What are you drinking this moment?!? (continued)

[bluesbassdad]

Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye.

Need I say more?

No, but I can't resist the temptation. I hadn't planned to have a drink this afternoon, but while doing a search on chill-filtering, I happened to encounter a mention of an unfiltered version of this fine bottling. That was enough to cause my taste buds to tingle, so I broke down and poured just a taste.

And what a taste it is! Even so, it's the nose that I love the most about this wonderful whiskey. It's almost (I say almost) a shame to drink it. It's tempting to try to keep sniffing until it has all evaporated.

As my taste for other whiskies waxes and wanes, Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye is my Old Dependable.

My son will be studying in Europe next year. Dare I ask him to take the time to look for the unfiltered bottling of this once-in-a-lifetime whiskey?

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[jeff]

Virginia Gentleman, AKA the 'Fox'. Been a while since I pulled this one out of the cabinet. Another nice medium-bodied "refreshing" bourbon. I think I could drink this one to cool down after a 5K...Hmmm. I think the 'Fox' will get even better as the weather gets warmer.

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

Yes! You have that right Jeff! I've been waiting for your positive post on the 'Fox'. It's good and good for you. Now tell me I'm wrong. - Linn - Much better than Maker's Mark it is!

[jeff]

Woodford Reserve. I am getting a little more sweetness tonight than I did for the shootout, but still slightly earthy and medicinal. And I just can't get past the fact that I can have OF100 for half the price. They say it's the same whiskey, but I'm not convinced

[CL]

ORVW 10 yo. Damn, this is good stuff. For the price, it just may be the best bourbon going.

Hey, BobbyC - if I had to pick only one bourbon that I could have for the rest of my life, I think this one may give GTS some competition due to GTS having such a high proof.

[robbyvirus]

Kentucky Spirit. I just had dinner, and now I'm kicking back with a decent sized pour. Life is good...and this is GOOD bourbon!

[bluesbassdad]

The 107 proof? It's still one of my favorites. (I've never tried the 90 proof.) I may have gone a little overboard in the tasting I did several months back, but not by much.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[CL]

Yes, the 107 proof.

[Bob]

CL,

The 10 YO 107 proof is indeed an excellent bourbon, and ranks up there as one of my favorites. I recently got a bottle of the 15 YO, which I haven't opened yet, but I expect that it will be super also!

[jeff]

I have not had the pleasure of sampling the 15yo. Some have said that they prefer the 10 to the 15, but I'm not sure how much the price is factoring in on their opinion. Hell, if you remove price as a factor, we'd all be drinking the 23yo Let us know what you think Bob.

[Paradox]

From my experience with the 10 and 15 yr ORVW, it's like you said Jeff when you factor in the $ factor. You can tell that the 15 year is definately more refined, but after looking at the price difference the 10 year is a superb bourbon for the price. I've got one of each open, but the 15 is still the original from 2 years ago... The 10 year is probably my 3rd by now. I would still suggest though biting that bullet and grabbing a 15, you will not be disappointed. Ok Linn, you got me the 20 is the best! But I stand by what I said when evaluating the 10 year 107 proof and 15 year...

--> Mark R.

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

Of all the Van Winkel bottlings, I much perfer the 20 year old. Very gracefully aging barrels indeed. I think the 15 year old actually tastes 'older', but the 20 is the one. Make no mistake. Drink 20. - Linn

[jeff]

The 20yo is by far one of the best bourbons I have tasted. I have yet to purchase my first bottle, but I have a drink of it every time I am at Desha's.

[bluesbassdad]

Evan Williams Single Barrel 1992, along with a country ham sandwich. (I wish I knew which maker's ham this is. Unfortunately, I lost my ham records in the computer crash. I think this one came from North Carolina or Georgia.)

I find that EWSB has a crisp, dry edge that is less than my ideal when drunk alone. However, it is the first bourbon that I have drunk along with food that actually tastes good in combination.

I don't mean to say that it's a bad bourbon on its own; it's just that it really seems to shine in combination with zesty food. I suppose there's an analogy to be made with wines, which range from the very dry, before-dinner style, through various degrees of light/heavy and sweet/dry that go with various food dishes, from shellfish to mutton, all the way to pure dessert wines.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[jeff]

Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve. Thought I would give this one another try tonight, seeing as I seem to be the only one who thinks this bourbon is out of place with the other WT offerings. Not much has changed in my assesment. Good overall bourbon, but slightly harsh and acidic. I am getting some nice leather and vanilla notes tonight, not unlike WT101. A little bit of cinnamon and sugar on the back side with a medium-long finish that is just a tad hot. Leaves a kind of "airy" tannic feeling on the top of the back of my throat. Nice bourbon, but for the price I would pick up the 101 and you won't miss a beat.

[CL]

ORVW Woodside Partner's Reserve. Wonderful bourbon. See my comments in the Tasting Notes forum.

[Paradox]

Began the evening with Ezra Brooks Single Barrel, but after a quick mention of A.H. Hrisch 16 with another member, finishing the night with a quick pour seems appropriate.

[jeff]

Yeah, all the talk of great bourbon tonight made me finish things off with a glass of KY Spirit. Now this is what all bourbon attemps to be, but most fall well short

[Ambernecter]

Just finished my first bottle of Evan Williams SB '92. I know it is popular among you guys, but this was not a good experience for me. Way too heavy on the fruit esp. oranges and had something in the finish that reminded me slightly of Jameson Irish whiskey - not a good thing in my eyes! Interesting, but not my bag in the slightest. First Bourbon ever that I have disliked this strongly and that includes Ten High and Rebell Yell. Guess you can't knock a coconut down every time.

Oh well, back to the Makers.

[jeff]

It is the opinion of some here that the '92 vintage is maybe the weakest so far. If you get the chance and haven't been burned too bad, pick up the '93 or the '91 vintage if you can find it. Or just stick with your Maker's, might as well drink what you like

[tommy]

I wish I'd found this forum a little sooner. A while back, I had the choice between the '92 and '93, and I grabbed the '92 thinking that I would drink in chronological order. Maybe I was overly influenced by the little sticker on the '92 that said, "Selected and bottled for the citizens of Virginia." Now I don't feel as special.

As for right now, I'm enjoying a little Jim Beam Black with ice.

Tommy

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

Hi Tommy! I'm not all that far away from you - just one hundred miles west on I-64. Welcome to Bourbonia! Good to see you here. - Linn

[tommy]

Thanks Linn--glad to be here! Three cheers for the Old Dominion!

Tommy

[bluesbassdad]

Well, whatever this stuff is, it's not bad.

I've never drunk it before; let me check the label, so I get this right. It says "A.H. Hirsch Reserve" and "16 years old", and below where it says "Straight Bourbon Whiskey" is the note "Pot-Stilled Sour Mash". At the bottom it says "Bottled by Hirsch Distillers Lawrenceburg, Kentucky". On the back is a cheaply made, stick-on label that says "Distributed by Preiss Imports, Ramona, CA.

I bought this bottle as part of a six-bottle order from Sam's, back in January (days before their February sale -- I'll know better next year). I decided to open it today only because I'm feeling especially mortal right now, probably due to a combination of things -- the war, my son's recent engagement (I guess he really is an independent adult now), the rapidly approaching end of my sixth decade (which I never expected to survive), and a general sense of ennui.

I suppose I'll have to do a side-by-side with my bottle of the 20 year-old one of these days. All I can say about the 16 year-old right now is that it tastes wonderful, but not at all the way I expect bourbon to taste. If some technologically advanced race were to land on Earth and offer us a sample of their favorite alcoholic drink for toasting, I would expect it to taste like this. It makes some of my recent favorites taste crude and harsh by comparison.

This deservedly famous bourbon is so seamlessly delicious that I have to admire (or perhaps even suspect) anyone who can dissect the flavor into its components.

Oh, and one more thing -- as is my custom, I poured a glass of water at the same time I poured the Hirsch, and I just realized that I've emptied the glass of bourbon without even touching the water. The finish is too good to finish.

Yours truly,

Dave "I think I'll have another" Morefield

[Paradox]

Exactly what I began drinking just about an hour ago... I cannot say how much I love Hirsch 16. Isn't that finish just wonderful!