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Chris, itās actually blended by a Scottish woman who is the hot new distiller in her country. And they have unconventional marketing. A mini-movie comedy by an SNL alumnus on their website. Kinda funny, definitely not traditional.
Ok, so where do you get these from?Also got these two via UPS yesterday...
I'm thinking he still owes Huffycane that temple tax.Ok, so where do you get these from?
Got these from a buddy in Azle, TX. They get so much more good whiskey in Texas. I didn't realize that Oklahoma gets zero Willett products. I might have my buddy send me some Johnny Drum and/or Kentucky Vintage.Ok, so where do you get these from?
I'm definitely buying @HuffyCane a drink whenever he's in town. š„ šI'm thinking he still owes Huffycane that temple tax.
Absolutely! š„Iāll start sharing some good cocktail/ bourbon recipes....if you want me to.
Gonna try this tomorrow night ...OK....here is the long-winded version. It's much easier to teach this than type it. Here's a riff on old-fashioned that I came up with that has gotten very good reviews from my friends. And pardon all the detail, but details matter in drinks like this.
Inside Job cocktail (this makes one drink, but I double it when I make it)
2 oz your favorite bourbon (nothing too wheated and mellow...use a stronger flavor if you have it)
.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
.25 oz turbinado simple syrup*
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Mix all of the ingredients in a glass with ice. Stir it around to chill the drink. I prefer to then strain it into another glass without ice, as I don't like the dilution. But you can mix it and serve it over ice if you would like.
*To make simple syrup, boil a cup of water and dissolve in one cup of turbinado sugar (look for In The Raw sugar...it's available everywhere). Just make the water and sugar in a 1:1 ratio, and it will keep in the fridge 2-3 weeks. Use this simple syrup with any bourbon drink like an old-fashioned, instead of white sugar simple syrup.
Also, measure the ingredients....don't eyeball them. A little goes a long way.
The Luxardo Liqueur is delicious, and you can use it in lots of stuff.....Hemingway daiquiris come to mind. I have been known to put it on fresh fruit.
Peychaud's bitters are very different than, say, Angostura bitters. These have spicy overtones, like cinnamon and clove flavors.
Hope that all makes sense. I will do more later, if you would like.
Back in my bartending days, you garnished with a strip of bacon as a stirrer and called that Kentucky Breakfast. And itās truly astounding as a brunch drink as you mix the flavors with a plate of eggs, bacon, OJ, pancakes, etc.Hereās an easier recipe. Stuff you would likely have around. My preference of an old-fashioned.
Maple Old-Fashioned
2 oz bourbon
.25 oz Grade A maple syrup (real maple syrup)
2 dashes orange bitters
Small orange wedge
Combine the bourbon, maple syrup and orange bitters in a glass with ice and stir to chill. Squeeze the small orange wedge into the glass and drop it in.
It's fantastic. I've only had this single barrel iteration of it, but if the regular bottle of Double Oaked is close to this good, it will have a permanent spot on my bar.Iāve heard this is delish. Yay for the bourbon thread!!
How much was that double oaked bottle?It's fantastic. I've only had this single barrel iteration of it, but if the regular bottle of Double Oaked is close to this good, it will have a permanent spot on my bar.
By the way, I drank a sample of Weller C.Y.P.B. last night that I got as part of a bottle trade. It was impressive if you could get it at MSRP, but you can't find them, and it's $500 a bottle on secondary. I'd take the Double Oaked over it any day of the week.
I believe it was $56.99 or somewhere in there. A little more than I usually like to spend, but man it's tasty.How much was that double oaked bottle?
OMG. That's a great story though!Spent the holiday back in KY with family.
Ended up dropping everything to act on a tip and try and get a bottle of Woodford 5 Wood, but by the time we got into town, it was all gone.
Thatās a ninety minute drive one way. Which irked me. I didnāt want to go home empty handed, so I splurged and bought a bottle of Cream of Kentucky.
My idiot cousin has a side table in his dining room that functions as a bar. So while we were at the store, we stocked up on standard speed rail type liquor for the family and mixers. Ketel, Bacardi, Malibu, etc. I put it on the table and didnāt think twice about it.
My cousin, did I mention heās an idiot, and his hayseed brother in law got into the Cream while I was down the road saying hello to some elderly neighbors.
My cousin, heās an idiot by the way, has an international farming equipment business and makes millions. Heās about as sophisticated and self aware as āDarryl and my other brother Darrylā on the Newhart Show. A bottle of Cream to him is about as expensive as a bottle of Coke to you and me.
Effhead, you know, the idiot, thinks the Cream is basically rail liquor. He had never heard of it, so he thought it was bottom shelf.
My cousin, the idiot, stop me if youāve heard me say that before, and his goober best friend brother in law and two of their local redneck buddies, drank all but maybe 4 ounces of my Cream and mixed it with Coke, Dr. Pepper, Ale 8-1, etc.
I tried to play it down, and carefully pour a little into a glass for each of them to explain. Anger, disappointment, laughter, it was all there at once.
They sip on it a little, and these guys do know the more famous small batch bourbons, and then they start talking about how itās just like the green apple shine they used to make just after college.
Hillbillies. Ugh!
It does taste like green apples and finishes with a bit of a burn. A little too much sting at that price point for me. The sting was in my ass. $200 for two ounces neat. His effin Xmas party better be one for the ages.OMG. That's a great story though!
Ya know, Iāve only ever had a bottle or two of that. For whatever reason it just never crosses my mind.I forget how good Eagle Rare is...cracked a bottle last night and got pretty deep into it.
For $30 to $40...it's excellent.Ya know, Iāve only ever had a bottle or two of that. For whatever reason it just never crosses my mind.
Bourbon is starting to look/act like fashion. Growing up, I wore Polo shirts during the week, first with Leviās and then with Guess? jeans. Brooks Brothers to church. I drank Makerās and Blantonās throughout, despite the wide availability of Beam and the ever present Jack Danielās at the bar, in rock n roll, and T-shirtās.For $30 to $40...it's excellent.
Eagle Rare used to be a single barrel, but now it's batched. Like any single barrel, some bottles are better than others. I like Maker's, especially the Cask Strength, and I'm partial to wheated bourbons. However, I've found I really like bourbons from both mash bill #1 and #2 at Buffalo Trace. Of course their wheated mash bill makes up Weller and Pappy.Bourbon is starting to look/act like fashion. Growing up, I wore Polo shirts during the week, first with Leviās and then with Guess? jeans. Brooks Brothers to church. I drank Makerās and Blantonās throughout, despite the availability of Beam. Plenty of clothing brands and liquors have come along and some have gone. I still wear Polo and BB. I still drink Makers and Blantonās. I donāt wear Guess or Leviās. And I never really think that much about other brands. I buy a bottle of something knew because Iām curious when itās small batch. Stuff that was ānewā when I was growing up I just never got into. With Eagle Rare, I tried it for the first time in the basement of Twin Towers. We brought back a bottle from a KY visit in 1987 as an after thought because it had a higher proof than Makerās. I remember not liking it at all. Itās never crossed my mind since, though Iām sure I would enjoy it more now.
Just a side note: Seeing as how I drink 2/3rds of my Bourbon mixed, I found that Early Times Bottled in Bond went really well with coffee, since the weather cooled off.Eagle Rare used to be a single barrel, but now it's batched. Like any single barrel, some bottles are better than others. I like Maker's, especially the Cask Strength, and I'm partial to wheated bourbons. However, I've found I really like bourbons from both mash bill #1 and #2 at Buffalo Trace. Of course their wheated mash bill makes up Weller and Pappy.
Mash bill #1 includes regular Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, EH Taylor, George T. Stagg and Stagg Jr.
Mash bill #2 includes Blanton's, Hancock Reserve, Elmer T. Lee, Rock Hill Farms and Ancient Age.
Then you've got the John J. Bowman that comes from both mash bills and is shipped to Virginia, re-distilled and aged there.
It's crazy how much stuff comes out of Buffalo Trace, and how over-hyped some of it has become. And almost all of it has become allocated in Oklahoma.
I used to drink the same stuff all the time, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. A couple months ago, I decided to start trying different stuff. I've found a couple things I don't like at all, like most Rye whiskey and Redwood Empire Pipe Dream. But I've found some stuff I absolutely love too, like Woodford Double Oaked, Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch, John J. Bowman Single Barrel and Early Times Bottled in Bond.
Most people who find whiskey too harsh to drink neat or sip on the rocks are having a reaction to the presence of rye in the recipe. In many people, they have a small slight, perhaps severe, food allergy. If you had a gag reflex the first couple of drinks of Jack Danielās in high school, chances are good you are allergic to rye. With or without the allergy, the rye is almost surely the culprit when people reject a bourbon. Itās a cheap filler best fed to horses. You are definitely in this category because Makers was the first major bourbon to omit the rye. Purportedly because Mrs Samuels, who handled the marketing (she came up with the wax idea), made bread from each of the first couple of test batches. Everyone agreed that the mash still used today made the best tasting bread they went with that. It was the only test mash without the rye.I havenāt read the entire thread but my experience with bourbon is that most have been too harsh to drink without a mixer. The one exception Iāve found is Makerās Mark which is very smooth and enjoyable. My introduction to whiskey was in college where my buddies would drink an inch or two of their coke and add Wellerās or Southern Comfort. SC and coke, at least to me, tastes like Vicks Formula 44 cough medicine so not a favorite.
Gosh, I barely know the basics. Thank you! But yes, you gotta know the water, the barrel, the aging, and the ingredients.Some really good info above from @HuffyCane for anyone wanting a little knowledge on bourbon.
Absolutely. And you gave a short and sweet introduction to it.Gosh, I barely know the basics. Thank you! But yes, you gotta know the water, the barrel, the aging, and the ingredients.
I havenāt read the entire thread but my experience with bourbon is that most have been too harsh to drink without a mixer. The one exception Iāve found is Makerās Mark which is very smooth and enjoyable.
Maker's and Weller are probably the best known and widely available wheaters. Pappy, as Huffy said, is the most famous. The Pappy and Weller line both come out of the Buffalo Trace distillery now.Note that Chris says he doesnāt like the ryes either. Chris or others can give you a list of wheat bourbons. Pappy being the most famous. Weller another. Most have the ingredients on the label. If you see rye, put it back. Try Buffalo Trace first. It does have some rye, but very little.
Most people who find whiskey too harsh to drink neat or sip on the rocks are having a reaction to the presence of rye in the recipe. In many people, they have a small slight, perhaps severe, food allergy. If you had a gag reflex the first couple of drinks of Jack Danielās in high school, chances are good you are allergic to rye. With or without the allergy, the rye is almost surely the culprit when people reject a bourbon. Itās a cheap filler best fed to horses. You are definitely in this category because Makers was the first major bourbon to omit the rye. Purportedly because Mrs Samuels, who handled the marketing (she came up with the wax idea), made bread from each of the first couple of test batches. Everyone agreed that the mash still used today made the best tasting bread they went with that. It was the only test mash without the rye.
Note that Chris says he doesnāt like the ryes either. Chris or others can give you a list of wheat bourbons. Pappy being the most famous. Weller another. Most have the ingredients on the label. If you see rye, put it back. Try Buffalo Trace first. It does have some rye, but very little.
Which brings me to my second point on harshness. How and where it is aged makes all the difference in the world. The higher the temperature in the summer, the more apt it is to be harsh. The colder it gets the less flavor you get. The aging barrel is a living organism that expands and contracts under weather conditions and itās the molecular exchange between the wood and liquor that gives bourbon its final taste and colo
So Makerās uses Wood store houses that have been constructed abd tested over almost 100 years. The guys know how heat enters and lingers in the barn during the summer. They rotate the bourbon up and down the barn several times each summer to give the top barrels a rest and the bottom a kickstart.
The cheap stuff and modern commercial bourbons do not have access to the old barns and ship their stuff out of state for aging. The limestone aquifer in Franklin County and the exact right humidity in summer is what makes KY bourbon exceptional over other areas. You canāt truck it over the United States and age it in an aluminum warehouse, not rotate it, and expect the same results. The one exception might be the original red house where Blantonās is aged. It is metal. But it is carefully monitored and each barrel is rotated by hand several times.
So you probably want to stick with single barrel and small batches. They have the most closely monitored aging.
And once you study who ages what and where and how, youāll get a feel for the best tasting regardless of price. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond, when it was not being mass produced, was a good example. It tasted every bit as good as bourbons with shelf prices over $100.00 and I donāt think Iāve ever paid more than $15.00 for it. Again, because EW aged it in place in one of their oldest aging houses.
I'm with you on the allergy thing.Most people who find whiskey too harsh to drink neat or sip on the rocks are having a reaction to the presence of rye in the recipe. In many people, they have a small slight, perhaps severe, food allergy. If you had a gag reflex the first couple of drinks of Jack Danielās in high school, chances are good you are allergic to rye. With or without the allergy, the rye is almost surely the culprit when people reject a bourbon. Itās a cheap filler best fed to horses. You are definitely in this category because Makers was the first major bourbon to omit the rye. Purportedly because Mrs Samuels, who handled the marketing (she came up with the wax idea), made bread from each of the first couple of test batches. Everyone agreed that the mash still used today made the best tasting bread they went with that. It was the only test mash without the rye.
Note that Chris says he doesnāt like the ryes either. Chris or others can give you a list of wheat bourbons. Pappy being the most famous. Weller another. Most have the ingredients on the label. If you see rye, put it back. Try Buffalo Trace first. It does have some rye, but very little.
Which brings me to my second point on harshness. How and where it is aged makes all the difference in the world. The higher the temperature in the summer, the more apt it is to be harsh. The colder it gets the less flavor you get. The aging barrel is a living organism that expands and contracts under weather conditions and itās the molecular exchange between the wood and liquor that gives bourbon its final taste and colo
So Makerās uses Wood store houses that have been constructed abd tested over almost 100 years. The guys know how heat enters and lingers in the barn during the summer. They rotate the bourbon up and down the barn several times each summer to give the top barrels a rest and the bottom a kickstart.
The cheap stuff and modern commercial bourbons do not have access to the old barns and ship their stuff out of state for aging. The limestone aquifer in Franklin County and the exact right humidity in summer is what makes KY bourbon exceptional over other areas. You canāt truck it over the United States and age it in an aluminum warehouse, not rotate it, and expect the same results. The one exception might be the original red house where Blantonās is aged. It is metal. But it is carefully monitored and each barrel is rotated by hand several times.
So you probably want to stick with single barrel and small batches. They have the most closely monitored aging.
And once you study who ages what and where and how, youāll get a feel for the best tasting regardless of price. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond, when it was not being mass produced, was a good example. It tasted every bit as good as bourbons with shelf prices over $100.00 and I donāt think Iāve ever paid more than $15.00 for it. Again, because EW aged it in place in one of their oldest aging houses.
How in the hell did you survive in Oklahoma without eating black pepper or okra?I'm with you on the allergy thing.
A lot of people never get a full allergy panel. They don't realize that some of the things(food & drink) they never liked, were adverse reactions to the taste of it, and it was their body telling them you have a mild to severe allergy to that substance. My mom & a few other people I know got a full allergy panel late in life, and realized just that very thing.
Myself I've never liked black pepper, radishes, or okra. If I ever get an allergy panel, I would be very surprised if there was not mild allergies that included most of those food items. I also think that a similar taste can fool your body into not liking something because it has a similar taste to something you are allergic to. For instance alcohol, and in this instance bourbon that has a peppery taste is something I don't care for. Huffycane was going off of limited info, because that was all the info that Nevadanatural had. But that doesn't necessarily say Huffy was wrong in his guesses. I'd say that hypotheses has a better than average chance of being true for most people.