Thoughts on Readily available Cask Strength Offerings

[GreggJ]

Hello,

I started off as a scotch drinker and was always drawn to their availability of CS offerings, most notably Laphroaig CS, A'Bunadh and the Ardbegs of the world.  As I ventured more and more into fine bourbon I was shocked by the lack of regular production CS offerings.  I found myself often stating I wish there was more availability of CS outside of the LE releases from the various producers.  Needless to say, I am a huge fan of the new cask strength offerings being put out by many of the larger distilleries.  

As the title states i was curious as to other Sb'ers thoughts on available Cask Strength Offerings most notably Knob Creek CS, Russell's Reserve CS and Makers Mark CS.  

I have had the KCSB as well as Russell's Reserve SB I have not purchased MMCS as of yet but, it will be at the top of my list once I get through some of the open bottles I currently have.  

So what are your thoughts / favorites of the bunch?

For me, I think that they are both very good.  I was immediately drawn to KCSB with its spicey nutmeg and  clove undertones and alcohol kick.  RRSB was also very impressive it was exactly what I hoped it would be it takes WT and kicks it up a couple notches it had more of a Caramel, vanilla hit with that signature WT twang and an excellent mouth feel.  I would give a slight nod to KCSB for me but they are very close. 

Needless to say I have been extremely impressed with these offerings and feel it, along with 4RSB, is some of the better regular release bourbon being produced today.

How has MMSB stacked up?  Are the rest of the SB'ers as impressed with the bourbons and if so what are your thoughts / favorites?

*As a side note I was also very impressed with the Crown Royal CS as well.  Even with the bourbon craze in full swing and the unavailability of some of my old LE favorites there is still plenty of great bourbon to be had.

 

 

[petrel800]

I think you'll find that the thoughts on the Makers Cask Strength have been a mixed bag.  Some of it appears to be different batches.  I enjoyed my bottle, and purchased another, but its not one I would consider a daily drinker.

I don't know if you can go wrong with any of the 4R Cask Strength offerings as long as you know which recipes float your boat.  Not that any of them are bad, but for my preferences, I like the K, F and V yeasts.  Typically lean towards the high rye recipe.  That being said, none of the ones I have ever tried were bad.

I've really enjoyed the new Jack Daniels Barrel Proof.  I'd throw that one out as a must try.

Finally, tough to come by, but not impossible, of all the regular cask strength offerings out there, I still am finding the ECBP to be maybe the best of the bunch, and certainly the best value of the bunch when found around MSRP.

[jeffrey r]

Good topic and question.  As someone who has been in the bourbon/rye game for a few years now, and has just recently become more interested and appreciative of scotch, I have a few viewpoints on this.

First, in the bourbon world, proofs over 90 proof are really the norm, and in fact, with bottled in bonds being 100 proof, 100 proof is almost a "standard" proof for bourbon such as it is.  If one were to grab Elijah Craig 12, Elmer T Lee, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey 101, Old Forrester Signature, Four Roses Single Barrel, or any number of other staple bourbons off the shelf, they're all 90 proof or more, and many 100 proof or more.

Contrast that to scotch, where I've found myself excited if I see 43% or 46% instead of 40% on an offering.  In my humble opinion, you're already ahead of the game in the bourbon world.  That said, I have become enamored with some of the cask strength scotch offerings such as Glenfarclas 105 and A'Bunadh.  Great stuff.

So back to cask strength bourbons.  If the staple 100 proofers aren't getting the job done for you, then you've hit on a few great options.  A few more are Elijah Craig 12 Barrel Proof, Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Old Grand Dad 114, Smooth Ambler cask strength rye, EH Taylor Barrel Proof.  There really are plenty of good options though in the bourbon world over 100 proof packing a punch.

[Sean Bond]

19 minutes ago, petrel800 said:

I think you'll find that the thoughts on the Makers Cask Strength have been a mixed bag.  Some of it appears to be different batches.  I enjoyed my bottle, and purchased another, but its not one I would consider a daily drinker.

I don't know if you can go wrong with any of the 4R Cask Strength offerings as long as you know which recipes float your boat.  Not that any of them are bad, but for my preferences, I like the K, F and V yeasts.  Typically lean towards the high rye recipe.  That being said, none of the ones I have ever tried were bad.

I've really enjoyed the new Jack Daniels Barrel Proof.  I'd throw that one out as a must try.

Finally, tough to come by, but not impossible, of all the regular cask strength offerings out there, I still am finding the ECBP to be maybe the best of the bunch, and certainly the best value of the bunch when found around MSRP.

I've been surprised to hear such good things about the JDBP, but it's definitely on the map for me to try, I think.

 

I like MMCS quite a bit; it's not my favorite bourbon in the world, but it's good, not incredibly expensive, and is relatively easy to get (in comparison to others like the various Elijah Craig BPs). In my opinion, you can't go wrong with 4 Roses, but I understand that not everyone wants high rye in their bourbon. 

 

I would say that my current favorite (not including the crazy limited stuff like BTAC) is Stagg Jr (latest batches). It's another one that's pretty heavy on the rye, but it packs a lot of flavor into each sip, and is, while not common, still somewhat obtainable. I'd also agree with others that some of the non-cask/barrel strength stuff like OGD114, OWA107, etc. is also excellent for taste/price point/that sweet alcohol burn.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Sean Bond

[Charlutz]

ECBP is terrific but it's really hard to come by in Maryland. I've got one bottle and put it away when some of my guests come to the house! Stagg Jr. has been a bit more available and I have a couple bottles of batch 4 that I love. A buddy has batch 3 and I've seen it on shelves so it's more available than ECBP. One that hasn't been mentioned is Booker's. 128 proof, consistently excellent, eminently available and $50. It probably gets overlooked for precisely the reasons that it's so available and not premium priced.  Really hard to beat what it offers.  

[b1gcountry]

I can't believe nobody had mentioned booker's yet. Maybe they have but I missed it. I really like the bottle I opened two months ago and picked up a couple more. It is the strongest BP I have tried to date at 64%. I know Stagg Jr can go above that, but I'm not sure I even need it that strong. There is a lot of flavor in the booker's, and the alcohol is not out of control the way I find ogd114 to be. I am trying to think of a dialer that doesn't provide at least one BP product and I can't think of any.

Makers has MMCS; BT has CEHTBP, Blanton SFTB, Stagg Jr, and the BTAC

Heaven Hill has ECBP, Beam has OGD 114, Bookers, KCBP, and bakers. BF has JDBP. I know I'm missing more too.

 

 

[GreggJ]

2 hours ago, petrel800 said:

I think you'll find that the thoughts on the Makers Cask Strength have been a mixed bag.  Some of it appears to be different batches.  I enjoyed my bottle, and purchased another, but its not one I would consider a daily drinker.

I don't know if you can go wrong with any of the 4R Cask Strength offerings as long as you know which recipes float your boat.  Not that any of them are bad, but for my preferences, I like the K, F and V yeasts.  Typically lean towards the high rye recipe.  That being said, none of the ones I have ever tried were bad.

I've really enjoyed the new Jack Daniels Barrel Proof.  I'd throw that one out as a must try.

Finally, tough to come by, but not impossible, of all the regular cask strength offerings out there, I still am finding the ECBP to be maybe the best of the bunch, and certainly the best value of the bunch when found around MSRP.

I have been trying to get my hands on a bottle of Jack Daniels Barrel proof unfortunately, there is no distribution anywhere.  Has there been any news in regards to a larger release or availability?

ECBP, is great, I had 1 bottle of the first release and haven't seen it since.  It has gone the way of the VW's and BTAC's here.  Same with the Stagg Jr.  I had release 1 and enjoyed it.  I was able to get 2 bottles of the recent release and think this edition, batch 5, is even better but, again these are far from available and are mostly allotted prior to hitting the shelves.

I thought about Bookers shortly after I hit submit.  I used to drink it pretty regularly but, for some reason haven't bought a bottle, other than the 25th anni,  in a few years.  

Looks like I'll have to grab a bottle of MMCS and Bookers.  

[Louisiana]

I can't think of many that are readily available.

They usually get bought up very quick every release to be honest!

That's how these huge bunkers are made.

That's the reality we live in. I do see more company's making cask strength now though. I think it is absolutely great, but doesn't help with the supply issue.

As GreggJ stated MMCS & Bookers are always in stock!

 

[starhopper]

I've only been into drinking Bourbon for about three months now.  At $29.95 a 750ml, I believe that Old Grand Dad 114 (OGD114) is my absolute favorite, readily available, cask strength bourbon. The next would be Stagg Jr (batch 4) which is still on the shelves here in Middle Georgia for $53.95, along with batch 5.

 

[smokinjoe]

Ya know, it's hard to beat the ECBP offerings.  I have a tough time thinking of a more significantly pleasing release to Bourbonia in the last ~3 years since its intro, than this whiskey.  Every batch seems to be stunningly delicious, priced within reach of most, and decently available. 

But, the fun doesn't stop there.  There are many other Barrel Proof bourbons being released directly through the legacy distilleries, and IB's.  And, they all can be spectacular, at times. 

[heydobro]

One of the best barrel proofs I ever had was a regular label (not a private or store pick) SAOS 8 year single barrel.  It was around 120 proof, but drank lower and had a very thick tongue coating mouthfeel.  I've really enjoyed all the SAOS picks I've had and really appreciate how consistently good MGP bourbons are.

I also love ECBP and will buy it any chance I get.  I currently have three of the 9+ batches at home and am planning on tasting them side by side in the coming weeks.

[tanstaafl2]

23 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

Makers has MMCS; BT has CEHTBP, Blanton SFTB, Stagg Jr, and the BTAC

Heaven Hill has ECBP, Beam has OGD 114, Bookers, KCBP, and bakers. BF has JDBP. I know I'm missing more too.

Standard Blanton's it should be noted is 93 proof, not barrel proof or even 100 proof. Higher proofs, including SFTB, are only typically available on the international market and thus tend to be very hard to come by in the US. Blanton's Gold for example is also apparently an international bottle only and is 103 proof.

Why we can't get them here is a bit of a mystery, not to mention rather annoying...

[jp_stargazer]

Not a comprehensive list, nor necessarily readily available:

Barrel Proof (Single Barrel or Batched)

• Heaven Hill - Elijah Craig BP, assorted Parker's Heritage releases
• Beam - Booker's
• Wild Turkey - Russell's Reserve SB, Rare Breed
• Maker's Mark - Maker's Mark CS
• Buffalo Trace - Stagg Jr., Col. E. H. Taylor BP, assorted BTAC
• Four Roses - Four Roses Single Barrel private selections, Small Batch LE
• KBD/Willett - Noah's Mill, assorted WFE offerings
• Smooth Ambler - Old Scout SB
• Brown Forman - Jack Daniel's SB BP
• Angel's Envy CS

High Proof (>101 proof)

• Beam - Old Granddad 114, Knob Creek SB, Baker's
• Buffalo Trace - Old Weller Antique, Van Winkle 10 yr and 15 yr
• KBD/Willett - Pure Kentucky XO

I'm sure I have missed some.

Jason

[chasking]

Is Fighting Cock still available at 103 proof?

[VAGentleman]

8 minutes ago, chasking said:

Is Fighting Cock still available at 103 proof?

Yes but it's now NAS

[GreggJ]

3 hours ago, jp_stargazer said:

Not a comprehensive list, nor necessarily readily available:

Barrel Proof (Single Barrel or Batched)

• Heaven Hill - Elijah Craig BP, assorted Parker's Heritage releases
• Beam - Booker's
• Wild Turkey - Russell's Reserve SB, Rare Breed
• Maker's Mark - Maker's Mark CS
• Buffalo Trace - Stagg Jr., Col. E. H. Taylor BP, assorted BTAC
• Four Roses - Four Roses Single Barrel private selections, Small Batch LE
• KBD/Willett - Noah's Mill, assorted WFE offerings
• Smooth Ambler - Old Scout SB
• Brown Forman - Jack Daniel's SB BP
• Angel's Envy CS

High Proof (>101 proof)

• Beam - Old Granddad 114, Knob Creek SB, Baker's
• Buffalo Trace - Old Weller Antique, Van Winkle 10 yr and 15 yr
• KBD/Willett - Pure Kentucky XO

I'm sure I have missed some.

Jason

That is great information thanks for compiling it.  

[Paddy]

Heaven Hill Select Stock is a great barrel proofer that can be added.

 

[Harry in WashDC]

47 minutes ago, Paddy said:

Heaven Hill Select Stock is a great barrel proofer that can be added.

 

Down to my last inch on #2.  I'll really miss this.

[Richnimrod]

Just to put in my 2-cents worth....

The best thing about nearly all the Barrel Proof (or Cask Strength) offerings is that they are NOT chill filtered, or minimally so, if done at all.

For me that makes all the difference.     I like those extra flavors, and mainly the heavy or even oily mouth-feel additions that can often be found in the unfiltered offerings.   Just My Humble Opinion.....

[ken_mays]

My favorites look like this...

1.  KC120.  Not the tastiest necessarily, but consistently inexpensive and available damn near everywhere.

2.  SAOS. I'm a big fan of the SA offerings and feel the taste profile is complex and well rounded.  Price is going up though. 

3.  Booker's.  Like KC only more so, when I'm feeling up to a challenge I'll reach for it.   Not expensive and available everywhere.

4.  Stagg Jr.  Brings the oak and smoke in a big way.  All I've tried have been bold and powerful. A little goes a long way for me.  You can still find it at a lot of places in my town almost year round and it is still around $60.

6.  ECBP.  I would drink this every day since the flavor can hardly be improved on for me, but its rarity and price fluctuations have put it on allocation in my bunker, and lower down the list. 

7.  FRPS.  Not a huge fan of most of their lower proof offerings (generally I find the cumin note overpowering) but their BPs are much better.  Cheap and common.

8.  OGDBIB.  Cheap and grassier tasting than I generally like, but cheap and while not ubiquitous, I can go 4-5 places and pick up a bottle when I'm in the mood. 

 

All the above I'm a regular drinker and buyer of.  The following are occasional pours for me. 

9. MMCS. not really hot but my bottle has an older taste that regular MM sorely needs.  Expensive though and reports of inconsistencies have me leery of buying another.

10. Baker's.  Suffers from the Jan Brady syndrome and I'd rather have Booker's or KC.  But will buy occasionally. 

 

On my "won't buy again" list:

Any WT product.  All I taste is ethanol and sour acetone.

CEHTBP.  Overpriced for what it delivers IMO.

Angels Envy, Jeffersons and Willet/KBD I won't be buying.  Overpriced and/or inconsistent, just not interested.

 

[b1gcountry]

Do you feel the same about wt rare breed?

[ken_mays]

2 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

Do you feel the same about wt rare breed?

The last of that I tried was an airplane bottle about a year ago.  I remember it tasting mainly of alcohol with not much else coming through.  I haven't bought a full bottle of it; the Russell's Reserve single barrel pretty much killed the idea of buying any more premium WT for me.

[b1gcountry]

I understand your dislike. I share it in regards to wt101. I get a little of the same flavor from rr10. I get almost none from rare breed, and what I get is pleasant. I'm not recommending it if you already know you don't like it, but if you aren't very familiar with it, it may be worth another try.

[DonutsNBourbon]

10 hours ago, ken_mays said:

The last of that I tried was an airplane bottle about a year ago.  I remember it tasting mainly of alcohol with not much else coming through.  I haven't bought a full bottle of it; the Russell's Reserve single barrel pretty much killed the idea of buying any more premium WT for me.

same here, got 2 bottles of RR10, SB and SmB and haven't even had the urge to drink them again.

[ken_mays]

10 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

I understand your dislike. I share it in regards to wt101. I get a little of the same flavor from rr10. I get almost none from rare breed, and what I get is pleasant. I'm not recommending it if you already know you don't like it, but if you aren't very familiar with it, it may be worth another try.

Thanks. I'm willing to try a bottle if it tends to taste different from the others.