whiskey

just picked up a bottle of talisker 10 year :)

Maker's Mark = good generic wheater, lacking in complexity, but convenient in its ubiquity. B
Knob Creek = slightly better than Maker's. B+
Woodford Reserve = Somewhat inconsistent from bottle to bottle. Nice subtle Rye notes. A-
Bulleit = Big unsubtle spicy flavor. Too heavy on the rye. Not enough heat on the finish. D-
W.L. Weller Special Reserve = Nice Caramel sweetness upfront, mellows into a strong finish with a nice kick. A
Old Weller Antique 107 = A little more complex in the body than the Weller Special Reserve, imo, but not as big up front. Nice bite on the finish, but not overwhelming considering the proof. A
Buffalo Trace = Too thin. So mellow as to be bland. C
Ridgemont Reserve 1792 = Similar to Buffalo Trace but worse. D-
Baker's = Absolute best Beam has to offer. This and the Weller's are basically uncriticizable. A
Booker's = Very good. Smooth with nice heat. B+
Basil Hayden's = Swill. D-
Jefferson's = Nice. Not very complex journey from caramel to a modest bite. B+
Sam Houston = Slightly better (more going on) than the Jefferson's. A-
George Dickel = I like it, but I hardly ever mess with it b/c I psychologically associate it with those nights when you get a little to drunk, fight with the gf, and regret everything later. B+ probably.
Jim Beam White label = tastes like rubbing alcohol. F

Still need to try 4 Roses and the Evan Williams single barrel, both of which I've heard good things about.

I have to politely disagree with your assessments of Basil Haydens and Jim Beam White Label.

Although, your tasting of both Bulleit and Buffalo Trace are spot on.

I recommend getting some of the Van Winkle line. Tops.

Also - Booker's is the finest out there, and therefore the best that the Beam brand has to offer.

And I've always found Knob Creek to be thinner than Maker's. Perhaps I will give it another go around. It is getting to be whiskey weather.

Yeah Van Winkle, that's another I need to try.

You could persuade me that Maker's is better than Knob Creek, actually. It's just that in a given week I generally drink at least one bottle of Maker's such that Knob Creek feels like a nice change of pace sometimes. But I don't care that much about either one really.

Basil Hayden's is something I had one overpriced shot of at a bar one time and never looked back. Still won't, but maybe it's better than I give it credit for. Jim Beam white on the other hand...

George Dickel = I like it, but I hardly ever mess with it b/c I psychologically associate it with those nights when you get a little to drunk, fight with the gf, and regret everything later. B+ probably.

looooooool

but yea baker's is exquisite

ok i am trying bakers next time i go to a bar that has it.

which will probably be sometime in 2012...

Guy who owns one of the liquor stores I frequent keeps trying to push Hancock Reserve on me, but am reluctant to try it because his selling points are that (1) he doesn't like whiskey and (2) it's really smooth. And at $55 a bottle, it sounds like too much to pay for something that's probably going to be too thin for me to enjoy.

picked up the Yamazaki 12 year over the weekend and am enjoying it. am not a rater of whisky so I don't know how it compares but I've been having it with some ice and it's been very good.

(1) he doesn't like whiskey and (2) it's really smooth.

yea "smooth" can be misleading. sometimes i want my whiskey to have a bite to it, sometimes i like the burn. obv i don't want it to taste like rubbing alcohol but some heat on it isn't a bad thing

also re: the weller's - that's pretty affordable right? i recall seeing it recently

sometimes 'smooth' = sweet, too. ew.

go to sleep, they talkin 'bout whiskey.
get up in the morn, they talkin 'bout whiskey.

"I recommend getting some of the Van Winkle line. Tops."

Holy shit, yes.

i like dickel but B+ for it vs. D- for bulleit doesn't compute

Pappy Van Winkle is my all-time #1. Expensive though. After that George T. Stagg and Booker's. Generally I like high-proof stuff that can hold up to one or two rocks.

http://www.ellenjaye.com/maj_pikesville.jpg

Beam White Label is the threshold to good bourbons. Everything less - Kentucky Gentleman, Virginia Gentleman, Early Times, etc. - they all suck much ass.

But Beam White is, relatively speaking, a perfectly fine bourbon.

How does everyone feel about Beam Black?

Wow. So . . . nobody likes Beam Black Label?

How about. . . Wild Turkey?

...

lol j/k

i've never had beam black actually. wild turkey maybe once or twice, but it was so long ago and was before i knew i even liked whiskey

beam white, however, i do agree w/ mister jim in that it's pretty harsh stuff but at the same time i agree w/ u BLAM, in that i don't think it's a bad whiskey. i'd prob choose it over jack daniel's (tho dickel over both of those any day)

really hate jack, beam is good tho. thinking about picking up a bottle of beam black

mark lead for u--federal wine and spirits on state st. in downtown purports to have an excellent whiskey guy who gets a lot of interesting stuff both from scotland and the states. i might check it out on saturday.

jack is the worst imo. beam white is fine for what it is (cheap whiskey you drink with your friends when yer 16.) never tried beam black. beam's rye is "decent" and cheap.

beam neat is very drinkable and has stood me in good stead

Beam rye is really one of the best spirits you can get for under $15/bottle, total steal

had beam rye once and thought it was horrible.

plus i think sazerac is like $18?

overholt?

overholt is like 13 bucks for a 1 liter

i like overholt but don't see it around much--sazerac is good as well but i see that even less frequently.

CAD thanks for the tip - i'll definitely check it out soon

i always see overholt at the store here... i just didn't know if it was good or not bc it seemed cheaper.

i think it's good for old-fashioneds and occasional sipping

it's nothing special but it's a good price for a type of whiskey that isn't all that common. if you want to get a sense of what a rye tastes like and how it's different from bourbon overholt is a pretty good place to start

bourbon, overholt

should use commas more

nah use em less imo

Beam Black is a smokier, smoother version of Beam White. Still got more fire than Jack.

wild turkey's fine if you're having a beer + a shot. I don't think I'd sip on it though.

never had any of these beams. just regular jim beam. oh maybe had gentleman jack once or twice. don't really remember it.

should try some of the Wellers

To a Scotch drinker, Maker's tastes like ice cream.

^^^^^^^^^^^this.

And to a bourbon drinker, a good Islay tastes like really, really good topsoil. I mean that in a GOOD way, as the son of a gardener.

i haven't had scotch in a while now

labor day weekend

almost bought some yamazaki yesterday but trying not to blow through my entire paycheck in 2.5 weeks the month