Inexpensive, tasty 100 proof bourbon?

[DJCRLS]

I live in Ohio, and i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on some good, inexpensive bourbons? I usually try to get something with more than 40% alcohol. I've tried, and really enjoy, evan williams (regular and single barrel), elija creig, old grand dad, wild turkey russel's reserve and rare breed. And a few others. I'm looking for something around or under 20 dollars, i saw old forrester 100 proof online for around this price but i haven't been able to find it this low in any stores. Any suggestions? Maybe some ofyour favorite inexpensive bourbonS?

[bluesbassdad]

I live in Ohio, and i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on some good, inexpensive bourbons? I usually try to get something with more than 40% alcohol. I've tried, and really enjoy, evan williams (regular and single barrel), elija creig, old grand dad, wild turkey russel's reserve and rare breed. And a few others. I'm looking for something around or under 20 dollars, i saw old forrester 100 proof online for around this price but i haven't been able to find it this low in any stores. Any suggestions? Maybe some ofyour favorite inexpensive bourbonS?

Regional variations in prices introduce some uncertainty here.

As of 2004, when I left CA, Wild Turkey 101 was seldom more than $18. Rite-Aid often put it on sale for $12.99. Yes, $12.99. Perhaps the price there has now risen to the $22 range, as it is here in central Arizona. I don't know.

One bourbon worth trying, if it meets your price criterion in OH, is Old Fitzgerald BIB. I've had a love/hate relationship with it, but on a good day it reminds me of 100 proof caramel corn.

I'm not a big fan of Old Forester BIB, but many here are. Notwithstanding, a few years ago I liked it better than Woodford Reserve in a blind tasting.

'

Do you ever make trips into Kentucky? Your choices would be much greater there.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[MikeK]

Anything from Heaven Hill. Their 4,6, and 10 year old BIB's range from $7 to $13 or so. Good stuff.

Cheers,

[DoubleT]

I live in Ohio, and i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on some good, inexpensive bourbons? I usually try to get something with more than 40% alcohol. I've tried, and really enjoy, evan williams (regular and single barrel), elija creig, old grand dad, wild turkey russel's reserve and rare breed. And a few others. I'm looking for something around or under 20 dollars, i saw old forrester 100 proof online for around this price but i haven't been able to find it this low in any stores. Any suggestions? Maybe some ofyour favorite inexpensive bourbonS?

I don't know what it runs in your area but I am very fond of Buffalo Trace. I also recommend, if you liked the Old Grand Dad, the OGD BIB. Knob Creek and Old Weller Antique 107 might also be to your liking.

[bluesbassdad]

I don't know what it runs in your area but I am very fond of Buffalo Trace. I also recommend, if you liked the Old Grand Dad, the OGD BIB. Knob Creek and Old Weller Antique 107 might also be to your liking.

Here in central Arizona Knob Creek is around $30. Here's hoping it's under $20 in Ohio, but I doubt it.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Sijan]

OGD BIB or WT101 are my top picks in this category

[Lost Pollito]

VOB BIB., is my favorite in that range. 11.99 in Chicago.

[BourbonJoe]

Try J.W. Dant BiB. Dirt cheap in Kentucky and the DSP-Ky-31's are good. Or J.T.S. Brown BiB - $11.39 a liter in Kentucky and decent whiskey.

Joe :usflag:

[callmeox]

What part of Ohio are you in? I'm up in Willowick in the northeast corner of the state. While Ohio doesn't have the wide selection that many other states have, there are a couple of inexpensive gems that you may want to try.

I recommend the J.T.S. Brown Bottled in Bond (100 proof) as a great inexpensive choice in Ohio. It lists here for about 13.00 for a 750 and around 29.50 for a 1.75 (depending on the tax rate in your county). There's an 80 proof and 100 proof available here, so be sure that you grab the correct one.

At the high end of your price scale, I recommend Buffalo Trace or Wild Turkey 101 (both are in the 21.00 ball park here).

Unfortunately, Ohio doesn't carry the 100 proof Old Forester (only the 86 proof version).

if you want to check stock to see who in your area carries a specific brand, you can call the Ohio Department of Liquor Control in Columbus (614-644-2515) and save yourself some driving. If you give them a county or a zip code and the product code from the link below, they can tell you which stores in your area have a specific product in stock.

http://www.liquorcontrol.ohio.gov/dolc.liquor.pricelist.txt

Happy Hunting!

[shoshani]

I can almost write a song:

Wheennnn yooooouuu buy one 23 Pappy

and ten VOBs

That's Amortization

Seriously, though, you can spread the overall expense if you buy one "special" bottling (say a Forester Birthday) and a few high proof high quality low price bourbons together. Just one more thing to love about the world of bourbon and rye.

[PhilsFan]

I also give my vote to JTS Brown & VOB bibs.

-Joe

[cowdery]

Buy any Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that says either "bonded" or "bottled in bond" on the label and I bet you will be happy with it.

[Dramiel McHinson]

If they have it in your area, try Estate Bottled Old Bardstown. It's 10 year old 101 proof. It is good sour mash Kentucky straight bourbon. It's not expensive in my neighborhood.

[MJL]

As far as inexpensive you cannot go wrong with some of the bigger name brands like Wild Turkey or Old Grand Dad. These are solid Bourbons that have the attraction of being widely available and moderately priced.

My suggestion is you will expand your choices greatly if you expand your requirements to allow for 90 proof whiskey. There are so many great 90 proof Bourbons that you will be greatly rewarded with an examination in that direction.

[Brennan77]

Rowan's Creek would be a good choice.

[shoshani]

Buy any Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that says either "bonded" or "bottled in bond" on the label and I bet you will be happy with it.

That's how I got started on this dusty trail. I turned 21 in 1986, and at the time I'd come into a bunch of magazines from the 1940s and 1950s. Most of these had ads for whiskey in various forms, and the whole "Bottled In Bond" concept seemed to be a hallmark of quality. Thus, when I first began buying bourbon, I started off with some of those very BiB brands I'd seen advertised: Old Forester, Old Fitz, Old Grand-Dad, Old Taylor.

A friend of mine who was also a bartender jokingly referred to these old Bonded brands as "WW II Veteran's Whiskey". Drinking them was definitely declasse at the time. Now it's hip and retro.

[shoshani]

It's too late for me to edit my post above, so I'll add it here: Most of these bourbons that I was buying 20 years ago cost around $7-9 at the time. Most of these same bottlings are going today for $12-14, which according to the Westegg inflation calculator is just about what $7-9 bought back then, so overall the basic BiB expressions haven't really gone up in price, when that gets factored in.

[spun_cookie]

If you can get soem Old #8 or old 8 yr WT101s... that is some great drinking. The newer 101 is not as good, but is not bad either... if you are lucky enough to find any of the 1992/3 or older 101... do a comparison...

[callmeox]

Everyone has made wonderful suggestions for inexpensive bourbons, but the one issue is that most/all of them are not available in Ohio.

Take a quick glance at the Ohio list that I posted the link to and you'll see that there's an absence of many of the quality inexpensive labels here.

[Gillman]

Scott, I was interested in the number American whiskeys (blends) on the market in your State. What is the local market for these as far as you know, is it for whiskey and Coke, say?

Could the blends mostly be purchased by restaurants and bars for well whiskey?

Do buyers of blends regard them as the same as bourbon but less expensive, or as something different?

I guess these questions could be asked of anywhere in the States but there seemed a larger-than-usual number of blends available and that Canadian whiskies have not usurped the ground these have held (at least in number of brands offered).

Gary

[callmeox]

I wish I had access to the stats for what the top X sellers and volumes were for each category here in Ohio. I've got a casual contact at the Ohio DLC and the next time I talk to her, I'll ask if the numbers are available to the general public.

Form my experience, Cleveland is a real shot and beer and highball town. I think that with that, you're going to see them using the cheaper stuff across the board.

While playing golf for the day long bachelor shindig, my playing partner produced a shiny metal flask from his gold bag. He motioned toward me with the flask and offered "Windsor?". I went to my bag and grabbed the 200 of VOB BiB that I brought back from Kentucky and told him to try this instead. He didn't touch the Windsor the rest of the round, but he hit up the VOB quite a few times. At $19.00 for a handle of Windsor, it's tough to find a bourbon to compete with that when price is more important than taste.

[Gillman]

Okay very interesting, thanks.

Gary

[ThomasH]

Usually, the local newspaper here publishes the top 10 selling spirits in Ohio for the current year. Absolut and Kamchatka (Cheap bottom shelf) in vodka, Bacardi in rum, Jim Beam and JD for straight whiskey, Black Velvet and Windsor for Canadian Whiskey. I don't think it lists every category, just the top 10 sellers. I can't remember the rest of the list, but Beam was the only bourbon listed!

Thomas

[mozilla]

While playing golf for the day long bachelor shindig, my playing partner produced a shiny metal flask from his gold bag. He motioned toward me with the flask and offered "Windsor?". I went to my bag and grabbed the 200 of VOB BiB that I brought back from Kentucky and told him to try this instead. He didn't touch the Windsor the rest of the round, but he hit up the VOB quite a few times. At $19.00 for a handle of Windsor, it's tough to find a bourbon to compete with that when price is more important than taste.

Well,....when 3/4 of the bottle of Windsor is GNS or vodka(or whatever they call it in Canada)....I think that any bourbon would compete on an equal basis.

25% of a bottle filled with bourbon and watered down with GNS does not offer much competition to a good bottle of Wild Turkey.

[callmeox]

To someone who has developed an affinity for something with a more robust character, your point is spot on. Most folks don't know the components of a blended whiskey, so that distinction is transparent to them...until we can educate them.