Most Underrated Bourbon

[mdband]

For arguments sake, what do you think is the most underrated bourbon out there today?

I actually have two choices. Elijah Craig for everyday bourbons. The other goes towards Ezra Brooks 12yr SB which I just think is wonderful.

[vince]

Ancient ancient age 10 year old, Old Grandad BIB and Very old Barton BIB

[393foureyedfox]

i second the VOB BIB

[EllenJ]

I second all of the above (especially Ezra B), and would add Maker's 46 and all of the Michter's products.

[Mike]

I would say Noah's Mill, but only because it is true.

[Bourbon Joe]

I second all of the above (especially Ezra B), and would add Maker's 46 and all of the Michter's products.

I don't know about ALL of the Michter's products. Michter's US1 is pretty lousy stuff. The other stuff can be good, depending what Drew was putting into the bottles at the time.
Joe

[393foureyedfox]

im of the opinion that for something to be constidered underrated, it has to be under $25, and youd be willing to pay at least 50% more than that as your own opinion of the value. anything with a price of over $25, the distillery obviously thinks its worthy of not being looked at as a bottom, or lower mid shelf bourbon.

while some might not consider makers overrated, it is overpriced, im my opinion (which removes it from the underrated category)

in addition to my VOB BIB bid, i add OGD 114. and, depending on my mood, HH BIB white label.

OGD 114 needs a bit of sitting time to really be appreciated. open it, let it sit a week or two and revisit it and youll wonder why they sell it for $21. I didnt think too highly of it at first, but I just opened it, poured it and immediately had a sip..... I think VOB BIB is probably worth half more than its asking price, as compared to others in the price ranges. HHW BIB is probably priced about right though....its the best thing youll get for $12, and a few bucks more will get you much better stuff

now only if Knob Creek 120 were priced at $30....i think id have it exclusively! and if Bookers would stop using the stupid box and drop the price accordingly.....


Ive not seen ezra 12 around, but then again, i havent specifically looked for it either. I'll keep an eye out!

[Bob Barker]

I agree with a previous poster that old grand dad 114 is very underrated. I have to disagree with the original poster in that I believe Elijah Craig 12 used to be underrated and fantastic, but I believe now the product is not nearly as good and very overrated.

[EllenJ]

im of the opinion that for something to be constidered underrated, it has to be under $25, and youd be willing to pay at least 50% more than that as your own opinion of the value. anything with a price of over $25, the distillery obviously thinks its worthy of not being looked at as a bottom, or lower mid shelf bourbon

I may be misinterpreting here (not that I've ever done THAT before ), but I think what you're describing is "undervalued", and I think you're spot on with that. However I also think there is a difference between "undervalued" and the "underrated" that mdband originally brought up.

In the world of "bourbon-afficianados" (and cigar-, sports car-, camera-, wristwatch-, and other-afficianados) there are certain brands that ring everyone's bells, and then there are brands that all of us talkers kind of take for granted. We enjoy those brands, but since we enjoy discovering new stuff more, we tend to spend our money on those new brands instead. When reading about whiskey, someone just discovering what experienced folks enjoy the most is likely to come to the conclusion that we don't care for such as OGD, VOB, AAA-10, EJ-12, Beam Black, Old Forester, and KC, among others. So our "ratings" appear to skip those brands, thus they seem underrated. There is also a tendency among some of us to believe that a readily available brand that is affordable for non-wealthy drinkers lacks the "exclusivity" that is part of their enjoyment of the whiskey (or car, camera, wristwatch, etc). After all, a $25 digital watch from Walmart is arguably as accurate (or more so) than a Rolex, but it sure won't feel the same on your wrist, and you'll probably not rate it very high. Ne meither. But I wear one, so the reality is that I really DO rate the cheap watch higher. I have some whiskies that retail in the hundreds of dollars; they're delicious and I appreciate them highly... at the price. But they're mostly for sharing with friends; the whiskey I actually drink the most -- and therefore what I "really" rate the highest, as shown by my actions -- varies, but could be any of those mentioned. Oh, I guess you could add J.T.S. Brown to that list; that's the one I'm drinking right now. Under $22 for a 1.75 liter jug!

[393foureyedfox]

[quote="EllenJ" someone just discovering what experienced folks enjoy the most is likely to come to the conclusion that we don't care for such as OGD, VOB, AAA-10, EJ-12, Beam Black, Old Forester, and KC, J.T.S. Brown[/quote]

as a relative newbie, i can tell you what i gather you experienced guys think of those brands.


OGD. people love it but dont want to admit it, it has a cheap stigma. despite that, people rave about the BIB and the 114

VOB. same as OGD

Beam Black. its an amateurs drink, for those who just grab what they are told bourbon is

AAA10. a rally good bottom shelfer, people arent afraid to mention they like it

Old Forester. not as good as it once was. step up to the birthday or 100 proofer and theyre good, and they admit it

KC. great stuff, but people like to bash it anyway just because its a Beamer

JTSB. a decent cheapie, the butt of jokes. take it or leave it




this is the opinions i gathered over the past few months of reading here, and as youve seen, ive been here a lot!

[EllenJ]

I think you've pretty much nailed it as far as "underrated" goes.

...as a relative newbie, i can tell you what i gather you experienced guys think of those brands.
OGD. people love it but dont want to admit it, it has a cheap stigma. despite that, people rave about the BIB and the 114
VOB. same as OGD
Beam Black. its an amateurs drink, for those who just grab what they are told bourbon is

AAA10. a rally good bottom shelfer, people arent afraid to mention they like it

What's really funny is how many of those who feel that way only have access to the AAA 10-STAR, which is not the same and is, in fact, pretty damn awful. You can tell whether someone is actually tasting the bourbons or just quoting what they've read about them by their response to AAA-10 Star. Distribution is by state, so here in Ohio we get 10-Star, but across the river in Kentucky they get 10-Year. You can try both side by side at the get-together.

Old Forester. not as good as it once was. step up to the birthday or 100 proofer and theyre good, and they admit it
KC. great stuff, but people like to bash it anyway just because its a Beamer

JTSB. a decent cheapie, the butt of jokes. take it or leave it

When I was a film student (back when Super-8 was just beginning to take over 16mm) one of the examples we were taught about symbolism and metaphor was the scene from "The Hustler" in which Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) orders a single glass of Scotch, which he nurses all evening, while Fast Eddy (Paul Newman) continually orders "J.T.S. Brown Bourbon". The idea was to show that Fast Eddy was a small-time nothing without a real clue, while Fats had class. Eddy ordered his whiskey by name, believing that the name (a cheap, almost below-bottom-shelf bourbon) was fancy, and thereby showing that he, himself, was below-bottom-shelf. I believed that for years, until I got into the history of American bourbon and learned that the J.T. S. Brown of the '40s and '50s (the setting of the film) was actually made by the Ripy Brothers. They only made one kind of bourbon, and that was also the kind selected by Austin Nichols for their Wild Turkey brand (they later bought the distillery). So J.T.S. Brown bourbon was actually one of the best whiskies available. It then dawned on me -- and I've been pissed off about it ever since -- that it WASN'T the BRAND that was "cheap and insignificant"... it was the fact that it was BOURBON instead of Scotch. That, and the fact that my cinematography instructor believed it and used it as an example, has NEVER left my mind when I think of how bourbon is perceived by those not familiar with it.

[393foureyedfox]

as a newb, and from KY, ....scotch, whiskey, and bourbon all hold different first impressions at the mention of their name.

to the unitiated, scotch implies refinement and an expected uppity-ness that goes with it. bourbon implies the old american spirit, almost a gentlemanly ruggedness. and whiskey implies a harsh, rugged, just-get-it-done, pure working class idea.


thats the impressions i find that i encountered before delving into bourbons, and also still pretty much the same as I am getting into them.

I'll stay with whiskey and bourbon. scotch can keep its pricyness. i also like the history, and the local-ness of bourbon.

I think i invented a lot of new words here!