Guest Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 Back before chromatic tuners and robot tuning pegs, bands would tune to a 440hz tuning fork -- 440 is an "A" note all over the world. (Well, almost everywhere.) What's your tuning fork bourbon? When you are starting to taste or need to get your bearings -- what's the bourbon that tastes like BOURBON to you? Mine is OF SIG -- and I think the reason why is that Squire so eloquently testified about it in the BOTM thread for it. I scored some, read his testimony and thought: this is true! This stuff tastes like...BOURBON. Also curious if you have only one -- or if you're one of those folks that has an A = 444 bourbon too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverc Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 This is a good question The first thing that comes to mind is Booker's. It's got big flavor of caramel, vanilla, oak, and spice that I associate with a good bourbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clueby Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 I think regular ol BT is the "average" standard bearer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvd99 Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 I like ER as a classic bourbon flavor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgriff Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Posts by Clueby and jvd99 are interesting! I think Eagle Rare hits the 440hz note for me, though drinking regular Buffalo Trace as I type this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcbt Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Agree with BT. As someone said in its BOTM thread (IIRC), BT tastes like bourbon is supposed to taste, or it's the perfect example of what bourbon should taste like, or something like that. I agree with that sentiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFitzWithTheGoldLabel Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 For me, it would have to be the first bourbon that I ever tasted: Wild Turkey 101. My A = 444 bourbon is Elijah Craig 12.Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbroo5880i Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Knob Creek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtg1 Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Four Roses Small Batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinbrink Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 WT101, though BT and EC12 both came to mind as well, probably the bourbons I have consumed the most of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Nut Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 I'd say ER10 or WT101 (with a little air in the bottle). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0895 Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 23 minutes ago, gtg1 said: Four Roses Small Batch. YES ! me2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbanzobean Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 (edited) If we did this for scotch my answer would be easy: Lagavulin 16. But since it's bourbon and I can't pick just one, I'll cheat and name a few: Stagg Jr, WTRB, Henry McKenna 10, Four Roses Single Barrel, and Old Forester Signature. For wheaters it's definitely OWA even though I really prefer HH wheated bourbon. It may appear to the unevolved mind that I am indecisive and am simply naming off a list of bourbons that I like. You would be wrong. I am decisively thirsty. Edited February 17, 2017 by garbanzobean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 I'll approach this differently. When I'm having an off night, or a bad palate night, I go to OGDBIB or 114 because it's bad palate night proof and gets me back in tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kness Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 19 minutes ago, flahute said: I'll approach this differently. When I'm having an off night, or a bad palate night, I go to OGDBIB or 114 because it's bad palate night proof and gets me back in tune. When I'm getting over a cold, 4 roses single barrel is my go to indicator of whether or not I got my taste buds back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul_cooperstein Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 wT101. For wheated OWA. For rye wt101. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starhopper Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 (edited) Buffalo Trace (pre 2016). I say pre-2016 because it seems to me the newer batches taste "younger". Edited February 17, 2017 by starhopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryT Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 For me, it depends what I'm trying to "tune" to. For most bourbon, I go with EW Black (I prefer a lower proof dram that isn't very complicated, but has all the basics - if I'm not getting those, I'm off). For rye, Ritt BIB does the same for me. Although if I don't have either, I'll look to whatever I've recently gone to with some regularity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musekatcher Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Your criteria can be interpreted two ways. A=440Hz can be a reference standard, that all comparisons are trying to achieve. A precise match will never exceed, and all others are inferior. On a scale, that reference standard is a 100 out of 100 points. Another interpretation, is a normalized standard, that represents a mean or median, where the standard scores a 1.0, and all superior comparisons score greater than 1.0, and all inferior comparisons are less than 1.0. A "1.0" approach can also identify a threshold, or "good enough" standard, with the same scoring technique. Given that I've tried probably 4-5 dozen bourbons in recent years, I can't say I've surveyed them all, and even if I had, I'd still have to leave room for a new, better, yet-to-be-enjoyed bourbon, so I don't approach comparisons with a one best reference standard in mind. I'd be surprised if anyone short of a full time professional taster could lay claim to developing a one best, 100 point reference standard. I prefer to use the latter normalized approach. My reference 1.0 whiskey is Old Forrester Signature. I still feel like it is consistent year to year, probably in the top five most available KSBs, and among those top five, the best. My distribution of comparisons would probably put less than half above OFS, and more than half below. I don't keep statistics, but if I feel a bourbon is inferior to OFS, Its not a re-buy, unless it has some other unique feature that justifies it, such as QPR. I've got about 4-6 that fall into that category. If a bourbon is superior to OFS, I then make a judgement on how much better it is, and price. At $23 a fifth, there are many that cost more, that I feel are not that superior to OFS, and not re-buys. And then there are some that do impress me as worth 50% more than OFS, and warrant re-buys on special occasions. I haven't identified more than one or two that I feel are worth more than twice the price of OFS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadeweber Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 For me it's OGD 114. I could also make an argument for Bookers. I maybe could say Knob Creek since that is the one that started my bourbon journey but I don't really drink it anymore. For me, it would never be Four Roses. I find a flavor in Four Roses that I do not find in any other bourbon. I can almost always pick out Four Roses blind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDanner Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Mine used to be EC12. If someone were to ask me, not for the best bourbon but for the most "bourbony" bourbon, that would've been my choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratcheer Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 For me, it has always (going back to the late 60's - note that I am old) been Wild Turkey 101-proof. It's not quite as good as it used to be, but it still defines the taste "bourbon" to me. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcgumbohead Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 My baseline bourbon/s are EW BiB, HH BiB or OGD BiB. Thats different than a favorite, although I am quite fond of them, these are what come to mind as Bourbon 101. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 I actually have 3-different ones that do it for me in somewhat different ways... Standard Buffalo Trace Evan Williams Black Label Wild Turkey 101 I can find my way back from any of these, or forward, if need be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepCover Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 In terms of wheated bourbon, I've been drinking Maker's Mark for longer than any other bourbon. It's ubiquitous, so I've found it at Mexican restaurants, seafood restaurants, etc. I have a long history with the bottle dating back to my days in college, and I know exactly what I'm going to get every time. I don't drink it as often anymore, and I don't consider it a favorite, but I'd still say that's what I'm most acquainted with. If I'm just thinking about the last 5 years or so, I'd say it's a tie between BT and ER10, defining that classic bourbon taste to me, and getting me back to center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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