As to wheat bourbons

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As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Mike » Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:18 pm

There are those on BE who express a decided distaste for wheat bourbons. I would like to be excluded from that grouping. Although I agree that Van Winkle bourbons are not worth their current asking prices, they are, in my opinion, superb bourbons........ all of them, with the possible exception of the 23 year old, which in my one and only experience with that particular bourbon, it was too tannic. They suit my palate very well, and, if their price comes down, I will buy more......... I am not one who gets on any bandwagon, but I do have my own ideas of what is good bourbon, and Van Winkle bourbons are exceptional bourbons......... my palate told me so.

This is not meant as a challenge to anyone else's palate, only to clarify that some palates are very different from others and categorical statements as to the worth of 'wheat' bourbons will not go unchallenged on BE.
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Spitfire » Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:34 pm

How about Dry Fly Distillery in Spokane?

http://www.dryflydistilling.com/bourbon/
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Squire » Tue Dec 10, 2013 10:05 pm

Dry Fly doesn't distribute in my area, do you have some tasting notes?
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby RandyG » Wed Dec 11, 2013 7:14 pm

My palate seems to be telling me that it likes the wheated bourbons with a little age on them. In fact, to my untrained palate, the older wheaters have many characteristics I like in a rye based bourbon. I'm quite fond of VWSR 12YO Lot B,Old Weller 12YO and BTAC. My all time favorite is PVW 15YO. I just got my first ORVW 10YO/107 this year and it's very good, but not great. It may grow on me though, like their Lot B did. On the other hand, I do not care for Makers Mark, which is a younger wheater.

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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby jneyer05 » Wed Dec 11, 2013 8:40 pm

I find I very much enjoy wheated bourbon and much enjoy rye bourbons. What I seem to not care for is ones in the traditional nature. I notice this with foods I eat. If something needs hot sauce. I put a whole lot of it on. But when I get to desert the sweeter the better. To me the in between is slightly disappointing. But it is bourbon all the same and there is nothing wrong with it.
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Squire » Wed Dec 11, 2013 8:45 pm

Oh I don't dislike the wheated Bourbons, not at all, my Father introduced me to the 12 year Old Fitzgerald back in the late 60s, and my first sample of Maker's Mark was at a private tasting hosted by Bill Samuels in the 70s. I would have to say I like the wheat recipes fine it's just that I prefer the traditional rye recipe Bourbons.
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Spitfire » Wed Dec 11, 2013 11:32 pm

Squire wrote:Dry Fly doesn't distribute in my area, do you have some tasting notes?

Never even seen the stuff, but my wife and I do get to Spokane onn occasion--I'll definitely be keeping a lookout for some when next we do. (We live in BC, pretty much straight north of Spokane...it's rural here, and not a whole lotta choice.)
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Squire » Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:37 am

I am nonplussed about these Micros in general. Local grains, special water, small still, artisan made is no guarantee of quality and doesn't disguise the fact they are rushing young product to market to pay their bills. If they want to charge more than Evan Williams or Four Roses Single Barrel expressions then they need to be better than those before I'll part with a premium price.

Otherwise they are just asking me to help fund their business to which my response is a resounding no thank you.
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby corpse_welder » Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:57 am

It is my opinion that two halves make the whole, in this case. That being said, I prefer rye bourbons more often and I find them more exciting, but the wheaters are a bit of a better taste. This is tough because it's like comparing root beer to cola
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Squire » Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:38 am

That's it exactly, they are parts of a whole. There's no point in complaining the veal isn't enough like steak.
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby vince » Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:18 am

I really enjoy wheated bourbon but I do find I tend to gravitate to ones with a little age on them. The classic example is Old Fitgerald. I do not care at all for the OFBIB, Larceny is a very average bourbon to me, however, I really enjoy the Old Fitz 12 year old.
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Birdo » Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:51 am

It's all good. I like the rye based stuff best, but the Larceny and Weller Antique are good too. I won't pay a big premium for extra-aged stuff. I like bourbon aged 6-10 years typically.

Maybe I should try a bottle of Fitz.
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby fishnbowljoe » Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:18 pm

I too am a wheater lover. I have a decent sized bourbon "collection". (All of which I plan on drinking someday, somehow.) :drunken: At one time, over 2/3's of my bunker was wheaters. That's changed a bit since I got into BIB's too. :? Still, if I had to make a choice, it would definitely be wheaters. :D

On another note…
FWIW, the Dry Fly is a wheat whiskey, not a wheated bourbon. It's akin to the Bernheim Wheat Whiskey. I've had the Bernheim, and it's decent, but not a bottle I have to have. One store in my area has the Dry Fly Wheat Whiskey. I've passed on it because of the likelihood it's probably like the Bernheim.

Joe
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Please drink responsibly
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Ettore » Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:39 pm

I think Mike, the OP, has some great points.

What I have found out about my palate is that generalization is near useless. While i enjoy all styles of Bourbon and non-bourbon whiskies there are a few expressions from each category that don't knock me out. (And that really is the best way to say it...I don't think I have ever disliked a whiskey so much that I would not drink it...it is just that some are underwhelming and less interesting than others.)

The bottle that really made me see this concept is the standard Maker's Mark. It was the first "wheater" I ever tried and it just didn't wow me. But I have since tried many others and I very much like most of them. And yes, I have gone back to MM since trying all the others. In fact, I have a bottle of it (a gift) and I do drink it. But it still just seems...thin and 2-dimensional.

So often, when we generalize and fall back on experience (and rule out a category) we miss the opportunity for insight and the growth of one's palate and mind. Life is too short to be prejudiced!

Serve it and I will try it!
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Re: As to wheat bourbons

Unread postby Spitfire » Thu Dec 12, 2013 11:59 pm

fishnbowljoe wrote:On another note…
FWIW, the Dry Fly is a wheat whiskey, not a wheated bourbon. It's akin to the Bernheim Wheat Whiskey. I've had the Bernheim, and it's decent, but not a bottle I have to have. One store in my area has the Dry Fly Wheat Whiskey. I've passed on it because of the likelihood it's probably like the Bernheim.

I know little of this stuff, but on their website Dry Fly shows a wheat whisky, a triticale whisky, and a bourbon. http://www.dryflydistilling.com/products/ I thought that there were laws regulating what could be called "bourbon" in the States, so I'd assumed that the Dry Fly bourbon is just that. (Whether it's good or not is a different question...)
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