Best bourbon under $50?

[ArcadiaGP]

Heading to Buffalo Trace distillery in a couple weeks. Really hoping to be able to buy some Blanton's while I'm there.

 

[AmmoManAaron]

You guys should come down to Kentucky during the Knob Creek Machinegun Shoot. You could kill 2 birds with one stone (or trip). Even the steak houses in the small town of Shepardsville have a good selection of high-quality local bourbon so that you can try a glass before you commit to a whole bottle.

 

[M67]

I bet you also don't like Old Fashioneds, either, do ya?

Depends what kinda "old fashion" you're referring to....



I drink bourbon neat and at warm temperature.....just can't bring myself to dilute it more than it is (one reason why barrel strength/cask strength is awesome)

For those who have done the bourbon trail in Kentucky, is there a max number of bottles you are legally allowed to bring back to Indiana. This would be for personal consumption or as a gift.

To my knowledge, no. If there is, just don't get pulled over.

There is a limit on how much alcohol 1 person can buy at a distillery a day. So if you want to stock up on a special release (get lucky at the Willett distillery and the family estate stuff), then I hope you have company. They also have to pay with it with their own card/cash and not you

Another question. How are the prices at distilleries compared to liquor stores or places like Meijer or Kroger?

Prices at the distilleries are higher than in store usually (especially case price discount at Kroeger), but there's some special release stuff you can only get at the distillery's gift shop. The Heaven Hill distillery has what they call grenades, only available there, and if you get lucky maybe a William Heavenhill release, but at $250 a bottle it's a tad expensive.

Hit up distilleries and Liquor Barns

 

[Ballstater98]

You guys should come down to Kentucky during the Knob Creek Machinegun Shoot. You could kill 2 birds with one stone (or trip). Even the steak houses in the small town of Shepardsville have a good selection of high-quality local bourbon so that you can try a glass before you commit to a whole bottle.

Next one Oct. 12, 13, & 14 2018
http://www.knobcreekrange.com/events/featured-events/machine-gun-shoot

 

[melensdad]

Didn't get to my favorite liquor store last week, stopped in today. He saved me a bottle of BLOOD OATH Pact 4 ... $99

 

[dvd1955]

Just got a $5050 bottle of bourbon from my wife! I bought her a new-to-us van last weekend and paid $5000 more than I had planned. She rewarded me with a $50 bottle of Angel's Envy

 

[melensdad]

Just got a $5050 bottle of bourbon from my wife! I bought her a new-to-us van last weekend and paid $5000 more than I had planned. She rewarded me with a $50 bottle of Angel's Envy

Seems like a fair exchange

 

[rkwhyte2]

My drink for the evening. I really like this Rye.

 

[rkwhyte2]

Funny thing I'm pretty sure the rye is sourced to a distillery in Lawrenceburg.

 

[M67]

Funny thing I'm pretty sure the rye is sourced to a distillery in Lawrenceburg.

Lot of stuff is MGP juice, some of that is pretty tasty

 

[melensdad]

Lot of stuff is MGP juice, some of that is pretty tasty

Yup, MGP makes some excellent whiskey. Mostly high rye bourbon and rye whiskey varieties. They are a source for whiskey that is blended or bottled all over the nation. Lots of people look at MGP and suggest/imply that its not good stuff but MPG makes some of the very best stuff and some pretty marginal stuff.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Being a noob bourbon drinker, I was thinking about this drink the other day. Are they any good? They sound like they might be good to make when you have company and you're not purist bourbon drinkers.

My concern would be that they are too sweet, but maybe not? Should I order one at a bar before I just make one? And what about a Manhattan?

And what does Don Draper drink in Madmen?

I'm a big fan of Old Fashioneds. Quite tasty. Every bar you go to will make one differently. If you go to an actual cocktail bar, it'll probably taste better than if you order one at the American Legion or Applebee's. And, yes, I'd submit that an Old Fashioned is a good way to introduce non bourbon/whiskey drinkers to bourbon/whiskey. Making them yourself you can really make them as sweet as you want and with whatever flavoring you want. I've got a roasted-apple flavored syrup that works really well with Big House Bourbon. And I've got a bit of home-made maraschino & orange syrup that goes well with both the Dickel sour mash AND the Dickel Rye that I have.

Manhattans aren't a "beginner" drink - unless you don't care about the taste and just want to imbibe. I've tried making one at home with my Dickel Rye + Martini&Rossi sweet red vermouth. I poured it out. Tasted that bad to me. I think I need to seek out other sweet vermouth. Or try a different base spirit.

I will say that the 1875 Manhattan at the 1875 Steakhouse at the French Lick Springs Resort is EXCEPTIONAL. 3 oz Woodford Reserve, 1.5 oz Disaronno, and 1 oz of their house-made cherry simple syrup. It's essentially not a Manhattan at all and more of an Old Fashioned despite what they call it. Absolutely fantastic cocktail.

 

[melensdad]

Try a Manhattan with a better quality of sweet vermouth.

Something that stands up on its own like a Carpano Antica, a Dolin, a Noilly Pratt or a Punt e Mes. There are several others out there to consider. Prices will be higher than Martini & Rossi, some are in the $15 range, others pushing $35. Not too easy to find some of those in small/local stores but a larger better stocked store will usually have at least one or two of those.

Also realize that vermouths are fortified wine, they need to be treated like wine. They will go bad after they opened so if you have a bottle sitting around for a couple years then throw it out.

In Spain I got used to drinking Vermouth Martinis, which is just a sweet vermouth, over ice, with a nice squeeze of lemon. Never thought I'd drink vermouth on its own but it makes a nice hot weather drink. Again, use a good quality sweet vermouth for best results, but a simple Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth makes a decent drink over ice with a lime if that is all you have.

OH, and use a good cherry, something with a heavy syrup. I keep LUXARDO but also will use TOSCHI. The cheap varieties are garbage.

 

[jbombelli]

This is the most worthwhile thread on INGO.

 

[melensdad]

This is the most worthwhile thread on INGO.

I think Confuscious said that

 

[gregkl]

I'm a big fan of Old Fashioneds. Quite tasty. Every bar you go to will make one differently. If you go to an actual cocktail bar, it'll probably taste better than if you order one at the American Legion or Applebee's. And, yes, I'd submit that an Old Fashioned is a good way to introduce non bourbon/whiskey drinkers to bourbon/whiskey. Making them yourself you can really make them as sweet as you want and with whatever flavoring you want. I've got a roasted-apple flavored syrup that works really well with Big House Bourbon. And I've got a bit of home-made maraschino & orange syrup that goes well with both the Dickel sour mash AND the Dickel Rye that I have.

Manhattans aren't a "beginner" drink - unless you don't care about the taste and just want to imbibe. I've tried making one at home with my Dickel Rye + Martini&Rossi sweet red vermouth. I poured it out. Tasted that bad to me. I think I need to seek out other sweet vermouth. Or try a different base spirit.

I will say that the 1875 Manhattan at the 1875 Steakhouse at the French Lick Springs Resort is EXCEPTIONAL. 3 oz Woodford Reserve, 1.5 oz Disaronno, and 1 oz of their house-made cherry simple syrup. It's essentially not a Manhattan at all and more of an Old Fashioned despite what they call it. Absolutely fantastic cocktail.

TF, thanks for all of this info. I'll seek out a bar known for making good cocktails. A friend of mine is quite the liquor drinker and though he drinks clear, I know he can steer me to a good place.

And if they are too sweet(which is usually the case with anything a restaurant serves with "sugar" in) making them at home will enable me to dial down the additives until eventually I grow a pair and drink it straight!

I did that with coffee. Started with cream, sugar and a little coffee. Now it's just black coffee.

 

[Tactically Fat]

TF, thanks for all of this info. I'll seek out a bar known for making good cocktails. A friend of mine is quite the liquor drinker and though he drinks clear, I know he can steer me to a good place.

And if they are too sweet(which is usually the case with anything a restaurant serves with "sugar" in) making them at home will enable me to dial down the additives until eventually I grow a pair and drink it straight!

I did that with coffee. Started with cream, sugar and a little coffee. Now it's just black coffee.

Did I mention that I'm far from an expert? I've just happened to find a few different whiskey/bourbon cocktails that I like - and that's about it. There are VERY few whiskeys/bourbons that I'll drink on the rocks. And I can't think of any that I'd take straight/neat or with just a splash of water.

No worries on working towards drinking them straight. If you don't like it now, no sense in forcing that upon yourself.

 

[AtTheMurph]

Here is my version of an Old Fashioned:

2-3oz of good quality whiskey or bourbon. 3-4 dashes of Blood Orange Bitters. 1 tsp Luxardo cherry syrup+ 2 cherries. Orange peel to garnish.

Pour all liquid ingredients over ice, stir for a 90 seconds. Strain into glass and garnish with orange (squeezed and rubbed on rim)

I have one 4-5 times per week

Luxardo cherries are not cheep but a jar will last a for @ 3 bottles of booze.

I have all lots of other personal recipes for drinks, real margaritas, manhattans and a couple of house cocktails I invented.

 

[melensdad]

Here is my version of an Old Fashioned:

2-3oz of good quality whiskey or bourbon. 3-4 dashes of Blood Orange Bitters. 1 tsp Luxardo cherry syrup+ 2 cherries. Orange peel to garnish.

Pour all liquid ingredients over ice, stir for a 90 seconds. Strain into glass and garnish with orange (squeezed and rubbed on rim)

I have one 4-5 times per week

Luxardo cherries are not cheep but a jar will last a for @ 3 bottles of booze.

I have all lots of other personal recipes for drinks, real margaritas, manhattans and a couple of house cocktails I invented.

Similar to mine but I use A LITTLE LESS of the Luxardo cherry syrup (which is totally different than the cherry syrup in the cheap jars of cherries) and I will add a bit of some other syrup to suit my needs, sometimes as much as an ounce. I've got some elderberry syrup, some smoked maple syrup, boiled cider, etc. The beauty of the Old Fashioned drink is that it can be altered, experimented with, and tailored to suit individual tastes. They can be garnished with some thick cut bacon and I had one recently at Morton's Steakhouse in Chicago that was garnished with a thin slice of Rib Eye steak.

Totally agree about the Luxardo cherries. 2, sometimes 3, expensive but worth the cost and the syrup really enhances a good Old Fashioned. Hard to choke down paying roughly $20 for a small jar of cherries ... until you get some served to you in a proper drink. If there is a Meijer nearby keep a lookout for their sales on Luxardo cherries as I've found them for under $15/jar at Meijer.

 

[melensdad]

Bob Dylan is releasing 3 different whiskies.

A Rye, a Whiskey and a Bourbon. Supposed to be about $40/bottle at retail.

No, he didn't develop or age it or distill it. He's just having it bottled under his own brand: Heaven's Gate

I've read a couple different things about it and the BOURBON is supposed to be pretty good stuff. Not great. Not horrible.

I'm more interested in trying LONGBRANCH from Wild Turkey, also supposed to be about $40/bottle.