Bourbon.

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by denning

Tried a bottle of Hudson Baby Bourbon over the weekend. 100% corn and aged in 3L barrells as opposed to the standard 53L barrells. Thus, through greater surface area contact with the charred barrell it only requires 3 months of aging, hence, baby bourbon. While tasty, I found it quite sweet, but with a nice citrus note, some pepperiness and strong vanilla flavours. Quite expensive but worth a try if for no other reason than to try something new.

I enjoy the Baby Bourbon a great deal, and it's one of the few bourbons I can blind taste without knowing what it is. Try the four grain bourbon, which is a little milder and more balanced. Also, I noticed ama's recommendation on the single malt and agree on the slight hints of pine.. very unusual..

 

[Wallcloud]

This thread is bad for my wallet.

 

[ama]

^ more buying, less complaining

 

[bdeuce22]

gnatty, thanks. bought another bottle of ER 10 and 17. don't know if i can go back to the 10. side to side, no comparison. the 10 is still great for the price, but the 17, wow.

thanks alot. you are the bourbon equivalent to ama with cigars.

 

[Aaron01]

Picked up a bottle of the ER10 today, was looking for the 17 but it wasn't in stock.

 

[jblazing]

Blantons. Wow, is it smooth. I generally go with Bulleit, because it's tatsy and $25.

 

[ama]

Originally Posted by Aaron01

Picked up a bottle of the ER10 today, was looking for the 17 but it wasn't in stock.

It only comes out once a year, usually late Sept - early Oct. In my neck of the woods it is still relatively plentiful, but for the most part it is gone.

 

[Aaron01]

Originally Posted by ama

It only comes out once a year, usually late Sept - early Oct. In my neck of the woods it is still relatively plentiful, but for the most part it is gone.

I'll keep my eyes open around that time then

 

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by bdeuce22

gnatty, thanks. bought another bottle of ER 10 and 17. don't know if i can go back to the 10. side to side, no comparison. the 10 is still great for the price, but the 17, wow.

thanks alot. you are the bourbon equivalent to ama with cigars.

thanks man, glad you liked it..

 

[Cordwinder]

From AP Consumers pushing beyond sake to Japanese whiskies By MICHELLE LOCKE SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- It wasn't too long ago that Owen Westman's customers at Rickhouse Bar didn't even know there were Japanese whiskies available, let alone ask for them by name. "They certainly do now," he says. Although best known for sake, Japan has a whisky tradition stretching back more than a century. It's not widely available in the U.S., but that's changing as companies like major producer Suntory work to boost overseas sales. And maybe Bill Murray had something to do with it. His character in the 2003 movie "Lost in Translation" goes to Japan to shoot a whisky commercial. Suntory exports a number of products, including Yamazaki single malt whiskies and Hibiki, a blend. Like Scotch, the Japanese product is spelled without the extra "e." In fact, the origins of the Japanese whisky industry have ties to Scotland. Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii hired Masataka Taketsuru, who studied distilling in Scotland. Taketsuru went on to found Nikka, also a major producer. Despite that history, Suntory whisky is "not Scotch made in Japan," points out Eric Ariyoshi, a Suntory brand manager based in San Francisco. One of Torii's goals was "to really create a Japanese whisky that catered to a more subtle palate," says Ariyoshi. "If you think about Japanese food it tends to be on the lighter side, very subtle flavors. One of his specific goals was to create a whisky that fits into that palate." Overall, Japanese whisky is a fraction of total U.S. sales. Suntory launched the Hibiki brand in Europe and the U.S. last year with sales of 6,000 cases. This year, they hope to sell 8,000 cases of Hibiki overseas and 31,000 cases of Yamazaki. To put that into perspective, 2009 total whiskey sales in the United States amounted to 46.5 million cases, according to the U.S. Distilled Spirits Council. But with interest in spirits rising, there's more attention being paid to all types of whiskies, says council spokesman Frank Coleman. "There clearly has been a whiskey revival over the last decade and consumer interest is at an all-time high," he said. "You have the explosion in the number of small craft distillers getting into the whiskey game. Consumers have become more and more interested in trying these new and different products and there's no doubt some very good whiskies being made in Japan." Barrel aging is key to how a whisky tastes and Suntory uses three kinds, American and Spanish oak as well as Japanese mizunara oak. American white oak contributes a dry flavor with hints of vanilla, the Spanish oak has flavors of raisins, chocolate and caramel and the mizunara gives subtle sweetness and spiciness, reminiscent of incense. The Hibiki is a blend of more than 30 individual whiskies, with the final blend topped off with a whisky aged more than 30 years. Elegant and smooth, Hibiki uses old plum liqueur casks for aging some components and a bamboo charcoal filter that "just mellows out the flavor. Gives it a very sweet and gentle flavor," Ariyoshi says. In a nod to tradition, the Hibiki packaging has 24 facets to represent the ancient Japanese calendar that divided the year into 24 "seasons." At Rickhouse, bartenders pour the Yamazaki 12-year-old and 18-year-old single malts as well as the Hibiki blend. Most customers ask for it neat, although the bar has some interesting cocktails, including one involving cherry preserves. You can get the 18-year-old Yamazaki at the Father's Office bar in Los Angeles, too. But you have to know what to ask for. Chef and owner Sang Yoon, who also has a Father's Office in Santa Monica, couldn't find a way to mesh the whisky with his menu, but since he likes it, he kept a bottle at his LA location for friends. Those in the know ask for "Relaxing Times," a tagline from a Suntory advertising campaign that was also in "Lost in Translation." If Murray happens to stroll in, bartenders have been advised he can just ask for "a me," Yoon says.

 

[gnatty8]

Maker's Mark is to bourbon as Olive Garden is to Italian gastronomy.

I tried the Maker's Mark "premium" bourbon last weekend, the 46. It was pleasant, but I won't make it a permanent fixture in my bar. I think Maker's is a decent bourbon for the average joe, but one grows weary of it pretty quickly.

That said, I am saddened that the 46 is the only new bourbon I have tried in the last 6 months. I may have had an Old Forrester Birthday Bourbon within that timeframe, but just seems like the stable of products in the mid to upper shelf have gotten stale. That said, I have enough great whiskies to enjoy for years to come, as there are some fan-damn-tastic bourbons out there, but it'd be nice to try something new. I have never had Black Maple Hill if I recall correctly, but never see it around here.

 

[RPMcMurphy]

In the makers mark price range, I dig four roses.

 

[rvan]

I'm still trying to finish off my Knob Creek bottle from Christmas. For some reason the bar I frequent only has Bookers and not Bakers and my girlfriend and I always like to order Bakers neat for a long sipping drink.

 

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by rvan

I'm still trying to finish off my Knob Creek bottle from Christmas. For some reason the bar I frequent only has Bookers and not Bakers and my girlfriend and I always like to order Bakers neat for a long sipping drink.

I prefer Booker's to Baker's, the flavor is so much heavier, more intense, and unlike most other bourbons I have tried. Baker's is very good though..

 

[life_interrupts]

Anyone familiar with Pendelton Canadian Whiskey? It has a lighter taste, with hints of vanilla in the finish. Had some while in the Grand Canyon for work. Not bad