Bourbon - What’s your poison?

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Saw where c_bob mentioned he may have drank too much bourbon, so it got me wondering what the Hawkshack crew likes to drink. I started with Makers back in college completely oblivious to the other ones on the market. Along comes covid and I jump off into the deep end of the bourbon world. First, I apologize to any of the long-time bourbon drinkers who now find their trusty go-to’s now much harder to find; the craze is so ridiculous and I’ve made my contribution to the demand. Secondly, it has been fun and enlightened sorting through what I like and what I don’t. So I’m breaking it down into these categories:

Shelfers: Can find it any time at retail pricing.
Store Picks: single barrel picks by retailers which are typically easy to come by if you frequent the retailer.
Limited Releases: not quite the dreaded allocated status, but aren’t available all the time but usually come out in sufficient numbers for people to get one.
Allocated: the ruination of the bourbon market.
Unicorns: amazing bottles that are very hard to come by.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Shelfers: Evans Willams Single Barrel, Old Forester 1910, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Makers Mark 46, Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Store Picks: Russels Reserve Single Barrel, Old Forester Barrel Strength Single Barrel, Starlight Rye Finished in Vino de Naranja barrel

Limited Releases: Makers Mark SE4-PR5, FAE-01, & FAE-02. Remus Repeal Reserve V, Cream of Kentucky 13 year

Allocated: E.H. Taylor Small Batch, Eagle Rare, Weller Special Reserve, Weller 12

Unicorn: William Larue Weller

Don’t know if y’all have a good store near you, but Maisano’s in my home town picks some dang good barrels for his picks, especially his Russel Reserve. The Starlight Rye finished in orange wine barrels is phenomenal in my book. The sweet orange from the wine smooths out the bite of that rye a bit.

Of the allocated, it’s a shame Weller Special Reserve and Eagle Rare went the way they did considering they are great value at around $30. The E.H. Taylor Small Batch is me of the best out there in my book, but the hype train has killed it’s availability.

And the William LaRue Weller. Finest bourbon I have had to date. About 130 proof but hits with cherry bombs on the nose and palate. Flavor cuts straight through the proof. Was a stroke of dumb luck and I don’t expect to get that lucky again for a long time if at all.

[RiverDog]

I don't often drink hard liquor. My preference is beer, specifically IPA between 6.2-7.2 ABV and IBU's of no less than 50. The double and imperial IPA's with ABV's of 8 and above are too heavy for me. But I regard beer as a treat as drinking enough for me to get that little buzz each night would put me over budget on calories. I've fallen into a very predictable routine, drinking no more and no less than two glasses of Chardonnay, the cheap California stuff out of the 5L box, each night between 6:00 and 7:30pm prior to dinner.

But on those occasions where I do indulge in the spirits, I like a good quality whiskey like Crown Royal, but I'll only drink it with water. There's no sense wasting money on a good whiskey by adding sugar or juices to it as in doing so, you disguise the true flavor of the whiskey so you're going to drink it with something like Coke or 7-up, you might as well get the cheap stuff as you won't be able to taste the difference anyway.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

I am not man enough for IPA’s. While I don’t do beer very often anymore, I was a big fan of Hoegarrden, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, and Abita Amber.

And I second your stance on whiskey. I have a few bottles set aside for people that like coke or 7-up with their booze. I don’t mind classic cocktails like Old Fashioneds or whiskey sours. Those tend to let the whiskey to still come through. For my top stuff? Neat, one ice cube, or a splash of water.

And I think crown doesn’t get enough love. I’m not a big fan of the flavored stuff, but I do like their regular offering, and I also sprung for the 16 year rye they made from their noble collection. I put it up against any of the other rye whiskeys out there.

[RiverDog]

I am not man enough for IPA’s. While I don’t do beer very often anymore, I was a big fan of Hoegarrden, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, and Abita Amber.

And I second your stance on whiskey. I have a few bottles set aside for people that like coke or 7-up with their booze. I don’t mind classic cocktails like Old Fashioneds or whiskey sours. Those tend to let the whiskey to still come through. For my top stuff? Neat, one ice cube, or a splash of water.

And I think crown doesn’t get enough love. I’m not a big fan of the flavored stuff, but I do like their regular offering, and I also sprung for the 16 year rye they made from their noble collection. I put it up against any of the other rye whiskeys out there.

I don't like the flavored whiskey, either, nor do I like sugary drinks like a Margarita or Pina Colada. I don't want the alcohol disguised, I want it to talk to me so I don't drink too much of it.

My taste buds have been permanently altered. I can't stand the taste of a lager beer anymore. If it doesn't have at least 6% alcohol content, it's not worth the expenditure of calories to consume it.

Sometimes I'll have a hard drink after supper as it doesn't require as much volume as beer, but that's pretty rare, something I do only when I'm out with the guys.

[c_hawkbob]

Bourbon is my favorite whiskey but I also like Scotch, Irish and Canadian. Not a big fan of Tennessee whiskeys like Jack Daniels.

I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur but. My favorites are Wild Turkey 101 (Rare Breed when I'm feeling fancy), Devils cut (a really oaky Jim Beam specialty) and this Woodford Reserve.

Scotch I'm a bit pickier about. Glenlivet (at least 12) and Oban are my faves.

Jamison's for Irish and Crown for Canadian. Usually when a decent bourbon isn't available.

[Aseahawkfan]

I'm a teetotaler. Never been drunk in life. I've never consumed more than a few sips of alcohol a few times in my life. The only recreational drug I use is caffeine.

I've sipped some bourbon, scotch, and whiskey in my life. If I were a drinker, I'd probably go for them. Never liked beer. Those sweet alcohols with bite I can see why people like them. Beer is disgusting.

[RiverDog]

I'm a teetotaler. Never been drunk in life. I've never consumed more than a few sips of alcohol a few times in my life. The only recreational drug I use is caffeine.

I've sipped some bourbon, scotch, and whiskey in my life. If I were a drinker, I'd probably go for them. Never liked beer. Those sweet alcohols with bite I can see why people like them. Beer is disgusting.

I honestly admire your abstinence. There are times when I wish I had your self discipline. But I honestly like the 'buzz' that alcohol gives me, especially when I'm with friends. Also, if you take it in moderation like I do (well, 99% of the time), then it's actually healthy for you.

If you think beer is disgusting, then you'd really hate the type of beer I drink, ie IPA. It has a higher alcoholic content, usually 6-10% whereas beer like Budweiser and Miller are around 3.5-4%, and a more hoppier flavor, hops being what gives beer its bitter taste.

Speaking of hops, I have a beer story to tell that's related to football. A few years ago, I went to Green Bay to watch the Packers and the Hawks (we lost 17-9). Like all of the fans, I had on my 'colors', my Seahawks home #12 jersey, and outside the stadium prior to the game, I was invited to sit down at a table with 3-4 Packers fans and a couple of other 12's. I was drinking a beer out of a can that had a special edition Green Bay Packer's label on it, "Green 19". A couple of the Cheeseheads started teasing me about it, telling me how I was now a converted Packers fan because I was drinking their beer, to which I replied "Nope. Washington hops." The two Seahawks fans started laughing knowing what I was getting at, but the Cheesheads didn't have a clue what I was talking about so I told them "About 75% of all the hops in the country are grown in Washington, meaning that there's a 3 out of 4 chance that I'm drinking a Washington beer, so STFU!" They knew they had been had.

[I-5]

I used to do some beer branding, and learned not just what IPA stands for (India Pale Ale), but why it's so damn bitter...to me anyway. Anyone know why without looking it up?

I myself am a pilsner/lager guy, but only if it's draft and poured a hot day by the beach in Rio de Janeiro. Best beer experience ever. Lol.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

I had heard it became known as Indian Pale Ale because it was the beer shipped to the British India. With no refrigeration, the extra hops acted as a preservative of sorts.

[RiverDog]

I had heard it became known as Indian Pale Ale because it was the beer shipped to the British India. With no refrigeration, the extra hops acted as a preservative of sorts.

Yes, you are mostly correct. When India was a colony in the British Empire, they had their troops stationed there and during the 1850's-1870's, they yearned for fresh beer from their homeland. As you noted, it was before the days of mechanical refrigeration, and it was a 60 day voyage, around the tip of Africa as the Suez Canal had not been built, and through the tropics, so the only way to keep beer from spoiling was to give it a higher alcoholic content and spike it with hops to control the bacteria. Today, that brewing style, with the hoppier flavor and higher alcoholic content, is known as India Pale Ale.

[I-5]

I had heard it became known as Indian Pale Ale because it was the beer shipped to the British India. With no refrigeration, the extra hops acted as a preservative of sorts.

Yes, exactly. I still can't stand IPA because of the bitterness/hoppiness. I don't like watery beer, either, so it has to be just the right lager on tap.

I also had been drinking my beer mixed with a little orange juice or lemonade for years before I ever knew it was a thing called a Raddler. Weird name, but I found it that it was 'invented' by german bicycle enthusiasts who wanted to have a drink during a ride but not get too inebreated. Great minds!

[RiverDog]

I had heard it became known as Indian Pale Ale because it was the beer shipped to the British India. With no refrigeration, the extra hops acted as a preservative of sorts.

Yes, exactly. I still can't stand IPA because of the bitterness/hoppiness. I don't like watery beer, either, so it has to be just the right lager on tap.

I also had been drinking my beer mixed with a little orange juice or lemonade for years before I ever knew it was a thing called a Raddler. Weird name, but I found it that it was 'invented' by german bicycle enthusiasts who wanted to have a drink during a ride but not get too inebreated. Great minds!

Before I acquired a taste for IPA, and it does take some conditioning, I used to take a 12 oz can of Miller Genuine Draft, pour it into a 16 oz glass, add a couple ounces of V-8, and sprinkle some steak seasoning on it. I called it my poor man's cocktail.

As I said earlier, my standard adult beverage is Chardonnay out of a 5L box (Vella) that costs around $15 and lasts me about a week, or about $1.00/glass. I discovered that there isn't much of a taste difference between Chardonnay out of a box and a $20-50 bottle of it that only yields a little over 3 glasses. Other varieties of wine, particularly reds, don't seem to share the same attribute.

[mykc14]

I also had been drinking my beer mixed with a little orange juice or lemonade for years before I ever knew it was a thing called a Raddler.

I had this for the first a few months ago and it was so good- I was shocked. I haven't heard it called a Raddler, but instead a 'Beermosa.'

[mykc14]

I don't really like hard liquor. I will drink an Old Fashioned or a Smoked Old Fashioned if I go to a Whisky bar or something. When I was just out of college I would drink Whisky and Diet Coke, but I don't do that anymore. If I do dabble into bourbon I'll drink Buffalo Trace or Woodford Reserve and if I want to spend a little more I'll drink Angel's Envy, but I might go through a bottle of bourbon once a year. I don't like hoppy beer. Typically when I drink it will be after a long day of working around my house or helping a buddy and I'll just crack open a nice cold Bud Light or Busch Light. During the football season I typically limit myself to drinking two days/nights a week- after Friday night football games and Seahawk games. In the off-season I drink maybe once every two weeks. I also am ashamed to admit that I will drink seltzer on occasion (I like the alcohol and low carbs) but it has to be one from a brewery, not like a Truly. I almost forgot. Another drink that I will enjoy on occasion is wine (Cab) that has been aged in whisky barrels. A small local winery makes it and it is really good.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

The big reason I enjoy bourbon is because it is something that takes time. It takes attention. I have more bottles than I know what to do with, but I only have 1 or 2 pours a week. I'll get through them all by the time I'm 60. Some of them are meh, some are good, and some are damn good. I've really enjoyed finding which ones fit where.

[I-5]

I also had been drinking my beer mixed with a little orange juice or lemonade for years before I ever knew it was a thing called a Raddler.


I had this for the first a few months ago and it was so good- I was shocked. I haven't heard it called a Raddler, but instead a 'Beermosa.'

I think the Raddler name is a Canadian or German name for your 'Beermosa'.

[mykc14]

I think the Raddler name is a Canadian or German name for your 'Beermosa'.

That would make sense, also I think beermosa is probably the redneck term.