I would pass on all of those except three:
KC, Makers, WT 80. Actually I would pass on the WT 80 unless 101 was unavailable. Of those three, I'd drink all neat, particularly WT101. I find that at 101pf the WT is very pleasant. Others at much lower proof are not nearly as tasty.
Of those, the WT101 would be my favorite, Makers second, and KC third. Something about KC bothers me but I like it overall.
Edit: I wouldn't water my plants with scotch and don't care for mixed liqeurs (liquors).
Last edited by BBQ+Bourbon; 10-12-2009 at 19:38.
red stag- A disappointment, not enough Bourbon to be good and not enough cherry to be enjoyable
wild turkey 80proof - Can honestly say I have never had WT80 whats the point when you can get 101, but given the choice neat
wild turkey american honey -20 bucks I well never get back. hopefully someone will visit one day that wants to drink this
knob creek -As with all bourbon I would drink this neat.
Chivas Regal 12 year - I don't really drink scotch
johnny walker red lable- Same not a scotch fan
makers mark - As it is a bourbon if offered it I would drink it neat. But hell if you add a drop of water you will lose what little flavor is there to begin with.
jameson- A good whiskey that would be great with just a little more proof. This is one that I really enjoy straight from the flask.
jim beam white label - Check avatar
Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.
Ernest Hemingway
2009 Fantasy Football Champion
It would be interesting to read a history of, not so much, or not only, distilled spirits, but how these drinks were consumed from inception.
In former centuries it was difficult to produce a clean spirit, one that is like vodka today or our whiskeys which have no off-tastes (from compounds that boil off before or in some cases after the alcohol does in the still).
It is probable that to cover these off-tastes, people mixed liquors together or more commonly with fruits, spices and other flavorings. What resulted were punches, toddies, juleps and other compounds. Some liquors were compounds themselves in a way, e.g., gin is neutral spirit mixed with juniper and other flavours. Mixed drinks today come from that background. Another reason is to lengthen the drink, so it will take time to drink it and therefore less is needed, and also, some people thought at one time a long drink was less dangerous (to health) than a short one.
Today, distilled liquors are made to a high standard. All the drinks mentioned in the original post are well-made potable drinks and can be tasted neat or of course mixed. Whether to drink them neat depends on one's taste, which is always subjective.
Gary
I gotta agree with the Gillman. Even JB white is drinkable straight, although not my first choice by a long site. I've never had Red Stagg and probably never will, and my opinion of American Honey is that it also might be useful on pancakes for an in law you didn't care for. Many of those I wouldn't buy to drink straight, but if I were visiting someone and that was what was offered, I'd say thank you.
Actually Red Stag is a great chaser for Robitussin. I might suggest some different selections for you to go with. Some good "starter" options in my opinion are Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 YO or Elmer T. Lee. Both are nice Buffalo Trace products. Try them on the rocks with a splash of water. Before long you will be drinking George T. Stagg 141 proof neat.
Cheers!
I am just starting to drink bourbon on a regular basis, but I really enjoyed the taste of Red Stag. At first, I did not care for it because I was expecting it to taste like a normal bourbon would; however, once I realized it was suppose to have a black-cherry flavor, I appreciated the taste. I thought it tasted fine straight, or with a splash of sprite.
When I drink bourbon, I drink it to have BOURBON. If I don't want something rough, I'll go with wine or a good beer. So keep that in mind because I'm pretty biased. I don't really ever drink mixed drinks, and RARELY throw a cube of ice in it on a hot day.
jim beam white lable - Tastes young and rough without flavor to me. Have drank it neat, can do it, just really don't care to. For that price, there's a few things I would rather get.
red stag- Havn't tried, wouldn't be opposed to trying it neat, but don't have much of a desire to grab a bottle. I'm not a fan of mixed, and not a fan of Beam in general.
wild turkey 80proof - I'm next to Paul and Dan (I believe it was further up) on WT101 being a great pour, why go to 80? Neat- yes, I really enjoy WT101 neat.
wild turkey american honey - Haven't had it, I do have a dusty ol' bottle of it's predecessor though. Really think, tastes like thick mead with bourbon on the back end to me. I put it in tea when I have a sore throat or whatever. Maybe the american honey would fit that as well?
knobb creek - Beam politics turned me off to KC with the "drought" business. It's ok, but I think overpriced at $30+ a bottle here. If I had it, it would be neat. I understand why people like it, but personally it's not my cup of tea for the price tag.
makers mark - I drink it neat when I have it. Don't care enough to pick up a bottle, but maybe once a month I'm at a bar and grab a pour. It's a decent wheater, not offensive at all. Enjoyable, just a tad expensive for the amount of flavor it carries with. For sure drinking it neat, but it's just a *tad* on the bland side.