What was your "gateway" bourbon?

[Dr. François]

In the concerned parent world, gateway substances are those "that supposedly lead to abuse of other substances" (link). While I do not mean to make light of drug abuse, I had an interesting thought.

What was your gateway bourbon?

What was the bourbon that really grabbed you for the first time? What was that bottle that let you know that you really, really wanted more of this substance? Please note: this is not just the first bourbon you tried or purchased consistently, but the first bourbon you loved.

Bonus points: is this still a favorite pour or yours, or have you outgrown it?

[MrAtomic]

Well,

My gateway bourbon was Maker's Mark. Although this bottling takes some flak on the board for being a bit too middle of the road for some, for me it was a revelation. A friend always kept a bottle in the house, and offered me a pour -- I can't remember if it was neat or over ice. I liked it from the outset, which was a very pleasant surprise as the only liquor (as opposed to beer) that I knew at the time was Dewar's, which my parents always kept in the house. While I've since learned to love single malt and blended Scotches, at the time I found Dewar's to be an unpleasant combination of burnt, mossy flavors and alcoholic heat. I'm sometimes amazed at the changes in my palate since finding this online community and experimenting with news whisk(e)ys.

Have I outgrown Maker's Mark? I don't think so, although I no longer buy it by the bottle. For me, it's fallen into a category of bourbons that I can always find at a bar, which eliminates the need to keep it in the apartment. I'd put Knob Creek and Wild Turkey 101 in this category, as well -- they're all great bourbons and the Wild Turkey, in particular, is always enjoyable, but I only buy them if I'm away from home.

Incidentally, I was introduced to Maker's Mark in 2000, and was a very satisfied customer for years. When a Maker's bottle reached empty, I reflexively purchased another. Really, the only reason I branched out and started buying other bourbons and scotches was because of the comments of people on this website.

[ratcheer]

Well, I suppose I have had two gateway bourbons. When I was young (many years ago), I was given a taste of Wild Turkey 101-proof. It was much better than anything I had tasted up to that point. Alas, it was too expensive for a penniless student to afford on a regular basis. Yes, it is still a favored bourbon, today.

After I got very ill with too much bourbon once in college, I stayed away from it for a long time. Then, around '87 or '88, a friend served me a glass of Blanton's single-barrel. It was absolutely delicious and it awoke me to the possibilities I had been missing for so long. Blanton's is still one of my very top favorites.

Tim

[jburlowski]

Mine was Basil Hayden (pause here for boos and hisses). It was the first "serious" bourbon that I tried. Before that it was the occasional JD & water or perhaps JBW. It opened my eyes to the vast possibilities.

I realize that BH is looked on with scorn by some here, but hey, you never forget your first love.

And it still brings back great memories...

[NickAtMartinis]

My gateway bourbon was PVW 20.

And, it's no longer something I love to drink. It's good, but one dimensional and much too expensive.

PVW 15 destroys PVW 20.

[TBoner]

Knob Creek.

It was my good fortune the first time I went to a liquor store to buy myself a bottle of bourbon (I'd bought some blended whiskeys for mixing with Coke, but never a straight bourbon) to find Knob Creek on sale. At its regular price in that high-end store, I'd never have bought it. I never drank anything but beer at bars, so I'd never really sampled any bourbon. I fell in love immediately, to the extent that I didn't try any other bourbons for some time. When I did, it was Old Ezra 7/101. It was so different from Knob Creek - deep corn influence, dried fruits, with a younger, distinct char influence - that I had the urge to try other bourbons and see what other flavors were out there. Grain Brain opened some Stagg, I tried a bottle of BT....and it's been a long downhill slide ever since.:grin: So I suppose Knob Creek was my gateway, but Ezra 101 was a secondary gate, opening my eyes to the very large differences among bourbons.

[gothbat]

Mine was Maker's Mark too, a 375ml bottle, which I drank in shots. Advertising goes a long way because it was almost purely the packaging that made me decide on that one when I was in the liquor store looking for something different, I liked the dripping wax seal. From then on anything in the bourbon section was fair game and I forgot all about the vodka and rum.

Bookers was another gateway bourbon for me as well. This was the first "really expensive" (or so I considered it at the time...) bottle I ever bought. At the time I felt embarrassed spending almost $55 with tax on a bottle of whiskey but I decided it was worth it a few days later. I label this one as a gateway bottle too because before this one I primarily drank shots and mixed it into beer. I figured I should try and make the most of the bottle so I bought a snifter at Linens and Things thinking "If they can sip straight brandy out of this glass then I can sip straight bourbon out of this glass!" after a few sips and once the whiskey got a little warm from my palm I realized that the snifter was the way to go and from then on sipped my bourbon instead of shooting or mixing it.

I learned that I liked bourbon from MM and how to get more enjoyment out of it from Bookers.

[bigtoys]

My gateway American whiskey was good old JD #7 back in college. Even became a TN Squire. It was my father-in-law's pour of choice, too. Probably got me some points with him. I still have my plot of land in Lynchburg.After drinking mostly single malt scotch for years, my switch back to bourbon was probably Woodford Reserve. I think I liked the look of the bottle. I took it to the next level with Pappy 20 based on the recommendation of the spirits guy at Binny's. It remains my favorite to this day.

[OscarV]

When I was 16 I got indroduced to a fifth of Old Grand Dad and a 6 pack of Stroh's Beer.

I was sick for 3 days.

But the one that opened the gates was Maker's Mark, not that long ago, maybe about 6 years ago. Not the taste, it was the nose. I drank it on the rocks and I kept getting this smell that I was not looking for, but it kept haunting me. It was far superior than the taste and I decided this bourbon stuff was something I better look into.

[skeebs0615]

Mine was Wild Turkey 101 & I haven't tried another but JB Black..

[ThomasH]

My first bourbon was Beam white label while my gateway bourbon was the Beam black 90 proof. It is still one of my favorites!

Thomas

[Brennan77]

Maker's Mark was one of the first that really caught my attention. What got me hooked though was Russell's Reserve 101 and Elmer T. Lee.

[shyster512]

My gateway bourbon was 10 Year Old Charter. I drank this cheerfully for 25 years. I then was introduced to Blantons, which has led me to a whole new world including the ones I drink now. I very seldom drink Charter anymore. In fact, I find myself drinking less Blantons.

[HipFlask]

Well while I had had MM, JD(did not know the diff between Bourbon and TN whisky) and WT 101. I would have to say the gateway bourbon would have to be Russels Reserve 101. I was looking for WT 101 and ran into the RR101. I Saw that it was also made by Austin Nichcols. Rare breed, WT KS were also near by, but much more expensive than anything I had purchased so far. I decided to spend the extra 2 bucks and try this strange new bottle of spirit. After that I was off to the races and I almost always look for something new and exciting to try. I think RB was next then Blantons. This tradition continues, just today I picked up a of Binny's select WLW 12 yr. Cross another one off the list.

For 1/2 the bonus points I would still be drinking it if I could find any.

[closetbourbonlvr]

WT 101. Very good stuff.

[birdman1099]

For years I enjoyed Makers Mark and Knob Creek but it was Woodford Reserve that caught my attention and started the love affair.

[T47]

Makers for me, then the flood gates were opened.

[TomH]

As a long time scotch drinker, I kept Makers and Woodford on the shelf for friends but seldom touched them myself. It wasn't until I read an article in Whiskynotes about a bourbon by the name of George T. Stagg that I decided I needed to find a bottle (easier said than done). Once I tried it, my bunker composition began its change from all scotch to over 66% bourbon.

Tom

[ACDetroit]

Well I was a JBW and beer kid (late HS) and the store I bought at offered me a free pint of MM one night! I was young and a free pint was just enough to get me to try something new!

Maker's it was for the longest time, I tried the Small Batch Collection shortly after that and now it's just ugly!!

Great Thread Jeremy!

Cheers!

Tony

[BourbonJoe]

I guess mine was Old Grandad BiB back in the 60's and 70's. It was good stuff back then.

Joe :usflag:

[Blaise314]

Mine was Maker's Mark too. After a bad bourbon experience early on (high school?), I hadn't had a sip until I tried MM last year (at age 33). The smooth sweetness and aroma got me and it's been a go-to since. While I haven't outgrown it, when buying I'll generally spend the extra buck or two for Eagle Rare or buy something I haven't yet tried.

[squire]

7 yr 90 proof Yellowstone ca 1970.

Regards,

Squire

[SBOmarc]

OGD 86 to WT 101, to Makers Mark.

Then I found this site.

There are Gateways indeed.

[BkBlue]

I guess mine would be Blanton's, towards the end of college. Bourbon was probably my favorite liquor even then, but up until then it had been mostly Jim Beam, Makers, and Woodford Reserve a couple of times.

I still like Blanton's but I can't say that I drink it much these days. The last bottle I purchased has been in the cabinet unopened for a bout a year and a half now. Just too many other more exciting pours and always something new to grab my attention.

[whiskeyhatch]

As an adult, it started with Old Grand Dad. In Brooklyn, NY. With 'Sons of the Pioneers,' 'The Flatlanders' and 'Willie Nelson' on the stereo. (WTF?!!) Then Knob Creek on poker nights... in a Lower East-side, eighth floor walk-up overlooking the World Trade Center. And finally... Makers' Mark... on quieter nights in DFW. But, then again, there was whatever the hell my grandad bought 20 years ago when he finally thought that it was appropriate to get his No. 1 grandson hammered. Ah hell it was Makers' Mark, dammit! That was when I really began to love bourbon. And by then I at least knew the difference between Jim Beam and Glenfiddich!