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From the "What are you Drinking Right Now?" thread I can tell that you all like to drink. And, from the views expressed in the R&P forum, I bet there are some bourbon lovers.

The first drop of liquor to touch my lips was Wild Turkey 101 and I'd be lying if I told you it was love at first taste (though the conditions were far from optimal). I shortly transitioned to Maker's Mark and that's about where I stayed for years. Now that I am finally no longer a student (college+grad) and have an income, I've been expanding in my tastes. I first tried expanding into Scotch, but honestly, compared to Bourbon, its lacks vitality.

Currently, I've got about 8 bottles open, but I'm always thinking about what I should try next.

What are you're favorites?

I don't like the the political tie in. A discussion about bourbon is supposed to be 'spirit'ed, but not in that way.

Knob Creek is my standard. Tastes like I'm drinking fire candy.

Knob Creek single barrel and Bulleit are very similar. Much less sweet than regular KC, thinner taste, and more bitter(?). I keep both on hand for variety, but I prefer smoother, tastier bourbons. For the money, KC single barrel achieves a taste akin to bourbons of much pricier vintage.

Willet is smooth. Great for sipping, but not as complex or flavorful as some others. Bonus points for a bottle that adds variety to your cabinet.

Booker's is smooth and easy to sip. Its nature is complex similar to a good scotch, but not as light, with the signature heavy-handedness of bourbon. Approach Booker's like cognac to appreciate it.

I have limited experience with Blantons, Prichard's, and a few others in that general price range. I have good memories of them, but I don't drink them regularly.

Woodford Reserve, Makers, and Wild Turkey are okay. I usually think of them in the same breath because they're typically the only three available at most bars. Of the three, I like the taste of Makers best. It's not harsh, not overly complex, and the easiest to sip.

Jim Beam recently came out with......Devil's Cut? Devil's Share? Something like that, and since I'm at work the NCF blocks me from looking it up. But its pretty tasty. I usually drink my whiskey on the rocks and I think its better chilled (as opposed to say something like Johnnie Walker, which is definitely better at room temp).

I'm a Maker's Mark drinker, although I think I like how it mixes with Coke better than drinking it straight (and I will drink Jameson straight).

I tried Knob Creek once (after a couple drinks of Maker's), and wasn't impressed. I will probably try it again at some point. I've been sampling Scotches here and there, and Dewars is pretty good.

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but I did recently run out of Jameson and am running low on Maker's, so I will probably be headed to the liquor store tonight or tomorrow. If I see anything that sounds good, I might just pick up a bottle.

FireGryphon wrote:

A discussion about bourbon is supposed to be 'spirit'ed, but not in that way.

Excellent pun, by the way

kumori wrote:

I first tried expanding into Scotch, but honestly, compared to Bourbon, its lacks vitality.

Spoken like a man who's never tried Laphroaig.

I'm not much of a hard liquor drinker, but I do like a little Bourbon on occasion. Wild Turkey and Makers Mark are the ones I seem to come back to. Regular Jim Beam gives me a raging headache, though Knob Creek (also a Beam product) is OK.

(And politically I'm a bit left-of-center, thereby disproving the theory implied in the first post! )

Definitely Maker's Mark. But the Jim Beam Devil's cut is quite tasty.

bthylafh wrote:

kumori wrote:

I first tried expanding into Scotch, but honestly, compared to Bourbon, its lacks vitality.

Spoken like a man who's never tried Laphroaig.

Laphroaig 18 is where it's at! I'm a Scotch guy. I find that most other varieties of whiskey don't do it for me. Different strokes...

I rotate Knob Creek, Makers Mark, and Gentleman Jack.

Scotch has so much more social cache, but I just can't get into it the same way. Maybe its the southern boy in me

Wild Turkey 101 is my go-to bourbon, but I've had everything else by Austin Nichols and like their other offerings just fine. The nicer ones (Rare Breed and Russell's Reserve) are barely any different to my taste so I don't think they're worth the premium, and I've been drinking 101 for so long that 80 tastes watery.

I've tried and liked Eagle Rare (better than Wild Turkey but not much different), Buffalo Trace (fine but not interesting), and Woodford (good but perhaps not worth the price).

I've tried and not cared for Maker's Mark (two thumbs meh), Four Roses (tastes like rubbing alcohol with no redeeming features), Jim Beam (cheap and unpleasant), and Old Crow (cheaper and unpleasanter). I'd like to try some of the nicer bourbons we get up here (Basil Haden's, Booker's, Blanton's), but they're out of my budget at the moment.

I typically stay with Rye Whiskey, but I just bought a bottle of New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon http://newhollandbrew.com/our-spirits/beer-barrel-bourbon/, mainly because I like the Dragon's Milk Beer originally made in the Barrel. It's pretty good.

Or, for those who are a little trepidatious about full blown whiskey, how about beer aged in burbon barrels?

Old Kentucky bastard is one of the finest stouts I've ever had the pleasure to meet. An Imperiale Russian style stout aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. At 10% abv, not for the faint of heart (er, liver). But it really is fantastic stuff. An occasional release from a micro brewery down the road...

Bourbon has been my drink of choice for the last couple of years and I've tried quite a few. I don't think I have a particularly good palate, I just know what I like.

My favorites are Maker's 46 and Angel's Envy, which are a little pricy, but not too bad. I also like regular Maker's, Woodford Reserve, and 1792 Ridgemont Reserve. Lately I've been drinking W. L. Weller Special Reserve because it tastes just about as good as some of the others I listed, but I can get 1.75L for only $26.

I'd like to try some of the more expensive higher end bourbons just to see what they're like, but due to some financial obligations I need to stick with the cheaper stuff for now.

Yes, Dragon's Milk is fantastic. Goose Island Bourbon County is great too.

Beer and Bourbon really is a terrific combination!

bthylafh wrote:

kumori wrote:

I first tried expanding into Scotch, but honestly, compared to Bourbon, its lacks vitality.

Spoken like a man who's never tried Laphroaig.

If you like a little alcohol with your peat, it's great!

I love Laphroaig, but am currently working my way through a bottle of Ardbeg.

FireGryphon wrote:

bthylafh wrote:

kumori wrote:

I first tried expanding into Scotch, but honestly, compared to Bourbon, its lacks vitality.

Spoken like a man who's never tried Laphroaig.

If you like a little scotch with your peat, it's great!

Don't forget the seaweed!

ericfulmer wrote:

I rotate Knob Creek, Makers Mark, and Gentleman Jack.

Scotch has so much more social cache, but I just can't get into it the same way. Maybe its the southern boy in me

There's always single malt, aged in bourbon barrels. Best of both worlds? I've tried this stuff. Adds quite a bit of complexity.

I like Knob Creek as a cheap (sub $20) staple bourbon. It has good bang for the buck. for a few dollars more i like wild turkey single barrel (or rare bread- i forget which is which). i hate makers mark but that is personal taste.

scotch it harder. You need to stay with single malts of at least ten years. expect to pay $40 to $60 a bottle.

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban (port finish) is dollar for dollar my favorite. it spends the last two years in a port cask so it has nice desert finish.

Macallan is similar to Glenmorangie except finished in a sherry barrel.

Laphroaig, mentioned above, has the most character of any scotch. it is smokey, peaty and has hints of the ocean (i think the still is open to the ocean so there might be a touch of North Atlantic in the bottle). If i was only allowed two bottle of liquor it would be Glenmorangie and Laphroaig.

Talisker is a slightly more refined version of Laphroaig and can be quite good though i prefer Laphroaig.

Many of these scotches come in cask strength which means that the liquor is unfiltered and higher proof. Some of the bottles have a lot of character or you can drink them on the rocks to reduce the bite. Macallan cask strength with the red label used to be on sale for less than $50 a bottle and worth it at that price until i caught my wife serving it to her friends .

If you want scotch stay away from blends like Chevas Regal or Johnnie Walker. they are an american invention and lack the character of single malts. they are not bad and i would drink them if that was all they had a t the bar, they just should be used as example of scotch.

cynan wrote:

ericfulmer wrote:

I rotate Knob Creek, Makers Mark, and Gentleman Jack.

Scotch has so much more social cache, but I just can't get into it the same way. Maybe its the southern boy in me

There's always single malt, aged in bourbon barrels. Best of both worlds? I've tried this stuff. Adds quite a bit of complexity.

Speaking of aging in different barrels, Glenmorangie makes an excellent Nectar D'Or that is aged in sauternes casks. I can't recommend it enough, though its flavors are much more subtle than the description will have you believe.

Right now I have a bottle of Maker's 46 that I am enjoying. It's got a good flavor.

I tend to prefer scotch to bourbon but like them both. On the scotch front, I have a bottle of The Macallan 18 that I got this past summer... Very nice stuff, but pricey.

I don't drink often, so they tend to last a while.

idchafee wrote:

Jim Beam recently came out with......Devil's Cut? Devil's Share? Something like that, and since I'm at work the NCF blocks me from looking it up. But its pretty tasty. I usually drink my whiskey on the rocks and I think its better chilled (as opposed to say something like Johnnie Walker, which is definitely better at room temp).

with all the high end bourbons that everyone is mentioning in this thread i really diddnt want to come in here and say that one
i have been drinking it for a few months and its my favorite now after drinking jack daniels for so long, normally i stay away from anything labelled "jim beam" but devils cut is a good one
it definitely has a taste you either like or dislike though - its been an almost 50/50 split of likes/dislikes between my friends that i have given a taste of it

I'm more of a rye whisky drinker than bourbon (classics like Crown Royal or Wild Turkey Rye or Hochstadter's Rock and Rye). My sister gave me a bottle of Canadian Club Classic 12 for my birthday a couple years ago and it was pretty nice.

But for the topic at hand, my dad likes bourbon, and he had a bottle of Devil's Cut at Christmas and it was pretty good. Usually he's got part of a bottle of Maker's Mark kicking around and it's OK too. And then in the "not quite whisky" category there's always Southern Comfort which is nice with 7-up but I don't really like it on its own.

derFunkenstein wrote:

I'm more of a rye whisky drinker than bourbon (classics like Crown Royal or Wild Turkey Rye or Hochstadter's Rock and Rye). My sister gave me a bottle of Canadian Club Classic 12 for my birthday a couple years ago and it was pretty nice.

Then you needs to find yourself some WhistlePig.

http://www.whistlepigwhiskey.com

Jack Daniels works just fine for me too - but of course its Tennessee Whiskey (or to Bourbon drinking (fools) - swill).

Corn and maple - yum

Captain Ned wrote:

Then you needs to find yourself some WhistlePig.

http://www.whistlepigwhiskey.com

WhistlePig Website wrote:

Are You Of Age To Enjoy A Good Rye?

That has to be the best "are you over the legal age to view this material?" wording I have ever seen

Hm, I just sit down for an after-work-before-dinner sip of Bulleit. Can't really afford Scotchy-scotch anymore, but this would be my choice for Bourbon. Laphroig is the stuff, which is quite testicular, but the Ardbeg 10 is tremendous. Cheap Scotch in the Laphroig style would be Bowmore. Liquid campfire.

Edit: I'll also plug my favourite whisky, Yoichi 15.

I'm really surprised about the number of people who like Devi's Cut. Given the name and the bottle I thought it was just Jim Beam with different marketing. Maybe I'll have to give that one a try.

Captain Ned wrote:

derFunkenstein wrote:

I'm more of a rye whisky drinker than bourbon (classics like Crown Royal or Wild Turkey Rye or Hochstadter's Rock and Rye). My sister gave me a bottle of Canadian Club Classic 12 for my birthday a couple years ago and it was pretty nice.

Then you needs to find yourself some WhistlePig.

http://www.whistlepigwhiskey.com

I have a friend who has a bottle of Whistle Pig that he really likes though I haven't ever gotten a taste. Did you know that WhistlePig is not actually made in Vermont? I think its actually sourced from Canada.

just brew it! wrote:

Yes, Dragon's Milk is fantastic. Goose Island Bourbon County is great too.

Beer and Bourbon really is a terrific combination!

I agree. Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout is similarly great.

ericfulmer wrote:

I rotate Knob Creek, Makers Mark, and Gentleman Jack.

Scotch has so much more social cache, but I just can't get into it the same way. Maybe its the southern boy in me

I think Bourbon is catching up. Maybe it's the southerner in me that prefers the sweetness of bourbon to Scotch.

superjawes wrote:

I'm a Maker's Mark drinker, although I think I like how it mixes with Coke better than drinking it straight (and I will drink Jameson straight).

I tried Knob Creek once (after a couple drinks of Maker's), and wasn't impressed. I will probably try it again at some point. I've been sampling Scotches here and there, and Dewars is pretty good.

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but I did recently run out of Jameson and am running low on Maker's, so I will probably be headed to the liquor store tonight or tomorrow. If I see anything that sounds good, I might just pick up a bottle.

Have you tried Weller? I think its distribution is kind of limited, but I have a bottle of it open right now that is very good.

bthylafh wrote:

kumori wrote:

I first tried expanding into Scotch, but honestly, compared to Bourbon, its lacks vitality.

Spoken like a man who's never tried Laphroaig.

I have tried Laphroaig and have a bottle of Lagavulin and Ardberg in my cabinet right now, but I'm never in the mood to actually drink them. I have tried cask strength of Laphroaig and Ardberg and they are better, but I really think its the whole used barrel thing (and lack of corn) that makes me not really like scotch.

drsauced wrote:

Hm, I just sit down for an after-work-before-dinner sip of Bulleit. Can't really afford Scotchy-scotch anymore, but this would be my choice for Bourbon. Laphroig is the stuff, which is quite testicular, but the Ardbeg 10 is tremendous. Cheap Scotch in the Laphroig style would be Bowmore. Liquid campfire.

Edit: I'll also plug my favourite whisky, Yoichi 15.

I live in Japan, so I often see this on shelves, but I've never taken the plunge. I've read that the Yoichi 20 is supposed to be very good but its also around $150 so I've not sampled it.

Only bourbon I've tried was when my neighbor brought over a bottle of what I think was Blanton's.. I can't remember, but the bottle hand a pewter horse on the cap/cork and apparently each one is unique..

I love Scotches.. Johnnie and Chivas are really only good for mixing for people who don't know better.. Two favorites are Smokehead (a very smooth Islay Scotch) and Old Malt Cask. For a normal day to day drink I'm working through bottles of Talisker and Macallan... I'm probably going to pick up a Laphroig next.. Costco usually has some good Scotch in the $30-$50 bottle range

My favorite bourbon is Elijah Craig. The spousal unit is partial to Buffalo Trace, which I don't mind. Four Roses isn't bad, either.

But Maker's Mark is near the bottom of my list - it has a very flat palate, and while not excessively harsh, is not particularly smooth. But, as with everything (especially alcohol), it's a matter of taste.