Derby Bourbon

I've purchased bourbon... Once. I had a sore throat that sent me to the doctor. But I think I can FINALLY say that I like whiskey (scotch being my favorite so far). I'm hosting some guests for Derby and I want to have some bourbon, and as much as I've worked my rear off to develop a palette for bourbon, I'm still clueless. I'd love to avoid the usual suspects. Somewhat conservative price range? Something to pair well with some dirty Burgoo?

Hey Jax, it's hard to beat "Elmer T Lee" single barrel for under $30 a bottle. It's not a usual suspect but it's very tasty and very well regarded by knowledgeable bourbon drinkers. Cheers!

You'd be remiss not to have at least a bottle of Maker's or Woodford around if you are entertaining. I like both about the same. Either one will set you back 30-40 bucks a 750 ml.
For the low end stuff, you can't go wrong with Ancient Age. It reminds me of a budget version of Maker's. not as complex flavored, but not bad for general swilling. It's around 15 bucks for a 750 ml.

By Price Point:

Benchmark 8 Year 750ml - $8
Old Forester 86 750ml - $15
Old Forester Signature 100 750ml - $17
Old Bardstown Estate 101 750ml - $23
Willet Pot Still Single Barrel 750ml - $33
Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel 750ml - $50

I'm not much of a whiskey drinker but I really like Woodford.

I would personally buy Makers Mark liked Dan suggested but I've never had what Shane suggested and he's normally on the mark with any questions regarding liquor.

A recent find:

Old Charter 8 year. They are featuring the 10 year at Bourbon's Bistro, if that tells you anything...

Jackie,

Were I to walk into your Derby party and were there to be Blanton's as an offering, I'd think the world of you as a host.

A little expensive. Prob set you back $55 for a 750mL.

Jackie,
We really like the caramel/vanilla notes in a bourbon and have tried alot of bourbons. We really like the following for serving to guests and drinking ourselves ( sorry- we aren't springing for Pappy 15 for our guests). Similar in flavor profile to Woodford- we think it's better ( and it's cheaper).

Evan Williams Single Barrel ( 10 yr old) - $24


Deb

W.L. Weller 12 Y/O. An all around good whiskey for you and your guests.

I agree with Ed, Shane and Deb (Weller 12 YO, Elmer T Lee or Evan Williams Single Barrel). All of those offer better value than Woodford, which will set you back more than any of those cost, and have more complexity than Maker's. The Woodford double oaked is nice though, but somewhat pricey. BUT. . . except for the Weller 12 year (. . . same barrel stock as the Van WInkle 10 year), I think the best value out there right now is the Johnny Drum barrel strength. Well under $30 (we have it at $27/bottle @ Old Town) it's barrel strength (100 proof) but very smooth for a bourbon of that potency.

If Scotch is your thing, and you don't mind approaching $50/btl, you might want to give Town Branch a shot. It is a newer bourbon, distilled by a former Scotch distiller, and contains 49% malt so it is as close to a Scotch as you can get for a bourbon.

I'd like to echo Ken's suggestion of Town Branch Bourbon, but also clarify his description a bit. Full disclosure, I am a rep for said brewery/distillery (we also brew Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale and Kentucky Ale).

Firstly, the Town Branch is a bourbon with a significant malt component, but the 49% is a misquote from a Bourbon Review article. The malt content is not actually quite that high and it does incorporate some wheat and rye into the mash bill. Secondly, I'm not sure where the $50 price point Ken mentioned came from, as it is a much more reasonable $24-29 on the shelf.

As for Scotch, we also produce a Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey called Pearse Lyons Reserve, which is 100% barley malt and very reminiscent of a Highland Scotch. It is usually priced at around $30 a bottle and makes a nice companion piece to the Town Branch.

Happy Derby and Happy Whiskey Hunting!

My two suggestions would be a wheated bourbon, for which I would ditto Makers and a rye bourbon for which I would recommend Buffalo Trace. Have a great party!

[Robin Garr]

W.L. Weller 12 Y/O. An all around good whiskey for you and your guests.

Bingo. Classic old-style and a great value. With all respect to the popularity of Makers Mark and Woodford Reserve, the former wins popularity because it's made smoooooooth - easy to sip, but not a typical bourbon. The latter is Brown-Forman's. In both cases, I'm skittish about any product where the advertising budget tends to outrun the production budget.

W.L. Weller 12 seems to be the Kentucky bourbon lover's secret.

If you want to spend a little more, I sat on a panel including a number of pretty serious experts a few years ago as we tasted through about a dozen bourbons in a rigorous "blind" setting, and the two winners were Noah's Mill and Rowan's Creek. On a points basis, they ran well ahead of the field with no other contenders close. In blind competition, Woodford and Makers didn't do well.

If you're buying Ancient Age, make sure it's Ancient Ancient Age (or Triple A), aged ten years for only S16.99 per 750 bottle. One of the best values out there.

I love Weller 12yr, but I haven't seen it on shelves for a few months. The standard Weller 7yr is still great as a cheaper and just as good substitute for Maker's.