I considered posting this on the bourbon thread, but my focus here really pertains more broadly to whiskey in general. I'm pretty new to the world of whiskey and have really come to enjoy it with the dabbling I've done. I've come to learn that the world of whiskey is pretty expansive, so I was hoping to get a little advice and recommendations here, also with the goal of helping to educate others in the same boat.

I thought I would throw out a few categories to start, but feel free to offer other opinions or commentary...

Favorite bourbons under $30, good for sipping but also mixing?
Favorite bourbons in the $30-$50 range?
Any higher end bourbons worth spending up for?
Any ryes you really like?
What about Canadian/Irish whiskeys? How does the flavor profile differ from most American bourbons?
Best scotches for someone totally new to scotch?

I know this is very open-ended, but whatever insight you aficionados are prepared to give would be much appreciated.

Quote:

---

Favorite bourbons under $30, good for sipping but also mixing?

Elijah Craig

Favorite bourbons in the $30-$50 range?

Four Roses Small Batch

Any higher end bourbons worth spending up for?

Most of the ones worth spending up for are very difficult to find. I'd stick under $50, plenty of good options in that range.

Any ryes you really like?

Rittenhouse

What about Canadian/Irish whiskeys? How does the flavor profile differ from most American bourbons?

Most Canadian whiskeys are rye based, so they'll be more like rye than bourbon. They aren't my favorite so I won't make a recommendation here.

Best scotches for someone totally new to scotch?

If you're normally a bourbon drinker start with sherried highlands and Speysides. Balvenie Doublewood is a good one to start with. Tomatin 12 if you dont want to spend the cash for Balvenie on your first go round.

---

Those are all good recommendations. I would say Crown Royal XO is an excellent sipping Canadian whiskey. If you're considering a blended scotch try Monkey Shoulder. It has some amazing honey and spice notes.

I admittedly like the higher proof stuff because it generally has more flavor, so be forewarned that some of these will hit you hard if you aren't used to them

Best under $30:
Evan Williams Single Barrel
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Bulleit
Buffalo Trace 750 ml

I am expanding the second category to $30-$60 because there are some over $50 but under $60 that are great

Best $30-$50:
Eagle Rare (if available)
1792 Bottled in Bond, Single Barrel, or Full Proof, store picks if you can get em
Old Forester 1910 or 1920
Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve
Noahs Mill (this one used to be my favorite but I think they changed the mash bill and I don't love it anymore)
Rowans Creek
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Makers Cask Strength
Knob Creek 120
Four Roses Single Barrel or Small Batch
Russel's Reserve Single Barrel (the 110 proof...very important)
George T Stagg Jr

Some of these are over $60 but not a break the bank option although can be hard to find

Higher End:
Blantons
Bookers
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Bookers Little Book

The Unreasonable But What The Hell:
Old Rip Van Winkle
Pappy Van Winkle 12 (Lot B), 15, 20, and 23
Michters 10 and 20
Bookers Rye
George T Stagg
Thomas H Handy
WL Weller

Ryes:
Rittenhouse
Sazerac
Pikesville (if you do nothing else with this list, buy this rye for $45)
MIchters Barrel Strength Rye and Toasted Finish Rye (Limited Releases)

I don't really do Canadian whiskey, but Caribou Crossing gets good reviews

Scotch:
I don't drink as much scotch as I used to, but some easy starters that will be generally likeable will be Glenmorangie, Glenlivet, McAllan,and Glenfiddich. If you want to get into more of the peaty stuff, Laphroaig and Lagavulin. Dalmore and Balvenie make good stuff as well. Highland Park is fine but not my favorite. My favorite affordable ($50-ish) and easily findable scotch though is Springbank 10. One of the few Campbeltowns out there, has a nice briny hint to it, and not as much peat as the peat monsters.

Bottom line as with anything, it's important to like what you like. Go to a bar with a good selection, try things, buy bottles and give em a shot, but don't let others tell you what is good or bad. Except mixing Crown Mesquite with Coke like giddings on the OB. Because there is no way that doesn't taste like manure.

Kentucky Owl dominates the high end of bourbon (and their rye is ridiculous, too), in my opinion. But now it's ra-tarded expensive and getting impossible to find (aside from Confiscated).

FlyFisher09 said:

---

I considered posting this on the bourbon thread, but my focus here really pertains more broadly to whiskey in general. I'm pretty new to the world of whiskey and have really come to enjoy it with the dabbling I've done. I've come to learn that the world of whiskey is pretty expansive, so I was hoping to get a little advice and recommendations here, also with the goal of helping to educate others in the same boat.

I thought I would throw out a few categories to start, but feel free to offer other opinions or commentary...

Favorite bourbons under $30, good for sipping but also mixing?
Favorite bourbons in the $30-$50 range?
Any higher end bourbons worth spending up for?
Any ryes you really like?
What about Canadian/Irish whiskeys? How does the flavor profile differ from most American bourbons?
Best scotches for someone totally new to scotch?

I know this is very open-ended, but whatever insight you aficionados are prepared to give would be much appreciated.

---

Favorite bourbons under $30, good for sipping but also mixing?

Agree re: Elijah, hard to beat in that price range, and easy to find. Weller SR is a good option too if you like wheated bourbons, but can be hard to find. Maker's is a good sub if you can't find Weller. WT101 is a good one if you like high rye bourbons.

Favorite bourbons in the $30-$50 range?

FR is great but is high rye, if you like a less spicy bourbon try Evan SB, or McKenna 10, or Knob SB. Some of the WT high end whiskey lines are great - Russell's Reserve, Rare Breed are my favorites.

Any higher end bourbons worth spending up for?

Yes, but depends what you like. I like high rye bourbons and Ryes, so I like the WT Master's Keep series, Whistle Pig, High West, 4R single barrel. Booker's is a great more traditional high end bourbon that is easy to find.

Any ryes you really like?

Rittenhouse, Overholt bonded, WT Rye, High West Yippee-Ki-Ay. Woodford Rye and Crown Norther Harvest Rye are decent as well.

What about Canadian/Irish whiskeys?

Red Breast, Midleton, and Jameson 18 are all fantastic Irish whiskies. Alberta Rye is good, but I am not sure if it is a good representation of a Canadian whiskey.

How does the flavor profile differ from most American bourbons?

Irish whiskies are much smoother - sweet and approachable like bourbon, but more refined/processed. Good ones won't have as much flavor/character as good bourbon or scotch, but they will go down smooth like milk.

Best scotches for someone totally new to scotch?

Balvenie and Tomatin make some good entry level single malts.

This is a good post.

To make it simple, for my tastes:

Evan Williams if I'm being super cheap or plan to mix for some reason
Buffalo Trace for best bang for the buck of a good bourbon. Weller Reserve as a back-up.
Bulleit Rye is my staple for best 1.75L Rye at the price point I'm ok with.
Eagle Rare if you can ever find it for an excellent bottle.

Every once in awhile I'll splurge on a Michter's Rye and I've got some Thomas Handy Rye saved away for special occasions (gifts, can't buy in store).

I personally just refuse to pay more than any of those for whisky/whiskey/bourbon/rye.

I think many of you would be surprised as to how many distillers buy aged barrels from other distilleries (4 to 10 years old), then proof it down to 80, then label it as their own.

Scotch is incredibly complicated now because the wide range of cask finishes add to the already complex age & peat characteristics (Speyside, Highland, Islay.)

First step is really to figure out if you prefer Scotch (smokey and toasted) or Bourbon (slightly sweet and caramelized). Irish doesn't have the smokiness of scotch, and isn't as sweet as bourbon -- which makes it a little blah to me.

Canadian is blends of Rye and other things that give it a unique taste that is closer to bourbon that the other two.

Scotch? Monkey Shoulder to decide if you like the character, then experiment with single malts to decide how much peat smoke you like. Glenmorangie is an accessible, inexpensive single malt with lots of finish options (sherry, port, etc -- tend to add a fruitiness to the smoky flavor)

I like Scotch, but not twice as much as bourbon, and that is about the cost factor at the same levels of quality.

For bourbon, try one bottle from each range to see what you like in a Mash Bill:

High Rye (spicier): 4 Roses, Old Grand Dad Bonded 100 proof, Bulleit (sourced from 4 Roses)
Lower Rye (less spice, more sweetness in profile): Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig, McKenna 10 year Bonded), Knob Creek, Wild Turkey 101
Wheated Bourbon (soft, round, sweet): Maker's Mark, Weller Special Reserve, Larceny

All those can be had under $30.

The higher the proof, the less watered-down, so the more flavorful. Higher Rye, higher proof bourbons are going to retain more character in a mixed drink like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. If you are going to mix it with Coke, frankly it doesn't matter -- go with Evan Williams.

For Rye, realize that almost all of it comes from the MGP distillery in Indiana, and gets rebranded. Read the bottle carefully, and you will see most were distilled in Indiana. Bulleit is a standard MGP Rye at a reasonable price.

Sazerac and Rittenhouse are both excellent Ryes -- even moreso because they are both available well under $30.

Lots of great suggestions above.

A couple of additions:

Belle Meade bourbon. They do some nice barrel finishes.

High West Rye. From Utah they have a few types. The Campfire is particulate nice blend of rye, bourbon & scotch. About $70, but they have some lower price points as well.

I like Old Bardstown. You can get it at Total Wine for under $20.

Around $40-$45 you can get Ben Milam. Solid choice.

I don't drink a lot of bourbon, so I just buy Bulleit and Four Roses Small Batch. Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond is good enough straight, and makes a killer boulevardier.

I'm an Irish whisky fan, and I haven't found anything I like better than RedBreast 12.

If you're wanting to get into scotch, this diagram is an excellent resource to help you find what you like.

for some reason, i like to live on the left side of that chart. it's like doing snow angles, face down in a peat bog.

Guide for scotch noobs

RK said:

---

for some reason, i like to live on the left side of that chart. it's like doing snow angles, face down in a peat bog.

---

I tend to hang out in the northeast quarter. I tried Lagavulin 16, and I thought I was drinking out of an ashtray.

I recommend Famous Grouse for Scotch newbies. It's not a top tier single malt (not single malt at all), but it's cheap, smooth, and approachable.

I appreciate the feedback and recommendations I received on this thread! For those of you who buy bourbon regularly, how hard should it be to find allocated bourbons in stores? I live close to a Spec's in FW and I call them every once in a while just to check on Buffalo Trace, and they invariably say no. I've picked one up once out of calling maybe 10-15 times. That's not to mention anything more limited than BT like Eagle Rare. I also called the Total Wine nearby and he said their BT usually sells out same day by noon. I found some at a local liquor store and the guy charged me $40, which I figured was a huge markup for a retail setting.

What's up with this? Are there just a lot of people that call around to liquor stores every morning to check on new arrivals? Do some people get special access to new shipments that are never available to the public? Any input here would be appreciated.

Finally, is it even worth it? Reading around, a lot of people seem crazy about the BT bourbons, but does the limited availability drive the demand even higher because of perception, when there might be other bourbons of similar quality that are readily available?

Why are you trying so hard to get Buffalo Trace, when there are dozens of other better bourbons on the shelf, i.e. old forester, knob creek, four roses, wild turkey, ...................

FlyFisher09 said:

---

I appreciate the feedback and recommendations I received on this thread! For those of you who buy bourbon regularly, how hard should it be to find allocated bourbons in stores? I live close to a Spec's in FW and I call them every once in a while just to check on Buffalo Trace, and they invariably say no. I've picked one up once out of calling maybe 10-15 times. That's not to mention anything more limited than BT like Eagle Rare. I also called the Total Wine nearby and he said their BT usually sells out same day by noon. I found some at a local liquor store and the guy charged me $40, which I figured was a huge markup for a retail setting.

What's up with this? Are there just a lot of people that call around to liquor stores every morning to check on new arrivals? Do some people get special access to new shipments that are never available to the public? Any input here would be appreciated.

Finally, is it even worth it? Reading around, a lot of people seem crazy about the BT bourbons, but does the limited availability drive the demand even higher because of perception, when there might be other bourbons of similar quality that are readily available?

---

There is nothing earth shattering about Buffalo Trace. 5 years ago it sat on the shelf as a $20 bottle. People didn't reach for it any more than they reached for Makers Mark or Woodford Reserve. The hype it's getting now is all perception.

Not really trying that hard to get it, but I do like it, so I just ask if they have any when I'm going out to buy whiskey. I'm really just trying to understand why there's apparently such massive demand for it and why it's so difficult to get ahold of for a bourbon on that level.

I'm also asking what strategies people use to try to get their hands on hard-to-find bourbons...

FlyFisher09 said:

---

I'm also asking what strategies people use to try to get their hands on hard-to-find bourbons...

---

that, i don't know.

but buffalo trace grows on trees down here west side of houston

FlyFisher09 said:

---

Not really trying that hard to get it, but I do like it, so I just ask if they have any when I'm going out to buy whiskey. I'm really just trying to understand why there's apparently such massive demand for it and why it's so difficult to get ahold of for a bourbon on that level.

---

Extension of Pappy mania. Pappy is made at Buffalo Trace, so people started going crazy for BT's other super premium labels (Stagg, William Larue Weller, Eagle Rare 17, etc.).

Then the mania started extending down the product lines. Well if I can't ger Pappy or William Larue Weller, then Weller 12 is the next best thing, and if I cant get Weller 12, then Weller Antique is the next best thing. Etc. Etc. On down the product line.

Same for the BT mash bill 1 line. Cant get Stagg or Eagle Rare 17? Go for Eagle Rare 10. Can't get Eagle Rare 10? Buffalo Trace is the next best thing.

I actually saw regular Ancient Age behind the counter of a Total Wine last week. A $15 plastic jug whiskey back with the allocated stuff, just because it comes from the same product line as Blantons. The whole thing has gotten ridiculous. Don't fall for the hype, just sample your way around what you can find on shelves and you'll discover tons of good bourbons.

The ridiculousness that is Bourbon has mostly turned me away from it because you can't really get anything that used to be mid-range as it is now all rare. Ex: Blanton's.

As a beginner, I think Irish Whiskey and the lighter Scotch's are way easier to get into than Bourbon. Highly recommend Red Breast 12 which is better than almost any bourbon I've ever had and it's readily available. And for Scotch I recommend Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or.

I don't think I've seen this mentioned yet so here goes- the High West Double Rye is really good. House covered a lot of good stuff in his post so I won't double up.