Favorite bourbon/ whiskey...

This is pretty good

 

It's been a busy and a bit hectic these last few days, up here at the North Pole; so Santa is starting the weekend off w/the distinct flavor profiles of Weller's Antique 107 (served neat of course)



The only thing that would make this little treat even tastier is a small plate of @TaquitoBandito inspired Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

 

Have you had a chance to try Pure Kentucky??? It's another Willett offering that's bottled at 107 proof, and if memory serves me correctly is aged about 12 years. It's been a while since I've had it (hard to export many of the finer things in life up her to the North Pole), but I recall it being very smooth and easy drinking for a 107 proof; it was very toffee and caramel forward with a good lingering spice and leather finish (Santa is a bit compulsive w/his note taking )...

Anyhow, if you happen to find it, price point should only be around $45-$60ish and well worth trying at least once

 

haven’t but I’ll keep an eye out. I’m in Idaho….so whatever state run liquor decides to order or gets allocated is my selection point. It’s both good and bad….get some great stuff at prices much better than elsewhere but also don’t get a good bit of selection compared to some areas

 

My other purchase yesterday, a store pick.

 

Finished my first bottle of bourbon ever, didn't drink much until later in life(40 yo now). Enjoyed Knob Creek smoked maple quite a bit. Wondering what you guys recommend next...preference is on the sweeter side of flavors. Caramel, vanilla....

 

Pike Creek rum finished. Or anything that was finished in a ice wine, or sherry cask.

 

You should try both Wild Turkey 101 and Evan Eilliams Bottled in Bond. Both are very inexpensive but have a lot of the flavor Characteristics you seem to like.

For something sweet but a little more exotic, try a bottle of Willet Rye. Quite a bit pricier but worth it.

I would also recommend trying bourbon finished in a sherry or port cask. Different type of sweetness, but you might enjoy it.

 

Something else you can do in an attempt to enjoy/try some different bourbons (instead of just targeting the sweeter profiles) is to pair it w/the flavors you favor while sipping... I'll do this especially if I open a bottle of something new that isn't doing it for me

In other words if you're craving some caramel notes, maybe try sipping your bourbon while nibbling on a few bites of a payday bar or a snickers (not necessarily suggesting everyday candy, but just using it as an example)

If you're looking for vanilla or nougat flavors, try it w/a 3 Musketeers

If you're looking for toffee flavors, try pairing it w/Trader Joe's Toffee Chips (the come w/milk and dark chocolate)...


This is no different than pairing wine to sweets, various chocolates, cheeses, fruits, meats or regional cuisines

Mrs. Claus and I will frequently pair a sweet dessert wine w/spicy Thai food (most of the experts will recommend a riesling), but we found the contrast between the sweet and heat is a better play than heat and the semi-sweet acidity of a riesling

Something else you can do as you begin to enjoy and sample bourbons or other whiskeys is to try and pick up the various flavor notes that others are experiencing from the same offering. IE>>> read some reviews of the product and see if your palate will pick up the same things; don't forget nose (aromas), viscosity (mouth feel), different parts of your pallet (front, mid, and back), and don't forget the finish (most bourbons will leave behind something that lingers which is different than what your pallet initially told you (this is where you'll often find some of the more 'difficult to deduce' flavors (such as leather, tobacco, spices, smoke, etc...)

Last bit of advice is that when you're sampling a new bourbon, do it in stages...

Start by pouring into an appropriate glass that allows the bourbon to breathe and open up.

Take an initial smell (and really search for the various aromas); now move it around the glass noting the viscosity; and then take your first sip (trying to search for as many flavors as it makes it way over your entire palate).

Next, allow the bourbon to breathe for periods of 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes (repeating the above process at each stage); you should notice that as the bourbon 'opens up' things start to change; and at some point you'll notice that letting it sit and open up any longer has stopped changing the profiles much if at all...

Every bourbon/whiskey will be different through this process, but it will give you an idea on how long a particular bourbon needs to sit and open before being able for you to fully enjoy it. (most bourbons smooth out as they open up and the heat/spices within the flavor profiles start to soften)...

Something else you can do is to pour 2 samples (either of different bourbons) or have one pour be 'neat' (no ice, no water, etc..) and have the other pour opened up w/a few drops of distilled water (never tap water) or an ice cube or two (if you are going to use ice cubes in your bourbons I'd suggest making some cubes out of distilled water or it's just like pouring tap water into your bourbon)....

Now walk both pours through the entire above 'step process' at the same time comparing each along the way (take notes of the positive and negatives for each pour). This will give you a good reference on how to really enjoy the rest of the bottle to its fullest.

If you do this with each new bourbon/whiskey you try, you'll find yourself w/a better palate, a better appreciation of your likings, a better understanding of the efforts of the distillers and blenders, etc...

More importantly you'll slow down the process of consuming the bourbon, and it will really become a total experience for you as opposed to just sitting back and drinking a few ounces of bourbon before bed (or whenever )

It's really fun to find a few friends that share similar interests in bourbons and have sample nights where everyone brings a bottle or 2 (depending on the number of friends ) and everyone gets to sample a pour from multiple bottles running each sample through something similar to the above protocol and picking out favorites or trying to experiences the nuances that someone else may be getting, but your not within the same whiskey

It's a great way to spend a few hours w/friends, enjoy some good whiskies/bourbons and not get hammered pounding drink after drink

 

Agree on port and sherry cask finished items. Also of note are rum cash finished bourbons. It's important to make relationships with a good proprietor of a liquor store. A lot of the harder to find items can be had by asking for and building relationships with managers and store owners. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the current bourbon market a lot of stores keep items behind closed doors for customers asking for these items and may limit you to one btl at a time. If the say they have them available tell them the same thing you just posted to us. They are there to help.

Items to look for that you may find depending on your region.
blantons
Hancocks presidents reserve
Eagle rare
Anything weller: special reserve, 12yr, antique 107, cypb

items that you should easily find
High west bourbon
Michters small batch bourbon

 

first time with this one.
Smooth up front and a pleasant bite that shows up on the back end

 

I have been seeing Buffalo Trace on the shelves a little more frequently the last month or two, has a nice sweetness to it and "should" be around $40. Also Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, but for some reason there is a single barrel effect though it is not, as in 8/9 out of 10 bottles are smooth and sweet but that odd one is harsh, these should be around$60. I have found my favorites remain traditional Kentucky bourbons, so start with them and you will establish your go to. Bourbon has become like craft beer these days with a distillery on every corner, where many rely on the juice made by MGP, they then take it to their location where they age and bottle it to sell it under their own name. Some of these are very good no doubt but with so many you could be chasing your tail before you find one you really like. It's fun a fun chase to be sure, enjoy.

 

How was this by the way compared to the regular

 

It's been a while since I have had regular MM but this had a little acetone taste to it, one I did not notice in the sample I tried at the store. So it seemed a little harsher than regular and I am hoping it mellows after it opens up a while.

 

I've had this for a couple of years and finally cracked it. Nothing special, but nice nonetheless.

 

The 2011 and 2012 bottles were the best I tried, anything after was no where near as tasty. Plus, at such a low proof they are crushable.

 

I was a bit disappointed in the proof as well.

 

Great high rye mgp

 

Weller Special Reserve is my Bourbon of choice.

I enjoy Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and now I like Heavin Hill 7yr

 

I was gifted this today, I forgot how smooth and easy to drink it is.

 

Sorry for the glare in the picture, but my father-in-law suggested I give this one a go and it is dam good.

 

Weller 12 and CYPB dropped at a few places last week. I was lucky enough to get a W12 for $33.69 before tax.

 

That is a great price! Likely they paid $26.73 for it so you've got a good business there.

 

This is one of the better Weller offerings - maybe my favorite.

 

My brother asked me to pick up his allocated bottle of Weller Full Proof. After I got it for him he told me Merry Christmas it's yours!

 

That's classy^^^

With 3 Weller's recently added to your bar, which one is your most preferred of them? Hard choices any of us would love to ponder...

 

The Weller Single Barrel is my favorite if I’m not counting the WLW.

 

Agreed. WLW trumps all others. I'm a 12 yr guy between everything else.

 

My buddy got a pretty great allocation of BTAC this year. The 15 year Pappy was by far the best. The WLW and GTS were also very good. The Saz 18 was pretty disanointing to be honest.

 

Those are 3 on my list the Pappy 15, WLW and the GTS that I want to try someday in my lifetime. Nice collection for sure.