Driving For Bourbon

[nickynick]

So my friend and I were thinking of driving down to Louisville to hunt for some new bourbons. I'm pretty new to this whole thing. So, I'm looking for some advice. Where should we shop? What is a good place to start? I have a lot to choose from in Chicago, but I know there are somethings that are not here. Four Roses? Evan Williams Green and White(are either of these worth it? Black, SB, and 1783 are in Chi-town.) VWFRR? How much should I expect to pay for some of these? What else would people recommend?

[jburlowski]

Go for the Four Roses.... I like the Small Batch the best of all; followed by the single barrel.

[JeffRenner]

Go for the Four Roses.... I like the Small Batch the best of all; followed by the single barrel.

I agree with a minor difference - I would take the Single Barrel over the Small Batch. But they are both wonderful bourbons, and perhaps the best of the Kentucky-only bourbons. The only competition, IMO, would be the 6 yo and 10 yo Old Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond. And then only because of the incredible value for dollar - under $10 for both.

Expect to pay in the low $20's for the Small Batch and $30 for the Single Barrel. Worth every penny.

Jeff

[oldironstomach]

On a related note, is there anything special we export to Canada that's worth picking up when I drive to Montreal?

[cowdery]

I live in Chicago too and there isn't much we can't get here. Four Roses (any expression) and Very Old Barton (any expression) are the ones I usually grab. You also have a wide range of Heaven Hill choices, under the HH brand as well as others such as JTS Brown and JW Dant, that we don't get up north. One interesting oddity you can only find in Kentucky is Old Bourbon Hollow, which is a bond from Jim Beam. Check out the Van Winkles, because you might find some rare expressions. You usually can find some Maker's commemoratives that aren't widely distributed, if you're into that sort of thing.