Since when was this so damn drinkable? I am certain that it was always rubbish, but either I’ve changed or it has and now I am finding it unfeasibly delicious. Currently enjoying a Woodford Reserve, would love some more suggestions, and also an answer to this question: has it massively improved or was I just an ignoramus with no knowledge of the good stuff?

Makers Mark 46 is my favourite.

Slippery slope!

I reckon my tastebuds must have changed around 40 because suddenly I developed a fondness of it too.

I’m sure it will be scoffed at but my go to has been Wild Turkey 101. No idea where it ranks amongst others but it hits the spot for me.

Bulleit is nice..

DrP

All the above, I like Bulleit. I’ve just finished my bottle of Woodford Reserve. I’ve heard good things about Monkey Shoulder but never tried it.

Ignoramus.

Maker’s Mark.

/thread

😁

I love Bourbon – esp Woodford Reserve – the Double oaked is lovely. But Makers Mark and Knob Creek also work.
I absolutely hate Bulleit – it smells odd, it tastes chemically – but others here seem to love it. Buffalo Trace is a good “low rent” bourbon – recommended to be by a Michelin starred chef , no less.

Bulleit Rye is the best one (green label). The standard (orange label) is a bit rough and I don’t rate the 10yr old much.

Drunk many bourbons / ryes in my time, up to the high end Pappy’s. Second the recommendations for Bulleit Rye if buying with your own money above. Great value / enjoyment / easy to find / no hype. Way too easy to drink.

This used to be my tipple of choice before I stopped drinking, especially as an old fashioned or sazerac. I would second what mrmoofo says about Buffalo Trace. It punches well above its weight in the flavour stakes. It kind of blew my mind when I tried it because I couldn’t believe anything so cheap could taste so good.

Get yourself a bottle of this stuff:

Significantly better than your average supermarket-available Bourbons, but maybe stretching the realms of sensibility at nearly £60/bottle. I got a bottle from a roadside liqour store in New Hampshire for about $30, wish I’d bought a case.

Woodford reserve yes, Makers Mark yes, Bulleit yes for cleaning toilets but not for drinking.

Angel’s Envy, if you can find it. Otherwise the ones above, Wild Turkey Rare Breed is rocket fuel mind.. good, but it creeps up on you and then wham..

Knob Creek Rye is very nice
If you want to make Manhattan’s or whisky sours then Sainsburys do a bourbon for £13.50 that is great for mixing. Neat in a taste test against an expensive brand you can tell it has an artificial hint but for the price it is great value

I just finished a Christmas bottle of Woodford’s Reserve – it was nice but didn’t knock my socks off – there was a bit of a chemically aftertaste.

Evan Williams is the benchmark for me – usually on offer at about £25 and it’s a complete bargain.

how you drinking it?
Ive always done something like a sour, never really got on with it neat

Bulleit Rye is made by MGP in Indiana so it ought to be good stuff.
Wild Turkey 101 best bang for buck bourbon

mrchrispy
Full Member
how you drinking it?

Depends on the bourbon for me. Evan is neat, Woodford is neat or one ice cube, Wild Turkey with an ice cube or two, Aldi’s surprisingly good one is in an Old Fashioned

As well as the ones mentioned above, American Eagle 12 year aged it’s gorgeous, similar to Makers Mark 46, not cheap though at around £50-60.

For mixing my go to these days is Lidl’s 8 year aged, at around £15 it’s a bargain and very nice.

My favourite is the very reasonably priced Buffalo Trace. Often on offer to £18 a bottle and punches well above its weight.

They also do a fancier Eagle Rare which is £40 or so but for me BT hits the spot.

how you drinking it?

One ice cube and if I’m feeling adventurous, one slice of orange peel.

I’ve just opened a new bottle of Four Roses Small Batch- seriously good! Possibly even more interesting and multi faceted than the Woodforde Reserve, which I also loved. I also tried a snifter of Bulleitt on Saturday- I’m in the enjoyed camp I’m afraid!

Woodford Reserve do a rye version which is well worth a try.

This thread has popped up at the right time.

My extended family have a whiskey tasting session every couple of months,I came top last tasting with the Irish whiskeys. A nice bottle of Gendalough.

Next is bourbons, I’ve had monkey shoulder and currently have Woodford reserve, but was looking at a bottle of Bowsaw Small Batch. The tasting notes on master of malt sound lush.

Anyone had experience of?

Tasting notes on M of M always sound lush (and whiskey is generally lush stuff, I`m sure the Bowsaw will be). Problem for me would be that it is near £40 and only 40% where you could get Eagle Rare or Wild Turkey 101 or others for same or less.
But no, I`ve never tried it.

I’ll add my vote to Eagle Rare, lovely stuff. I’ve had Knob Creek and Bulleit in the past, but for me Eagle Rare was a bit of a revelation.

Next is bourbons, I’ve had monkey shoulder and currently have Woodford reserve,

Monkey Shoulder is Scotch, isn’t it?

Yeah, it’s a decent enough blend with aggressive marketing. It’s drinkable but I wouldn’t be paying a premium for it.

Just tried a Buffalo Trace- not bad, very much your classic ‘rough honey’ bourbon vibe

Woodford Reserve is still my fave bourbon to date

I just picked up a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 in Tesco for 23 quid, first drop and can confirm its very good, especially for the money!

Morrisons seem to have a sale on. I went for Buffalo Trace at £20 a bottle (though was tempted by Makers Mark at £24). I agree with others that it seems tastebuds change with age. Drank it (too much) when younger, so not had it in decades. It’s going down nicely again!

MM at £24 is a steal.

Wild Turkey 101 is fantastic, but Wild Turkey Rare Breed if you can find it is the most amazing bourbon there is!!

if you get some and dont agree, ill buy it off you!

Got a bottle of Knob Creek delivered this morning after reading about it above.

Jeez! It’s sweet!

For me, the nose is like cream cakes or custard. In the mouth it’s like a sweet soft drink and it finishes like vanilla ice cream.

I will persevere, but I think it’ll be too sweet for me over all. Oh! Did I mention it’s 100% proof!

Did I mention it’s 100% proof!

It’s not.

1) Percent and proof are different things. It’s something proof or it’s something percent, never percent proof. See also, degrees Kelvin.

2) The US has a weird take on “proof,” they basically take the ABV and double it. So a 100 proof bourbon is 50% ABV. Proof as a term is archaic but it’s to do with whether gunpowder will light or not, 100 proof in English measures is something like 57%.

TL;DR: don’t use ‘proof’ as a measurement, it’s silly. 😁

Lol! Ok smarty pants, it’s 50% alc value. But it says 100% proof on the bottle, so there! Na na 🤣🤣🤣

I once had to explain alcoholic volume in a sheriff court, ye know!

I barely got it away with it 🤣🤣🤣

I love whisky so thought I’d try buffalo trace I gave it away it was sickly sweet but I really liked makers mark the bulliet bourbon had a wierd tatse i didnt like ,im told MM is the most whisky like bourbon so that my be why I like it, I also seem to like anything with rye in it or with a rye finish my arrrrrrbeg and stauning rye didnt last long at all 🙂

But it says 100% proof on the bottle

Does it? Or does it say “100 proof”?