If there is a bourbon for every situation, what is the bourbon while reading a list about other bourbon’s? Remember, there can be more than one choice.
I grew up on Makers, and I haven’t had that specific bottle, but none of the bottles of Makers I’ve had have ever been worthy of a top 10 list. I’m super intrigued by the Russels though. Their 10 year has become my standard sipper at home when Eagle Rare isn’t available.
Russell's 10 year is definitely a great go to. Readily available around here for under $30. I have a couple Eagle Rares that I sip on, frankly I think I like Russell's better.
Yeah, most of the Maker's don't do much for me, although the Maker's 101 I find to be by far the best of the regular bunch.
The Jack Daniels Bonded is solid, but its sister release (Jack Daniels Triple Mash) might be my favorite bottle on my shelf right now. It has this raspberry note that I can't get enough of, and it's a great value. I got it for $38, if I remember right.
I would love to have an educated opinion on the Four Roses limited or the Russell's Reserve Single Rickhouse, but I don't expect I'll run into one of those anytime soon. Maybe Ramzy can share a taste so we know he's not lying...
I used to be able to find a couple bottles of Four Roses Small Batch Limited each year for 7-8 years and it's always been one of my favorites.
For all the attention Pappy and some other Bourbons get, the 4R Limited was really the one I wanted to get my hands on each year. Some years it's spectacular and some years just merely great, but if you see it in a bar for a decent price it's definitely worth it. I still have a few of them from different years squirreled away but it got too difficult to track them down the past few years at a decent price.
You can’t find any of these in Ohio because of our ass backward OHLQ system rigged by Jim Canepa. Only old retired guys can go stand in line at 10am on a Tuesday at Kroger to get anything released that day.
Curious as to why you think it’s rigged? Not disagreeing but I’ve heard a lot of people say this and I’ve never really researched much about it. I enter most of the lotteries but it’s a waste of time. I also refuse to wait in line for hours for a bottle of bourbon. I used to travel a lot (still travel a decent amount) and would bring one of the bubble wraps for bottles. Had a pretty good collection. Found decent amount of blantons, midnight winters dram, michters 10, Stagg Jr, rock hill etc almost all out of state. It’s too much of a pain in the ass here. Would rather have double oak than deal with the shit here.
The state has a monopoly on liquor distribution run through OHLQ to fund JobsOhio, the economic development “nonprofit” of Ohio. On one hand it’s great that the prices are set and they hold lotteries to make it so called fair to get the really rare stuff.
But in reality the allocations are always messed up and OHLQ is never correct. A part of that is because the retailers don’t put product out to save it for their buddies or whatever else. The releases are always through the weekday and the so called taters line up to buy and resell.
An Ohio ID should be scanned for anything remotely allocated with a limit placed on how often someone can purchase the product. The state heavily regulated all the way until the very end and then just lets the same people gobble up good stuff.
You will also never win the high end stuff through the lotteries because it’s already claimed. Certain friends get those. JobsOhio is not subject to any public records laws so forget about that.
All of the things that Caebo says for why liquor industry is "rigged" in Ohio.
Like you, I travel fairly often. When out of state, I scan store shelves for research on varied choices and prices of select items, such as liquor. It is really one of the more interesting aspects of travel, learning about consumer choices in other markets. As with many regulated industries such as liquor, I frequently find broader variety available and that prices are almost always lower in other states. Overseas is another story. In Asian and middle eastern countries, I've seen fairly common bourbons priced more than 10X what you would pay here.
Time and change will surely show how firm thy friendship, O HI O.
I currently have Batch 32, the Takumi and a few Jeff Ocean voyages, though not the one on this list. You should be able to order and ship those to your house (I don’t know what Ohio’s rules for that are).
Most of the rest are ghost bourbons, but you can still find plenty of alternatives from some of those distilleries. Barrell does everything so well and it’s easy to get something from them for a reasonable price - I don’t even know how many of those are in my bar right now. Old Fo is all value until you get to Birthday and the 117s. The 1920 is excellent and I’ve seen at the Kroger by CMH. Makers, Bookers, Russell, 4R all make accessible juice, it’s just that this list is largely inaccessible shelf-themed.
The only brand listed that doesn’t make a sub-premium juice of any kind is Kentucky Owl. Those all generally start at north of $100.
There are some other requirements, but the only geographic requirement is that it must be made in the US to be called a bourbon and sold in the US.
In addition to a few other requirements, the primary distinction between bourbon and other whiskey is that bourbon must have 51% or more corn in the mashbill. Anything less and it's legallly "just" whiskey.
Location of distilling is not a requirement to be considered Bourbon. Only amount of corn, proof going in and coming out, new, charred white oak barrel, etc are required to be called Bourbon.
I used to be heavy into bourbon and I had several hundred bottles. Then it became silly, and 30 dollar bottles of pretty good stuff became 300 dollar bottles of pretty good stuff. We now live in a world where Rare Breed is allocated, it's insane. I think in a blind tasting, Elmer T Lee may lose head to head against what used to be a similarly priced bourbon, Woodford. I would almost guarantee, with the exception of maybe Michter's, Woodford Double Oaked would win almost every time against whatever toasted barrel or double oaked finish on the market people are charging significantly more for. So I shifted to Cognac and Armagnac where the same 300 dollars buys you something truly special and unique.
I do still buy some bourbon. I live close to and love New Riff. I have every whiskey club release and special release they have done and I absolutely love their single barrel picks of both bourbon and Rye in the gift shop. Their Aquafer Bar serves up flights of their gift shop single barrels for 9 bucks. Bring a friend and for 18 dollars you can share tastings of 6 great whiskeys!
I'm also excited that a few distilleries who have been laying down whiskey for the last 7 years are about to flood the market with a lot of really high quality, new stuff that will finally be new labels of 7 year juice that aren't from MGP. There are only so many brands that can claim to be different, but keep putting the same 3 or 4 whiskies into a bottle. Bardstown and Wilderness Trail are about to have a lot of VERY high quality whiskey hit the market.
Amen to cognac and armagnac. I'm in the same boat - I used to have a ton of bourbon but got tired of allocations and waiting in massive lines to pick up anything of note. I still have some Old Rips, BTACs, etc. that I'll pull out sometimes but generally all of my hard alcohol budget has shifted to cognac.
If you were to recommend one bottle of bourbon to a newbie that is currently sitting on the shelf at a Columbus area Giant Eagle or Kroger, what would that be?
Newbie guidance here. It’s about finding what your palate prefers inexpensively and then having a blueprint for what you like so you’re not just buying stuff blindly.
Still love your recommendation a year or so back on Heaven Hill Quality House as the kind of everyday, sippin' on the couch bourbon. Smooth and gets the job done at an amazing price point. $18 for a handle here in Kentucky.
Ramzy has solid advice right here. Not a fan of Basil Haden but when a girl asks about what bourbon she should start at i always reccomend Basil the taste and low proof will get you started. Before you know it you are asking for those BiB's
One newbie tip, start with just a small splash and put your nose in the glass. You should be able to smell what you'll be tasting. Then drink it, letting it coat your tongue with your mouth open just a hint (this aerates the whiskey and opens more flavor compounds- bonus points if you suck in air). This will give you the flavor, which at this point, you might not appreciate because the alcohol smacked you in the face. Now, throw a few ice cubes in a glass and pour a healthier splash and re-taste. The flavor is muted due to the cold, but so is the alcohol face-smack. As a beginner, what you want to do is start removing ice until you get to a good balance for you, with the thought of eventually getting your pallette to drinking neat, or with just a splash of water.
I get myself a decent bottle of bourbon for Christmas every year. Last year it was the OF 1920 Prohibition, and I loved it! This year I have my eye on the McKenna 10-year-old Single Barrel. Any reviews? Recommendations in that ballpark?
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If there is a bourbon for every situation, what is the bourbon while reading a list about other bourbon’s? Remember, there can be more than one choice.
I grew up on Makers, and I haven’t had that specific bottle, but none of the bottles of Makers I’ve had have ever been worthy of a top 10 list. I’m super intrigued by the Russels though. Their 10 year has become my standard sipper at home when Eagle Rare isn’t available.
Russell's 10 year is definitely a great go to. Readily available around here for under $30. I have a couple Eagle Rares that I sip on, frankly I think I like Russell's better.
Yeah, most of the Maker's don't do much for me, although the Maker's 101 I find to be by far the best of the regular bunch.
The Jack Daniels Bonded is solid, but its sister release (Jack Daniels Triple Mash) might be my favorite bottle on my shelf right now. It has this raspberry note that I can't get enough of, and it's a great value. I got it for $38, if I remember right.
I would love to have an educated opinion on the Four Roses limited or the Russell's Reserve Single Rickhouse, but I don't expect I'll run into one of those anytime soon. Maybe Ramzy can share a taste so we know he's not lying...
I used to be able to find a couple bottles of Four Roses Small Batch Limited each year for 7-8 years and it's always been one of my favorites.
For all the attention Pappy and some other Bourbons get, the 4R Limited was really the one I wanted to get my hands on each year. Some years it's spectacular and some years just merely great, but if you see it in a bar for a decent price it's definitely worth it. I still have a few of them from different years squirreled away but it got too difficult to track them down the past few years at a decent price.
4 Roses is an excellent choice, recommended by many. Do you have some a little more unknown out there?
Ua Mau ke Ea o ka 'Aina I ka Pono. The life of the land is preserved in righteousness. (Hawai'i state motto) Aloha nui kakou.
4 Roses single barrels are always a good choice. I prefer them over the small batch blends FWIW.
You can’t find any of these in Ohio because of our ass backward OHLQ system rigged by Jim Canepa. Only old retired guys can go stand in line at 10am on a Tuesday at Kroger to get anything released that day.
Curious as to why you think it’s rigged? Not disagreeing but I’ve heard a lot of people say this and I’ve never really researched much about it. I enter most of the lotteries but it’s a waste of time. I also refuse to wait in line for hours for a bottle of bourbon. I used to travel a lot (still travel a decent amount) and would bring one of the bubble wraps for bottles. Had a pretty good collection. Found decent amount of blantons, midnight winters dram, michters 10, Stagg Jr, rock hill etc almost all out of state. It’s too much of a pain in the ass here. Would rather have double oak than deal with the shit here.
The state has a monopoly on liquor distribution run through OHLQ to fund JobsOhio, the economic development “nonprofit” of Ohio. On one hand it’s great that the prices are set and they hold lotteries to make it so called fair to get the really rare stuff.
But in reality the allocations are always messed up and OHLQ is never correct. A part of that is because the retailers don’t put product out to save it for their buddies or whatever else. The releases are always through the weekday and the so called taters line up to buy and resell.
An Ohio ID should be scanned for anything remotely allocated with a limit placed on how often someone can purchase the product. The state heavily regulated all the way until the very end and then just lets the same people gobble up good stuff.
You will also never win the high end stuff through the lotteries because it’s already claimed. Certain friends get those. JobsOhio is not subject to any public records laws so forget about that.
All of the things that Caebo says for why liquor industry is "rigged" in Ohio.
Like you, I travel fairly often. When out of state, I scan store shelves for research on varied choices and prices of select items, such as liquor. It is really one of the more interesting aspects of travel, learning about consumer choices in other markets. As with many regulated industries such as liquor, I frequently find broader variety available and that prices are almost always lower in other states. Overseas is another story. In Asian and middle eastern countries, I've seen fairly common bourbons priced more than 10X what you would pay here.
Time and change will surely show how firm thy friendship, O HI O.
I currently have Batch 32, the Takumi and a few Jeff Ocean voyages, though not the one on this list. You should be able to order and ship those to your house (I don’t know what Ohio’s rules for that are).
Most of the rest are ghost bourbons, but you can still find plenty of alternatives from some of those distilleries. Barrell does everything so well and it’s easy to get something from them for a reasonable price - I don’t even know how many of those are in my bar right now. Old Fo is all value until you get to Birthday and the 117s. The 1920 is excellent and I’ve seen at the Kroger by CMH. Makers, Bookers, Russell, 4R all make accessible juice, it’s just that this list is largely inaccessible shelf-themed.
The only brand listed that doesn’t make a sub-premium juice of any kind is Kentucky Owl. Those all generally start at north of $100.
Mahalo, Ramzy! Great input from a source some of us highly regard.
Ua Mau ke Ea o ka 'Aina I ka Pono. The life of the land is preserved in righteousness. (Hawai'i state motto) Aloha nui kakou.
I thought bourbon was made one place and one place only - Kentucky. Is that not true?
There are some other requirements, but the only geographic requirement is that it must be made in the US to be called a bourbon and sold in the US.
In addition to a few other requirements, the primary distinction between bourbon and other whiskey is that bourbon must have 51% or more corn in the mashbill. Anything less and it's legallly "just" whiskey.
This is fairly accurate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey
Not true.
Location of distilling is not a requirement to be considered Bourbon. Only amount of corn, proof going in and coming out, new, charred white oak barrel, etc are required to be called Bourbon.
Whistle Pig 10 year is a great pour. My favorite pour at the moment.
Have some similar ones. Chicken Cock is another good one.
admittedly only consume dr pepper, but some of these names are ineffable. zounds.
(wonders what the weirdest named sauce might be ...)
I used to be heavy into bourbon and I had several hundred bottles. Then it became silly, and 30 dollar bottles of pretty good stuff became 300 dollar bottles of pretty good stuff. We now live in a world where Rare Breed is allocated, it's insane. I think in a blind tasting, Elmer T Lee may lose head to head against what used to be a similarly priced bourbon, Woodford. I would almost guarantee, with the exception of maybe Michter's, Woodford Double Oaked would win almost every time against whatever toasted barrel or double oaked finish on the market people are charging significantly more for. So I shifted to Cognac and Armagnac where the same 300 dollars buys you something truly special and unique.
I do still buy some bourbon. I live close to and love New Riff. I have every whiskey club release and special release they have done and I absolutely love their single barrel picks of both bourbon and Rye in the gift shop. Their Aquafer Bar serves up flights of their gift shop single barrels for 9 bucks. Bring a friend and for 18 dollars you can share tastings of 6 great whiskeys!
I'm also excited that a few distilleries who have been laying down whiskey for the last 7 years are about to flood the market with a lot of really high quality, new stuff that will finally be new labels of 7 year juice that aren't from MGP. There are only so many brands that can claim to be different, but keep putting the same 3 or 4 whiskies into a bottle. Bardstown and Wilderness Trail are about to have a lot of VERY high quality whiskey hit the market.
Amen to cognac and armagnac. I'm in the same boat - I used to have a ton of bourbon but got tired of allocations and waiting in massive lines to pick up anything of note. I still have some Old Rips, BTACs, etc. that I'll pull out sometimes but generally all of my hard alcohol budget has shifted to cognac.
Whenever you're feeling good and hungry...
Which one mixes hte best with coke?
The offseason is the longest season.
The answer is none
This is the only correct answer to this question......
BLUR RUN Kentucky Bourbon !! Try it
Ohio State Football isnt a matter of life or death,its much more serious than that.
If you were to recommend one bottle of bourbon to a newbie that is currently sitting on the shelf at a Columbus area Giant Eagle or Kroger, what would that be?
Newbie guidance here. It’s about finding what your palate prefers inexpensively and then having a blueprint for what you like so you’re not just buying stuff blindly.
Still love your recommendation a year or so back on Heaven Hill Quality House as the kind of everyday, sippin' on the couch bourbon. Smooth and gets the job done at an amazing price point. $18 for a handle here in Kentucky.
I want a fall Saturday in Ohio Stadium..
Ramzy has solid advice right here. Not a fan of Basil Haden but when a girl asks about what bourbon she should start at i always reccomend Basil the taste and low proof will get you started. Before you know it you are asking for those BiB's
One newbie tip, start with just a small splash and put your nose in the glass. You should be able to smell what you'll be tasting. Then drink it, letting it coat your tongue with your mouth open just a hint (this aerates the whiskey and opens more flavor compounds- bonus points if you suck in air). This will give you the flavor, which at this point, you might not appreciate because the alcohol smacked you in the face. Now, throw a few ice cubes in a glass and pour a healthier splash and re-taste. The flavor is muted due to the cold, but so is the alcohol face-smack. As a beginner, what you want to do is start removing ice until you get to a good balance for you, with the thought of eventually getting your pallette to drinking neat, or with just a splash of water.
Basil Hayden has been a favorite since I became a Bourbon fan. Still is.
I get myself a decent bottle of bourbon for Christmas every year. Last year it was the OF 1920 Prohibition, and I loved it! This year I have my eye on the McKenna 10-year-old Single Barrel. Any reviews? Recommendations in that ballpark?
The Mckenna is a solid choice if you can find it. It won whiskey of the year at San Francisco several years ago. Its a hard find ever since.
Yeah which made me very sad that it went from constantly on the shelf for $30 to impossible to find and now $69. Nice. All because it won an award.