of the Buffalo Trace products especially Ancient Ancient Age, Buffalo Trace, and Eagle Rare.
 
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