by Chris M » Mon Apr 30, 2012 10:10 pm
I personally like my bourbon straight, so I tend toward whiskeys that work best straight (which IMO are mostly bourbons from Heaven Hill and Four Roses).
Maker's Mark is the best intro to bourbon drink. It's intended to be reachable for Scotch drinkers or non-whiskey drinkers but has the basic bourbon flavor profile. Not enough of a kick for me. Bourbon should have a kick. You should know you're drinking whiskey.
The best way to do a tasting is to make sure you provide at least one whiskey from each major distillery as all of the whiskeys from any single distillery have a similar flavor profile. They use the same water, the same still, the same grains, the same cooperage and are all stored in similar fashion in a similar location. Many use the same mash bill and are just selected barrels. For example, Ancient Ancient Age is all of the Blanton's that didn't make the cut. Four Roses yellow is a blend of 10 mash bills, Four Roses Small Batch is a subset of 4 of those mash bills, and Four Roses Single Barrel is the best barrels of one of the mash bills. Woodford Reserve is pot stilled bourbon mixed with select barrels of Old Forrester. Jim Black black is older Jim Beam white. etc.
Elijah Craig 18 yr is IMO the best value in whiskey bar none. Not just bourbon. I'd pay double what they ask for it and still consider it a value. Sweet on the tongue with a nice spicy finish and just a little kick to let you know it's there. Every time I drink it I wonder why I drink anything else.
My list would be as follows. These are all reasonably priced bourbons. I'm leaving off Van Winkle and the like, special releases, etc.
So, from Heaven Hill the aforementioned Elijah Craig 18 (though Evan Williams Single Barrel is a great buy as well and about half the price. Elijah Craig 12 is also good. I basically like every bourbon Heaven Hill puts out.)
From Maker's, their name sake
From Buffalo Trace I'd go with Eagle Rare, Elmer T. or even their namesake depending on your budget
From Beam.. uh, I guess Basil Haydens. I'm not a Beam fan. Booker's is fun for shock value. It hurts unnecessarily. The nicest thing I can say about Knob Creek is that it makes a good Manhattan.
From Brown Foreman, Woodford Reserve (just because everyone knows it) or save some money and just get Old Forrester. I actually prefer OF to WR but people expect Woodford because they know it
From 1792, their namesake
From Wild Turkey either Kentucky Spirit or Rare Breed
And from Four Roses their namesake single barrell (though Small Batch is good too, and yellow is nice. Again, I'm a fan of everything they do.)
Weller is also really good and adds a second wheater to go with the Maker's. (Wheaters are for wimps. There, I said it). If you want to mix in a rye, Russell's Reserve is great, and Bernheim could round out your tasting with a pure wheat whiskey to give you both ends of the spectrum.
Start with the Bernheim, then the wheated bourbons (Maker's and Weller), then the rye bourbons and finally the Rye whiskey. Try them straight, with a drop of water and with a single ice cube. Or put a bottle in the fridge and then hold the cold whiskey in your mouth as it warms. It's fascinating to note how the flavor profile changes as the whiskey cools or warms, and it's amazing what a drop of water can do.
Don't provide or allow any mixer other than water. Putting Coke in bourbon is like putting ketchup on a steak. These bourbons deserve better. Jack Daniels is not bourbon.
Bourbon is a wonderful thing. Enjoy discovering it.
I loved the Willet Reserve but at $64, opted to buy a bottle of the Johnnie Drum ($24). I thought both did an excellent job with the vanilla, caramel notes we love in our Bourbon; I wasn't familiar with their brands and was really impressed with their portfolio. Nothing pedestrian about these brands....