Tag: bourbon

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Best Value Bourbons

 

Over the past year, I’ve had several friends ask for my favorite bourbon recommendations at different price points. America is blessed to have a bounty of great bourbon under $30 a bottle (by the way, there are some great ryes and Tennessee whiskeys, too – notice the Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond in the photo above? –  but for today’s post, we’re sticking with bourbon). You could stay under $30 and have an almost endless variety of fabulous bourbons in your bar, but who can resist the opportunity to buy a bourbon that delivers a drinking experience far greater than its price would suggest?

That said, finding the bourbons that deliver value really comes down to personal taste, to determining what’s a good value for YOU. Do you like something easy drinking, or do you yearn for complexity? Is sweet your thing, or do you like the spice that a rye-heavy mashbill will bring? Do you tend to mix your bourbon into cocktails, or do you enjoy sipping it slowly and neat? All these things provide direction on which bottle you should pick up at the liquor store. But since you’re here, reading this, I’d like to share a few bourbons that simply deliver exceptional bang for the buck and are worth a try for any whiskey lover. Not everyone will find these to be the BEST value for them individually, but they are all worth the investment for anyone eager to tackle the depths of American whiskey. Here they are:

(Caveat: prices quoted are in Atlanta, Georgia, and will vary state to state. Also, please chime in with your favorite bourbons that you think deliver a great value – at any price.)

Under $20
There are a LOT of inexpensive bourbons out there – just go to your local liquor store and you’ll see probably half the shelf space dedicated to the low end of the price spectrum. Evan Williams does a fine job for entry level bourbon around $13, as does Very Old Barton 100 proof. But a step up from that, at around $16 (or, even better, $24 for 1.75l!), there’s one bourbon that really stands out from the rest in the under $20 price range, both in its character and in the value it delivers, and this is the Four Roses “Yellow Label.” Four Roses Yellow is just plain elegant, with floral notes that befit its name (and label color) weaving in and out of light baking spices and a bit of vanilla. This is a bourbon that is light and lively, but it’s this lightness and elegance that really separates Four Roses Yellow from other bourbons at the low end of the price spectrum that can be a bit rough around the edges.

By the way… here’s a great drink idea I picked up at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival – try topping off a flute of  Champagne (or sparkling wine) with a splash or two of Four Roses for a surprisingly great drink (called “The Longnecker”).

Under $30
Once you step up above $20, there are two very different bourbons that stand out in my mind for tremendous value. The first is Elijah Craig 12 year old at $22. Let me repeat that – 12 years old, 22 dollars. I’m not saying that age and quality rise in direct proportion to each other (in fact, I prefer the 12 year old Elijah Craig to its pricier, older, oakier 18 year old brother – which, incidentally, was recently discontinued in favor of limited releases of 20 and 21 year old Elijah Craig), but to get an aged beauty like this under $30 is a steal. Now, Elijah Craig 12 is basically at the opposite end of the bourbon spectrum from Four Roses Yellow – deep and strong rather than light and elegant. The age in the barrel brings loads of brown sugar, dark fruit, vanilla and oak, all those things you look for as time works its magic on the whiskey in the wood. Crazy value – Elijah Craig 12 tastes like many bourbons that go for three times the price.

The other bourbon value in this ballpark is simply one of the most enjoyable bourbons out there, again very different.  Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, at about $28, is like liquid caramel popcorn, in a very good way. There are plenty of other interesting layers of flavor here, but it’s the caramel popcorn that can’t be ignored, and the fact that this bourbon is just so dang delicious and melodious.

There are plenty of runners up in this category that will make you happy, but I don’t think they quite match the value of the Elijah 12 or Elmer T. Lee: Buffalo Trace ($20), Evan Williams Single Barrel ($22), Eagle Rare 10 year old ($28), and Four Roses Small Batch ($28) all come to mind.

Under $100
Once you get past $30, you first enter a fertile area of single barreled, small batched, and/or well-aged bourbons that tend to fall between $35 and $55. There are plenty of very good bourbons here in this range, but the trouble is that I don’t think any of them deliver the kind of bang for the buck that Elijah Craig 12 or Elmer T. Lee do. Don’t get me wrong, there are several here I really like (including Wathen’s Single Barrel at $32, Four Roses Single Barrel at $38, Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year old 107 proof at $40, Baker’s Small Batch at $41, or Blanton’s and the red label Black Maple Hill at around $50), but I have a hard time saying that any of them knock it out of the park vs. other bourbons at their price range.

Thus, the jump in this category from $30 up to $100. Once you get to the $60-$80 range, you enter the land of special releases and severely limited allocations, bottles that are typically hard to find and even harder on the wallet.  I hate to keep riding the Pappy bandwagon, but once you’re above $50, I find it really hard to argue against Pappy Van Winkle 15 year old. Sure, it’s overhyped. Yes, the switch form the old Stitzel-Weller juice to the newer Buffalo Trace production stock is a bit controversial. Even still, Pappy 15 is simply one of the greatest bourbons you will ever drink. And that’s a great value. (see prior tasting notes)

Other recent bottles that I haven’t regretted at similar price points to Pappy 15 include the Four Roses 2012 Single Barrel Ltd. Edition (barrel strength), which is a darn good bottle at $70, and the annual release of George T. Stagg or William Larue Weller from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, also barrel strength beauty/beasts at around the same price.

That’s my take on the best value bourbons out there. What’s yours?

For a fun little follow-up to this post, see my (tongue in cheek) formula for computing bourbon value over on Creative Loafing Atlanta. Which led to reviews of Old Charter 8 and W.L. Weller Special Reserve, both under 10 at my local store!

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Wheated Bourbon Battle: Pappy Van Winkle 15 vs. 2011 William Larue Weller

This year’s edition of the Buffalo Trace “Antique Collection” and the latest release of Pappy Van Winkle both recently hit store shelves (and both slightly more recently disappeared from store shelves). The Antique Collection includes the Eagle Rare 17, the Sazerac 18 Rye, the George T. Stagg, the Thomas H. Handy Rye, and the William Larue Weller Bourbon; and this year’s release was met with some tremendous reviews from bourbon enthusiasts. I was lucky enough to get my hands on exactly one bottle of this year’s William Larue Weller, a wheated bourbon just like Pappy Van Winkle 15 (also made at the Buffalo Trace distillery). The Weller fact sheet reads that it’s made from Kentucky corn, North Dakota wheat, and North Dakota malted barley. I’d love to know the exact mash bill distinction (if there is one) between the Weller and the Pappy just for comparison sake, because these two great wheated bourbons make for an interesting contrast. The Weller was put in the barrel in 1998, and while it bears no age statement on the bottle, Buffalo Trace confirms that it was 12 years and 11 months old at bottling. If you’re the kind of bourbon fan who geeks out on the details, you’re in luck: new white oak, #4 char, charred for 55 seconds, barrels from Independent Stave in Lebanon, KY, 114 proof at barrel entry, 130 proof off still, kept on the 4th and 5th floors of Warehouses N/O/P, 57.2% of the original whiskey lost to evaporation(!), only 45 barrels made, etc. Three cheers for (very close to) full disclosure from the folks at Buffalo Trace.

You won’t find that kind of detail on the elusive Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 year old, which is one of my all time favorite bourbons. I actually give it a slight edge over its older brother, the 20 year old Pappy Van Winkle. It’s supremely balanced and layered, a true joy to sip over the course of a long evening. The Weller? Despite the similar mash bill and similar (well, not too far off) age, it’s quite different if you ask me. There’s the fact that the Weller is bottled at barrel strength, a whopping 133.5 proof, so an apples to apples comparison is not quite so direct with the Pappy (which clocks in at 107 proof). Suffice it to say, I am very happy I got my hands on the Weller, but also very happily confirm that there is something very special about Pappy. (And an important note to many of the bourbon geeks out there – I’m still on last year’s release of the Pappy 15, so this is not the current release which many assume to be a full switchover to the stock distilled at Buffalo Trace rather than the final Stitzel-Weller stock)

Here are my notes:

William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 2011 Release
133.5 Proof
Approx. $70 Retail

Lovely rich, deep amber color. The nose is BIG. Like a brown sugar praline pecan pie with some dark cherries thrown in. Are you hungry for dessert? There’s some ginger spice in there too, a touch of cinnamon. Truly impressive, not for the faint of heart, or the dessert-averse.

Tasted neat at barrel proof, this has some sharp heat from the alcohol, a good burst of that rich sweetness, and a surprisingly delicate presence of corn. While I love the nose at full strength, and recommend just breathing this baby in for a while, I prefer adding a nice bit of filtered water to open things up and get it down to a more manageable proof for sipping. I found that the water tones down the sweet intensity on the nose and brings out a bit more nuance, an almost herbal green woodiness beneath the dark caramel sugar. The entry smooths out as well, bringing in some bread-y notes, both corn and wheat bread are there, intermingling. There’s a bit of ginger and baking spice, too. The caramel and brown sugar remain through into a long finish that picks up some steam (and heat). A very satisfying sip, but I think the full strength nose is what really sets this one apart.

Overall, this earns highest honors – a full fledged WOW – for the nose, but a slight tick down (merely Excellent) for the full experience.

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 15 Years Old
107 Proof
Approx. $70 Retail

Like I said, this is one of my all time favorites, and it’s intriguing that the Pappy and Weller are so different.  Compared to the Weller, the Pappy 15 is a touch lighter in the glass, still a nice rich copper / amber. The nose is more subtle, more nuanced, less overtly sweet. Sure, there’s caramel and brown sugar in there, but the baking spices are much more prominent. New notes pop in and out, dark fruits, touches of vanilla and toasty wood, but the overwhelming impression is one of tremendous balance and depth.

On the tongue, Pappy is richer, fuller, a bit more like an embracing coat of honey (though far from cloying or syrupy). That sense of balance continues, sweet molasses gingerbread into more spices, a warm leather boot kicking time. I don’t get the corn here at all, which is so evident on the Weller. The warmth is deep and lingering, and it just leaves you shaking your head with a smile for minutes after each sip.

Pappy 15 is truly a WOW if there ever was one.

Also… be sure to check out our Rye Battle, featuring Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye and High West Rendezvous Rye

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale:

Wow – among the very best: knock-your-socks-off, profound, complex liquid gold!
Excellent – exceptional in quality and character, worth seeking out, highly recommended
Good Stuff – solid expression of its type/varietal, enjoyable and recommended
Fair – fairly standard or exhibiting obvious though minor flaws
Avoid – move away folks, nothing to see here, a trainwreck

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Maker’s 46 Tasting Notes: I Like ‘Em Fat

I like ’em fat, I like ’em proud.
Ya gotta have a mother for me,
Now move your big a$$ round this way
So I can work on that zipper, baby.

– Prince (inspired by James Brown)

I don’t throw around raunchy Prince lyrics lightly, but Maker’s 46 was shoutin’ out for something loud. Before we get heavy though, some background is in order…

Maker’s 46 debuted a bit over a year ago, and highlights a trend towards untraditional forms of aging and impacting the flavor of bourbon (see Woodford Reserve’s Maple Wood Finish as another prominent example). These spirits are not for purists or traditionalists, they intentionally tweak the straight bourbon approach to deliver something new. Maker’s Mark former president Bill Samuels called Maker’s 46 “a breakthrough in the contemporary craft of bourbon” with “innovative techniques never before employed.” So, yeah, not for folks who dig on tradition. The innovation? Taking regular old Maker’s Mark and re-barrelling it with seared French oak staves inside the barrel for a few extra months, imparting some amped up flavor and playing Jedi mind tricks with the whiskey inside. I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of regular old Maker’s Mark, finding it a bit flat and without enough spice to balance out the sweet, but I do think the injection of extra oak into the process alters and generally improves it in a noticeable way.

So, on to the tasting notes and a little Prince:

Maker’s 46
“Bourbon Whisky Barrel-Finished with Oak Staves”
94 Proof
Approx. $35-$40 Retail
Tasting Date: October 25, 2011

Maker’s 46 pours a bright honey amber in the glass, possibly a touch darker than regular Maker’s Mark, but still not dark. The aroma is full of warm toasty oak, butterscotch and caramel, with a crusty, bread-like wheat undertone. Nothing crazy, it’s a bigger, stronger brother of regular Maker’s Mark. It’s on the tongue that 46 gets FAT and the nasty Prince groove comes into play. It’s luscious, round and chewy. Maybe Sir Mix-a-Lot would be more appropriate. Vanilla, caramel, and more slightly buttery toast coats the tongue. There’s a nice, welcome cinnamon spice that kicks in on the back that starts to balance things out, to give it some sass. The chewiness continues on through the finish, with an almost cabernet-like woody tannin pucker coming in at points and lingering on the tongue. So, while many may dig on this sexy MF, I must admit that it’s not quite up my alley. Too much chunky chew, not enough depth or elegance. I guess I don’t like ’em fat, after all.

(Not quite) Good Stuff* – better than it’s little brother, but far from a good value at $35 plus. If you like ’em fat, though, this may be for you.

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale:

Wow – among the very best: knock-your-socks-off, profound, complex liquid gold!
Excellent – exceptional in quality and character, worth seeking out, highly recommended
Good Stuff – solid expression of its type/varietal, enjoyable and recommended
Fair – fairly standard or exhibiting obvious though minor flaws
Avoid – move away folks, nothing to see here, a trainwreck

Full Disclosure: this bottle was provided as a tasting sample

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Grandpa and Tennessee Whiskey

Tennessee is where I grew up. Memphis, to be exact. It’s where my father was born and his father before him. Memphis is far from the heart of Tennessee whiskey country and, for that matter, moonshine country, too. But my grandfather was indeed a Jack Daniel’s man. He joined Jack Daniel’s early take on a super fan club, the Tennessee Squires, back in the 1960’s, which bestowed upon him a small plot of land in “The Hollow, Lynchburg” and honorary citizenship in Moore County, where Jack Daniels Distillery is situated. The language on the Deed he received is as flowery as charcoal is black, and surely, at that time, membership among the Tennessee Squires was seen as quite a big deal in Tennessee.

My grandfather grew up in the Depression, made a good living for himself and for his family as he got older, but always held on to a Depression-era mindset of spending money very carefully. In his seventies, one of his prized possessions was a bottle of Gentleman Jack. I don’t think I ever actually saw him drink it, it was simply too precious. But it was there, in the liquor cabinet, as a sign of allegiance to Tennessee.

Alas, the love of Jack Daniels was not passed down from generation to generation. My father fell for wine and hardly ever even touched whiskey, though I’ve recently introduced him to Pappy Van Winkle, and I am hopeful to knock some sense into him. As for me, I’ve never been a Jack Daniel’s man, but a love of bourbon and an eagerness to try whisk(e)y of all shapes and stripes has brought me back to Tennessee. And I’ve even been impressed by a few bottles of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee whiskey, which, to my surprise, competes well with many a fine bourbon as a premium sipping whiskey.

I recently spent two days driving the rolling hills of central Tennessee, visiting five of the state’s six operating distilleries (the sixth is in Gatlinburg – Ole Smoky Moonshine – which I’ve visited previously). The differences between Jack Daniel’s, the oldest registered distillery in these United States, and Collier & McKeel, one of the newest, is tremendous, but they both adhere to a noble view of what makes a whiskey a Tennessee whiskey. Between those two, George Dickel, Prichard’s, and Corsair Artisan are just as distinct, each forging a unique path in whiskey and other spirits, each making Tennessee their home and part of their story. Stay tuned for a recap and photo tour of my visits to these fine Tennessee distilleries.

(Update: and here it is – check out all the stops on our Tennessee whiskey tour.)

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What To Do With All That Extra Bourbon!???

If you’re reading Thirsty South, you’re probably thinking, “WHAT extra bourbon?,” as there is no such thing as too much bourbon in our book. Nevertheless, finding alternate applications for this superb spirit is sometimes as much fun as just sitting down for a sip of it. When we saw a recipe for Bourbon Butter Pecan Gelato over on Imbibe.com, we knew we had to give it a shot. And the results were fabulous, an ice cream (I wouldn’t call it gelato) that weaves together the warmth of bourbon, the nutty crunch of pecans, and the, well, butteriness of butter into one sinfully sweet treat. We followed the recipe pretty much as is, but had to top it off with an extra drizzle of Evan Williams Single Barrel bourbon as well. You can never have too much bourbon, you know.