Where Is Your Proof ?

[Cranecreek]

  You know, the one you have found to be your preferred amount of dilution, if any.  I can admire those that can drink a 130 pf cask strength whiskey and truly enjoy it.  I cannot.  In fact I don't buy many cask strength whiskies unless they either economically deliver more drinks per bottle than their standard product (which is seldom the case) or they are a distinctively different expression, like Bookers or Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (which is 12 year bourbon and not just uncut Small Batch).

  For me the addition of ice or water allows more flavor to be released while also taming the alcohol.  I have found my sweet spot to be in the neighborhood of 90 to 95 proof * The only bourbon I regularly buy below 90 is EWSB.  There are some whiskies that you can't drown the "heat" out of.  I'm looking at you 1792 and Larceny !  Now before someone proclaims one of those to be the best bourbon on the planet, I speak only for my own palate and experience. YMMV  On the other hand are bourbons that drink below their proof.  Old Forester 1920 and OGD 114 come to mind.

  As I have been writing this I have been sipping some J. Henry Wisconsin Straight Bourbon neat.  92 proof, Just right !

  What say you ?

 

*( 93 actually )

[Saul_cooperstein]

I prefer proofs in the 105-115 range. Don’t always drink in that window and almost never add water or ice...as mentioned above, whiskeys can drink very divergent from its proof...but if I had a choice, that’s my sweet spot. 

[dcbt]

I'm remarkably similar to the OP, 90-100 proof is my sweet spot, and the only sub-90 I buy is EWSiB.  I've mentioned it before, but I tend to believe consuming anything over 50% alcohol can't be good for your insides. So I try to stick to sub-100 proofers now. If I buy BPs, I dilute them down with water.

[mbroo5880i]

I buy across a wide range of proofs, but rarely buy below 90 proof.  I do buy a lot of barrel and higher proof bourbons and ryes because I find them more flavorful.  However, I always proof down to the 95 to 101 proof range.  I agree with dcbt that it probably isn't good to drink higher proof bourbons neat.  I do like being able to adjust my proof though.  

 

I will occasionally move up to 103 proof or so, if that is the barrel proof.  I will also move down into 80s, if it is a product I like.  

 

 

Edited June 18, 2018 by mbroo5880i

[Mako254]

Surveying my cabinet and frequent purchases I feel pretty confident that I have found my profile:

8-12 years old

100-120 proof (cask strength in this range is ideal)

a ‘high rye’ profile

 

so, no surprise I am in the Lawrenceburg  umbrella cult of Four Roses and Turkey heads with a certain fondness for MGP barrel proofers.  

 

Four Roses single barrel cask strength and Russells Reserve single barrels are most of what I buy and enjoy. 

[Cranecreek]

5 minutes ago, Mako254 said:

Surveying my cabinet and frequent purchases I feel pretty confident that I have found my profile:

8-12 years old

100-120 proof (cask strength in this range is ideal)

a ‘high rye’ profile

 

so, no surprise I am in the Lawrenceburg  umbrella cult of Four Roses and Turkey heads with a certain fondness for MGP barrel proofers.  

 

Four Roses single barrel cask strength and Russells Reserve single barrels are most of what I buy and enjoy. 

Do you drink all of these neat Mako or do you proof down ?

[Mako254]

14 minutes ago, Cranecreek said:

Do you drink all of these neat Mako or do you proof down ?

 

98% I’m neat. 

 

Like others have said, I do enjoy EWSB and I do like that on ice (big cube in a yeti) for around the grill or in a situation where I might normally have a beer. 

 

I have come across some Buffalo Trace 9yr store picks that I have really enjoyed and I get a certain mood from time to time for ECBP. For the most part though, an OESK at about 106 proof or Russells Reserve at 110 just right for me. I do have a dropper bottle w/ distilled water I offer to friends. 

 

Might be simple minded but I drink it at the proof that Jimmy Russell or Jim Rutledge/Brent Elliott put it in the bottle at. 

[Kane]

I absolutely try every single BP whiskey I buy at lower proofs, but in general, I find that I gravitate towards drinking them neat after I'm satisfied with my experiments. I truly enjoy the bolder flavor and also the burn that comes with it, I don't see that as a trade off. That said, my BP pours are noticeably smaller, and now that I think about it, I swirl and swish every BP sip in my mouth for far longer, probably diluting them in the process.

 

At the same time, there are so many awesome whiskeys at ~90-100 proof that I'm not sure whether they simply benefit from their lower proof, or if they are specifically selected to fit a certain profile. Right now, my general impression is "BP is always better", which might very well be wrong, but I can't test for it. I'd really be interested in tasting a popular non-BP whiskey like Eagle Rare, Blanton's, Baker's etc. out of the barrel.

 

EDIT: Collecting my thoughts...

Edited June 18, 2018 by Kane

[Paddy]

I almost never proof down more than one small cube.  I also prefer to let it melt completely prior to drinking, no matter whether it's an 80 proofer or a 132 proofer, as I almost always enjoy my bourbon at room temperature.  Having said that, I also often find myself enjoying whatever I'm pouring...without adding anything.   

 

It wasn't always this way, but my palate has (for obvious reasons) become much more refined over the years.  Sure, I'm still subject to periodic mood/palate swings, but I mostly find myself going through phases of certain type/brand/proof 'kicks'.  In other words, I may find myself on a month long rye kick, then end up finding myself drinking mostly barrel proofers the next month.  Sometimes I'll just get on a 'house' kick, and drink every brand from a given distillery for a few weeks, for nothing more than the pleasure of comparison.   

   

I do think it's advisable to utilize reasonable caution with the high octane.  For one, smaller pours, as they really should be savored.  Mine are enjoyed via very small sips, and very long chews.  I've found that I've usually get enough help from the saliva in my mouth to minimize the soft tissue damage, that way... it sure does also help, going down. 

[flahute]

I prefer the range of 95-110. I love and buy many BP whiskies and always have a sip neat but then add drops of water to suit. Though I like the BP's at BP, I find that too much sipping at BP burns out my taste buds quickly and shuts me down for a few days. So 95-110 is the range I like to drink in even if I start out higher.

[Surtur]

I mostly prefer 100-115 proof and I don’t buy below 90 anymore except Evan Williams to mix with ginger ale, and that is seldom. I also cannot remember the last time I added water or ice to anything, it has been years. Personally I just feel if I’m spending the dough on a barrel proof then I want to drink it as it tastes, but that’s just my take on it. I have never had any bourbon that I felt was uncomfortably hot, I just take smaller sips.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Surtur

[bayouredd]

All I can say is 90 seems to be too low. The 93-95 (i.e. Blantons, OFBB, EC) are relaxing and enjoying & I think more of a daily for me; however, I really do dig the flavor bombing raids of the higher proofs. EC120 & ECBP are grand with smaller sips. Also CEHT SiB bonded seems to send me into a state of nirvana. I'm also blissfully happy with W Antique.

[Fishin49er]

100-120 seems to be my sweet spot. I do thoroughly enjoy barrel proofers but, like everyone else, they're best enjoyed in small quantities. On the other end, I'm almost convinced that I'm done buying sub 100 proof bourbon, with a few exceptions. 

[kcgumbohead]

I am going to go with a pretty wide window here, 90-120. I don't find much below the 90p level to carries enough flavor to make the cut, not sayin its not out there but not enough to meet my minimum threshold.. Something I have been wondering over the years is whether the increase in barrel entry proofs has driven us enthusiasts to ever higher proof expressions in search of flavor. There are many accounts of the lower proof dusties and their deep flavors at lower proofs but I find the majority of what I like really starts at about 100, my affinity for BiBs plays no small part in that. I am also a big proponent of the BP expressions and OGD114, RB...I have no hard and fast rule on water,ice...I let the bottle tell me what, if anything, it needs. Sometimes BPs drink at/above /below their proof, sometimes its just a mood on any given night thing. I can say I appreciate the flexibility to proof down without the danger of washing out the flavor and 100+ expressions give me plenty of latitude in that regard.

[JCwhammie]

I'm also in the 100-120 proof group. I thoroughly enjoy the big barrel proofers, and I basically never proof them down, but more times than not I reach for something a little lower. There are a few 90 proofers I enjoy (4RSmB, RR10, ER10, BT, W12) and one 80 proofer (4RYL). 

To get more specific the bulk of the bottles i buy are 7-10 year, $30-$40 bottles that are 100-110 proof. 

[gurgalunas]

I'm in the wide range camp myself.  I enjoy low 90s up to the BPers like Stagg.  I occasionally add water or a globe, but it's generally to bottles that drink hotter than expected.  It's hard to really put a range on this because so many brands taste above or below what their proof would have you expect.  A few examples, Stagg Jr drinks very hot to me, at least the 129.5 batch.  A PS of OWA I have drinks really hot too.  Contrast that to the KC SiB I picked up today that sips easy like a W12, even though it's at 120 proof.  

[Richnimrod]

Hmmm, a bit of thinking on this question has not produced a definitive response, I'm sorry to say.

The old gray matter performs like mostly soft pudding these days, I guess.

If looking at my shelves were the way to determine the answer, I'd have to say something like; 'Between 80 and 144-proof'.    ...Not at all definitive, I realize.

In trying to recall how many I've poured and consumed 'neat' at or above 120-proof I do recall more than a few... quite a few in reality.    In trying to recall how many I've poured over an ice cube in that range, I'd have to speculate not quite as many; but, a goodly number.     When thinking about those in the 100 to 120 proof range the neat-to-ice ratio isn't a great deal more revealing; but, likely a tad fewer over ice, I suppose.    Below the 100-proof level, I think mostly are taken neat. 

 

So... should my answer be 100-proof?    ...Or more accurately;'Who can say, since I can't'.   I guess different preferences on different days explain the wide variation.

[jvd99]

Bourbon 100 - 115

scotch 90 - 105

[tanstaafl2]

Each whiskey that is new to me, which can include store picks of well known favorites, typically is tried at whatever the full proof is. I find I like cask strength particularly below 115-120 but will add water, even if it is by the drop (which is often the case) when first trying it, and especially with something that has a finish like port, sherry and other wine barrels. The lower proof whiskey that I like the best tends to be low proof cask strength whiskey. WT Master's Keep 17yo comes to mind.

 

Not going to drink whiskey at high proof if I don't enjoy it. Bookers Rye comes to mind as an example. That sucker needs some water!

[Radioyada]

After thinking this one over, I am sure I do not have a certain proof.  It just depends on the drink.  Some 90 proof brands drink hotter, and some barrel proof brands drink much lower.  I will enjoy a glass of 131.9 proof Stagg Jr. neat just as much as one of CEHT SmB at 100 proof.  

 

 

[GaryT]

As others have said, it varies - a lot, and by the whiskey.  I've found even pours in the 90-110 proof range might open up with a few drops of water.  I'm also a fan of cask strength, and will try it neat before diluting, but I've had some that hit their sweet spot for me with just a few drops - so might have been 115-120 still.  Others I found were better closer to 100.  I don't buy hardly anything sub-90 proof anymore, although there have been some single malts below that which were amazingly flavorful.

[scubadoo97]

107

[graftonbc1]

I always drink my bourbon above 90 proof, always neat. 

 

I have many barrel proof bottles and I love to sip them neat. The one exception for me is Stagg Jr, which never works for me, no matter how I try and cut it. 

[kaiserhog]

100 but 90 is ok.

[fishnbowljoe]

Generally speaking, it's all good!  

 

But seriously, my preferences lie with most anything between 90 and 125 proof.  That being said, there are times I'll venture lower or higher depending on the bourbon. "Know what I mean Vern?" 

 

Biba! Joe