Best bourbon under $50?

[melensdad]

Thanks for the review!

No problem! I rather enjoyed it myself

I had heard some good things about the Journeyman and was really disappointed in it last night. Spring Mill, on the other hand, was a much more pleasant drink and could be enjoyed in all 3 ways that bourbon is commonly consumed: straight, over ice, or mixed. The Spring Mill was just a smoother drink all around. While the Journeyman should be mixed with something/anything to smooth it out because enjoying it straight up is not a good option and ice didn't help much either.

I may have another comparison tonight? Depends on if we are home or if the lovely wife has plans for me.

 

[Cozy439]

2-3 day trip?? Psssshhh, My brother and Dad went to Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Makers Mark and Heaven Hills (Evan Williams) in one day. All we needed was Jim Beam and Wild Turkey to complete the whole trail but ran out of time due to it being a Saturday and the distilleries closed early. It was a LOOONNNGG Day but one the three of us will always remember.

We also have hit 5 in one day. and you said it "It was a LOOONNNGG Day but one the three of us will always remember" If you want to TAKE IT ALL IN, if you want to go on each tour, if you want to enjoy the samples (some location are more accommodating them others), if you do NOT want to have to drive 80 on 2-lane back roads, if you want a reason to get away for a 2-3 day weekend with your spouse, do it our way
but feel free to rush if you are so inclined or have limited free time. There is no ONE right way to do this.

Last time we went we drove down from Ft Wayne after work. Got to south of Louisville at 8pm had supper spent the night. Went to Beam when it opened. We had 1 tour guide to our self and saw more than ever (they recently updated their tour and now take you thru the distillery) and had a cpl samples. We went to Heaven Hill the timing got us there just in time to join a tour that had began 2 min before our arrival. Another wonderful tour and 2 more samples. While there we over heard 4 Air Force pilots saying they saw an sign for a new distillery across the street. We hit that with them as soon as we left Heaven Hill. It was Willets. Not completed yet, no tours at that time but sampling was available 2, 3 maybe 4 sips of different varieties. They did not cheat, they are only allowed to give you 2 samples but at many places we each get 2different things and share. You will not get drunk, but to get to experience many new flavors. Leaving there, we made it to Makers Mark where we experienced another updated tour experience from our last time. We also got 2 more samples. We spent the night in Frankfort and had a lovely diner there. and then we went on a an after dark ghost tour at Buffalo Trace and had some more samples. Buffalo Trace is not on the official list any more but it too has a very interesting history and regular day-time tour. The next morning we hit Woodford Reserve. A lovely location, in the middle of horse country. And a lovely distrillery - the only climate controlled Stone barrel house we had seen. We just stopped for the stamp on our passport as we had been there before and neither of us is a huge fan of that brand. Next was Wild Turkey where we got THE most in-depth tour from an expert and some more samples. Next was Four Roses, My favorite flavor and 1 of my favorite tours. Again it was an updated tour. These events have taken off and many of the distilleries have stepped up their tours and a lot have added on increased their tasting/touring areas. Our last stop for that day was Town Branch in Lexington. Its new, but also cool. We happened to meet the owner and spent a good long time talking to him like we were old friends, even AFTER he found out I went to IU. We headed north back to the hoosier state and stopped at one of the Ohio River casinos for a meal and the night and drove home the next AM. Feel free to spend More or less time. If u want the tours, you can not rush it. If you just want to get a stamp on you passport and maybe a sip, you can fly. Look at the tour schedules on the KBT website and plan accordingly. Have FUN, We always do.

 

[bcannon]

1792 Rigdemont Reserve, Willet Pot Still Reserve, Blantons, and George Dickel are my favs

 

[melensdad]

Well for my second installment of head to head comparisons I am going to take SPRING MILL from last night and compare it to BEER BARREL.

First off is the appearance. Both are about the same rich caramel color but the BEER BARREL is slightly cloudy, and under careful scrutiny has visible particles floating in the glass. The SPRING MILL has no such cloud.

As for aroma, both of them have a pleasant aroma, but while the SPRING MILL has mild in its aroma, there is a definite intensity to the aroma of the BEER BARREL.

When it comes to taste the BEER BARREL has virtually ZERO alcohol burn on the way down, it is very smooth after it passes your lips but there is a slight tingle on the lip. SPRING MILL, definitely has more of an alcohol flavor in the mouth, and, while it does not have an objectionable burn on the way down, it is pronounced when compared to the much smoother BEER BARREL. This is not to say the SPRING MILL is harsh, because it is not.

As with my prior test all initial testing was done straight, not cut with water and not iced. 1 ice cube was added to the remaining bourbon in each glass and allowed to melt and breathe for a couple minutes.

I found the BEER BARREL to change from pleasant to almost objectionable with the addition of the ice! What was once smooth became acrid, bitter and harsh. What was mellow was no more. I tried it again, just to be sure and came back with the same opinion. BEER BARREL is wonderful neat. Not so much on ice. Only when the single ice cube had completely melted did the BEER BARREL become good again. Let the ice cube melt down before drinking.

The SPRING MILL, while not as tasty as the BEER BARREL when straight, was better than BEER BARREL when served on the rocks.

Tonight I'd like to say we have a tie. I prefer the BEER BARREL neat, but on the rocks I'd say the SPRING MILL is better. Watered down a bit when the ice was gone, the BEER BARREL was redeemed again and again was tasty. So perhaps if pushed hard enough I'd go say the BEER BARREL is slightly better than the SPRING MILL.

 

[7.62]

Cracked open my first bottle of Blantons tonight....all I can say is wow! Very nice bourbon!!!!

 

[church]

Cracked open my first bottle of Blantons tonight....all I can say is wow! Very nice bourbon!!!!

Blantons is liquid gold. Hands down, the best bourbon I've ever had.

 

[melensdad]

Blantons is liquid gold. Hands down, the best bourbon I've ever had.

Which Blanton's do you like. They make at least 4 different Bourbons that I have found. Also their regular bourbon doesn't get very good reviews on some of the bourbon review websites yet gets good reviews on others.



I'm adding to my collection faster than I can reasonably test them. I picked up the Evan Williams 1783 because I had heard that it was a very sweet bourbon. Its also cheap (under $20/w tax). The Wild Turkey "Forgiven" was purchased on a whim, it just looked interesting. I've not tried it yet, but I did open it up to take a sniff and it smells great. I did the same with the E.W. 1783 and it smelled of alcohol but not good. Yet many people seem to really like the flavor of the 1783.

 

[rockhopper46038]

I drank a bit of the "Forgiven" last night. If you like high rye in your bourbon mash bill, you're going to like "Forgiven". It is even spicier than most bourbons, getting closer to the rye whiskey category (which I guess you would expect, it being a blend).

 

[melensdad]

Well I opened both of the brand new bottles.

The colors of both of these bourbons are a nice deep rich caramel color, and both are about the same shade with good clarity. The aroma of the Wild Turkey Forgiven is is rich, savory and full while the Evan Williams seems sweet to the nose and thin.

In the mouth the Evan Williams 1783 definitely has sweet tones and is very pleasant with no burn going down, although there is a small bit of an alcohol burn when it hits bottom. If you hold it in your mouth it will cause your mouth to tingle. The taste is fairly sweet too, in a good/pleasant way.

Switching over to the Forgiven from Wild Turkey you pick up spice, probably from the rye. Its still a pleasant bourbon, and smooth going down your throat, but you get the sense that this is a more serious bourbon than the Evan Williams. Given that it costs about $30 more per bottle you do expect something more substantial than the low priced Evan Williams and it does deliver.

Adding a single cube of ice to each and swirling the glasses a bit then taking a sip, the Evan Williams 1783 hits your tongue with a sweet shot but then goes down your throat with a slight burn that didn't exist when sipped neat. Again, still a pleasant bourbon to drink and probably a great mixer, but probably to simple to drink on a regular basis.

Picking up the Wild Turkey Forgiven and bringing up the glass with ice I pick up a scent of sweetness that did not exist neat. The peppery spice flavors opened up a bit more and the complexity of this bourbon blend showed itself. I like this. Very much. Neat, or with ice, before bed, while relaxing, the Forgiven, in a glass would be a fine companion.

Switching back to the Evan Williams 1783 and the lack of depth with the now nearly completely melted ice cube showed itself to be a thin drink that matched the thin price. Not to say the 1783 is a bad drink, its not. Its destined to be a mixer. Perhaps a summertime drink, neat, while BBQ'ing some burgers or brats.

I drank a bit of the "Forgiven" last night. If you like high rye in your bourbon mash bill, you're going to like "Forgiven". It is even spicier than most bourbons, getting closer to the rye whiskey category (which I guess you would expect, it being a blend).

I agree!

 

[melensdad]

Went back for another wee nip of the FORGIVEN

NEAT

 

[melensdad]

I've got a small glass with some Willett Pot Still getting some air. The aroma is beautiful. Slightly sweet to the smell. Taste is also sweet to the front of the tongue but becomes acerbic as it moves to the back of your mouth and then has a distinctive burn as it goes down. Its sadly not pleasant going down with the alcohol burn.

Unlike other bourbon trials I don't have a handy ice cube sitting near by, nor do I have another bourbon to compare. I just have a small glass with a bit of the Willett Pot Still Bourbon sitting next to me, neat.

I really enjoy the flavor of this bourbon as it enters my mouth, its rich and complex in flavors with a bit of sweetness and very smooth going into your mouth and hitting your front taste buds. But that is in the front of your mouth, as it transitions to the rear and then flows down the flavor changes from amazingly good to mildly unpleasant. There are bourbons that have more alcohol burn than the Willett Pot Still, but that doesn't mean that this one is better than those. I prefer a bourbon with as little 'burn' as is possible, some are incredibly smooth going down, this is simply not one of those brands. It really is astounding how wonderful this bourbon tastes at the front of the mouth and its really unfortunate how it transitions in taste from great to marginal as it moves to the back of your mouth and then down your throat.

Of the bourbons that I've tried so far, I'd say the Beer Barrel, the Wild Turkey FORGIVEN and the cheap Evan Williams 1783 are the best that I've tried. The Journeyman, to my taste, stands out as the worst. This glass of Willett Pot Still sits in the middle of those I've recently sampled.

 

[melensdad]

Drinking any alcohol 3 nights in a row is setting a record for me. Well maybe in my college days?

Tonight I've got a Tennessee Whiskey, one of only 2 that also qualifies as a Bourbon, but proclaims loudly that it is not a Bourbon. Jack Daniels Single Barrel. I've also got some of the BEER BARREL Bourbon that I had previously sampled.

Right off the bat the colors are different. The Jack Daniels Single Barrel is much darker with more brown in the coloring while the BEER BARREL is more golden/amber colored.

The BEER BARREL smells more complex with an array of scents hitting your nose while the Jack Daniels Single Barrel smells mostly of alcohol.

In the mouth the Jack Daniels Single Barrel goes in smooth but then begins to tingle on the lips. The flavor is over shadowed by the burn as it goes down, then the burn intensifies when it hits bottom.

Switching over to the BEER BARREL Bourbon and the difference are striking as there is virtually no burn at all, just flavor. Not overly sweet. Very pleasant. This is my third try at the bottle of BEER BARREL and I'm really liking this one. Easy to drink, good flavor on the tip of your tongue and good flavor when it moves to the back of your mouth, and virtually no burn.

Adding one cube of ice to each of these the test comparison continues. First the Jack Daniels Single Barrel. The ice really tames this drink! There is still some burn but honestly its much more manageable and not objectionable. The flavor seems to open up and the taste seems to even out from front to back of mouth. With a cube, the Jack Daniels Single Barrel is pretty darn good.

Switching over to the BEER BARREL Bourbon and the ice ruins it. Again. I've tried this test before. I simply don't understand how a pleasant flavor can all of a sudden become unpleasant when its chilled and slightly diluted. Now I still think the BEER BARREL is near the top of my list of bourbons, but I'm still not thrilled with it when you drop an ice cube into the glass.

I know with cigars that what you eat before you smoke, even an hour or two before the cigar, can affect the taste of the cigar. I assume the same is with bourbon. What I believe is that its best to try something several times, just to confirm the test. So with these tests I try to do the same things, repeatedly. Each test has about 1.5oz of each bourbon. 2 bourbons, neat. Same 2 bourbons with a single ice cube.​

 

[rockhopper46038]

I enjoyed a little Glemorangie 12yo port wood finish last night, and a little Russell's Reserve rye.

 

[melensdad]

Scored a bottle of the BABY BOURBON. Its made from 100% corn mash. I've not opened the bottle yet, it sits, with seal intact, in the cabinet for now. Looking forward to the weekend. Its NOT cheap. $41.99 for a 375ml bottle. Most bourbon bottles are 750ml. So this bottle is HALF the size of a 'normal' bottle and yet it costs as much as most medium priced bourbon bottles, making the price per ounce about double the average!

Also pictured is a non-bourbon that qualifies as a bourbon but which JD says is a whiskey. Its their SINGLE BARREL and I find it a bit harsh. Tried it when I bought it a couple months ago. Cut it with some warm apple juice on a cold night. Tried it again this weekend. Not thrilled with it. But a couple posts up is my latest observation of it, from Saturday evening.

 

[7.62]

Scored a bottle of the BABY BOURBON. Its made from 100% corn mash. I've not opened the bottle yet, it sits, with seal intact, in the cabinet for now. Looking forward to the weekend. Its NOT cheap. $41.99 for a 375ml bottle. Most bourbon bottles are 750ml. So this bottle is HALF the size of a 'normal' bottle and yet it costs as much as most medium priced bourbon bottles, making the price per ounce about double the average!

Also pictured is a non-bourbon that qualifies as a bourbon but which JD says is a whiskey. Its their SINGLE BARREL and I find it a bit harsh. Tried it when I bought it a couple months ago. Cut it with some warm apple juice on a cold night. Tried it again this weekend. Not thrilled with it. But a couple posts up is my latest observation of it, from Saturday evening.

yes that diffentitely is not cheap!

as far as the JD goes...I'm not really a fan of it either!

 

[melensdad]

OK this is getting out of hand. I'm sipping ounces but I've now probably got GALLONS of bourbon and the liquor shelf is bowing under the weight of the amber-gold liquid.

I blame you guys!

Picked up these 2 today. I've had the American Honey from Wild Turkey before. Its not "real" bourbon. Its bourbon that is mixed with a honey liquor, its got a lower alcohol content, about 70-Proof versus 80-to-90 Proof for most burbons. Its also very sweet, very easy to drink. Consider it beginners bourbon? Whatever you call it, its an easy to drink product. I actually should have bought a bottle of SWEET LUCY, which I saw on the shelf for the first time today. Its also not a "real" bourbon in that its a mixed product but it sounds very interesting. Here is a link to SWEET LUCY => Sweet Lucy Bourbon

The Breckenridge Bourbon was purchased under the advice of the liquor salesman who was in the aisle of the shop when I walked in. Nice guy, pushed this stuff at $44 a bottle, but pointed out that the neck tag of the bottle actually makes a BOLD CLAIM, its ranked as one of the TOP 3 BOURBONS in the world. What the heck, I'll give it a try. Not sure when I'll even get around to opening this bottle? Friday night? Saturday night? Maybe not until next weekend?

I tend to only try these things on nights when we stay home and watch a movie, then I only have a couple ounces. So not only do I have a couple years worth of bourbon but I've got several unopened brands to try too.

 

[rockhopper46038]

You're building up a nice collection!

 

[Brandon]

I didn't care for American Honey, I have not tried that bottle of Colorado. I have 2 bottles of Stranahan's, I need to try it on the rocks before I can get a good taste of it.

 

[melensdad]

You're building up a nice collection!

That is the goal! A few more to go and then I can stop.

I didn't care for American Honey, I have not tried that bottle of Colorado. I have 2 bottles of Stranahan's, I need to try it on the rocks before I can get a good taste of it.

The American Honey is clearly a sweet drink, I think best mixed with some warm apple cider. Drinking it neat would be too sweet. First sip might be fine, but by the time you get a couple sips into the glass it would probably be overwhelmingly sweet alone.

As for trying bourbon on ice, I have been doing the opposite. Trying it first neat. Then trying it over ice. Its amazing how the taste changes after the ice begins to melt. Generally I'm favoring most of them BEFORE the single ice cube is added. I don't like liquors that burn all the way down, so I'm favoring the bourbons that are much smoother and its interesting that several bourbons of equal "Proof" have totally different levels of alcohol burn/smoothness as they go down.

 

[melensdad]

Well its Friday night and that is movie night at the house, and movie night has become Bourbon night! So its time for another test. There may be another test tomorrow?


For tonight's enjoyment I broke open the bottle of Hudson's Baby Bourbon, which is a 100% Corn Mash bourbon to try against the Colorado's award winning Breckinridge Bourbon, which is reported to be one of the "Top 3 Bourbons" in the world.

Right off the bat the Breckenridge is a medium Amber gold color with a wonderful sweet aroma. The Baby Bourbon is almost brown in color and, at least compared to the Breckenridge, has very little hint of sweetness to the aroma with a touch of sharp spice to the nose.

Taking a sip of the Baby Bourbon is very pleasant, its mildly sweet on the tongue with a bit of tingle in the mouth. The flavor remains fairly consistent as it moves through your mouth and has no burn on the way down, but when it hits bottom you begin to feel the warmth build a bit, not in an unpleasant way, but you certainly feel it.

Switching over to the Breckenridge and the sweetness hits your tongue and changes a bit along the sides of your tongue as it moves to the back. It is very smooth on the first try. You feel a bit of heat on the second sip but not a real burn. The flavor, however, is not really a stand-out. I found it a bit bland and unremarkable. If this is a Top 3 bourbon then I'll stick with some of the lesser brands. I'm not saying its bad, its not. Its just not something that screams out to me.

Dropping a single ice cube into each glass and allowing the ice to swirl around and melt a bit to incorporate some water into the bourbon, I pick up the Baby Bourbon first. Even with the ice cube partially melted its interesting to see how dark brown in color Hudson's Baby Bourbon remains. The aroma seems to open up a bit but the same tones hit your nose, just in more volume. Taking a sip of the slightly diluted Baby Bourbon is a pleasant experience. In my prior testing I seem to favor the bourbon neat, but I think with this brand I think I prefer it over ice. Its fine either neat or over ice, but I'm thinking over ice is a bid better. Its a bit milder on the tongue and milder in the belly. Even with the ice cube completely melted in the glass, the Baby Bourbon is still darker in color, by a wide margin, than the Breckinridge.

Picking up the Breckinridge with the 1/2 melted ice cube and the flavor has sharpened up considerably. You pick up some peppery spice which works well with the sweetness of the bourbon. Its a much better drink on the rocks. This is the first bourbon that is A LOT BETTER over ice, its easy to drink and the bit of sharpness ads some character. What was unremarkable and easily forgettable neat is now a pleasant drink with ice.

Honestly I like both of these bourbons.

I'm not convinced that the Hudson Baby Bourbon is worth the price. In fact I don't believe that it is a good value. its interesting, its worth a try if you want to pay the money, but if its not in your budget then you shouldn't think you are missing out on something amazing. Its good. Its not amazing. I like it. I don't love it. I'll sip on it some more and come back to it another day, and enjoy it.

The Breckinridge Bourbon is about average if you are drinking it neat, honestly I can't see it as one of the great bourbons of the world if you simply pour it out of the bottle. But pour it over ice and its a very good drink. Its not cheap, but not too expensive, and its a better value than the Baby Bourbon by any measure. I'm not looking for 'values' with my bourbon testing, but given the price of the Hudson Baby Bourbon, which translates to over $82 for a 750ml bottle, I'm not sure its easy to justify the price.