BourbonEnthusiast.com

Happy New Year to you too Gary.

I find I prefer the mid shelfers myself. The only real value bourbon I have come to love so far is RITT BIB.

OGD 114
Weller 12
Saz Jr.
4Roses Small Batch
Eagle Rare 10/90
BT
RR 10/90

YMMV

Thanks Robert.

One suggestion that occurs to me now, but is more hit or miss, is private labels of local liquor stores. Hit or miss not so much in terms of inherent quality but finding these, since they don't seem as common as in years past. In New England a couple of years ago, a regional chain in Rhode Island had excellent bourbon by the liter under its name for $10.00 or so. This was well-matured bourbon and equal to many mid-shelfers. Frank-Lin bottles some out west under a couple of names it uses, I can't recall them now but the bourbon is excellent, not too young with a good flavour. Often these stores will carry an even less costly blended whiskey under the same name but at the price point mentioned bourbon will be a good buy. I'm with Robert that mid-shelfers are the best overall bet but there are good buys for less (some names have already been mentioned, especially JTS BRown if you can find it and I like anything (almost) that is Heaven Hill-branded). In the northeast Heaven Hill comes in a gold and black bottle I think it is, a square bottle, that has always been good. Heaven Hill in my opinion anyway has a hint of oil in the palate, even in the older range (EC 12, EWSB), it is a house characteristic, so you have to like that of course.

Personal blending, or vatting I should call it, is more for the true enthusiast with a certain amount of knowledge - and interest. I just made one using Kentucky Tavern as a base with small additions of Weller 107 and Buffalo Trace. The price might average to $12.00 or so per bottle. It is pretty good.

Gary

A couple of the Frank-Lin brands I have seen are Josh Brook, and Wathens. The Josh Brook appeared for a short time at a local store. They got one case, it was some kind of one time deal. It cost probably around $15. I thought it was great. It sort of had a mild pecan pie taste to it. I saved the last one I could get. Wathens is in many stores around here. It has even more of the pecan pie taste. It costs around $40.

PaulO wrote: Wathens is in many stores around here. It has even more of the pecan pie taste. It costs around $40.

I can get Wathens Single Barrel for around $27. Makes me think I should run out and grab it. They just increased prices in Idaho. Picked up an OWA 107/7 with the age statement. Tag said $19.95 and it rang up at $21.95. I had to pay the $21.95. I hate State controlled stores! It is like going to the DMV to buy your juice!!

Don Galligan wrote:

PaulO wrote: Wathens is in many stores around here. It has even more of the pecan pie taste. It costs around $40.

I can get Wathens Single Barrel for around $27. Makes me think I should run out and grab it. They just increased prices in Idaho. Picked up an OWA 107/7 with the age statement. Tag said $19.95 and it rang up at $21.95. I had to pay the $21.95. I hate State controlled stores! It is like going to the DMV to buy your juice!!

I would have argued the price but I guess for $2, maybe not. I bought 6 bottles of 2006 GTS and IIRC the shelf price was $49 but the register rang up $62. The guy said they just hadn't gotten around to changing the shelf tag. I said that was too bad as he's advertising a price and that's the price I was going to pay. They can't advertise one price and sell at another. He agreed and gave them to me for $49.

ggilbertva wrote:I would have argued the price but I guess for $2, maybe not. I bought 6 bottles of 2006 GTS and IIRC the shelf price was $49 but the register rang up $62. The guy said they just hadn't gotten around to changing the shelf tag. I said that was too bad as he's advertising a price and that's the price I was going to pay. They can't advertise one price and sell at another. He agreed and gave them to me for $49.

I pointed out the discrepancy, he went over and pulled the price tag from the shelf, and informed me that if it was in the computer he couldn't override it. He literally would have let me walk out the door empty handed rather than try to figure out a way to make the transaction right. I figured if I had to pay an extra $2 it was worth it to get the bottle with the age statement. In Idaho they have you over a barrel. You deal with it or you travel out of state.

I just put a new post on my web site about Heaven Hill's Fighting Cock Bourbon. I paid $15 for a fifth. It is 103 proof and hot and spicy. Probably not for everyone. but a spicy little pour.

Don

I'm a fan of fighting cock bourbon it's got a kick to it.

rb4browns wrote:Hi All

Anywhoo, as I cannot afford a $40 bottle for every purchase, especially if I have a bunch of folks over to watch a game or whatnot, can you guys recommend some good choices for a lower cost/larger bottle bourbon? I want my $20 to stretch with this but not be drinking rotgut. Thanks!

I generally buy 750s, but in my little corner of the world (Chicago), you can get very decent bourbon for $20 and under.

A few I haven't seen mentioned yet:

Old Grand Dad Bottled In Bond is about $18. Old Fitzgerald BIB is about $15.

Wild Turkey 101 runs in the $20-$22 area here but is well worth it. They still do everything the way it was done decades ago, with liquid yeast and one of the lowest barrel-entry proofs in the industry, in the neighborhood of 107 proof. (Lower barrel proof means less water has to be added to bring it down to bottling proof. A lot of whiskey is barreled at 120 proof.)

The high holidays are over now, but you can still grab a few bottles for the sukkah!

shoshani wrote:

rb4browns wrote:Hi All

Anywhoo, as I cannot afford a $40 bottle for every purchase, especially if I have a bunch of folks over to watch a game or whatnot, can you guys recommend some good choices for a lower cost/larger bottle bourbon? I want my $20 to stretch with this but not be drinking rotgut. Thanks!

I generally buy 750s, but in my little corner of the world (Chicago), you can get very decent bourbon for $20 and under.

A few I haven't seen mentioned yet:

Old Grand Dad Bottled In Bond is about $18. Old Fitzgerald BIB is about $15.

Wild Turkey 101 runs in the $20-$22 area here but is well worth it. They still do everything the way it was done decades ago, with liquid yeast and one of the lowest barrel-entry proofs in the industry, in the neighborhood of 107 proof. (Lower barrel proof means less water has to be added to bring it down to bottling proof. A lot of whiskey is barreled at 120 proof.)

The high holidays are over now, but you can still grab a few bottles for the sukkah!

Those lucky enough to dwell in our 8x10 sukkah get to share my Four Roses Single Barrel and Vintage 17. The big bottle of Evan Williams will be for mass consumption on Simchas Torah

rb4browns wrote:The big bottle of Evan Williams will be for mass consumption on Simchas Torah

Heh. A bottle of "Good Yuntiff"!