Good bottom shelf whiskey

[kitzg]

I know Jeff got us going on best for the money last year and we've seen "top 10" and "bottom 10." But I don't recall comments on bottom shelf for awhile.

Chuck suggested I try Old Fitz green label so I just bought a bottle. Good -- though my Weller 12 (not bottom shelf but at $14.99 at liquor barn I've stocked up) is a bit better and not that much more expensive.

So.. what have you ever found on the bottom shelf that you found pretty drinkable?

[ratcheer]

Greg, I just won't buy absolute bottom shelf whiskey. E.g., I have bought Evan Williams black label, but it has been over 30 years since I would buy anything like the green label (I think it is green, I don't even really pay that much attention to it). I wouldn't buy Old Crow, or Jim Beam white label, or Ancient Age, either.

So, while I occasionally fool around with mid-shelf, I just can't talk about bottom shelf, because I don't drink them.

Tim

[MurphyDawg]

Evan Williams 7 Year - $8

Ancient Ancient Ager 10 Year - $9.50

Old Ezra 7/101 - $11

Very Old Barton BIB - $8.50

Those are generally the low dollar bourbons I reach for most often.

TomC

[ratcheer]

But, that just goes with what I was saying, Tom. I don't think any of those you mentioned is the bottom-shelf product of their line. Maybe that is what you meant.

Tim

[jeff]

If we're talking about bourbons in the Colonel Lee and Cabin Stills catagory, the only decent one that comes to mind is Ten High. Since I can get AAA for $11 and EW7yo for $8, there isn't much need to go lower.

[Buckky]

I agree...there are some good drinkable whiskeys in the $10 range give or take a buck....Old Forester for $11 comes to mind. Why bother with Old Crow et all when you really don't save much money and the bottom shelf often is only best with mixers.

[Black85L98]

Ancient Age is not bad for the bucks. Ezra Brooks is better than beam white IMHO. Here I can get EC for $13. For the extra $4 it's worth it to get a bottle thats worth $20. I buy others just for a change.

[kitzg]

I agree with the comments and I was thinking mostly of "YOUR" bottom shelf, not the firms'.

And I don't recall my AAA costing only $11 (I think I got it at Turnpike and not Liquor Barn or Party Source), so I would think of AA as low shelf and AAA as mid-to-upper.

Feel free to list other bargains that are YOUR low shelf.

Greg

[MurphyDawg]

Old Forester 86 is like $9 in Ohio (cheap and close by) and I like it quite a bit so I thought I should add that to my list.

TomC

[kitzg]

I assume your "EC" refers to Elijah Craig? Seems like a good price if you mean the EC 12!

Greg

[kgiammarco]

I don't think any of these are bottom shelf, but they are at the bottom of the price range of bourbons that most of us on SB.com drink (i think)

Weller 12 year was a a big suprise to me... this was reccomended after asking around for the most similar thing (sold today) to the 1970's (i think) Very Very Old Fitzgerald that Omar graciously brought to the gazebo in 2002... While it's definitely not in the same leauge as the VVOF, it does remind me (keep in mind i have a foggy memory of a year ago) of the flavors found in the VVOF, and it is a great bourbon for the price...

Marvin's Ancient Ancient Age definitely was another hit... unfortunately i forgot to grab some of this before i got home... oh well, i already have too much bourbon to possibly taste for a while anyway... this is definitely next on the list when i have an empty bottle that needs replacing...

not from the festival, but mark got me some virginia gentleman 90 proof on sale once from a store in virginia... I believe it was in the $12 to $15 range... At first i thought it was average and ended up drinking about 3/4 of the bottle before putting it aside for almost a year... i came back to it and let me tell you that last 1/4 of the bottle seemed MUCH better... i wish i had the smarts to open a fresh bottle and do a side-by side tasting of the two before i finished it... Is it really possible that the bourbon 'oxidized' in the 3/4 empty bottle enough to change the taste (for the better) that much? (if so i will be dumping all my bourbons into 1.75l bottles so they can start oxidising )...

On marvin's advice i did let the AAA and the weller 12year sit in the glass for a while before drinking and both seemed to taste better (or this could be due to me 'tasting' each of them along the way too much )

-Chris

[ratcheer]

Oh, my low shelf. That's different!

Old Grand Dad 86 is very nice, much nicer than the discussion on this board a year or two back led me to believe.

Elijah Craig 12-yr is very good. I would take it almost any time.

Old Forester 100-proof is also very good. I would never complain about this one.

Those are all I can think of, just now. Unless I would insult WT101 by putting it here. I wouldn't.

Tim

[Black85L98]

I assume your "EC" refers to Elijah Craig? Seems like a good price if you mean the EC 12!

Greg

Yep I was and it's higher in LA and TX. I keep thinking I should buy a case before it goes up.