Official thread of Bourbon Dominance

[ShockTalk]

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

Points of interest about barrels used for bourbon.

1) By law, to be a bourbon, it must be aged in a NEW charred oak barrel. That barrel cannot be used for bourbon again.

2) Most often, bourbon barrels are sold and shipped to Scotland for aging Scotch Whisky.

[MoValley John]

Whiskey= grain
Corn=bourbon
Rye=rye & Canadian whiskey
Barley malt= scotch
Mixed bag= Irish whiskey
Gin= juniper
Vodka= potatoes
Tequila= agave
Rum= sugar cane
Brandy= distilled wine
Cognac= gross ****

[Dan]

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.

We have the same taste. As they will say in Kentucky, the only way to figure out what you like is to taste them all. I wold recommend going to a bar with a lot of bourbon and tell the bartender you want to do a tasting. All you need is a little splash of each brand so you can compare and conrast.

[Shoxthemonkey]

My nephew is a craft brewer in Maine. He bought a few buffalo trace used barrels for one of his recipes. It was really tasty. I just picked up a bottle of Larceny earlier today. I've heard good things about it. I'm heading to lake of the Ozarks Thursday for a golf outing and its going along. I'll let you know how it is.

[shocktheheart]

Whiskey= grain
Corn=bourbon
Rye=rye & Canadian whiskey
Barley malt= scotch
Mixed bag= Irish whiskey
Gin= juniper
Vodka= potatoes
Tequila= agave
Rum= sugar cane
Brandy= distilled wine
Cognac= gross ****

Agree on the cognac

[ShockTalk]

My nephew is a craft brewer in Maine. He bought a few buffalo trace used barrels for one of his recipes. It was really tasty. I just picked up a bottle of Larceny earlier today. I've heard good things about it. I'm heading to lake of the Ozarks Thursday for a golf outing and its going along. I'll let you know how it is.

I help a good friend of mine homebrew on occasions and he soaks oak chips in Buffalo Trace and adds them to the secondary fermenter of a great Imperial Porter.

[ShockTalk]

Whiskey= grain
Corn=bourbon
Rye=rye & Canadian whiskey
Barley malt= scotch
Mixed bag= Irish whiskey
Gin= juniper
Vodka= potatoes, wheat, rye, corn, wheat, sorghum, grapes, sugar beets, rice, so on and so forth.
Tequila= agave
Rum= sugar cane
Brandy= distilled wine
Cognac= gross ****

Fixed.

[wayreth21]

I am a scotch drinker myself. It was the first one I drank and it has stuck with me since. Any of the Johnnie Walker colors will do. I also really like the Macallan 12. Have tried multiple American and Canadian whiskeys and have not found one that I can stand. Worst drink ever though is Jack Daniels. That is a vile foul smelling and tasting drink.

[Shoxthemonkey]

It sounds like you need to start a scotch thread. This thread is for those of us that appreciate the wonders of bourbon.

[SHOXAAC]

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.

The funny bourbon story almost became a tragedy. To have PVW in contact with any mix would be criminal, especially 20 or 25. PVW at ~$120 per bottle is the best sipping experience possible. I'm glad you boys saved the day.

[SHOXAAC]

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.

There is nothing like a Makers Mark over ice with a Makers Mark 650 laced cigar. Now that's living boys and girls.

[Shock Top]

Blanton's is the best. True story.

I have collected all 8 horse tops (one for each letter). Like someone already mention, they act out a horse race.

Now, all I need is a display for them.

[Shock Top]

This would be another debate, but if I am using whiskey for a cocktail like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, I am using rye whiskey.

I find rye helps balance out the out the sweet components of the other ingredients better than the sweeter bourbon. (I kind of compare the two like I would rye bread and corn bread. Both great bread, but both serve different purposes.

Sazerac and Templeton are two pretty good Ryes.

[Shock Top]

Other favorite bourbons would have to be Woodford Reserve, Basil Hayden's, and (the ol' reliable) Maker's.

[ShockTalk]

This would be another debate, but if I am using whiskey for a cocktail like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, I am using rye whiskey.

I find rye helps balance out the out the sweet components of the other ingredients better than the sweeter bourbon. (I kind of compare the two like I would rye bread and corn bread. Both great bread, but both serve different purposes.

Sazerac and Templeton are two pretty good Ryes.

I enjoy a good rye.