How did you get into Bourbon?

[ThirstyinOhio]

I am curious to hear how others got into Bourbon. Here in Ohio, Bourbon was something you only did shots of to prove your manhood or add to coke, or at least thats what I thought until a friend took me to a Bourbon dinner. My eyes were opened up to the glorious wonder of Bourbon. I had not idea how complex and different Bourbon could be until I was walked through my first proper tasting and it got me hooked. I started buying mid shelf bottles and trying to see if I could pull out various flavors and smells, just like I had been doing with single malts and red wine, and the next thing I know I'm dragging my wife on a journey to mecca, the Bourbon trail.

Edited September 14, 2012 by ThirstyinOhio

[WAINWRIGHT]

My father was a long time Wild Turkey drinker,as this was my first pour.I began to appreciate other things,mainly single malts and things progressed quickly.I have changed my primary focus over the last ten years back towards bourbon and rye.Trips to Whisky Fest and Kentucky have just fueled the fire,distilleries,periodicals and this forum have turned it not only a hobby but a growing obsession and I love every minute of it.

[Stones]

I am curious to hear how others got into Bourbon. Here in Ohio, Bourbon was something you only did shots of prove your manhood or add to coke, or at least thats what I thought until a friend took me to a Bourbon dinner. My eyes were opened up to the glorious wonder of Bourbon. I had not idea how complex and different Bourbon could be until I was walked through my first proper tasting and it got me hooked. I started buying mid shelf bottles and trying to see if I could pull out various flavors and smells, just like I had been doing with single malts and red wine, and the next thing I know I'm dragging my wife on a journey to mecca, the Bourbon trail.

I have a similar story I guess where it was one of the choices when coming of drinking age. I'd experimented trying rum, scotch, gin and vodka and had been exceedingly ill on all of them, even bourbon. It wasn't until a few years afterwards that I returned to bourbon and ventured to try more mid level bourbons like Knob Creek and Elijah Craig instead of the pedestrian JB and WT that was very much the normal offering in 90% of pubs and nightclubs, still is in most places actually along with slate.

Then I came across a small whiskey shop that had bourbons i'd never heard of or seen in Australia before, from this grew the behemoth monster that bourbon is to me today and I love it and the journey.

[JB64]

I got started by trying some different spirits to find something to drink other than beer. I picked up a bottle of KC at Sam's Club a few years back and found it to be more interesting than the JBW and other traditional bar drinks I had been accustomed to drinking. I started to get hooked with that purchase. I then bought and read a couple of books about whiskey, one written by Michael Jackson and another written by Dave Broom. About the time I was reading the books I found this forum and the hook was set.

[qman22]

I attended a cigar herf where Blanton's was being promoted. It was the first time I had ever really enjoyed the taste of whiskey. It peaked my interest enough to eventually start exploring the world of bourbon and the next thing I knew I was hooked.

[wrath186]

I have just gotten into bourbon. Whiskey was always something you did shots of or, like Thirsty, added to coke. My friends and I just returned from a trip to Kentucky where I went to three distilleries. Since seeing and tasting all the fatastic things you can make with bourbon I have acquired a new appreciation for the spirit. I'm now on journey to develop my palette for the subtle flavors of different bourbons. So far I have tried Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Angel's Envy, Knob Creek, Maker's Mark 46, Maker's Mark White and Woodford Reserve Double Oak. Personal fave thus far is the Angel's Envy.

[berto]

Started out with shots of Early Times as a dumb teenager. Got a little older and decided to give Makers and Wild Turkey a try. Discovered manhattens. Grandma drank old fashioneds. Decided bourbon was the path to enlightenment. I'm figuring out what I like and don't like as much through trial and more trial. Good thing the wife supports my new hobby.

[Photodudems]

My first drink ever was a shot of Jameson at a friend's house. I was not a fan. A dark red wine the same night - still not a fan. Then mixed drinks - fruity, totally not 'manly' stuff, but I was interested. Found the Mojito and Lemon Drop, got curious about Bourbon and Whiskey in general, did some googling, found SB, then picked up a bottle of EWBIB. Started out with Whiskey Sour, then the Old Fashioned, found the Mint Julep, and eventually worked my way to rocks and neat. Picked up a ton of minis, then bottles of Ten High (bad idea), FRSB, WT101, EWBlack, Knob Creek, and others. Most recently Elijah Craig 12 year old - a new favorite.

I'm bitten.

[JLH3]

I was a tequila and irish whiskey drinker for years. I would buy the odd bottle of Blanton's or Buffalo Trace every now and then but I never was really into it. Then i began reading Wright Thompson from ESPN and Grantland and his stories of bourbon and America (http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6667949/pappy-van-winkle and http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6822219/yoknapatawpha-wake for example) . I then found one of the bourbons he'd written about (Pappy 23 yr old) at a resort and the world of really good bourbon opened up to me. Then I found SourMashManifesto and started trying different bouborns and figuring out how to taste it.

And here I am.

Edited September 14, 2012 by JLH3

[z327]

My car buddies and I would pull out are umbrella chairs after a fun day of driving sports cars and talk cars well into the evening. Most drank beer. About a year and half ago we were in Branson doing the same but I brought out a bottle of Crown and a buddy had GJ. I always mixed mine. But one of the guys asked which was better so tasting back and forth began. The next day I set out to find a different whiskey to try and a sales rep happened to be in the store and after I relayed my story he recommended KC. And so our pursuit of the greatest tasting whiskey began. At every gathering we each bring a new bottle or two to compare. I had to learn to drink first on the rocks and then neat. The journey continues.

[SWC]

My dad locked me in a dark basement with a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle and a laptop. He said, "Jim, I need you to figure out what distillery this liquid is from. The blogs are going crazy, please help."

And that is the story on how I got into bourbon.

[SMOWK]

I didn't drink at all until I turned 21 and could walk into a liquor store. I made my way around the aisles and by the time I was 23 or 24 it was strictly bourbon because that's what I liked. OGDBIB and OGD114 were then, and still are, staples of my diet.

[oke&coke]

My dad locked me in a dark basement with a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle and a laptop. He said, "Jim, I need you to figure out what distillery this liquid is from. The blogs are going crazy, please help."

And that is the story on how I got into bourbon.

That bottle better be full. If it is don't tell him your done till its empty. If not that's just abuse.

[Tucker]

I drank Genesee in high school, then moved south and got into bourbon the usual way most southerners learn to appreciate bourbon...from a flask at a football game (typically EWB). At first with Coke then straight from the flask. A 32 year love affair.

[ethangsmith]

I have poor blood circulation due to Raynaud's Syndrome- a condition where your blood vessels do not respond properly to heat and cold. It's quite painful in the winter. I had gone to see my doctor about it since it was getting a bit more troublesome, and at the time I had a job that had me working outside often. He had 3 choices for me: The first was to take an 81mg Aspirin each day, but that would only help thin my blood, but it would not relax my veins from spasms in the cold air. He was also concerned with over-thinning my blood. The second choice was to take prescription medication. The downside of that would be some of the side-effects and the cost. The last was to drink one serving of an alcoholic beverage each day. He suggested I go this route since it would not only thin my blood, but also relax my veins and relieve stress from my heart. I was unsure of what to head for since I had never drank before. A friend of mine suggested I buy a small bottle of Jack Daniel's and try it. It was good, but it was expensive. It didn't taste too bad though and I sort of liked it. So I went back to the liquor store looking for something less expensive. I saw Evan Williams black label and noticed it was about half the price and higher proof. I bought a bottle and found it was really wonderful stuff. So that's when the internet research started as to what American whiskey is. It's opened up a whole new world for me and it also has in fact helped greatly with my Raynaud's Syndrome. Winters are quite a bit more tolerable!

[ebo]

Well, to be perfectly honest.... Scotch was/is getting too expensive.:grin: I decided to give Bourbon a try since it was/is (usually) a lot cheaper to buy. I couldn't be happier that I did. I now have two whiskies that I enjoy equally well; along with the Irish, Japaneese and Indian offerings.

I've been a Scotch drinker for 32 years. I will probably always lean that direction, but I will always love Bourbon, too.:cool:

[GaryT]

I just started getting into bourbon a couple years back, and it was through my dad. He had stopped and toured Buffalo Trace distillery en route to visiting me in Georgia (back maybe in 2004 or 2005) and found he really liked it. He shared it with me and I liked it as well. I stopped and did their tour, and it made me want to do more tours - and last year we did the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which is what really lit the fire. Before that, I liked bourbon, but that is what made me appreciate more of the subtle differences, and strive to find out what I like and don't like. Now I LOVE it :grin:

[theglobalguy]

Moved to Louisville, KY years back, ended up touring Maker's Mark distillery on slow summer day. Loved the experience, and gave it a chance. Never looked back.

[LongBeachScott]

Well, to be perfectly honest.... Scotch was/is getting too expensive.:grin: I decided to give Bourbon a try since it was/is (usually) a lot cheaper to buy. I couldn't be happier that I did. I now have two whiskies that I enjoy equally well; along with the Irish, Japaneese and Indian offerings.

I've been a Scotch drinker for 32 years. I will probably always lean that direction, but I will always love Bourbon, too.:cool:

[ratcheer]

I am curious to hear how others got into Bourbon. Here in Ohio, Bourbon was something you only did shots of to prove your manhood or add to coke...

[Young Blacksmith]

I'd been into crafty beers, and trying different stuff for a while, but always mixed my hard liquors. One day while out of town on business I was at a bar with another guy and he was having woodford on the rocks. I tried one, loved its difference from beer, and promptly started switching.

I stayed with Woodford for a while, then did a BT/Woodford/MM tasting, and finally tried Bulleit which was my go to for a few years. Finally was prompted to look into SB by a guy I know on a pipe smoking forum I belong to. It's been all downhill since then!

[Vovan]

Hehe, that's a funny story actually.

It was my last year in college. I was in my dorm room when we lost power. It was getting dark and lights didn't work. That's when I remembered a gift one of my friends gave me recently. It was a gift bottle of Wild Turkey. I had nothing better to do so I opened the bottle and started sipping it straight from the bottle. An hour later the bottle was empty and I discovered my new favorite liquor :-)

That's how I got into Bourbon...

[Dale Alan]

I have always been a beer drinker,and also enjoyed Bloody Mary's too. This is strange, but watching the TV series Justified turned me on to bourbon . I kept watching those guys sipping their booze and the curiosity got to me . It took me a bottle or two of Jim Beam and I was hooked . I like it with one ice cube . I mostly drink Evan Williams now. I plan on trying the upper shelf offerings once I do more research...glad I found this place.

[oke&coke]

I got into bourbon when I was purchasing a bottle of scotch online. They informed me after I placed the order that they were out and if I wanted to cancel the order or substitute. So I decided to order several bottles of bourbon and rye whiskey. Never regretted it for a second.

[bigtoys]

been drinking Jack Daniels forever. probably drank some Wild Turkey in college 'cuz of Hunter S. Thompson. Been drinking Scotch since college--started with Johnny Walker Red & Black, then Glenfiddich. On a trip to London, Springbank and Lagavulin were recommended at Harrods. Branched out to other single malts. For some reason, started drinking Knob and Woodford, too. Not sure why, but Pappy 20 was recommended as a gift, so I got one for myself, too...............