What bourbon are you drinking this Spring - 2024

[smokinjoe]

1 hour ago, Anwalt said:

I have more than one friend who has a separate Blanton's bottle that he fills with Blade & Bow and serves to visitors because he is ornery (or dislikes people going straight for That Bottle Every Time). He says no one has ever called him out on it. 

Wow.  Just wow….  Watch your back….

[Saloon65]

Well, didn’t want to walk out to my room in the shop where the collection lives tonight, so i hit the bottle of Knob Creek 9 that i keep in the house for the wife to make old fashioned’s.   I always forget about that sitting in there.

Edited April 28, 2024 by Saloon65

[fishnbowljoe]

Back with the herd tonight.

[fishnbowljoe]

I had the last pour from my open bottle of BT. Time to fly.

 

[yobber76]

Yesterday I had a Sazerac on ice. Originally, I didn't like this at all, but recently I've enjoyed it. The bottle went untouched for about 3 years. Now, the bottle is almost gone.

[smokinjoe]

So, it does appear that Jim Beam is slapping a 7 year age statement and upping the proof to 90 on its Beam Black label.  I am a somewhat regular Beam Black buyer, as I like it for a change of pace.  I like its dryness to the typical beam peanut juiciness that Baker’s and Booker’s gives, and the dearly departed Beam Bonded had in spades.  Even Beam white has these attributes, though its low proof and young age prevent them from being firm enough.  Beam Black has kinda been my Poor Man’s Knob Creek profile.  So after going a few rounds with the new 7 year Black, I decided to do a blind SBS of it and the previous Beam Black “Extra Aged”.

 

Color between the two was indistinguishable.

Initially on the nose, one glass jumped out at me, and almost squashing the other.  While this may seem a positive, it was not.  It was all char and sootiness.  Not necessarily a bad thing, but it seemed indicative of “forcing” the profile of a longer aged whiskey. For me, a good nose brings forth the pleasant aromas encountered while walking through a rickhouse on a warm day.  Subsequent sniffs brought forth those aromas on the squashed glass, thus providing key insight into what was to follow.  
At the front of the palate, both were sweet, and possessed the Beam profile, while drier.  But, as the whiskies travelled over mid palate, the sootiness of the one glass punched through, while the other was markedly creamier.  If the nose didn’t give its identity away, mid palate did.  the finish of both were short, but the sootiness of one was noticeable, while the other was dry, but a bit more rounded.  
In conclusion, these whiskies are very similar, and work for what I look for in the label.  If you really don’t like Beam Black Extra Aged to begin with, you probably won’t like this.  If you’re just OK with it, the 7 might be more enjoyable for you.  Me?  I like Extra Aged, and the 7 polishes up some notes that while I didn’t dislike them, they are easier on me while still maintaining the qualities that bring me back to it regularly.  

[Richnimrod]

Looking back over the previous few days at the GN in Bardstown, I'll summarize...

A LOT of Really Good Bourbon!   

A few of the highlights hafta include some Dant 10-year from 'back in the day'... poured from that byooooootiful cobalt blue decanter, MM101 also an oldie, Crab Orchard...a VERY Oldie, Booker's 30th, a couple other Stitzel/Weller brands, and ahh, hell!

A LOT of Really Good Bourbon, like I said.

[mbroo5880i]

WT101 while watching the Bucks-Pacers game.  

Edited April 29, 2024 by mbroo5880i

[markandrex]

I just finished mowing the lawn after being away for a few days.  WT101 sounds like an excellent idea!  Cheers!

Edited April 29, 2024 by markandrex

[JCwhammie]

These ECBP PS barrels sure do have a wide variance. I've had 1 that was super complex and rivaled the best batches I've had, I've had some that were good to really good, then there's this one. No complexity, nothing memorable in a positive way. Unfortunately this will only be served on a cube or in a cocktail. 

[B3Nut]

MM101, jazz, and chill...  

[B3Nut]

22 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Back with the herd tonight.

Always a great one! Anytime I see a bottle I pounce on it. Finished off the last one. Thankfully if I really want it when I don't have any it's always on the bar at two bars within walking distance...and The Dog House (Mount Horeb WI) has $5 doubles on Wednesdays after 6....  Couple BT doubles and one of their amazing burgers...life is good.

[aquavite]

Right now, I'm going with a mix of what I have.  I have a lot of Woodford Reserve (std - not double oaked), Bulleit Bourbon (std) and MM.   In fact, I have a 1.75L bottle of WR.   I need to get a 1.75 Bulleit.

 

As for trying new things, I'll see if I can find some of the 50mm or 375 mm of the stuff I want to try (WR Double Oaked, etc.) and we'll go from there. And, if I do come upon MSRP based BT or EC, I'll snag that.

Edited April 29, 2024 by aquavite

[markandrex]

I’m having a MM Monday waiting for the rain to roll in.  Not a bad way to start the week.  

[Jazzhead]

I'm taking a break from blending and solera bottles,  and sipping some Pikesville as the day winds down.   So pleased to find this again.   With the usual reservations of authority to amend,  this is quite simply my favorite whiskey.  

[bayouredd]

14 hours ago, aquavite said:

Right now, I'm going with a mix of what I have.  I have a lot of Woodford Reserve (std - not double oaked), Bulleit Bourbon (std) and MM.   In fact, I have a 1.75L bottle of WR.   I need to get a 1.75 Bulleit.

 

As for trying new things, I'll see if I can find some of the 50mm or 375 mm of the stuff I want to try (WR Double Oaked, etc.) and we'll go from there. And, if I do come upon MSRP based BT or EC, I'll snag that.

Words of advice, but not to take as gospel:

Try to hold out for a WRDO - store pick. They have been sooo much better than the shelf, IMHO.

I have seen a "big-time" progression on the Bulleit 10 year as of late. I do like the regular Bulleit but the 10-year is a step up.

If you do a regular EC, try grilling a steak. It goes quite well with it...

[aquavite]

4 minutes ago, bayouredd said:

Words of advice, but not to take as gospel:

Try to hold out for a WRDO - store pick. They have been sooo much better than the shelf, IMHO.

I have seen a "big-time" progression on the Bulleit 10 year as of late. I do like the regular Bulleit but the 10-year is a step up.

If you do a regular EC, try grilling a steak. It goes quite well with it...

 

Excellent!  Thanks so much.  I'll see about the WRDO Store pick.

[fishnbowljoe]

I received a nice sample of Benchmark Full Proof-125 proof from @Galvin0791.  That’s what’s in the glass tonight. Pretty hot, so I added some water. Much better.

[Thomm]

Four Roses Single Barrel has once again graced my drinking vessel.  Every single time I drink this I imagine a dystopian scenario wherein I am only allowed one bourbon for the rest of my days.  This would suffice.  

[meadeweber]

On 4/27/2024 at 5:16 PM, Anwalt said:

I have always found it to be so.

But.

For an extra 10 proof points, the Gold increases the flavor - and dramatically so. That was my instant reaction the first time I tried the two side by side. I can easily tell the difference blind.

Spot on!  

And 51.5% seems to be the sweet spot for Blanton's, so much so that I prefer Gold to SFTB.

[Anwalt]

3 hours ago, meadeweber said:

And 51.5% seems to be the sweet spot for Blanton's, so much so that I prefer Gold to SFTB.

 

 

I prefer the lower proof SFTB's, but The Mood sometimes takes me to Gold or higher proof SFTB's.

 

Fickle.

[Grady330]

Monday was Green River, Doc Swinson Blenders Cut and a finale of FR SiB Select.  It was a good night!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[markandrex]

Having a pour of Bookers (I believe it is a European Donovan’s Batch). This bootle will likely be in the empty thread very soon.

[bayouredd]

Yesterday saw me thinking yesteryear. I went to my oldest bottle opened for pert near 25 years. Pouring created oodles of bubbles & I was afraid it was bad. Not so; you could taste the dust in it, but it was excellent...

 

Started today with a Shenk's 2023, remembered it was wheater Wednesday, so followed with a BBC Origin wheater. Really nice...

[markandrex]

A glass of RHF in preparation for The Derby.