Good Bourbon

nivek

As Above So Below
I don't mind the alcohol taste, even with strong spirits if it's a good quality...Johnny Walker is best straight, no rocks at room temperature, a shot or sip it...Prefer to wash it down with a Stella...
 

CasualBystander

Celestial
Nothing wrong with that... :)

You prefer a good peaty/smoky Islay?

wait.. do you mix Glenfiddich with Mcclelland's ?
I cant find any reference to 'Glen' McClellen...

Yup. Messed up.

McClelland 18 year old.

Backup is Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish (12 years old).

Single Malts only. Don't understand or like blended scotch.

Straight up, no ice or water.

Putting water in good scotch is like pissing in beer. You can't tell it happened but it affects the taste.
 
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nivek

As Above So Below
Just bought the Platinum Label of Johnny Walker today, going to taste this later tonight...:happy8:

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Kchoo

At Peace.
So tonight, I am having dinner, and decided to review Knob Creek.
I ordered a neat one, and my gorgeous waitress brought me a double...

First Nose: This immediately got my attention as a good all around Bourbon... Sweet aromas of corn and oak char .. and hint of cherry,

First Sip: Smooth, sweet, and I can feel and taste the alchohol burn but it is still pleasant on the toungue. The oak finish lingers and transitions to a bitterness.. and fades into an oily creaminess.

2nd Nose: More cherry... Less oaky...

2nd Sip was a little larger... Chewed it a bit... May have been too soon for that... Left me with a kind of an astringent after taste on the outside edges of the toungue...

This is real Kentucky Bourbon... It is very good, but a bit strong on the deeper darker notes and that is usually considered a good thing.

Molasses hints come out after a few minutes...

3rd Nose: More cherry, molasses cookies... Some carmel...

3rd Sip: Its growing on ne... Still a little heavy on alchohol, but it reminds me of a bakery... Freash bread and cakes...
Carrot cake...

I am glad She brought me a double... Its worth my time to sit and sip it until the glass is empty.

The reciept has four dollars more for the heavy pour, but I attribute that to a waitress that knows her customers...
 

nivek

As Above So Below
Just bought the Platinum Label of Johnny Walker today, going to taste this later tonight...:happy8:

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Been drinking this liquor tonight with a couple mates, its soooooo smooth but will creep up on you...lol
 

Kchoo

At Peace.
So, I have two open bottles... Time for a comparison...

Traditional nose and taste:

Buffalo Trace wins as compared to Garrisson Brothers.
*Nose of Buffalo has that traditional Sweet corn and cherry pastry.
*The Garrison Brothers nose has so much alchohol and oak that it sort of swats the nose like paint thinner... But if you hold the liquid 10 inches away, it then lets the alcohol evaporate away, tickling the nose with a nice aroma of carmel corn...

Both are good sippers, but right now Buffalo Trace is my regular go-to.

Garrison Brothers requires easing into. Letting it sit in the glass for five minutes makes a huge difference.
After that it mellows.
It is really different than any other traditional bourbon I have tried, but is good, and it stays good the longer I sit with it. It is one needs, and deserves an hour, just to sit and sip.

Buffalo Trace is happier and more festive... And about a third of the price, so its a a great choice for a party sipper.

I wont turn away either of them, but I dont want to limit myself to just one.
So I will say that Buffalo Trace and Garrison Brothers will each have a permanent spot on my shelf.
When one of them gets empty, it wont be long before it is replaced.

I have a 'Test Spot' on my self that is dedicated to trying a new brand when it's space becomes vacant, currently occupied by a bottle I look forward to opening later.

I plan to be trying and rating a dozen Bourbons or so... It will take alot of time though, because I only have enough space to keep three bottles, and I will only try a new one when the 'Test Spot' is available.

Maybe I will turn this into a coffee table book about Bourbon...

Could be fun!

Cheers!
 
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Kchoo

At Peace.
If I do write a book about Bourbon... I suppose the beginning of it could go something like this:

Bourbon The The Common Man


This is about Bourbon Whiskey.

It includes a little about history, differences, and what people prefer for the price...

'Sounds nteresting... ' You say?

I suppose... Maybe at least to a nerd like me... but what I learned may interest you too...

So basically... In a nutshell... Its popularity was due to its affordablility during prohibition ...

'Oh wow... good trivia... You did all the work and now I will sound smart...!'
You say with a slight laugh... '
Tell me more...'

Of course!

If you want to spend 80 to a 130 dollars, that is personal choice... But dont let anyone else have it... Just tell them "No.. this bottle is very special... "

In the early days, before Bourbon, Whiskey was all they had, and for the most part it was not brown, but clear...
Until prohibition, that is.

It sat inside the barrels used to distribute it because supply routes were all but shut down by authorities. When they finally delivered the barrels, the liquid inside absorbed more wood tannins... and some char that was used to 'Cure the lining of the barrels before storage.'

The legend is that people started asking for it after that. They wanted the same hideout barn stuff that came from the town of Bourbon. So that was how 'Bourbon' it got it's name...

Canadian Club Whiskey was provided in bulk during prohibition by a rebel named Al Capone
during Prohibition. He and some others organized a 'Club Whiskey' and put a Distillery in Canada near the boarder... he helped smuggle it back in, and was responsible for keeping the U.S. 'wet' (in ample supply) of bootleg from Canada. Thus the name 'Canadian Club'... Today the brand is good whiskey and during its time the most competitve in price, afforded by volume. However, it is argued by Americans that Canadian corn is not as hearty as American corn and the barrel barns have warmer climates here.
Some argue so that American Bourbon cannot be duplicated by Canada...

'Very interesting.' You say...

Oh yes, my nerd basket full of such intetesting and useless information... But I wont bore you too much...


Texas is now producing Bourbon Whiskey... and one in particular seems to really benefit from Texas Corn and Texas heat. Garrison Brothers hit the shelves and and apparently, doesnt stay on the shelves very long...

As far as price goes,
for 80 to 130 you can get some really really really good Kentuvky Bourbon, Texas Quality Bourbom, or some Incredibly fine Scotch..

Which ever one you prefer is most definitely a personal choice... But good Scotch is made differently... The Barley is dried with Peat Smoke... Gives it a buttery smokey higher end taste... And Garrison Brothers is unique for its own ways... you need to taste it to understand it, and you need to take your time with this one... it is worth it.

Four Roses Single Barrel used to be my Ambrosia of Bourbons...at about 40 to 50 bucks... Then China bought the distillery... And for me it lost its valuable American roots...
Oh.. it is distilled and bottled in America, but somehow just isn't the same...
Somehow their automated refinery instead of the old human methods seemed to have lost lost something, and I admit, I rebel against China owning anything that was originally created here.

For the Common man who wants to impress most drinkers, I recommend Bourbon in the 30 to 80 dollar price range... In reality, as good as it is, for what it is, Bourbon never really gets good enough to be worth the thousands that some bottles are auctioned for. I venture to guess that 12,000 dollar bottle is about bragging rights, more than it is about good bourbon. But at that price, I would say it is out of reach for me as a common man.

So in summary, there is a big Bourbon Craze the last few years... But Bourbon is bourbon, right? Well.. not always... some is truly better than others... and some is just awesomely unique...

This book is designed for the casual reader... It is a coffee table book that does not require a large commitment to enjoy. It is my desire for you to pick up, read a bit, and put down again... and hopefully kept around just for that purpose...

Flip through it, and if something catches your eye, give it a read. It might be good for a few laughs, or you might learn some interesting bits of trivia.

There will be recipies for bourbon cocktails... And a few suggestions for some mixers for the Common Man that you may not have thought about.

Maybe you will want to try some of them. I did. And I think it is good enough to share with you.

Anyway,
I hope you enjoy reading this book it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
 

Kchoo

At Peace.
Anyway, back to my comparison...
The longer I sit here, the more Garrison Brother's builds it's complexity, while drawing me back more and more...
It seems the 'other' glass is not keeping my long term attention, but Garrison Brothers is...

Buffalo Trace will always be on my shelf for that sweeter craving, but Garrison Brothers, has me feeling like more than just a 'common man'...
...

Well... I didn't want to be unfair, so I decided to make both glasses equal again by sipping more Buffalo Trace...

Now when I sip Garrison Brothers, it still has its complexity... still requires my attention.
...

So I finished the last of 50 ml of Buffalo Trace in the next two sips. It is still nice...

Looks like I have a few sips of Garrison Brothers left... a little more of that...

....
Okay... now the real test... which one will get a second pour?

I don't think I need to tell you... But let's just say that I might need a new bottle of Garrison Brothers soon.
 

Kchoo

At Peace.
What's in the lower end ones then rotgut hootch ?
Haha...
I am not sure I would stoop to hooch... There are some really good brands that are very affordable... no need to buy any hooch...

Hooch should be avoided... me thinks.
 

Kchoo

At Peace.
I don't know....

Should I do a Book on Bourbon?

What do you guys think about my initial start?

What should be included in it?

It could contain sone historical stuff, some reviews... pictures of the bottle(s) being reviewed or compared... some limrics and toasts, and some otiginal cocktail ideas..,
 

coubob

Celestial
Alien+Brain+Hemorrage+Shot.jpg

Alien Brain Hemorrhage
 

Kchoo

At Peace.
I sent an email with my book introduction for 'Bourbon For The Common Man' to the proprietor of Garrison Brothers... He thinks its a good idea and I should pursue it.

So I got the ball rolling... might be a while... I have alot of bourbon to review... and I don't drink a lot. Plus there is alot of history to lean about, people to talk to...

:)
 

Sheltie

Fratty and out of touch.
Do they still make rye whiskey? I know that in the old days it was very popular because it was cheaper than bourbon or scotch.
 

Kchoo

At Peace.
Lots of Rye out there. Good Rye Whiskey isnt really cheap.

Some Ryes tast like dill pickles... bleh.

Some are really delicious.
Sazerac Straight Rye is supposedly very good.
Bulleit Rye is good.
Russell Reserve Rye is good.
 
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