What would you bring?

[independant]

Me and the wife are going to a dinner party at her bosses house this weekend and she told him I would bring a bottle of bourbon. She has told him I am a huge bourbon fan and she said he has seemed interested in bourbon from the questions he asked her that she cannot answer.
This is what I figure
1. I think he is a scotch drinker
2. Whatever I bring has to impress.
3. I can't go cheap but don't want to spend a lot on a bottle for someone else.
4. This is a big one. Most bottles I find are a lot better after letting breathe for a bit but I can't show up with a already opened bottle.
I am welcome to suggestions. I am leaning towards ETL but would like to hear what you all think.

[sailor22]

Sounds like your looking for something different without being too challenging. I think you have made an excellent choice with ETL.

Some other possibles are;
Virginia Gentleman
Bakers
Van Winkle 10/90
Black Maple Hill Small Batch
Jeffersons
Blantons
Knob Creek

[birdman1099]

Being he is a Scotch drinker, My vote would be VW Lot b. Unless you REALLY want to impress..... Pappy 20 !!!!!


but, on the other hand..... if he is truely looking for a departure from his Scotch world...... go with a WT Rare Breed, or a VW 10/107.

[p_elliott]

FRSB, Booker's WTRB, WR, WT 101, KC, ERSB, RHF, OWA 107,

[gothbat]

Of all the bourbon I've tried with people who don't drink bourbon or say they don't like whiskey (WT101, ORVW10/90, VWSR12, 1792, OF86, MM, OGD:BIB and maybe a couple of others) I've had the most success with 1792. It's a decent price, has a nice bottle, and tastes great! I think someone I know still has the bottle we finished at their house sitting on their shelf. The least successful was the OGD:BIB, for some reason no one who was there would touch this stuff.

[Vange]

As much as I dont like it and depending on if he likes Islays, EC 18 is always popular with single malt drinkers.

I would bring Weller 12, Lot B, or Pappy 15

[shoshani]

I had a friend (sadly, deceased now) who was an avid cask-strength Scotch drinker. He also dismissed bourbon as being "too rough".

I changed his mind on that with some WT12YO. This was about a decade ago when you could still buy it in the US.

Personally, I don't see how you could ever go wrong with ETL. It's "big" and oily, has a nice flavor, and at 90 proof won't overwhelm him if he drinks regular-strength Scotch, which usually runs 80 to 86 proof. Plus it sells for a decent price.

Other good bourbons with which to initiate new drinkers are Jim Beam Black Label, Maker's Mark, and Very Old Barton. Any of those would make a very good second choice.

[smokinjoe]

When I take a bourbon to functions, I try to look at 3 things: 1) A bourbon that is not too aggressive on the palate. Bourbon can really bite those not used to it. I look to convert, not scare away. 2) Nice presentation i.e. purdy bottle. More people will try it, if it's attractive looking 3.) A nice story, and why this bottle is special. I know, I know, more marketing BS, but people like to hear good yarns.

Be prepared to talk about it with the passion you have about that particular bottle, and bourbon in general. I find many people are absolutely delighted to hear what we know about bourbon, and are glad to find out it isn't the rot-gut, firewater, of their preconceived prejudices. You throw in the Made in the U. S. A. How Stagg won Jim Murray's Whiskey of the year for a couple of years in a row. And, that's over every whisk(e)y made anywhere on the planet. Explain how all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. How dozens of your friends meet at this cool gazebo twice a year, and drink all of this great old bourbon. How you go into every flea bag liquor store to dusty hunt....uh, maybe skip that one. They'll be enthralled, and your bottle will be enjoyed. You'll soon have them eatin...that's drinking, out of your hand.

The bottles that have met these criteria, are:

Weller 12. Has 1 & 2 nailed. It's rarity in most markets makes for a good story.

1792. Good on 1, for it's different taste profile. Smokes #2. #3 with the only distiller in Bardstown, First super-premium for Barton, etc.

FRSB. Possesses all 3 in buckets.

Pappy 15. Possesses all 3 in buckets.

EWSB. A lock on 1 & 2. Interesting tie in with the Parker Beam, and Jim Beam names. How it's different every year, etc.

[pepcycle]

This is a common one for me.

The most well received, which to me is the Voice of the Customer, are Willet's in the still shaped bottle, Saz Jr and Blantons.

Eye Candy, not routine, palatable.

Just my two cents.

[jburlowski]

I'll second the votes for LOt B and ETL. RHF or Blanton's would also impress with their packaging.