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What Bourbons Have Been The Biggest Disappointment To You?


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What bourbons have been the biggest disappointment to you?  Not necessarily the worst bourbons you have ever tasted, but ones that didn't live up to the hype and didn't taste near as good as you expected.

 

The 2 that come to my mind for me are both "newish" on the market, Rebel Yell 10 and Old Forester 1920.  

 

RY10 had a funky taste to me and OF 1920 I felt was way too smoky for my palate and tasted much hotter than a 115 proof should.

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Didn't care much for barrell bourbon batch 006. Just not the flavor profile I enjoy. Had high hopes but just didn't do it for me. 

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It's been a long time since I've had any disappointments because I've learned not to buy into general hype. I've become much better at aligning my expectations with whiskey types at particular price points. Expectations are key as is knowing the palates and experience of the people making the recommendations. 

Sometimes hype for a whiskey that's a great value proposition gets mistaken as hype for overall quality and someone new buys it and wonders what all the fuss is about. They didn't understand the hype in the proper context.

RY 10 and OF 1920 mentioned above are two that I particularly enjoy. It's important to note that RY10 is a single barrel so variation will occur. I have a number of barrels that are great but one that isn't. If my only experience was with that bad barrel I'd be skeptical too but I'd look for a different barrel to try because I know about variation. 

 

Disappointments for me go back a couple/few years. Angel's Envy Cask Strength is one. Way too port forward. Willett 2 year rye is one. I let my Willett is Great blinders distract me from the common sense that warned against expecting too much from a 2 year old product. Same for the 4yr old Willett distilled bourbon. 

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I will also say RY10. The hype was so big and my wife went to great lengths to get one for me shipped from out of state. It wasn't even just ok..it was terrible. All alcohol hotness with a very bitter finish. NO sweetness whatsoever.  I actually liked the OF1920 a lot. It was a little hot for the proof but I think it tastes like chocolate covered cherries. 

Another that doesn't live up to the hype for me is Van Winkle 12Y.  I greatly prefer ORVW10 or OWA.

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YMMV, When I first opened my first RY10 I thought oh-hum.  After it was opened for a month or so I revisited it.  The initial lacklusterness was gone.  I now really enjoy it.  I reserve it as my morning pour when I have no commitments.  I just had my 10 mL pour about 30 minutes ago before my morning coffee.

 

Disappointments in bourbon?  Almost never.

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This thread simply reminds me of a bottle of ETL i  had purchased while traveling in TN.  if youve ever scooped up a handful of dirt while planting and smelled it, well, that was in the flavor profile along with perfumey flowers not to unlike grandmas perfume.  That was in 2007, and Ive never purchased another bottle since and dont care that its difficult to find either. I actually reviewed it then on bourbonenthusiast.com under the name "Jon".

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Elijah Craig 12, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and Elijah Craig Small Batch.  All good whiskies.  All distinctly not a flavor profile I enjoy.  Wanted to like them so bad, but I just couldn't get there.  

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7 hours ago, flahute said:

It's been a long time since I've had any disappointments because I've learned not to buy into general hype. I've become much better at aligning my expectations with whiskey types at particular price points. Expectations are key as is knowing the palates and experience of the people making the recommendations. 

Sometimes hype for a whiskey that's a great value proposition gets mistaken as hype for overall quality and someone new buys it and wonders what all the fuss is about. They didn't understand the hype in the proper context.

RY 10 and OF 1920 mentioned above are two that I particularly enjoy. It's important to note that RY10 is a single barrel so variation will occur. I have a number of barrels that are great but one that isn't. If my only experience was with that bad barrel I'd be skeptical too but I'd look for a different barrel to try because I know about variation. 

 

Disappointments for me go back a couple/few years. Angel's Envy Cask Strength is one. Way too port forward. Willett 2 year rye is one. I let my Willett is Great blinders distract me from the common sense that warned against expecting too much from a 2 year old product. Same for the 4yr old Willett distilled bourbon. 

 

I have to agree.  I used to buy or taste Jefferson's product hoping they taste like the old Jefferson's Presidential.  Wishing never made it happen.  So I have aligned my expectations with reality. 

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1792 Sweet Wheat current release. Meh at best, just mild and sweet - no character. I had high hopes...  I have a bottle of Pikesville rye open that confuses me. Blind: I'd peg it for a mid-shelf bourbon.  The rye flavor profile that I look for is absent. Disappointed for sure - decent enough whiskey but just was hoping for something closer to my expectations.

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It was Bookers for me.  If a premium bourbon doesn't do it for me drinking it neat then I'll pass.  I'm not going to be forced to add something to it to make it tolerable to drink which is what Jim Beam is. That's a bargain basement bourbon which is also awful neat but is perfectly suited to making mixed drinks and is cheap and plentiful.

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Cooper's Craft was a whiskey that I anticipated would offer a unique twist on the B-F profile.  Instead, it was a bland experience with a touch of sootiness.  I don't get "disappointed" in these things though, as it was just another learning experience on the road through Bourbonia.  

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It's funny that some of the ones that people have mentioned, RY10, OF1920, EC . . . as disappointing are some that I particularly enjoy.  Again we all have different palates (not pallets) so we're going to like different things.  There is not one particular bourbon that I don't enjoy it's the cask finish ones (brandy, etc.) There is a finish to those that doesn't appeal to me.  So much so that I won't even try them anymore.

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Not a lot of love for OF1920 here? I got a bottle last month and I'm really enjoying it.

 

RY10 on the other hand, haven't tried it mainly because the Va ABC doesn't carry it.  They do however carry regular RY for the princely sum of $16. (I won't even mention the root beer or ginger flavor they also carry). But to me that says - rot gut whiskey. Is that my bourbon snobbishness coming thru that truly good bourbon has to be pricey (or at least $25)? :P  Don't know but to me I can't see aging rot gut whiskey for a total of 10 years will make it anything more than rot gut whiskey with some age to it. Maybe I'm wrong but that just can't be because - I'm from DC. :D 

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Cooper's Craft was a whiskey that I anticipated would offer a unique twist on the B-F profile.  Instead, it was a bland experience with a touch of sootiness.  I don't get "disappointed" in these things though, as it was just another learning experience on the road through Bourbonia.  

I can't say that this one disappointed me. Based on my last five years of experience with new bourbon line extensions, I would say that this totally met my low expectations. Maybe I'm just becoming immune to marketing bullshit. But then again, I'm a finance guys so I'm supposed to believe sales and marketing are telling me lies. :)


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I haven't had either RY10 or OF1920, so can't comment on those, but a BF product that really disappointed me was OFBB 2013. I bought several bottles of different vintages (2012,2013,2014,2015) whenever I found them at MSRP, thinking that they should be fairly enjoyable and nice to have in the bunker. I opened a 2013 when it finally found a spot in the drinking queue and was overwhelmed by the acetone. Let it sit, tried again, let it sit, tried again- still couldn't get any enjoyment out of it. Thank heavens I have never paid secondary, or even retail markup on anything. Maybe I will trade them, if I ever get into that and find someone who really wants them.

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41 minutes ago, DeltaAlphaVictorEasy said:

I haven't had either RY10 or OF1920, so can't comment on those, but a BF product that really disappointed me was OFBB 2013. I bought several bottles of different vintages (2012,2013,2014,2015) whenever I found them at MSRP, thinking that they should be fairly enjoyable and nice to have in the bunker. I opened a 2013 when it finally found a spot in the drinking queue and was overwhelmed by the acetone. Let it sit, tried again, let it sit, tried again- still couldn't get any enjoyment out of it. Thank heavens I have never paid secondary, or even retail markup on anything. Maybe I will trade them, if I ever get into that and find someone who really wants them.

As someone said above - different palates and all.

I loved the '13 OFBB. I will take any off your hands that you don't want.

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47 minutes ago, DCFan said:

They do however carry regular RY for the princely sum of $16. (I won't even mention the root beer or ginger flavor they also carry). But to me that says - rot gut whiskey. Is that my bourbon snobbishness coming thru that truly good bourbon has to be pricey (or at least $25)? :P  Don't know but to me I can't see aging rot gut whiskey for a total of 10 years will make it anything more than rot gut whiskey with some age to it. Maybe I'm wrong but that just can't be because - I'm from DC. :D 

Why do you assume that RY10yr is the same whiskey just aged longer?

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7 minutes ago, flahute said:

Why do you assume that RY10yr is the same whiskey just aged longer?

 

Enlighten me then.

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I found RYSB10 to be a very good pour - to me, it was better than the Van Winkle Lot B 12 yr, but that's just me.  The fact that I was able to get three of them for $49.00 ea when they first came out is even better.  Now, it's selling for $129 here in middle Georgia!

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I thought EC 18 was terrible. It tasted like hay. I have no interest going back to it.

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I am on board with EC 18 as the most disappointing straight bourbon I have ever had.  I like EC 12 so I was very excited to try EC 18.  It tasted like the pallet it was shipped on.  Of the more commonly found straight bourbons, I just don't find OGD 114 or WSR in my wheelhouse.  

 

I find several mentioned above among my favorite newly introduced bottles over the past 5 years including OF 1920, ECBP, Larceny and Pikesville 110.

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18 minutes ago, mbroo5880i said:

I just don't find OGD 114 or WSR in my wheelhouse. 

You should try blending them together for Grandpa Weller's Four Grain blend. Greater than the sum of its parts. I tend to like both of them on their own though so YMMV.

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This may seem blasphemous; but, the biggest disappointment for me was my first Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23-year old. 

Back when I was beginning along the road to understanding Bourbons as well as my own palate, I was kinda lead astray by (and had unreasonable expectations as a result of) all the hype that had really begun to build around 'Pappy'.

The first bottle I was finally able to acquire was a 750 of the 23-year FR.

The hype, the cost, and my own foolishness led me to anticipate the experience of opening and savoring that first pour would somehow change my life and fulfill some unimaginably rewarding destiny. 

It didn't do any of the those sorts of things.

 

Was it a good, if a little oaky, Bourbon?    Sure it was.     Was it interesting?   I guess so, yeah.     But, was it 5-to-10 times as good as either of my two favorite Bourbons at the time (Buffalo Trace & Booker's)?    Sorry, not even close to either.

 

The whiskey wasn't the main issue here, I know.      It was my unrealistic expectation of what it might be that led to the disappointment.

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I would say slightly disappointed by OF 1920 - it's not bad by any means but I don't think it's particularly great either and drinks really hot IMO. For around the same price I think Stagg Jr is significantly better, and there are a number of whiskeys I prefer for less money as well. Luckily I had a pour at a bar rather than buying a bottle so no big loss. if OF 1920 was $30 I would pick up a bottle for sure, but not at $60.

 

What I would say is a significant disappointment was my bottle of Barrell Bourbon 007, which I believe to be Dickle sourced. It's not the worst bourbon I've ever had, but it's not very good either, like a barrel proof Dickle 12 - which another that I don't really care for, but at $20-something a bottle it's hard to complain. The fact that the Barrell 007 was $80 and I could have picked up another batch (don't remember the number) from MGP which I probably would have enjoyed a lot more stings a bit.

 

I know many will disagree, but Elijah Craig Barrel Proof was a big disappointment as well, after reading reviews I went out of my way to get a bottle on the internet which ended up costing me something like $100 with shipping. ECBP isn't terrible but again it doesn't do much for me. I ended up using it for mixed drinks because I don't enjoy it on its own, and I don't think I would pick up another bottle even at retail. I got a store pick of the NAS Small Batch EC recently which I find is just okay as well, again for $26 I'm not particularly disappointed by it, but won't buy another.

 

I'm beginning to realize that if it's Bourbon, and it didn't come from Buffalo Trace, picking up a bottle is a bit of a risk for me. I don't think I've ever been disappointed by anything BT, even a $13 bottle of NAS Ancient Age tastes better to me than a lot of much more expensive bottles from other producers. To say nothing of Eagle Rare, CEHTL, Stagg JR, Blanton's, ETL, OWA, etc, which are all excellent to my palette.

 

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