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Bourbon/Scotch/Other Whisk(e)y Recommendation Thread

NurseDave said:
Aww come on. You know me, I'm not a bourbon guy, but that bottle is sexy as all get out!
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Blanton's has the best bottle in all of whiskey. No lie. While I did not care for the juice in the bottle, I am keeping the empty on my shelf because it is so pretty.

EDIT: I might even start using it as a decanter for other bourbons. :D
 
I agree with everything you are saying Doug BUT with this little caveat. When I can get Buffalo Trace or Eagle Rare AT MSRP then I will buy them as I do enjoy them as daily drinkers. But I don't like even going $5 above retail.

And yes Dave the bottle is SEXY AF!
 
CVargo said:
I agree with everything you are saying Doug BUT with this little caveat. When I can get Buffalo Trace or Eagle Rare AT MSRP then I will buy them as I do enjoy them as daily drinkers. But I don't like even going $5 above retail.

And yes Dave the bottle is SEXY AF!
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If you like them, then by all means get them when they are at a good price. I don't think they are bad. I just don't think they are good either. There are many other products that suit my palate more from other producers.

One that does get "tatered" here in Denver that I think is good juice is Heaven Hill 7 year Bottled in Bond. It goes for ~$45-$50 near me, and is hard to get, but is something I would buy more bottles of. It is a little overhyped, but I like it.
 
dkeester said:
The following is a serious case of "this is my opinion, feel free to disagree if you wish."

You are not blaspheming at all. Buffalo Trace products are mediocre (i.e. "middle of the road", okay, "not bad", "I've had better" etc.). They are far from stellar and you pay more for the name on the label than for the juice inside. I recently purchased a bottle of Blanton's through a whiskey club at a local store. I paid $65 for it (which is current MSRP). It wasn't worth the price I paid. It was good, but not $65 worth of good. The last Eagle Rare 10 year that I purchased (it was a store pick that I got for $35) was also not great. It was drinkable, but not something I would seek out again even at that price. I had a dram of Col. E. H. Taylor Small Batch at a restaurant last summer. It was good, but forgettable. The only memorable thing about it was that it did not live up to the hype around the label. Buffalo Trace products are all hat and no cattle. They are overhyped due to getting tons of screen time in some movies and tv shows. It is all name recognition, not the quality of the spirit, that is driving popularity. And, yes, that includes the "Pappy" line of bourbons under the Van Winkle brand. I have sampled the 10 year, 12 year, 15 year, and the 23 year. They were all "meh" at best. The 23 year tasted like I was drinking a pureed bourbon barrel. It was all wood and very little grain (the sweet spot for my palate for most bourbons tends to be between 6 and 12 years old, FYI). The 15 year was the best of them, but it is a $45-$50 bottle at best in my mind. There are much better whiskeys out there, at better prices, that are much less hyped, than Buffalo Trace. I even find the standard Buffalo Trace bottle disappointing at ~$26 (and I just finished a bottle of that last week).

So, if you like them. (Obviously, I do not.) Pick them up, but make sure you are getting them for retail prices. I really feel that BT quality has steeply declined in recent years (probably due to overproduction to try meeting the insane demand) and will be spending my money elsewhere for the foreseeable future.
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I can't disagree with you on this other than I still pick up the standard BT at retail (PA is a control state) once in a while. My local store rarely has it though. They did have 2 or 3 when I was there on Monday, but I passed. My next bottle is going to be the Knob Creek Single Barrel 120 proof (9 year).
 
I think the biggest issue with most of the BT lineup these days is that getting them at retail has become just shy of impossible for most. Seems like liquid finally came to market for the standard BT but everything else continues to be hard to find and/or crazy marked up.
 
A Bunch of good recs here. In looking at this list as well as reviews.... Another question. As primarily a Scotch drinker, I get all the peat, and alcohol bite and taste through those, any recommendations based on the following. Note I already have the Elijah Craig Small Batch and really enjoy it both neat and on the rocks. It should be noted I drink my scotch neat most of the time, and enjoy Bourbon for whatever reason on the rocks and chilled, as I do most Canadian Blends

1. more of a sweet finish
2. A bit more viscosity on the tongue and throat that lingers a bit even when exhaled
3. on the rocks

Looking forward to hearing your opinions
 
BarberDave said:
I did not think of a wine finish but more of a Vanilla or cherry
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Tons of Scotches are finished in a combination of two barrels. They age in ex-bourbon barrels and finish in ex-Sherry casks. So, you could look for Sherry finished bourbons. Also, port finish bourbons are good.

In order to get the viscosity that you are looking for you should look for greater than 50% ABV. So, definitely keep an eye out for Cask Strength and Barrel Proof bourbons.
 
dkeester said:
Tons of Scotches are finished in a combination of two barrels. They age in ex-bourbon barrels and finish in ex-Sherry casks. So, you could look for Sherry finished bourbons. Also, port finish bourbons are good.

In order to get the viscosity that you are looking for you should look for greater than 50% ABV. So, definitely keep an eye out for Cask Strength and Barrel Proof bourbons.
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Any brands you recommend based on the criteria I placed above for this as I am headed to Total Wine today LOL... YAY Adult Disneyland Trip
 
BarberDave said:
Elijah Craig Small Batch
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Yes that is good. Try the Barrel Proof
BarberDave said:
on the rocks and chilled
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Say What Now GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

BarberDave said:
1. more of a sweet finish
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Elijah Craig BP. OR go for the Larceny original or BP. Larceny is same parent company as Elijah Craig and I would say more on the sweeter side.
BarberDave said:
2. A bit more viscosity on the tongue and throat that lingers a bit even when exhaled
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You are gonna want to play in the barrel proof realm in my opinion or stuff over 100 proof. In the 100 proof realm pick Old Forester 100.
BarberDave said:
3. on the rocks
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UGH! Just kidding everyone should enjoy whiskey the way they like it best.
 
BarberDave said:
I did not think of a wine finish but more of a Vanilla or cherry
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Looks like Chad beat me to the punch but yes ECBP can be a true cherry bomb depending on batch. Both Larceny options are good as well. Will also throw Angel's Envy in there for good measure, as the bourbon offering is finished in port casks and rye in rum. Big mouthfeels are going to lend to higher proof which ALSO lends to being iced better as well.
 
dkeester said:
Blanton's has the best bottle in all of whiskey. No lie.
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Incorrect. Midleton Barry Crocket is THE essence of whiskey.

Edit: Ah you were speaking of the physical bottle only. I was thinking "best bottle of all whiskeys".

midleton_barry_crockett.jpg
 
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