Your Top Five

[HipFlask]

What is your current Top Five Whiskey? Today's top five for me are as follows. But I have many to try yet and it could change with tonight's new pour of OGD 114.:grin:

1.Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 yr

2. Van Winkle 15 yr

3.Four Roses Single Barrel

4.Rittenhouse BIB

5.Elmer T. Lee

This might be a silly exercise but is sure is fun if you line them up and taste them side by side.:cool:

[melting]

Here's mine in no realy particular order. You didn't specify bourbon so this is including all whiskey regardless of type or country of origin.

1. Glenmorangie port wood finish

2. Wild Turkey 101

3. Eagle Rare SB 10

4. Wild Turkey Rare Breed

5. Ardbeg 10

I realise that many will regard these as basic, middle of the road whiskey's but they are what I enjoy most. The Ardbeg is certainly not an everyday pour. I'm also so fond of the Glenmorangie that I don't have it often as I'd like so as to keep the taste profile fresh.

Chris

[ggilbertva]

My top 5 not in any order:

1. Old Fitzgerald BIB (S-W)

2. Weller Antique Single Barrel 9 year

3. PVW 15

4. WLW '06

5. ORVW 10 year

Of course my list changes as my tastes change.

[drrich1965]

Since others have already liberalized the post....

95 Ardbeg Provenance 1974 (55.8%, OB)

95 Port Ellen 16yo Dist. 1980, Cask 89/5891/20 (59.3%, Signatory)

94 Laphroaig 30yo (43%, OB, circa 2000)

93 Glenfarclas 21yo Square Bottle (55.5%, OB)

93 Brora 21yo 1981 (46%, Signatory, The Un-Chillfiltered Collection, Cask 1586, Bottle 594)

[gblick]

Mine's very close to Greg's, though I've never had the WLW '06 or the Antique Single Barrel 9yo.

In no order:

PVW 15

ORVW 10/107

Old Fitzgerald BIB (S-W)

Weller Antique 107 (S-W)

WT 12yo

[BourbonJoe]

It's hard to squeeze these into five, but here goes:

No particular Order:

William Larue Weller - 06

Thomas Handy Rye - 06

George T. Stagg - any

Wild Turkey 12 y/o Gold Foil

Any Stitzel-Weller Whiskey

Joe :usflag:

[whiskeyhatch]

The first two are pretty much locked in as favorites but all are subject to change as exprience grows.

1.) Old Fitzgerald BIB (S-W)

2.) Laphroaig 10 yo

3.) Buffalo Trace

4.) Old Rip Van Winkle 107/10 yo (haven't tried the 15 yo)

5.) Weller Centennial

This was a tough assignment. If we were to boot out that wayward SMS then Wild Turkey Rare Breed would be up there. The PVWs and GTSs I drink too infrequently, so I kept them out of the lineup. I don't drink the OFBIB too frequently either but that one nearly brought me to tears. That stuff is simply amazing.

P.S. I knew this would happen. EC 12 yo, a favorite of mine, just got dethroned by Weller Centennial. This is the current version... haven't tried the BHC yet. But, if I were on a deserted island, I'd opt for the Centennial. Very similar to that crown jewel... OFBIB (S-W).

[TNbourbon]

I can put two definitely somewhere in the top 5: Dalmore 62yo (run a search -- I posted about it) and the Pappy 23 from Lawrenceburg that definitely rye-recipe.

Beyond that, some candidates include the aforementioned Wild Turkey 12yo gold-foil labeled; a 1949/1953 Old Grand-Dad BIB mini I enjoyed on my 50th birthday in North Myrtle Beach (yeah, Doug -- I think better than my official '57/'61 'birthday' bottle!); W.L. Weller 8yo BIB 1940/1948 (opened at Sampler '06); Very Old Fitzgerald BIB 1956/1964 (ETL BOTY distribution at Cliff's); pre-issue, 1994 Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit; Willett Rye #1 bottling; non-commercial, barrel-proof "Pappy 21" (again, search).

I'm proud to realize, as I note these bottlings that I have been privileged to own, that (with the single exception of the Scotch malt and the mini) their enjoyment has been immeasurably enhanced in each case by sharing them with StraightBourbon.com members.

So, Jim and Dave Butler, while you may have missed some of these tastings, please enjoy the fact that you both made them possible, and magnified their savor by your efforts to create and support this bastion of collegiality.:toast:

[T47]

1) GT Stagg

2) PVW 15

3) Aberlour A'bunadh

4) VW Lot B

5) Bookers

Always changing and flexible, but I think my Top 3 at least are pretty consistent.

[TNbourbon]

1) GT Stagg

2) PVW 15

3) Aberlour A'bunadh

4) VW Lot B

5) Bookers

Always changing and flexible, but I think my Top 3 at least are pretty consistent.

I like all those, too, Todd -- well, at least the first four. I'm kind of a shrug when it comes to Booker's -- I don't dislike it, but it seems pretty ordinary other than the proof. But that's just me.

Anyway, wish you were here -- we'd share some other tastes, too. As it is, I think my bottles are stuck in my bunker, lest they be 'taxed' by Tennessee ABC agents.

[Nebraska]

1. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2006

2. Sazerac Jr

3. BTAC Handy rye 2006

4. Rittenhouse BIB

5. Weller 12 yo

These are all work horses. Best bang for the buck. Top five for me cause they are affordable, very available and currently in my stash.

The SW 27 yo in there is very tasty, but there is only about an ounce left.

[TBoner]

1. ND OGD BIB

2. ND OGD 114

3. WT 12 Gold Foil

4. WT 12 Split

5. WT Rye

This list doesn't include any SMS, which would skew things differently, but the first three would remain the same regardless.

[barturtle]

Fives just not enough, heck I can damn near cover that with WT products (Tribute, 14yo, 12yo Split). Add in several bottling from BTAC (Saz 18 2001, GTS 2002, ER 17 2000, Weller 19 2001) Some private bottlings (Van Blankle, Willett #1, Tim's 21yo Van Winkle) then there are a few others not to be left out (Eagle Rare 10/101 Lburg, Old Charter BIB, Blantons Barrel Proof).

The we get moving into imports, Redbreast 15yo, Highland Park 25, Springbank 21yo...where do we start paring down the list?

[smokinjoe]

Fives just not enough, heck I can damn near cover that with WT products (Tribute, 14yo, 12yo Split). Add in several bottling from BTAC (Saz 18 2001, GTS 2002, ER 17 2000, Weller 19 2001) Some private bottlings (Van Blankle, Willett #1, Tim's 21yo Van Winkle) then there are a few others not to be left out (Eagle Rare 10/101 Lburg, Old Charter BIB, Blantons Barrel Proof).

The we get moving into imports, Redbreast 15yo, Highland Park 25, Springbank 21yo...where do we start paring down the list?

It's sad that of the Americans you list, though impressive, none can be easily purchased in a store...

JOE

[barturtle]

It's sad that of the Americans you list, though impressive, none can be easily purchased in a store...

JOE

Well, I did better than Tim, of the ones of mine that were ever in retail, most of them were in the last decade or so:slappin:

[gothbat]

This time I'm going to go with:

- GTS ('05 in particular but really any year)

- WLW ('06 in particular)

- PVW23 (sb.com single barrel, barrel 2)

- PVW20

- Weller Antique 107

I wanted to add WT101 so there was another bottle that costs under $50 on there but what could I possibly knock off that list? If you said list 6 then that would be my 6th one, WT101.

[bigtoys]

PVW 20

Jefferson Reserve

Lagavulin 16

Four Roses SB

GT Stagg

[macon]

GTS

ETL

EC18

BT

JD-SB - not Bourbon but good

[tsh3406]

Here's mine:

1. WT 101, because I can find it at almost every restraunt or bar

2. OGD 100 BIB, great everyday pour, great price

3. VWFR 12, pairs really well with food and openly embraced by those who do not call themselves bourbon drinkers.

4. EWSB '95, the one that really got me into bourbon a few years back. Getting harder to find though.

5. ER 101, either bottling, that's just good bourbon, that's all I got to say 'bout that.

I had to justify these more to myself as a way to narrow it down. I've tried so many that I like, thanks to everyone at the '07 sampler. I've aquired 5 or 6 new bottles that I haven't opened yet, so a few may change. Honestly I've only tried one bourbon that I can say I did not like.

Tim

[jburlowski]

In no particular order (and at this moment:

WLW 2006

PVW 15

WTAS

Hirsch 16 BW

ETL

[Everman75]

Here's my current line-up. Going to The Party Source on Saturday to get some stuff I can't find here, so this may change.:

Old Weller Antique 107

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

[Everman75]

Oops. wasn't done...

Bookers

Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve 90 (haven't been able to try the 101)

Makers Mark (because it was the bourbon that got me into bourbon, and it's not too bad either):cool:

[JamesH007]

1. Thomas Handy Rye

2. VW 12yr Lot B / Pappy 20

3. Elmer T.

4. Hirsch 16

5. 4 Roses 40yr

[NickAtMartinis]

GTS Fall '06 and '07

Every other bourbon beyond those two is a distance away. That's not hype talking. GTS is just great. Tonight, I started off with some Saz then GTS and WLW and GTS just blows WLW away. Saz is so different a whiskey and such a change of pace from GTS, that I can't and won't say GTS is far better but I really can't think of another bourbon that comes close in my short bourbon-drinking life.

[TNbourbon]

GTS Fall '06 and '07

Every other bourbon beyond those two is a distance away. That's not hype talking. GTS is just great...

No, not hype -- inexperience, maybe? Granted, Stagg is fine whiskey. But there have been many equals and/or betters over the years. George T. Stagg is, in some ways, the 'flavor-of-the-month'. It surely is popular these days, and highly-regarded by those publications that value their own ratings so highly. Especially by those that feature Scotch whisky.

Please don't take this as criticism or insult. But, understand also that many here have tasted not one, but many, whiskeys more memorable than the latest Stagg. That said, we like it, too. But, sometimes we appreciate a kiss on the cheek over a slap in the face. Ya know?