The finest bourbon I have tasted. Yet.

[Rontele]

Buffalo Trace makes all these bourbons:

* Ancient Age — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort
* Blanton's — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort (single barrel)
* Buffalo Trace — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort
* Eagle Rare — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort (single barrel)
* Elmer T. Lee — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort (single barrel)
* George T. Stagg — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort (barrel proof, uncut, unfiltered)
* Hancock's President's Reserve — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort (single single barrel)
* McAfee's Benchmark — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort
* Old Charter — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort
* Old Rip Van Winkle — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort (wheated)
* Old Taylor — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Clermont
* Pappy Van Winkle — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Louisville (wheated)
* Rock Hill Farms Single-Barrel — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort (single barrel)
* W.L. Weller — Buffalo Trace Distillery (a Sazerac brand), Frankfort (wheated)

A client of ours

[Hugh Conway]

Got a bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel for X-mas. Tasty.

[wboarder]

makers is now $28/1.75L at costco or .70c/shot


best i ever had was blantons at $40/750ml

$20/shot is $320/750ml.nothing is worth that

i have to say thaBlantons is by far my favorite so far as well

[markb]

Buffalo Trace makes all these bourbons:

I did the tour of this place one time and it's pretty incredible how they all come from basically the same mash and process. They just select the best barrels for the high-end, combined with the aging differences.

Kentucky is apparently so well-suited for making bourbon because of the typical daily temperature fluctuations that move the bourbon in and out of the wood. Barrels on the outside of the building are exposed to the most temp extremes, but the innermost don't get very much. Buffalo Trace leaves the barrels in-place for their aging process, and usually the best are somewhere in-between. Maker's rotates their barrels through the aging process so it's more uniform.

One little bottling room rotates through and handles all the labels. They were bottling a batch of Blanton's for a Japan shipment while I was in there; apparently it's huge over there.

They can only use their barrels once and ship some to Scotland for scotch aging, and some to tabasco for sauce aging.

They also make a vodka, Rain (in the teardrop bottle) on the same equipment.

It's called Buffalo Trace because the operation is on the site of a historical Buffalo river crossing. It's the oldest still-operating distillery in Kentucky, but it's gone through a few names.

Tasting the room temp bourbons and vodka was a little rough, but the smell of the air around there's amazing.

Woodford's is across the street.

[Rontele]

Eagle Rare is a gift for a buddy, but I bet we open it tonight.

[Tippster]

Drank too much Bulleit last night sitting around a firepit with friends. The New Year is starting a bit fuzzy.

[FartBag Commando]

Good shit Rontele. Started with a large pour of PVW 20, courtesy of the bottle from Pops for x-mas and now getting shitt-tay on some sazerac manhattans. Cheers.

[Chugachjed]

Any good online booze dealers?! nobody has the Pappy up here.

[str8line]

At the other end of the spectrum:



About 16-18 for a handle and still 86 proof. If you are mixing, its a waste to use the good sipping stuff. EW is tasty.

My go to when the Old Forester runs out. Has a very distinctive flavor but is just fine for mixing.

I looked for a bit but has anyone mentioned Basil Hayden's? I've been on a quest to sample Bourbons for years and Hayden's is one of my fave's.

EDIT: just noticed BH has been mentioned in this fine thread.

[irul&ublo]

My go to when the Old Forester runs out. Has a very distinctive flavor but is just fine for mixing.

I looked for a bit but has anyone mentioned Basil Hayden's? I've been on a quest to sample Bourbons for years and Hayden's is one of my fave's.

EDIT: just noticed BH has been mentioned in this fine thread.

I didn't know it was possible for the Old Forester to run out. Aren't you sponsored by them?

[str8line]

I didn't know it was possible for the Old Forester to run out. Aren't you sponsored by them?

You got me. It flows like a mountain spring. But when friends like you are around the spring sometimes has trouble keeping up with our thirst. Course, I need to stay on top of my game and try other product every now and then too.

[Rontele]

I was in a shop last night that wanted $220 for the Van Winkle 23 year. Too steep for my blood. Got a bottle of Buffalo Trace. Really like it. Probably more than Eagle Rare. This may be my go-to Bourbon for non-celebratory pours.

[Cruiser]

^^^ IIRC that 23yo wholesales for something like $175/bottle. It's absurd.

[Benny Profane]

So I finally, finally, whipped my card out and tasted the Pappy 20 this evening.

Yes, it is worth 100 bucks a bottle. An awesome whisky. But, the Elijah 18 is very very close at half the price.

The bar owner agrees that the 20 is slightly better than the 23. Go figure. I ain't dropping 40 bucks for a shot to compare.

[Zesty Not Spicy]

I've had both and would take 2+ bottles of the 20-yr over one bottle of the 23 any day of the week.

I picked up a bottle of Makers 46 last week and think it's pretty good for the price. BH is better but about $10 more.

[Arty50]

Not quite bourbon, but I just found out that I have a bottle of Templeton Rye coming my way. Can't wait to try it.

[peterslovo]

Drank too much Bourbon over the past few days on my trip to Louisville, but it was great. Never got to the 23 Yr Old Pappy, but tried lots of others, and found that my favorites were some of the younger 10-12 year olds (that sounds very un-PC!).

In fact, some of my favorites included Van Winkle 12 year, Eagle Rare single barrel, and some of the more common bourbons, Maker's 46, and Woodfords.

[Rontele]

Just got another bottle of the Van Winkle 12 in the mail. Pretty stoked as I put a good dent in my current bottle this last weekend. Also, really enjoyed some Stranahans (I know, its not a Bourbon) and Buffalo Trace is slowly surpassing Eagle Rare as my go to, non-celebratory sipping Bourbon.

Still need to get my hands on a bottle of the Old Rip Van Winkle 20 year.

[BigDaddy]

My go to when the Old Forester runs out. Has a very distinctive flavor but is just fine for mixing.

I looked for a bit but has anyone mentioned Basil Hayden's? I've been on a quest to sample Bourbons for years and Hayden's is one of my fave's.

EDIT: just noticed BH has been mentioned in this fine thread.

The Peruvian serves BH for $6 a pour. I agree... it's tasty stuff.

A nice little treat I only do if I've kept my hands out front all day... :

[TNKen]

A favorite of mine is Uncle Bob's. Unfortunately, available only in limited quantities to a select few.

[grskier]

Recently went through a bottle of buffalo trace and makers mark... back on my Woodford, that little bit of caramel tone is just so flippin' good...

Can't wait to be back in Kentucky in a few weeks for the derby.. mint juleps.. it's on!

[Stu Gotz]

An expert overview of the Johnny Walker family. The comments are just as good.

http://philalawyer.net/2011/01/a-pro...walker-blends/

[Arty50]

An expert overview of the Johnny Walker family. The comments are just as good.

http://philalawyer.net/2011/01/a-pro...walker-blends/

This thread is about 'Mercon whiskey. Keep that scottish crap outta hare!!!

[sfotex]

Got a bottle of High West Bourye the other day,
pretty tasty stuff

[Rontele]

Stopped by our local liquor shop tonight to pick up some wine and a bottle of Bulleit for dinner tonight. Shop keep said that I needed to try out Corner Creek 8 year old bourbon - $20 a bottle.

Really tasty with a super smoove finish. Will go along side the Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare in the everyday collection.