Official thread of Bourbon Dominance

[Shoxthemonkey]

What do you have? What do you like?

On my shelf right now I have unopened:

Weller 12
Weller Antique
Blanton's
Col. Taylor Small Batch
Willet Pot Still
Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project
Henry McKenna 10 yr
Elijah Craig 18
Eagle Rare
Red-Handed

Opened I have:
Pappy Van Winkle 12 (Tastes just like Weller 12, same mashbill and warehouse)
Basil Hayden
Four Roses Small Batch
Wellers Special Reserve
Evan Williams (on my golf cart)
I also have a decanter of 60/40 blend Weller 12 and Weller Antique. It is a dead ringer for Pappy Van Winkle 15.

I really don't drink all that much. No, really. Every Friday after 2:30, my boss and I share a pour. I will have a couple pours when dining out and I love Old Fashioneds at home. Of course, I have a pour of something top shelf after every Shocker win and NCAA wins are Pappy or Blantons. I'm shopping for some PVW20 or 23 for the National Championship that I know is coming. I amuse myself by shopping for dusties while I'm on the road. One of these days I'll stumble onto a bottle.


So, who else is a fan?

[MoValley John]

Old Crow. Sometimes I'll spring for a jug of Ten High.

[Play Angry]

That is a nice collection.

I am sipping my way through bottles of Four Roses Single Barrel, Blanton's, Hudson Baby Bourbon, and Hillrock at the moment. My favorite of those has been the Four Roses Single Barrel, although they are all enjoyable.

I always keep a bottle of each of Buffalo Trace and Gentleman Jack on hand in case of need for something to mix with a Coke.

What do you think of the Basil Hayden?

[MoValley John]

In all seriousness. I'm not a liquor snob. While I don't buy bottom shelf, I keep a bottle of Maker's Mark on hand. Not the top shelf, but good. I really like a good Manhattan. Not one of those new age, garnished with orange and mint, Manhattan's, a good, classic Manhattan. Three cubes of ice, a stiff pour of whiskey, sweet vermouth poured till you have the right caramel color, a splash of grenadine and garnished with a cherry. Nothing more.

[Dan]

Here's my current stash:

Blantons - 2 bottles
4 Roses Small Batch
Michter's
Jim Beam
Garrison Bros Single Barrel
Early Times
Basil Hayden
Yellow Rose (Houston Distillery)
Elijah Craig 12 yr
Woodford Reserve
Buffalo Trace

Distiileries I've toured:
Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey (met Jimmy Russell and had him sign my bourbon passport), Woodford, Buffalo Trace + Garrison Bros and Yellow Rose in Texas

Funny bourbon story:
I was over at a neighbor's one night with the family, there were a few families all hanging out in the back yard and having a good time. A couple of our wives were drinking bourbon and coke when we ran out of the bourbon that I brought. The neighbor says, "go on inside and get another bottle, I've got some in the house". The wives, who know nothing about bourbon come out and right in front of us are getting ready to pour Pappy Van Winkle into their Coke. In unison, 3 of us guys all jump up and yell, NOOOOOOOOO!

Interesting bourbon tidbit:
Many people are aware of the unique brass horse cork on the top of the Blanton's bottle. Did you know that there are actually 8 versions of the horse? Look on the lower right foot and their will be a really small letter. Collect them all and put them in order to spell out B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S. Each letter represents a different phase of a horse race. Put in order and they start with the jockey walking the horse to the gate and end with the jockey raising his fist in the air in victory.

I don't drink a lot either but when I do, I like a bourbon either over ice, or am usually up for an intersting cocktail if at a bar that knows what they're doing. I also like to make whisky sours at home, here's my recipe: 1 lemon, 2 shots of bourbon, 1/2 shot of agave nectar in lieue of simple syrup and an eggwhite. Shake well wih ice into glass over ice.

[MoValley John]

Look no further than a plastic bottle of McCormick blended whiskey. The stuff is so good, they can't even age it.

[Shoxthemonkey]

I'm working my way towards all the Blanton horses. I was told that if you line them up in order they do a slow-mo gallop to the finish line.
Basil Hayden is fine but I prefer wheated bourbons. Not a big fan of bourbon with a high rye mashbill.

[Aargh]

I went to a birthday party for a lady that had been my wife's neighbor where she grew up. The birthday girl had her 3 sisters on the couch with her. Between the 4 of them their total age was 300 years.These ladies were going through the glasses of bourbon at an astonishing rate. Two sons were in the garage (where the bar was set up). That's the first time I've ever heard a discussion of how to cut one's mother off because she was drinking too much.

They were drinking (at their request) Jack Daniels Green Label. I tried it because I had never seen it before. I found it a bit rough.

Good steaks don't need steak sauce. Good bourbons don't need mixes. A 4 oz. glass filled with ice and topped off with a good bourbon is all you need.

[wusphlash]

Wild Turkey has gotten me through many a ballgame. Don't mess with happy.

Oh, water and ice only.

[WstateU]

I like my big balls...

[shock]

I know next to nothing about bourbon. Whats a good bourbon to start with?

[MoValley John]

I know next to nothing about bourbon. Whats a good bourbon to start with?

Whiskey, in an oversimplistic explaination, is distilled beer. Bourbon would be made mostly of corn. Other grains, most notably, rye, have been blended into the process. Rye whiskey is more than 50% rye mash. Canadian whiskey is also a rye. Barley, other grains and spices are also used in the process. In the end, bourbon is mainly, or exclusively corn.

When the term mash is used, it is referring to the mixture of grain, sugar and yeast that ferments into alcohol. Sour mash is when previously fermented mash is added to a new batch of mash to jumpstart the fermentation process. Distilling is the process where the alcohol is boiled off and then condensed. Distilled whiskey is clear, not carmel colored. Aging in a wood barrel gives whiskey its color. Once the whiskey leaves the barrel, the aging process stops- if you store a bottle of 20 year-old whiskey for another 100 years, you still have 20 year-old whiskey.

Distilling whiskey is both illegal and dangerous. Drinking the heads or tails can make you very sick, blind you or kill you. I don't know much more than that.

[MoValley John]

I like my big balls...

I have those! Got them at Bed, Bath and Beyond with a coupon!

[Shoxthemonkey]

I know next to nothing about bourbon. Whats a good bourbon to start with?

Wellers, Makers, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit. There are a lot of good ones and a lot of flavor profiles. You have to try several and see what suits your tongue. Try it with a splash of water or a single ice cube, let it sit in your mouth to let the flavor expand and find what you like. Everybody is different. Trying new ones is half of the fun.

[wufan]

Just Rebel Yell in the cabinet right now. :(