BourbonEnthusiast.com

What suits you best, for me it is sometimes one, sometimes t'other

I like a good 90 proof range 12 year bourbon so I guess I prefer the barrel flavors. OC 12 and Weller 12 (Old label) are 2 of my favorites. I get the carnival type barrel flavors from the Weller that is very appealing to me. Cotton candy in the nose and taste, candy apple and the vanilla are great for sipping.

I'm barrel first, yeast 2nd (+1 on fruit!)

Love everything except high-middle rye recipe mashbills and too-spicy yeasts -- ironically what I associate with "my father's bourbon" (actually my grandfather's...)

Mike,
This is an excellent poll. In voted for the yeast and grain flavors. Any mediocre bourbon can sit in the barrel for 15 to 20 years and get those flavors, but a bourbon with the complex yeast and grain flavors can be interesting at every stage of the process. It will be flavorfull at 4 years of age. At 8 years it will begin to add depth to those flavors as the wood real starts to take hold. After 12 years The complex caramels and vanillas will begin to dominate, but those yeast spices and fruits will still be there to provide a supporting role and at 16 years or older, the barrel will cominate, but somewhere in the background, those grain and yeast flavors will still be there refusintg to go away.

The prime example of this is the difference between Stitzel-Weller bourbon and the weaker flavored Bernheim distilled Weller and Old Fitzgerald products. You can really tell the difference because the product had lower distillation and barrel proofs at Stitzel-Weller allowing for more grain flavor. You can add to the comparison when you throw in Van Winkle distilled Stitzel-Weller when they used jug yeast instead of dried yeast.

I picked the barrel flavors but I guess this or t'other may have been a better choice for me. I find that I am better at picking out the barrel flavors then I am the flavors that come through from the mashbill or yeast. On the other hand the flavors that combine so well that I love but can't put my figure on come from the mashbill.

I can tell the dog had is 2 cents added to this one... good for you both. I like the way you are driving this poll.

The "what decade poll" will drive this direction after getting down to 3, then 1 and then justifications....

we may need a telecon with bourbon to plan out a few more...

I'm going with sometimes one, sometimes the other and to my mind it fits in with what Mike said.
Understanding the flavor progressions that are typical I find that sometimes I want the enthusiasm of a 6 and sometimes the added complexity of a 14 or 16 but always want them to be flavorful and not be devolved to toothpick flavors. So when I say I want something with some age I'm describing good flavorful grain strong bourbon or rye that has had some barrel time.

The stuff that's limp in its youth is just wood as it ages. Not my preference at any age.

I prefer less than 45% at this point, but Im starting out so I expect to enjoy higher levels later on. The flavors from the barrel are great and you cant get those anywhere else.