Over the last several years, I've been on a big rye whiskey kick... typically sticking with Bulleit, Rittenhouse, and Templeton. In 2017 - I've been expanding more into Bourbon. I've finally decided to keep a decent Bourbon collection in my home bar, and I'm looking for advice from more experienced bourbon fans for what to stock, taste profiles, etc. Up until this weekend, I've been sticking to Bulleit Bourbon and been drinking a lot of Straight Edge Bourbon. I did some light Internet research over the weekend and visited a few different liquor stores in my neighborhood and ended up purchasing the following: Staggs Jr Eagle Rare WL Weller Special Reserve High West Bourye EH Taylor Single Barrel Blanton's Single Barrel What am I missing? What else would help me round out a nice Bourbon collection for the house? I'm not delusional enough to think I'll ever find a bottle of Pappy to buy and keep at my house, which would be the holy grail. But even if I found a bottle, don't think I could stomach shelling out the prices I've seen on the Internet - even for a 10-year. I've heard good things about Michter's. I know Buffalo Trace has all sorts of unique ones outside of Pappy that are impossible to find too... I don't live in Texas, but saw a store on Saturday selling a brand called Balcones that appears to be from Texas. Any good?
Everything you mentioned besides the High West is made by Buffalo Trace, which both makes and has acquired many great whiskeys, including Pappy Van Winkle. You've still not tried anything from Beam, Brown Foreman, Heaven Hill, George Dickel, or Wild Turkey. I would try to get a small batch bourbon from each to see what you like as you build your collection. Personally, I went through a bourbon kick about 6 years ago and probably bought thirty different bottles. Since then, I've decided that my palette is wasted on the expensive stuff. Now I just look for Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, and Jim Beam Black in their regular expressions for sipping and Evan Williams Black or Bottled in Bond for mixing. Anything more than 25 to 30 dollars a bottle and I'd rather buy a nice Irish whiskey, Johnny Walker Black, or splurge on a single malt.
I really like Jack Daniels Single Barrel, Knob Creek, and Angels Envy. But my current favorite is Texas Bourbon Whiskey...
^^^Thanks! I'll look for that this week. Even though it's from College Station. Angel's Envy Rye is great stuff, btw.
<necro rye bump>. I'm currently sipping a Manhattan made with Balcones Lineage Texas Whiskey, which appears to be neither Bourbon nor Rye, but a Texas take on single malt, err Scotch. quite nice. I also have a bottle of Baby Blue, a corn whiskey that i like a lot. tried the Texas Single Malt, but at 53%, at my advanced age, I can no longer hang. on the subject of Rye, Try Dad's Hat.
Bought this the other day. Hope it's good. Paid $129 and I had no idea if that was a fair price or not. https://www.wine.com/product/nikka-from-the-barrel-japanese-whisky/527371
Buffalo Trace is my regular go-to. Sometimes I'll buy something really expensive and it almost never is as good as BT.
Check out the Whiskey Tribe youtube channel. While not limited to bourbon, they do cover it in a number of videos and talk about many of the things that you said you were interested in (recommendations, taste profiles).
i've had it, and it is indeed very good. my regular bourbon is Woodford Reserve, but i've not spent a lot of time with their rye. when i have a cocktail, which is not that frequent, i generally mix an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, or Boulevardier. for my taste, bourbon is just too sweet for those drinks, so a nice dry rye is mandatory.
Last time we went on a cruise they had Buffalo Trace hidden behind Makers Mark. Nothing against MM, and I am sure most folks recognized and ordered it... I saw the BT and would also call it instead...
Everyone recommend Woodford Reserve, and I have never tried it. My medicine cabinet supply is starting to dwindle, so I will celebrate the weekend with a trip to my local, um, pharmacy. For medicinal purposes, you know.
Might be the best Texas Bourbon going... Just went on a distillery tour earlier this week and came home with a couple of their Cask Strength bottles.
