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Bourbon...

#704
Wow, just read through a little of this since I love whisk(e)y and live in KY. Just a heads up too peeps, the industry is seeing a downturn right now so prices are gonna start going down. I would hold off on spending any significant amount of cash if you can wait for a bit on just about ANY high dollar bottle. Really, the prices for bourbon have been outrageously expensive considering how they make it so cheaply. A column still is the same kinda device used to make INDUSTRIAL strength alcohol and it really leaves out alot of the goodness trapped in the fermented beer. I mean it's kinda become "the flavor" of bourbon now but they all lose alot of character that they put back in with the barrels but the barrels can only do so much work in that regard. Hence why all bourbons tend to have the same specific PROMINENT notes. It's kinda led me to enjoying scotch and rye a bit more nowadays.

My favorite premium bourbon is by far Four Roses. The most unique out there and they have a ton of recipes they use to blend their final products. Always interesting and way different from most of the bourbons you find in KY. The thing I think help make their bourbon so interesting is they use a thumper to produce the final product before barreling and it acts alot like a typical Scottish pot still which leaves a ton of the flavors created during fermentation in the final product often called "white dog". They put alot of effort in it too, plus the distillery is gorgeous. Their previous Master Distiller Jim Rutledge renovated their production and left them in an AMAZING place. Check them out, imo they are the best KY has to off in terms of "premium" whiskeys.

Buffalo Trace is always a good pick too, they have many great recipes that they blend but I'd pass on the overpriced stuff like Blantons for a bit until they price starts falling. Woodford Reserve use to be my favorite and overall, they always have an interesting flavor profile with their standard release, but again... I'd pass on their more expensive stuff for a bit. They do a little slight of hand on their distillery too showing their big Scottish pot still off that never seems to be running even though they have TONS of product on shelves. ;) The trick is, they take the honey barrels from old forester and bring them to the distillery where all they have to do is put a drop or two from their pot stilled whiskey to make it "Woodford Reserve". Neat trick and their whiskey is overall very tasty, but it is overpriced for what you are actually getting. I honestly don't know what they are doing now though since they added a bunch of aging warehouses near their distillery in the past 4-6 years.
 
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#710
Blantons, anyone?? :smug:
IMG_6818.jpg
 
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#714
MojoPin said:
Wow, just read through a little of this since I love whisk(e)y and live in KY. Just a heads up too peeps, the industry is seeing a downturn right now so prices are gonna start going down. I would hold off on spending any significant amount of cash if you can wait for a bit on just about ANY high dollar bottle. Really, the prices for bourbon have been outrageously expensive considering how they make it so cheaply. A column still is the same kinda device used to make INDUSTRIAL strength alcohol and it really leaves out alot of the goodness trapped in the fermented beer. I mean it's kinda become "the flavor" of bourbon now but they all lose alot of character that they put back in with the barrels but the barrels can only do so much work in that regard. Hence why all bourbons tend to have the same specific PROMINENT notes. It's kinda led me to enjoying scotch and rye a bit more nowadays.

My favorite premium bourbon is by far Four Roses. The most unique out there and they have a ton of recipes they use to blend their final products. Always interesting and way different from most of the bourbons you find in KY. The thing I think help make their bourbon so interesting is they use a thumper to produce the final product before barreling and it acts alot like a typical Scottish pot still which leaves a ton of the flavors created during fermentation in the final product often called "white dog". They put alot of effort in it too, plus the distillery is gorgeous. Their previous Master Distiller Jim Rutledge renovated their production and left them in an AMAZING place. Check them out, imo they are the best KY has to off in terms of "premium" whiskeys.

Buffalo Trace is always a good pick too, they have many great recipes that they blend but I'd pass on the overpriced stuff like Blantons for a bit until they price starts falling. Woodford Reserve use to be my favorite and overall, they always have an interesting flavor profile with their standard release, but again... I'd pass on their more expensive stuff for a bit. They do a little sleight of hand on their distillery too showing their big Scottish pot still off that never seems to be running even though they have TONS of product on shelves. ;) The trick is, they take the honey barrels from old forester and bring them to the distillery where all they have to do is put a drop or two from their pot stilled whiskey to make it "Woodford Reserve". Neat trick and their whiskey is overall very tasty, but it is overpriced for what you are actually getting. I honestly don't know what they are doing now though since they added a bunch of aging warehouses near their distillery in the past 4-6 years.
Click to expand...
Regardless of how I rate their high end stuff, standard Four Roses is my tops for mixing.
 

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