Pleasing a crowd

[squire]

If I hit a huge jackpot I would be posting from the South of France with my young girlfriend mixing drinks.

[TunnelTiger]

Methinks if you took 750's of WT101, GD12, RITTBIB, MM & 4RYL you would cover all your bases for around $100.

[squire]

Don't forget the little plastic umbrellas . . . it is a resort town.

[ramblinman]

These are all good suggestions. For a crowd that contains some that mix, and some that will not, I like Evan Williams BIB. 100 proof makes for decent cocktails. EW is nice straight too. Get the handle. Bond = the good stuff.

You beat me to it. This is best suggestion. Everyone recognizes, and most people like EW, the BiB makes it a little different/special, and cheap enough you can probably get two and see your buddies make an ass out themselves from not being used to the 100pr juice.

[sutton]

If most of the crowd are going to mix and don't drink bourbon often, I'd even go EW Black. I like the EW BiB suggestion as well.

If the lower proof won't appeal to some that drink bourbon on a regular basis, I'd go OGD 114/BiB and the EW Black.

[Guest]

Methinks if you took 750's of WT101, GD12, RITTBIB, MM & 4RYL you would cover all your bases for around $100.

[mbroo5880i]

One bottle to satisfy all tastes...neat, on-the-rocks, mixed...I would opt for WT101. It tastes great neat, holds up on the rocks and the flavor carries through mixed. Lot's of options but WT101 is simple yet versatile.

[qman22]

OGD BiB is as easy to find and versatile as it gets. Plus it's cheap! I like to bring this places to show people that their preconceived notions about what is quality whiskey and what isn't is wrong. Most people only know marketing hype.

[mosugoji64]

Definitely a bond. HH/EW if available in your area or OGD. Bold enough to hold up to mixing and cheap enough not to make you shed a tear when it's dumped in Coke.

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[fishnbowljoe]

If you had to bring one bourbon to please a group, ranging from whiskey rookies to veterans, what would you bring?

I read the above as only one bourbon. Many of you here suggested bringing several bottles, or doing a vatting, etc…. Oh well.

If only one bourbon is truly the case, the first bourbon that came to mind is Maker's Mark. It's instantly recognizable, a pretty good all around bourbon, decently priced, and despite the recent shortages, it seems to still be readily available most everywhere. MM was also a gateway bourbon for me, and a lot of other folks too.

Then I read through the posts here again. :skep: Some folks have suggested Buffalo Trace. After thinking on it a bit, I would have to agree with those that have suggested BT. The last few bottles of BT that I've had have been great. As with MM, BT is a good bourbon at a decent price. The only potential problem with BT is availability in some places. I know it's been rather scarce on the shelves here in my neck of the woods.

Something else I'd like to bring up, is the suggestions of "higher proof" bourbons. FWIW, I'm using higher proof as a relative term. I know that most of us here really don't consider BIB's or 101 proof bourbons as being too extreme. However, IMHO, some people, (in reference to the OP's term "whiskey rookies") seem to have a stigma in regards to anything over 90 proof. Whether that is real or imaginary is speculation. Still, it has been my experience that when you mention something being 100 proof or higher, some folks think that is over the top, and for whatever reason tend to shy away from such offerings. YMMV…...

So, I'd go with the KISS principle. Keep it simple, and go with BT.

Cheers! Joe

[393foureyedfox]

Something else I'd like to bring up, is the suggestions of "higher proof" bourbons. FWIW, I'm using higher proof as a relative term. I know that most of us here really don't consider BIB's or 101 proof bourbons as being too extreme. However, IMHO, some people, (in reference to the OP's term "whiskey rookies") seem to have a stigma in regards to anything over 90 proof. Whether that is real or imaginary is speculation. Still, it has been my experience that when you mention something being 100 proof or higher, some folks think that is over the top, and for whatever reason tend to shy away from such offerings.

or just play it safe and bring MM or BT and a bond, to cover both bases. $40 and you're covered.

[fishnbowljoe]

I read the above as only one bourbon. Many of you here suggested bringing several bottles, or doing a vatting, etc…. Oh well.

or just play it safe and bring MM or BT and a bond, to cover both bases. $40 and you're covered.

Sorry, but I guess one of us doesn't understand the term only one bourbon as was stated by the OP.

[TunnelTiger]

Sorry, but I guess one of us doesn't understand the term only one bourbon as was stated by the OP.

Whoops, count me as a guilty one. After reading through the thread I forgot about the one bottle requirement.

In that case I'd go with MM. That being said I haven't had a bottle of MM on my bar in many moons.

[Harry in WashDC]

I read the thread, and my choice was mentioned (which changed depending on which post I had just read) so wasn't going to post. "Pick one? Can't." BUT, I decided on BT over MM (which they probably had already heard of or tasted) and over EWB which is my basic rocks & mixer (which they have had if they've been here before) in order to introduce them to something reasonably available, not too cheap, versatile (neat, rocks, branch, and mix is ok), comes in a bottle that doesn't look like JD or JB, not too hot on the entry (unless they shoot it), and which they probably haven't had often if at all.

[Ravensfire]

I'd have to go with MM. It's easier to drink for non-whiskey folks than just about anything else. It's probably the most (or in the top 2) familiar bourbon and generally recognized as a "good bourbon". Perception does shape reality after all. It works neat, on the rocks, mixed, whatever.

[JPBoston]

Knob Creek checks the marks of being reasonably priced, 100 proof, nicely aged, and in a classy looking bottle.

I would kinda cringe at the sight of people mixing it in soda/juice... so I may just bring a bottle of Fighting Cock instead. You may get some sideways glances when they see the name/logo... but the taste don't lie.

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[IBLSKeith]

If I were at a party and somebody showed up with some Buffalo Trace....I'd be happy!

Keith

[squire]

Pretty women at a party make most any Bourbon go down well.

[MyOldKyDram]

And bourbon at a party makes the...on second thought, never mind.

[SqueakScolari]

In order of ascending price: BT, EWSB or MM

[Kpiz]

I'm curious why the OP thinks the group tasked him with bringing the bourbon. If it's just because they know he drinks bourbon, then bringing something fairly common (MM or EWB) would be ok. If the group sees him as a kind of "bourbon guru", however, then their intention in asking him might be so that he can bring something fun or different (OGDBIB, FC, BT) to share.

[JPBoston]

I'm curious why the OP thinks the group tasked him with bringing the bourbon. If it's just because they know he drinks bourbon, then bringing something fairly common (MM or EWB) would be ok. If the group sees him as a kind of "bourbon guru", however, then their intention in asking him might be so that he can bring something fun or different (OGDBIB, FC, BT) to share.

Very good point.

[KyleCBreese]

Basically they know that I have/drink a lot of bourbon so they asked me to bring something, but people mentioned they were probably going to be mixing.

I think I will bring some 4RYL or Bulleit since I already have both on-hand.

[GreggJ]

Depends on the crowd. I would probably grab a EWSB for non regular bourbonites and for a crowd with some but, limited experience a Barrel Proof probably KCSB. Most folks who like bourbon but, don't drink a lot like the novelty and the idea of Barrel proof they then proceed to water it down and ice it up until it gets back to their familiar 80proof and shake their head at me for drinking it neat. :-)