How did you get into Bourbon?

[ILLfarmboy]

Underage Jack and Coke drinker from the mid-late 80's. Tried WT101, neat, around the time the 8 year age statement went by the wayside. And I knew what my beverage of choice would be.

Much later, after I was married I began trying other bourbons.

[gmccall]

Started working for a small distiller near my college and dove into American Whiskeys. Originally just an Irish Whiskey drinker but I have broadened my horizons.

[Enoch]

I drank cheap Bourbon and Coke in college (early 70s) but quit when I went to seminary. About 8 years ago I decided to try it again and bought a handle of Jim Beam White. I hated it so I gave it to my brother-in-law (He's like Mikey and will take anything.) Then in 2009 my wife went to Kentucky for 6 months to work on several political campaigns. Her boss drank Blanton's so I decided to give it a try while there and liked it. And so it began......

[LongBeachScott]

I drank cheap Bourbon and Coke in college (early 70s) but quit when I went to seminary. About 8 years ago I decided to try it again and bought a handle of Jim Beam White. I hated it so I gave it to my brother-in-law (He's like Mikey and will take anything.) Then in 2009 my wife went to Kentucky for 6 months to work on several political campaigns. Her boss drank Blanton's so I decided to give it a try while there and liked it. And so it began......

I thought Mikey hated everything!

[wadewood]

My great great great great grandfather was Jacob Beam Van Winkle Craig. He invented yeast. If I drink anything other than bourbon, he turns over in his grave.

[aea6574]

Kind of funny, I am going to say it was my wife that got me into bourbon. I was always a beer drinker then got into vodka and then scotch. My wife a couple of years ago said something to the effect that I was always a supporter of American products, driving Fords, drinking Michigan craft beer and the like and that I should try some bourbons. No looking back now. Plus it is cheaper then the scotch I was drinking, well a lot of it is anyway.

Best regards, Tony

[Bmac]

I drank Jack in college 35 years ago, and then beer ever since.
Then two years ago I was visiting a friend near Nashville. On the drive back to Texas we stopped at Jack Daniels and did the tour. I had forgotten how whiskey tasted. When I got home I bought a bottle of Gentleman Jack, a few days after that my wife brought home a new springer spaniel puppy. After drinking more than half of that bottle I named the new pup Jack.
A few months after that I joined this group. After posting a few times I saw info on the sampler in Bardstown in April. Many members told me to go and where to stay. All of a sudden I am at the General drinking and having a good time, then I am at Doug's porch and so on. I felt so welcomed by everyone. I ended up meeting many new friends and had a blast. Then last week I attended KBF for the week. Another great time. I have tried scotch and hated it, but bourbon I love. I now have almost 100 different bottles in my bar and most are bourbon.
Like Paul I enjoy my bourbon neat. I like the flavor without adding ice or water. At times this can be a challenge, Booker's, Weller and others have high proofs, about the only thing I'll add is a whiskey stone every now and then.
Well it's time to open that new bottle of Parker's Heritage I got at Toddy's last week. Enjoy.

So...the new Parker's is available in Texas now?

[Kalessin]

Long ago, at family holiday dinners, I was occasionally allowed to take a sip from my grandfather's whiskey glass at dessert time; I was imprinted with the 1970's WT flavor at an early age. He liked WT or OGD for bourbon, and Johnny Walker Black for scotch, and sometimes gave and received other bottles as gifts in his job as a lumber salesman. Wine or beer (decent wine or beer!) was normal at the dinner table in my parents' house, and as late teenagers us kids shared in, probably an influence from my dad's childhood in Germany.

When in my twenties, I drank mostly beer. Eventually, I fell in with a crowd of technical theater (lighting, sounds, sets, etc) people, and the drink of choice at post-show parties was single malt scotch, and learned much in that direction.

However, when money is short, bourbon is far easier on the budget than SMSW. I picked up a bottle of EC12 sometime in 2002 or so when I was underemployed, and it was so good I kept buying it, but I went through bottles fairly slowly as I always had more scotch on hand. Eventually I decided that there must be other decent bourbons to explore, but it wasn't until 2011 that I sought out the knowledge of the Internet, found SB.com, and now I'm buying all kinds of bourbon and rye I never even knew existed, have a small bunker going, use abbreviations to refer to my whiskey, and have otherwise degenerated into that most reprehensible of creatures, a bourbon enthusiast.

[gobills23]

Ironically I got hooked on bourbon when I couldn't even have a drop of it. I was deployed overseas and wanted to treat myself to an expensive bottle of alcohol when I returned so I began the hunt shortly before I came home. I was never a scotch fan so the blue label was out, I enjoyed Jack but didn't find anything they offered "premium", and cognac just gives me heartburn so naturally I gravitated towards bourbon. I spent some of my free time researching bourbons and the one name that kept coming up was Pappy. I know that Pappy is extremely controversial but I was fortunate to find a store that would reserve some after I returned. I tried it and was hooked.....on bourbon. My only previous experience with bourbon was some Maker's Mark once in a blue moon. Although Pappy is amazing, there are others that I enjoy just as much. My current favorite is Whistlepig and for a rye whiskey it's extremely smooth and enjoyable and this is coming from someone that is generally not a big fan of the rye bourbons.

[Clavius]

I guess it started with Maker's Mark. I used to really like it. But that was way back not long after I had turned 21.

A couple years ago I began working in a wine/liquor store. That's where the interest really took off. At first I was more interested in wine and learning all about it. But eventually I started to learn more about spirits and bourbon in particular. Looking back, I can't believe the amount of Van Winkle stuff we used to get in. I knew little about it at the time but I vividly remember seeing a case, yes a whole case (3 bottles), of 20 year come in once. But back then that was way over my head. I couldn't imagine a 750ml bottle of bourbon being worth $100 or more. Eventually I caved though. I think I started with the PVW 15 year or Lot B as they're more "affordable" than the 20 and 23-year. It was all downhill from there. Me and a buddy started gobbling up all the PVW and BTAC we could find when they were released. I spent more money than I care to know on all of it!

Now I've kind of gotten over the whole "Super Premium" liquor/bourbon thing. I know what I like of what is readily available as well as what is not so easy to get. But what I can get my hands on I enjoy more than I used to now. To be honest, I've kind of gone to the dark side with Islay single malt's lately. But I still love bourbon and this forum!