Your Top Five

[jsgorman]

1) Springbank 21 YO

2) Hirsch 16 / 20 YO

3) WT Tribute 15 YO

4) Bowmore Voyage

5) Stagg (Any Year)

Everyday Drinkers...

Russell's Reserve 101 (1.5 cases bunkered)

Springbank 10YO

[CorvallisCracker]

In order:

1. Hirsch 16 BW

2. PVW 15

3. Weller Antique 7/107

4. Buffalo Trace

5. EC 12

The Hirsch is from the original release, which showed up at my favorite liquor store in Tallahassee (where I lived until Dec 2006) sometime around 1993. I bought one, took it home, tried it, went back and bought three more bottles of the 16 and one of the 20. IIRC, the prices were $40 and $60 respectively.

I opened the last bottle of the 16 last fall; it's about 3/4 full. The 20yo is unopened.

PVW 15 is one I'd been meaning to try, but had trouble finding. Oregon is a "controlled" state and it's not on the OLCC list of standards. Fortunately, the proprietor of "Big Y" liquors down in Eugene is someone who is willing to jump through all the OLCC hoops and stock a lot of non-standard stuff. I was in there the week after Christmas 2007, noticed he had PVW 20 but not 15 on the shelf. I commented on this and he brought out a bottle of 15 that he'd ordered for another customer who'd never showed up to take delivery.

Brought it home, tried it side by side with the Hirsch 16. The Hirsch had a VERY slight edge in complexity and smoothness. These two are definitely a cut above every other bourbon I've tried.

Weller Antique is not on the OLCC standard list. I really miss it.

BT is my "everyday" bourbon, and I use it as a benchmark when trying a new (to me) bourbon. EC 12 is my favorite alternative when I start getting bored with the BT.

Tomorrow I'll be driving down to "Big Y" to pick up a bottle of VW Lot B, which I've yet to try.

By the way, I've tallied the picks in this thread to this point (Mar 8 2008, 1500 PST). The Top Eleven:

Geo T Stagg: 15 (summed over all releases)

Wm Larue Weller: 11

PVW 15: 9

WT 101: 9

Weller Antique: 9

WT RB: 8

BT: 8

Elmer T Lee: 7

VW Lot B: 7

PVW 20: 7

EC 12: 7

I've never tried the GTS or WLW. Last time I was at "Big Y" (about a month ago) he had one bottle of GTS. If it's still there, I may pick it up.

As for non-bourbon, my favorites are:

Favorite Rye: Saz 18

Favorite Canadian: Forty Creek

Favorite Irish: Redbreast 12

Scotch? Don't particularly care for it, but I always have bottle of single malt on hand for my Scotch-drinking friends. Current offering is Aberlour a'bunadh. It's Batch 18, supposedly not one of the best but they seem to like it okay.

[d_nelly78]

I'm new to the game but here are my faves.

Bakers

Rock Hill Farms

Maker's Mark

Wild Tukey Russels Reserve

Jim Beam Black

Waiting to try.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Buffalo Trace

George T Stagg

[CorvallisCracker]

In order:

1. Hirsch 16 BW

2. PVW 15

3. Weller Antique 7/107

4. Buffalo Trace

5. EC 12

Okay, having tried the VW Lot B and the GTS (2007) I have to revise the list.

1. Hirsch 16 BW

2, 3. PVW 15, VW Lot B (tie)

4. GTS (2007)

5. Weller Antique 7/107

After posting my previous entry in this thread, I realized the tally did not include my own picks. Here's an updated version that includes my (revised) picks:

GTS: 16 (summed over all releases)

WLW: 11

PVW 15: 10

Weller 7/107: 10

WT 101: 9

WT RB: 8

BT: 8

VW Lot B: 8

ETL: 7

PVW 20: 7

EC 12: 7

Seems odd to me that the WT 101 has a higher count than the WT RB. I think the RB is better.

[felthove]

I have never had GTS but I do have a question for all you fans out there:

How many of you that really love it drink it at a reduced proof such as 100 or 90 proof? When dilluted with water down to some standard proof is it still the best whiskey out there? Or does the appeal lie in the flavor profile at barrel proof (or very close to it)?

I need to try this stuff!

[CorvallisCracker]

I have never had GTS but I do have a question for all you fans out there:

How many of you that really love it drink it at a reduced proof such as 100 or 90 proof? When dilluted with water down to some standard proof is it still the best whiskey out there? Or does the appeal lie in the flavor profile at barrel proof (or very close to it)?

I need to try this stuff!

I mix it 3:1 with filtered water, which reduces the proof to about 109 (2007 release).

[Taggerung]

Okay, having tried the VW Lot B and the GTS (2007) I have to revise the list.

1. Hirsch 16 BW

2, 3. PVW 15, VW Lot B (tie)

4. GTS (2007)

5. Weller Antique 7/107

After posting my previous entry in this thread, I realized the tally did not include my own picks. Here's an updated version that includes my (revised) picks:

GTS: 16 (summed over all releases)

WLW: 11

PVW 15: 10

Weller 7/107: 10

WT 101: 9

WT RB: 8

BT: 8

VW Lot B: 8

ETL: 7

PVW 20: 7

EC 12: 7

Seems odd to me that the WT 101 has a higher count than the WT RB. I think the RB is better.

Am I right that 8 of these are from BT?

[CorvallisCracker]

Am I right that 8 of these are from BT?

Yes.

Scary, isn't it?

Also note that three of the top four are wheaters.

[felthove]

Surprised an OGD offering didn't make it in...

[Tennessee Dave]

Old Weller Antique

Van Winkle Lot B

Weller Reserve

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

ORVW 10 yo

[CorvallisCracker]

Another tally, this time done a little more deliberately. Last time I missed that some folks had posted altered/updated picks, and in many cases had posted lists which required some analysis. For example, they may have listed a Scotch in their top five, then included a "honorable mention" Bourbon. On the first pass I didn't count that Bourbon; this time I did.

I've excluded all the non-Bourbon picks. I don't know what Hipflask's original intention was; he said "whiskey" but himself listed only bourbons (or was here a rye too?)

But I think it's more useful to just tally the Bourbons (at least, more useful to me).

In most cases I could interperet a complex post (i.e., not a simple list of five) or one where a whiskey was inaccurately named (e.g. "ORVW Lot B") and do justice to the mentioned bourbons. There were only two that got the better of me:

Current Release Favorites:

1. ORVW15

2. GTS '06

3. AH Hirsch 16

4. ORVW Lot B

5. ETL

Older Bourbon:

1. Old Fitzgerald BIB

2. OGD BIB

3. Old Forester BIB

4. Eagle Rare 101

5. OGD 114

Okay, ORVW is not current; it was the predecessor to PVW 15, so I can't know which one was meant. Likewise the current GTS is the '07, not the '06. I also don't understand the second list; are these supposed to be no-longer-available bourbons? Because four of them still are.

Jeff, there's no way I could know which five are really your top five, so I couldn't count any of them. A clarification post would be welcome.

The other post I excluded listed only obscure special releases.

Anyway, here's the full tally:

16 GTS (2 '05, 1 '06, 4 '07 and 9 unspecified)

11 WLW (1 '05, 7 '06, 1 '07, 2 unspecified)

9 PVW 15

9 VW 12 Lot B

9 Weller 7/107

9 WT RB

7 BT

7 EC 12

7 PVW 20

7 WT NAS 101

6 Hirsch 16 (2 BW, 1 GW, 1 "early versions", 2 unspecified)

5 ETL

5 4R Single Bbl

4 Blantons

4 Old Forester BB (3 '02, 1 '06)

4 ORVW 10/107

4 WT 12/101

3 ER 10/90 SB

3 4R Small Batch

3 4R 40yr

3 KC

3 MM

3 Old Fitz S-W BIB

3 PVW 23

3 Rock Hill Farms

3 WT Trib 15/101

2 Bakers

2 Basil Haydens

2 Bookers

2 ER 10/101

2 McKenna SB 10

2 JB BL 8/86

2 OGD BIB

2 ORVW 10/unspecified

2 ORVW 15/107

2 Weller 12/90

2 WT KS

2 WT RR 10/101

2 WT RR 10/90

1 ER 17

1 EC 18

1 EW unspecified

1 4R Yellow Label (an export I guess)

1 Hirsch 20

1 Jeffersons Rsv 15

1 OC PR 13

1 Old Fitz 1849

1 Old Forester BIB

1 OGD unspecified

1 OGD BIB ND

1 OGD 114

1 OGD 114 ND

1 ORVW 10/90

1 OT 86 ND

1 Parkers Heritage

1 Ridgemont

1 "VW 15" (ORVW or PVW?)

1 Very Rare Old Heaven Hill 10

1 Weller 10/100

1 WT unspecified

1 WT 1855

1 WT AS 15/100

1 WT RR 10/unspecified

1 Woodford

Ordering of these is, I think, a joint function of quality and availability. If everyone who posted had ever sampled, say, Hirsch 20 or one of the WT 15yo, the results might have been different.

[tigerlam92]

0. PVW23

1. ORVW 15 (only 1.3 bottle left!! I think this is by far my favorite)

2. PVW 20

3. PVW 15

4. EC18

I have three bottles of PVW23 that I haven't tried. Something like this I really want to drink with a fellow borbon drinker but coming from an Asian guy, no one around me drinks this "stuff" at all, LOL.

Secondly, I have notice that the first pour of my PVW20 was terrible, extremely woody. It was so bad that I was regretting buying all those bottles of 20 and 23 and was thinking how to pawn it out. But I waited a couple of days and a couple of pours later it tastes a lot better. Unfortunately it is still not quite as good as the ORVW15, IMO. I really like the sweeter more maple syrup quality of bourbon that the van winkle provides.

Wondering how the PVW23 will taste like.

Cheers

--Hugh

[HipFlask]

I wanted to reply to CorvallisCracker

"I've excluded all the non-Bourbon picks. I don't know what Hipflask's original intention was; he said "whiskey" but himself listed only bourbons (or was here a rye too?)"

First off I have really enjoyed the direction this post has taken. I also wanted to thank you (CorvallisCracker)tallying up the choices. It is quite interesting and revealing to see the trends in everyones "Top Five". Wheaters seem to be a favorite of most all.

I have also sampled some other whiskys because of this post. It is all good.

You are correct CorvallisCracker I do have VWFRR 13 Rye in my top 5. And that is the reason I opened it up to whiskey instead of just Bourbon. Since you have totalled up just the bourbons it would now be interesting to see all of the whiskies as another point of comparison.

I suppose I could have said top five American Straight whiskeys but in retrospect I am glad that I did not as whiskey is whisky and we are brothers and sisters in spirit as long as we are drinking whiskey. I am always looking for something new to pour. I hope this post continues to share knowledge of this amazing spirit.

My current top 5 are

1 VWFRR 13 yr

2 GTS

3 PVW 15

4 WLW BTAC

5 WLW 12 yr 90

[CorvallisCracker]

I wanted to reply to CorvallisCracker

"I've excluded all the non-Bourbon picks. I don't know what Hipflask's original intention was; he said "whiskey" but himself listed only bourbons (or was here a rye too?)"

First off I have really enjoyed the direction this post has taken. I also wanted to thank you (CorvallisCracker)tallying up the choices.

You're welcome!

Name is Scott, BTW.

Wheaters seem to be a favorite of most all.

Interesting, that.

I have also sampled some other whiskys because of this post.

Yes; although I'd been meaning to try the VW Lot B for a while, this thread finally induced me to go out and buy some.

And I'd try the William Larue Weller if I could find some.

You are correct CorvallisCracker I do have VWFRR 13 Rye in my top 5. And that is the reason I opened it up to whiskey instead of just Bourbon. Since you have totalled up just the bourbons it would now be interesting to see all of the whiskies as another point of comparison.

Sure...after I finish doing my taxes...

I suppose I could have said top five American Straight whiskeys but in retrospect I am glad that I did not as whiskey is whisky and we are brothers and sisters in spirit as long as we are drinking whiskey. I am always looking for something new to pour. I hope this post continues to share knowledge of this amazing spirit.

My current top 5 are

1 VWFRR 13 yr

2 GTS

3 PVW 15

4 WLW BTAC

5 WLW 12 yr 90

My "opened up" list would be:

1. Hirsch 16 BW

2, 3. PVW 15/VW 12 Lot B (tie)

4. Saz 18

5. GTS (2007)

I don't much care for Scotch, and although there are some Canadian and Irish whiskies I like, none would make it to my Top Five.

[chilidawg7]

1. Old Granddad 114

2. PVW 20

3. GTS 07

4. WT Rare Breed

5a. Blanton's

5b. Maker's Mark

I look forward to trying any Hirsch and the WLW BTAC sometime soon. They seem to be getting a lot of positive reviews here.