smokinjoe Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I have a Bourbon of the Year. Do you? Here's mine: Currently sipping on my 2015 Bourbon of the Year, and as I think of it and try to find reasons not to make it my pick, I have decided that I can't find but maybe one reason not to select it. There were two potential candidates. Both made significant impressions with me not only for the wonderful tastes that they brought, but also in the significance of their releases from their respective distilleries. But, my winner gave a little bit more. This whiskey was a stunner to me, primarily in that it exceeded my lofty expectations for it since hearing of its creation. Bold and Beautiful from start to finish, refreshingly surprising in many ways, and to my tastes, offers all the very best that a World Class Whiskey offers. My Bourbon of the Year is Jack Daniel's Single Barrel, Barrel Proof. So, carry on! What is your Bourbon of the Year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Oh man.........excellent choice Joe. I have to say I wouldn't have thought of this one on my own. I do love it (and in fact purchased it because of your review) but don't think I would have been ballsy enough to nominate this. Well done. Off the top of my head, I'd go with Stagg. But that's too easy and expected. And it's my all time favorite (though I will say that this year's version is pretty special and does command my attention.) I gotta come up with a better nomination after more thought. I'm thinking about it. I'll be back with another thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCWoody Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Mine is my go to bourbon Old Scout 7y (and SBBP). This is a great bourbon at a great price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taddraughn Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Interesting choice there Joe.. seems like a lot of hate for the single barrel over on Reddit but haven't tried it myself so who am I to judge... Anyway, if I were to pick my favorite of the year, I'd say the SAOS 9 year store pick that Jamie Farris selected. (Reserving the right to change my pick since I have several 2015 bottles I haven't had the chance to crack just yet) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 (edited) In the same vein that resulted in Crown Royal Northern Harvest rye being named whiskey of the year by JM, my first thought was Jim Beam Bonded. No, it's not the best bourbon in the world, but IMO it's the biggest volume game changer of the year. Major props to Beam for filling this niche in their lineup. We can only hope that many other producers will soon find reason to follow. Edited January 16, 2016 by Paddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starhopper Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 For me, the Smooth Ambler Old Scout 10 Year (SAOS10) has got to be it - I am sitting here enjoying yet another glass of it and simply find it to be superb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 (edited) 11 hours ago, Paddy said: In the same vein that resulted in Crown Royal Northern Harvest rye being named whiskey of the year by JM, my first thought was Jim Beam Bonded. No, it's not the best bourbon in the world, but IMO it's the biggest volume game changer of the year. Major props to Beam for filling this niche in their lineup. We can only hope that many other producers will soon find reason to follow. Paddy, when I mentioned in my post that there were two candidates that I tussled over for my selection, Beam Bonded was the other one. Our thought processes are similar , too. I feel it is a significant release as well from the standpoint of what it is (and is not ), from such a giant as Beam. Edited January 16, 2016 by smokinjoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 11 hours ago, Paddy said: In the same vein that resulted in Crown Royal Northern Harvest rye being named whiskey of the year by JM, my first thought was Jim Beam Bonded. No, it's not the best bourbon in the world, but IMO it's the biggest volume game changer of the year. Major props to Beam for filling this niche in their lineup. We can only hope that many other producers will soon find reason to follow. This is another good choice. As I think about this further, I have some other nominees, though I think Joe's and Paddy's nominees are hard to top. JDSB at barrel proof completely changed the way a lot of people think about JD, me included. Prior to this whiskey, JD was not even on the map for me. Their product just didn't do it for me. I was very impressed with the BP however and it will be a repeat purchase going forward. My nominees: -Pikesville .........yes, I know, not a bourbon, but a big step forward in quality rye offerings for enthusiasts (that's not MGP). If we have a rye of the year thread, this can go over there. -Elijah Craig Barrel Proof - not new of course, but it remains one of the highest quality barrel proof bourbons and at 12 years of age it is an anomaly as a regularly produced and available bourbon. (Hard to find in many places I know). -my last nominee is one I haven't even tried - 4RLE SmB. I hesitate to mention another limited, but I bring it up because it's the last of the Rutledge selected LE small batches and is a tribute to the career of one of our favorite master distillers, never to be forgotten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petrel800 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Before I clicked on the thread, JDSBBP came to mind. Great new release that has changed my perception of what JD does. The fact it's at a solid price point and readily available to where I don't have to "stock up" or drive all over town, makes it a clear winner for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozzy71 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 5 minutes ago, petrel800 said: Before I clicked on the thread, JDSBBP came to mind. Great new release that has changed my perception of what JD does. The fact it's at a solid price point and readily available to where I don't have to "stock up" or drive all over town, makes it a clear winner for me. MBN. I had one on order for a month or two at a small local shop and he couldn't get it. I did get a lead on a bottle but it was an hour drive each way so I passed. JBBiB would get my vote also for the reasons already stated. Much nicer than JB White since I prefer 100 proofers and a nice way to fill the gap in their line between JB White and KCSmB. I might still like EWBiB and OGDBiB a bit more but I have had and ejoyed a few of the JB bonded and am sure to buy more some day in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GizmoStudent Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Whiskey of the year for me would have to be- Oola Discourse “C” A total surprise and great bourbon. And thank you for the recommendations, I am going out tonight to restock and will definitely keep in mind the Beam Bonded, JDSBBP & Old Scout products. GizmoStudent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Comp Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 My nomination of Maker's Cask Strength-Batch 15-02 takes into consideration the realities of today's bourbon world, especially for wheaters and what a new found enthusiast can obtain in a somewhat normal way. Even if it is just extra proof and no filtering, like the JDSBBP, it is a significant step up in satisfaction from the standard Maker's. It is easy to assume from taste that cherry picked barrels also separate the Cask batching from the standard offering. Though the first Cask release was in 2014, this second 2015 batch is improved, richer and deeper tasting, than the more austere first release. 2015 also saw the Cask expanded from a gift shop only 375 ml release, to where it is widely available, at least in Chicago. It has also gone down in price to a close to $45 for 750 ml listing in places. I've had other more limited or private pick bourbons this year that are a few points higher in my book. But Bourbon of the year doesn't equate to my best taste of the year. Great tasting is good enough and this it is. It is a welcome addition to the depleted wheater Bourbon world at this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 MMCS does tick off a lot of the check boxes that would qualify it for bourbon of the year. Unfortunately for me, it just fell way short where it matters most - taste. I have batch 14-01 which is overly hot and grassy so I haven't been tempted to buy more. If this batch had delivered how I expected it to, it would have been on my nomination list for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thig Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 No surprise that because I was into port wine way before bourbon that I would like 1792 port finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golzee Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) I will agree with JBBIB if we are only talking new releases for the year; for $17 it is hard to beat. Being relatively new to bourbon as a hobby instead of bourbon to get drunk, I have tried a ton of new bourbons lately. My "new to me" bourbon of the year was VOB BIB, damn good stuff. Edited January 18, 2016 by Golzee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadeweber Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 For me it's 4RSmB 2015 LE. It's that unmistakable (and amazing) Four Roses taste with much more complexity and layers. I'm glad this was the one fall LE that I sought out and was lucky enough to get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 In the category of price and availability is no object I think I would have to nominate the Russell's Reserve 1998. I know that few people likely got a chance to try it and I was almost one of them. But at the last second I did manage to get one. The reviews were nearly uniformly excellent and it is good to see WT score a hit with a premium whiskey, in spite of the rather excessive price, especially given the poor to mixed reviews for the recent Diamond and Master's Keep (which was one I also liked although again a bit overpriced in my opinion). With a number of whiskey's out there in the $125-150 range and the market for older whiskey being what it is I think this would have been a at least a decent value at $150. At $250 and up it seems excessive even if it is really good but there were few chances to find out for your self unless you managed to find a bottle and were able to stomach the cost. In the honorable mention category was Angel's Envy Cask Strength, which I have liked from the beginning even though it too is in the overpriced category in my opinion and the 2015 Four Roses Small Batch LE. In the slightly less obscure category I think it might be the Dekalb Bottle House Russell's Reserve barrel pick. I thought the GBS pick this year was hard to beat but in a blind taste test the DBH pick was the surprising winner for me. In the honorable mention category the Smooth Ambler store pick we did this year (Barrel 1690) was also excellent (OK, so I probably have a slight bias for barrels I got to help pick...). I know some people are leess enthusiastic about MGP bourbon but you can still get some excellent bourbon from them when doing barrel picks. Not quite up to the previous SA barrel pick (Highway to Hell barrel 666) we did in 2014 but still lovely. As for industry impacting bottles off the shelf this year like JB Bonded or JDSB I don't really have one. My choice in that category would be a non bourbon, Pikesville Rye. In a period of younger lower proof whiskey options it was delightful to get an older higher proof and excellent tasting whiskey to add to the bar. So, what is the American Whiskey Flop of the Year? I think I know my choice. Or at least half of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjbeggs Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I'd have to agree on the nomination for RR1998. Much better than WT's last couple of "premium" releases. I've still got a couple bottles that I've yet to open that could overtake it though (WLW, EC18), and I've got some store pick SAOS that are right up there. While I like the JDSBBP, and thought it was sorely needed for the brand, the first bottle I had was a complete banana bomb, and I'm not usually one to be bothered by that in regular JD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Bond Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I hate to say it, but it's definitely this year's Limited Edition Small Batch from Four Roses for me. I'm a huge fan of this year's WLW as well, but as others have mentioned previously, it's just such a rich and creamy whiskey, that I can't not vote for it, despite it being next to impossible to find. If we're talking less-limited bourbons, I think my vote would go to the most recent batches of Stagg Jr. The bourbon itself is great, and at less than $1 per % ABV, it's a solid deal as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAGentleman Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I like the JSDBBP quite a bit, and as others have said it is a good nominee. For me though I have to agree with Tans and KJ. RR98 is one of the best bourbons I've had in several years. Total home run for a brand that needed one when it comes to LE's (although I do quite like the MK, it didn't get the universal love of the 98) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astephenson Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 While I'm still in my first year of become a bourbon enthusiast, I have made a made an effort to try to not get caught up in try to hunt out the "hyped" bottles and have stuck to trying the under $50 bottles. That said my 2015 pick is Blanton's. I did just pick up a bottle of Stagg Jr though and its so far my 2016 pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 2 hours ago, Astephenson said: While I'm still in my first year of become a bourbon enthusiast, I have made a made an effort to try to not get caught up in try to hunt out the "hyped" bottles and have stuck to trying the under $50 bottles. That said my 2015 pick is Blanton's. I did just pick up a bottle of Stagg Jr though and its so far my 2016 pick. I hadn't even thought of Blanton's. I've been drinking it on and off since it first appeared and never had a bad bottle or even a fair-to-middling bottle. I know that some think that, for the price, they can buy things that they like just as much, and I can agree with that when I'm in my value-shopper mood. But, I still buy it from time to time just as a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPPSmoker Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I'm going to throw a curve for my 2015 Bourbon of the Year selection. My pick goes to Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Strength bourbon. Any and all recipes. I think these bottles of bourbon have been about 80% of the bourbon that I consumed in 2015. To me, it's a sentimental pick and a tip of the cap to Jim Rutledge in his year of retirement. Also, I have always been very impressed that I have yet to see one critical review or comment of this bourbon (again, any recipe) on sb.com. Three years ago, Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Strength bourbon was barely to be seen but is now quite easy to find if you know the right bottle shops to look for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccleve23 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 On 1/18/2016, 8:05:38, meadeweber said: For me it's 4RSmB 2015 LE. It's that unmistakable (and amazing) Four Roses taste with much more complexity and layers. I'm glad this was the one fall LE that I sought out and was lucky enough to get. This would be mine too. I stumbled across this bottle (actually turned it down at first and went back the next day). One of the best noses I have ever smelled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffrey r Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 9 hours ago, DPPSmoker said: I'm going to throw a curve for my 2015 Bourbon of the Year selection. My pick goes to Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Strength bourbon. Any and all recipes. I think these bottles of bourbon have been about 80% of the bourbon that I consumed in 2015. To me, it's a sentimental pick and a tip of the cap to Jim Rutledge in his year of retirement. Also, I have always been very impressed that I have yet to see one critical review or comment of this bourbon (again, any recipe) on sb.com. Three years ago, Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Strength bourbon was barely to be seen but is now quite easy to find if you know the right bottle shops to look for it. I can get behind that. Just within the past couple of weeks, I've added OBSQ, OESO and OESK to my stable here in NJ, while passing up OBSF and OESV that I am already stocked with. All at $60 or less per bottle for well-aged BP whiskey. And while I of course prefer some recipes to others, I am virtually never let down with a FRPS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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