Inexpensive, tasty 100 proof bourbon?

[callmeox]

I wish I had access to the stats for what the top X sellers and volumes were for each category here in Ohio. I've got a casual contact at the Ohio DLC and the next time I talk to her, I'll ask if the numbers are available to the general public.

Form my experience, Cleveland is a real shot and beer and highball town. I think that with that, you're going to see them using the cheaper stuff across the board.


While playing golf for the day long bachelor shindig, my playing partner produced a shiny metal flask from his gold bag. He motioned toward me with the flask and offered "Windsor?". I went to my bag and grabbed the 200 of VOB BiB that I brought back from Kentucky and told him to try this instead. He didn't touch the Windsor the rest of the round, but he hit up the VOB quite a few times. At $19.00 for a handle of Windsor, it's tough to find a bourbon to compete with that when price is more important than taste.

[Gillman]

Okay very interesting, thanks.

Gary

[ThomasH]

Usually, the local newspaper here publishes the top 10 selling spirits in Ohio for the current year. Absolut and Kamchatka (Cheap bottom shelf) in vodka, Bacardi in rum, Jim Beam and JD for straight whiskey, Black Velvet and Windsor for Canadian Whiskey. I don't think it lists every category, just the top 10 sellers. I can't remember the rest of the list, but Beam was the only bourbon listed!

Thomas

[mozilla]

While playing golf for the day long bachelor shindig, my playing partner produced a shiny metal flask from his gold bag. He motioned toward me with the flask and offered "Windsor?". I went to my bag and grabbed the 200 of VOB BiB that I brought back from Kentucky and told him to try this instead. He didn't touch the Windsor the rest of the round, but he hit up the VOB quite a few times. At $19.00 for a handle of Windsor, it's tough to find a bourbon to compete with that when price is more important than taste.

Well,....when 3/4 of the bottle of Windsor is GNS or vodka(or whatever they call it in Canada)....I think that any bourbon would compete on an equal basis.

25% of a bottle filled with bourbon and watered down with GNS does not offer much competition to a good bottle of Wild Turkey.

[callmeox]

To someone who has developed an affinity for something with a more robust character, your point is spot on. Most folks don't know the components of a blended whiskey, so that distinction is transparent to them...until we can educate them.

[mozilla]

The point should hit home with the budget minded man who might be even the slightest bit crafty....mix one bottle of straight bourbon with two bottles of cheap vodka....and voila...blended whisky for a fraction of regular price. Mix in more vodka for a liter flavor.

I don't know how to spread the word to all the whisky green horns? I tried to educate as many drinkers as I could while on the sales side of the counter, but there is just so much misinformation pumped into the system already.

[CorvallisCracker]

Mix in more vodka for a liter flavor.

You mean it would taste more metric?

[mozilla]

You mean it would taste more metric?

Sorry,
I was thinking Miller Lite-r. Or, in other words...worse.

Thanks for keepin tabs on my spillin'.

[shoshani]

So, having just returned from a local neighborhood liquor store where I plunked down the princely sum of $16.99 plus Chicago and Cook County taxes, I can seriously recommend Old Grand-Dad Bottled In Bond.

Yes, Beam makes it, but they haven't let it go to swill the way they did Old Crow and Taylor. This actually tastes like OGD, and not only has a lot of fruity muscle from the rye but also has a musty caramel sweetness in its aftertaste, which if I recall from my wayward youth is a hallmark of the OGD profile of 20 years ago.

Points also for historical continuity in one respect: Beam's OGD is bottled at the old National Distillers OGD plant, DSP-KY-14.

I also picked up a bottle of Old Fitz BiB for $12.00. It's inexpensive, I will give it that. And its label is pretty. It's also quite thin in body (most older style Bonded bourbons tend to be just a slight bit syrupy with a heavier mouthfeel) and is sort of a firewater with wood flavoring. That "whisper of wheat" actually shouts fairly loudly until it spends a few more years in the barrel...

Unrelated and off-topic: I also picked up Old Overholt out of curiosity. I immediately emailed Jim Beam to ask why oh why won't they bottle this at at least 90, preferably 100? It has potential, but really tastes diluted. I'd love to get my hands on some BiB Overholt from 50-60 years ago to see what it was like in its heyday.

[mozilla]

Yes, Beam makes it, but they haven't let it go to swill the way they did Old Crow and Taylor. This actually tastes like OGD, and not only has a lot of fruity muscle from the rye but also has a musty caramel sweetness in its aftertaste, which if I recall from my wayward youth is a hallmark of the OGD profile of 20 years ago.

Points also for historical continuity in one respect: Beam's OGD is bottled at the old National Distillers OGD plant, DSP-KY-14.

I found the current OGD Bib to be flat and uninspiring. I won't go as far as to say that it was swill, but I don't think it holds a candle to even the 86 proof ND juice. I don't remember any "musty" flavors from the ND distillate. I remember that it had lots of soft fruit and was very balanced between the caramel, barrel flavors and rye spice. There are lots of very mellow floral notes that cannot be found in the current rendition.

Also, lots of Beam products make an appearence at the OGD plant. It is a huge and bussling facility. I wish they gave tours there.....but, alas....Beam is not concerned with the opinions of yours truely.