Best Bourbon Is?

[dougdog]

I know where I'll be on April 28th...Let's say at about 9:00 pm....

[jburlowski]

I would have to disagree.... After reading some rave reviews of FRSB, I tried a bottle earlier this year and was unimpressed. Maybe the reviews had raised my expectations or it could be the variations in a SB product, but I found it unremarkable. A "good" bourbon and, at the local pricing, a good value; but I would not put it as the "best". That honor (at least currently) would go with ER 17.

[Gillman]

Being a single barrel it does vary. I had one last year that was bland as anything. Maybe yours was from that barrel. But in general it is very good and I'd encourage people to try it one more time (at least) who felt the first bottle was disappointing.

Gary

[camduncan]

If I was being smart, I'd say the best bourbon is whatever you might be drinking now

For me, the best bourbon available in the Australian market would be Bookers or Evan Williams SB. There are plenty of good bourbons available, but these stand out most to me.

Of all the bourbons I've tasted or purchased outside the Australian market, Old Rip Van Winkle 13yo Rye, 2004 Stagg & Sazerac, Old Rip Van Winkle 12yo and Pappy 15yo really are a cut above the rest.

I did get to try Four Roses (not sure what bottle, and it was with coke ) at Raffles when I was in Singapore last year. It was definately a nice drink that I'd like to explore neat if I ever get the chance...

[OneCubeOnly]

There are plenty of awesome bourbons which could easily wear the title of "best", but if forced to choose I'd have to go with good ol' Pappy 20. No matter the mood or craving, it always seems to press the right buttons for me.

[TonyM]

For my money, the best premium bourbons are the Pappy 20, Pappy 23 and George T Stagg. I would say that the Evan Williams Single Barrel or Weller 12 ore the best bang for the buck bourbons.

Tony

[Chaz7]

I still have not found anything to top PVW 20 yr. I had the 4RSB, and it was very good; but, and this is why I like SB forum,everyone will think of something different. Thanks for stirrin' the pot (or should I say pot still)

[barturtle]

I refuse to vote for things that are no longer available (either in the states, or just not made anymore). Which eliminates WT 12, WTRR 101, and ER 101 among several that many here have plenty of(the lucky ones). I still haven't tried some of the "new" versions of several (eg. Pappy 15) so I can't vote for those either. Ryes, of course, don't qualify. I have problems voting for single barrels, just because there is some variance, that could take it from the greatest to the 6th greatest(depending on individual tastes).

Now that the disclaimers are over, I'm gonna cast a vote (and probably the only one) for:

W L Weller Centennial 10yr 100proof(at least I think they are still making this).

If I ignored all my rules I would probably vote for WT 12

[ratcheer]

I seem to be alone on this, but I will say Rock Hill Farms. It is what I want in an expensive, elegant bourbon.

Another contender for my best ever is the 2002 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, which of course is no longer generally available.

Downscale from all those, I really (REALLY!) love Old Grand Dad 114 and Elmer T. Lee single-barrel.

Y'all can have your wheaters.

Tim

[Isoflex]

I once read that tasted blind, many people can't tell an onion from an apple because the "markers" they use are off. Odd as this may sound, this does not mean people don't know what they are tasting when, say, they order a hamburger with onion (and not apple) on it!

Gary

Actually this occurs if you keep the nose pinched so the Olfactory nerves don't come into play. We actually "taste" more with our nose than our tongues. Hence the reason we know when something tastes like s***!!

[Bob]

While reading the previous posts, I was considering my choice...Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit or Tribute, Old Charter Proprietor's Reserve, Blanton's, all of the Van Winkles. After reading Gary's post, and I know that I fully agree with his choice...Pappy 20 rules!

Bob

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Don't feel too bad, Bobby. I thought the Stagg was Maker's. Yikes.

He, he! No offence, Gary, but flying the flag for Maker´s I, of course, find this to be extremely amusing!

Incidentally, I´ve only had the HAZMAT version of Stagg so far which to me, at least, displays an enormous rye presence in the beginning which, after a while, gets totallly overwhelmed by the corn. The newest expression is on its way to me - it will be the first time that I have the opportunity to compare two Stagg versions. Interesting!

As for FRSB, I´ve only hade the 86 proof version. It is good but I can´t see it ever cracking my top five. It´s quite sweet but of a sophisticated and elegant variety. I´m especially fond of sniffing it.

I would love to try the 100 proof. Anyone out there who has sampled both expressions and if so, what do you think?

[Gillman]

Last night I attended a tasting at which the idea was to compare wheat-recipe whiskey to a low rye rye-recipe one. For the latter we had Charter 12 year old. The wheat-recipe whiskeys were Maker's, Weller 7 year old and Rebel Yell. Everyone agreed that although evidently older from more barrel aging, the Charter was quite similar otherwise to the others, i.e., they all had a similar, mild palate and finish from lack of rye or very much rye. If, as reported here, Stagg is from the same mashbill as the low-rye Charter, I think it is clear one could under the constraints of a complex, semi-blind tasting, mistake Stagg for a wheat recipe whiskey.

It is possible, too, that different Staggs show the small rye content differently, I don't recall which Stagg was tasted at our tasting. In truth I have little experience with Stagg, having tasted it previously only twice, I believe. I also hadn't tried many of the 20 whiskeys on the list very often or ever in some cases. For these reasons, the test was ambitious and fun but of limited utility (in my view) to show what people really know.

One has to take chances for whiskey and I don't mind being wrong even if I had no excuse but perhaps I had a small one (or two) in this instance.

A test that would be interesting would be to say we have chosen three whiskeys from Knob Creek, Bulleit, Jim Beam White, Maker's Mark, Jack Daniel's, Evan William's Single Barrel 1995 and Seagram Seven Crown, and Four Roses. I think many of us would have done better on a test like that. Nor can it be said that is too easy because out of 6 whiskeys no one got more than two right and even those who got the two were a small percentage of all the tasters.

Gary

[ratcheer]

Well, we know that Ancient Ancient Age, Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee, Rock Hill Farms, Hancock's, and several others are from one mashbill (BT #2) and that Buffalo Trace is from a different mashbill. I presume that BT #2 is higher rye because I like it so much , but I could be mistaken.

I wonder which mashbill Stagg is from?

Some info about Buffalo Trace mashbills

Tim

[Gillman]

Stagg and Charter are from mash bill no. 1 (said Ken here recently). (Although I would think 12 year old Charter was made elsewhere than at Trace since only acquired in 1999, from Bernheim I believe. Unless Trace made Charter for Bernheim (UDV) as well as some wheat-recipe bourbon). I think no. 2 has the higher rye content.

Gary

[barturtle]

There was another post from Ken that said that Eagle Rare and Old Charter were the same mashbill.

Continuing with Ken's posts, he said that they were stopping the production of Eagle Rare 101 to let it age longer to fill some need in more popular brands

Following this train of thought, what are they going to use it for? Could Old Charter 12 and 13 be popular enough these days to eliminate Eagle Rare? Or is it just going to be used for Stagg/ER 17? Or as Ken also said BT is from that mashbill, could they be getting ready for an older, age-statemented BT? Or maybe just some fill to bump up the average age of BT?

Still think I need to get as many of these side-by-side to try. I count 9 current bottlings here (Okay, 8 as I counted ER101)

ERSB 10

ER 17

GTS

BT

OC 8

OC 10

OC 12

OC 13

Damn, That's a lot of really good whiskey off of one mashbill. I think it wins my vote for favorite mashbill!

No offense meant here, as I know that it's a matter of business and long term projections and such, just some simple speculation on my part. Always hopeful for new products and ways to compare them to each other.

[angelshare]

Damn, That's a lot of really good whiskey off of one mashbill. I think it wins my vote for favorite mashbill!

Ditto!

[AVB]

Anybody have a line on someplace that would ship FRSB to PA?

[BourbonJoe]

Anybody have a line on someplace that would ship FRSB to PA?

I believe FRSB is available only in Kentucky and Kentucky is forbidden to ship to PA. Anybody correct me if I'm wrong.

Joe

[lakegz]

domestically im sure youre correct, but i want to add that yesterday i bought some FRSB in Japan for about 35 dollars. They also had an even more premium one for around 70. i wish i could recall the name of it exactly how it was written.

[AVB]

OK then, who's willing to buy me one and ship it? I can do check or Money Order.

Anybody have a line on someplace that would ship FRSB to PA?

I believe FRSB is available only in Kentucky and Kentucky is forbidden to ship to PA. Anybody correct me if I'm wrong.

Joe

[TMH]

i bought some FRSB in Japan for about 35 dollars. They also had an even more premium one for around 70.

What is the proof on the $35 FRSB? If it's the 50%, that's a great price for Japan, as I've seen it going for around $50. FR also has a less expensive FRSB that is 43% or 86 proof. The most expensive FR product in Japan is the FR Premium, which is also 86 proof and goes for around $70-$80, if I remember correctly.

[lakegz]

i bought some FRSB in Japan for about 35 dollars. They also had an even more premium one for around 70.

What is the proof on the $35 FRSB? If it's the 50%, that's a great price for Japan, as I've seen it going for around $50. FR also has a less expensive FRSB that is 43% or 86 proof. The most expensive FR product in Japan is the FR Premium, which is also 86 proof and goes for around $70-$80, if I remember correctly.

i have the 86 proof. I didnt know they made a 100 proof SB also. ill have to look for that.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Isn´t the 100 proof US only (or even Kentucky only)? While the 86 proof is for the Japanese and European market (not Sweden, though. We only have the yellow label).

[TMH]

Isn´t the 100 proof US only (or even Kentucky only)? While the 86 proof is for the Japanese and European market (not Sweden, though. We only have the yellow label).

It is my understanding that FRSB 100 is Kentucky and Japan only. I'm not sure about the FRSB 86.