What got you started

[Sweetmeats]

Found this thread when searching for others. I might as well add my two cents.

I tried many things as a teenager. Jack Daniels and Dr. Pepper was a favorite as was Christian Brothers Brandy and Barqs Root Beer. Yeah, I know, weird mixers but I still love them to this day. So, not too long ago, I ran out of Barqs for the Brandy and decided to sip it straight. Interesting. Not bad. Around the same time, a friend gave me a bottle of Glen Moray Single Malt. I decided to sip that. Hmmmmmm, I like this sipping thing. So, then I'm at Sam's Club and see a giant bottle of Early Times for about 11 dollars. Great, I'll try that. See, I assumed that since Early Times was a whisk(e)y and Glen Moray was a whisk(e)y that they would be similar. Well, I liked the Early Times more. Especially how the glass smells like caramel after the drink was finished. From there it was Maker's Mark (like), Jack Daniels straight (don't like) and then started searching the internet and found this site.

Based upon what I read, my first bourbon was Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel. I've probably gone through 8 by now. It's been a fantastic discovery for me with more to come. Now if I can only get my wife to understand that it is okay to buy a new bottle of bourbon when there is one already open then I'm all set.

--Mark

[idpa2000]

I also started at an illegal and tender age. When I was 18 I would play golf with an old Scotsman. He was a wise man who many thought of as odd or ecentric. He had come to America after the Big One. During the war he had something to do with British intellegence. It was all a great mystery to me. Anyway, he enjoyed American Bourbon. He said that Americans did not appeiciate what they had right in thier own back yard. After golf he would enjoy some Old Grand Dad.

At 18 I was eager to go at life full throttle. He taught me to slow down and enjoy life. He is long dead but I still think of him every time I enjoy a glass of OGD.

[kbuzbee]

First taste was ~11 dipping a finger in Dad's Kentucky Tavern. Sweet! Good! Not the reaction I think he was hoping for. Snuck a taste or two over the next 7 years... College found me trying about everything I could find. Post college settled on WT101 then moved on to Rare Breed a few years later. Didn't really try anything exotic until the last few years. Now everything is fair game.

Ken

[RedVette]

When I was 16 (that seems to be a common age in this thread) I had a girlfriend whose parents were serious alcoholics. They drank at least a quart of AA every night, and they bought it by the multiple case. We figured they would not miss a single bottle so we absconded with one. That night she had a sip, I had the rest. Fastforward thirty years.

In 2002 I found myself underemployed, broke and bored to tears. On the internet on a whim, I started to learn about all types of spirits. I learned about cool things like reposado and pot stilled, and peat, and barley and casks and stuff. When I was offered employment again I decided that I was going to celebrate by buying a bottle of something. At my nearest Albertsons I carefully looked over the selections of Scotch, Vodka, Tequila, Rum and Bourbon. I spied a bottle of Knob Creek and it called out to me. Visions of the "incident" of thirty years before lept into my head, but I bought it anyway. I liked it, and then I found this sight. I'm at about 70 bottles now, and enjoy a pull or two (over ice) every night.

[brian12069]

I was always a beer drinker and about 3 years ago my wife and I were in a Ruby Tuesday. Behind the bar I saw a bottle of Knob Creek and it just looked kind of neat to me. I ordered a Knob Creek on the Rocks (don't think I ever ordered anything on the rocks before) and absolutely loved it. I remember tasting all these different flavors that I had never tasted in a whiskey before. That started it...now I love finding a new bottle of bourbon I have never tried before...it's a hobby.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

First taste was ~11 dipping a finger in Dad's Kentucky Tavern. Sweet! Good! Not the reaction I think he was hoping for.

Probably not. A while back my wife let our two year old son, Joe, try coffee so he would know that he doesn't like coffee. I ran in circles and panicked. There is no way to know what he will or won't like and I don't want him to drink coffee. The other day he picked a little piece jalapeno pepper off a pizza and ate it. I didn't try to stop him as I don't mind him eating spicy food. As far as I know there are no health risks involved. He yelled "HOT!" and cried a bit. He went back twice more to try it. That was the reaction that I was expecting.

Ed

[kbuzbee]

There is no way to know what he will or won't like and I don't want him to drink coffee.

I know what you mean, Ed. Our grandbaby is just two. His parents are way into coffee and he's been having dunked bisquoti for quite some time now. Not what we would have choosen but parents have to make their own choices. We try not to over interfere.

Ken

[Sweetmeats]

Every time I pour myself a glass of whiskey, my two year old says, "Whiskey Bar", demands to smell it, and then says "Smells Good!" I think it's cute, but I'm sure some parents might be concerned that one of the first things a child says is whiskey. However, he also says "Vladimir" meaning Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels. Kids just pick up words. My part in the future though will be teaching the kids to drink responsibly and to stay away from the cheap stuff!

[jspero]

Like a few others here, I started off a Jack and Coke drinker. I started in high school after I joined a band (a VERY bad influence ). I continued drinking that type of mixture until recently when the question came up in conversation about why Jack was not considered bourbon. I landed on SB.com and found the answer. And then I found out there was a LOT more to bourbon. I started off by picking up a bottle of Weller 12yo and a bottle of Eagle Rare 101. I liked both of them a LOT. I went back and tried some Jack neat and was surprised at how weak it tasted compared to the others. I'm still in the experimenting mode. I've tried about 15 bourbons, with my top 3 being the Weller 12yo, ER 101, and Elmer T. Lee. I have a bottle of Spring '05 Stagg and a Weller Centennial that I have not opened yet, though.

Jay

[kbuzbee]

My part in the future though will be teaching the kids to drink responsibly and to stay away from the cheap stuff!

Worthy goals, to be sure. Makes you wonder where the industry will be when they are "ready"...

Ken

[dlmartin]

After tasting a few scotches including Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet which are still rather strong and sour, I took a chance on bourbon with Maker's Mark (the sweetness from the corn got me hooked) and then I switched totally to bourbon. I won't buy another scotch and now after tasting over 30 bottles of bourbon, I'm not changing....

[dougdog]

SMSW is what led me to Bourbon. I was very curious about these older looking bottles of Bourbon that I would see while hunting for Scotch. My whisky teacher told me to only pay attention to 100 proof, BIB. (Green tax stamps)He said that was "the good stuff"…so I bought a few and opened them up. They didn’t taste like Scotch, but they were delicious! (Later to discover that there are some dam fine red tax stamped bottles too!)

After dwelling on the vintage Bourbons for a while, I started looking around at other, “newer†bottlings, but didn’t know where to start. At that time, I had found a few bottles of A H Hirsch and did a “search†on the web…that led to finding Tim, (TNbourbon), he told me about this site and have been hooked ever since. (Thanks Tim!) Now I can research the brand I would consider buying before making my purchase which allows me to decide how to get the best bang for my buck.

Just as a side note, it seems there is something in common about these replies to this post…they all have some mention to the value of this site…Thanks to Jim and Dave and all the others who help contribute the valuable perspective in information we all feed on.

dougdog...from the pack that is hungry for information...

[tmas]

When I consider it now it amazes me! So much lost time! I was completely unaware that there were scrumptious bourbons in the world until about 6 or 7 years ago, and I ain't no "spring chick'n". I had always liked decent Scotch, drank quite a bit of Dewar's White Label in my younger years, but one taste of Jack Daniels and I wrote off bourbon. I live in NYC and basically there wasn't much focus on bourbon to correct my mistaken belief that JD was what bourbon was all about, and I thought it was pretty awful, still do.

Then, about 6 or 7 years ago I met up with some friends for dinner in one of those Chain places, maybe a TGIF's. I felt like having a drink and wanted to try something new, and there on the shelf were some impressive looking bottles that were right up front being featured. I asked the bartender what the stuff was and he told me "single batch bourbon". I asked him a few more questions, and decided to try Baker's straight up. The Bartender put it in a brandy snifter, I followed it up with Booker's straight up and since then I've been a major fan of the stuff! Gotta try 'em all, and I am progressing well!! Tom V

[sdchap00]

Heh. I haven't been on this board in forever, but threads like this are why I inevitably come back.

Apparently, I was the rare "good" kid who never drank in high school, then never more than sipped when I was in college -- until I turned 21. Having grown up in Kentucky, I wanted to do it right, so I went out and got some bourbon. What better for a Kentucky 21st? The bottle was some MM. Drank a little straight... had some with coke. Fortunately, I liked it from the start. Been trying different bourbons since then (though not nearly enough different ones -- even here, it's not that cheap). Been to the Bourbon Festival a few times with some college friends. It's good stuff.

[NYtaster]

Bourbon is a recent (4 years) discovery to me. For 15 - 20 years I was a dedicated Beer and JD guy until a friend started me on MM. Since then I've tried most everything I can get my hands on, although not as many choices are readily available in my part of the country.

I think its the tast complexity and range of flavors in the different bottles that I find so compeling. I am just starting to really get my hands around the many layers in some of the better bottles I have been drinking.

Tim

[Geo]

I got started with Makers Mark, then to Knob Creek, then to Bookers, then to the Rip Van Winkles, then to George t Stagg, the God of Bourbon.

[Mad Mac]

Once I was done getting sick on beer or being hung over from wine, I jumped right to scotch (SMSW). Maybe it's just my heritage but there was something about the taste (more peat, please) that really did it for me. Funny about that - just like when I was a kid and went straight to strong black coffee (much to my mother's dismay). I've never stopped drinking scotch but my appreciation for bourbon has grown considerably in the last few years.

[brian12069]

Interesting how many people started with Makers Mark. That was actually the 2nd bourbon I tried and at the time I loved it. Now it is plain and not thick, rich, and complex enough for me. Makes a great Manhattan though.

[Rich]

Brian... another one for the list. A buddy of mine got me into Scotch a while back, which I was really enjoying. I went and visited family one weekend and all they had in the cabinet was a bottle of Makers' Mark. I poured it up and really enjoyed it. I think I have migrated more to the Bourbon side of things because I like all things American history related.

[mrt]

My interest in whiskey began by examining the miniatures when I was a teen (12-13), but I never drank a drop till my early 20s. Then I drank Scotch blends first-but very rarely-, and when I was 27-28 I tried my first bourbon Jim Beam white. Now, I continue tasting whatever bourbon I find. I don2t drink too often-usually once a week or less. Bulleit, Jim Beam Black, Early Times are the brands I'm drinking nowadays. Possibly I'll buy a bottle of Ten High at the weekend, or a Canadian Club. BTW, I didn't taste JD yet, and I'll try that one too-I wonder, actually.

And...Straightbourbon.com is actually a great factor for my beginning to get involved in bourbon this much, and helps me know what I taste and how to talk about it. Without this site, maybe things wouldn't be as they are now, for me. Thanks for SB

[fogfrog]

This time it was a trip to KY that got me started a few months ago. But back in 1977 I used to drink Old Crow a little bit. My father was a scotch drinker and my grandfather a bourbon drinker. Being from CT originally I don't think bourbon was overly popular. But around here say like in Missouri and Illinois in the gas stations, they don't sell scotch much but have quite a selection of bourbons... not a great selection but a few brands.

This Evan Williams 7YO has a bit of a bite to it, but you know now I think I like the bite.

[arsbadmojo]

Started with Single malt scotch.

Got to reading about how Glenmorangie gives it barrels to Heaven Hill to age bourbon in before they are shipped back to age scotch. I thought that was neat, and interested me because I live in Kentucky and never knew any of this.

When I read all about the process, and all of the regulations - I must admit, it filled me with a certain pride.

So I'll still drink scotch, but I've grown a tremendous fondness for bourbon and a ton of respect too.

[mrt]

That's a real surprise for me, arsbadmojo I thought all Kentuckians were bourbon enthusiasts. I know this is not a true assumption, of course, but that was the pic. in my mind, as one from the other side of the world

Besides, not a non-drinker but a scotch-drinker from Kentucky, that makes the surprise much interesting.

Are there many Kentuckians who aren't even familiar with bourbon?

[bluesbassdad]

I can tell you, based on interviews with Kentuckians in Chuck Cowdery's video/DVD, "Made and Bottled in Kentucky", that at least a few of them have only a passing familiarity with bourbon.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[fogfrog]

This forum is not what got me started in bourbon, but it certainly is a big part of whats keeping me going in bourbon! Right now with some Elmer T. Lee. I don't think I'd have ever bought this stuff if people had not talked about it.

Now I am also curious about a non-bourbon but something that is popular which is Seagrams 7. Does it have bourbon in it? Is it related to bourbon? How many other non-bourbon american whiskeys are out there besides the Tennessee ones?