whiskies I'd like to try

[alphaiii]

Here's a list of whiskies I'd like to try. There are obviously others I'd like to try, but would never spend the money for. Since there are few bars I know of with good bourbon/rye selections, I'd most likely have to buy by the bottle.

Bourbons:

W.L. Weller 19 Year Old (if I can ever find it, and depending on price)

Eagle Rare Single Barrel 17 Year Old

Van Winkle Family Reserve 15 Year Old

Elijah Craig Single Barrel 18 Year Old

Michter's Unblended American Whiskey (ok technically not bourbon)

Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel

Rye:

A.H. Hirsch Selection 13 Year Old

Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 Year Old

Michter's US-1 Straight Rye

To give you an idea of my tastes, Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 Year Old is easily my favorite bourbon so far. I like the Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old alot too though. If cost wasn't considered, it'd be my 2nd favorite. Others I like are Buffalo Trace, Knob Creek, Evan Williams Single Barrel, and Elijah Craig 12 Year Old.

I've never had rye before, but I'd definitely like to try it.

So what would you recommend from my list, or maybe something I should have included, keeping in my that cost is a limiting factor for me? The Hirsch, Weller, and Eagle Rare 17 are kind of out of my price range, but I can splurge ever once in a long while.

[slkinsey]

I was able to taste the full range of Van Winkle bourbons at a press event for the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, including an 18 year they make special for Blue Smoke.

My favorite was the 15 year. They bottle it at something like 107 proof, and the extra intensity of flavor makes a big difference.

[marinade]

You’re in the right company; any of those bottles could warm my heart. I happen to like the 12-year old Van Winkle too. The 19-year Old Weller is almost non-existent over the counter in Louisville. I have a ¾ of a bottle left which I’m sipping with an eyedropper. If you can find it, snap it up at any price. That line is 86. The Elmer T Lee is what I pour for folks just getting into bourbon. Then when I get them hooked I pour the big stuff.

While I was at Buffalo Trace distillery last week they were labeling and bottling for November release the William Larue Weller 12-year old. It is uncut and unfiltered wheated bourbon weighting in at 121.9 proof. The barrels were aged twelve years on the fifth floor of Warehouse Q and to see this nice rich caramel colored juice pumped into bottles was a real treat. Keep an eye out for it. Should be a monster.

We have family in Louisville and I get down there twice a year and stock up. If you have a chance to visit the city, check out Bourbon Bistro in the Frankfurt section. It has over 150 bourbons available for the tasting and they do flights. I like their selection better than the Galt House.

While I was there I confirmed what I always suspected: The Bourbon Underground.

I had a sense that some stuff never makes the liquor stores. I wondered if there were private stocks sitting in rickerhouses. Woodford distillery was a little cagey about admitting to it. Buffalo Trace on the hand simply said, "How much do you want"? You can buy a barrel from anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000 depending on warehouse location, batch, and age. It is a risk. One group of "investors" bought futures of a very expensive batch (Well (er) they wouldn’t mention the name) When they went to bottle it after it’s 21-year old sleep it only yielded about a dozen bottles (due to evaporation, these barrels expand and contract). Pretty expensive stuff.

The low yield small batch bourbons are sometimes sold privately (oversees to the Japanese for example). There’s not enough yield in them to warrant retail distribution, price wise it’s a few hundred and upwards to a grand a bottle for this caramel gold if you “know” somebody.

Jim

[Ktepi]

Eagle Rare 10 yr is my go-to bourbon and one of the liquors I replenish most frequently, so I'm pretty confident you'll like rye whiskey, since I do I haven't tried any of the ryes you list, though -- here, the only ones I'm able to find are Wild Turkey and Old Overholt. Of those, not only do I like Old Overholt better, it's cheaper. I'm less likely to drink it straight than I am the Eagle Rare, but it makes a good Old-Fashioned (and replaces bourbon just fine in any other cocktail I've tried).

[Alchemist]

These are in no order

Redbreast pot distilled Irish

Sazarac 18 rye

Classic cask 22 rye

Are you in the NYC area? There are some great whiskey bars here.

[gethin]

I mainly drink Scotish, Irish (and Welsh) whiskies but have recently been branching out into Bourbon. I think its a bit of an aquired taste (but i'm persevering with the aquiring of it !)

So far I've stuck to the easily available brands (Bulleit, Makers Mark, Knob Creek) and mainly used them for Old Fashioneds.

There are a couple of London bars with good selections of Bourbons, but at prices that would make your eyes weep . I've not yet persuaded myself to pay £18.00 (a bit over $30.00 . I think) for a 35 ml shot of W L Weller 19 yr old or £20.00 for a shot of George T Stagg.

Do any of you who are familiar with them think this would be money well spent ? (and would I save money in the long run if I continued my research in NY ?) .

I've started hunting round for minatures and picked up some 50 ml bottles of Johnny Drum, Johnny Drum 12 yr old and Johnny Drum 15 yr old, a 1980 single vintage from the Vintage Bourbon Distillery Company as well as a couple of Canadian Whiskys (Lot 40 , Gooderham and Worts). Are any of these going to be interesting ?

I was also tempted by Georgia Moon Corn whisky (which comes in what I'd call a Kilner Jar , but I think in the US you'd call it a Mason Jar ?). Its USP seems to be that its less than 30 days old - is this a good thing ???

Gethin

[eje]

I was also tempted by Georgia Moon Corn whisky (which comes in what I'd call a Kilner Jar , but I think in the US you'd call it a Mason Jar ?). Its USP seems to be that its less than 30 days old  - is this a good thing ???

←

LOL.

Well, if you're throwing a Prohibition themed party, you might want to pick that up.

It's really the US equivalent of the Irish Bunratty Potcheen. A bottled approximation of home made liquor.

I haven't tried it; but, I expect it is quite "bracing".

[slkinsey]

Redbreast pot distilled Irish

This stuff is the bomb! I was introduced to it by Patrick O'Sullivan, who runs the bar at Seppi's in the Parker Meridien. He is one of the City's foremost experts on Irish whiskey, and a stop at Seppi's will always be profitable for someone with an interest.

[alphaiii]

I've had Bushmills and Jameson and I wasnt a huge fan. Maybe I should give Irish Whiskey another shot and try the Redbreast.

As for your question Alchemist, I live in Baltimore. I have been to one bar that has a reasonable whiskey selection - Brewer's Art - but I don't recall seeing most of what I listed.

[alphaiii]

I was able to taste the full range of Van Winkle bourbons at a press event for the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, including an 18 year they make special for Blue Smoke.

My favorite was the 15 year.  They bottle it at something like 107 proof, and the extra intensity of flavor makes a big difference.

←

Did you try the new bottling - the Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old - or the Old Rip Van Winkle 15 Year Old version?

[slkinsey]

Um. . . I don't know.

[alphaiii]

Um. . . I don't know.

←

LOL. The only reason I ask was because I've read posts by some users at another forum and the general thought (although not everyone thought this) was that the Old Rip Van Winkle 15 was better than the new Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15 bottling. Apparantly, ORVW came from a different distillery than that of the PVW.

[His Nibs]

Redbreast pot distilled Irish

This stuff is the bomb! I was introduced to it by Patrick O'Sullivan, who runs the bar at Seppi's in the Parker Meridien. He is one of the City's foremost experts on Irish whiskey, and a stop at Seppi's will always be profitable for someone with an interest.

←

Aye... I once had the pleasure of going to an Irish Whiskey tasting session and did a whole range of Irish brew. The ones that really stood out were the Jameson Gold (sadly no longer in production) and Red Breast. It's a steal for $33 for a bottle of 12 y.o. at bev and more.

[eje]

Has anyone tried the 40 Creek Canadian Whisky?

It appears to be all the rage on upscale cocktail lists here in SF.

I recently had a Sazerac made with the Barrel Select, and didn't care for it. Not sure if it was just a bad Sazerac*, or if I didn't care for the whisky, as well, so am looking for some other opinions.

*Sazerac was not sweet, didn't seem to involve bitters, and I had to struggle to detect the smell of the herbsaint.

In other words, chilled, slightly watery, Canadian Whisky. Extra-Dry Sazerac? Bleah.

[Vaughan]

Has anyone tried the 40 Creek Canadian Whisky?

It appears to be all the rage on upscale cocktail lists here in SF.

I recently had a Sazerac made with the Barrel Select, and didn't care for it.  Not sure if it was just a bad Sazerac*, or if I didn't care for the whisky, as well, so am looking for some other opinions.

*Sazerac was not sweet, didn't seem to involve bitters, and I had to struggle to detect the smell of the herbsaint.

In other words, chilled, slightly watery, Canadian Whisky.  Extra-Dry Sazerac?  Bleah.

←

Yes, bought a bottle of the forty creek a few months ago as recommended by someone as great value for money. It is amazing for the price, but isn't sure whether it's a Canadian whisky or bourbon, ie a bit of the saltiness of almos a scotch whisky and some sweetness like bourbon. Overall a very good drink but I'm a bit of a purist (if not pure) when it comes to drinking the various whiskies.

[kbuzbee]

Has anyone tried the 40 Creek Canadian Whisky?

It appears to be all the rage on upscale cocktail lists here in SF.

I recently had a Sazerac made with the Barrel Select, and didn't care for it.  Not sure if it was just a bad Sazerac*, or if I didn't care for the whisky, as well, so am looking for some other opinions.

*Sazerac was not sweet, didn't seem to involve bitters, and I had to struggle to detect the smell of the herbsaint.

In other words, chilled, slightly watery, Canadian Whisky.  Extra-Dry Sazerac?  Bleah.

←

Several monthes ago Ohio delisted 40 Creek Barrel Select so I picked some up for about $10 a bottle. I'm more of a Bourbon drinker than a Canadian but I thought this was a very good pour. I almost never drink cocktails (and don't care for them when I do) so I can't address your Sazerac but the whisky itself is, IMO, very good. I'm sad Ohio delisted it.

Ken

[michaeldauphinais]

The Elijah Craig Single Barrel 18-y-o was given to me by my Dad as a gift at Thanksgiving.....I love it! Interesting on the nose and the palate, during and after sipping. I've since learned that it's quite reasonable, I think around $36 at my favorite liquor store here in Tucson. Don't hesitate to pick up a fifth; IMHO, you won't be sorry.

[dsoneil]

Has anyone tried the 40 Creek Canadian Whisky?

It appears to be all the rage on upscale cocktail lists here in SF.

I recently had a Sazerac made with the Barrel Select, and didn't care for it.  Not sure if it was just a bad Sazerac*, or if I didn't care for the whisky, as well, so am looking for some other opinions.

*Sazerac was not sweet, didn't seem to involve bitters, and I had to struggle to detect the smell of the herbsaint.

In other words, chilled, slightly watery, Canadian Whisky.  Extra-Dry Sazerac?  Bleah.

←

This is my favorite Canadian whisky. I live only a little more than an hour from the distillery. This whisky is very smooth, but has some good flavour. It is a minimum of three year old, with most of the whisky six years old. It is made from three grains, including rye, and aged in different types of oak barrels (light, medium, dark toast).

It looks like they are going to be releasing some new products in 2006 which may, according to rumour, a straight 100% rye whisky. Hopefully 40 Creek releases some other new products, I'm always interested in new whiskies.