Top Ten American Whiskeys...One More Time

[doubleblank]

Its been awhile since we've done a posting of our favorite whiskeys. There have been a number of new products issued.....Bernheim Wheat, WLWeller Barrel Proof, two Staggs in 2005, new OFBB, Four Grain, Pappy 15, etc since we last did this. It will be interesting to see if any new products make someone's top ten. Guidelines.....bourbon or rye, currently available or long gone (or even not available yet).....just name your 10 favorites. In my case, the order is unimportant.....they are all top whiskeys.

1. ORVW 15/107

2. WT Tribute

3. VWSR 12yo SB - "Van Blankle"

4. HH 20yo Rye (to be released Fall 2006)

5. Wathens (late '90's bottlings)

6. Stagg '02 (could easily substitue other years here)

7. VWFR 14yo Bourbon (bottled Dec '84..and an excellent 16yo, thanks JVW)

8. Rock Hill Farms

9. VOF/VVOF 12yo's from '60's (can be hit or miss)

10. Black Maple Hills 16yo (JVW bottling)

Runners up include WT12yo, EW 15yo (Japanese market), Hirsch 16yo and VW's 12yo Old Time Rye.

[jspero]

Since I’m still fairly new to this, I have a limited number of different brands to choose from, but here goes:

1. Old Rip Van Winkle 15/107

2. Eagle Rare 10/101

3. Van Winkle Lot “B”

4. Elmer T. Lee

5. Eagle Rare 10yo SB

6. Weller 12yo (regular bottle)

7. GT Stagg (Spring ’05)

8. Four Roses SB (Japan Release)

9. Eagle Rare 17yo

10. Baker’s

Ones that I have, but have not opened yet: Stagg (Fall ’05), WLW (Fall ’05)

[kbuzbee]

1.Tribute

2.GT Stagg

3.Kentucky Spirit

4.WT Rye

5.Bookers

6.WT 12 yo

7.Rare Breed

8.Blanton's

9.Jefferson Reserve

10.Ridgemont Reserve 1792

Ken (did I mention I like WT products?)

[Brennan77]

1.Tribute

2.GT Stagg

3.Kentucky Spirit

4.WT Rye

5.Bookers

6.WT 12 yo

7.Rare Breed

8.Blanton's

9.Jefferson Reserve

10.Blanton's

Ken (did I mention I like WT products?)

You must really like Blanton's to list it twice. I need to sample more bourbons before I compile a list.

[kbuzbee]

Mea culpa. That's what happens when I multitask!

caio

Ken

[Gillman]

ND Old Taylor

ND Old Grandad

Elmer T. Lee

Wild Turkey Rye

Elijah Craig 18 years old

ORVW 12 year old rye (wish I had more, maybe someone would trade with me at Gazebo?)

Ancient Age BIB from early 1990's

VOB 86 proof

Kentucky Vintage 1976 (export or domestic versions)

Rock Hill Farms (but not every bottle, I hit one not long ago that in my view was slightly musty).

Gary

[ratcheer]

Here are mine, in no particular order:

Rock Hill Farms

Blanton's

Elmer T. Lee

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (2002)

Old Grand Dad 114

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Pappy Van Winkle 20-year old

Right now, I can't think of two more that belong on the level with those, so I'll leave it at eight. I necessarily omit whiskeys that I have never had the good fortune to taste.

Tim

[T47]

What does the BIB mean after the Ancient Age? Is that something different from the Ancient Age Bourbon I see at our liquor stores?

[barturtle]

Hmm, nice, I'm not limited to current bottlings. Could pose a bit of a problem. I'll probably forget something and say "Doh!" when someone else lists it.

(in no particular order)

1. ORVW 15/107
   
2. Saz Jr.
   
3. VWFRR "C"
   
4. Bakers
   
5. Wt 12
   
6. Dickel SBR
   
7. AAA Barrel 107
   
8. Twisted Spoke
   
9. Old Fitz 1849
   
10. FRSB

I know I forgot something that could bump some off the list, but I don't remember what it is.:confused:

[nysquire]

They are all good, but this is what I prefer, not in any paticular order, except the Pappy 20yo is always first when I still have some!!!!

Pappy 20yo

ORVW 15/107

VW lot B 12yo

WLWeller Antique 7/107

Weller Centennial 10yo

Rock Hill

Rowens Creek

Elijah Craig 18yo

Blantons

ORVW 10/107

[TomH]

I guess this is the best place to make my first post.

First of all I would like to thank all of the posters on this board for their excellent information. I stumbled on it about a year ago and have been lurking ever since. After over 30 years of being primarily a scotch drinker, its been fun rediscovering bourbon. I've only had a few more than 10 over the year...but thanks to the advice I've received here, most of them have been excellent

(Like others, these are in no order)

1) GT Stagg (a search for info on this one is what led me to this board)

2) Sazarac

3) Booker

4) Blanton

5) ORVW 15/107

6) Black Maple Hill 21

7) Pappy 23

8) Elmer T Lee

9) William Larue Weller

10) Rock Hill Farms

possible future additions.....Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection

Tom

[RedVette]

AH Hirsch 16 Blue Wax

Bakers

Blantons Barrel Proof

Elmer T Lee

George T Stagg (Pick one)

ORVW 15/107

Pappy 23

Sazerac 18

Weller 12 Van Blankle

Rare Breed

Heavily weighted to Buffalo Trace and Stitzel Weller. There are 5 Bourbons in the wings that could substitute for the bottom 5 in this list without any trouble; I can't believe that I have list without Pappy 20 or 15.

[1holegrouper]

Couldn't argue with this list since I see non of these in North Carolina!

[TNbourbon]

In no particular order, as they come to mind:

• Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23yo, Lawrenceburg rye-recipe
  
• Wild Turkey 12yo gold-foil label
  
• Evan Williams 15yo
  
• Rittenhouse 10yo BIB rye
  
• ORVW Old Time Rye 12yo/VWFRR 13yo (same rye, different age)
  
• ORVW 15/107
  
• Single-Barrel VW Lot B (Randy's 'Van Blankle')
  
• Heaven Hill/Rittenhouse 21yo rye (to be bottled; tasted at Festival)
  
• Original Michter's (Pennsylvania) Sour Mash Whiskey
  
• Wathen's Barrel 10, March 1997
  

All of these are whiskeys I've been able to taste through an entire bottle with the exception of the not-yet-bottled 21yo HH rye -- one taste was enough of that one:bigeyes: to know I'll do whatever I can to enjoy an entire bottle of it.

There are a number of other 'tastes' I've had that might edge into this list had I been able to enjoy a whole bottle -- for examples, a strip-stamped Old Weller Antique 107 from a specific 375 bottle I found, or the Warehouse Z barrel sample offered during our Barton tour in September.

And, I'm sure I've forgotten something I'll have to edit in later:rolleyes:.

[ProofPositive]

Since I’m still fairly new to this, I have a limited number of different brands to choose from

Well, here goes my cast and in no particular order:

WT Kentucky Spirit

VW Reserve Lot B

WT 12yo

Eagle Rare 101

WT Russell's Reserve 101

ORVW 15yo

Elijah Craig 12yo

Elmer T. Lee

WT 101 - Old No. 8

WLWeller Antique 107

Now, that being said, I have several that I have not managed to get opened as of yet which would no doubt displace some of the above selections. These include GT Stagg, WT Tribute, Pappy 15, and Pappy 23.

[CrispyCritter]

Some possible candidates, subject to change, no particular order:

• ORVW 15/107
  
• George T. Stagg (any version I've tried)
  
• WLW 12
  
• Sazerac Rye (18 or Jr.)
  
• Buffalo Trace
  
• WTRR 101
  
• VW Lot B
  
• WT Rye
  
• PVW 15
  
• VWFR Rye
  

[barturtle]

Looking back at my own list I can't believe that I made a list without having anything from BT #1-ER ,BT, GTS, OC. I'm also going to add IW Harper to that list as it was a sibling to OC before UDV sold OC off.

But which would I use and what would I bump?

I think I'd have to pick two: ER 101 and OC 13yo

getting bumped:Old Fitz 1849 and Bakers

Will this be the last revision to the list....?

[T47]

Being relatively new to all this, my list is probably much more basic. But here goes.

Pappy Van Winkle 15

Makers Mark

Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye

Buffalo Trace

WT Rare Breed

WT Russell’s Reserve 101

Elijah Craig 12

WT Rye

Evan Williams Single Barrel

Bulleit

There are only 4 more that I have even tasted I have lots to look forward to it would seem.

[BourbonJoe]

This is pretty close:

Pappy 23 (any iteration)

Pappy 20 (any iteration)

Wild Turkey Tribute

Rittenhouse BIB Rye

Wild Turkey Rye

ORVW 15-107

ORVW 10-107

Wathens

J.W. Dant 10-86 (from the '50's)

Wild Turkey 12-101

Give or take a couple.

Joe :drinking:

[Barrel_Proof]

You may find the "Stationed at Cape Horn for a Year" thread from two years back interesting:

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2551

[1holegrouper]

OK. Here goes in my taste's order:

Knob Creek

Evan Williams Single Barrel '96

Evan Williams Single Barrel '95

Elmer T. Lee

Elijah Craig 18 years

Booker's

Blanton's

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Baker's

Elijah Craig 12 years

[wku88]

I'd like to sample some of the super premium offerings, but my Scotch-Irish heritage has prevented me from springing for the more expensive offerings... yet.

In no particular order:

Weller 12YO

ETL

Maker's

Old Charter 8YO (this is truly a bargain!)

VOB 90, although I still pine for the old 8YO, 86 proof (if anyone has a bottle of any size, I am VERY interested in talking with you)

Blanton's

Evan Williams Single Barrel

Evan Wiliams Black label

Elijah Craig 12

Old Charter Proprietor's Reserve

[cask_strength]

Hello bourbonfreaks :-)

I come from Switzerland and I've enjoyed bourbon for three years.

I love single malt from Scotland as well but nothing tastes like a real kentucky straight bourbon. (you know what I mean:cool: )

In Switzerland some great bourbons are very hard to find but this are my top ten

Wild Turkey Kentucky Legend barrelproof

(I've never tasted a better whiskey this is a masterpiece)

Elijah Craig 12 years old

George T. Stagg (I tasted the bottle which came out in autumn 05, 141.2proof)

Wild Turkey Russells Reserve 101

Wild Turkey 12 years old but only the limited edition

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Blanton's Gold

Elmer T. Lee

Knob Creek

Old Forester

[kbuzbee]

Wild Turkey Kentucky Legend barrelproof

(I've never tasted a better whiskey this is a masterpiece)

Elijah Craig 12 years old

George T. Stagg (I tasted the bottle which came out in autumn 05, 141.2proof)

Wild Turkey Russells Reserve 101

Wild Turkey 12 years old but only the limited edition

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Blanton's Gold

Elmer T. Lee

Knob Creek

Old Forester

Looks Like another Wild Turkey fan on the forum! Welcome!

Ken

[cask_strength]

Thank you! Do you know the difference between the wild turkey 12 and the wild turkey 12 limited edition? I think the normal 12 years old has some more chewy oak in the taste and isn't as well balanced as the limited edition.

chears

barrelproof