by Mike » Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:08 pm
Dave and Tina,
I respect your opinions on bourbons enormously (I have appreciated Old Rip Van Winkle 10 YO much more because I know you think so much of it.............your opinions matter to me), and we are just down to differing tastes at this point.........always at the heart of the matter when you get down to it.
I went back and tried Kentucky Spirit and Booker's and revisited Rare Breed and Baker's. I had to dilute Booker's to around 110........I simply cannot tolerate 126+ proof whiskey anymore (if I ever could).
Booker's is a fine whiskey with a definite citrus/orange and char aroma (at least in this sample). In my opinion it is not the equal of Baker's. To my palate it is not as creamy and thick (or as tasty) as Baker's.........both qualities I value highly in bourbon.
As to Kentucky Spirit, it is also a top notch bourbon and the profile is quite similiar to Rare Breed, but I still prefer Rare Breed over KS. It seems a tad richer and more complex and its aroma is a bit more compelling. I still find Baker's to be close to Rare Breed in richness, but with that same citrus/orange that Booker's has, although in a less noticable amount.
It is my opinion that the 7 or 8 extra proof in Baker's and Rare Breed contribute to their complexity and interest..........I have no idea as to why but they just seem more robust and richer than the 101 KS or the suitably diluted Booker's. And, to borrow from John Lipman, the aromas of the remnants in the glasses, after the passage of time, offer (in my opinion) another reason to choose Rare Breed and Baker's over Kentucky Spirit and Booker's. They smell better!
The WT 101 and Beam 8 YO are also, in my opinion, excellent bourbons, with the Beam 8 being a bit more subtle and less 'raw'. In terms of value, it is, as you say, less costly to drink the WT 101 and Beam 8 YO. They are about $10 less than Rare Breed and $20 less than Baker's, not an insignificant amount. But, several BE stalwarts notwithstanding, I don't personally consider either the equal of RB or Baker's............naturally that is just my opinion.
Each responsible bourbon drinker must make her/his decisions as to what he/she likes and will purchase based on their tastes and wallet. There are some whiskies for which I am unwilling to pay the asking price and I admit that I have sometimes paid more than a whiskey was worth.........I am fortunate in that I can often pay a premium (I have so few other vices, my children are all gone and I have no college tuition to worry about) just to try a whiskey.
As a rule of thumb, the more expensive whiskies are somewhat better than the less expensive ones...........but not always, and often by only a very small amount if they are better.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas