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.