everday bourbon

[BobA]

I don't think it's taxes. Looking at prices mentioned on this board and some limited travels, we seem to be middle of the road. The problem seems to be some idiosyncracies of distribution. The company that makes Buffalo Trace (not available) also makes Ancient Age and Old Charter, which are in most GA stores. I think each "label" has (at least potentially) a separate distributor. Buffalo Trace also makes Weller, which you should be able to find without too much trouble; I notice the Antique and SR on shelves a lot.

Good luck.

Bob

[Ken Weber]

If you can find some SKUs of Weller, then the stores should be able to get the rest of the family. Regarding Buffalo Trace, we are having a problem with some of our distributors there and are reluctant to give anyone our flagship brand at this time. Since GA is a franchise state, if we give BT to distributor A, they keep it forever. If we are not happy with their peformance, it takes an act of God to pull the brand from them. We can give it to another distributor, but when you have 2 distributors in the same market selling your product, neither one will invest any money in promoting the brand. Why will distributor B actively invest in promoting the brand only to have distributor A undersell them and steal the business. This is a rotten Catch-22, but still a reality of the business.

Ken

[bourbonchef1189]

Thanks for all the helpful info. There is so many bourbons I would like to try.I've had buffalo trace and it was great. I'm going back to Kentucky in the spring to take some tours and boot leg some bourbon back to the peach state.

[BrbnBorderline]

Weller Antique, WT Rare Breed and 101, OGD 114 are my "everyday" rotation.

[gr8erdane]

If you're going in the spring, you ought to think about coming for the Sampler and joining us at the Gazebo. Great bourbon and great people to drink it with. And you get to taste not only bourbons not readily available in your area because of distribution limitations but also many that just plain aren't made anymore. Hope to see you there!

[jeff]

My everyday bourbons are AAA 10yo and Weller 12yo. Both could be double the cost and I would still buy them. At the moment I have a 1.75 of tax-stamped TW Samuels and a 1.75, early '80s Old Yellowstone I'm drinking from and using to make Leslie's Manhattans.

[Gillman]

For my daily pour I use my own personal blendings of bourbon and straight rye, and these either will chase a beer or half of one, or go into a Manhattan or Sazerac.

Sometimes I'll just take a neat straight bourbon. Last night it was my 50/50 combination of Hirsch 16 gold foil and gold wax versions (not really a blend since it is the same whiskey although the combo seems better than either alone, go figure). The other night, Rare Breed. Since we don't except for Wild Turkey and Beam White really have low-cost bourbons in Ontario, I'll sometimes sample a Canadian rye for an "everyday", e.g., Limited Edition from Crown Royal which is very good and quite different to the usual run of Canadian whisky, or Lot 40, or Royal Reserve.

Gary

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

I have only seen Rip Van Winkle mentioned a couple of times. If you like Maker's Mark you will love Rip Van Winkle. The 10 year old is light years better than Maker's in my opinion. I don't know about pricing where you are, but here in Japan, when I can find Rip Van Winkle 10, it is cheaper than Maker's Mark Red. Evan Williams black label is excellent at it's price point. Evan Williams any-label will not let you down. Ancient Age is a good cheap pour, too. Not as good as its older siblings, but a fine, if mild, pour at its price point.

Ed

[CrispyCritter]

AAA 10yo is definitely a nice pour!

Other favorites of mine in the "everyday" category:

Bourbon: OGD 114, Old Fitzgerald BIB, Buffalo Trace

Rye: Rittenhouse Rye BIB

Canadian: Wiser's 10yo, Forty Creek (either version)

SMSW: Ardbeg 10yo, Aberlour 10yo

Blended Scotch: Compass Box Asyla

As far as best bourbon bang-for-the-buck, it depends on which is on sale. BT and OGD 114 are a bit more complex than the AAA and Old Fitz, but all are fine pours.

I'd count the Canadians as "ryes" as well, even though they don't say "rye" on the label; their taste profiles have a lot in common with the Rittenhouse.

The Scotches are a bit pricier than the others, but are reasonable around here (especially the Asyla and Aberlour). The Ardbeg's price has jumped a bit lately ($45 at Binny's last time I checked), but I have a number of bottles bunkered from a store that was selling them at $30... I think I cleaned them out one bottle at a time.

[Gillman]

Just on a sidenote I want to thank you for your comment that Canadian whisky is part of the rye whiskey family. I am the first to agree that Canadian whisky does not have a straight whiskey palate. Still, it is certainly related in taste to straight rye, and the reason is, many Canadian whiskies have some straight rye in them. Either matured straight rye whiskey is added to matured high-proof spirit, or new low-proof rye distillate is added to new high proof distillate and they are aged together, as Canadian Club is. I have decided to bring some Royal Reserve or Schenley OFC or Limited Edition to Gazebo so people can see this. Some Canadians have less of a rye taste than others, e.g., some are very bland, but many still have the rye tang. And if they don't have enough, add a sprinkling of Rittenhouse or Sazerac 18 year old rye to your glass of Canadian and make it taste more traditional. I like to get a complex-tasting dram that is very rye-tasting but with a softer and rounder taste than straight rye often has (although I like a number of straight ryes unblended, e.g., Michter's Straight Rye, Rittenhouse 10 year old or ORVW 12 year old). One of my best essays in this vein is a blending of Forty Creek's 3 Grain, the same company's Barrel Select and Royal Reserve rye whisky (Corby/Hiram Walker). The result is close I believe to the storied Maryland rye whiskeys or some of them anyway. I say that because there is evidence a fruit-based agent was used to blend the base whiskeys in Maryland (which might have been all-straight or a blend of straight and high proof or other non-straight whiskeys). I added no flavouring to my version but you can taste some sherry influence from the sherry barrels in which some of the Forty Creek whisky was finished. This is an absolutely superb drink and I may bring some of that too. Shucks there is so much I could bring of interest but only some will make the final cut!

All these whiskies are related, as indeed they are to bourbon and vice versa. They are all variations on the theme of North American cereal-derived whiskies (and that makes me a lumper not a splitter, true) and your perception of identity between Rittenhouse and Canadian proves the point.

Gary

[bourbonchef1189]

If you're going in the spring, you ought to think about coming for the Sampler and joining us at the Gazebo. Great bourbon and great people to drink it with

That would be wonderful to taste bourbon with true Connoisseurs of bourbon. There is so much I want to learn.

[bourbonchef1189]

Thanks to everyone for all the great info. I went to my local package store after work and found a bottle of W.L. Weller special reserve. Very nice!

Thanks

[bourbonchef1189]

If you can find some SKUs of Weller, then the stores should be able to get the rest of the family.

Thanks, I found two Wellers one is special reserve and original 107 brand. Both were very nice! I asked my local package store owner if he could get some Buffalo trace and he said he would try. When I was in bradstown three years ago I brought back three bottle of buffalo trace and shared them with my friends and they all loved it.

[TonyM]

Welcome to the club!!

Here are some of my favorite everydays. I hope they are available where you are:

Weller 12YR

Eagle Rare 10YR SB

Buffalo Trace

Evan Williams 10YR SB

Cheers!!

Tony

[Chaz7]

David, I'm hoping you have been able to aquire some of the bourbons mentioned, especially anything from the Van Winkle family. I just picked up a Weller Centennial, and I will now look for the 12yo. I have heard some good things about it. I have a brother in law in Atlanta, and he says he gets a good assortment. I think I will ask him what that means, after your comments on availability. I may need to rescue his palate! Chaz

[bourbonchef1189]

I have a brother in law in Atlanta, and he says he gets a good assortment. I think I will ask him what that means, after your comments on availability. I may need to rescue his palate! Chaz

Thanks, I live about 40 miles South of Atlanta, In my part of the world there is not much more than the dusty bottle of Weller in the corner of the package store. Which I have discovered thanks to all the wonderful advice from people on this site. Makers and knob creek are the top shelf stuff around here.

[Nevill]

Hey, uh, if we admit we drink it every day, isn't that admitting we have a "problem"? So far I have tried:

Elmer T. Lee

Elijah Craig 12 yo

Buffalo Trace

Ancient Ancient Age

Knob Creek

Of these, I like the Buffalo Trace the best.

And currenty posses but have yet to try:

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Wild Turkey 101

Old Forrester b-day

Four roses single barrel

[Chaz7]

Neville, I'm with you. I now have 25 bottles open, and I do drink practically one a day. Even my doctor says one drink a day is good for you. I'm hoping two drinks will be TWICE as good!

[Geo]

For me its:

Old Weller Antique

Wild Turkey 101

Old Grand Dad 114

On special occasions:

Pappy's Family Reserve 15 yr

George T Stagg

[ratcheer]

Nope, I can't get those.

Tim