Convincing Amalegen to Drink Bourbon Neat

[cowdery]

Under the "Favorite Bourbon" topic, Amalegen opined that, "when drinking anything neat, I can think of nothing better than a single malt scotch." Since Amalegen also wrote that he or she, "basically joined to learn and enjoy," let us extol to Amalegen in that spirit the virtues of bourbon.

To start the ball rolling, I would encourage Amalegen simply to enlarge his whiskey-enjoyment experience. It's not an either/or proposition. You should be no more reluctant to try a bourbon neat than you would be to sample an unfamiliar malt.

The best bourbons reward the careful taster at least as much as do the best scotches. The experience is simply different. The person who is used to sipping a single malt neat might find a bourbon served the same way initially overwelming.

I encourage dillution. Not too much, since you are already a whiskey drinker, but enough to take the edge off. I suggest a 4:1 whiskey/water ratio to start.

I also suggest trying this with one of the top bourbons, such as Blanton's, Kentucky Spirit, Woodford Reserve or Evan Williams Single Barrel. You will be pleasantly surprised to note that these fine spirits, the best of the bourbons, cost less than many mediocre malts.

Anyone else want to exercise their powers of persuasion.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://cowdery.home.netcom.com>--Chuck Cowdery</A>

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Excellent, just the kind of reply I was hoping for., since cruuently my knowlege of bourbon, consisted at a leve of drinking early times with lowclorie TAB. I jestifully refer to as a Tabet.
thaks

[jbutler]

Damn Gene, I'd completely forgotten that Tab ever existed!

My first experiences with bourbon were invariably associated with 7-up. Of course, back then I though a 7 and 7 was bourbon and 7-up. I never considered consuming bourbon neat .. that act was clearly for madmen.

Over the past five years or so I've taken to drinking my bourbon neat, and if I do mix, it's only with ice. Chuck's suggestion to use spring water is a good one however, and I heartily recommend the practice, particularly for the higher proof bottlings.

BTW, welcome to the forum.

Cheers,

Jim Butler
Straightbourbon.com

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Tabet? Good, you've a sense of humor. Early Times may be marketed as a bourbon where you live,but over here it is marketed as "Old Style Kentucky Whiskey". Do follow Chuck's suggestion and buy yourself some really good bourbon. One brand you may be able to both find and afford is Knob Creek. Try that, and if you have to just go ahead and toss it in the Tab. After a few drinks go ahead and take a big ol' snort right out of the bottle. Then take off your pants and hop in bed with your favorite mattress kitten. You'll never drink scotch again!

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

[johnrobe]

To me Early Times ranks as one of the worst American Whiskeys around. My recollection is that it is way too thin and tastes "young".
Anyway, I started out as a bourbon-and-coke drinker. Eventually I started drinking good bourbon on the rocks with a splash of Coke, then just bourbon on the rocks, and now bourbon with maybe just a tiny splash of water. So pick out a good bourbon and gradually back off the Coke. Linn's Knob Creek suggestion is an excellent one. Some other low cost alternatives would be Old Forester, Jim Beam Black, Elijah Craig 12 y.o. (not a personal favorite, but a lot of folks like it) and, for a TN whiskey alternative, George Dickel No. 12.

Cheers,
JR

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Said JR, "To me Early Times ranks as one of the worst American Whiskeys around"

Well, I guess you haven't tried Old Crow, have you?
I imagine Bailey makes a better-tasting product than that one.

=John=
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey>http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey</A>

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Ha, Ha, your right, TAB is a thing of the past. Although, at the time, the TABET did exist, but I was using it, humorously to express my lack of knowlegde of bourbons. Im, glad the humor was reconized.(hic) Im really excited with the replys nad the suggested bourbon's to try. The sad fact, is that my package store just dosent carry a lot of the suggestions. I had to itterally beat them on the head to keep an adequate supply of my favorite single malt. Seems we Arkies down here, are not really fussy enough, a bottle of 10 year Old Charter is considered a special treat.
I'll keep looking......
God Bless all,
and an old scotish toast Im told: "May you be in heaven, 5 minutes before the devil knows you dead."

[Hedmans Brorsa]

I discovered "quality bourbon" (call it what you will) almost exactly three years ago. Little did I know that the brands I brought home, Woodford Reserve and Booker´s represented the opposite poles in this particular world. Even though it was love at first taste it didn´t mean that I gave up on other spirits. I still have a soft spot for the heavier whiskies from western Scotland, especially the peaty, tarry single malts from the Isle of Islay.

However, as the years have gone by, I have gradually found myself more and more entangled in the bourbon world. The scarcity of american whiskey in Sweden means that this have been a chore - forcing me to mail-order from abroad.

Anyway, leaving the matter of colour aside (I seldom have access to all-white rooms) and concentrating on nose, taste and finish, the final score ends up 2-1 in bourbon´s favour.

Only in the nosing department do I feel that single malt scotch has the upper hand. There are many bourbons that I simply love to taste but where the boquet is somewhat nondescript. Adding to that, I have encountered many single malts that I care very little for in the tasting department but which are blessed with magical scents.

But for taste and (especially) finish bourbon rules, if not supreme then at least with a clear margin. All in my humble opinion, of course.

Best wishes,
H.B.

[johnrobe]

<html>Hey, I said "American whiskey". I thought Old Crow was camping fuel.
</html>

[ratcheer]

Okay, surely you can get Old Forester. It is one of the most standard of standard brands and it is a very good tasting bourbon, to boot. Not expensive, either.

I prefer the 100 proof, but the 86 proof is just about as good.

Cheers, Tim