BourbonEnthusiast.com

Hi, just signed up for the forum after searching the internet for some bourbon/whiskey information/reviews.

About 2-3 weeks back, I had a shot of Rare Breed with my brother, and really loved it... I have very little whiskey experience outside of the usual mixers and maybe a shot here or there..

anyways; i had a bottle of Jack Daniels Single barrel I had gotten as a gift, as well as a bottle of gentleman jack I had gotten as a gift..

so heres what I've added recently; or found that I had and had never even touched from my large liquor collection (In the summer I have alot of friends/family over at an outside bar and its stocked very well.)

-Johnnie Walker Black
-Johnnie Walker Green
-Seagram's 7
-Jack Daniels Single Barrel
-Gentleman Jack
-Wild Turkey Rare Breed (Just picked this up)
-Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit (bought today!)

oh, as well as a few bottles of Early Times Mint Juleps that were a huge pain to track down in Illinois, but a bit of it did end up getting shipped around the derby time..

anyways, so i've collected all the whiskeys I've got, and definately find that I prefer the american stuff, mostly the bourbons I have, over anything else.. I understand Johnnie Walker green is somewhat expensive, but I just didnt find the taste of either JW to be up my alley..

The Gentleman Jack is pleasant but somewhat boring, the single barrel is really nice.

The Wild Turkey's really have my fancy; not sure what it is.. but I love everything from their logo/bottle to their smell, to their taste and strength..

so; i am just getting into sipping instead of doing shots, as it seems a better way to enjoy them and really capture everything they have to offer..

any particular recommendations for these whiskeys in particular? right now i am sipping on a bit of rare breed, warm, with no ice or water.. i know that jimmy says he keeps it frozen but i dont have the option right now of throwing any bottles in the freezer..

i imagine it would be easier as a novice as well as a 24yr old without experienced taste buds here, but i dont want to get into any bad habits of cutting or icing up good bourbons, so I am just sipping on it without any cut.. if i need to, sipping on water or coke long after the fact.


again; i am rather new to all this, and shouldnt have spent so much money on the wild turkeys so quickly ($32.99 for rare breed, $39.99 for kentucky spirit, which was near impossible to find and the bottle is from 2001!!!).. I've seen russel's reserve, and actually tried that at a local bar, but would need more time with it to give any thoughts.
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rare breed i am actually preferring over kentucky spirit so far; but i enjoy both.. i think kentucky spirit almost has too much going on for me to appreciate so far. rare breed smells like america to me.. and i am enjoying its strenght, bite and beautiful sweet "american" smell.

so, like i said.. and pardon the huge rant..

if you were 24, just getting into whiskey, particular bourbons, what would you be going with? how would you recommend drinking it and really getting and understanding the flavors better?

any ideas on how to go about finding some fo the rarer wild turkeys, such sa tribute? heritage? or freedom?

thanks for reading this and any responses, have been reading all your old threads, lots of great info and fun reviews/thoughts.

happy new year

I think as a person new to bourbon, you are on the right track. The review section here is excellent and that can lead you in the right direction. Another good option would be to find some books with reviews and read what the professional writers have to say about a product. The library here has many book reviews to help you find such books.

In your quest for finding better bourbon, I would say that you should not let price and age be your only considerations. There are many very reasonably priced bourbons that are excellent drinks. There are also some high priced over aged bourbons that are not worth half of what they are being sold for, but because they are older products people are buying them.

Do not be afraid to ask about a particular bourbon on the forum. Chances are that someone here has tried it before and can give you some type of opinion.

Welcome to the site and have fun.

Mike Veach

also; i think i have a good selection of sipping whiskeys now.. with rare breed, kentucky spirit, jack single barrel, etc.

but what are some good, cheaper bourbon mixing options??

jim beam/jim beam black both seem to be great choices for mixing with coke..

any other cheaper/good mixing bourbons?

wild turkey 80/101 i hear is great with coke but have never tried.

Robot,
I suggest you try some Heaven Hill products, such as Evan Williams "1783", a 10 y/o bourbon for around 10 bucks a bottle. This is good neat or mixed. Also try Evan Williams Black Label for about 50 cents less a bottle. Again, a great mixer.
Joe

JAORobot, welcome to the forum. Great to have another Wild Turkey fan here. Day in, day out, Kentucky Spirit is my favorite. Tribute is better but I can't count anything that is that hard to find. I have some put away for those very special occasions. You should also try Wild Turkey's Rye. Another 101 product. It's delicious! And you are right, to me the base 101 is a fantastic mixer. A bit higher end than some folks like to call a mixer but I really enjoy it with water or Ginger Ale.

Enjoy!

Ken

JoeBourbon wrote:,
I suggest you try some Heaven Hill products, such as Evan Williams "1783", a 10 y/o bourbon for around 10 bucks a bottle.
Joe

Joe knows what he is talking about here, see my review of this bourbon just posted.

Oh yeah, I too often forget about the 1783. Although it can be hard to find around here for the price that EW 1783 is an amazingly decent pour. Joe, I saw the pic and will make sure it gets into the db tomorrow, thanks for watching out.

It always makes me chuckle when I read people's suggestions for what bourbon to use for mixing or cooking. It's nearly always something like, "Oh, that stuff's not good enough to drink; use it for cooking." Of course, once the alcohol cooks off, all you're left with in your food is that flavor you thought was unfit for drinking!!

Same with mixers. What you want to put into a Bourbon 'n' Coke is a whiskey that will cut through the fizz and the sweetness, not one that will disappear (there are times when you DO want that effect, but that's what vodka's for). Although I know I will incur the wrath of the offended, I humbly suggest you try George T. Stagg as your mixing bourbon for Bourbon 'n' Coke drinks. Both the alcohol and the flavor will come through, and the result will be delightful. And, as an added feature, at those high proof and flavor levels, you don't need to use much, so it ends up not costing any more than you'd spend to use Jack Daniel's or Jim Beam Black.

The Evan Williams products cut through the fizz and sweetness just fine, and for a lot less money than Stagg. It also makes me chuckle, actually sick, when someone mixes any high end bourbon with anything but a few drops of water. I guess it's different strokes for different folks.
Joe

i am anxious to try wild turkey 101 with coke.. i think the high proof, and the wild turkey flavor, would go deliciously..

i havent mixed nor do i plan to mix my rare breed, kentucky spirit, russels reserve, jd single barrel or jw grteen/black..

my gentleman jack, howeve,r i do mix with coke.. and i dont prefer it much oer a regular jd and coke..

i also have some early times mint juleps, which comes in at 60 proof and is meant to just go over ice/chipped ice.. that stuff is AMAZING

oh also,

if anyone has an extra bottle of tribute they'd be willing to sell to a new wild turkey fan (who wont be re-selling and will only be enjoying on special occasions!) please let me know! it would be much appreciated