"Is Bonded Bourbon Really Too Strong?"

[silverfish]

Doing some searching on-line and came
across this 1953 TIME magazine piece
by J. P. Van Winkle:

[edit - can a mod move this to History forum? thanks.]
(source - tinyurl.com/ygsbn9c)

[funknik]

Awesome clipping -- thanks!

[sailor22]

Great post - thanks

[Lost Pollito]

Number 2 is awesome.

[DeanSheen]

I'm getting to the point where 80pf tastes like water, or a light drink.

I think 100 is about perfect these days.

[callmeox]

Very cool find. Thanks for sharing.

[unclebunk]

Very interesting clipping, particularly #5. Thanks for posting it. Remember when your first sips of 90 proof whiskey seemed like genuine firewater? Next thing you know, even barrel strength seems reasonable. Funny how you get used to the higher octane juice over time.

[hectic1]

Very interesting clipping, particularly #5. Thanks for posting it. Remember when your first sips of 90 proof whiskey seemed like genuine firewater? Next thing you know, even barrel strength seems reasonable. Funny how you get used to the higher octane juice over time.

I remember the 90 proofer tasting like firewater...I still get a funny look from my neighbors when they see me drinking bourbon neat. I don't know that I can say that the barrel strength seems reasonable though as about the highest I go is 107 and that being ORVW 10/107 and Pappy 15. Anything higher then that I would most likely still cut.

Great article...thanks for posting!

[sku]

Great find. I like that the difference between 9 drinks and 10 is a small difference to the man with "moderate intentions." I'd say our definition of moderation has certainly changed.

[unclebunk]

I remember the 90 proofer tasting like firewater...I still get a funny look from my neighbors when they see me drinking bourbon neat. I don't know that I can say that the barrel strength seems reasonable though as about the highest I go is 107 and that being ORVW 10/107 and Pappy 15. Anything higher then that I would most likely still cut.

I get the same looks from people when I drink bourbon neat, especially when I'm swigging directly from the bottle. Perhaps the word "reasonable" isn't quite right with regard to barrel strength juice, as I tend to cut it a bit too for various reasons, but I no longer have any problem drinking high octane bourbon straight and that sort of surprises me when I look back and consider that Maker's Mark once seemed strong to me.