Elmer T. Lee SB, Jeffersons PR SB, Blanton's, Rock Hill Farms?

[Special Reserve]

Anybody else find Blanton's a bit "oily" as to mouthfeel??? Maybe it's just me. Anyway I didn't care much for that aspect of a pretty high-priced bourbon; I found that to be "off-putting". Most times I like ETL very well, and find it to be big, bold, well-done and a good value; although the last bottle I picked up seemed a little green and grassy, and had a slight sour apple under-taste. That is a disappointment I've not encountered before with ETL.

I haven't had a Blanton's lately, but I usually like the oily mouth feel.

Will

[michang5]

Interesting thread. My favorite after 2-1/2 months of buying and trying as many bourbons as humanly possible is Rock Hill Farms. I've got less than a half bottle left.

I saw a bottle of Elmer T. Lee earlier this week at a store across town. It's the first bottle I've come across. I was debating whether to drive back today and pick it up. It might help stretch that bottle of RHF out a little longer...

[WhiskeyExperimen]

Interesting thread. My favorite after 2-1/2 months of buying and trying as many bourbons as humanly possible is Rock Hill Farms. I've got less than a half bottle left.

I saw a bottle of Elmer T. Lee earlier this week at a store across town. It's the first bottle I've come across. I was debating whether to drive back today and pick it up. It might help stretch that bottle of RHF out a little longer...

Definitely worth going back and buying. ETL tastes noticeably younger than RHF or Blanton's. In particular, I get a lot of grilled fruit flavors from ETL. I mostly prefer it over the older, more expensive expressions. The main downside for me is the oak finish - it's more pronounced and lingers longer than in the other expressions. I'm guessing that's why they don't let it age longer. If they did, the oak would be overpowering.

[black mamba]

Suntour, I think you need a pretty decent palate to taste even side-by-side and find much difference in ETL and AAA10yr. The flavor profiles are almost exactly the same, with the ETL having that extra something that is hard to put words to. I would not be surprised at all to find out that AAA10 yr is just the barrels NOT picked for ETL, mingled and bottled at the same age. They are that close.

[michang5]

So I stopped and picked up a bottle of ETL ($32 plus tax). Drank a bit in the afternoon and just went back for an evening pour. Good stuff and I can see why people like it.

Out of curiosity, I had a half pour of RHF afterward to see if I could tell the difference. I definitely could.

I want to do a blind side-by-side with more detailed notes, but I can sum up the major difference in this way:

- ETL is a very nice taste experience on the front 1/3rd, but it just drops off the chart in the middle 1/3rd, before ending with a nice warm finish. It's as if you're driving along nicely and suddenly your car disappears. There seems to be nothing there, and then it reappears a mile down the road. Very odd, but I noticed this on each sip and pour.

- RHF is similar in the early ride, but the drive continues down the windy, scenic route -- all the way down the mountain side. The nice finish is there, as well. There is a clear build-up, then middle leg, followed by a denouement. A fantastic progression.

I do want to note that my bottle of RHF was on sale for about $38 + tax. Normally it's in the $45 range. While I like the ETL, I think I would buy RHF at $7-15 more.

[ratcheer]

Wow. I would buy all the RHF I could find at $45. The least I have ever paid for it was $50, but usually it's $55-60, if I can even find it.

Tim

[Flyfish]

Suntour, I think you need a pretty decent palate to taste even side-by-side and find much difference in ETL and AAA10yr. The flavor profiles are almost exactly the same, with the ETL having that extra something that is hard to put words to. I would not be surprised at all to find out that AAA10 yr is just the barrels NOT picked for ETL, mingled and bottled at the same age. They are that close.

I think you hit it. ETL seems a little richer to me but the AAA is a marvelous daily pour. It is probably revealing of a bourbonista's psychology, but I tend to buy ETL when I see it just because it is so hard to come by in my state. On the other hand, I buy AAA by the handle every time I am in KY.

[dcbt]

Thought I'd revisit this thread with the new ETL hitting the shelves this month. I thought about it yesterday, ETL vs Blantons, both are now 93 proof, single barrel, NAS, same mash bill... So what IS the difference? I actually googled, "What is the difference between Elmer T Lee and Blantons" and this thread was the first search result... Maybe where they are stored? That's the main difference between Blantons and RHF (plus a slight difference in proof).

[sailor22]

Yup, RHF, ETL and Blanton's are more alike than dissimilar. That mash bill yeast and warehouse combination must be right in my wheelhouse because I find the juice very much to my taste. The current standard shelf offerings of all three taste younger and a click thinner/hotter than the older ones but all three have the potential of being especially delicious whiskeys if picked as single barrels by discerning palates. The Blanton's "Paris by Day" that was bottled last fall for a retailer in Paris was a very good pour and some of the ETL single barrel picks I have tasted have been likewise delicious. JMHO - YMMV.

[Quantum]

Elmer T Lee is so good that I would name a child after it. The fact that it shares a large portions of my grandfathers name means that there is a solid chance it might happen someday.

[Merrymash Monk]

Lately I've noticed most of the BT bourbons do indeed have a similarity, and one that I'm not crazy about. There seems to be a strong wood bitter and char characteristic that for me throws things out of balance. I recently noticed it after I opened a bottle of ETL that just didn't seem up to par. Granted, its a single barrel so there are going to be variations. But that bitter wood and char note is something I've also noticed a lot in BT and ER; also in Stagg Jr and WLR but since those are unfiltered barrel strength and so complex, the note blends in alright. . This could all be my palate, but its just something that I'd never really picked up on in bottlings from say- a year or two ago.