Whiskey - what's your current favorite?


 
<scratches head> Lots of good stuff out there. Think our favorite is still Balvenie 21yo Portwood Aged. Irish.... Jameson's 17yo Very Rare Distiller's Edition (only available at the distiller in IE.) Herradura Seleccion Suprema for an anejo Tequila.

So many spirits, so little time.
 
We found a distillery in an out of the way place in southern Arizona that we loved a lot! We tried the Bourbon and fell in love! We haven't tried the others yet!
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I've been out of the consistent bourbon game for a while, but do still enjoy an Old Fashioned a few times a year. Last few years, I've been going with Makers 46. Great in the OF, and good enough to sip on it's own with an ice cube without breaking the bank.
 
I am all in on the bourbon game right now. I started around Christmas and have accumulated over 50 bottles. My wife and I enjoy doing blind tastings and share the experience together. I got Bardstown Discovery Batch 4 for Fathers Day and its hands down my favorite. For my casual pour, I really like OF100 or Knob Creek 100. If going higher proof, OF1920 or Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is tough to beat.
 
Rich G said:
@John K BBQ, hmmm, never heard of it, any good??? :) Mine is the Single Barrel, 114 proof version.....

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My current favorite is the bottle of Blanton's I had stashed from before prices went nuts. Spicy, caramel, with a touch of sweet and well balanced heat. Also have a bottle of Michter's open, though no real impressions yet, other than it's as solid as Michter's usually is. I love a peaty single malt, so when I want that instead, I usually reach for Laphroaig 14 yr.

R
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I think that single barrel 114 proof would likely have a different flavor - I'll keep an eye out for it. Looks like the distillery is only about 15 minutes from my Brother-in-law's house so I might get to see it some time! I've had Blantons at restaurants for special occasions but never bought a bottle. I do enjoy a good scotch every now and then too. Very honorable mention to Red Breast Irish whiskey - it was my best experimental buy of last year. Not sure why Colorado made whiskey is hard to get in Missouri - Colorado made beer is all over the place in St. Louis! Maybe I'll look for Stranahans next time in Kansas.
 
D Livingston said:
Single Malt Scotch whiskey here...Glenlivet usually.
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I'm pretty lucky - I have a friend that pours a lot of Glenlivet 12 year.... It's funny, his wife says she likes it but I hardly ever see her enjoying it, and then about every 3rd visit, my buddy Sean just pours me a glass when I'm not looking. Maybe he thinks it's gonna go stale??
 
Jim C in Denver said:
Has anyone else tried this? It might be the best whiskey I've had in a while. Not cheap, but very good, I'll try to enjoy on special occasions only. This one is pretty hard to find in the St. Louis MO region. It's 94 proof so it has a little heat, but has some nice vanilla/cinnamon flavor to it. Reminds me a bit of a Wild Turkey 101 but better.

Stranahan's is wildy popular (and widely available) out here in Colorado. But since I'm not a scotch guy, Stranahan's really isn't really in my strike zone. It is sort of in-between scotch and bourbon, right?

For sipping, I usually go with a wheater. I really like Makers 46 with a teaspoon of water or a small piece of ice. Recently had some Angels Envy Rye at a friends house and loved it.

For Manhattans, WT 101 or Rittenhouse Rye BIB.
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Jim...
The Angels Envy Rye finished in the Rum barrels was my favorite.
 
Colin said:
Makers Mark with an ice cube is my go to glass of bourbon. Can't say exactly why I like it other than it's reasonably priced and goes good with a nice cigar. Jim Beam is good also. New to this bourbon drinking thing so still sampling and limit my purchases to <$100/liter. I couldn't partake while I was still working so I am really enjoying retirement. Cheers.
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Makers is my favorite as well. When we toured the distillery my wife and I learned why we love it. They use more corn than most producers. They use about 70% corn in their mash. More corn produces more sugar and a sweetener bourbon! I met the founders son and he said his dad created Makers in the late 50’s when everyone was mixing bourbon so they could drink it. He wanted people to be able to drink it straight. I think he got it right! 😄🥃
 
Whistle Pig is still on sale at Costco for $65, not sure how much longer. They didn't have any more Basil Hayden Dark Rye which was sad, that's pretty dang good (imho)
 
Rick N DFW said:
Makers is my favorite as well. When we toured the distillery my wife and I learned why we love it. They use more corn than most producers. They use about 70% corn in their mash. More corn produces more sugar and a sweetener bourbon! I met the founders son and he said his dad created Makers in the late 50’s when everyone was mixing bourbon so they could drink it. He wanted people to be able to drink it straight. I think he got it right! 😄🥃
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Have you tried the Makers 101 or Cask Strength? Same mash bill but different proofs. They’re both really good!
 
The distinctive thing about Makers isn't the amount of corn. It is that they use wheat rather than rye as the bourbon's so-called "flavoring grain". Hence, Makers is a "wheater." Smooth and sweet. The most famous and expensive bourbon around is Pappy Van Winkle -- which is a wheater like Makers. If you are interested, more details below.

Maker's mash bill is 70% corn, 14% barley and 16% winter wheat. Wild Turkey 101's recipe (more standard for bourbon) is 75% corn, 14% barley and 13% rye. Even though WT101 uses more corn than Makers, it is a slap in the face to drink. Rye gives bourbon its spicy bite (think rye bread). Use enough rye and eventually you cross over the line from bourbon into rye whiskey. Barley, fyi, has no effect on taste. It just makes the chemical process work.

Wheat is actually a bland blank taste (white bread). So the smooth sweetness you get from Makers is from the absence of the rye spice/bite, and from having the sweet flavors coming from the barrel aging fill up the empty space. The reason why Pappy is so prized and crazy expensive is that it is aged a looong time -- 12, 15, 20, 23 years. All that time lets the vanilla and caramel barrel flavors really develop strongly.

I haven't tried the Makers 101. I really like the Makers 46, which is only a couple of bucks more than the regular. Slightly higher proof, and they do some extra wood aging to amp up the barrel taste. It is my sipping bourbon, with WT being for Manhattans.
 
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