Top Ten American Whiskeys...One More Time

[T47]

The Beat goes on, 39 voters and 108 different bottles. The latest Top Ten with 4 tied for the 10th Position.

1) ORVW 15 (15)
2) WT RR 101 (15)
3) ELMER T LEE (12)
4) VAN WINKLE LOT "B" (12)
5) WT RB (12)
6) GEORGE T STAGG (11)
7) WT 12 (10)
8) PAPPY VAN WINKLE 15 (10)
9) PAPPY VAN WINKLE 20 (10)
10) BAKERS (9)
11) BLANTONS (9)
12) BOOKERS (9)
13) ROCK HILL FARMS (9)

[ProofPositive]

The Beat goes on, 39 voters and 108 different bottles.

EXCELLENT WORK!!! THANX AGAIN!!!

[nor02lei]

This is not an easy list to do, but a will try. My preferred drinking proof at the last time I drank the brand is inside ( ).
It is no particular order, except that the brands marked * are the 3 I like best.
ORVW 10 Y 107 proof Bernheim version (107)
GTS spring 2005 (110-120)
GTS fall 2005 (141.2)
EC 18 Y single barrel (90)
*WT 101 old tax stripe bottling with red!!! whiskey inside (90-101)
WT Kentucky Legend old 101 proof version (don’t remember)
*ORVW old time rye early gold neck not black neck bottling (85-90)
Younger versions of ORVWFRR including 1985 vintage (15 Y) and Lottas home (13-14 Y)
Sazerac 2002 still 18 Y much better than the 2005 (85-90)
*Old St Nick winter rye (90-100)
I still got a lot of new and old-time unopened bottles at home so I am sure that I have to change this list quiet frequently.

Leif

This is the worst thread on this forum. To list your 10 best American whiskeys is almost impossible. It would have been much easier if it would have been top 20 or bourbon only. I have had a new brand however that I have to put on my list. Problem is that I can’t find anyone to take away so it has to be a top 11. It is the Forester Birthday bourbon 1995 (94). As I have understood it many members don’t like this particular version but to me it is a real cracker in the “horse kick” division alongside Stagg 131.8 and Rittenhouse 10 years. I normally don’t like bourbons which bitter wood notes but in this case I think it integrates god witch the other flavours. The nose is totally fantastic and a crystal clear 25 points in the 100 point scale for me. It is also very tasty with chilli nuts. Fanny thing is that the only other Birthday I have tasted the 13 years old 1990 fall did not have any of these bitter wood notes and it was much milder and gentler in every sense. I can understand that the rye is more obvious in a young version but I find it hard to understand how a 8 year old bourbon could have taken so much strong wood notes in that relatively short time. Only explanation I can come up with is that the barrels must have been lying
very close to the outside reality. Right under the roof or something like that. If somebody else have any explanation to this I would appreciate to here it.

[Scorpius]

As a noob I have a number of fine Bourbons to try yet, and I am looking forward to it. But thus far, I like the following:

GT Stagg
Wellers Ant 107
WL Wellers SR
Elijah Craig
Ezra Brooks
WT RR

Cheers!

[gr8erdane]

The only reason your list is short is because you've only made one trip to my bunker so far...

This of course, will change....

By the way, welcome to SB.com! Another St Louis bourbonian is now here. Ya'll make him welcome please, either because of or in spite of me.....

[Scorpius]

The only reason your list is short is because you've only made one trip to my bunker so far...

This of course, will change....

By the way, welcome to SB.com! Another St Louis bourbonian is now here. Ya'll make him welcome please, either because of or in spite of me.....

You do not lie my friend! Give me time, I will have me own bunker.

I do have a bottle of Bookers and a bottle of Woodford Reserve- but I have not opened either and tasted them yet.

[brian12069]

Here's my top ten based on what I have had. Pretty much in order based on taste.

ORVW 15yr 107(this probably surprises no one)
ORVW 10yr 107
WL Weller 12yr 90
Old Weller Antique 7yr 107
Van Winkle Lot B 12 yr 90.4
Old Fitzgaralds 1849 8yr 90 (this stuff is a bargain & delicious)
Old Grandad 114
Rowan's Creek 12yr 101.1(had one bottle & I need to find more!)
Joshua Brook 8yr 90 (price not considered, another bargain!)
Bookers True Barrel 126

There's a few more I could have thrown in there, tough to get it down to ten. I have sampled around 40 to 50 different kinds.

[T47]

nor02lei,
It must be difficult for someone who has tried a large variety, I have not and find that already my list would have changed since I posted it on this thread only a few weeks ago.
This weekend I tried Bookers for the first time in a bar while visiting my son. Wow! I really like that one, Had to have another try the next night to see if it tasted the same to me, and it did. None of the Bourbon I have tried so far has tasted quite that way to me. It warmed my tongue without burning so much that I had to dip my finger into it because I thought for sure it was heated up! It was like warm syrup spreading across my tongue, I am going to have to buy a bottle for myself and see if it remains as good to me.
As far as the Top Tens go, well I take it all with a grain of salt. For a newbie like me it is nice to see what people have put down, so when I walk in a store and see a couple bottles, maybe one has been mentioned and I can try that one first. Of course I am going to have to try them all eventually, just gives my shopping some direction!
I already have to add a new shelf to accommodate my growing bunker, which has busted my self imposed 20 bottle limit and is now at 24 with no end in site
So far I have enjoyed them all!

[brian12069]

Isn't it great???, I just counted and only have 39 different bourbons on my shelves now.

[T47]

Oh yea, I think its great...my wife, she is not so sure! I picked up what appear to be the last 2 bottles of Rittenhouse Rye in the State of WA. when we were over visiting my son at College. The nice thing about State run stores, they have one web site, that list's everything available, which store has it, and how much stock is remaining. This liquor store with the Rittenhouse was one block from my son's school, all the way across the State from where we live. She of course thinks I am up to something, she wants to know what the odds of that "really" happening are! Lucky for me they were not pricey bottles! Of course, now I need to save up for the Bookers. Here in WA it goes for $53.95.