If you're young and price is important, some of the best for the money (in my opinion anyway) are:

Buffalo Trace
W.L. Weller 12 Year
Eagle Rare
& Evan Williams Single Barrel

If you want to step up a level from there:

Elmer T. Lee (really phenomenal for the price)
Four Roses Small Bath & Single Barrel
Woodford Reserve
& Basil Haydens

Blantons is great, as are most other bourbons in the $50+ range, but one of the great things about bourbon is that you can get some really high quality pours for less than $30 a bottle.

So don't be fooled into thinking you have to spend $50 to get a quality bourbon, especially if you're young and just starting out career-wise.

Throw Larceny and Elijah Craig 12 on that list.

Thanks for the replies!

Greg,
I have tried Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve and Basil Haydens. My favorite was Woodford, but all 3 were very good.

DryFly,
Larceny is one that I have tried on the recommendation of this thread and I thought for the price it was amazing.

I am still fairly young and my career is going great so far, just not to the point where I would feel it is responsible to spend $100 on a bottle of bourbon yet. This is especially true because as pointed out I have had some really tasty stuff for much less than that.

It looks like I am just dipping into the wonderful world of quality bourbons and so far I am loving it. Every time I go to the liquor store it is exciting to pick out a new bottle of something I have never tried before. I am leaving the Jim Beam and other similar bourbons in the rearview mirror, purchased only for if I feel like mixing. I look forward to trying every selection listed in your replies and choosing some others mentioned in this thread.

I suppose I should add that since this is my introduction into this thread/board, my preference is on the rocks. For some reason I just don't like to drink anything at room temperature. I recently bought the sphere molds and am excited to try them and see if it helps with the watering down issue.

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I am leaving the Jim Beam and other similar bourbons in the rearview mirror, purchased only for if I feel like mixing

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Beam did come out with a 12 yr Signature Bourbon recently which is a good pour for the price.

And as far as the ice spheres, they are nice for on the rocks. Don't melt near as fast. I keep a few in the freezer. There's gonna be some you enjoy on rocks and some you'll enjoy neat. You may not like neat as much now but you'll develop into liking certain bourbons better neat.

Sipped on some High West Rye last night. I was pleasantly surprised - was expecting a pretty harsh swallow (why, I don't know), but it is a fairly smooth pour with a touch of sweetness on the back end. Not too much, but just enough to be noticeable.

I do thin you need to let it sit and open up for 10-15 minutes though. There is a marked difference in the profile from first drink to last.

Opened my High West bottle Saturday. It was pretty good straight although I'm gonna have to really sit with it again to really tell. Mainly made old fashioneds with it which were outstanding.

the dude: Weller 12, Larceny, Eagle Rare 10, 4 Roses Single Barrell, Noah's Mill, Weller 107 (see previous pages for blending with the 12). Larceny and Weller 12 are my two regular "bargain" sippers. Yellow Rose is a decent rye, the newest batch of Willett is very nice as well.

Dude,

Glad you liked the Larceny. Very rarely do I hear anyone talking about it and I can only assume it's because not many have tried it. It's a wheater and as you mentioned, very good bang for the buck. I think marketing plays a whole lot into it. Quite frankly, if it had a better name and a more romantic label, it would sell more than it does. Noah's Mill is a perfect example of that. For me, Noah's Mill is meh, but it's got a great name, a very rustic/romantic label, and it also comes with a higher price tag which I think a lot of people think means better quality which in turn means they want it even more. Larceny is priced in the low 20's but drinks like an upper $30's or low $40's bourbon.

where has this thread been all my life!!

Gig'em Aggies~~WHOOP!

Have Deep South Barrels been discussed already? Had one shipped to the casa for Krampus and sent the wife instructions for the Weller 12/107 blend. I'll be tasting it in about a month and comparing it to my bottle of Pappy 15.

Tell me about the Buffalo Trace Experimental batch releases. The Specs here has a bottle of their rice experiment and oats experiment.

LaFours,

I'm interested in that, as well as the Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project.

Depends on the barrel number. Search online for detailed descriptions of each.

Great thread!

Been working on a bottle of Bulleit for a while now. Picked up a bottle of Elijah Craig 12 today at Twin Liquors. I think I'll try the Weller next.

They had several bottles of the the Garrison Brothers 2013 on hand. But, with the mixed reviews and ~$80 a bottle price tag, I couldn't pull the trigger. It was the most expensive item they had on the shelf in the Bourbon section. Are there any bars in the Austin area that carry the Garrison Brothers? I am interested in giving it a try...

I know the crossroads saloon and steakhouse in Fredericksburg has it. Wife and I were there having drinks in the saloon earlier this year and the bartender was a girl named Walker I believe. I saw the garrison brothers on the shelf and asked how much for a pour. She replied $34 or something like that and I declined. However she offered a free sample which I gladly accepted. I don't know if they typically do that or not but it was a slow night and we were just sitting at the bar chatting with her a lot. I know it's not exactly Austin but hope that helps.

Garrison bros sucks ass imo

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Garrison bros sucks ass imo

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Troof

Still trying to figure out why it's $70. It's surly not priced according to quality.

I didn't think it was terrible, but I was drinking woodford reserve and couldn't have said that I would rather drink the garrison brothers. I feel like garrison brothers would not have such a bad reputation if it wasn't priced so high. The taste itself isn't that bad, just not worth the crazy price tag

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Have Deep South Barrels been discussed already? Had one shipped to the casa for Krampus and sent the wife instructions for the Weller 12/107 blend. I'll be tasting it in about a month and comparing it to my bottle of Pappy 15.

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I have 2 of them. Just tapped some Weller Antique 107 that I have been aging for about 10 weeks.

I pretty much have a new favorite house blend for me now. OWA is a decent bourbon to start with, but it is significantly smoother and more robust now.

This batch was in my 2L barrel. I have Buffalo Trace in my 3L barrel that i will get around to tapping pretty soon as well. Both were barreled on the same day and have gone through the same treatment.

I am a fan of small barrel finishing established bourbon to really enhance and increase the flavor.



[This message has been edited by schmellba99 (edited 12/27/2013 8:51a).]

I found a specs that has the Buffalo Trace Experimental. Bottle looks pretty small and it was priced at 65.

Worth it? If you've tried it, impressions?

Jobu, I saw some here in CS and was wondering about them too, hence my previous post. Just not sure about rice or oats in a bourbon.

Just pulled this from BT...it's the 2013 releases for experimentals:

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Experimental Collection
2013 Releases

Barrel Stave Drying Time
This experimental bourbon aimed to explore the difference wood stave drying time had on taste. One barrel was crafted from oak staves that dried naturally for six months and one with a 13-month stave drying time. Both bourbons were put into new, charred white oak barrels produced by Independent Stave Company 15 years ago. The end result for the standard six-month stave seasoned barrels was a well-rounded bourbon that has flavors of caramel, vanilla, and oak. The 13-month stave seasoned barrels led to a bourbon that tastes of sweet nuts balanced with mild spicy notes, creating a robust flavor.
Hot Box Toasted Barrel
We placed barrel staves into a "Hot Box" at 133 degrees Fahrenheit and steamed them. They were then assembled into a barrel. The goal was to see if the steaming process would drive more or different flavors into the wood that would be imparted on the whiskey aged inside of the barrel. The barrels were filled with Buffalo Trace Rye Bourbon Mash #2 and left to age for 16 years and 8 months. The resulting bourbon is well-balanced with fruity notes complimented by a caramel and buttery taste.
#7 Heavy Char
We charred the inside of these barrels for 3.5 minutes, as opposed to the normal 55 second char typically used by Buffalo Trace. The barrels were then filled with Buffalo Trace Rye Bourbon Mash #2 and left to age for 15 years and 9 months. The end result is a bourbon with an oaky aroma followed by a body that is heavy and complex. It has a smoky and robust flavor, with fantastic woody notes and hints of vanilla, fruit and tannin. It is dry and balanced.
Wheat 90
This experiment sought to determine how the barrel entry proof of wheat mash can affect flavor profile. This 90 entry proof wheat mash recipe resulted in a bourbon with more wood characters and slight sweet notes. It is mellow with hints of cedar and other wood flavors.
Wheat 105
An experiment was done to test if the barrel entry proof of our wheated mash affects bourbon’s flavor. The 105 entry proof produced bourbon that is a nice balance of sweet caramel, vanilla and dry oakiness.
Wheat 115
This experiment tested how wheat mash entry proof affects bourbon's flavor profile. The 115 entry proof produced a well-balanced spirit. The up-front taste is sweet and fruity, with buttery toffee notes that follow. This is completed with a dry oaky finish.
Wheat 125
A test was done to determine how entry proof of wheat mash can affect bourbon maturation inside of the barrel. The 125 entry proof resulted in a well-rounded flavor. The taste is a balance of cooked berries mingled with sweet honey and slight hints of spicy cloves and pepper.
Click here to go back to the Experimental Collection

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The rice and oats experiments are from the 2011 release.

These experiments are really all over the board.

Here is the link for all experimental release years:

http://www.greatbourbon.com/content/experimental-collection

Nice find Jobu. Thanks for posting the info. Now I would like to find a bottle of heavy char.

There's a cab franc aged 8 years from 2008 that sounds awesome.

I say this because I love the saint Arnold bishops barrel number 1. Beer/bourbon. Phenomenal if you can taste it.

Finding these experiments is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. Suppose you want to find that heavy char, you will first need to find who even has experiments, and then see if they have the right one.

Patience will need to be your co pilot.

I guess I'll be chatting up the cute girl at specs that helps me find whiskey. Damn the luck on that one. One more reason to talk to her.

So bourbon aged in cab franc barrels?

Yes, from what I understand from its write up.

I'm drinking a scotch aged in Amarone casks right now. The infusion of the red wine flavors into the whiskey adds a great layer of fullness to the flavor profile. I would imagine it would go even better into a nice thick bourbon. I bet that cab franc aged bourbon is some pretty fantastic stuff.

I'm curious if anybody has put Larceny or Eagle Rare into a Deep South Barrel to continue aging it?

Huge fan of both and they are such a great price that I'm curious how it tastes with a little aging?

Where'd you find that? How much did you pay?