If not GTS, them just switch to potato vodka.

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Craft Beer is making me fat...

What's a good sipping Bourbon to get started on? Something not cheap but also not outrageously priced. Somewhere in the extra medium price range.

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Ditto for Elijah Craig 12, Weller 12, Elmer T Lee, or Willett Pot Still. Elmer T Lee's a little harder to find on the western side of the Metroplex but the others can be found with little trouble.

Anyone tried Belle Meade Bourbon?

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Craft Beer is making me fat...

What's a good sipping Bourbon to get started on? Something not cheap but also not outrageously priced. Somewhere in the extra medium price range.

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Here is where I started: Basil Haydens, Eagle Rare 10, Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor Small Batch, Makers 46. I think anything from Buffalo Trace is a safe bet. I'd suggest starting with something (relatively) easy to find, affordable, and avoid anything that says barrel proof (or similar on it) until you get more into it.

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Anyone tried Belle Meade Bourbon?

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Bought a bottle on a whim. Meh. It's become my "I want something to mix to make a drink with" bottle. If I had one of those fancy barrels to age it in it would be a candidate to toss in for 3 months or so as it couldn't hurt it.

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Anyone tried Belle Meade Bourbon?

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Bought a bottle on a whim. Meh. It's become my "I want something to mix to make a drink with" bottle. If I had one of those fancy barrels to age it in it would be a candidate to toss in for 3 months or so as it couldn't hurt it.

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100% agree. I put it on the same level of Willet Family Pot Still. Nothing special and is mainly a mixer.

For a medium plus category like you asked for I'd say Elijah Craig 12, Weller 12, and Eagle Rare 10 would be great places to start. All should be under $30, and easy to find anywhere, and they're all very good.

For those that find Blanton's unimpressive, give Rock Hill Farms a shot. Same price, same mashbill, same approximate age, but I think it beats Blantons hands down.

I see regular Weller 90 proof on label every where but hardly the 12yr

big difference between the two?

Huge difference, in my opinion.

The 12 year is much much better than the regular version.

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I see regular Weller 90 proof on label every where but hardly the 12yr

big difference between the two?

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You're not alone in not seeing W12 on any shelves. I asked a mgr. at Specs - Midtown and he said they haven't received any bottles for several months because of the poor-man's-pappy recipe.

Has anyone tried Cotton Hollow? Specs is really pushing it; I succumbed and bought a bottle. It was a decent pour for a decent price.

Found Weller 12 and antique at my local store. What's the word on the antique? The 12 is a good bit spicier than my Pappy's 20. Hard to believe it's a poor man's Pappy to me. I'll give it another shot tonight.

My understanding is that the Antique is simply a 107 proof version of the regular Weller. Not aged any longer or anything, just stronger.

I could be wrong on that though.

Any of those bourbons listed on the past page or two is a great place to start. Until you start sampling multiple bourbons, I think you will have a hard time defining your palate. For instance, the FRLE this year was too minty for my taste. I wouldn't have known that when I first started drinking bourbon.

And I have an unopened bottle of FRLE I would be willing to trade off for those interested.

I haven't been able to find the Weller 12 anywhere. So not only can you not find Pappy you can't even find the stuff to make the poor man's pappy! Is there a recipe for a homeless man's pappy?

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I haven't been able to find the Weller 12 anywhere. So not only can you not find Pappy you can't even find the stuff to make the poor man's pappy! Is there a recipe for a homeless man's pappy?

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Yeah, weller special reserve. LOL

Austin folks looking for a bottle of Cask Makers,
Specs Brodie just got a case of it.

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I haven't been able to find the Weller 12 anywhere. So not only can you not find Pappy you can't even find the stuff to make the poor man's pappy! Is there a recipe for a homeless man's pappy?

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Yep, there's been a shortage lately. I've been having to travel around to find the 12 and the antique. Haven't seen both in the same store for a while now.

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Is Breckinridge any good? I'm in Denver for work (here once a month) and I see it all over. I'll try it eventually but they're pretty proud of it...

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Yes, I'm a big fan. It's an easy drinker with just enough spice.

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Elijah Craig 12
Elmer T Lee
Angels Envy
Weller 12
Bookers (add ice)
Willett Pot Still

Those are ones you'll find in the store.

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I just bought Elijah 12 because it's the 1st recommendation I saw on the shelf.

*It was pretty good but after doing some more research on bourbon I think i might like high-wheat the best. I'm going to try all 3 basic grain bills eventually.

High wheat???

I read an article that said the can be in high in rye, wheat, or traditional in which the eye and wheat grains are split pretty evenly. It might have been full of ****.

http://liquor.com/articles/cheat-sheet-bourbon/

It's all good, we knew what you meant. mashbills that use wheat as the flavoring grain are generally referred to as Wheated Bourbons, or just Wheaters.

From the list of suggestions you've already gotten, the Weller 12 is a very good wheated bourbon. If you're having trouble finding the 12 year version of the Weller, Larceny is also a very good wheater, and is generally easier to find than the Weller 12.

Between the two I prefer the Weller 12, but there are plenty on this site who would disagree with me on that. So really either one should be a good purchase for you, and both should be under $25.

There aren't any mashbills that contain both rye and wheat from what I recall. Woodford might have experimented with it in a one-off and it probably failed...

Crockett Street Bottle Shop had some Weller 12 year on the shelf the last time I was in there. One of the few places in Fort Worth I've seen it lately.

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There aren't any mashbills that contain both rye and wheat from what I recall.

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Four roses

Hudson's Four Grain has corn, rye, wheat, barley. Good stuff - a little different.

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There aren't any mashbills that contain both rye and wheat from what I recall.

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Four roses

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Say what?!?

Four Roses does not have wheat in it. Not sure where you heard that.

Just busted out the "Poor Man's Pappy" I mixed a few months back. Hadn't tried it in a while. The longer it sat, the better it got, I must say.

Sat in what?

Crap, I was reading wheat and thinking corn.

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Sat in what?

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The decanter. Thinking about trying it in an oak barrel - was just reading the other thread on that.

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Sat in what?

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The decanter. Thinking about trying it in an oak barrel - was just reading the other thread on that.

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It is way better out of a barrel than a decanter, at least to me. A barrel adds a little more flavor to some somewhat blander bottlings (good, but just nothing that is out of this world great to me).

Plus, it's fun and you get a cool barrel to put on the bar.

I opened up a Col. Taylor BP this weekend - that is some fine drinking right there. I suggest picking one up, I haven't found anything in that line that is bad yet.