TNbourbon

By the way, Rebel Yell is only currently marketed in a handful of states -- Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia (and maybe the Carolinas, I think)

Perhaps you noted on the "Bourbon" strand of this discussion board that 7-year-old W.L. Weller's (versus an average of 6 years for Maker's Mark, also a wheated bourbon -- contrary to a previous post stating MM is aged longer) is a frequent favorite among lower-cost bourbons. Weller's Special Reserve is 90 proof (45% abv). Why am I telling you this, you ask, when you're interested in Rebel Yell bourbon? Well, because it's the same thing, 'cept different, as they say in these parts. Rebel Yell is Weller's Special Reserve diluted to 80 proof (40% abv). It comes from the same barrels, and both Rebel Yell and Weller's are now produced at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, KY. Note that if you line up 750 mL bottles of Weller's Antique 107, Weller's Special Reserve and Rebel Yell the only difference (besides the proof of the whiskey inside) is the labeling and color of the cap. It's exactly the same bottle for each brand. What's inside's the same, too, just different dilutions of the same bourbon. All pretty good bargains, too. Good bourbon for the money.

I suspect, like last year's craze for Belvidere Vodka, this is a one-hit wonder -- it became popular when mentioned in a hip-hop song. As new songs (and drink mentions) come along, it's popularity will dwindle. It's already showing signs of happening.

I am, by no means, a vodka expert or aficianado, but my experience as a part-timer in a wine/liquor store leads me to agree -- simply by the volume of purchases I see by customers who do drink vodka regularly -- that imported quality far outstrips domestic. An exception might be Rain, which is made -- probably not coincidentally -- by bourbon folks, at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, KY. It's my understanding that about 70% of the rest of the raw domestic vodka product comes from the same distillery in the Midwest. The only difference is in the after-distillation handling by the bottlers. And, since the 'neutral grain spirits' in non-bourbon whiskeys (e.g., Early Times, Kesslers) is essentially vodka, I guess you could (technically, at least) include them with the flavored vodkas.

Alas, Tennessee is among those few states with arcane laws that make shipments (technically, even by private vehicle though, obviously, that's virtually unenforceable) of liquor/wine from out-of-state a felony. So, Sam's in Chicago is a no-go unless I go personally.

A good port IS one of the few things that will match effectively (sometimes) with chocolate, and I like a strong-flavored hard cheese, too. But, the classic pairing is walnuts, and it works.

I second (third, fourth, whatever!) all the commendations of Weller's 7-year-old. For the price, you won't do better, and it's approachable for a newcomer to bourbons with its brown sugar/molasses motif. (It's a wheat -- not rye -- flavored whiskey, as is Maker's Mark, Old Rip Van Winkle standard, Old Fitzgerald.) Also, some references for the A.H. Hirsch aficianados (which includes me): The Hirsch Reserve bourbons (both 16- and 20-year-olds) are the remainders from the now-defunct Michter's Distillery in Shaefferstown, PA, which closed in 1988. Adolf Hirsch (a KY gent) purchased the barrels, which were distilled in 1974, and placed them in stainless steel (at two different times, thus the two ages of bourbon), essentially stopping the aging process. They've been released sporadically since (I have three bottles of the 16-year-old, with two different labels, though the info and the contents are the same). The whiskey stores are now under the aegis of Preiss Imports of California (see www. preissimports.com to discover your state's distributor). The last reference from Mr. Preiss I've seen indicated there is less than a year's supply of the 20-year-old left, with about quintuple that for the 16-year-old. After that, there ain't no mo'. I've purchased the 16-year-old from $50-$75 (per 4/5 quart, or .750L), and seen the 20-year-old at around $125. It'll only get dearer, I suspect. Michter's was the only post-Prohibition distillery to reopen using a copper pot still (like the Scots use). It was also small-batch, since it was a small still. (Labrot & Graham will market a pot-stilled bourbon this year, but the triple stills are 30-feet tall). If you know of an old-timey liquor store, go sort through the dusty bottles in the corner and just pray you happen across an original old, forgotten Michter's bottle (or, more likely, ceramic jug). Buy it at whatever cost. Smile.