Entertaining Friends/Family with Primo Bourbon

[JamesH007]

Just curious how any of you share your Bourbon with your non-bourbonian close friends/family ? esp the good stuff.

I recently had some family visit from out of state and thought it would be a nice after dinner treat to break out some Stagg (130.9) and Sazerac 18 and give them a little tasting. To my suprise I dont think they liked the Stagg very much, and the Sazerac did not go over much better. They appreciated the flights of Bourbon but my there were some 1/2 full ones left (Lucky me http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

Talking ) and I dont the Bourbon was fully appreciated. Would I have been better off letting them try some Lot B or Buffalo Trace? They do enjoy a good drink but I do not think they were Bourbon drinkers

My question is do you share your good bottles with non-bourbon drinking friends/family, and if so what and how. I thought the Stagg and Sazerac would be a good choice b/c they are so different from traditional Bourbons, looks like I was wrong. Maybe I will treat them next time with some 4-grain and Coke ???? (I need to find some way to get rid of the stuff_

[ProofPositive]

Just curious how any of you share your Bourbon with your non-bourbonian close friends/family ? esp the good stuff.

I dont the Bourbon was fully appreciated. Would I have been better off letting them try some Lot B or Buffalo Trace? They do enjoy a good drink but I do not think they were Bourbon drinkers

My question is do you share your good bottles with non-bourbon drinking friends/family, and if so what and how.

Glad someone asked the question.....I've thought about this myself as well. I have decided that these folks will get the mid-shelf or second shelf bourbon from my inventory. BT is a good choice as well as EC12, Weller Spl Rsv, OC, JB Black, etc. These are also going to be the bottles that I have almost emptied but just can't seem to knock them out (due to a variety of reasons). I would also add EWSB to that group as I have not been impressed with it at all so far. That way, I can get them out of the way for new openings once the company is gone.

Nothing against the above-mentioned (except the Weller SR), just less expensive to waste. I know this may all sound a bit unhospitable....but, I see no reason to look around the room after everyone has left to find half-filled glasses of GTS, VWSW, WTKS, WTRR, Pappy 15 or better. That is enough to make a grown man cry!

Now, if one or more folks in the crowd drink bourbon are appreciative of the finer pours, that changes things. Normally though, my company is going to be just like yours and I refuse to open the best stuff.

If you really want to throw them a curve and don't mind giving it up, pour everyone a good dose of WT101. That will convert them faster than anything else! And, everyone will leave warm & fuzzy!

[fricky]

Fortunately, most of my friends like bourbon. Therefore, I open the doors to my stash and allow them to pick whatever they want. For those that are not bourbon drinkers but want a pour, I provide Evan Williams 1783 or Elmer T Lee. Subsequently, if they show interest, I will provide Van Winkle 12 year old. After dinner at family gatherings, my family generally prefers Vintage Port; therefore, they get an old (60, 63, or 75) Vintage Port.

Doug

[DrinkyBanjo]

I'm the same as you. I open up all of my bottles to whoever would like a taste. I try to cater to what I think they'll like and try to get them more interested.

[BSS]

NO WAY would I let most of my friends have a drink from some of my expensive bottles. Even though most of them drink bourbon(and like it), they can't tell the difference between a $11 bottle and a $50 bottle. So just give them some regular AA or Jim Beam white and their happy. Out of the people I know that drink bourbon, I only think one or two of them may have the ability to appreciate the finer bourbons.

[fricky]

BSS,

Have you ever given those that like bourbon an opportunity to comapre a lower-shelf bourbon to an upper-shelf bourbon?

Doug

[T47]

I've only been drinking Bourbon for about 1 and half years. We were at my in-laws and he offered me a drink of Makers, and I was hooked. I found the Makers to be smooth and full of flavor. That's the only Bourbon I drank for the first year, and then I found this site.

Most of my neighbors are beer drinkers, but when we had a party, they wanted to try it, so I picked what I thought was my "smoothest most flavor filled" bottle at the time, Basil Hayden. While they enjoyed it, I don't think I converted anyone like the MM did for me.

Personally I love food and drink, I love the preparation the flavors the whole experience around it. I don't have any "real expensive" bottles, but some that were "difficult" to find, and I was able to get a few of those. The fun for me is being able to share them with people who enjoy it or want to try it.

[BSS]

Doug,

Most of them have tried better bourbons, and they say they can tell a small difference in taste, but they don't care for one over the other. They say it might taste a little different, but they can’t say it taste any better.

Basically I feel that they can use their own money to test their bourbon tastes and until they express a liking of higher end bourbon over lower end ones, they can keep saving money by buying the cheap stuff.

My personal opinion is that about 90% of bourbon drinkers could not tell you which bourbon is the better one between a $15 bottle and a $75 bottle in a blind test. That’s just my opinion, which probably greatly differs than that of many people on this board. I'm one of those people that can't.

[BourbonJoe]

Doug,

My personal opinion is that about 90% of bourbon drinkers could not tell you which bourbon is the better one between a $15 bottle and a $75 bottle in a blind test. That’s just my opinion, which probably greatly differs than that of many people on this board. I'm one of those people that can't.

We taste blind all the time. I bet I can pick the $75 bourbon EVERY time.

Joe :usflag:

[BSS]

Thus, my 90% statement.

Now the question is:

Can you pick the more expensive one because you know what either of the brands taste like, thus you know which one is the more expensive?

Or

Do you know how good a $75 bourbon should taste like? So when you taste one blind, you know that it is the more expesive one because it tastes better.

Maybe you all should try that at one of the Bourbon Fest events you all do? See what % of you all can guess the cheaper bourbon.

[tsangster]

Cracked open a bottle of WLW last week and had my standard sized pour. Out of curiosity I followed with the same sized pour of EW BIB (a new-found lower shelf favorite). I'm still quite a newbie and this was not a blind test. However, if given the opportunity for a blind test and I failed to identify the more expensive bourbon, I hope that someone would have the stones to encourage me to give up bourbon and begin drinking ???? - was going to mention the name of a certain light beer but don't want to offend the Colorado bourbonians.

[brian12069]

Doug,

My personal opinion is that about 90% of bourbon drinkers could not tell you which bourbon is the better one between a $15 bottle and a $75 bottle in a blind test. That’s just my opinion, which probably greatly differs than that of many people on this board. I'm one of those people that can't.

I have over 20 different bourbons in my bar. Sometimes I have my wife pour me a glass when I am out of the room to do a blind taste test. I almost always tell her which one she poured...she is amazed that I can taste that much difference.

[SBOmarc]

I offer whatever is in my bar to any interested whisky drinker that stops by. I have also started poeple that have never tasted bourbon with Maker's, Knob Creek and Woodford just to let them taste. Some say thanks and go on,but many others now consider themselves "converted" and stop by from time to time with a Thank You botle to share and most times leave as thanks.

As far as not being able to tell one drink from another I admit that when my wife does blind tasting for me I struggle, I am however getting much better. I see it as all part of my learning curve, accellerated by the information and the sharing on this board.

[RedVette]

All bottles are fair game for any visitors except the Distillers Masterpiece, and the Van Blankles. I bought all of the others, so anybody who wishes can help themselves but the aforementioned ones were all gifts, so that makes them off limits. It may be weird but that is way my mind works. If I have a friend that is turning into a real Bourbon fan, I may someday offer up a taste, but probably not.

[boone]

The key words in this thread is family and friends.

They are welcome to anything in my "BUNKER" :grin: I really don't care, that's why I have it. The key factor in my situation is that I don't drink "alot" of bourbon. If I did...I'd probably be a alcoholic. Too easy access to the product will get you in trouble. Sometimes, I feel like I have been swimming in bourbon...Gets old real quick when you have to wear soggy bourbon soaked shoes all night long

During my party, I try to make rounds with my "special gift"...Most, grin really big when they see me walking the grounds looking for empty glasses...Newbies always ask "what's in there"...I just tell 'em...it'll knock your socks off...(and it usually does :grin: ) Old Friends and Family know what it is and just shove their glass toward me and grin :grin:

I have more...and will bring it to the Sampler :grin: :grin:

I love doing' that kind of stuff :grin: I give all of it away :grin: The best gift I can give :grin:

Bettye Jo

[gr8erdane]

Good question based by the myriad of answers I've read so far. My bunker is very accessable and laid out so that everything is visible. The first thing I do is offer and allow my friends or family to either try or not. I've found that if they don't want to try it and you force it on them you are wasting good whiskey because they have already made up their minds. My next question to them is if they have tried anything on the shelf before. If so, and the reply is not followed by a negative statement, that's where they start. A known point of reference. I then ask them what they like or dislike about that bourbon and work from there. If they like a sweeter bourbon, I try to steer them in that direction, if they like tangy, I might even bash em with a rye. Like any tour, there are so many different roads to travel, and it's easier on the passenger if you start out on the gravel road and work up to the interstate.

[TNbourbon]

I'm sad to say that I really don't have anyone locally with which to share, which is why I relish those opportunities to visit, or be visited by, others here. I hope others will vouch that, in those cases, anything I have is free for sharing.

There are a couple of customers at the liquor store where I work that have benefited from all the knowledge here, through me, and are on the way to becoming regular whiskey/bourbon aficianados.

[JamesH007]

Friends and Family.......

I too would share just about any of my Bourbon with them(along with a lot of other things)......and do !! But I wonder if I went the wrong way with the Stagg and Sazerac 18; and if they may not have enjoyed somthing else more. I think next time I may offer up some Blantons or VW lot B and go from there if they take a liking to it. I dont think the take your pick from the bunker would be a good way to go because the Rock Hill Farms would be everyones first choice (nothing against RH) its just such a damn pretty bottle !! Plus most of the time I am not at my house and the bunker is not very portable..

Its not about willingness to share, but rather the best way to do so.

[gr8erdane]

James, I think your offerings were a great testiment to your desire to give your family and friends a top quality tasting experience but these same choices are very challenging to even moderately experienced bourbon drinkers. Recently I tried the HH tasting barrel approach with a couple of friends who are not bourbon drinkers. I even used their examples, EWSB and EC18. I had them taste the EWSB straight and then again with just a dollop of water added. Then followed up with the EC18 the same way. The results were very favorable with my friends as they were able to taste the differences yet see the resemblances of the two offerings. I followed with some wheaters in the same way, ORVW 10/107 and Pappy 20. I then allowed them to peruse the rest of the selection and sample a couple more of their choosing. The experience was not overwhelming to them and they walked away with what seemed to be a greater appreciation for our favorite beverage.

[Brennan77]

I really don't mind sharing a pour or two with anyone who is genuinely interested. But I do mind sharing with mindless drunks. It's Mardi Gras over here. I live on the parade route and my front door stays open to family and friends, and their friends. My bourbon is hiding in my closet. No one is going to shoot a Pappy 20 year old, or even my Elmer T Lee. That's what the cheap vodka is for.

If you're interested in taste though, or even if I think you might be, you are more than welcome to share something nice with me, with the exception of the new bottle of Pappy 23, or maybe the Hirsch 16. That said, I do think I will start using a bit more discretion before offering my top shelf to non-bourbon drinkers. The problem is that in my experience, I really don't think they appreciate expensive pours. For instance, I think I would have done just as well to pour Eagle Rare or ETL in place of Pappy 20 the other night. I think I'll start with the bang for the buck value bottles next time.

[robbyvirus]

My two cents: If you're going to share with friends who are not really familiar with bourbon, and you're pouring the bourbon neat, do not pour a high proof bourbon like Stagg. Stay with something 90 proof. Most folks who aren't used to drinking whiskey neat will notice high alcohol content more than any flavor, and the burn will turn them off. I'd stick with top-notch 90 proofs, like Blanton's or Van Winkle Lot B.

[jburlowski]

I usually keep a bottle of Basil Hayden for neophytes to try. The lower proof and milder taste profile make it a good "introduction" bourbon.

Some here would consider it sacriledge but I also enjoy it myself when I want a gentle, summertime pour.

[bobbyc]

Some here would consider it sacriledge but I also enjoy it myself when I want a gentle, summertime pour.

The only issue I have seen concerning Basil Haydens is the price for an 80 proofer. On it's own it is fine and I urge all who attend the sampler to have a good drink of this at Beam Global Spirits and Wine expense.

[wrbriggs]

Well you've already received quite a few responses, but you'll end up getting my $0.02 anyway...

Any guest is welcome to anything in my bunker, but 99% of the folks I have over have never tried whiskey before, so I usually try to steer them to something mild like MM, BH or possibly one of the Weller expressions (Weller SR or even Antique diluted to ~90 proof). One bourbon that seems to go over well with first-timers is Old Charter Proprietor's Reserve

If they try one and like it, I'll try to steer them to another bourbon that is similar but maybe a bit more challenging. If they don't like it, I usually ask why and see if I can come up with a different pour that they will enjoy. When all is said and done, some people just won't like bourbon, and I feel no compulsion to force them. For the ones that do enjoy bourbon, they are welcome to whatever I've got, but I will definitely warn them if they pick a challenging one.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

I have had my wife do the blind pour twice. Somehow, out of all the bottles I have, probably over one hundred, both times she poured me a straight corn. Once it was Platte Valley and the other time it was Mellow corn. I identified them both times. But out of a couple of dozen bottles of scotch, maybe as many bottles of Japanese whisky and around fifty bourbons and ryes, plus a few brandies and rums and three straight corn whiskies, one of which is Georgia Moon in a jar, so she wouldn't have noticed it, she pours me Straight Corn both times.

Of course, I do do the odd "blind" pour myself. Sip, ah... "What the hell did I pour?" Usually, I can figure it out. Once I when that happened, I was drinking and could not for the life of me remember what it was. I wasn't really enjoying it. I kept saying to myself, "I hope this isn't one of my favorites... It really isn't that good." Finally, I walked back into my room to see if that would jar my memory. It did and I remember being relieved, but I can't remember what it was now. I don't have Alzheimer's, more like Halvesheimer's....

Ed