Favorite widely available bourbon or whiskey

[seenred]

Red, you won't be disappointed. That is Jim Beam's premium product, and if memory serves me (though it's become a pretty unreliable servant lately) is considered second only to Booker's which at barrel proof is too strong for some folks. (And whose price has zoomed way past my budget.)
Jim Beam standard white bottle is pretty unremarkable stuff. But they do know good bourbon and a lot of their upscale products are not only quite good, but can be great values. Baker's may still fall in that category although I'm almost scared to look up its street price right now.

Good information - I didn’t realize it was a JB label. And good call…I poured 3 fingers last night - very good!

I prefer the traditional "old fashion" glass for bourbon or even scotch.

I too prefer an old fashion glass…almost always for bourbon.

Red

 

[BGKYSmoker]

The KBT starts 12 miles down the rd from us with Boundary Oak.

 

[JckDanls 07]

I think you've got a very special bottle there.

Thanks Bill... I think so too

 

[JckDanls 07]

bill1

Dunno if you seen my earlier post with the picture of the tag describing the occasion and the history of the bottle itself...

Favorite widely available bourbon or whiskey

Both Knob Creek and Basil Hayden (if it's available in your area) are outstanding bourbons. You can't go wrong with either. I keep both on hand as well as a few others. If you're in the mood to splurge try Bookers. Absolutely incredible!! Robert

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[JIMSMOKES]

Go to brand is Old Forester 100 proof, same mash bill as Woodford Reserve but not distilled in copper and made in bulk. At around $25 a fifth it is hard to beat for the price. If and when it is available, Buffalo Trace.

Cheap! Look for Rebel 100 nice wheated mash with a good bite.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

If I could get away with it I would send you a bottle of Buffalo Trace, we have it all over.

I give up on trying to find a bottle of that. When they do get some its gone within the hour.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I give up on trying to find a bottle of that. We they do get some its gone within the hour.

Went out yesterday to get some, 4 places and they were out. Whaaaat, its normally all over.

The quest continues at the local places. If nothing I will go to the distillery and get it.

 

[Retired Spook]

Bought my first bottle of bourbon about 5-weeks ago - a bottle of Yellowstone because I have no clue what to buy, and still don't. If I drank 10-times in my entire life that would be a lot, but I guess I am getting old and want to go to sleep with that silly smile on my face once in a while, so I tried it - meh...

I've been wanting to try Buffalo Trace because its the only thing I've heard of beside the Yellowstone. Buffalo Trace is never in stock but they had little one-shot bottles so I bought 2 to try, tonight. The lady at the store said she did not like Buffalo trace because it's sweet - if it is, I probably will not like it either.

I also bought a 750m ml bottle of Maker's Mark Cask Strength - have no clue if I will like it but I am going to find out.

Any opinions on the Maker's Mark?

[EDIT] Gee, the first taste of Buffalo trace isn't bad at all.

[EDIT 2] The Maker's Mark is better.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Bought my first bottle of bourbon about 5-weeks ago - a bottle of Yellowstone because I have no clue what to buy, and still don't. If I drank 10-times in my entire life that would be a lot, but I guess I am getting old and want to go to sleep with that silly smile on my face once in a while, so I tried it - meh...

I've been wanting to try Buffalo Trace because its the only thing I've heard of beside the Yellowstone. Buffalo Trace is never in stock but they had little one-shot bottles so I bought 2 to try, tonight. The lady at the store said she did not like Buffalo trace because it's sweet - if it is, I probably will not like it either.

I also bought a 750m ml bottle of Maker's Mark Cask Strength - have no clue if I will like it but I am going to find out.

Any opinions on the Maker's Mark?

[EDIT] Gee, the first taste of Buffalo trace isn't bad at all.

[EDIT 2] The Maker's Mark is better.

Being a Makers ambassador for years, Yes its good.
But
Angels Envy is much better.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Yesterday going out with my wife. Passing all the signs. She says you want to go to any of them........Naaaa, I'm good, lets just got to Lexington.

So to the mall we go.
In the mall they have a store that sells many types of local bourbons.
But no BT at the time. She say dont you want to see all the Blanton's?
No cuz I want one...Ha

So I exit the store and start walking with daughter and her kids.

When my wife catches up she hands me a sack. Happy early B-Day.

She got me the oldest battled that was on the shelf. The saleslady let my wife pick.

I know how much she paid for it. She said are you going to put this in your little barrel? Nope, its staying in the bottle.

 

[Retired Spook]

Being a Makers ambassador for years, Yes its good.
But
Angels Envy is much better.

Based on how well I slept last night the Maker's Mark works for me! Price was not so bad and liquor store lady says they always have some in stock.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I do have MM

 

[Retired Spook]

For a novice burbon drinker the Maker's Mark Cask Strength was nice - just what I needed.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

For a novice burbon drinker the Maker's Mark Cask Strength was nice - just what I needed.

When you go to the MM tour towards the end in the tasting room they put out for you 4 small shots of each. For the MM ambassadors you get a 5th shot of special they only make for the Derby....Good stuff.

 

[mneeley490]

Maker's Mark was my house bourbon for many years. This was before the huge explosion of different labels in the past few years. It's still what I would introduce a newbie to.

 

[mneeley490]

Yesterday going out with my wife. Passing all the signs. She says you want to go to any of them........Naaaa, I'm good, lets just got to Lexington.
View attachment 658106


So to the mall we go.
In the mall they have a store that sells many types of local bourbons.
But no BT at the time. She say dont you want to see all the Blanton's?
No cuz I want one...Ha

So I exit the store and start walking with daughter and her kids.

When my wife catches up she hands me a sack. Happy early B-Day.

View attachment 658107

View attachment 658108

View attachment 658109

View attachment 658110

She got me the oldest battled that was on the shelf. The saleslady let my wife pick.

I know how much she paid for it. She said are you going to put this in your little barrel? Nope, its staying in the bottle.

BGKYSmoker, you need to give your wife a big kiss!

Blanton's is so highly allocated out here in WA, that IF a store can get some once or twice a year, it's usually limited to 2 bottles. And that's always gone within minutes. And IF by some miracle you saw it on a store shelf (which you won't), it would go for about $80, after taxes. People sell it on the gray market for $150-$250, and that's just the basic Blanton's. The red and gold versions go for much, much more. I recently bought one like yours for $100 from a guy who still had a conscience.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

At the BT distillery you can buy Blanton's. You have to be there when the doors open and you can only buy 1 bottle of the 10 daily. They have a system in place where you register and get a BT #, you can only purchase 1 bottle of their high end once a year at the distillery.

I'm going to try to get a green label (International) Blanton's when we go to DR.

 

[Kevin DeShazo]

Probably gonna catch h3ll for this, but as I sit here sipping a glass of Buffalo Trace, Im not that big a fan. Here in the Carolinas its hard to come by, traded a guy a bottle of Basil Hayden dark rye for it, he definitely won.

I like BT's cheaper brother Benchmark better than BT honestly. Benchmark I drink neat or on the rocks, BT has to be on the rocks to be palatable, for me.

 

[mneeley490]

At the BT distillery you can buy Blanton's. You have to be there when the doors open and you can only buy 1 bottle of the 10 daily. They have a system in place where you register and get a BT #, you can only purchase 1 bottle of their high end once a year at the distillery.

I'm going to try to get a green label (International) Blanton's when we go to DR.

Well I guess that explains why I couldn't get one at BT. We came later in the day. All we got to do was stand there and drool, while we watched them putting on the Blanton's labels, corks, and wax on the assembly line.

 

[kawboy]

Probably gonna catch h3ll for this, but as I sit here sipping a glass of Buffalo Trace, Im not that big a fan. Here in the Carolinas its hard to come by, traded a guy a bottle of Basil Hayden dark rye for it, he definitely won.

I like BT's cheaper brother Benchmark better than BT honestly. Benchmark I drink neat or on the rocks, BT has to be on the rocks to be palatable, for me.

I bought a bottle of Benchmark a while back because I just wanted a cheap whiskey to make into apple pie. I actually enjoy it more that most of the more expensive bottles I've bought. At 9 bucks I had no idea it had famous relatives!