Went to a blind bourbon tasting this weekend. The winner out of the 10 was my #2, but my #1 was the EH Taylor Single Barrel Bonded. A little more on the pricey side, but really good stuff.
@doabarrellroll said: @UPSLynx I didn't know you were a Bourbon guy! We have a lot to talk about.
I've been a whiskey fan for a long time, but only over the last 3 or 4 years have I really started digging into bourbon. I used to be hardcore scotch whisky, but these days I've been buying more bourbon than anything else (with the exception of beer, of course).
Dude we need to hang out, drink bourbon and talk about Porsche.
Finally got around to trying the Henry McKenna 10 year Bottled in Bond. For a 10 year 100 proof whiskey, this is an amazing purchase for the price. I found this bottle for $26 bucks, and man, it tastes like a $40+ whiskey.
The first sip hits you with huge caramel and butterscotch notes. There's a hint of vanilla in it, and then the finish it TONS of oaken wood. The oak lingers for a very long time, and the heat sneaks in. Man, the booze heat is big on this one. A splash of water won't hurt you with this whiskey, but for the truly bold, drinking this neat is an experience.
This whiskey isn't particularly nuanced. It has it's strengths but doesn't stray far from them. It's not the best bourbon I've had, but it's damn hard to beat at the price point. Highly recommended.
Also it's so weird to think that when this whiskey was distilled and barreled, Half-Life 2 was a new game and I was in college playing it, and TF2 wasn't even a thing yet.
@UPSLynx said:
Also it's so weird to think that when this whiskey was distilled and barreled, Half-Life 2 was a new game and I was in college playing it, and TF2 wasn't even a thing yet.
@doabarrellroll said: @UPSLynx I didn't know you were a Bourbon guy! We have a lot to talk about.
I've been a whiskey fan for a long time, but only over the last 3 or 4 years have I really started digging into bourbon. I used to be hardcore scotch whisky, but these days I've been buying more bourbon than anything else (with the exception of beer, of course).
Dude we need to hang out, drink bourbon and talk about Porsche.
I'm trying to go to the Icrontic thing in June but yea man, I've got an open bottle of Blanton's on my bar cart anytime you want.
Finally got around to posting a review of this. I've had this bottle since late June thanks to @FettBacon who hand delivered it to me in Detroit during expo. This whiskey is so goddam good that I killed most of the bottle in a month and had to pump the brakes to enjoy it a little longer. It nails everything I love in a bourbon.
The taste is heavy on caramel, vanilla, and super oaky. The mouthfeel is full and oily, accompanied by a long lasting alcohol burn and spicy tongue. It's incredibly well balanced, and shows its age well across the palette. A splash of water really opens this bourbon up but honestly, it's not needed. Drink it straight and live the dream.
This is a ~$50 bottle of bourbon and let me tell you, it is worth it. If you're looking to splurge on an absolutely superb bourbon whiskey, this is the one to do it with.
I've recently gone in on this and I wasn't super fond of it at first but I think that's because it's my first bourbon after Old Forester. Now I'm about half finished and its really grown on me with is rich flavors and goodness.
Been dipping into the different Old Forester releases. I have the 115 proof 1920 at home. Got a pour of the 1897 bonded before dinner tonight. Definitely will consider for my next bottle purchase.
Feeling I had hit the limit for easily available, relatively affordable Bottled in Bond whiskies found around me, I started to dig deeper into lesser known BiB whiskies that might pique my interest. After a few months of reading /r/bourbon on Reddit, I kept seeing a name come up: Mellow Corn.
Now you see, Mellow Corn is not a fancy name. Nor does the bottle look fancy (the plastic cap is a dead giveaway). In fact, it looks like the kind of thing you'd find covered in dust on the bottom shelf in a crummy gas station. So normally this is not the sort of product I would intensely seek out. But I just kept seeing it mentioned on /r/bourbon over and over again. They called it the "poor man's Pappy", or "The greatest deal in whiskey". Drinking styles of the juice were known as "Cornforms". Was it actually good, or was this meme whiskey? I'd never know - Mellow Corn rarely gets out to California.
....until now. A new shop opened up near me and low and behold, the sweet corn nectar of the Gods was now available to me, at a price point of $9. NINE DOLLARS. Was it actually good? Is it meme booze? Time to find out.
A quick primer on "Straight Corn whiskey". By law, corn whiskey must be:
Distilled from a mashbill of at least 80% corn;
Distilled to no higher than 160 proof;
Aged in used barrels (aging in new barrels would legally make it bourbon)
Barreled at no higher than 125 proof; and
Bottled at no less than 80 proof.
Unlike bourbon, corn whiskey has no age requirement (though if aged for at least two years, it can be labeled a "Straight Corn Whiskey").
Mellow Corn, however, is a goddam Bottled in Bond whiskey. That guarantees it to have no less than four years in a barrel. And this, furthermore, is aged four years in used Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. Let's rock.
I found it odd that this didn't carry the distinct Bottled in Bond certified seal over the top of the cap like all the others I've tried have. I'm assuming this is due to the screw cap nature... Guess it's probably the only BiB whiskey rocking a screw cap so whatever.
This whiskey is kind of greater than the sum of its parts. It's a simple whiskey, and it certainly tastes no more than a day over 4 years - it's quite hot. The nose burns you, and the taste lingers with heat. However, I'm surprised by the simplicity of the experience. Sweet corn, vanilla, and slight banana. Oak presence is there for sure, but nowhere near as prominent as other long-aged whiskies. Despite the 100 proof, this whiskey is, wait for it.... mellow AF. Shockingly drinkable neat for what I was expecting.
Is it the best whiskey I've ever had? Not by a long shot. Is it the best value to flavor I've experienced? Quite possibly. Nine dollars is crazy difficult to ignore for how good this whiskey is. I'm told over ice, strangely, is the best Cornform for this booze. So far, neat has been pleasant enough. What a ride.
@AlexDeGruven said:
I haven't delved much into the BiB space, but I've never been disappointed by it. Mellow Corn was a very nice surprise, ESPECIALLY at the price point (MSRP $12!).
lol dang. @AlexDeGruven preaching the ways of the Corn a year ago and we all ignored it. What fools!
Indulged in a (surprisingly large for $14) pour of E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bonded in FL last week. Just so good. Haven't hit any of the Taylors I didn't thoroughly enjoy.
Edit:
Oh, and a couple of tips I learned by dipping my toes into the barrel-proof arena (I should make a post):
Don't stop at one sip. Let the heat dissipate and try it again. Repeat. After a couple of sips, your palate will adjust to the heat and you'll catch more of the flavors.
If you are able (Bonded is set at 100 proof, so it should be easy), have a sip or two of something higher proof, even just by a few points. Your palate will adjust to that proof and you'll notice a LOT more of the flavors.
Be careful about doing the second, as sometimes, you'll run across flavors you REALLY don't like that are normally blown out by the heat of the alcohol. e.g. Mezcal. It's so much worse when you don't have the burn.
I am quite partial to Virginia Gentleman which is from A.Smith Bowman Distillery outside Fredericksburg, VA. Since I am a Virginian, it's only natural that I enjoy the bourbon of my Commonwealth. I do enjoy Jim Beam and Old Granddad too. A sip of bourbon with a Cohiba cigar is my favorite way to spend the evening sitting on my front porch in the Midwest.
Uh, listen, if any of you walk into a liquor store and see this bottle, or you ask about it and can buy it at retail (roughly $100-$110 depending on your region), do so instantly and I will happily reimburse you cost+.
It's an 11 year BIB WHEATER. There are currently no BIB wheaters out there, and on top of that, it's in a throwback label with a goddamn decanter.
Also, on the off chance you find one of the old bottles or more, buy them all.
@HumerusMeg said:
Had this in a delightful old fashioned last night...
GREAT. Also cheap as fuck, need to get some for the house for sure
This is one of my favorite go-to whiskies for making sazeracs. Unbelievably good for the price (I do miss the days of it being sub $15 tho). A real gem right out in the open.
And then there's @Chooch posting non BiB whisk like a punk. (I wanna try that)
1
HumerusMegSomething, something medical professional, Fitness bitch, Sexy chefAustin Icrontian
And then there's @Chooch posting non BiB whisk like a punk. (I wanna try that)
@UPSLynx TOKI is high on my list to try as well....
0
ChoochK-Pop authority™, Pho KingMadison Heights, MIIcrontian
Cheers, Icrontic! Mellow Corn rang up at 14 bucks but it sure is smooth.
@UPSLynx my Rittenhouse BiB Rye came with a screw cap and a BiB seal over top, but not a paper label. I think that's how the Henry McKenna 10 year was packaged also, but I don't remember clearly. But hey, for the price point Mellow Corn comes in, I don't blame them for skipping the label over the top.
@GHoosdum said:
Cheers, Icrontic! Mellow Corn rang up at 14 bucks but it sure is smooth.
Dude nice! I've gone back to my bottle shop 4 or 5 times looking for this and it's been sold out regularly. I asked about it and they told me that demand is high and they've only been able to get 3 or 4 cases a time out of the distillery. Stock up if you see it!
Comments
I did a thing today. More details to come.
Went to a blind bourbon tasting this weekend. The winner out of the 10 was my #2, but my #1 was the EH Taylor Single Barrel Bonded. A little more on the pricey side, but really good stuff.
EH Taylor is gooooood stuff. What was the 'winner'?
Old Weller Antique. That was my #2. Elijah Craig took #2 overall.
@UPSLynx I didn't know you were a Bourbon guy! We have a lot to talk about.
I've been a whiskey fan for a long time, but only over the last 3 or 4 years have I really started digging into bourbon. I used to be hardcore scotch whisky, but these days I've been buying more bourbon than anything else (with the exception of beer, of course).
Dude we need to hang out, drink bourbon and talk about Porsche.
Henry McKenna time!
Finally got around to trying the Henry McKenna 10 year Bottled in Bond. For a 10 year 100 proof whiskey, this is an amazing purchase for the price. I found this bottle for $26 bucks, and man, it tastes like a $40+ whiskey.
The first sip hits you with huge caramel and butterscotch notes. There's a hint of vanilla in it, and then the finish it TONS of oaken wood. The oak lingers for a very long time, and the heat sneaks in. Man, the booze heat is big on this one. A splash of water won't hurt you with this whiskey, but for the truly bold, drinking this neat is an experience.
This whiskey isn't particularly nuanced. It has it's strengths but doesn't stray far from them. It's not the best bourbon I've had, but it's damn hard to beat at the price point. Highly recommended.
Also it's so weird to think that when this whiskey was distilled and barreled, Half-Life 2 was a new game and I was in college playing it, and TF2 wasn't even a thing yet.
Would you say that it has a nostalgic flavor?
I'm trying to go to the Icrontic thing in June but yea man, I've got an open bottle of Blanton's on my bar cart anytime you want.
I just picked up a bottle of the Henry McKenna BiB 10 year for 28 dollars yesterday. It really is a fantastic value.
Finally got around to posting a review of this. I've had this bottle since late June thanks to @FettBacon who hand delivered it to me in Detroit during expo. This whiskey is so goddam good that I killed most of the bottle in a month and had to pump the brakes to enjoy it a little longer. It nails everything I love in a bourbon.
The taste is heavy on caramel, vanilla, and super oaky. The mouthfeel is full and oily, accompanied by a long lasting alcohol burn and spicy tongue. It's incredibly well balanced, and shows its age well across the palette. A splash of water really opens this bourbon up but honestly, it's not needed. Drink it straight and live the dream.
This is a ~$50 bottle of bourbon and let me tell you, it is worth it. If you're looking to splurge on an absolutely superb bourbon whiskey, this is the one to do it with.
I've recently gone in on this and I wasn't super fond of it at first but I think that's because it's my first bourbon after Old Forester. Now I'm about half finished and its really grown on me with is rich flavors and goodness.
Been dipping into the different Old Forester releases. I have the 115 proof 1920 at home. Got a pour of the 1897 bonded before dinner tonight. Definitely will consider for my next bottle purchase.
And now for something completely different!
Feeling I had hit the limit for easily available, relatively affordable Bottled in Bond whiskies found around me, I started to dig deeper into lesser known BiB whiskies that might pique my interest. After a few months of reading /r/bourbon on Reddit, I kept seeing a name come up: Mellow Corn.
Now you see, Mellow Corn is not a fancy name. Nor does the bottle look fancy (the plastic cap is a dead giveaway). In fact, it looks like the kind of thing you'd find covered in dust on the bottom shelf in a crummy gas station. So normally this is not the sort of product I would intensely seek out. But I just kept seeing it mentioned on /r/bourbon over and over again. They called it the "poor man's Pappy", or "The greatest deal in whiskey". Drinking styles of the juice were known as "Cornforms". Was it actually good, or was this meme whiskey? I'd never know - Mellow Corn rarely gets out to California.
....until now. A new shop opened up near me and low and behold, the sweet corn nectar of the Gods was now available to me, at a price point of $9. NINE DOLLARS. Was it actually good? Is it meme booze? Time to find out.
A quick primer on "Straight Corn whiskey". By law, corn whiskey must be:
Unlike bourbon, corn whiskey has no age requirement (though if aged for at least two years, it can be labeled a "Straight Corn Whiskey").
Mellow Corn, however, is a goddam Bottled in Bond whiskey. That guarantees it to have no less than four years in a barrel. And this, furthermore, is aged four years in used Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. Let's rock.
I found it odd that this didn't carry the distinct Bottled in Bond certified seal over the top of the cap like all the others I've tried have. I'm assuming this is due to the screw cap nature... Guess it's probably the only BiB whiskey rocking a screw cap so whatever.
This whiskey is kind of greater than the sum of its parts. It's a simple whiskey, and it certainly tastes no more than a day over 4 years - it's quite hot. The nose burns you, and the taste lingers with heat. However, I'm surprised by the simplicity of the experience. Sweet corn, vanilla, and slight banana. Oak presence is there for sure, but nowhere near as prominent as other long-aged whiskies. Despite the 100 proof, this whiskey is, wait for it.... mellow AF. Shockingly drinkable neat for what I was expecting.
Is it the best whiskey I've ever had? Not by a long shot. Is it the best value to flavor I've experienced? Quite possibly. Nine dollars is crazy difficult to ignore for how good this whiskey is. I'm told over ice, strangely, is the best Cornform for this booze. So far, neat has been pleasant enough. What a ride.
Get you some Mellow Corn.
lol dang. @AlexDeGruven preaching the ways of the Corn a year ago and we all ignored it. What fools!
What can I say? I'm a man ahead of the times.
Indulged in a (surprisingly large for $14) pour of E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bonded in FL last week. Just so good. Haven't hit any of the Taylors I didn't thoroughly enjoy.
Edit:
Oh, and a couple of tips I learned by dipping my toes into the barrel-proof arena (I should make a post):
I am quite partial to Virginia Gentleman which is from A.Smith Bowman Distillery outside Fredericksburg, VA. Since I am a Virginian, it's only natural that I enjoy the bourbon of my Commonwealth. I do enjoy Jim Beam and Old Granddad too. A sip of bourbon with a Cohiba cigar is my favorite way to spend the evening sitting on my front porch in the Midwest.
Uh, listen, if any of you walk into a liquor store and see this bottle, or you ask about it and can buy it at retail (roughly $100-$110 depending on your region), do so instantly and I will happily reimburse you cost+.
It's an 11 year BIB WHEATER. There are currently no BIB wheaters out there, and on top of that, it's in a throwback label with a goddamn decanter.
Also, on the off chance you find one of the old bottles or more, buy them all.
11 years? In
BiB? In
Wheated? SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!
Had this in a delightful old fashioned last night...
GREAT. Also cheap as fuck, need to get some for the house for sure
This is one of my favorite go-to whiskies for making sazeracs. Unbelievably good for the price (I do miss the days of it being sub $15 tho). A real gem right out in the open.
And then there's @Chooch posting non BiB whisk like a punk. (I wanna try that)
And then there's @Chooch posting non BiB whisk like a punk. (I wanna try that)
@UPSLynx TOKI is high on my list to try as well....
I'll bring the bottle to EXPO
We cannot have liquor at EPIC
You might want to stock up. Hibiki and Hakushu look to be unavailable for a while, so demand is probably going to jump on the Toki.
Toki is damnded good.
Back on topic. Bought the first bottle of whiskey in a long time with a screw cap. Evan Williams bonded.
For $17.99 it's not bad at all. A mash bill that fits my palate and a minimum 4 years in the barrel means it's a pretty safe bet.
Would recommend especially at the price point.
Cheers, Icrontic! Mellow Corn rang up at 14 bucks but it sure is smooth.
@UPSLynx my Rittenhouse BiB Rye came with a screw cap and a BiB seal over top, but not a paper label. I think that's how the Henry McKenna 10 year was packaged also, but I don't remember clearly. But hey, for the price point Mellow Corn comes in, I don't blame them for skipping the label over the top.
Dude nice! I've gone back to my bottle shop 4 or 5 times looking for this and it's been sold out regularly. I asked about it and they told me that demand is high and they've only been able to get 3 or 4 cases a time out of the distillery. Stock up if you see it!