Well, y'all, what you be drinking 'sevening (this evening)?

[Birdo]

Yea, white label is better. I lump green label in the good but forgettable class, like Beam Black, Makers Mark and Buffalo Trace. But HH Green label is half the cost of the big name brands. Junior likes it fine in coke, so it keeps him out of my pricier pours.

[Squire]

Seems like everybody has a Junior or relative/friend for whom Green Label suits just fine.

[RandyG]

Speaking of Junior, the long weekend saw a vatting that included Stagg Junior. It turned out to be very, VERY good and went as follows. 45% Stagg Jr., 35% Knob Creek SB, and 20% Evan Williams SB. The resulting concoction was better than any of the 3 on their own, and I like EWSB (a lot) and KCSB.

Cheers,
RG

[Mike]

It is rare for me to drink bourbon from a single bottle anymore. For reasons not altogether clear to me, I have taken to vatting bourbons based upon what I think my palate desires that evening. One of my goto bourbons in this vatting business is Maker's Mark Cask Strength. On their own (my opinion) every Maker's Mark bourbon has a serious flaw in that they have a very poor finish. For many bourbon drinkers that is not a problem, and this is especially true for new drinkers. or for bourbon lovers who prefer a soft bourbon. Maker's bourbons use a corn/wheat recipe which tends to produce a softer whiskey........ and they are quite young at about 4 years in the barrel.

Howsomever, in my judgement, the Cask Maker's is well suited for tempering the effects of a bourbon that has been in the barrel too long, or has the slightly acrid taste of a copper pot distilled bourbon. It has enough alcohol so that with an ultra aged bourbon it can hold the proof AND a bit of das wasser such with only slight meddling a bourbon shaped to my palate can be achieved without too much fuss.

Tonight's vatting utilizes one of the Woodford Reserve Master's Collection (Maple Wood Finish) at 94.4 proof in the amount of 40 ml with 10 mil of Maker's Cask Strength. This produces a bourbon of 97.8 proof which is then cut to about 95 proof with the addition of a mere few drops of das wasser.

A quick aside - I think the Master Distiller at Brown Foreman, Chris Morris, is an exceptional whiskey maker. Many of his efforts have not, in my opinion, been appreciated for the unique qualities they bring to the bourbon scene. His Master's Collection was not, to my knowledge, all that well received. Yet, I liked them all because they brought something to the bourbon table that no one else (in my experience) brought.......... that slightly acrid cast of the copper pot and various recipes and barrel finishes. At a recent bourbon tasting I was introduced to Old Forester 1897 and found it to be an excellent bourbon......... another bourbon from Chris Morris and Brown Foreman (Bottled in Bond) that on that evening was clearly the best of the bourbons offered. I will soon write a review of this bourbon when it is not in competition with some inferiors.

The MM softens the WRMC but does nothing to the dry finish. This vatting makes for a very nice sip with lots of flavors well beyond sweetness, a sharp bite, or the tang of copper.

I suppose that in my defense, I might say that I have no interest in any single bourbon, great though it might be, so much as a bourbon that I can shape to suit my palate for that evening. No one who does not eat the same food, much as they may like it, day after day should find this in the least unusual.

[Squire]

Long been a fan of vatting myself.

[Bourbon Joe]

Speaking of vattings, last night I had a pour of Ron's Four Grain. It is an equal mixture of Stagg, Evan Williams 1783 (10 y/o) and Maker's Mark. This vatting is 106 proof and always hits the spot for me. It has been in many of our tastings and rarely loses top spot. The ingredients are getting harder to find, unfortunately. It was shared in Bardstown a couple of times and most people that have had it, like it.

[Mike]

Speaking of vattings, last night I had a pour of Ron's Four Grain. It is an equal mixture of Stagg, Evan Williams 1783 (10 y/o) and Maker's Mark. This vatting is 106 proof and always hits the spot for me. It has been in many of our tastings and rarely loses top spot. The ingredients are getting harder to find, unfortunately. It was shared in Bardstown a couple of times and most people that have had it, like it.

I remember this one, Joe. It is indeed a great one.

[gillmang]

For Mike of Georgia and Bourbon Joe: http://www.beeretseq.com/a-maven-of-int ... -blending/

Gary

[Bourbon Joe]

Thanks for the link Gary.

[Mike]

For Mike of Georgia and Bourbon Joe: http://www.beeretseq.com/a-maven-of-int ... -blending/

Gary

Excellent, Gary, Thanks!

[fozzy71]

Stagg Jr, 4RSiB, OGD114:BT vatting, and Now JDSBBP

[Squire]

Welcome aboard fozzy.

[fozzy71]

Welcome aboard fozzy.

been here for a while but this I think is the first post I made that was actually approved....

stagg jr, ogd114:bt, and 4rsib so far tonight

[Squire]

Sorry about that fozzy, sometimes new posters get swept up in the spam but you shouldn't have any more problems.

[fozzy71]

Sorry about that fozzy, sometimes new posters get swept up in the spam but you shouldn't have any more problems.

no worries, I know all too well as I do admin/moderation tasks for my day job.