New guy with questions

[Rman04]

Hey guys I'm new around here and have a few questions ( ya I know you probally hear that a lot.) Anyways I'm a fan of Jack Daniels, however I was thinking the other day.......If Jack Daniels is so good then why do I have to mix it with coke to really enjoy it. So I guess my first question is what is a good bourbon that is in the 20 -25 dollar price range that I can drink neat or with a few cubes of ice ( I have tried Wild Turkey 101 and Evan Williams but I would like something maybe a tad smoother if possible) My second question is I had this bottle of JD that I had taken to a party and threw it in the cooler with ice........ well due to some events of the evening it never got opened so when I got home I threw it in the fridge. Well I opened it about a week ago and took a couple glasses of it out then closed it and popped it back in the fridge...........well now it taste like..........well crap. So is there something wrong with putting whiskey in the fridge ( I know it's common practice with vodka......but it seems to have ruined this bottle of JD)....... Sorry for being so long winded and pretty much ignorant on the subject, but please tell me all you know on the subject of fine whiskeys.

[Gillman]

Well chilling can't hurt a whiskey, and many people like it like that. Just let it warm up. I wonder if some water or other liquid may have leaked into it during that handling. Assuming the cap was tightly closed throughout, mere chilling (unless it was frozen) can't hurt it.

There are many choices in your price range or thereabouts.

Try Elmer T. Lee, or Elijah Craig 12 years old.

Gary

[Pappy's Friend]

Also, you might try a wheated bourbon such as Weller 12 - very smooth! By the way, welcome to SB.com!

[Rman04]

ok guys well my first glass did have a wierd taste but the second glass taste fine....... Im guessing maybe I had a taste in my mouth that didn't mix well with the whiskey. THanks for the help and Ill be sure to check out these bottles as soon as I can.

[jbutler]

Sorry for being so long winded and pretty much ignorant on the subject,

Not a problem rman, that's why we're here. Welcome to straightbourbon.com.

but please tell me all you know on the subject of fine whiskeys.

For that, you're going to need to read the contents of the entire forum. Every post from the last seven years. There's only a little over 73 thousand of them though, we'll wait.

In all seriousness, formulate your questions and avail yourself of the search facility. The search engine on this site is a fantastic tool. If you find answers that are close but not quite right on the money, don't be afraid to ask. Also, notice that for every post you read, down at the very bottom of the page there are links to similar posts.

So good luck and have fun. Again, don't be shy about speaking up. No one here will bite your head off; it's against the rules.

[wadewood]

Also, notice that for every post you read, down at the very bottom of the page there are links to similar posts.

I had never noticed that before. I read the posts using the New Post feature with new posts on top and guess I never really scroll on the way down to the bottom.

[mythrenegade]

Hey guys I'm new around here and have a few questions ( ya I know you probally hear that a lot.) Anyways I'm a fan of Jack Daniels, however I was thinking the other day.......If Jack Daniels is so good then why do I have to mix it with coke to really enjoy it. So I guess my first question is what is a good bourbon that is in the 20 -25 dollar price range that I can drink neat or with a few cubes of ice ( I have tried Wild Turkey 101 and Evan Williams but I would like something maybe a tad smoother if possible) My second question is I had this bottle of JD that I had taken to a party and threw it in the cooler with ice........ well due to some events of the evening it never got opened so when I got home I threw it in the fridge. Well I opened it about a week ago and took a couple glasses of it out then closed it and popped it back in the fridge...........well now it taste like..........well crap. So is there something wrong with putting whiskey in the fridge ( I know it's common practice with vodka......but it seems to have ruined this bottle of JD)....... Sorry for being so long winded and pretty much ignorant on the subject, but please tell me all you know on the subject of fine whiskeys.

First off, welcome! You didn't note where you live, that can affect the price of bourbon, so I will have to assume that bourbon is the same price where you live as where I live...

In California I can get a lot of bourbon in your price range. You wanted something smoother than WT101, and Gillman suggested Elmer T. Lee and Elijah Craig 12yo. I like both bourbons, but the Elijah Craig has huge fans and huge detractors, whereas everyone seems to like the ETL, so I would suggest the latter of the two.

Another good bourbon to start with is Maker's Mark. It's smooth, wheat based (as opposed to Rye like the Wild Turkey you tried) and very consistent. Just writing about it makes me want to go pour a glass. As a bonus, it is easier to find than the others. You can try Maker's Mark in almost any finer bar.

Another good bourbon in your price range is likely Evan Williams Single Barrell. This is the top of the Evan Williams line, and I can't vouch for the others as I have not tried them, but I do enjoy the single barrell.

FYI, you will often see these bourbons referred to by initials around here. Elijah Craig = EC, Elmer T. Lee = ETL, Maker's Mark = MM, Evan Williams Single Barrell = EWSB etc. It can be confusing, but don't hesitate to break in and say "what is ER?" when we do that... (Eagle Rare, by the way).

Joel

[jbutler]

FYI, you will often see these bourbons referred to by initials around here. Elijah Craig = EC, Elmer T. Lee = ETL, Maker's Mark = MM, Evan Williams Single Barrell = EWSB etc. It can be confusing, but don't hesitate to break in and say "what is ER?" when we do that... (Eagle Rare, by the way).

Joel

Even better, look here:

SB abbreviations and acronyms list

You'll find this post as an announcement at the top of this (New to SB) forum.

BTW, I heartily agree with Joel's assessment of the ETL vs. EC 12.

[Ambernecter]

Welcome to SB.com...

ETL is a great whiskey no doubt and one of my faves.

If it's SMOOTH you're after then give VW Lot B (Van Winkle 12 year old Special Reserve) a try. It is simply sublime and worth the price - whatever that may be in your parts

[TnSquire]

For moderately priced bourbon that is pretty smooth I would suggest Weller antique 107 or the 12 yo. I also like Old Granddad 100 proof BIB although it is not as "smooth" as a wheater.