Bourbons I "Should" Like, But Don't

[Davesnothere]

I picked up the STAGG (jr) in the state allocation lottery in December and I still have half dozen  EHT that I picked up at the monthly allocation days (all at state min retail), and I've got to say I just don't care for either one.

I'll finish both the open ones when friends come over and I guess I'll use the remaining EHT SB as trade bait.

I do have a few single barrel EHT that I love, but the small batch doesn't do it for me.

 

 

 

 

[Richnimrod]

Well, as in so many things... Different strokes for different folx, eh?    Just because someone else... even someone with a great deal of experience or knowledge... says it's good stuph... Doesn't mean it's good to your taste buddies!

Those babies are the only arbiters of flavor, aroma etc. that you need to pay attention to.     Many of us have encountered a few that most others like or even love, that we just don't quite understand.   ...And, that's OK.

At least it seems to me that it should be OK.   But, of course you must make your own decisions, eh?

[Kepler]

3 hours ago, Davesnothere said:

...

I do have a few single barrel EHT that I love, but the small batch doesn't do it for me.

 

 

 

 

 

I like the topic for a thread. 

But you find that big of a difference between the Small Batch EHT and the Single Barrel?  To me they are essentially the same but the SiB just has a bit more depth.

 

[Kepler]

Good topic.  Mine:

 

Bourbons:  OWA, ER10, RR 10 yr 90 proof, 1792FP

 

Rye:  various Indiana/95/MGP rye

[PaulO]

Davesnothere,

I also generally don't care for the BT mash bill #1 brands.

Standard BT is not bad, but rather boring and flat.  To me, it tastes somewhat similar to WT, except with flavors missing.  I'd much rather have WT.

ER has never impressed me.  As a matter of fact, the bottles I've had over the years ran from mediocre to others that were flawed with off flavors - like wet basement, pond water, or rotting wood.

Stagg Jr. - my first and only bottle turned out to be the early infamous bad batch.  It tasted like cheap well liquor, with a big blast of ethanol from the proof.  One and done for me.  I was not amused. 

[Anwalt]

It usually takes me a while to dismiss something.  Some things I don't like in the beginning but later grow to appreciate. So my list of "no, no, no" is short with some "suspects, but will try again to be sure" on a larger list.

 

I don't care for WSR.  I really like Blanton's Gold & SFTB and have had them enough times that I'm not likely to change my mind much on those.  Ditto OWA & WFP. All other BT is presently in the "I think I like it and I'm still figuring out which ones I like enough to buy them again (EHTSmB, ER, W12, BT, regular Blanton's) or "haven't tried it enough times to know" (Stagg Jr seemed hot, loved GTS I tried twice, not overly impressed by what little Pappy I've had, etc.).  Interested in repeatedly trying EHT non-SmB enough times to form an opinion, I've had very little of those.

 

Tried Blood Oath 8 a few times.  I don't get it.

[Skinsfan1311]

7 hours ago, PaulO said:

Davesnothere,

I also generally don't care for the BT mash bill #1 brands.

Standard BT is not bad, but rather boring and flat.  To me, it tastes somewhat similar to WT, except with flavors missing.  I'd much rather have WT.

ER has never impressed me.  As a matter of fact, the bottles I've had over the years ran from mediocre to others that were flawed with off flavors - like wet basement, pond water, or rotting wood.

Stagg Jr. - my first and only bottle turned out to be the early infamous bad batch.  It tasted like cheap well liquor, with a big blast of ethanol from the proof.  One and done for me.  I was not amused. 

I could've posted this!

I've had a few good to downright bad Stagg Jr., (looking squarely at release #2....big, hot mess).   I want to like ER, I really do, but it's just "meh" to me...even a pick that a friend of mine did, (we have similar palates), but it just doesn't do it for me.

That being said I "discovered" (courtesy of a fellow board member), that you can add a splash of that hot mess, into a pour of ER and it elevates them both.   Not sure the how, or why, but it just works and in a very good way.    The ration is roughly  2 parts ER to 1 part Stagg Jr.

[dcbt]

OWA for me (though I like WSR and W12).  Also OFBB usually.  There are probably others I'm forgetting right now.

[BigRich]

19 hours ago, Davesnothere said:

I picked up the STAGG (jr) in the state allocation lottery in December and I still have half dozen  EHT that I picked up at the monthly allocation days (all at state min retail), and I've got to say I just don't care for either one.

I'll finish both the open ones when friends come over and I guess I'll use the remaining EHT SB as trade bait.

I do have a few single barrel EHT that I love, but the small batch doesn't do it for me.

 

 

 

 

I was not initially impressed with either when they came out.  The EHT has grown on me.  The Stagg is still hit or miss.  But I can’t find either to buy near me so no real loss either way.  I have some EHT at bars from time to time.

[jvd99]

Woodford Reserve - never been a fan

[mbroo5880i]

3 hours ago, jvd99 said:

Woodford Reserve - never been a fan

 

I was until it transitioned from BF to WR.

[steven s]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:23 PM, Kepler said:

Good topic.  Mine:

 

Bourbons:  OWA, ER10, RR 10 yr 90 proof, 1792FP

 

Rye:  various Indiana/95/MGP rye

damn, I love these.

 

Palates be like...

 

mine:

Blantons, Larceny/Old Fitz, EHT rye, WDO

[Skinsfan1311]

14 hours ago, jvd99 said:

Woodford Reserve - never been a fan

Same........until I tried the rye.    It was on sale for $19.95, at the Navy package store, so  bought a few bottles, gifted one and kept a couple for myself and was very pleasantly surprised.   I like it, a lot.   Mrs. Skinsfan loves it.   Between the proof, sweetness, (for a rye), and body, (it's not thin), it's right in her wheelhouse.   For $30.00, it's a pass all day, but when I see it on sale, (which seems to happen frequently at the package store for WR), it's a buy for us.

[JakeySnakes]

Probably the current regular version of EC. I should like it because I loved the old 12yr offering, really love all the 12yr BP batches I've had, and have only had good to great private picks in the 8-10 year range, but now when I have the regular version, it just seems a little boring. Not bad mind you, but not worth buying on a regular basis compared to others I'd prefer.

[PhantomLamb]

I’m getting to the point that almost all BT mashbill 1 products just don’t do it for me anymore. They just taste thin, maybe I need to revisit in time.

[kcgumbohead]

On 2/17/2023 at 8:47 PM, Davesnothere said:

I picked up the STAGG (jr) in the state allocation lottery in December and I still have half dozen  EHT that I picked up at the monthly allocation days (all at state min retail), and I've got to say I just don't care for either one.

I'll finish both the open ones when friends come over and I guess I'll use the remaining EHT SB as trade bait.

I do have a few single barrel EHT that I love, but the small batch doesn't do it for me.

 

 

 

 

The horrible STJ edition #1 put me off the label for many years. I bought a more recent one and it was much better but still too hot/ harsh on its own. Recommendations here for blending 50/50 with standard BT made big improvements in both and resulted in a pretty nice pour.

I won’t seek replacements of either but enjoyed those two as a blend.

My personal hard pass bourbons: JB White label, ER, HMcK 10, std Makers Mark and MM46.

In rye land Pikesville gets a lot of love but I prefer its younger cousin Rittenhouse. My palate is a cheap date LOL!!

[Thomm]

2 hours ago, kcgumbohead said:

In rye land Pikesville gets a lot of love but I prefer its younger cousin Rittenhouse. My palate is a cheap date LOL!

This is a comparison I have yet to make. If not for this forum, I would never have known the relationship between the two. It's nice to know the price of admission is a $20 bottle of Rittenhouse.  

[jvd99]

2 hours ago, kcgumbohead said:

The horrible STJ edition #1 put me off the label for many years. I bought a more recent one and it was much better but still too hot/ harsh on its own. Recommendations here for blending 50/50 with standard BT made big improvements in both and resulted in a pretty nice pour.

I won’t seek replacements of either but enjoyed those two as a blend.

My personal hard pass bourbons: JB White label, ER, HMcK 10, std Makers Mark and MM46.

In rye land Pikesville gets a lot of love but I prefer its younger cousin Rittenhouse. My palate is a cheap date LOL!!

That first batch was pretty dreadful! I had other batches that were better, but like most things around here, I haven’t seen one on a shelf in years

[PaulO]

Larceny is another pass for me.  On paper, a vat of different aged barrels of Old Fitz sounds pretty good.  The problem for me was that about three out of four bottles I brought home were not very good - lack of good flavors and bitter aftertaste.  So I gave up.  There's no real excuse for this with a batched product, not a single barrel.

Too bad HH discontinued the classic Old Fitz B.I.B. to bring us this.    That was a solid product for what it was, at maybe four years and a day old.

[Clueby]

48 minutes ago, PaulO said:

Larceny is another pass for me.  On paper, a vat of different aged barrels of Old Fitz sounds pretty good.  The problem for me was that about three out of four bottles I brought home were not very good - lack of good flavors and bitter aftertaste.  So I gave up.  There's no real excuse for this with a batched product, not a single barrel.

Too bad HH discontinued the classic Old Fitz B.I.B. to bring us this.    That was a solid product for what it was, at maybe four years and a day old.

I feel the exact same. I've yet to have a Larceny I liked. Even the BPs typically aren't my thing I will concede that batch C922 is pretty good.

I wonder where all that whiskey that made up old Old Fitz BIB went to?!  It was sweet, syrupy, and spearmint.

I haven't been a fan of the new BIBs in the fancy decanter bottles either although the latest 19 year old is really good.

[Double C's]

11 hours ago, Clueby said:

I feel the exact same. I've yet to have a Larceny I liked. Even the BPs typically aren't my thing I will concede that batch C922 is pretty good.

I wonder where all that whiskey that made up old Old Fitz BIB went to?!  It was sweet, syrupy, and spearmint.

I haven't been a fan of the new BIBs in the fancy decanter bottles either although the latest 19 year old is really good.

I also concur that Larceny is not my jam. I went through one bottle a few years ago and never bought another one. When the BP version came out I tried a pour of either the first or second batch and remember not being impressed at all. It was just an amped up version of the regular product and at the time I didn't feel like it was worth the $. I haven't tried the C922 batch that so many seem to compliment, so I may have a different opinion of it if I find it somewhere to sample.

[bayouredd]

I'm no expert but I do have to say that I have been in the game long enough to know that my palate has and always will deceive me any time it likes. I distinctly tasted the funk of WT products but not the funk in JB stuff that others disliked; yet lately, the RR PS stuff is damn good.

In the past, I have written off HM10, ETL & others, but guess what, that was a phase of WTH!!! It does take me quite awhile to try something I have nixed, again, but often, it is worth the retry.

 

If I had to, at this time, pick a 'what are people thinking' moment, it would be EW1783, Stagg Jr & BT, but I wouldn't count them out a couple years down the road...

[mbroo5880i]

I can't rule out all BT#1 but the recent stuff is pretty average.  I loved OC10 but that stuff was different than what we see today.  I have had some stellar ER10 barrel picks but those were long ago.  Today's stuff is exciting to see on the shelf since it is rare but then the rational me tells me to move on.  BT shows up occasionally.  I might pick up the bottle but then I remember the last bottle and I put it back on the shelf.  

 

Then I think about BT#2.  Blanton's, ETL, Rock Hill...I never see this stuff anymore. Of course, if I do and the price is right, I am sure I will grab it only to be disappointed by memories of what was not what is.  

 

WL12, OWA...I am on board. Both are on par with some of the better stuff since 2010.  

 

I am with @Kepler.  I wish RR10 and 1792 Full Proof were in my wheelhouse.  One is too thin, the other too hot.

[PaulO]

I've been a fan of Very Old Barton since the anchor bottle 6 year bond days, now the current 100 proof version.  You'd think I'd like the premium brand from the same distillery even more - 1792.  But it turns out no.  I've bought several 1792 over the years.  It's always the same.  A lingering taste of tannin in the finish ruins it for me.  I don't know if 1792 and VOB are the same mash bill or not.  VOB is still a great budget pour, pass on the 1792.  

Edited February 21, 2023 by PaulO

[Jazz June]

9 hours ago, PaulO said:

I've been a fan of Very Old Barton since the anchor bottle 6 year bond days, now the current 100 proof version.  You'd think I'd like the premium brand from the same distillery even more - 1792.  But it turns out no.  I've bought several 1792 over the years.  It's always the same.  A lingering taste of tannin in the finish ruins it for me.  I don't know if 1792 and VOB are the same mash bill or not.  VOB is still a great budget pour, pass on the 1792.  

I thought for quite a while that they were not the same mash bill, but when I asked at Barton, they said they were.