New from CT

[Steve P]

So I'm completely new to the world of bourbon. I actually was recommended by a friend to try Makers Mark since it was one the best widely available bourbons in its price range. I'll be honest and say the burn was a little much but I drank it straight without ice or water. After looking around seems this is supposed to be a pretty easy drinking bourbon so we'll see if my palate becomes accustomed to the taste.

I do have one question because it basically is the reason I wanted to try bourbon and became a member of this site. I was interested because I'm a huge craft beer fan and have had a few bourbon barrel aged beers but never had the chance to try bourbon so I was sure what flavors came from the bourbon. My favorite being Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout that I researched and the best I could get is that it is aged in 17 year old Heaven Hill barrels for 10 months. Does anyone know which bourbon this is? Thanks for the help!

-Steve

[tommyboy38]

Steve,
Welcome to the site. As far as a 17 year old HH (Heaven Hill) whiskey, the only thing that comes to mind is their 18 year old Elijah Craig single barrel.
Try a few drops of water with your Maker's next time. A few others on this board as well as myself have commented in the past how a bottle of whiskey changes somewhat in taste after it has been open for a few days or weeks. Go back and try the MM neat again and see what you notice. It may be a bit smoother.

[p_elliott]

Welcome aboard Steve if your new to bourbon and the burn is a little to much for you just add a little water or ice and then just gradually decrease the amount as you get accustomed to it. MM is not to high in proof about low medium you can get a lot higher. As you get accustomed to to alcohol the flavors of the bourbon come out and there are alot of flavors in in the bourbon your going to be surprised.

[Steve P]

Thanks for the help. Hopefully I'll end up getting used to the taste but either way I'll slowly work my way through the bottle and try. Also seems like you guys have much better prices than I do. I paid $28 for my 750 of MM and I see some getting KC for less. KC costs $38 here.

[fishnbowljoe]

Welcome to SB Steve. A few others you might want to try, are Weller Special Reserve and Benchmark. The Weller is much cheaper than MM, and it has a lot more flavor. The Benchmark is inexpensive too. Not quite as much flavor as MM or Weller SR, but a fair bourbon for the price. If you want to step up to something with a little higher proof, try WT 101 or Old Weller Antique 107. These are two of the better value bourbons (flavor vs. cost) that are out there. A lot of folks will swear that the OWA 107 is absolutely the best value bourbon there is. Hope this helps you get started. Don't be a stranger. Post and let us know how it's going. Again, welcome, and let the fun begin! Joe

[Joshua]

I enjoyed MM, although I think there are a lot better pours for cheaper. I went on a big exploration kick, started taking notes, and going through very different flavored bourbons.

Experimenting with different types side by side I was able to really pull out the flavors that I liked. After being on a pretty big Weller and Van Winkle kick, I had MM at a bar recently. My new impression was that it was not good.

MM had initial flavor, and was pretty smooth, but abruptly cut out with no good finish or no real deep flavors that I think are unique to better wheated bourbons. You should get used to the alcohol content pretty fast.

I personally say go for Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year / 90 proof. It's got the best flavor / price ratio ($22 a bottle here) period. (In my opinion) I do prefer a bit higher proof, and love the weller 107, but it has a bit of a stronger bite. If possible grab a bottle of something like Rittenhouse 100 BIB, Wild Turkey 101, and your MM. (or upgrade from MM to Weller or Van Winkle) and drink side by side. The Rittenhouse 100 BIB (or other Rye, but that's pretty cheap price) should be like a kick in the teeth of spice, with the WT101 being harsh, but different flavors, and then the final (wheated) bourbon being a different flavor totally.

That's a lot of rambling, but maybe there was something good to pick out of that. =)