What bourbon are you drinking now?

[T47]

Started the evening off finishing up my Bulleit, and have moved on to Pappy 15. I really enjoy both of those. I purchased my first infomercial items…the Time Life Music from the 70’s collection…brings back some good memories while I sit and sip.

[TNbourbon]

Finished off a bottle of Spring 2005 Stagg tonight -- about the last 3 ounces -- while finishing one book and beginning another, after working till 9 p.m. at the liquor store.

Of course, I knew 3 ounces of Stagg was a bit much, so I diluted it to about 90 proof -- don't be afraid to do that, folks. It's still Stagg, it lasted through several chapters (good to the last drop!), and leaves me quite ready for a good night's sleep.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

ETL again. I just can't get over how good this is.

My two cents.

Ed

[bucky1]

Had dinner out last night with other sb.com'ers (Rancastle & Kim and of course Luv2hunt). Before dinner pour of Weller Antique...onto a nice dinner then back to Rancastle's for desert (prepared by Kim) and bourbon. Desert was chocolate bread pudding made with a bit of Lot B with a bourbon sauce (also made with Lot . Wow...was it good.

A few pours to accompany the desert and conversation that followed...compared ETL foil to ETL wax, a pour of Rare Breed and a pour of Lot B to cap off the night. It was a great night.

[mrt]

Bulleit..mmm, this time I enjoy it realy better...By the way, I think I like with some water added as well as I like on the rocks..

[alanb]

I have some Blanton's over a single ice cube in my glass as I type... very tasty, and very relaxing... my three Weimaraners are sleeping next to the fireplace... a real Currier & Ives kind of evening.

AJ

[ProofPositive]

It is a cold, rainy, windy, three-dog night here in southwest Tennessee. I figured it to be a perfect night for WT. So, I have started with RR101 w/ice cube and dash of spring water. Plan to finish with another pour of same, or, take the 'high' road with some KS. Then again, this weather and cold wind may prompt me to keep it simple & finish the night with that "old wild turkey bourbon".....good ole 101. Nothing wrong with that.....no sir, nothing at all.

[ProofPositive]

It's been a most excellent day out on the Turkey Range. So, my celebratory mood has resulted in the 1st pour being the tried & true WT101 + dash of spring water; 2nd pour: RR101 + same; and last, but certainly not least, for the 3rd pour: KS + 2 ice cubes.

[jeff]

Tonight I stumbled upon a bottle of 10yo Old Bardstown at the Shopper's Village on Euclid Ave. I have not seen this bottling before in Lexington, and I didn't get to try it at the Festival. If this isn't Heaven Hill whiskey, I don't know what is. It's nice, with soft grassy tones and a bit of spice on the back-end. It was $19.95, but you can save some money and buy a standard HH bottling and get the same results.

[doubleblank]

I get the same....this is HH whiskey Jeff.....but I like the added richness that comes with it. Prefer it to the EWSB's. At a slightly better price for a 10yr old HH....and at 101 proof. I think the extra proof adds the richness I get. To me, this has all that is good about HH whiskey.....and did I say I like the 101 proof. Its in the glass now.

Randy

[jeff]

Actually I think you're right Randy. I'm having another pour of this after dinner and I must say I am enjoying it more than before. It's kinda like a more-refined Very Rare 10yo Heaven Hill BIB. I'll give this bottle a few more tries before I pass judgement on it.

[Gillman]

I have had a lower proof Old Bardstown, on the scenic train ride which departs from Bardstown, and found it somewhat congeneric and awkward. It was not (I am quite sure) 10 years old nor high proof. I believe an older, stronger version would be better. In general I find Heaven Hill bourbons (Old Bardstown was originally a Willett's brand but the OB's we are discussing are I believe made by HH) need a lot of age or high proof to be really good. E.g., the high proof of Fighting Cock offsets well the typical menthol taste of younger HH. The age of Elijah Craig 18 years old softens out the feisty eucalyptus notes of younger HH whiskey (sometimes still evident in the 12 year old EC and EWSBs). So a 10 year old at a good strength may have the right balance for me and it sounds like this Old Bardstown 10 year old does. That said, I have never come to terms really with Heaven Hill's bonded 10 year old. True, it is sold for a very low price, but in my view it does not show the house characteristics to their best. Frankly the best HH whiskey I had was that 21 year old rye, soon to be bottled under the Rittenhouse name I believe, and bourbon straight from the barrelhouse, both tasted during that last SB tour, wow. And of the regular issue bourbons, I think EC 18 years old is the best. Behind that, some years of EWSB and some bottlings of EW 7 years old.

Gary

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

Great night at the bar.

Started with Pappy 20 year old.

Next a pour of Black Maple Hill 18 year old.

Then two pours of Elijah Craig 18 year old.

Nightcap of Elmer T Lee at home as I type this.

Like I said, a great night!

Ed

[doubleblank]

Gary......Your phrase "show the house characteristics to their best" is exactly what I get from this Old Bardstown 10/101. The "mentholyptus" notes are there, but there is also balancing sweetness, some spice and alcohol. No odd or angular flavors coming at you. As Jeff said, you'll know this is HH whiskey at first taste, so its not for everyone. This one makes you wish for EWSB's at 100+ proof.

Randy

[Gillman]

Thanks Randy and you have summed up my ideal HH whiskey, a good year of EWSB at a minimum 100 proof. In effect we tasted something like that straight from the barrel at the HH tour last year and was it good.

Gary

[scratchline]

My brother and his wife dropped by so, in spite of a lingering cold, it necessarily became cocktail night. Since they can't bear any sweetness, they ended up with whiskey SOURS made with Michter's #1 rye. I went with the dependable Manhattan, with the Michter's rye and Carpano Antica Formula. This vermouth is terrific. I even prefer it to the Punt e Mes which is no sneezer.

Now I've moved on to a Sazerac made with le Fee absinthe and Buffalo Trace. I've not been a huge Sazerac fan and maybe I've been softened up by the aforementioned Manhattan, but this one is really good.

Now I'm gonna whip up T47's Black Russian Cake, put on the restored version of Sam Fuller's Big Red One, and see what the rest of the night will bring.

-Mike

[CrispyCritter]

I'm starting out with WT Rare Breed W-T-01-99. I like it a lot, but it isn't the same as the RR101; it is more on the dry side, where the RR is sweeter.

[SBOmarc]

Started off with a Eagle Rare SB, and plan on a small pour of Elijah Craig 12. I enjoy it much more than the EC 18. I have a Stagg Fall 05 that I have not yet tried, This may be the night.

[1holegrouper]

Started off with a pour of Blanton's. It was OK. Seems to have a complex taste while remaining "mellow". Finished the evening with a pour of Knob Creek. KC seems to always be consistently good no matter what I have eaten for dinner!

[TNbourbon]

I'm enjoying a Wild Turkey 8yo mini from 1971. It is very similar to today's standard 101 bottling in taste, but with a much oilier, weighty, viscous mouth-feel.

Looks like I'll follow it up with a complementary taste of a first-label WT Kentucky Spirit I have open.

[ProofPositive]

Started with Buffalo Trace from a single barrel bottling for a local retailer.....very, very good! The finish for the evening has yet to be determined but I am leaning toward ETL. Just the same though, I would be most satisfied to bring an end to the evening at the same place it began - on the Trace.

[Virus_Of_Life]

After my second third straight 15+ hour day trying to get a project out for Department of Energy at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center I just finished Black Maple Hill 11yo, should go to bed but won't because I have a hard time relaxing after days like this. I'd like to open the new Stagg but know I'll be less than coherent in 7 hours when I need to be back in the office looking at more drawings, so I'll probably open the Old Weller Antique 107 and finish with some WT Rye.

Mmmm Yep, that Weller is good, kind of reminds me of the WLW Barrel proof, but a bit smoother. I like it, almost makes me forget about the worthless project managers I have to deal with! If only I could take this in to the office…………

[JeffRenner]

If only I could take this in to the office…………

Well, you could, but I don't recommend it.

You might enjoy this post with the topic "I drink bourbon at work"

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1726

I pour my first bourbon and soda around 7:00 AM. I work in a small office and I am in straight commission sales. I find that it takes the edge off of the pressure of the job, and lets my personality come out in its fullest (I am almost 100% onthe phone).

Anyway, I go through a lot of Bourbon at work (though not by many of your standards I am sure). I finish off a 1.75 liter bottle every 3-5 days.

I was wondering what you folks would suggest as the best of the cheap bourbons. I need to go cheap because I: a)Mix it with soda, b)Don't really have the ability to appreciate it here at work, and c)Need it to take the place of dinking straight soda to actually quench thirst.

That guy must have a helluva liver!

Jeff

[Virus_Of_Life]

Started tonite with the new GTS and good golly miss molly was I impressed, I am new to this as of last spring's release but I love it so freaking much it's hard to explain! Anything that is this high proof and this drinkable is amazing! I need at least a case of this stuff!

Went to WLW barrel proof next and boy does it lack in comparison to GTS, I love this by itself, but never again will I have it with GTS. There is no finish in comparison. I was going to buy a few more bottles of this, but now think I’ll just get one more.

After those two I decided to pour some Old Overholt that I had never tried, am I drinking water?...... Ok not fair to OO, but very smooth I guess and easy to drink, just comparing it to things it shouldn't be. I love the taste of Rye, potentially more than bourbon, maybe not, but I really like the rye and this for all it seems to lack right now is still a damn tasty drink!

[ProofPositive]

To celebrate my finding & purchasing of 2 bottles of ORVW 15yo today, I am finishing off a bottle of VWSR - so very good....excellent! And they say this is the bottom rung in the 'ladder' of the VW bourbon family. I cannot wait to climb the ladder.....15yo, here I come!!!!!