Poll. If you could have only one (distiller)

[scopenut]

For me, Van Winkle, no question. However, BT is a very close 2nd.

-Kevin

[NYtaster]

I had to vote WT, I drink a wide assortment of bourbons, might even stay away from the whole WT family for a few months but I ALWAYS go back.

I have to say though I would greatly miss any of the others also!

Tim

[Solomon2]

Brown-Forman. I'm partial to both WR and OF, and prefer them over the Beam products I've tried, including the Small Batch line. Four Roses and Van Winkle I haven't yet sampled, but maybe someday I will.

Buffalo Trace? I've tried BT and one or two other of their products, and they are good but I'll reach for the B-F stuff given the choice, thank you.

Wild Turkey? Not a chance, don't like the notes at the end of a sip.

Barton's: some days my 1792 just isn't what I want.

Other: I liked my Old Setter, but now Montgomery County won't stock it. Which is weird, because OS is made in Baltimore!

[Gillman]

I'd say Heaven Hill, even though I like (some) bourbons and ryes made by most of the other companies. A lot should be said for an independent, family-owned company. Plus, they make Rittenhouse BIB.

Old Setter has always (the bourbon itself) been made in Kentucky as far as I know. It was (still is, I think) bottled in Baltimore by Standard Distillers, another fine independent which however no longer distills.

Gary

[Old Lamplighter]

Looking back at this thread tonight, I cannot recall whether I voted for BT, VW or WT.....symptom of approaching age 50 I think. In any event, after going through quite a bit of WT product over the holidays I would have to favor WT very, very slightly over VW. The only reason is my preference seems to lean more to the rye side than the wheat.

That being said, I think the Pappy 15 has to be either the #1 or #2 best bourbon I have ever experienced.....but, I have yet to ever try Pappy 20 or 23. Seems to me, 15 years is long enough. And, no matter what anyone says, Pappy 15 is just not exactly the same as ORVW 15. I have had plenty of both and although I will never be able to put my finger exactly on the difference, it is definitely there.......at least as far as my tastebuds go - which I guess is the key to it all. Nothing will taste the same to any 2 folks which is part of the wonderful world of bourbon!

[LBTRS]

Looking back at this thread tonight, I cannot recall whether I voted for BT, VW or WT.....symptom of approaching age 50 I think. In any event, after going through quite a bit of WT product over the holidays I would have to favor WT very, very slightly over VW. The only reason is my preference seems to lean more to the rye side than the wheat.

The poll says you voted for WT originally so you're consistant. I'll have to give WT a try.

[smokinjoe]

We're 1-1/2 mos. into this poll and a couple of things really stand out to me:

Beam, with excellent brand recognition and a hefty line-up, garnered a "whopping" 6%!! Unexpected to me.

There are 250 homes in the subdivision in which I live. I could go door-to-door and ask them what they think about Van Winkle and Buffalo Trace, and 245 would wonder what the hell I was talking about. (The other 5 are my bourbon converts) And, BT and VW got over 60% of the vote!!

What does this say? :confused:

JOE

[Jazzhead]

Interesting that only one poster chose Brown Forman. I'd guess that's in part because B-F doesn't distill a great range of products, like Buffalo Trace or even the various expressions of WT. Just Old Forester and, in recent years, the Birthday Bourbon specialties.

But I'll tell ya, if the question were altered to what single bourbon could you be forced to live with for the rest of your life, I'd likely choose Old Forester BIB. That is one amazing bourbon, especially for the price. Kudos to Brown Forman for a consistently delicious, reasonbly priced product.

[TBoner]

BT is great, but I chose Jim Beam for a few reasons:

One, the first bourbon I liked (and the only one I drank for a long time) was Knob Creek. I always have some around, so it'd be very tough to give up.

Second, JB Black is a great bourbon for introducing newbies to bourbon while still being a great everyday pour.

Third, Beam is responsible for the continued greatness that is OGD BIB.:bowdown:

All that said, God help me if I ever have to go without WT Rye or WT 101.

[CrispyCritter]

BT is great, but I chose Jim Beam for a few reasons:

Very good points - and let's not forget OGD 114 as well.

Most of my favorites have come from BT, WT, or Beam - but that EWSB 1996 of mine (HH) sure evaporated fast - not to mention the bottles of Rittenhouse BIB (also HH) that have been the backbone of my rye consumption!

[full_proof]

We're 1-1/2 mos. into this poll and a couple of things really stand out to me:

Beam, with excellent brand recognition and a hefty line-up, garnered a "whopping" 6%!! Unexpected to me.

What does this say? :confused:

JOE

It tells me that most of the folks on SB.com are not your everyday bourbon consumers. They know bourbon. It may be there are more industry folks are here, but most assuredly more serious and well-informed whisk[e]y consumers.

[TBoner]

It also says to me that Buffalo Trace happens to be doing the sexiest job of producing, bottling, and promoting right now. The BTAC, the repackaging of Eagle Rare, and the relatively recent rollout of BT as a nationally available brand go a long way toward giving them the edge. Beam hasn't done as much promotion of new or newly-repackaged items as BT, nor has anyone else.

Not saying BT doesn't produce great bourbon. I'm just thinking a lot of this has to do with industry trends and the bottlings that are hot items right now.

[RedVette]

Blantons, Weller, Buffalo Trace, GTS, Elmer T Lee, Sazerac, Eagle Rare; the assortment of Bourbons (whiskey) that I truly enjoy is a longer list at BT than any other Distillery. It would be a sad day if I had to forego the Pappy's, or Rare Breed, or Bakers, or EC 18, or Sam Houston, or Willett, but no other distillery has more than a dozen "must haves" in its quiver.

[full_proof]

Not saying BT doesn't produce great bourbon. I'm just thinking a lot of this has to do with industry trends and the bottlings that are hot items right now.

Well said. But, respectfully, what exactly are industry trends? Is it nothing more than who is up and who is down? Marketing efforts and a truly superior product are clean different things. The connoisseurs here can tell the difference, hence the vote. I'm not easily, but may be, hoodwinked by marketing techniques. BT is on top of their game, both in quality and marketing.

[Catahoula]

I didn't vote because I have a business/financial connection, but my vote would have gone to BT and not because of the business/financial connection either - honest! I like their products! A lot! And it looks like you do as well!

I am not as flexible as many of you are here. There is a certain flavor profile I enjoy and since I usually have my whiskey straight over ice, anything very far outside that flavor profile I have a hard time with. The only other brand I have found that comes close and I will accept is Wild Turkey. There are a few others I find acceptable with a mixer, but generally I will avoid them. So, at a party, restaurant, or bar I will look for a BT product first, and often they are not as available as some other brands here in New Orleans. Failing that, I ask for WT. If that isn't available, I drink wine or have something made with vodka. Sorry, but that is the way I am.

Catahoula

[smokinjoe]

I'm not so sure that we can say that it's BT's marketing efforts that are contributing to this. If marketing were to be a true determiner here, then Brown-Foreman would have much more than 1 vote. I honestly can't recall the last advertisement for any BT product that I have seen. But, B-F's ads for OF and Woodford are very slickly done and have appeared in numerous places. Beam is also strong here.(6 votes) For that matter, in the other elements of marketing (Price, Product, Place) I would say that the only one that BT is a leader in, is product. That's a very good one to be good at by the way. Hard to find the BT products that we rave about in alot of markets (except for Old Charter and Weller SR) So, placement isn't very good. Also, pricing is about average, I guess. So, to people like the folks on this forum, who like their bourbon, it's got to be the simply exceptional quality of their products. That's why I voted BT.

Cheers!

JOE

[CrispyCritter]

I'm not so sure that we can say that it's BT's marketing efforts that are contributing to this. If marketing were to be a true determiner here, then Brown-Foreman would have much more than 1 vote. I honestly can't recall the last advertisement for any BT product that I have seen.

Indeed - I've never seen any ad, whether print, billboard or cable TV, for a BT product, but I've certainly seen them for Beam and Brown-Forman. And then there are the product tie-ins like Jim Beam sunflower seeds and Jack Daniel's mustards (!).

BT's products, on the other hand, quietly but forcefully speak for themselves. They have done a great job with packaging, though (the BTAC bottles, and even more so the Baby Saz bottle, are outstanding) - and their willingness to provide details on how the BTAC bottlings were made, and their willingness to push the envelope with their experimental bottlings, are big points in their favor.

Word of mouth (or internet, nowadays) can count for a hell of a lot, as well!

I have no financial interests in BT, other than being a satisified customer. They get money from me, not the other way around.