Bourbon whiskey needs to have fresh wooden barrels. Barrels never used for anything else. Thats what gives it a unique flavor compared to any other whiskey which was allowed to sit in an already used barrel and gets a different set of flavors.
Is that why most bourbon tastes nasty?
I like evan williams, I like beam, but maker's is just about the only bourbon I don't even like drinking. It's just gross.Maker's Mark or GTFO.
I haven't had blanton's yet, but booker's is still the king of bourbons I've tasted.Woodford Reserve and Makers Mark are both good. My go to is Woodford Reserve. I generally drink it neat or with one or two ice cubes on occasion. I didn't care for Eagle Rare the one time that I had it. I may give it another shot though.
If you really want to treat yourself, try some Blanton's. It's the nectar of the god's when it comes to bourbon! It'll run you about $60 a bottle though. So smooth!
And to those that said Jack Daniels, GTFO! Jack =! bourbon. NEWBS!
I still say mixing anything with good bourbon is a travesty. Even ice.A mint julep is hardly a lazy cocktail; you need to pluck some fresh mint, gently muddle it with sugar, crush a shitload of ice; it even has its own specific glassware. That's a fussy (though delicious) drink.
If you like good bourbon cocktails, this is my new favorite: The Revolver.
2 ounces Buffalo Trace
1/2 ounce coffee liqueur (Kahlua works, although I've heard the original was made with Tia Maria)
2 dashes orange bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a flamed orange twist. It's easier than a mint julep and it's awesome; you'd think it would be too sweet, but that's why the coffee liqueur is used in such a slight amount.
Jack Daniels is bourbon. Everyone knows this.
Most anything labeled 'Tennessee Whiskey,' is, in fact, bourbon.
It is a marketing distinction. Nothing more. Jack Daniels meets all the requirements for being called a bourbon, but they add an extra maple charcoal filtering step (not to be confused with "adding smoke flavoring") prior to aging - called "The Lincoln County Process". There is nothing in the Federal Register preventing any Bourbon distiller from adding a filter process between distillation and aging and still calling their product bourbon. The other requirements for allowing a brand to be called "Tennessee Whiskey" are virtually identical to those for Bourbon. So it could be said that (technically) all Tennessee Whiskey is Bourbon, but not the other way around. Just as all Bourbon is Whiskey, but not all Whiskey is Bourbon.
With that said, Jack Daniels is fully within their rights to distinguish themselves from non-maple-filtered bourbon through their branding. There is neither anything illegal nor unethical about it.
Ultimately, I choose to think of it as a "you're both right" situation. And I'll gladly toast with anyone who enjoys a good American Whiskey, regardless of their preferred brand or feelings on the subject
Jack Daniels is bourbon. Everyone knows this.
Most anything labeled 'Tennessee Whiskey,' is, in fact, bourbon.
I tend to agree.
Found this on another forum discussing Tennessee Whiskey versus Bourbon :
It is a marketing distinction. Nothing more. Jack Daniels meets all the requirements for being called a bourbon, but they add an extra maple charcoal filtering step (not to be confused with "adding smoke flavoring") prior to aging - called "The Lincoln County Process". There is nothing in the Federal Register preventing any Bourbon distiller from adding a filter process between distillation and aging and still calling their product bourbon. The other requirements for allowing a brand to be called "Tennessee Whiskey" are virtually identical to those for Bourbon. So it could be said that (technically) all Tennessee Whiskey is Bourbon, but not the other way around. Just as all Bourbon is Whiskey, but not all Whiskey is Bourbon.
With that said, Jack Daniels is fully within their rights to distinguish themselves from non-maple-filtered bourbon through their branding. There is neither anything illegal nor unethical about it.
Ultimately, I choose to think of it as a "you're both right" situation. And I'll gladly toast with anyone who enjoys a good American Whiskey, regardless of their preferred brand or feelings on the subject
Fern
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.
I still say mixing anything with good bourbon is a travesty. Even ice.
I still say mixing anything with good bourbon is a travesty. Even ice.
Rebel Yell (not sold north of the Mason Dixon line)
I am a longtime bourbon drinker. I enjoy many different varieties, but my go-to nowadays is Knob Creek Single Barrel.
7 or 8 years ago, I had read that A.H. Hirsch Reserve was the finest bourbon in the world, and that the distillery had closed and so the supply was dwindling. Based on this, I bought my dad a bottle as a gift for about $80. He didn't actually open it for years - he wanted me to be there, then on various occasions when I visited him we never pulled it out. During that interval, I started seeing Hirsch-branded bourbon for sale again, and concluded that I must have either misunderstood or been misled about its rarity.
We pulled the bottle out a couple of years ago and tried it - I found it just stellar, with a really remarkably complex and rich flavor. I looked it up online and found that I had been right the first time - the distillery is long since closed and someone else us using the Hirsch name to sell an inferior bourbon.
The Hirsch I bought my dad now sells for $1,300/bottle if you can find it. A guy has actually written a book about it, The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste - http://www.amazon.com/Best-Bourbon-Y.../dp/0975870319
My dad is not as much a bourbon guy as I am, and has continued not to drink it unless I am there. It has certainly suffered a bit by exposure to the air after sitting for a few years after being uncorked for the first time, but I had some around Christmas and it was still very very nice.
OP asked for $20-$25 bottle suggestions Looks like he has an entry level around $35.
In that range, you can't go wrong with Gentleman Jack. It's very smooth, it has a nice entry-level flavor, and it's a good all-around bourbon.
Personally I think Elijah Craig 12 or Four Roses Small Batch are the best value buys.
A mint julep is hardly a lazy cocktail; you need to pluck some fresh mint, gently muddle it with sugar, crush a shitload of ice; it even has its own specific glassware. That's a fussy (though delicious) drink.
If you like good bourbon cocktails, this is my new favorite: The Revolver.
2 ounces Buffalo Trace
1/2 ounce coffee liqueur (Kahlua works, although I've heard the original was made with Tia Maria)
2 dashes orange bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a flamed orange twist. It's easier than a mint julep and it's awesome; you'd think it would be too sweet, but that's why the coffee liqueur is used in such a slight amount.
i also like manhattans, sometimes with bourbon instead of rye. i have not really had rye much, so i have some wild turkey i am trying but it doesnt have a lot going on. i will have to try something else next time.
Get Rittenhouse Rye if you can find it. It's a bit harsh for sippin' but it's just perfect for all the traditional rye cocktails; Manhattan, Sazerac, Old Fashioned... just brilliant. Bulleit Rye or Sazerac Rye are good as well. Old Overholt gets a lot of love but I find it boring and it gets absolutely lost in cocktails.
Four Roses Small Batch isn't a value buy around here; it's $40 a bottle. For that price, I'm getting Knob Creek. Elijah Craig is great for the price though, since you can find it around $25.
Get Rittenhouse Rye if you can find it. It's a bit harsh for sippin' but it's just perfect for all the traditional rye cocktails; Manhattan, Sazerac, Old Fashioned... just brilliant. Bulleit Rye or Sazerac Rye are good as well. Old Overholt gets a lot of love but I find it boring and it gets absolutely lost in cocktails.
I haven't had blanton's yet, but booker's is still the king of bourbons I've tasted.