I have to agree - I think I drank too much last year. I went through 10 bottles of the stuff. Sticking with beer until (hopefully?) my bourbon senses come back.
Here's something for we bourbon, whiskey and scotch lovers. http://www.dramgoodbooks.com/presspage2.htm Feff
Goto Sipper - Blanton's. Top Shelf- Hirsch Reserve Hidden - Pappy 23 and Elijah 18 Fav for Manhattan-Booker's
For the "Budget Bottle" the Elijah Craig is mighty fine. I'm mighty fond of Blantons and Knob Creek. Makers Mark is a reliable blend for the money.
Maker's Mark is my benchmark bourbon, the standard by which I measure all others. My absolute favorite is Pappy Van Winkel's Family Reserve, 20 years old. That rating may change soon; I have some Pappy 23 on hand not yet sampled. A tremendous bourbon at a great price is Buffalo Trace. Other favorites are George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, and Four Roses Limited Edition 2009 Release. Other reliably good bourbons are Knob Creek, Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year old/107, and Weller 12 year old/90. And there are dozens of other bourbons out there which are merely average, and they're good, too.
Ezra B. 12 year is one of my favs... Just finished another bottle of Jim Beam Black, and Makers Mark is a staple here in my house.
At the suggestion of the local Total Wine I tried some Russell's Reserve 10 year. Damn good. I've been through a couple bottles of it now.
Just thought I'd revive this thread. I've recently sampled two bottles of bourbon I really liked: Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Personally I love the Wild Turkey signature taste and nose. The Kentucky Spirit is like the best of Wild Turkey can be. It's an order of magnitude more refined and sophisticated. Evan Williams Vintage '99 Excellent flavor and a big step up in refinement versus the "everyday" brands for not a lot more money. I find it takes a while to open up once poured. Unless you're an alcoholic it's reasonably affordable and a great everyday broubon. I brought along a flask on a recent backpacking trip and it was a real hit, much better received than the Makers someone else had on hand. One thing I love about bourbon is its (Pappy aside) relative affordability compared to scotch. Personally, I vastly prefer the more American, bold charred-oak taste of bourbon. Just curious, does anyone know of an establishment in the Los Angeles / Orange County area that serves the Pappy Van Winkle 20/1/3yr? Hearing others' description of the taste makes my mouth tingle but I'd like to try it before spending $220 (Hi Times in Costa Mesa).
The basic Elijah Craig is a good, cheap bourbon. I was given a bottle of the 18 year-old Elijah Craig as a gift several years ago. This is a fantastic bourbon in my opinion. Blanton's is excellent as well and superior to even the 18 year-old Elijah Craig. I accompanied my wife to Louisville for a business trip a couple of years ago. I rented a car and drove to Bardstown, KY. I then visited both the Maker's Mark and Heaven Hill distilleries. During the aging process, bourbon is placed into charred (on the inside) oak barrels and then stored in a large building called a "rick house". The rick house has no heating or air conditioning. The smell in that place is very intense. Strongly smelling of wood, vanilla, char....... Friggin' wonderful!
I had Buffalo Trace for the first time last night while at a hotel bar. Told the bartender I wanted a whiskey recommendation and that was it. He said its what the staff drink and that they were the first bar on their street to carry it, now the others do. I don't have a sophisticated tongue nor am I a knowledgeable whiskey drinker; he described it as "spicy" and I'd say that is an accurate review. I have JB Black on the home shelf.
I've drank a few bottles of W.H. Harrison Bourbon. It is fantastic, best I've ever had. http://www.harrisonbourbon.com/
Its about the same price as a bottle of the cheapest Pappy Van Winkle. New distillery, very low volume so far.
Well... I've got a big trunk. Always wanted to try my hand at bootlegging and I KNOW I could make a better TV show segment than TG USA.