Best "Bridge Whiskies"

> For me, the premise is flawed. The things I like in Scotch
> are completely NOT the things I like in Bourbon.

I absolutely agree 100%. I think every whisk(e)y style requires
a "learning period" where you drink a few exapmles that highlight
different aspects of the style... and you don't taste any difference.
Then, later on, you start to develop your palate figure out what it's
really all about. How soon we forget the "learning period"! I suppose
that the memory lapse can be forgiven, because it's soon followed
by a period of absolute enchantment...

In my experience, some people really have a hard time learning to
appreciate things that aren't their favorite... and trying to fool
them doesn't work at all! You can't just say to them, "Here, try
Aberlour A'bunadh, it's similar to Stagg." They'll taste it and
immediately think "No it's not! It's missing something! It's missing
a lot! What do you guys see in this stuff?"

I've never been able to introduce a new style of whisk(e)y to anyone
who wasn't already 100% pre-modivated and already trying to learn.

My advice is to give people the extremes: Laphroaig, Rosebank, Macallan,
Glenmorangie... it's also good to give people things that they can
easily find over and over again, so that they can order it at bars and
restaraunts and find it at stores.


And on another note...

If you think the Scotch - Bourbon divide is big, try getting anyone
to drink unaged/underaged whiskies... West Virginia Distilling Co's
Mountain Moonshine is fabulous, but it's dismissed with a chuckle
as inferior junk. The divide is just too great.

SB.com is just starting to come around to Conecuh Ridge and Old
Potrero, but it's taken years...


Tim Dellinger

Ed, thanks. I thought of blends in the sense of developing a true "joint palate", eg., 2 bourbons and two malt whiskies blended in equal measure, but that doesn't really interest me. When I blend I always work in a predominant style. That Canadian whisky blend (2 Kittling Ridge and one other Canadian) I mentioned is an example, or a combination of bourbons and some straight rye to make a bourbon whiskey which is rye-edged - but not a rye or something new from the combination. This is not to say amalgams cannot be invented and be good, but I prefer to work in the major genres and get increased flavours and complexity in blends which still taste like one of the accepted styles. Therefore, my view is, make a bourbon for the bridge-crosser to malt whisky or blended scotch that is still bourbon but is a scotch-like bourbon, due say to higher than normal barley content and a marked smoky taste. Maybe when he tastes a true peaty malt scotch he will think, that is different from the bourbon I like but somehow familiar, I can "get" a drink such as this. A malt scotch leavened with corn spirit - which is what scotch blends are anyway, never mind much malt scotch is aged in ex-bourbon barrels - would move in the other direction.

Gary

Well, I like it too, Tim, but in truth it makes a good blending whiskey because of its depth and rich savory yet silky qualities.

Gary

I started out as a Scotch drinker, exclusively. My early forays into bourbon (Maker's Mark, Knob Creek) were a bit discouraging - mainly because I was making the mistake of adding ice! It was a lot better after I tried it neat.

But, I didn't really get seriously into bourbon until I tried my first pour of Spring Stagg - it was quite a revelation. That lead to OGD 114, then ORVW, AAA, BT, Old Fitzgerald, PVW, VWFR Lot B, now I'm trying out EC12... and there's an unopened Eagle Rare SB (90 proof) on the shelf making eyes at me.

Back to Scotland, I've found that I like both the peat monsters and the sherry bombs - as well as bourbon-aged malts and high-quality blends.

Just to pass on one more thought, adding corn spirit to malt whiskey, since that is what blended scotch is, won't get you towards a bourbon palate. So adding say Canadian whisky (which is mostly high proof corn) is not a good notion. What should be added is some real bourbon but a mild-tasting one, say Ancient Age. It's mostly a corn spirit but a low proof one, yet it is still corn, so it might not shock the palate of a malt whisky drinker (most of whom know the taste of blended scotch). Say you added 7 parts Glenlivet to 3 of Ancient Age. That is not a true amalgam of scotch and bourbon because I don't think it would blend their palates (to create something new), the scotch taste would predominate. But if that drinker later sipped a not too heavy-bodied bourbon straight he might think (the obverse of the bourbon-to-scotch essay I suggested) yes I can get that taste, it is somewhat similar to that bridging drink Gary G and Ed V made me try. http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...lins/smile.gif

Gary

My boss "was" a SMSW drinker until recently. He heard me talking about the Sampler and started asking me questions about bourbon. So I bought him a bottle of WT Russel's Reserve and gave him one of my books about the history of bourbon. His bottle of RR was empty in less than a month and he asked me what he should try next. Jon and I invited him over to "taste". We were up until 2am sampling our way through the cabinet! The next week I took him a bottle of Stagg. (He liked it) Tonight he called me to report that he made his first bourbon purchase. He bought a WTRR, Stagg and Pappy 20! I've created a bourbon lover!
Just had to share!
Dawn

You're a great bourbon ambassador Dawn.
Joe http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...ins/usflag.gif

To quote Popeye, a famous sailor man: "I seen my duty and I done it." http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...lins/smile.gif

Tim