Bourbon Drinkers!

[King Luis]

so someone school me on bourbons vs whiskeys. i've been into an Irish whiskey mood the last little while. Been drinking Proper Twelve by Conor McGregor. It's a great price and pretty good. Any other recommendations? Not a fan of JD or anything smokey.

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[Karl_in_Chicago]

so someone school me on bourbons vs whiskeys. i've been into an Irish whiskey mood the last little while. Been drinking Proper Twelve by Conor McGregor. It's a great price and pretty good. Any other recommendations? Not a fan of JD or anything smokey.

All bourbon is whiskey while not all whiskey is bourbon. To label itself as bourbon the whiskey must:
1) Have a mash bill with a minimum of 51% corn
2) Be distilled to no more than 160 proof
3) Be aged in first use charred oak barrels
4) Enter the barrels at no higher than 125 proof
Optional - if aged for a minimum of 2 years it can be labeled as "straight bourbon"

Bourbon taste is heavily influenced by the mash bill (the mixture of grains), the length of the aging, and various factors in the facility where it's aged (temps, temp variations, etc.), the type(s) of yeast . . . and I could go on and on.

In general a bourbon with a higher corn content will usually tend to be sweeter, a higher rye content introduces a spiciness.

For an intro to a relative newbie at affordable price points to try and find what style might suit you I'd suggest (I'm avoiding palate descriptions, too long and subjective, pricing is local to me):
Buffalo Trace - 90 proof, aged at least 8 years; smooth with a low rye content. ~$25
Knob Creek 9 year- 100 proof, aged 9 years (duh!); the higher proof gives it a bit more bite (pleasantly so) than the BT; benefits from a *small* splash of water (I drink all my bourbon neat unless mixing in a cocktail). ~$26
Makers Mark - 90 proof, no age statement. Very smooth which can be attributed, at least partially, due to it being a "wheated" bourbon (16% wheat); 70% corn. This is a very popular bourbon but admit it's not my cup of tea, err bourbon, but it's very approachable for someone starting out. ~$25

Unfortunately with the pandemic the opportunities to engage with a knowledgeable bartender at a place with a good bourbon selection have been greatly curtailed. "Back in the day" I used to sample a number of different tastings at a well stocked bar I haunted and discovered things I would have been hesitant to buy a whole bottle of without having tasted.

Four Roses makes a plethora of special small batch bourbons that appeal to every possible taste. They have a series where they have two different mashbills "B" (60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley) and "E" (75% corn, 20% rye, 5% barley) that are then paired up with 5 different yeast strains, each imparting a specific characteristic. My personal favorite is OBSK (B mash bill and Strain K of yeast); the spicy mash (high rye content) paired with the spicy yeast hits the spot for me. Should you have the chance to safely converse with a knowledgeable bartender at a good bar ask if you can sample some bourbon; most are happy to pour a splash into a small snifter and provide you with info about it.

Good luck!

 

[TheNavDad]

Standard fare in my bar I like to keep
Buffalo Trace
Woodford Reserve
Jim Beam for guests, ha.
Irish - Yellow Spot, if i can find it, but it's $$$
For a Rye- WhistlePig PiggyBack

Like to make some Ol' Fashioneds most of the time.

 

[TheNavDad]

Does anybody else do an Infinity Bottle here? I'll usually take 2oz of every bottle i try and pour it into 1 creating my own special blend. Only comes out for special occasions.

 

[RLW]

Favorite affordable bourbon is eagle rare. Always have a bottle or two at the house.
I like blade and bow as well.

 

[WuNgUn]

High West is one of my go-to's when drinking bourbon.

Some of the current drinkers:

I can't keep it around long enough to have a collection.

 

[WuNgUn]

Saving my money to try and bring the Bronco cost down!
So just a Mickey of something cheap but decent this weekend.

 

[Big TX Mike]

Woodford is the go to. Agree with the earlier post, if you are in the area check out the distillery it's a must see. The Bourbon Trail is probably on the road trip list with the Bronco, I'm sure there are some trails to hit around there.

As for how to drink it:
Rocks
Old Fashioned
Or with Dr Pepper (fight me lol)

 

[Psybako]

Buffalo Trace, Maker's Mark, Angel's Envy - all super good. I haven't tried a number of the "go-to" suspects, but Woodford, Eagle Rare, Wild Turkey 101, and Larceny are on my shortish list of things to try down the road. Bonus pick (not *technically* a bourbon), Michter's Unblended American Whiskey.

 

[High Proof]

This one isn't bourbon, but the name seemed to warrant a post. Picked it up on the way through South Dakota.

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