What bourbon are you drinking now?

[TNbourbon]

"Retro-proofing"...If I take the meaning correctly, "to follow a drink of whiskey with a drink of a different whiskey having a lower proof."

You are correct -- that's what I meant.

[bluesbassdad]

Weller 12 y/o. Suddenly I think I'm tasting more barrel char than I remember -- especially in the finish. Someone recently opined that this bourbon is considerably older than 12 years. Could it be that I'm so suggestible that I now think it tastes older than I did before?

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[camduncan]

Tonight, due to budget, I was looking for something 'cheap' to take to a dinner party. I decided on a bottle of Kentucky Gold from Heaven Hill. For some reason the label has always put me off trying it in the past...

This turned out to be an excellent bourbon for a few dollars less than Jim Beam White label

[jeff]

Tonight I'm enjoying a pour of Old Fitz BIB over ice. This really is a great bourbon for the price. I'm constantly amazed at how good a wheated bourbon can be, when made by people who know what bourbon should taste like

[Gillman]

Classic Cask rye whiskey, 21 years old. A rich spicy dram of genuine American whiskey if ever there was one. Age in such ostensibly superannuated form needs careful handling; the bottler (Kulsveen, I believe) picked well.

For those interested in why straight whiskey is being marketed increasingly at older ages, I highly recommend Chuck Cowdery's current newsletter. In fact I recommend it if, like many of us here, you have whiskey on the brain in general.

If you don't subscribe currently, start.

Gary

[BrbnBorderline]

Last nite was Weller Antique. Still haven't decided on tonight's pour. It's been a while since I've had any WT Rye....Hmmmmmmm

[wrbriggs]

Tonight was a bar night. Selection was limited. Woodford Reserve and WT 101. Now the wife has cut me off, and she's probably right.

[TNbourbon]

I'm into a 1997 bottling of Wathen's tonight, which starts with a wonderfully spicy (cloves, I think) nose covering up brown sugar. A nice combination of spicy sweetness and alcohol heat, followed by a medium-length finish. Good end-of-nighter.

I keep thinking I'll pick up a new(er) bottling for comparison -- I have a couple other '97s in bunker -- but I've been enjoying this one so well once a week or so, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

[clayton]

Last night was Wild Turkey Rare Breed, which I hadn't touched in awhile. My palate was wide awake, and I found all kinds of things that I hadn't noticed before, most notably a powerful citrus element (tangerines came to mind).

[BobA]

I'm doing a "bargain sampler" of three bourbons that have a variety of support here; OF 86, VOB 90, and Rebel Yell. I thought I knew that there was one I didn't enjoy, but now I'm so sure; it doesn't really have the unpleasant aftertaste I remember from earlier samplings, and now one of the others is starting to rub me the wrong way.

Obviously, more study is required.

Bob

[jbewley]

I'm stuck in a hotel in a small Oklahoma town on business, and I stop by the tiny liquor store down the street to see what they have, and low and behold, they had Wellers Antique 107 in a pint.. I'd always wondered about the Antique, but never quite enough to buy a whole fifth. And I had no clue they bottled it in pints. What a great idea.

I can't believe I've never had Weller Antique before. Neat, it's not for me. With ice and some water, it ranks *way* up there on my list. Sometimes I think of Wellers as less of a bourbon and more of a "Just add water" cocktail mix.. I forget how sweet wheaters can be after drinking OGD and ryes lately.

[robbyvirus]

Tonight I went all-out and had a nip of Hirsch 16 yo followed by some Elija Craig 18 yo. Two great bourbons, and both very different from one another. Life is good!

[bluesbassdad]

I'm just now finishing a double Evan Williams Single Barrel 1993 from a Glencairn glass that bears the EWSB imprint. (Now that I have a collection of the HH glasses, I'm wondering what I'll do with my Riedel glasses.)

I still get that grassy taste that I'm not fond of, but I'm also getting other elements playing peek-a-boo with my palate tonight. In short tonight I'm finding this bottling intriquing, even if not as downright satisfying as Eljah Craig 12 y/o. For the first time I even detect a family resemblance between the two.

The resemblance is vaguely similar to that between an uncooked roasting ear (akin to the EWSB) and one that has been roasted over an open fire to the point of slight caramelization (EC12).

I made the mistake of finishing my lone bottle of EWSB 1992. I wish I had kept it around to compare to subsequent bottlings. I'll definitely open the 1994 before I finish the 1993.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[bluesbassdad]

I couldn't very well sit here with an empty glass, so I decided to open my EWSB 1994 from barrel 120. (I suggest a new competition at the KBF. Have the executives from each company open bottles of their wax-sealed bottlings by hand. I finally had to use a pocket knife to score the wax before I could get the pull-tab to do its job.)

The nose of the 1994 is even more like that of EC12 (a comparison I noted in the preceding post). That quality carries through nicely to the palate. My first impression, perhaps dulled slightly by the earlier drink of the 1993, is that this is not only my favorite of the three EWSB bottlings I've tried, it may even be more enjoyable than EC12, my previous Heaven Hill favorite.

I'll have to taste it another time with a fresh palate to be sure.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[TNbourbon]

I also noted the resemblance to EC12 -- for which I don't care -- when I first opened EWSB '94 (Barrel 34) -- which I do like. To a less complex degree, I also note the resemblance to EC12 in the EW1783. Perhaps it's the combination of those flavors and the 12 years I don't like because, as noted above, I don't find the resemblance unpalatable in the younger (SB is 9+yo and 1783 a 10yo) pair.

[musher]

(Now that I have a collection of the HH glasses, I'm wondering what I'll do with my Riedel glasses.)

I prefer them to the Glencairn glass. The top of the Glencairn is too small, and I don't get any nose while taking a sip from them. The Riedels have a big enough opening to allow a little more aroma while taking a sip.

[BrbnBorderline]

Right now I am enjoying Weller Antique.

[jeff]

Tonight I'm sampling some Buffalo Trace Single Barrel that was picked by several of our members last September. This is a particularly well-balanced bourbon with the halmark sweet caramel and vanilla foundation, with good measures of dried fruit and spice. Tonight I am picking up a nuance that can only be described as "rummy". There are also hints of tobacco and cedar, a la Stagg. Actually, this barrel reminds me a great deal of GTS; surely the distillery character shining through. Excellent choice gentlemen and ladies.

[ikewillett1]

I had a nagging headache last night so I had a two finger poor of the 2004 edition of Stagg. Fixed me right up. No more headache. My wife and I both think that stuff is the miracle cure.

Ike

[jeff]

Tonight I'm having a pour of "Very Old" Jefferson's Reserve, a Christmas gift from my wife. This is only the third pour out of the bottle and tonight I'm having it over a couple of ice cubes. This bourbon is a little spicy and hot, with a distinctive Heaven Hill character. Lots of green corn and hay dominate. I'm enjoying it more on ice than neat and I think I'll enjoy it even more in the warmer months. I am however having a cork porblem that some of you have noted with the original JR bottling. Mine is slowly falling apart with each opening.

[dgonano]

Only have a few bottles open at any given time. Currently I have been enjoying Ancient Ancient Age 10, Stagg '04, Michter's Unblended American , and some old potstilled Michter's. The AAA is a low price gem; The Stagg is a powerhouse; The Michter's Unblended has a very sweet Maple syrup taste; The old potstilled Michter's has very clean grainy taste , no wood nor sweetness is detected.

[troyce]

Just had my first Henry McKenna SB. Very good ; a little sweet but good balance. I'll buy this one again.

[cowdery]

I just poured some 1792, but it's in the other room so I've got to go.

[Gillman]

Ancient Age Bottled In Bond. Bottom of label states, "Ancient Age Distilling Co., Frankfort, KY." No reference to the Buffalo Trace corporate entity and there is a "93" stamped in a corner of the base of the bottle, so possibly an older bottle. Rich, sweet, with a clear relation (I now see) to Blanton, but more funky and endearing for it. This cost under $10.00 and is an outstanding example of the fine value of American straight whiskey. There are malt whiskies many times the price that don't come close in quality, for example.

Gary

[RedVette]

Elijah Craig 12. This Bourbon continues to amaze me. It is relatively inexpensive yet it is wonderfully complex. Each sip reveals new flavors.