If You Could Pick Any Single Barrel

Good question Steve, my choice was fully mature which could fall in the 7-8 year range. I want as much proof as I can get because of more flavor, I can always water it down but I can't flavor it up.

Softer entry is a great thing to point out. I think the extra 2 years gives ER10 a more pleasant entry.

Proof for me is all about flavor complexity and mouthfeel.

More age does add softer entry, but also more complexity up to a point. I find Pappy 20 to be no more or less complex than the 15 year, but it's softer with a little more shellac nose from the wood, which I like. Pappy 23 is less complex than either of the younger ones, which tells me that a 17-18 yr version might be the best. Of course, if you age it in a higher, hotter part of the rick house, you could reach full maturity at 12-14 years. It's not so much science as it is art.

I think we're looking for more complexity, less heat, and thicker mouthfeel with these wishes. Seems like the best bourbons exhibit these qualities. FR has already given us some great bottles that fill these requirements. The BTAC also does so, albeit at a higher price point. The PH line fills that gap for HH. I think Beam is the last distillery that has yet to show us something great in this area. Booker's is a good start, but too young. They should offer up something with some age at barrel proof, and I would prefer something from the OGD line. Great thread, Steve!

The right one. ................

Jim Rutledge tells an interesting story regarding the age of whiskey.

The bean counters at 4R insisted they start going into the barrel at higher proof in order to maximize profit. He didn't want to but was overruled. The surprising (to the bean counters) result was that the higher proof juice took a year or more longer to mature, the added evaporation and taxes incurred in the extra aging negating any added profit they had hoped to gain.

Except, and this is a very big except, the current marketplace puts such a premium on age that the extra year(s) made to juice more desirable to the consumer. He implied that he could have made the same tasting whiskey a year or two earlier if he went into the barrel at lower proof but because it was older it was more desirable in todays marketplace. So putting it in the bottle as older whiskey helped sales, and while he didn't say it I suppose allowed for a more profitable pricing.

Sometimes I think we put too much emphasis on the age of a whiskey, there's more to the story than age.

I fully agree Steve, I believe there is far too much emphasis on age. Jim Rutledge and his team can select barrels and put together a Small Batch Limited Edition far superior to something that's merely 18 or 20 years old.

Especially when he's using 17 year-old barrels! ;)

Weller 12 at cask strength as per one of the original suggestions. That would be awesome. I am in the minority around here that likes MM, so I would like to see MM at cask strength at 10-12 years. Also OGD 114..not sure how old it is, but maybe just add another 2 years.

Maui they are more like an average of 12 with some older stuff thrown in, I could look the previous year(s) expressions and be specific but I don't work on Fridays.