graftonbc1 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 I bought a bottle of Elijah Craig about 2 months ago. I had a taste the first night I had it, and found it to be rather tasty, mellow, and smooth. A few weeks after that, I had another taste, this time it was a bit repulsive, throwing out this acetone taste that hid all of the flavors I had tasted before. Fast forward. Over the weekend, I visited my family in Pittsburgh, and my brother in law had a bottle of Bookers that he had sitting unopened for a couple of years. He cracked the seal on that bad boy, and I had an ounce for a couple of nights in a row. Wonderful bourbon. I get back home. Yesterday, I fancied a pour, so I reached for the Elijah Craig to give it another shot. This time it is wonderful, even better than the first taste. I sported huge maple oak flavors. I'm still learning bourbon, so I thought I would throw this out there. Incidentally, I found a place that didn't get the memo and is selling Bookers for 49 bucks a jug. I done grabbed me a couple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcpfratn Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 I don't think the bourbon changed, but sometimes our palates can be affected by what we've eaten during the day, indigestion and other factors that impact how things taste. There are times when no bourbon tastes good to me and others when even the cheap stuff doesn't taste too bad. EC can be oaky at times, but I usually like the wood influence in my bourbons. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCwhammie Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Did you have nasal congestion the time you didn't like the EC? If I'm stuffed up I have to either use some nasal spray, a decongestant, or my drink will be burn with no flavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinbrink Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 I have off nights all the time, I never jump into the good stuff without making sure it's worth while by tasting something I'm really familiar with. When bourbon tastes completely off I just take the night off or switch to some funkier Rums or Peated Scotch which seem to power through even on off nights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graftonbc1 Posted July 7, 2017 Author Share Posted July 7, 2017 4 hours ago, JCwhammie said: Did you have nasal congestion the time you didn't like the EC? If I'm stuffed up I have to either use some nasal spray, a decongestant, or my drink will be burn with no flavor. No, it was nothing like that. In fact, I dumped the EC and poured a finger of Rowan's Creek and it was spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limegoldconvertible68 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Sometime the palate does crazy things. Numerous time I open a bottle and find it delicious on the first pour but never duplicate that experience for the rest of the bottle. Other times I have actually hated a bottle and find no redeeming value in it the first night but months later find it's mellowed to the point I can find flavors I enjoy. Sometimes even the order in which I drink different bourbons in one night seems to affect their flavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graftonbc1 Posted July 8, 2017 Author Share Posted July 8, 2017 12 hours ago, Limegoldconvertible68 said: Sometime the palate does crazy things. Numerous time I open a bottle and find it delicious on the first pour but never duplicate that experience for the rest of the bottle. Other times I have actually hated a bottle and find no redeeming value in it the first night but months later find it's mellowed to the point I can find flavors I enjoy. Sometimes even the order in which I drink different bourbons in one night seems to affect their flavor. That happened to me with Johnny Drum and Bulliet. The first pour of both were special. The rest, meh. I like Stagg, Jr, but if I dip that first, and then try something at a lower proof, the lower proof is very muted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCFan Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 2 minutes ago, graftonbc1 said: That happened to me with Johnny Drum and Bulliet. The first pour of both were special. The rest, meh. I like Stagg, Jr, but if I dip that first, and then try something at a lower proof, the lower proof is very muted. That's why I can't see the merits of doing SBS's. The first taste of anything will affect my tastebuds and influence any subsequent pours of something else. But hey, that's me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starhopper Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) It also depends on your mood, the company you're in, and the venue. MANY things affect our perception of taste and smell. Check out this article... https://www.bourbonbanter.com/banter/is-the-taste-of-a-bourbon-affected-by-your-mood/#.WWDOCmxK2Uk Edited July 8, 2017 by starhopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graftonbc1 Posted July 8, 2017 Author Share Posted July 8, 2017 36 minutes ago, DCFan said: That's why I can't see the merits of doing SBS's. The first taste of anything will affect my tastebuds and influence any subsequent pours of something else. But hey, that's me. If I do something at barrel strength, I now just stick with that. I find sipping an ounce of barrel strength over the course of an hour or so, gives me much to think about, and I find it very satisfying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCFan Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 2 hours ago, graftonbc1 said: If I do something at barrel strength, I now just stick with that. I find sipping an ounce of barrel strength over the course of an hour or so, gives me much to think about, and I find it very satisfying. Yeah, I prefer sticking to one bourbon for the reason I specified. Unless I'm at a bar with the express purpose of trying something new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 2 hours ago, DCFan said: That's why I can't see the merits of doing SBS's. The first taste of anything will affect my tastebuds and influence any subsequent pours of something else. But hey, that's me. Not totally out of left field, DCF. I am kinda there with you. I think the keys are time, water , and solid (cracker, toast, etc) as a palate cleanser between tastes . But then, the thing becomes a damn chore. Particularly, since if you do it the next day, the results probably change... Along these lines, picking a barrel at a distillery when offered more than 5 barrels is nearly an exercise in futility, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vosgar Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 4 hours ago, smokinjoe said: Along these lines, picking a barrel at a distillery when offered more than 5 barrels is nearly an exercise in futility, IMHO. Amen to that, Joe. Regardless of what you're given to eat or drink between barrels, if you're given anything at all, there's always going to be some residual flavors left over that are bound to affect your taste of the next barrel, IMO. The good barrels always seem to stand out regardless of whether they're the first or last to be tasted, but that line can get a little blurred when you start going back and forth between them to confirm your initial thoughts. Fortunately most of the barrel selections I've been involved with have tasted better to me after being bottled than what I remember from the distillery. That being said.......it's still a helluva lot of fun doing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadeweber Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 On 7/7/2017 at 6:05 PM, graftonbc1 said: No, it was nothing like that. In fact, I dumped the EC and poured a finger of Rowan's Creek and it was spot on. This proves that it was your palate being off. EC tasted bad and Rowan's Creek tasted good. In all seriousness, this has happened to me at times as well, so many times that I'm pretty sure it's me and not the whiskey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako254 Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 On 7/8/2017 at 7:40 AM, graftonbc1 said: That happened to me with Johnny Drum and Bulliet. The first pour of both were special. The rest, meh. I like Stagg, Jr, but if I dip that first, and then try something at a lower proof, the lower proof is very muted. I was very excited to get a bottle of stagg jr and have made a run at it a couple three times. None have made an overall positive impression. I drink OGD 114 neat and 4R BPs neat frequently but with Stagg jr all I get is heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcpfratn Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 I was very excited to get a bottle of stagg jr and have made a run at it a couple three times. None have made an overall positive impression. I drink OGD 114 neat and 4R BPs neat frequently but with Stagg jr all I get is heat. Stagg Jr and ECBP at 135-140 proof is quite a bit different than OGD114! 4R BP is closer in proof, but the palate is strange sometimes. I drink Stagg Jr and ECBP neat less than half the time. Most of the time I need a little water with both to knock the heat down to around 110-115 proof, which is closer to my preference, but sometimes full strength hits the spot without any taming. The last couple pours out of a recently emptied Stagg Jr bottle were at full strength and tasted wonderful and didn't feel too hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clueby Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 2 hours ago, Mako254 said: I was very excited to get a bottle of stagg jr and have made a run at it a couple three times. None have made an overall positive impression. I drink OGD 114 neat and 4R BPs neat frequently but with Stagg jr all I get is heat. Try blending it with OC8 (or Charter 101 if you can find it). Stagg Jr:OC..2:1. It knocks the heat down and amps up the initial sweetness and you still get that long Stagg finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako254 Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 12 hours ago, Clueby said: Try blending it with OC8 (or Charter 101 if you can find it). Stagg Jr:OC..2:1. It knocks the heat down and amps up the initial sweetness and you still get that long Stagg finish. Haven't seen OC in any of my local shops lately (or I haven't looked/noticed it). Anything similar I might try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clueby Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Mako254 said: Haven't seen OC in any of my local shops lately (or I haven't looked/noticed it). Anything similar I might try? I thought Charter 8 was everywhere! Ha. I've heard others mix it with regular BT as well but I haven't tried that personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Mako254 said: Haven't seen OC in any of my local shops lately (or I haven't looked/noticed it). Anything similar I might try? 27 minutes ago, Clueby said: I thought Charter 8 was everywhere! Ha. I've heard others mix it with regular BT as well but I haven't tried that personally. I've cut Stagg Jr with both BT and ER10 and both work well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourserker Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 Yeah palate off was your problem. My palate is off more than it's on it seems. Sinus disruptions, allergies, tonsil stones, dry mouth, etc. are the types of things I get. I often do what kevinbrink said he does and start off with a nip of something I am familiar with. If it don't taste right then I'll just skip the whiskey that night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graftonbc1 Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Interesting thoughts about cutting Stagg Jr. with another dram. I have found some Bookers 2016 bottles that are available at a very reasonable price, so I have been enjoying those neat. I went back to Stagg Jr neat this weekend. Outside on the patio with a nice fire going, after eating some home made fajitas. I got a lot of cola flavoring and it seems to have mellowed a bit (or my taste-buds are all fried :)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako254 Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 On 7/27/2017 at 7:48 PM, lcpfratn said: Stagg Jr and ECBP at 135-140 proof is quite a bit different than OGD114! 4R BP is closer in proof, but the palate is strange sometimes. I drink Stagg Jr and ECBP neat less than half the time. Most of the time I need a little water with both to knock the heat down to around 110-115 proof, which is closer to my preference, but sometimes full strength hits the spot without any taming. The last couple pours out of a recently emptied Stagg Jr bottle were at full strength and tasted wonderful and didn't feel too hot. Made another run at the Stagg jr tonight. Glencairn, neat, let it breathe abt 10 minutes, a fairly moderate pour too, maybe an ounce. Completely different than I remember. A lot of spicey oak, but not the heat that I remember. A good pour if I'm only going to have a short pour for the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcpfratn Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Made another run at the Stagg jr tonight. Glencairn, neat, let it breathe abt 10 minutes, a fairly moderate pour too, maybe an ounce. Completely different than I remember. A lot of spicey oak, but not the heat that I remember. A good pour if I'm only going to have a short pour for the night. Glad to hear that it is finally starting to grow on you!Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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