Best mid priced beginner bourbon

[CorvallisCracker]

In my experience with trying to get people into bourbon (or liquor in general), the bottle you choose has to have these 2 qualities, if not others as well:

1) It should have the quality people always describe as being "smooth", which I guess means they don't like the anything too spicy or the burn that comes from drinking spirits. So I think you want something not too high in rye and not too high in proof.

2) As stupid as it is, if you're not doing it blind, the bottle has to have some sex appeal. A fancy bottle added to buzz words people know (small batch, single barrel, etc.) and you will be on your way to winning them over.

My go to is usually Eagle Rare SB. Nothing offensive, 90 proof, mashbill is high in corn, good looking bottle, and "single barrel" written on the label.

VW Lot B works well for this purpose, for the same reasons. However it costs more ($20 more in OR), and the ERSB is probably the better choice.

[squire]

Pretty gets my attention but I've always had a soft spot for well packaged goods.

[tehbeardman]

Being an noob myself, I can only speak to the bourbons on your list that I have tried. When I was first starting out, one of the first few bourbons I got was Buffalo Trace. I thought it was a good starting bourbon because it was smooth, fairly straightforward noes and taste, and at 90 proof, its a baby step toward the higher proofs. It's not a sexy pick, but a solid one. Also, congrats on having a friend who wants to spend money on bourbon

[squire]

90 proof works fine for me, about the only ones I buy that are higher in alcohol are BIBs, unless something new strikes my fancy.

[flintlock]

There are a couple on your list I've not had, but ETLee is a super whiskey and fits your requirements of value and relative complexity for the dollar. The 2000 EWSB underwhelmed me. I'm a huge VOB fan - I think VOB BiB is one of the best whiskies in the world.

[trumpstylz]

Pretty gets my attention but I've always had a soft spot for well packaged goods.

It's too bad the new guys care more about looks than they do about her personality. It's too bad they don't make em like they used to

[awhiskeydrink]

I have to recommend Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit. It's the only bourbon I've given a 10 out of 10 on my blog. The others I love are a little pricey; Noah's Mill and Vintage Bourbon 17 yr. I copied my review below and cited a review from this forum
my blog awhiskeydrink.com



It finally happened. I reviewed my first ten out of ten whiskey. I found Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit about a year ago while searching for “bourbon ratings OR rankings” on google. A post over at straightbourbon.com came up rating Kentucky Spirit very high on taste and moderately high on value; I agree with both (Forbes).

Kentucky Spirit is a single barreled bourbon, and each bourbon is hand selected. Master distiller Jimmy Russell selects for qualities of vanilla, a touch of sweetness, almonds, honey and leather. It is a fuller body bourbon and 50 percent alcohol, yet still manages to be remarkable smooth (Wild Turkey).

taste - bright and sparkling upfront, orange, meringue, warm, white chocolate, dark caramels, vanilla spice, light oak, pepper, white smoke, hint of woods and earth on finish.

smell - vanilla, white oak, orange blossoms, honeysuckles, rosewater, tree sap, cinnamon bark, boiling sugars, effervescent (I want to add “forests and log cabin” because of that woodsy, earthy tone).

look - grade “A” maple syrup, amber honey, deeply aged Grand Marnier, burnt orange (a nod to Texas).
rating - 10, my first 10!
price - $37.50 - $50

Cheers,
Swift

Work Cited

Forbes. "Bourbon Comparison - Quality, Taste and Cost - Straightbourbon.com." Straight Bourbon: Makers, History, Brands, Tastings, Reviews, FAQ, Drinks ... Web. 19 Feb. 2011. <http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=742>.
"Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit." Wild Turkey Bourbon. Web. 19 Feb. 2011. <http://www.wildturkeybourbon.com/>.

[StraightBoston]

I'd vote for ETL or WTKS at this price point (gotta be a scotch drinker if $50 is "mid-priced"!)

Agree with EWSB or VOB BIB for base+complexity profile.

[darkluna]

$50 is mid-priced? I usually have to think long and hard about throwing down that much for a bottle (although I have many times).

[squire]

I was thinking the same thing, to me mid price Bourbon/Rye is under $20.