Try the expensive stuff and find you like cheap stuff?

[LBTRS]

Anyone else spend a bunch of money to try a lot of the expensive bourbons only to find that the cheap stuff is your favorite? I have purchased and tried the following:

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15yo

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12yo Lot B

Eagle Rage SB 10yo

Blanton's

Basil Hayden's

Woodford Reserve

Buffalo Trace

Elijah Craig 12yo

Jim Beam White

Jim Beam Black

Bookers

Knob Creek

Makers Mark

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Wild Turkey 101

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting, however, out of them all I find I keep going back to the Wild Turkey 101 with Buffalo Trace a close second.

Anyone else do the same thing?

[TNbourbon]

• Absolute favorite: Pappy 23 rye-recipe 1999 bottling, green bottle.
  
• Everyday favorite: Weller Special Reserve 7yo (especially Louisville labels, thus Stitzel-Weller), Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam Black, Evan Williams Black-label
  
• Undersung: Ezra Brooks Black label 90 proof, Old Forester (any proof -- I hate it that Jack Daniel's, an inferior whiskey, is their flagship).
  

[ILLfarmboy]

Yes. "Cheap stuff" doesn't always correspond to bad flavor. Weller Antique beats the pants off a lot of bottles twice as expensive. And spending a lot of money doesn't grantee You'll like what's in the bottle once its in your glass. Basil Hayden Ain't nothing to write home about and it isn't cheap.

I have found if any rule of thumb can be a good predictor of what I will like it is this: Cheap and low proof, I probably won't like it, cheap and 90 and above, I may very well like it better than many bottles that are more expensive, and expensive bourbon is, well, an expensive crap shoot.

[LBTRS]

Yes. "Cheap stuff" doesn't always correspond to bad flavor. Weller Antique beats the pants off a lot of bottles twice as expensive. And spending a lot of money doesn't grantee You'll like what's in the bottle once its in your glass. Basil Hayden Ain't nothing to write home about and it isn't cheap.

I have found if any rule of thumb can be a good predictor of what I will like it is this: Cheap and low proof, I probably won't like it, cheap and 90 and above, I may very well like it better than many bottles that are more expensive, and expensive bourbon is, well, an expensive crap shoot.

Funny you should say that...Basil Hayden's is the bourbon I liked least out of all that I have tried. I like Jim Beam White better than the Basil Hayden's.

[AVB]

I have to agree, Basil Hayden is a big disappointment when compared to the others in the "Small Batch" line or most other bourbons in general.

[CrispyCritter]

I've never been disappointed with my top-shelf purchases (BTAC, Hirsch 16, PVW 15, ORVW 15, Lot B, VWFRR, various upper-mid-shelf Scotches like Glenrothes 1974 and Ardbeg 1977), but there are certainly inexpensive bottles that offer huge bang-for-the-buck. Bonded versions of Old Fitzgerald, Old Grand-Dad, and Rittenhouse Rye come to mind, and AAA 10yo (I've never seen a 10 Star).

Moving up a rung on the price ladder, there's a world of choices - OGD 114, Beam Black, WT101 (and Rye), BT, Weller 7/107 and 12, Baby Saz, the list goes on.

[Ubertaster]

I agree. Basil Haydens was thin, watery and with no character for me. I was glad it was gone so to free up space on my bar for the Beam White.

bj

[MikeDS]

I haven't tried some of the really expensive bourbons but my current favorite is Buffalo Trace. At $17.99/bottle I consider it relatively cheap. The most expensive I've ever had is WT Rare Breed. I like it alot, but have to be in the mood for it. Buffalo Trace I'll do any time, anywhere. I LOVE IT!

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Anyone else spend a bunch of money to try a lot of the expensive bourbons only to find that the cheap stuff is your favorite?

I wouldn´t necessary use the word 'favorite', but I´ve been in the business far too long to take anything for granted.

A cheap whiskey can be a real thrill but it can also be very bad. Same goes for the premium ones.

[jburlowski]

While I more often than not drink from the more expensive end of the spectrum, I often find my self coming back to good old WT 101.

[full_proof]

Anyone else do the same thing?

Sure. WT101 is one of my "everyday pours" as the term is commonly used on SB.com (one of the benefits of participating on this blog is new language skills ). You've sampled quite a variety, but I did not spot a straight rye bourbon (the wheaters you've tried, in my neophyte estimation, are PVW15 and MM). I've enjoyed WT Rye and have a new and unopened VWFRR that wasn't too costly, and I'm looking forward to tasting it. In developing my own collection, despite all the reading, research and contemplation about a particular bottling, there's just no way to place value on something until one has sampled it. I guess that's part of the fun (and frustration) of this hobby.

[luv2hunt]

I'm a gin drinker but have always drank the cheep stuff since I was mixing it (Gilbeys Gin).

I'm new to Bourbon and drinking in general. I drink a lot of Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey with diet coke and want to learn to appreciate some finer Whiskey's. Could you make some recommendations as to which is the best Bourbon to start with as I have not yet acquired a taste for it?

I have recently went through a bunch of Jim Beam white label mixed in cocktails and with water but am wanting something a bit more upscale as I learn to appreciate Bourbon.

I guess the only criteria is that I have a hard time with the strong stuff that "burns" going down. I have searched but have not found an answer to this question.

Thanks for all the information guys. I do have a question though, did you guys like bourbon from the first time you drank it or did you acquire a taste for it? I have tried to drink it neat but I can say that it isn't something I really enjoy right now. Will this change as I drink more bourbon?

That's my problem, I'm 40 years old and tired of ordering/asking for a fruity mixed drink every time I get a drink. I am wanting my drink palate to catch up to my age. I will continue to try new bourbons and learn from this site.

LBTRS,

It is my opinion that you've been sampling bourbon for a whopping two months now and your history of enjoying the "cheap stuff" mixed with the "sweat stuff" is clouding your ability to enjoy good bourbon for what it is.

You're trying to hard.....and I don't think you're appreciating each different bourbon for what it brings to the palate.

Dawn

[wskybnt]

I woudnt say that I like it better than the expensive stuff, but WT 101, and WL Antique 107, are everyday pours that I like better than a lot of stuff that I have spent twice as much on, and not like as much....

[ratcheer]

While I more often than not drink from the more expensive end of the spectrum, I often find my self coming back to good old WT 101.

I most often drink from the lower priced end (WT 101, ETL), but I do have a preference for the more expensive ones (RHF, Blanton's, Rare Breed, Ky Spirit). I try to save the most expensive ones for special occasions, which may include "just because I feel like it". :grin:

Tim

[barturtle]

"Just because I feel like it" may be the most special occasion of them all...treating yourself or the ones you love without a Hallmark approved reason is the ultimate.

[full_proof]

You're trying to {sic} hard.....and I don't think you're appreciating each different bourbon for what it brings to the palate.

Listen to Dawn, my young Padawan, she's a Jedi Knight of Bourbon and a nurse practitioner. Drink plenty varieties of the firewater, LBTRS, and some day you will become a Jedi Master of the burning spirits. :slappin:

[full_proof]

You're trying to hard.....and I don't think you're appreciating each different bourbon for what it brings to the palate.

Dawn

Listen to Dawn, my young Padawan, she's a Jedi Knight of Bourbon and a nurse practitioner. Drink plenty varieties of the corn-based firewater, LBTRS, and some day you will become a Jedi Master of the burning spirits. :slappin:

[Gillman]

A suggestion I have for those new to bourbon is to try to determine what it is supposed to taste like. If you have an idea in advance, this may help you see what bourbon, and the different brands, ages, etc., are all about. This doesn't mean you will enjoy it (and if you don't, that's okay - relatively few people like bourbon, even mixed) but it may help you understand the basic flavor, or "palate".

This is something we talk a lot about here: in general; in relation to the bourbons of one company; and as between different brands.

In general, I would say bourbon has a sweetish, grainy taste with a flavor in the background of toasted or charred oak wood. The corn flavors come through, and for bourbons made with an addition of rye, there is a spicy, minty note as well. (On top of that, some bourbons have a fruity taste which can come from the way it is aged). Some people sum this up by talking about a lightly smoky, candy corn and spice taste.

Some bourbons are high in alcohol (Crown Royal is a standard 40% alcohol by volume, some bourbons reach 50% or higher) so an alcohol aftertaste is a feature of a lot of bourbon. It can be moderated by adding more ice or water or mix - or using less whiskey.

Some people never come to terms with it and again that's fine, but I found in my own case I could "get" bourbon more when I read up on it before sampling different brands and expressions.

There's lots of great info on this board about all that.

Gary

[MikeDS]

This thread is making me thirsty!

[LBTRS]

LBTRS,

It is my opinion that you've been sampling bourbon for a whopping two months now and your history of enjoying the "cheap stuff" mixed with the "sweat stuff" is clouding your ability to enjoy good bourbon for what it is.

You're trying to hard.....and I don't think you're appreciating each different bourbon for what it brings to the palate.

Dawn

Dawn,

Thanks for the recap...as you noted I'm new to "bourbon" and hence my question about how others feel about the cheaper brands. I've spent a lot of money trying to discover what I like and find I can always count on WT 101 or Buffalo Trace to make me happy.

Trying too hard? I'm drinking bourbon and talking about it in a forum called straightbourbon.com. Maybe I need to find another place to discuss bourbon?

Thanks to all for the input and discussion.

[full_proof]

Trying too hard? I'm drinking bourbon and talking about it in a forum called straightbourbon.com. Maybe I need to find another place to discuss bourbon?

Thanks to all for the input and discussion.

Whoa, there. Don't leave me to fend alone with the neglect and insults here! There's much to learn, and you appear to be well on your way to developing an appreciation for bourbon--it is, our course, an acquired taste. Keep in mind there are seasoned bourbon consumers here, some industry experts, and professionals (lawyers, nurse practitioners, computer programmers, etc.). I think Dawn, without malice, was just ribbing you a bit. Hell, she's told me, in uncertain terms, in a chat room that I'm a smart-(|). Take a deep breath and and drink.

[LBTRS]

Whoa, there. Don't leave me to fend alone with the neglect and insults here! There's much to learn, and you appear to be well on your way to developing an appreciation for bourbon--it is, our course, an acquired taste. Keep in mind there are seasoned bourbon consumers here, some industry experts, and professionals (lawyers, nurse practitioners, computer programmers, etc.). I think Dawn, without malice, was just ribbing you a bit. Hell, she's told me, in uncertain terms, in a chat room that I'm a smart-(|). Take a deep breath and and drink.

Well, I could understand the ribbing if I were acting like I had all the answers, but getting the ribbing for asking a newbie question confused me. Or maybe that was the bourbon that confused me. Regardless, I'll continue my journey and hope that Dawn becomes an acquired taste.

And to address your previous post...I have not tried any Rye Bourbons and will have to put that on my list of the next to try. Thanks for the advice and support.

[luv2hunt]

OK....so because I'm bright enough to give advice based upon your history I'm the bad girl of bourbon?

There's nothing wrong with liking WT101 and BT as a regular pour. Obviously your taste buds haven't developed to the point of being able to appreciate a top shelf selection. And yes, I still think that you're trying too hard. You've tried 15+ bourbons in 2 months. Have you read any of the posts here where the guys discuss going back to a bottle months later and discovering that they really like it? Patience is a virtue. Being able to identify the unique qualities of each bourbon is learned.

Acquired taste?? Forget it. I won't be replying anymore.

Dawn

[gothbat]

Acquired taste?? Forget it.

You said it! I was pretty much hooked after my first shot from the 375ml of MM I bought on a whim because of the packaging. But then again, as I've seen several say on here, YMMV.

Anyway, to stay on topic, the more expensive stuff usually tastes better to me. I have been disappointed by more of the cheaper brands than the higher priced ones. I will admit that I generally buy the more expensive bottles so statistically my experiences make sense and that I know there is much to explore on the lower shelves before writing them off but when I buy it’s usually on a Friday after a week of work and my attitude is something along the lines of “Go ahead buddy, you earned it!”. In terms of the money I’ve spent on disappointing high end stuff and great low end stuff I’d say that in the end it all comes out in the wash.

[LBTRS]

OK....so because I'm bright enough to give advice based upon your history I'm the bad girl of bourbon?

There's nothing wrong with liking WT101 and BT as a regular pour. Obviously your taste buds haven't developed to the point of being able to appreciate a top shelf selection. And yes, I still think that you're trying too hard. You've tried 15+ bourbons in 2 months. Have you read any of the posts here where the guys discuss going back to a bottle months later and discovering that they really like it? Patience is a virtue. Being able to identify the unique qualities of each bourbon is learned.

Acquired taste?? Forget it. I won't be replying anymore.

Dawn

I wasn't aware that you had to wait for months to go back to a bottle before posting about it on SB.com. I still have all those bottles, plus a few more I've acquired since, that I'll have the opportunity to go back to months later. So when I get a "whopping" few more months under my belt I'll be ready to participate on sb.com. Hopefully my judgment won't be "clouded" then.