[quote]crowdhater wrote:
Picked up a bottle of this today and sipped it for a few hours tonight. First time I ever had any Makers Mark. It is DANGEROUSLY smooth. I really liked it. I’ve been on a Bourbon kick lately. [/quote]
Maker’s 46 is a good, solid Bourbon … I’ve bought that bottle a few times … The regular Maker’s (Maker’s Mark) is also a very good Bourbon[/quote]
I really like the 46 too.
If only they made it in a 100+ proof…[/quote]
IMO this would be a perfect starter Bourbon for somebody. It is missing the kick that I’m used to. The sweet vanilla really comes out in it. It also had like a cinnamon and nutmeg flavor going on.
Going to pick up a bottle of Four Roses small batch next. Can’t get enough of Bourbon lately.
I have enjoyed the Maker’s 46 when I’ve sampled at holiday parties and the like, although I have never bought a full bottle myself.
My most recent purchase was a small bottle from Grand Traverse Distillery in Traverse City, MI - my girlfriend and I were up there a few weeks ago, stopped in for some samples, and had to pick up at least a small bottle. We bought their Ole George rye (although the bourbon was fine, too). Would recommend the distillery to any whiskey enthusiasts vacationing in northern Michigan; they were very friendly and generous with the samples (we each got three 1 oz. samples for like $5).
Also of note, I had a pour of Dalmore Cigar Malt Whiskey at a fancy restaurant last weekend. Didn’t know anything about it, just looked at the name and thought “Well that sounds cool, let’s try it” - it was pretty good.
I’ll have to look back through the last few pages of this thread to guide my next purchase. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is still my favorite thus far. High West Campfire is another favorite, although I’ve only had single pours of that in restaurants, never bought my own bottle.
crowdhater: not to dissuade you, but I sampled Four Roses at their distillery last year and was not a big fan, to be honest…not that it’s a bad product, just didn’t strike me as well as a few others that I’ve tried. It seemed to have the “bite” without having anything else to offer (not that I mind a bite, but I like a little sweetness or oakiness on the front end before the bite hits me). Just my two cents, though. If you have never sampled Woodford Reserve’s Double Oaked, I would steer you there before trying Four Roses.
My favorite Bourbons at a reasonable price are Angel’s Envy, Eagle Rare, Basil Haydens, Woodford Reserve and Blantons. Most bars have Knobb Creek or Bullet (Rye or Bourbon), which I’ll gladly drink.
I go through phases with Irish whisky. I like Bushmills if I’m going to mix a drink. Bottle of Kilbeggans in cabinet if I want something over ice.
[quote]pushharder wrote:
Just bought a bottle of Willett Bourbon out of Kentucky. Sampling my first pour of it as we speak. Absolutely nothing wrong with it at all.
Mid level pricing.
94 proof.
Really kewl bottle (think "I Dream of Jeannie).[/quote]
I’ve seen this a million times and always thought the bottle looked intriguing.
That being said, if the best you can muster is “nothing wrong with it” it seems like my money is better spent elsewhere?
[/quote]
I just finished off a bottle. Nothing wrong with it, but probably wouldn’t buy again. So many other bottles I would grab first.
My old ma won a bottle of this in a raffle at the weekend, giving it straight to her son with a couple of Glencairn glasses. It’s a massive contrast with the last bottle of Talisker I posted: incredibly smooth and warm as opposed to peppery and fiery, and the fruits really come through as you roll it over your tongue. Probably a good “gateway” whisky for those that still need to acquire the taste.
x5 or whatever for the Maker’s 46. Very good, flavorful stuff.
I’ve gone through a couple different ones the last few months, either by the glass or bottle.
Jim Beam Devil’s Cut. A step up from regular JB, with a deeper flavor and higher proof (90 to JB’s 80). Very woody, as expected since it’s supposed to be what’s “reclaimed” from the barrel after maturing a batch. I wouldn’t mind putting this in the regular rotation, but I went through two doubles (at a hotel bar) much faster than I had realized. Whoops.
Booker’s. Finally tried it (same hotel, different night) after seeing many of y’all have talked about it, but I’m pretty sure I got a bad batch or something because it tasted almost carbonated, and it was served “room temperature”, but was pretty much warm. Super-disappointing. Not sure if I care enough to give it another try, but I probably should just to be fair. Something that high potency seems worth tackling.
Angel’s Envy Finished Rye. Rye that they finished aging in port and rum barrels. The rum flavors really come out and complement the rye. Very good stuff. I’ve been nursing a bottle for about two months.
Michter’s Straight Rye. Very average. Not bad, but not stand-out in any way at all. They also make an “American Whiskey” and a “bourbon”, but after this ho-hum first impression, I’m not interested.
And actually, I most recently picked up a bottle of Willett. To unfortunately quote Austin Powers, it’s a bit nutty. Really though, like a deep walnut or something was the first thing I thought when I tried it. Pretty good.
Picked up Four Roses small batch and Old Forester at my store. Decided to try the Four Roses tonight. Four Roses is very different from Woodford and Buffalo Trace. It almost taste floral with the regular Bourbon vanilla type favors. The more I drank the more I liked the flavor. Makes me wonder what the cheaper yellow label taste like.
Will update about the Old Forester when I try it. From what I remember it’s supposed to taste like Woodford. That would be great since I picked it up for 18 bucks.
Picked up Elijah Craig and Four Roses yellow label ( the cheap one ) I wanted to see if there was a difference between Four Roses small batch and Four Roses yellow label. I tried them yesterday. The Yellow label taste just a tad lighter but barely noticeable. Besides that they are almost identical. Both are very good whiskeys. My money will go to yellow label for now on. Almost 12 dollars cheaper. Elijah Craig and Old Forester are up next
I put away quite a lot of whisky this weekend, and even had some bourbon too.
I tried Woodford Reserve and Maker’s Mark. I thought the Maker’s Mark was ok, but the Woodford reserve was delicious. I can definitely see myself getting into bourbon.
On the whisky front, I was in a bar in Edinburgh called Teuchter’s Landing where you can play “The Hoop”. You pay a few pound, are presented with a hoop, and then you have three tries at getting the hoop to land around the neck of the bottles behind the bar. If you manage it, you get a dram of that whisky, and if you fail you get a shot of Sheep Dip, which is a decent little blend. You can’t lose basically! I was with a date and we got competitive, and when the bar closed the score was 4-4 (with a few failed attempts as well… guess who got to drink the Sheep Dip).
The best whisky I hooped was the second most expensive in the bar: Macallan 25 Year Old. Aged in sherry casks it was delicious and sweet, and retailing at over £600/bottle I got a really good deal with the hoop!
Diddy never disappoints in his posts. Always interesting. I need to find a place that has games like that. Tried the Old Forester just now. This is a really good Bourbon. It is rumored to be the same as Woodford. I tried a decent amount today. It does not taste like Woodford. It has a nice bite with a little ripe banana in the background. Very nice. Might be the best 18 or 19 bucks I ever spent. I highly recomend for the price. I will definitely buy again at the price. My store had like 10 bottles of it. Might stock up.
[quote]crowdhater wrote:
Diddy never disappoints in his posts. Always interesting. I need to find a place that has games like that. Tried the Old Forester just now. This is a really good Bourbon. It is rumored to be the same as Woodford. I tried a decent amount today. It does not taste like Woodford. It has a nice bite with a little ripe banana in the background. Very nice. Might be the best 18 or 19 bucks I ever spent. I highly recomend for the price. I will definitely buy again at the price. My store had like 10 bottles of it. Might stock up. [/quote]
Cheers! That’s the only bar like that I’ve come across so a trip to Scotland might be in order.
I’ll look out for the Old Forester. I hate to say it but bourbon may be a nicer drink than whisky, and is definitely more accessible. However, I’ve put a lot of work into acquiring the taste for whisky (my gateway whisky was Bunnahabhain 10) and I won’t see all that effort go to waste.
I’ve been sippin on the Elijah Craig this week. I really like it. It has quite the smack in the face compared to Makers and old Forester. You can definitely tell it’s higher proof ( 96 ) the vanilla flavors really pop. Would buy again
I’ve never had a Rye whiskey yet and I always wanted to try one. I picked up Bulliet Rye today. I’ve had the regular Bulliet before and I think it was solid so why not!
Sipped on the Bulliet rye this week. It’s different than regular Bulliet for sure. There is a slight sour note to it. I got used to the flavor and I would say I enjoyed it. I do like the original Bulliet better though. Would try another Rye if I get the chance.
I would like your opinions on Wild Turkey 101. It just seems like such an iconic Bourbon that I don’t wanna miss. I’ve seen mostly positive reviews and it appears to be a good value. It just seems like a must try.
[quote]crowdhater wrote:
Sipped on the Bulliet rye this week. It’s different than regular Bulliet for sure. There is a slight sour note to it. I got used to the flavor and I would say I enjoyed it. I do like the original Bulliet better though. Would try another Rye if I get the chance.
I would like your opinions on Wild Turkey 101. It just seems like such an iconic Bourbon that I don’t wanna miss. I’ve seen mostly positive reviews and it appears to be a good value. It just seems like a must try. [/quote]
I love it. I am not the kind that can tell all about hints of caramel and a nose of vanilla and all that though.
I tried the Wild Turkey 101 tonight. Holy cow! Much stronger than I’ve had before. Very strong with a dark chocolate finish. I really like it. Cost 21USD and I think it’s a steal for this whiskey. However, I’m probably done talking about whiskey on this site. I probably will go to a whiskey/whisky site to talk about whiskey from now on and use this site for training reference. Cheers fellas!
