Whisky Forum - Whisky to bourbon question

ralfy legend · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:31 am Post subject: Whisky to bourbon question

Been drinking whisky for five years now and apart from a few disappointments I've totally enjoyed the journey, I'm not bored but the question I'm asking is , when going in a new direction say bourbon is it easy cross over? I've tried buffalo trace and didn't have anythink bad to say and ive tried woodford reserve that I really enjoyed, I know there's better out there but do I stick with my journey or venture into boubon for a year? If I go into another direction I don't tend to turn back quickly. A few recommendations would also help. Many thanks RL.

cdn_dram · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:57 am Post subject:

My favorites are woodford reserve double oaked and pikesville 100%rye. Both very complex.

Four roses SB, Blanton's or Blanton's gold are some great options too and are a bit more typical bourbons.

Samson · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:14 am Post subject:

I do enjoy bourbon to a certain extent, the intensity from the new oak can be impressive but I do prefer the refinement of Scotch single malt whisky. There is certainly some good bourbons, and often cheaper than Scotch but I feel they are all very similar to a certain extent, good for when the mood takes me but I am Scotch single malt man.

Big Mac · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 4:57 am Post subject:

davidbe · Master Of Malts Joined: 28 May 2015 Posts: 499

Buffalo Trace isn't a bad start but in Europe it's lost a bit of bite due to being 40% unlike the US 45% bottle.

I would recommend the following:

Eagle Rare (Sweet, oaky)
Evan Williams Single Barrel (nutty, a bit thin, slight bitter but complex)
Elijah Craig Small Batch (or the 12 year old) - Heavily oaky but well balanced. If you're feeling adventurous try the barrel proof (but import from europe, much cheaper than UK).

Any of the Jim Beam small batch bunch - Knob Creek, Baker's, Bookers (I prefer Baker's the best of these) - all have a similar profile.

Wild Turkey 101 is a classic too, with good reason.

Good luck Top Malt

RickVW · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2017 Posts: 5

I was always a Scotch drinker up until around 18 months ago when I started buying a few bourbons and I know love the stuff.

Some of my personal favorites have been:

Michters 10
Smooth Ambler Old Scout 10
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Rebel Yell 10
Old Weller Antique

Desafinado · Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 8:08 pm Post subject:

Why confine yourself to one or the other? Might as well get a collection from any region you can..

I've tried a significant number of bourbons now and am moving away from them, if anything. Not a lot of pleasant character, not a lot of variation.

The positive of them is mainly the price-point and that you can down *a lot* of whisky for cheap. Bourbon is to Scotch as a domestic beer is to a Trappist version.

lincoln imp · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 8:07 pm Post subject:

I have tried bourbon quite a few times but I just cannot get into it. I drinks malts and blends but bourbon does just not do it for me.
I did like an Old Joe 4 year and a couple of others bit-u its not as enjoyable to me,it does not suit me there is very often a metallic like taste which I do not like.

It is hard to compare malts to bourbon you have to remeber generally bourbon is much younger, is a straight comparison generally really fair?
Lets face it, if you look at most of the new NAS single malts they are pretty rubbish so when you look at it like that, bourbon per age of the product may actually be better in real terms and quality/price ratio?
_________________
Pour me a glass please.

Darwin · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 10:17 pm Post subject:

Ihasadram · Double Malt Member Joined: 13 Aug 2014 Posts: 78

I recently got into Bourbon. There is a post in a section about American whiskey on this forum that recommends some Bourbons for scotch lovers, and that suggests that scotch lovers tend to like Bourbons that have more rye in the mashbill. I discovered that I am sensitive to rye, and drinking a significant amount of a rye whiskey made me ill for more than a week.

In small amounts, I still enjoy Eagle Rare and, at a lower price point, Basil Hayden. I like a bit of water in the Basil Hayden, but not Eagle Rare. I want to try Buffalo Trace, which was recommended to me based on my preference for Eagle Rare. I found that I prefer the wild Turkey 81 over the 101, and I still add water to the 81.

As far as Bourbon being younger than scotch, the climate in Kentucky results in many more hot and cold cycles over time, which is recognized as effectively aging the whiskey more rapidly. A lot of Bourbon lovers shy away from the Bourbons that are aged longer than 8 years. I like them a little older, but not much. I'd put Eagle Rare up against many unpeated scotches that have 15-18 year age declarations, but it has a price to match.