Why does bourbon appeal to you...

[jeff]

more than vodka, tequilla, rum, brandy or foreign whiskies? I am going to assume that since we are all here, bourbon is the drink of choice for most members. Is it the taste or the variety of brands available? Is it because bourbon is uniquely "american"? Do you come from a long line of bourbon drinkers? How did bourbon come to be your drink of choice and what is it that sets it apart from other libations, in your opinion?

[Gillman]

Good question. For me it is the taste of bourbon. This is so mainly with bourbon sampled neat although I like it sometimes on the rocks, but its true character comes through for me taken straight up, no ice. Recent bourbons that epitomise what I am looking for are Elmer T. Lee (with its new silky texture), Ancient Age Bottled In Bond (I don't know if this is still made but if any of you see it, buy it) and on the rye whiskey side, the current Wild Turkey Rye. These are perfect taken neat at their original proof. I like other bourbons too, notably Woodford Reserve and Jim Beam Black Label.

Second to bourbon for me is good malt (Scotch) whisky with some Irish whiskey as footnote no. 1 (notably Connemara Cask Strength). Third is Canadian whisky. Vodka and gin follow after that. Rum is good once in a while, but doesn't really rate in my book. But I must say too malt whiskey is so different to straight U.S. whiskey that I would really put it on a par with bourbon. I like smoky scotches that have a sherried background. Since there are not that many of these out there I tend to vat my own at home.

I also still like beer a lot but it falls into a different category for me.

If I ever had the taste for brandy I have lost it, I find its perfumedness off-putting. I can take a dry-style cognac occasionally. If it is to be sweet and rich it has to be bourbon.

I have not acquired a taste for tequila except in a straight up margarita made with real citrus juice.

Gary

[cowdery]

For me it's the taste and the heritage. I think it has to be the taste, in every case, because I can't imagine drinking it for some other reason if the taste doesn't appeal to you. But it would be interesting to know the other factors too. My parents drank bourbon, but I did experiment with some other things before I came back to it. I did so when I was living in Kentucky and working in the industry, and became fascinated with the heritage of it. It was the American-ness that appealed to me in the sense that the heritage was accessible (I was living there) and "mine" (i.e., American).

[mobourbon]

I never liked wine or beer. I never really liked the alcohol taste. I did drink Canadians every now and then. About 2 years ago I tried Booker's. I loved the taste and I really enjoyed it. About 1 1/2 years ago I started trying different bourbons.

So, I like bourbon because of the taste. With all of the different brands, there are so many different tastes. Most are so enjoyable. A big part of it is the fact that it is the only true "American" whiskey. The history is fascinating!. Put that all together and that's why bourbon is, by far, my favorite libation.

[wrbriggs]

As others have stated, it is first and foremost the taste of bourbon that does it for me. All other reasons for drinking it are secondary to the sensory enjoyment that this spirit offers. With that said, the heritage and history behind the drink are fascinating, and certainly add to my enjoyment.

Bourbon is not a common libation in my neck of the woods, which makes it even more attractive to me. Many of my snooty peers (including one holier-than-thou family member) will mock me for drinking a "redneck" drink, while they swill Crown Royal and single malt scotch. I've given up trying to convert most of them. I just sit back with a Riedel glass of something like Pappy 15 or 20, Weller Centennial, Evan Williams Single Barrel, Buffalo Trace or one of many others, and think to myself, with a little smile, "More for me."

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Bourbon is not a common libation in my neck of the woods, which makes it even more attractive to me. Many of my snooty peers (including one holier-than-thou family member) will mock me for drinking a "redneck" drink, while they swill Crown Royal and single malt scotch.

That is, more or less, how I got started on bourbon. Most people I knew worshipped at the altar of single malt Scotch and sneered at everything else.(And to be quite honest, so did I.)

I´ve always been an against-the-grain kind of person and noticing that there were a handful of expensive bourbons available, I simply decided to check them out. Booker´s were my first choice - clearly, this was an unwise way to start off. I was, to put it mildly, overwhelmed.

My second choice, though, was Woodford reserve, and it clicked immediately. I began to realize that there was a world out there to explore and that a lot of people were missing out on something good. Since then, I have, as they say, never looked back.

Oh, almost forgot the original question! I enjoy Scotch, Irish, rum, Cognac, rye etc but my desert island-choice for a drink would naturally be bourbon.

[Gillman]

It is amazing how deep-rooted the aversion can be, in its home country, to bourbon. I know a lady, originally from Texas, who almost literally shudders when I mention bourbon. She can't get past the image it has for her. She says it evokes images of moonshine and liquor made in a shack at the back of the property. I explain how it is made, how much of it stands with or exceeds the world's great spirits, but she won't even taste it. To a degree people anywhere tend to prefer something from far away as "better" even if it isn't, due to factors related to social distinctions, snobbery, etc. Perhaps too the unusual history of whiskey explains this attitude in the sense that it was banned from the market at times, not well-looked upon (sometimes for good reason) by the churches and other authorities, and otherwise not, shall we say, in the social register, but one would think those attitudes would have changed by now.

Gary

[jeff]

I think it has to be the taste, in every case, because I can't imagine drinking it for some other reason if the taste doesn't appeal to you.

I didn't mean to imply that someone might drink bourbon for other reasons even if they didn't like the taste, but rather: what is it about the taste itself that appeals to you more than other drink choices?

[clayton]

Count me in as one who is drawn to bourbon for its deep wellspring of interesting flavors. I'd sampled all kinds of beer, wine, and mixed drinks, always dabbling but never really finding much appeal in any of them. Drinking mostly to be social.

This changed when my girlfriend bought me a little beginner's book about whisk(e)y a couple years ago, mostly on a whim. I was fascinated by it, and started by buying a bottle of Irish whiskey (Powers), since it was inexpensive and easily available. I liked it more than I thought I would. A bottle of single malt Scotch (Aberlour 10) came next. My third bottle was bourbon (ORVW 10/90). I liked all three in different ways. Additional books and bottles soon found their way onto my shelves, and I gradually determined that bourbon appealed to me more than any of the other styles.

I still buy and enjoy Scotch, but bourbon has definitely captured the lion's share of my income and interest.

[wrbriggs]

I know a lady, originally from Texas, who almost literally shudders when I mention bourbon. She can't get past the image it has for her.

Gary,

I have successfully converted two friends to drinking bourbon, both of whom had that same reaction when I started mentioning that it had become my drink of choice. One of them is my own age, and he and I had foolishly consumed handles of Beam white together on occasion in college. I gave him a bottle of Blanton's for his 25th birthday, and it completely changed his view on bourbon.

My other friend is more than 20 years my senior, and had avoided bourbon for his entire life, shuddering at the thought of bourbon in a manner similar to that of the woman you mentioned. I gave him a bottle of Elijah Craig 12 yr (probably not the best choice, but I was fairly new to bourbon also). In a few short months, he went from mixing with coke, to drinking on-the-rocks, to drinking bourbon neat. He now will rarely drink anything else, and cannot believe that he had avoided it for so long.

I guess my point (if I have one) is that this attitude is widespread, and that while bourbon (like any other spirit) is not for everyone, it would probably appeal taste-wise to a much larger audience than currently consumes it, simply because of its reputation in certain circles as a low-quality moonshine-type product. I think that this is changing as people are drawn to the premium and super-premium bottlings, and that the distilleries are working very hard to reverse this image. I just hope the traditional bottlings don't get left in the dust with all the concentration on high-priced brands.

[Gillman]

Good tips, thanks. Clearly the people you gave the extra-fine bourbon too could see it was excellent, and they opened their mind. I will try that with my friend, recently we sampled Macallan but next day maybe Blanton will be the choice.

Gary

[sharkman]

Gary,

Just a personal note. If you like mexican food, then try a Tequila straight with food. Or, just sit down with some refried beans and tortilla chips and the Tequila explodes!

Cuervo Traditional (about $28) is the best for a beginner. NOT Cuervo Gold, that stuff is crap. If you want a great Tequila to go with food, then try El Tesoro Anejo. Great Tequila but pricey (about $55).

Good Tequila is a sipping drink, like a good whiskey. Does take a taste though and stay away from the cheap stuff... It will ruin your taste for any Tequila. Oh, and try to stay with Repesados and Anejos. They are older and more complex. Lots of pepper in most anejo tequilas.

Just thought I'd share if interested. If not, then enjoy a bourbon and accept my apologies.

Barry

P.s. Bourbon is still the undisputed champion of the World!

IMHO

[sharkman]

Ancient Age Bottled In Bond (I don't know if this is still made but if any of you see it, buy it)

I just bought a bottle of it at Liquor Barn In KY a few weeks ago. Good stuff. Never even knew it existed. Can;t get it in Ohio. I have the regular bottling, the 10 star, the 10 yo, and the BIB. Are there any others?

Barry

[Gillman]

I am always willing to learn, whether with bourbon or any drink including tequila and mescal of which I know very little. Thanks for the tips, I'll try some of your suggestions.

Gary

[TNbourbon]

I was first drawn to bourbon and whiskey, in general, as an academic exercise, having gone to work in a liquor store with only suitable knowledge on the wine side of it. But we sold a lot of whiskey, so I decided I wanted to be able to speak knowledgeably about it, too.

I started with Canadians (pleasant, but not always distinctive) and single-malts (like some, hate others, little love), but found something to like in almost every bourbon I tried. That similarity of appeal while also being identifiably different was what set the hook in me.

From there, I spent time gathering knowledge (including finding and joining this forum) and continue to date trying new, different and historic (when I can find them) bourbons, and trying to fine tune my impressions of them.

[gr8erdane]

What a simple question yet with such complex answers. Over the years, I have gone through many phases in drink. I started with cheap wines in my youth because it was easy to drink and tasted like soda pop. Then came beer because that is what everyone else drank. Then came vodka for no apparent reason other than availability as I never particularly cared for it. Whiskeys pretty much started in college in that it was impossible to hide a six pack under your blazer going to Faurot Field so whatever was on sale that Friday night (Seagrams 7, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, or Canadian Club) at Eastgate Party Palace was in the flask. For the party after the game however, I was introduced to David Nicholson 1843 and that's where I really learned to love the drink. Then came the reality of dropping out of college and rum became my nightclub drink all the way up to when I tasted the Small Batch Collection in a small kitchen in a smaller town. That led to my first purchase of Bookers and it's gone on from there.

But why do I drink bourbon now? Because each bourbon I try never tastes the same to me every time I drink it. There is always a sense of adventure in each pour. Will this be the time I taste the wet hay Chuck described, or the rock candy Tim was able to discern, or maybe the mint so many people attribute to HH bourbon? Truth is, if I go looking for a particular taste I never seem to find it, but usually find a pleasant surprising other sensation I wasn't expecting. And with few exceptions, the tastes have always been pleasant and a calming influence on me. When I have bourbon in my glass all is right in my world.

[TrueBarrel]

I didn't mean to imply that someone might drink bourbon for other reasons even if they didn't like the taste, but rather: what is it about the taste itself that appeals to you more than other drink choices?

That up front boldness that even the most lightest-bodied Bourbons possess. For me, it evokes the sine qua nons of America itself: uniqueness and independence.

[camduncan]

I originally drank bourbon & coke in my late teens because that's what the group I socialised with drank. The initial appeal (after a very bad experience on Bundaberg rum & coke) was the sweetness.

Now I drink it because I like the different flavours, and, frankly, I've yet to find a drink I like more.

I 'trained' myself to drink it neat - it was a conscious decision not to add coke as a mixer as the straight taste wasn't initially to my liking. Then I found this site and a whole range of different bourbons. The variety that's opened up to me now means that I can almost always choose a bourbon to suit a given taste want...

[ratcheer]

Okay, Jeff, and I am answering before I read what everyone else replies.

I prefer bourbon both because it is a traditional American (and southern) product and because I think it tastes better than other spirits.

I also very much enjoy cognac, rum, and gin. Cognac can approach or sometimes match the bourbon level of quality flavor, but usually only at many times the price. My favorites are usually from Remy-Martin, but I also love the raisiny taste of Courvoisier. I have never really gotten in to expensive aged rums, so I can't comment on them. I basically like rum and gin as casual mixers.

I have had some wonderful scotches, but again at very high prices. And only one has ever been as delicious as even a good, but average priced bourbon. That was The Balvenie 15-year old single barrel.

I care nothing for vodka or tequila or any Canadian that I've ever actually tasted. Stolichnaya is fairly good, but who needs it? Run-of-the mill Irish has never interested me enough to try anything better.

I also love several fine liqueuers, such as the 150th anniversary Grand Marnier. But things like that are far too expensive to enjoy on a regular basis.

That's about all I can think of, right now.

Tim

[ratcheer]

I have not acquired a taste for tequila except in a straight up margarita made with real citrus juice.

What else would it be made with?

Tim

[wrbriggs]

I have not acquired a taste for tequila except in a straight up margarita made with real citrus juice.

What else would it be made with?

Tim

One of those foul supermarket mixers?

[Gillman]

Tim, what were some of the bourbons you tried first?

What did you think of them?

Did you sample them neat, or did that come later?

Gary

[sharkman]

Past:

I got started on Jim Beam when I was about 17 from my best friends father (may he rest in peace.) He was a Jim and Coke drinker. That started me on the path of the whiskey.

Present:

It's the taste first, then the heritage. I love the history of the spirit (and other "american" whiskey. Just look at my avatar). But the taste is the first factor. If I like it (which I don't think there has ever been a bourbon that I hated... wait, take that back, Mark Twain...), then I follow-up on the history of the brand/distillery. I have over 250 opened bottles of spirits here at my home, with over 75 opened bottlings of bourbons, and I'm just getting started (about 1.5 years). I gotta say, I'm hooked... The stuff in the bottles that say "Kentucky Bourbon" on them, has a hold on my soul that won't let go. And my wife is a Rye fan... go figure?

Future:

The World!!! Just kidding...

Anyway, thanks for reading... I'm done.

Barry

[TNbourbon]

Tim, what were some of the bourbons you tried first?

What did you think of them?

Did you sample them neat, or did that come later?

Gary

Gary, I tried them neat almost from the beginning, quite simply not knowing any better. Generally, I would bring home a 200ml bottle or two from the store -- which would include Weller S.R., Heaven Hill BIB, Evan Williams Green and Black, the Beams (4,7, and 8), Maker's Mark, VOB 80- and 90-proof, Buffalo Trace (a bit later), Wild Turkey 80 and 101.

In general, there wasn't anything I just hated -- which was unlike both the Canadians and Scotches -- although I certainly liked some more than others. W.L. Weller Special Reserve 90-proof 7yo was an early favorite, and I still enjoy the Stitzel-Weller version I have open.

From there, I tried just about everything new I came across for a while.

[Gillman]

Did the ryed bourbons shock your palate initially after being accustomed to wine for so long? Some people who like beer see analogies to whiskey (the cereal-based taste) but I believe you do not sample beer, or very often.

I must say it took me time to "get" the taste of ryed bourbon and rye whiskey; I think I only started to like them when I realised how they were "supposed" to taste. Michael Jackson's 1987 World Guide To Whisky spoke of a "peppermint palate" and that is when I realised the flavor is intentional (not "bad") and meant to impart balance and complexity. (In general his writing on whiskey was an epiphany; I may bring his book to the Gazebo and would be pleased to read extracts if some persons would be interested). You mentioned liking Weller at the beginning, I too liked wheaters for a long time but now don't drink them except for (when I can get it) ORVW 15 year old bourbon.

Gary