Small batch bourbons

MarkChand · « **on:** October 19, 2011, 01:02:51 AM »

I just finished a trip to Lewis-ville Kentucky. I was able to sample several local bourbons at the hotel bar. The bartender was quite the bourbon connoisseur so he suggested
several great sippin' whiskeys along with a local package store carrying regional spirits. I picked upa few bottles of bourbs that aren't available in my area. I'll have to sample each and report back my thoughts. If you guys are every in the Louisville area hit up the Brown Hotel downtown, great hotel with a super bar downstairs.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 19, 2011, 01:18:51 AM »

Do let us know. Would be curious. Also, I don't know what part you are from, but do yourself a favor and pick you up a bottle of Elijah Craig 18 yr Single Barrel. You will not be disappointed.

MarkChand · « **Reply #2 on:** October 19, 2011, 01:38:46 AM »

Quote from: AUTiger1 on October 19, 2011, 01:18:51 AM

Do let us know. Would be curious. Also, I don't know what part you are from, but do yourself a favor and pick you up a bottle of Elijah Craig 18 yr Single Barrel. You will not be disappointed.

I'll keep you guys posted as I sample each. I'm from the Montgomery area but currently live in Columbia,SC. The local package stores offer up a pretty good variety of bourbons but nor quite at the level that I found in KY. I had the Elijah Craig 12yr while I was here and it was very nice. Nice light amber color with oaky and almondy notes. I'm sure the 18 yr gains a little more complexity, I'll see if it's available back home. The Booker's single barrel is kickin my ass right now, 128 proof is no joke! Pretty smooth for that strength though.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2011, 11:33:03 AM »

Quote from: MarkChand on October 19, 2011, 01:38:46 AM

I'll keep you guys posted as I sample each. I'm from the Montgomery area but currently live in Columbia,SC. The local package stores offer up a pretty good variety of bourbons but nor quite at the level that I found in KY. I had the Elijah Craig 12yr while I was here and it was very nice. Nice light amber color with oaky and almondy notes. I'm sure the 18 yr gains a little more complexity, I'll see if it's available back home. The Booker's single barrel is kickin my ass right now, 128 proof is no joke! Pretty smooth for that strength though.

I know some on here will rave about Bookers, and don't get me wrong, it's like you said, smooth for that strength, but it's expensive. It cost me about $3.50 to $3.75 a shot out of a 750ml bottle and I can drink Eagle Rare or Makers Mark (booth smooth, enjoyable bourbons) for around $1.50 to $1.75 a shot out of a 750ml bottle.

The Craig 18 year is expensive as well. I am a budget drinker. I want the best bang for my buck, that is why I drink so much Eagle Rare and Makers Mark.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2011, 11:43:47 AM »

Speaking of good, but expensive, I just finished a bottle of Basil Hayden. Very solid.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2011, 11:50:05 AM »

Quote from: Snaggletiger on October 19, 2011, 11:43:47 AM

Speaking of good, but expensive, I just finished a bottle of Basil Hayden. Very solid.

Yes, yes it is. I have a bottle that I need to get to work on. Just finished off a bottle of Eagle Rare the other night.

MarkChand · « **Reply #6 on:** October 19, 2011, 11:50:51 AM »

Quote from: Snaggletiger on October 19, 2011, 11:43:47 AM

Speaking of good, but expensive, I just finished a bottle of Basil Hayden. Very solid.

Basil is a damn fine drink, one of my favorites. It is probably the smoothest bourbon I've tasted so far. Back in South Carolina a bottle of Basil is $57, the store we went to in Kentucky had it for $40. I started to pull the trigger but I wanted to get a few bottles that I cant get back home.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2011, 11:51:10 AM »

Also, on the Elijah Craig 18, I got a bottle of that a few weeks ago at a privately owned lick her store. It was about $28.00 and the owner said he had reduced it to get the only bottle he had off his shelf. I asked him WTF because this is smooth stuff. He said he ordered it because he loved it himself but apparently none of the burrbinz drinkers that frequented his store knew about it.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #8 on:** October 19, 2011, 11:53:11 AM »

Quote from: MarkChand on October 19, 2011, 11:50:51 AM

Basil is a damn fine drink, one of my favorites. It is probably the smoothest bourbon I've tasted so far. Back in South Carolina a bottle of Basil is $57, the store we went to in Kentucky had it for $40. I started to pull the trigger but I wanted to get a few bottles that I cant get back home.

It was $48.00 at the store I go to. Probably less in the ABC store but that's way out of my way to go get my drink on.

Jumbo · « **Reply #9 on:** October 19, 2011, 12:57:01 PM »

Evan Williams 10 year Old Single Barrel's great for the price, I couldn't believe it was Evan. I love the Craig 18 very nice.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #10 on:** October 19, 2011, 01:00:20 PM »

Quote from: Jumbo on October 19, 2011, 12:57:01 PM

Evan Williams 10 year Old Single Barrel's great for the price, I couldn't believe it was Evan. I love the Craig 18 very nice.

Evan used to be the burrbinz of choice for a long time. Decent taste...mixes well with coke product....and didn't kill the wallet.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 19, 2011, 02:30:03 PM »

Quote from: Jumbo on October 19, 2011, 12:57:01 PM

Evan Williams 10 year Old Single Barrel's great for the price, I couldn't believe it was Evan. I love the Craig 18 very nice.

and here I thought you were a KY Gentlemen kind of man.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 19, 2011, 11:23:52 PM »

Assuming by no response that teh Burbbinz has kicked the ass of one MarkChand.

GH2001 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 20, 2011, 09:31:10 AM »

If you guys would use a little judgement and buy whiskey not made in the US, you wouldn't have to sift through 90% riff raff for diamonds in the rough and overpay for it. Just saying....the American whiskey market is saturated with a lot of crap forcing the consumer to look hard for anything decent. Most is very young stuff. The minimum aging on a non-US whiskey, meaning Canada, Scotland, Ireland - is much higher than the US minimum. They also tend to be made with better ingredients (corn vs malt, barley) and quality. Its an entirely different process. Its like looking at the plant that makes a Ferrari vs the plant that makes the Chrysler Sebring.

MarkChand · « **Reply #14 on:** October 20, 2011, 11:28:59 AM »

Quote from: AUTiger1 on October 19, 2011, 11:23:52 PM

Assuming by no response that teh Burbbinz has kicked the ass of one MarkChand.

I didn't have the stomach to break the seal on one of the new bottles last night. The Booker's from the previous evening was still weighing heavy on my stomach and intestinal track all day yesterday. I'll break one out tonight and report back.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 20, 2011, 11:33:00 AM »

Quote from: GH2001 on October 20, 2011, 09:31:10 AM

If you guys would use a little judgement and buy whiskey not made in the US, you wouldn't have to sift through 90% riff raff for diamonds in the rough and overpay for it. Just saying....the American whiskey market is saturated with a lot of crap forcing the consumer to look hard for anything decent. Most is very young stuff. The minimum aging on a non-US whiskey, meaning Canada, Scotland, Ireland - is much higher than the US minimum. They also tend to be made with better ingredients (corn vs malt, barley) and quality. Its an entirely different process. Its like looking at the plant that makes a Ferrari vs the plant that makes the Chrysler Sebring.

Scotch fucking sucks. Jameson is the only Irish whiskey worth drinking.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #16 on:** October 20, 2011, 12:30:36 PM »

Quote from: MarkChand on October 20, 2011, 11:28:59 AM

I didn't have the stomach to break the seal on one of the new bottles last night. The Booker's from the previous evening was still weighing heavy on my stomach and intestinal track all day yesterday. I'll break one out tonight and report back.

We done warned you bout' that damn Bookers, boy.

GH2001 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 20, 2011, 02:00:15 PM »

Quote from: AUTiger1 on October 20, 2011, 11:33:00 AM

Scotch fucking sucks. Jameson is the only Irish whiskey worth drinking.

I dont care for Johnny Walker much but Glen Fiddich is decent. Most of it is 8 years by standard. They have some 18 and 24 yr stuff like Jameson. Believe it or not, Crown is one of the better whiskeys for the price. I have some Crown Reserve yet to be cracked at the house.

Have you ever tried Red Breast, Powers or Michael Collins? All better than Jameson to me. And I love Jameson.

Those whiskeys are made the way they are supposed to be made. Not cheapskating it with fucking corn. :poke poke:

I keed though. We'll have to exchange a few glasses at a game one day AUT1.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #18 on:** October 20, 2011, 02:09:43 PM »

Quote from: AUTiger1 on October 20, 2011, 11:33:00 AM

Scotch fucking sucks. Jameson is the only Irish whiskey worth drinking.

Pell City Tiger would like a word or three with you.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 20, 2011, 02:27:47 PM »

Quote from: GH2001 on October 20, 2011, 02:00:15 PM

I dont care for Johnny Walker much but Glen Fiddich is decent. Most of it is 8 years by standard. They have some 18 and 24 yr stuff like Jameson. Believe it or not, Crown is one of the better whiskeys for the price. I have some Crown Reserve yet to be cracked at the house.

Have you ever tried Red Breast, Powers or Michael Collins? All better than Jameson to me. And I love Jameson.

Those whiskeys are made the way they are supposed to be made. Not cheapskating it with fucking corn. :poke poke:

I keed though. We'll have to exchange a few glasses at a game one day AUT1.

Gotdamn, everyone know good whiskey is made with at least 51% corn. God intended it to be made in Kentucky, everyone else is just pretenders.

I have tried Michael Collins, and Bushmills, it's not bad, I still like Jameson a lot better. Not a Walker, Fiddich, Regal, fan. If Scotch was any good, they wouldn't have to use old used bourbon barrels to age it in.

Not much on the Canadian Blends either. I do enjoy a shot of cold Crown from time to time and I do enjoy a 7&7 as well, but not to often.

TN Whiskey: Only Dickel no.12 is worth drinking to me, and I am also not much on the Rye's but for a few.

I am just a Burbbinz kind of guy. If I do manage to get to a game this year, I will take you up on that offer for a drink.