The Bourbon - and other spirits - Thread (was: @ Myronwemissyinz)

Canada has alot of Scotch and Irish whisky. Not really anything I can't find.

It's getting Bourbon that is the bigger issue and I think anything coming from US into Canada could potentially be a problem. I wonder if there are other countries with plentiful Bourbon stocks.

 

I'd need another round or 3 to solidly form an opinion (my first time with Laphroaig 16). But broad stroke first impressions: Lagavulin is sweeter and fruitier and far tamer on the peat and smoke. Going back and forth with the Laphroaig really brings out berry flavors in Lagavulin.

The Laphroaig is, well, LAPHROAIG. Aging it another 6 years doesn't reinvent the wheel. Very peaty and smokey. Medicinal/iodine. Vanilla, sweet hay, honey, a very light hint of citrus. It's the 10 year old with the edges smoothed over and the volume turned up. It also is bottled at 48% which, IIRC, a bit higher than the 10 (and higher than Lagavulin at 43%)

Lagavulin being sweeter and fruitier is most likely due to their using sherry casks for at least part of their blend. As far as I know, Laphroaig age statement scotches only using ex-bourbon barrels. That, and Lagavulin 16 being chill filtered most likely removes some of the heavier compounds that would otherwise give it more savory/meaty flavors.

Then I cracked open Ardbeg Corryvrecken and had my taste buds vrecked. That's like drinking a BBQ smoker on the beach.

 

Here's a little fun list based on my Bourbon experiences in 2019:


Rookie of the year: Wild Turkey Longbranch

2019 was the first time I tried Longbranch and it did not disappoint. Currently on my 3rd bottle from 2019. Very bike flavors while stick true to the Wild Turkey Brand. Thanks Wooderson!


Comeback of the year: Blanton's

I went all 2018 without getting my hands on a bottle of it. As I previously mentioned a single case was shipped to my province. I ended up getting 3 bottles out of it. Blanton's neat is great. Blanton's on ice is essentially an old Fashioned. Best bottle in the business.


Disappointment of the year: Larceny

I use to like this quite a bit as I like wheated Bourbons like Makers. Not sure if I just got a bad batch but have been working on this bottle since April. Very bready. Almost too bready.


The "I Miss You": Eagle Rare 10YO

This bottle has completely disappeared from Canadian liquor stores since 2017 and I'm told there won't be any coming in 2020 either.


The "Not What It Is Use To Be": Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace and Makers Mark were my gateways to Bourbon. While I've probably had 5 bottles of Makers in 2019, I still have a 1/3 of my only Buffalo purchase of the year. It's a nice easy drink, but lacks the flavors of others.


MVP: Elijah Craig Small Batch

I always liked this one but in 2019 it took over the mantle as my go to purchase. I always wanted have a bottle of this on the go. A short shortage in the early fall caused me to go 2 months without it. Never again! 2 bottles at all times. Deep sweet notes makes this my favorite of 2019. The price is always right Elijah too

 

It could be our tastes are just evolving. But the last 2 bottles of Larceny I got were also underwhelming.

 

It's funny, just a month ago there was no Blanton's to be had.

And then 1 bottle was showing in inventory at a store that is about an hour away from me. I was really thinking about going to get it.

Then yesterday morning I noticed a local store had 8 bottles. I immediately when down and bought 3.

Will be good for a while.

Another store about 2 hours from me was showing 3 bottles of Van Winkle 10 YO in stock. They are gone today. Missed out on that one.

 

Holy crap! Now I wish I'd seen this in real time. I could use a distraction. And my ban hammer has been thirsty.

 

I checked, and it was just a couple sips...

 

Bulleit rye or bourbon?

If it's bourbon, hell, you have tons of options. Budget is your only consideration.

There's fewer options with rye, but still quite a few good ones that should be easy to find.

Budget wise for bourbon:

$30-50ish

Eagle Rare
Michter's American
Basil Haydens
Woodford Reserve
Maker's 46 or Cask Strength
Knob Creek
Four Roses Single Barrel

Over 50

Baker's
Booker's
Old Forester 1920 or Single Barrel
Blanton's
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Angel's Envy
EH Taylor
Bulleit 10 year old
Blade and Bow (if you can find it, buy as many as you can. Hard to find and outstanding)


I confess to knowing far less about rye. But some to look for:

Willett
Whistle Pig
Dad's Hat
Wiggle
Jack Daniels makes a single barrel rye that i'm told is quite good.

Bourbon or rye: literally anything by High West. But Campfire, Bourye, and Midwinter Night's Dram are amazing.

And Basil Haydens has a dark rye aged in rum barrels if you want to share with him.

There's tons but those are off the top of my head.

 

Coming back to this post since I wasn't really in the mood to comment about anything really when you posted this.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I hate you.

I don't think I've seen 3 bottles of Blanton's on a shelf in 3 years! Much less buy any. Nice snag there.

I found my new favorite bourbon. I only tried it in a bar here and there in the past. Never got my own bottle to really get to know it. Baker's. Maybe the densest bourbon I've ever tasted (or I scored on a great batch). I just wish it wasn't so damned expensive, but that's the way a lot of bourbons are going lately (or you just can't find them at all). I remember a time I said I'd never spend more than $40 on a bourbon (or $50 on a tequila). Yeah... getting hooked on scotch put those prices in perspective.

 

Yeah Blanton's does not last long in my province at all. It didn't last the week I'm the shelf. 8 bottles for the entire city, I got 3 and 2 of my co-workers each got one.

Blantons, Elijah Craig and Makers 46 are the 3 I am enjoying the most now. I must say I have built a nice little Whisky collection over the past year.

I've never tried Baker's. It's always been on my to do list. I'll have to move it up in the queue. It's $70 Canadian, exactly what Blanton's goes for here.

I recently bought a bottle of Knob Creek single Barrel 120 proof. If I was comparing it vs Wild Turkey Rare Breed I'd go with the latter but the former is not bad. Actually was alot better when I added a bit of water to it.

Not a bourbon, but my pride and joy is still the Dalmore Cigar Malt I bought back in November. That is a beautiful Scotch.

 

I've never had a Dalmore. I'm not sure I've even seen it in a store! I've heard raves about it in general though.

Doesn't surprise me that the Knob Creek was better with a touch of water. 120 proof is awfully hot. Funnily enough, Baker's comes in at 107 proof, but you wouldn't know it by taste or smell. It comes off like something around 86-90 proof. The beautiful thing about cask strength type stuff though is you can dial it to your exact preferences. And even if you take it down to, say, 90 proof, you're getting more whiskey pours out of the bottle.

(Agreed on Elijah Craig. For the money, it's a solid bourbon)

 

Oh, get ready. That's coming.

I've heard after tariff prices will rise as high as 40% . I was hoping with the whole Brexit thing, the tariffs would be dropped with a new independent deal with the UK, but it appears that won't happen any time soon since Boris and Donny apparently don't get along very well.

The good thing is that at least here in PA, their supply has stalled the price increase. For now.

And I'm not sure how true this is, but I read a small article last night that between tariffs and Covid-19, American bourbon is not selling very well in China which used to be a huge market. Speculation is that supply will increase here in the states as a result. Prices may not drop, but you should be able to find some hard to find stuff again.

 

I have too many - and too many expensive favorites to stockpile anything in particular.

But I also have enough scotch to last 2 years total, so....




This is my pirate chest. There's 4 bottles of bourbon, one wheat whiskey, and 2 Irish. Everything else is scotch.

Everything in there is well over half full. Most are over 3 quarters full. Some I haven't even opened. When a bottle gets below half, it gets moved to my cabinet to be finished off. Not immediately of course, just that if i have a drink, I reach for those bottles first. I usually have 2, maybe 3 of those bottles in rotation.

I think I'll weather the storm. If not, back to bourbon, rum and tequila.

 

I forgot to mention that those tariffs do NOT apply to blended scotch - only single malts IIRC. Johnnie Walker Green or Double Black will be a staple for me if that's true.