by Strayed » Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:18 am
Howie,
(1) I absolute LOVE the way you've presented this little challenge. I noticed that Linn has already answered (good choices, too, but see below), but I'm disappointed that he didn't comment on your obvious tip of your hat to his (best) writing style. Huzzah to you!! (said John, as he crept out toward the sunset, head tipped to avoid blinding his friends as they look on...)
(2) The problem with finding a suitable spirit to vat with Hiram Walker's Deluxe is the niche it already fills. WD was never designed to be a top shelf bourbon; it's there to fill the gap between flavorful bourbons and blended whiskies. That essentially puts it in the same consumer category as Early Times. A more flavorful bourbon would completely overpower it, so mixing it with Old Forester or Beam Black would do little more than dilute the other two bourbons. On the other hand, there are whiskies that are intended to be "light" flavored. Basil Hayden and Gentleman Jack immediately come to mind. Each of these, however, uses it's lightness to highlight a subtle aspect of their associated brand. Hayden displays a hint of Old Grand Dad's rye "bite" with almost no other flavor at all, while the Gentleman introduces maple smoke with hardly a hint of the rather crude base flavor of JD whiskey. Mixing Walker with Gentleman Jack would produce a whiskey remarkably similar to the current 80-proof Jack Daniel's. Mixing with Basil Hayden would do nothing to improve the Walker, and would obliterate the subtle message of Basil Hayden.
For tradition's sake, you might try pouring your single bottle into a vat where 1792 is being dumped, but that's a story for another time.
It may also be that your bottle of Walker's has lost its flavor over the years. I know, the bottles we have came from the same store in Maryland that yours did, but maybe the seal wasn't as good on yours? Our Walker's Deluxe is, for one thing, about 300% more taste-intense (probably not a good descriptor for even the best Walker's Deluxe) than the current Barton version. It certainly does have a finish, albeit not one to compare with, say, Old Rip or Stagg. Nor with Gentleman Jack for that matter. Like I said, it provides a straight bourbon equivalent to Early Times (or Kessler; or Seven Crown; etc.).
So I believe the best thing you can do with your old bottle of Walker's Deluxe (assuming it's that flat; ours seems drinkable as is) is either to enjoy it on its own intended terms (i.e., use it as the alcohol portion of a mixed drink, instead of vodka or white rum), or consider it merely a stretcher or proof-reducer for something to which you'd otherwise just add water (Stagg, Booker's, etc) and enjoy it that way.