What are your top 5 bourbons?

[chooch714]

This is fairly easy for me as I do not dabble in the high end market and limit my bourbon purchases to a max of $50. That said, I do have wide ranging tastes that are mood/climate influenced.

1 Stagg Jr

2 Weller 12

3 Wild Turkey 101

4 Buffalo Trace

5 Four Roses Single Barrel

Old Charter, Charter 101, and Fighting Cock along with the above account for the vast majority of my bourbon budget

chooch

[jeffrey r]

Tough to narrow it down to 5, but here goes (sort of, as I intend to cheat a bit...):

1. Rock Hill Farms

2. Four Roses Single Barrel (plus all of the store selections)

3. Weller 12/Old Weller Antique

4. Elmer T Lee

5. Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof and Small Batch

I would be content with this list, which is clearly heavy on Buffalo Trace products. It unfortunately leaves off all Wild Turkey products of which I am a big fan of RRSmBSB, WTRB and WT 101. And Heaven Hill is conspicuously absent, as I am also a big fan of EC12 and ECBP, Larceny, EWSB, HMcKBIB, EWBIB and various others. And then there's Beam, with KCSB and Booker's. Fun task, but any top 5 for me is just the tip of the iceberg. So many good products out there to have around.

[smokinjoe]

Tough to narrow it down to 5, but here goes (sort of, as I intend to cheat a bit...):

1. Rock Hill Farms

2. Four Roses Single Barrel (plus all of the store selections)

3. Weller 12/Old Weller Antique

4. Elmer T Lee

5. Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof and Small Batch

I would be content with this list, which is clearly heavy on Buffalo Trace products. It unfortunately leaves off all Wild Turkey products of which I am a big fan of RRSmBSB, WTRB and WT 101. And Heaven Hill is conspicuously absent, as I am also a big fan of EC12 and ECBP, Larceny, EWSB, HMcKBIB, EWBIB and various others. And then there's Beam, with KCSB and Booker's. Fun task, but any top 5 for me is just the tip of the iceberg. So many good products out there to have around.

Jeffrey, I'm not sure it would be less difficult for you to list anything NOT in your Top 5...

Of course, I'm right there with you. Since I posted my list, I keep being reminded of more that need to go on it!

[Tony Santana]

My top 5, had it on one occasion where I was totally blown away and wanted the finish to linger forever, can still remember the circumstances surrounding the pour, where I sat, etc., bourbon heaven pours:

Parkers Heritage 27 year

2012 William LaRue Weller

Four Roses 125th

Jefferson Presidential 17 year

Tie (since they're weird inclusions in the sense they're readily available, but I can recall the times when the planets aligned and they blew me away) - CEHT SB and Bookers C07-B-7

Top 5 readily available, I must really like them because I bought them the most in the last couple of years:

EC12

ER10

Bookers

OWA (becoming less available)

EWSB

If 4R barrel picks were more consistently available around here, it would easily make the list. Can't quite add a SAOS 8 year store select, on the "readily available" criteria, but it's one that hits the sweet spot for me and deserves an honorable mention; I've finished two bottles already and have 2-3 in reserve.

Top 5 not readily available, but I've got a bottle or two, and will go to them when I really feel like treating myself:

4R OESK

Pappy 15

George T. Stagg

HHSS, Batch 2

WFE, 10 year

[kjbeggs]

... and Manhattans made with pre-1970 Old Overholt bonded (yeah, a rye and in a cocktail, but I still remember them after all these years).

...

Manhattans should be made with (good) Rye! :cool:

[shoshani]

Mine changes constantly, but fairly steady I'd say (in no particular order)

Maker's Mark Cask Strength

Henry McKenna BIB

Col E. H. Taylor Small Batch BIB

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Old Grand-Dad 114

[Tony Santana]

None of shoshani's above make my list, but they wouldn't be terribly far off. You know, that's the beauty of this hobby. I posted my list(s), but as I go through all the others I think, almost without fail, yeah, that's a good choice too.

[jeffrey r]

Jeffrey, I'm not sure it would be less difficult for you to list anything NOT in your Top 5...

Of course, I'm right there with you. Since I posted my list, I keep being reminded of more that need to go on it!

Ha--couldn't agree more...It's just an exercise in futility to list my top 5, as evidenced by my post. Now that you mention it though, I left off Stagg Jr., MMCS, SAOS, OGD BIB and OGD 114, OF Sig....

Edited July 8, 2015 by jeffrey r

[AnotherCigarGuy]

Yeah, the fun thing is seeing someone agree with you on 2 or 3 of them and gets you to thinking,

"I gotta try those others that he likes!"

[ThirstyinOhio]

As of right now, top 5 would be:

1) George T. Stagg

2) Four Roses 17yr OBSV

3) PVW 20

4) Willett 21yr wheaters

5) WLW

[Swoboda]

Top 5 sippers in past year . . .

Blanton's

4RSnglB

CEHTBP 135.4

Weller 12

HMcKSB

Need to reload a couple of these.

[GaryT]

My top 5 bourbons, defined by level of enjoyment I get from sipping them (not necessarily as "bang for my buck" - although they might fit that too!), purchased retail in the last 12 months would be (and this is in no particular order):

1. 1792 Single Barrel

2. HHSS SB#2

3. 2014 GTS

4. FRSB OBSK (GBS pick)

5. FRSB OBSO (gift shop)

[The Black Tot]

Hmm. Top 5.

1. Old Weller Antique paper label.

2. WFE 10yr Spec's pick.

3. PHC7 POH

4. GTS

5. A few 4R picks

[ken_mays]

EC12 / ECBP

Knob Creek

Smooth Ambler 10

Stagg Jr

Booker's

[km1589]

FRSB

BT

EC12

ETL

Blantons

[JVande]

1. PVW15 '12 Spring release

2. PVW20 '11

3. GTS '09

4. OGD 114 '81

5. OWA '04

[Paddy]

Going with standards that I have on hand (and drink) regularly:

KCSB

4RSB

EC12

W12

WTRB and/or 101...

[Jazzhead]

The best of the best:

1. Russell's Reserve Single Barrel

2. Old Forrester BIB

3. Wild Turkey Rare Breed

4. George Dickel Small Batch

5. High West Son of Bourye.

[DeluxeReverb]

1. Elmer T. Lee. It's not the best bourbon I've ever tasted, but it's my favorite.

2. Elijah Craig 18. This is the best bourbon I've ever tasted.

3. Blanton's. First quality bourbon I had, a sentimental and perennial favorite.

4. E.H. Taylor Small Batch. I'm a BT fan, I tried this and loved it.

5. Four Roses Single Barrel This bourbon cannot be denied and should be in anyone's Top 10.

I realize I am missing out on entire distilleries of whiskey I definitely like, but BT has my palate at the moment. I dabble with all the others (but not much Beam, which I need to fix and is odd since my Dad was a long-time Beam fan).

I hope this list will always be changing as I go through the bourbon experience and try other things often enough to have them supplant my current choices. I'd love to get to where making a Top 5 list would mean "Top 5 Expressions From Every Distillery".

[Guest]

Top five all time list, in order:

1. WT 12 year

2. WTRB WT-01-99 108.4 proof

3. Bookers B95-C-31 126.7 proof

4. PVW20 from 4 years ago, still have half a bottle!

5 WT 8 year

Yep I am a WT fan!

Currently available stuff, in order:

1. ER10

2. EC12

3. WT101

4. Larceny

5. ETL

[weller_tex]

1. MMCS

2. Weller 12

3. Bookers

4. Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 year

5. Jim Beam Bonded

[stickly]

The best of the best:

1. Russell's Reserve Single Barrel

2. Old Forrester BIB

3. Wild Turkey Rare Breed

4. George Dickel Small Batch

5. High West Son of Bourye.

Son of Bourye is in your top 5? I ran across a bottle for $48 but didn't want to pony up the cash for an NDP with mixed reviews. Is it that good?

[jeffrey r]

Son of Bourye is in your top 5? I ran across a bottle for $48 but didn't want to pony up the cash for an NDP with mixed reviews. Is it that good?

Son of Bourye is $35 around here, and is just fine though not spectacular at that price. $48 seems too high to be honest.

[Auracom]

Gosh... top 5 regardless of price or availability (in no order).

GTS 2010

PHC2 (27 yr)

2013 FR SmbLE

WFE 23 yr (really wish I had noted the barrel number)

ECBP hazmat blended with EC12 (25/75)

Honorable mention to a freak bottle of ORVW 10 I gifted a friend last year that was stupidly delicious as well as a few select bottles of FR OBSK, OESK, and OESQ.

[JDSmith619]

My top 5, in no order

1. GTS (still have dreams about the 2011)

2. 13 4RSmB LE 125th

3. EC18

4. 2011 PVW20

5. 2014 WLW