Walker's Bourbon?

[nickynick]

My grandfather pasted and my grandmother, knowing I am a whiskey person gave me some of grandpa's bottles. One of which is an unopened Walkers Bourbon. Its says it's 8 years old and the it was distilled in Peoria, IL. Now I have read that at one time Illinois produced almost as much whiskey as Kentucky. The tax stamp is still on it as well. I can't decide if I want to open it and drink it or leave it. It is a nice bottle. Has anyone seen this before, or have tasted it?

Also grabbed a handle of I.W. Harper, also with a tax stamp. Its 86 proof. Some tax stamped 90 proof JD, and a tax stamped Jim Beam decanter. I have seen these before, but not with the whiskey still in them. Its ceramic I believe. I have a few empties, one with a Norman Rockwell on it. Can't remember what was on the one my grandmother gave me.

My guess is from reading other posts that the whiskey is still good. None of the bottles have corks, so no cork rot. The other question I have is about the tax stamp. I'm a younger guy(28), so I wasn't buying whiskey when these were around. Is there a way to tell the date? I was looking at it and I could not find it.

I'll try to post a picture of the bottles if I get a chance.

[cowdery]

The tax stamps on bottles of bonded whiskey told the season and year distilled and the season and year when bottled. Other tax stamps, generally, tell you nothing.

Canada's Hiram Walker was one of the big distillers in Peoria so, presumably, the Walker's is from them.

It would be interesting to taste an example of a well-aged Illinois bourbon. I've tasted Illinois bourbon before, but mostly bottom-shelf stuff that was pretty bad.

[barturtle]

Spend some time searching around here and you will find most of the info you need on tax stamps. But here's a quick recap from memory:

1) Bonds have dates

2)The numbers on non-bonds are undecipherable.

It seems there may have been a color change at some point, but I'm not sure about that. Past these you have to start figuring out when certain things came and went on the bottles-Government warnings and such.

No matter what, it seems you have found a nice little stash of bottles, enjoy.

[nickynick]

So I take it from your posts that I should drink this stuff?

[cowdery]

So I take it from your posts that I should drink this stuff?

Unless you have a better idea, yes.

[craigthom]

I've tasted Illinois bourbon before, but mostly bottom-shelf stuff that was pretty bad.

I found an Illinois bottle of Ten High over the holidays, and I bought it just to have an example of a bourbon not made in Kentucky. It was cheap enough. I don't expect the whiskey inside to be any good based on my reading.

[nickynick]

Unless you have a better idea, yes.

Not really, no.

So I'll give it a try. It is Walker's Deluxe Bourbon. Aged 8 years, I believe it is 86 proof. And it is from Peoria, IL.

Probably wait to crack it for awhile. Have to many open bottles and my future wife said no more bourbon(or any other whiskey for that matter) till I finish so of what I have. Mostly because we are running out space to put it in our apartment. Man I need a house with a basement...

Till I open it, it will serve as a nice memorial to grandpa. Even after I open it, it will still be a memorial to grandpa.

[craigthom]

my future wife said no more bourbon(or any other whiskey for that matter) till I finish so of what I have.

It's not too late to reconsider!

[Jono]

Similar story with my brother and his then wife's grandfather who only drank Walker's Delux.....it is ok...a decent mixer at best. It is drinkable but not great.

Nickynick...how about a nice tasting note on this one...

[Jono]

I think this bourbon has very limited production and is occasionally unavailable per Google search results....here is an interesting bourbon list at a Bourbons Bistro - over 130 Bourbons...wow!

http://www.bourbonsbistro.com/bourbonlist.pdf

Walkers Delux is listed among their $5.00 offering...the low shelf stuff.

BOURBONS BISTRO 2255 FRANKFORT AVE. LOUISVILLE, KY 40206 502.894.8838

HAPPY HOUR: 4:30 –7 EVERYDAY DINNER: 5 –10 SUN–THURS, 5–11 FRI & SAT

Also....if it is good enough for Basil Rathbone it is good enough for us! "Marvelous!"

http://www.basilrathbone.net/ads/walkersad.jpg

[nickynick]

I think this bourbon has very limited production and is occasionally unavailable per Google search results....here is an interesting bourbon list at a Bourbons Bistro - over 130 Bourbons...wow!

http://www.bourbonsbistro.com/bourbonlist.pdf

Walkers Delux is listed among their $5.00 offering...the low shelf stuff.

BOURBONS BISTRO 2255 FRANKFORT AVE. LOUISVILLE, KY 40206 502.894.8838

HAPPY HOUR: 4:30 –7 EVERYDAY DINNER: 5 –10 SUN–THURS, 5–11 FRI & SAT

Also....if it is good enough for Basil Rathbone it is good enough for us! "Marvelous!"

http://www.basilrathbone.net/ads/walkersad.jpg

I think the stuff you are talking about is different. HH makes a Walker's Deluxe, it 3 years old.

The stuff I have is Hiram Walker, distilled in Peoria IL, its 8 years old. My guess is it is a least 25 years old, long out of production.

[Jono]

I think Walkers was very popular back in the day....1940s-60s based on the large amount of advertising and collecter material on the web. Quite a few celebrity adverts etc.

Interesting blurb on the Peoria plant:

http://www.lib.uwo.ca/business/ccc-hiramwalker.htm

"In 1927 Hatch established Hiram Walker-Gooderham & Worts 1 Limited as the parent company, then set his sights on the giant U.S. market. When prohibition was repealed there in 1933, Hatch was building the world's biggest distillery at Peoria, Illinois. Soon top quality bourbons and blended whiskies from Peoria were on the market."

Another good company history: http://www.answers.com/topic/hiram-walker-resources-ltd?cat=biz-fin

"In 1972 expansion doubled the production capacity of the Walkerville Distillery; seven years later the Peoria plant closed and a new ultra-modern distillery opened in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The plant was better equipped to produce the cream liqueurs that were becoming a large part of Hiram Walker sales."

[boone]

I think the stuff you are talking about is different. HH makes a Walker's Deluxe, it 3 years old.

We don't have the label "Walker's Deluxe". I went to the label room to double check.

[nickynick]

We don't have the label "Walker's Deluxe". I went to the label room to double check.

Just going off of something I saw on another web site. Sorry. Well someone make a Walker's Deluxe. Someone makes it.

It was in Jim Murray's Whisky bible. Doesn't say who makes it there though.

[gblick]

Here's a recent thread about it:

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5124

[Jono]

As Brian in Tx said...Bigfoot sighting indeed!

[Jono]

Last bit of trivia...

http://www.historicpeoria.com/entry.php?eid=11&catid=5&cid=1

"The Whiskey Era Ends

In 1982 the great era of whiskey and beer ended in Peoria. Hiram Walker's plant was taken over by Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) for the production of ethanol and grain spirits, the Pabst Plant moved out of the area, and the remains of the Leisy Brewery is now a plant owned by PMP Fermentation. In the 1970s, the national demand for hard liquor declined, ending Peoria's booming industry."

Hmmm.....any chance of a renewal?

[cowdery]

All of the old Hiram Walker bourbons, specifically Walker's Deluxe and Ten High, are made by Barton, although after Peoria closed they were made for a time by Heaven Hill.

[Jono]

I wonder if Walker's and 10 High are distinct mash bills...or merely different labels? It would be interesting to compare the "old" Hiram Walkers 8 yr old bourbon with the current offering. I have only had a couple of Walker's...courtesy of my brother who favors it...and I found it "drinkable"....not great. Never have I tasted 10 High. Whoever has the stomach should conduct a lower shelf taste off.....all for science of course!

[craigthom]

I have a Peoria Ten High, but I will defer this experiment until my palate is better trained. I bought it for historical reasons.

[cowdery]

If Walker's Deluxe was 8-years-old back in the day, then the product has changed a lot. I know Barton's Ten High is NAS, so it's at least 4-years-old, but some of the other bottom-shelf Barton bourbons, such as Mattingly and Moore, are 36-monthers. I suspect Walker's Deluxe is a 36-monther now, but I don't have any handy to check. Barton Bourbon is Barton Bourbon, recipe wise, with the exception of 1792, so the only difference between Walker's Deluxe and Ten High today would likely be age.

[Jono]

Here are some "reviews"....not that informative since all seem to mix it..and desire cheap bourbon:

http://www.rateitall.com/i-618-walkers-deluxe.aspx

"As good as Crown but without the day after headache. Inexpensive and mixes well with Dr Pepper. Try it before you pass judgment.

09/22/2004 Smooth with a good bourbon taste. Mixes well with water. Gets you drunk.

04/08/2003 The reason this is great is because it is by far the best stuff out there under 6.00 a half pint. Its a little rough as most bourbon is but a surprizingly easy aftershock (aftertaste) makes it a perfect cheap drink. I would actully prefer this over some high dollar stuff. itts every bit as good to me as makers mark,jack daniels and wild turkey 101 well maybe not as good as wild turkey 101 but as good as the rest Remember if your not used to bourbon STAY AWAY FROM THIS! But next time your a little low on cash and want to enjoy an all around good bourbon, This is your drink!!! RECOMENDED A+++!!!

03/11/2002 A very smooth cheap whiskey. Almost as smooth as crown, but at half the price. $18 for a half gallon. Mixes well with coke.

[FlashPuppy]

Is this it?

I think that I wound up with like a case or a half case of this stuff. I opened and drank a whole one. Not too bad, but of course, I don't have my tasting notes here to reference either.

[Jono]

That is the bottle I recognize as Walker's...not sure if the most recent

bottles still retain the Hiram Walker name. Is an age listed on your bottle - 4 or 8 yrs?

I get the impression that the "original" Walker's DeLuxe...8 yr old...was a "top shelf bourbon" at the time....30+ years ago.

[squire]

Yea, well, back when it was better than now because the bar was higher. In the mid 70s I could walk into a store and have my choice of well make, well aged Bourbons. At the time the Walker plant was producing a large amount of whiskey and had the stocks on hand to mingle a high quality brand to compete with the likes of Taylor, Crow, Fitzgerald and Yellowstone, just to name a few. I remember drinking some Walker but not much because there were so many others that were better in our perception.

Regards,

Squire