If you only had three..

[EvanB]

If you were to have only three bourbons in you cabinet that all have very different tastes what would they be? I love Makers Mark and am looking for two others to buy that are not similar.

[JDutton]

Based on my somewhat limited experience:

If money is a constraint at all:
1. WT 101 or maybe OGD BIB or 114
2. ERSB or maybe EWSB '95 (This might be where I'd put MM)
3. ORVW 10/107


If money is not an issue:

1. WT Rare Breed
2. W.L. Weller 2006
3. PVW 15

I reserve the right to change my mind...

Jeff

[ratcheer]

If you were to have only three bourbons in you cabinet that all have very different tastes what would they be? I love Makers Mark and am looking for two others to buy that are not similar.

Moderately priced:

• Wild Turkey Rare Breed
• Elmer T. Lee
• Old Grand Dad 114

Price no object:

• Wild Turkey 12-year old
• Rock Hill Farms
• Booker's

Tim

[TBoner]

Following the pattern of other posts,

If money is a concern:

1. OGDBIB (rye-heavy)
2. Old Charter 12/90 (sweet, low-rye, but balanced)
3. Weller 12 year (this, being a wheater, would be closest to Maker's Mark and about the same price...but I much prefer it. You could, for only a couple of dollars more, go w/Weller 107, which I like even more.)

All can be had for under $20

If money is not a concern:

1. WTRB (rye-heavy)
2. Knob Creek (slightly sweet, great balance, high-rye but not like RB)
3. PVW15 (only tasted once...wish I could taste it everyday)

None of the above will break the bank, but they're all pretty hard to beat IMO.

[OscarV]

If you were to have only three bourbons in you cabinet that all have very different tastes what would they be? I love Makers Mark and am looking for two others to buy that are not similar.

As far as the original question goes, my two choices to go along with your Maker's Mark that would be different than MM are,...

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit
Old Charter 12 year old

[Gillman]

Mine would be the current Weller 107 proof, BMH 18 year old rye and EC 12 years old if it was like the last one I had.

Gary

[TNbourbon]

Well, I'll settle for your Maker's Mark, though I'd prefer a Stitzel-Weller Old Fitz or Weller as the wheater.
If we're talking standard bottlings here, give me Old Forester 86 for the rye-recipe and Four Roses Small Batch for the 'wild card'.
If I were to go upscale, no-dollar-limit/readily available, give me Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit and Pappy 20.

Frankly -- and this is a GOOD thing -- it would be a lot shorter list naming bottles I wouldn't want to see regularly.

[Jazzhead]

For me it would be these three distilleries' distinct products:

- Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit

Wild Turkey's the best bourbon, and Kentucky Spirit is Jimmy Russell's pick of a honey barrel just for me (or so I content myself to believe). Money's never "no object", but I figure my key three can be averaged nicely with this one being where the bucks invested are well, well worth it.

- Weller Centenniel 10 yo

This is the one of the three that's wheated, and just happens to be my favorite of the moment. This bottle's about to bite the dust, and there's no replacement for it in-state, so I may just use that as the excuse to open my one vintage bottle of the stuff - A Bourbon Heritage number with S-W whiskey. I'll post some notes comparing the BT and SW versions.

- Old Forester BIB

This is the value pour - this delicious stuff at about 17 bucks a bottle lets me afford the KS. It's from the most venerable distillery company, and is straight-down-the-middle satisfying.

[EvanB]

What about Basil Hayden's and Knob Creek to go with my MM?

Basil Hayden's is heavy rye, but somewhat light at 80 proof (before dinner). Knob Creek (anytime) is heavy Rye, but much stronger with the 100 proof. MM is the sweet after dinner bourbon.

[ggilbertva]

Well, my choices would be:

VW Lot B
WLW
Saz 18

Ask again next month and my choices would probably change. I get new bourbon all the time and my top 10 tends to fluctuate.