Hello

[T47]

Just thought I would check in and say hello as a new member. I have read many of the posts and feel I have received a wonderful education already...and it's FREE! Well except for the bottle I just went and bought...My Bourbon history is very brief, I have never been a wine or spirits drinker (just beer), then my Father in law gives me a taste of Makers Mark, and hmmmmmm, that’s pretty good.....I want more! I’m not a cigar smoker, but I do find the taste of Whiskey goes well while BBQ'ing (one of my passions). My only experience has been with Makers. Prior to discovering this cite I purchased a bottle of Basil Haydens. Today I went and purchased a bottle of Elijah Craig 12-year-old. My local liquor store has a very poor selection I now know, so I will have to drive in to Seattle to find some of your other recommended Brands. This is a great site, and I have been entertained and educated by your many posts. So thanks to all of you, I look forward to learning more.

[kbuzbee]

Welcome to the forum. It's a great place to share a common passion. Reading the older post is a wonderful place to start and a way to get to know some of the more knowledgable folks around here. They are a wonderful resource!

Enjoy

Ken

[wadewood]

Welcome from another WA state resident! There are about 4 of us on this board. FYI - the liquor store on 4th Ave in Seattle near the stadiums generally has the best selection.

[barturtle]

Welcome.

Before you take the drive to Seattle, make sure you spend some time in your local liquor store, although many of the standard bottlings don't get much coverage(even here) there are many jewels to be discovered. Just because it's cheap and not the most highly recommended bottling doesn't mean it isn't good. The fact that you've had EC 12 and Basil means you've got a good start and a chance to discover some more before even leaving town to find more whiskey.

I look forward to seeing your discoveries-it's always fun to see people grow in their desired pursuits

Best of luck, and....

[brian12069]

Hi, and what does your local stores have available?

[CrispyCritter]

Greetings from Chicago, and welcome! You're already making a good start with your selections (but I haven't yet tried Basil Hayden's). You'll find that each different bourbon out there has its own things to offer - and sometimes, different bottlings of the same brand (e.g. George T. Stagg) can be very different from one another.

One thing I love about forums like this is that we can compare notes, and come to a consensus (or not!) on whether the hype surrounding something is justified or not.

So far, in my own experience, I've never run across something that I'd say I wouldn't ever buy again - but, nonetheless, there are some bourbons (and other whiskeys) that I like better than others...

[kbuzbee]

Hi, and what does your local stores have available?

Oh yes, if they have any of those nasty old bottles of Tribute, just mail them to me. Horrible stuff, trust me

Ken

[T47]

I live in Issaquah and work in Seattle, so it will be easy to stop down there and see what they have. My father-in-law lives in AZ and always brings me back 1/2 gallon’s of Makers that he gets at Costco down there (its almost 1/2 price of what it is here!). I just thought it would be interesting to branch out a little. I would like to add a Straight Rye to my shelf next (Old Overholt 4-year-old is at my store).

I guess I should say, of the posts I have read, I have found only a few of the mentioned brands available at my nearest store and started with that. I will listen to the wisdom of Barturtle and give a try to the other brands as well, most I think are familiar commercial brands. Thanks again for all of you so willing to share your experience!

[barturtle]

I will listen to the wisdom of Barturtle

It's very rare that people refer to me as wise...at least not without following it with ass Thanks

[TNbourbon]

...I have read many of the posts and feel I have received a wonderful education already...and it's FREE! Well, except for the bottle I just went and bought...

Ah -- so you've already figured out the 'catch' in all this .

I suggest an attempt to try a representative sample from each distillery as a good starting goal -- and you've already got a good and varied start: Maker's Mark (though, technically, now owned by Jim Beam/Fortune Brands), Basil Hayden's (Jim Beam's high-rye recipe) and EC12 (Heaven Hill).

So, you're lacking Brown-Forman (Old Forester, Woodford Reserve), Wild Turkey (the 101, any version), Four Roses (may be out of luck here without either leaving the country or visiting Kentucky), Barton (Very Old Barton, Ridgemont Reserve 1792), Jim Beam (low-rye: try JB Black) and Buffalo Trace (W.L. Weller, Old Charter, Buffalo Trace, Blanton's, et al). And, by all means, try a straight rye.

There are things to like about each, and your own personal favorite(s) will evolve out of them.

Welcome.

[T47]

Thanks for the suggestions Tim, it will be a good goal to start off with, and give me a good perspective to go on from.

[Frodo]

Hi T47:

Just an observation, but you seem to have tried bourbons that hit the milder end of the spectrum (Basil Hayden, Makers Mark). When you continue your journey, you will probably deal with bourbons that have more intense flavoures. Get ready, and hang on...

[wadewood]

Ah -- so you've already figured out the 'catch' in all this .

I suggest an attempt to try a representative sample from each distillery as a good starting goal -- and you've already got a good and varied start: Maker's Mark (though, technically, now owned by Jim Beam/Fortune Brands), Basil Hayden's (Jim Beam's high-rye recipe) and EC12 (Heaven Hill).

So, you're lacking Brown-Forman (Old Forester, Woodford Reserve), Wild Turkey (the 101, any version), Four Roses (may be out of luck here without either leaving the country or visiting Kentucky), Barton (Very Old Barton, Ridgemont Reserve 1792), Jim Beam (low-rye: try JB Black) and Buffalo Trace (W.L. Weller, Old Charter, Buffalo Trace, Blanton's, et al). And, by all means, try a straight rye.

There are things to like about each, and your own personal favorite(s) will evolve out of them.

Welcome.

As a follow up on Tim's post with local knowledge, I would try Old Grand Dad 114 proof over the Basil Hayden (same mashbill). You will not find Four Roses Bourbon or Buffalo Trace in WA state. You can find Bulleit, which is made by Four Roses. The EC 12 is ELIJAH CRAIG 12.

[TNbourbon]

...You can find Bulleit, which is made by Four Roses...

Good catch, Wade -- forgot that one (I guess because I'm sorta nonplussed by it. Don't hate it, just don't really like it, either.)

[clayton]

Hello - I'm one of the other Washingtonians on here. I live/work in Seattle, and Wadewood is right: definitely visit the 4th Ave S liquor store. They have an unpredictable selection of special orders and I make a habit of stopping in there every couple weeks to see if there's anything interesting. I've gotten Van Winkle 12/15/20, VW Rye, WT Rye, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare 10 & 10SB, Rock Hill Farms, Blantons, etc.

[jspero]

Welcome! This is a GREAT resource.

Something I recommend is to buy 50ml minis. I started really trying different brands this year and quickly found that it expensive buying in 750ml bottles. You can try a lot of bourbons pretty cheaply with minis. A lot of the lower priced ones are available in minis, but so are some of the higher-end bourbons (Makers, Knob Creek, and Baker's come to mind). Then if you like one, go buy the larger bottle(s).

Jay

[T47]

Wade,

I have not been there, but it looks like you can get Buffalo Trace at the 6th Ave store in downtown Seattle? Which I find confusing because if you check the Buffalo Trace Website it says its not available in WA? But if you check the WA. State Liquor Control site the say it's availabe at 5 stores in WA, one being the 6th Ave store for $20.40 for a bottle. I will have to check it out after Christmas. I have a couple neighbors who it turns out enjoy Bourbon, so I am trying to pick up the bottles recommended to start with earlier. I have picked up bottles of Wild Turkey 101 and Bulleit to add to my meager stock, a few more and I will have the neighbors by for a little tasting. Thanks again for the advice.

[kbuzbee]

Welcome! This is a GREAT resource.

Something I recommend is to buy 50ml minis. I started really trying different brands this year and quickly found that it expensive buying in 750ml bottles. You can try a lot of bourbons pretty cheaply with minis. A lot of the lower priced ones are available in minis, but so are some of the higher-end bourbons (Makers, Knob Creek, and Baker's come to mind). Then if you like one, go buy the larger bottle(s).

Jay that sounds like a great idea but... Many folks here (me included) notice significant changes in bottles once they are open for a bit. Sometimes this is a negative change but often it is a positive. Many times I've opened a bottle and thought, 'this is interesting, it's okay'. Come back a month or two later and it's really good. Attribute this to mild oxidation or whatever. Your minis won't go through this so while you can sample many things it isn't exactly the same thing you'll experience buying the larger bottle. Not invalidating your idea just interjecting.

Ken

[Ken Weber]

We have had some Straightbourbon folks call about getting a couple of bottles of BT in WA. and I sneaked a small allocation to the state. I can't always do this, but since it is a special order item, I was able to control where in the state it went.

Ken

[T47]

Well If your responsible...Thank-you! I ended up with 4 bottles and gave one to a neighbor as a gift. I enjoy it's flavor very much.