whisky review 155 3/3 - Recommended American Bourbons, Ryes and Whiskies

[dhruvappu]

Ralfy...truly enjoy your vidoes...Wanted to know ur view on Makers Mark & Bookers...i had bought a bottle of both...while i enjoyed the Makers Mark...keepin Bookers for a spl cold occasion...Regards...

[ralfystuff]

@dhruvappu

decent, but would improve with ageing in refill casks.

[7327Jay]

@derpio123 I'm surprised that wasn't up there

[derpio123]

I would like to mention the "Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select"! It's not that pricey, but I love it and I guess it's close to the Knob Creek, but distilled on Pot Stills.

[RebelRouser475]

Big fan of yours Ralfy from Virginia, USA. I was wondering if you plan on reviewing more Bourbons/American Whiskey's. I am a Wild Turkey man, especially the original 101. It's also pretty unique that they have had the same Master Distiller since the mid 1950s. But thank you for all you do, and the time you put into your reviews they are helpful! -Cheers! -Kurt

[ralfystuff]

@RebelRouser475

some more American spirit reviews in a while !

[jacobreinvented]

What is the Manx Bothy? Thanks.

[ralfystuff]

@jacobreinvented

a traditional stone shed.

[DroogMonkey]

Im a Wild Turkey guy. Top of its price range in my opinion, at least for everyday drinking

[Vnix]

sicily?

[Hamporkcheese]

why dont most bourbons have an age statement??

[ralfystuff]

@Hamporkcheese

they sell well without one, and are generally young when bottled.

[crocman1990]

how much do you spend on whisky a month

[ralfystuff]

@crocman1990

too much !

[TreadLight50]

A very good medium price bourbon is Old Forrester. If you are ever in Kentucky in the fall you need to check out the bourbon festival in Bardstown.

[mrbubetube]

If you never tried the Jim Beam Choice green label bourbon whisky, I highly recommend it. It's my favorite bourbon sipping whisky. Sucks for mixed drinks though, but that's what the white label Jim Beam is for.

[FTingB]

Benchmark #8; not the best, but by FAR the best for the money (value). Love the stuff.

[ghampton106]

Ralfy, If you can get your hands on Very Old Barton expressions distilled by Barton Distillery in Bardstown, KY USA. In my area of the USA I can by any of these expresions between 6.5 and 7.75 pounds. I think they are excellent bourbons and hold up in comparison to Elija Craig and Knob Creek given the price and ABV. As a Maker's Mark Ambassador, I have my own barrel aging. If you wish, I will send you a bottle when it is ready in 2018.  I think the traditional Makers and the 46 are excellent

[ralfystuff]

@ghampton106

I will certainly look out for Barton's, and thanks for your sample offer, but I have plenty to be getting on with here at the Manx Bothy.

[JohnDeereA219]

Ralfy, one of the Bourbon's that I have had that I hightly recomend a review of is Eagle Rare 10 Year Old. I am a huge fan of the Buffalo Trace you highly recommended and this is another Budget Premium bourbon.

[wickcityred727]

Evan Williams black label is in my top 3 give that one a try

[DualDags2]

WHAT IS THE VERY FIRST WHISKEY/BOURBON THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN I ASK...RALFY, WHAT OS UR FAVORITE AMERICAN DRINK? PLZ ANSWER!!!

[ralfystuff]

@DualDags2

Elijah Craig 12yo

[zagorica]

I would also recommend Jack Daniel's Single Barrel

[CrashMarket]

Have you ever tried Makers Mark Bourbon?

[ralfystuff]

@CrashMarket

see Whisky Review 155a and b !

[babkaba]

nice we have gentlemen jack it's pretty cool!BUT WHERE IS JACK DANIEL'S :D

[Armydicked]

Uncle Jack Daniels like to have a 'wee nip' or six at work and Uncle Jack had a little temper on him. These are mutual exclusive vices for a man to have and a death sentence to have together!!! Uncle Jack had to get something out of his save and forgot the combo. He'd try and try, get frustrated and have another little nip to 'think things through'. Well, he got impatient and kicked the SOB and broke his toe. It got infected (no penicillian invented yet), & died; They Shoulda pickled him!!!

[arkee71]

could you yell..."donkey"!..for me pleez?

[100percentNatural100]

Have you tried pappy van winkle 15 year? A very fine bourbon.

[olaguma]

...also Wild Turkey is very popular if not the most...

[fodera6]

@olaguma ...for reasons other than taste. To put it in Ralfy terms, people get it just to get pissed.

[olaguma]

like Western Gold from Lidl there is also Clarke's from Hofer, it is Old Kentucky Straight Sour Mash Bourbon....distillery is working already from 1866....it is very cheap...about 5€ per bottle 700mL....good for a small amount of money.

[Polyfusia]

Thoughts on Bulleit, and Corner Creek?

[ralfystuff]

@Polyfusia

don't know either of these ! ... but good luck if you go for them,  Bulleit Bourbon single Cask may be your best option.

[seth3556r]

You should check into Woodford Reserve, I thinks it's absolutely delightful.

[JACKtheRIPP3R189]

@seth3556r Yeah I was surprised Woodford wasn't mentioned, it's a pretty solid bourbon.

[seth3556r]

@JACKtheRIPP3R189 Very solid

[shredderific1337]

san francisco trolley... i have one just like it with that same tune

[bmillette]

Sorry if this is a repeated question, but have you ever tried Michter's Small Batch? I got a bottle of their 10yr Single Barrel bourbon a few weeks ago, and it may be the best bourbon I've tasted. It's expensive ($80 for a 750ml at many places!) but it's really just excellent, excellent bourbon.

[ralfystuff]

@bmillette

... I will look out for it !

[ralfystuff]

@bmillette

not tried it but will look out for it !

[chrish12345]

Ralfy sorry if youv'e already covered this but what's your take on blended bourbons? It seems that they can add more or less what they want if they write this on the label. I have tried Tesco own brand which is described as blended and tastes really nice for the price. But in your experience what do they add or take away when it comes to the 'blended' version? Is it mainly younger spirits maybe aged in refill casks? The Tesco one doesn't seem to have caramel in it, which I'm thankful for

[chrish12345]

@chrish12345 sorry its actually the 'Old Samuel' whiskey, which is sold at Tesco but comes from the Toorank distilleries in the Netherlands

[ralfystuff]

@chrish12345

Bourbon is produced under a different rule-book to Scotch. 'Blended' can be a lot of things and unfortunatly although caramel addition is banned in the USA bottlings, it seems to be OK to add caramel to euro-bottlings

Total double standards ! and just wrong !

[ch1ldpr3d3t0r]

@ralfystuff haha i love the accent and vid thanks alot.... from the USA

[rainbowfirewave]

Since it's an American review maybe it should be a "whiskey" review.

[Watcher3223]

@rainbowfirewave

Well, I guess just as there are different kinds of whiskeys in the United Kingdom, particularly Scotch whiskey and Irish whiskey, there are different whiskeys from the United States, particularly Bourbon Whiskey (a.k.a. Kentucky Straight Bourbon) and Tennessee Whiskey.

For instance, it's kind of amusing of people to confuse Jack Daniels with Bourbon; Jack Daniels is Tennessee Whiskey, not bourbon (bourbons are made in Kentucky, for one thing).

[rainbowfirewave]

@Watcher3223 I know, I was just refering to the different spelling we use here in the states. Instead of whisky we spell it whiskey. It really doesn't matter, just joking around. But while "Bourbon" is required to be made in the USA it isn't required to be made in Kentucky. That's why you'll hear people say "Kentucky Bourbon".



[Watcher3223]

@rainbowfirewave

My apologies, then.

[shuboy05]

@rainbowfirewave

It's not surprising that people think bourbon can only be made in Kentucky because the majority of bourbon is, well. made in Kentucky.

[cassius969]

I wonder how the Aldi Bourbon ranks up against the lidl Bourbon (Western Gold)

[ralfystuff]

@cassius969

similar but different !

[rhinonose]

ralfy, have you had eagle rare 10yo single barrel? it's not elijah craig 12, but i think it's up there with woodford. very, very great stuff.

[ralfystuff]

@rhinonose

... not currently on my whisky/bourbon List at the moment !

[mtball02]

If you need further proof that cheap bourbon can very competent, I recommend Evan Williams if it's available. It runs about $10 a fifth here, but for my money it's just a little bit below the Buffalo Traces and whatnot.

[TheBeebopper]

I recognise Western Gold, it went down well, better than Jim Beam. It surprised me, at the price.

[cattnipp]

Try cask strength, non-chill filtered Booker's.

[ralfystuff]

@cattnipp

I will look out for this one !

[shuboy05]

@ralfystuff

Not sure if it's shown up in the UK but the new Knob Creek Single Barrel (bottled at 60%) is another bourbon you might want to try and compare to Booker's (which is a small batch bourbon). Though I believe Jason Pyle of Sour Mash Manifesto is planning on doing a comparison review in the future.

[tvldatsi]

eagle rare!

[NintyFan56]

Ralfy I'd take it you heard of Wild Turkey 101. Its an ok priced whiskey. For some, its a favorite durng thanksgiving (I bought my first bottle for the holiday few months ago) Its pretty good. The distilery might have been established some time ago (19th century) but they started producing this bourbon in 1940. These videos are pretty cool keep it up. On a side they also produce a rye whiskey too gonna try out someday.

[goestovalium11]

@NintyFan56 Yes 101 Is a good one in my book. Wild Turkey 101 is inexpensive for the quality they push out.

[rbhiphopsux]

Hi Ralfy

I realize you went for some of the more economical bourbon's here,however,I wonder if you could give us a review of a slightly more expensive bourbon called Woodford Reserve.It's a little bit more than the average bourbon,but I'm told it's worth it.

Thanks...

[ralfystuff]

@rbhiphopsux

I have to say that I found Woodford's OK but no big deal (83/100). .... but some American Spirit reviews may happen in 2011. ... good luck.

[MrM1A1X]

@ralfystuff Yes please, high end bourbons. Love your stuff Ralfy (pun intended)

[fasterischead]

@ralfystuff

Yes, earlier bottlings of Woodford Reserve were excellent but quality has seriously dropped off over the past few years. Nowadays it's nowhere near as good as the Old Forester stuff it's derived from. It is interesting, however, as one of only two (so far as I know) triple-distilled bourbons out there!! (The second, more obscure one is the whiskey coming out of the A. Smith Bowman distillery; their special bottles are rare and still a bit rough, but highly interesting nevertheless!)

[tactical321]

ralfy, i just started subcribing you today. one bourbon you must try is Zachory Boone. it is about 7.99 USD at a local supermarket here in California but one of the hardest liquor to find. it is actually better than all bottom and middle end bourbons. if you can, give that one a try and tell me what you think.

[Hexl0r]

Wheres the Maker's Mark??? :(

[lowrideriggi]

I love these reviews! Ralfy, you're a genius! I also love "Old No. 7" would that qualify as a cunundrum?

[shuboy05]

You can't really go wrong with Buffalo Trace. The distillery is currently the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States despite the numerous name changes.

Ralfy, I noticed in watching your American whiskey reviews that you didn't mention that the bourbon category is also split between wheated bourbons and rye bourbons (which is the standard bourbon type).

[ralfystuff]

@shuboy05

... both have their place and definitions should not be too restrictive.

It's ALL about the quality of whatever it is at the end of the day.

[shuboy05]

@ralfystuff

After checking the legal requirements on Wikipedia, I just realized bourbon distillers don't need to mention whether their bourbon is a wheater or not. In fact Maker's Mark is a wheat bourbon but it isn't stated on the label.

I'm just bringing up wheat bourbons because they have grown in popularity in recent years because of the different flavor profile.

[ralfystuff]

@shuboy05

... if your looking for more detailed info: check out bourbonenthusiast and other forums. They can be helpful.

[silentflame666]

Baker's and Booker's by Jim Beam are also fantastic whiskies. The latter would be the equivalent of Cask Strength Single Malts in the Bourbon world, though it fetches at a handsome price.

[leestephenj]

JD single barrel and gold medal are very nice and both very different. Not had many other bourbons/USA whiskys, ive always plucked for JDs or Jim beam black. I may have to try others. Good stuff Ralf, thanks.

[BozoTheBear]

not a bad head of hair ralfy! i've always wondered what you were hiding under that hat ;)

[boozer7574]

Thanks Ralfy You are a mucky muck! Jim wheeler

[F399SF]

Greetings from Virginia, Ralfy! I've been thoroughly enjoying your Scotch reviews and have tried a few based on your recommendations. Thank you for the word on Black Bottle, an outstanding blend and a new favorite.

It's so exciting to see you'll be reviewing some American whiskies, and some of my favorites. Buffalo Trace, Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond, and Knob Creek are always mainstays around the house. Cheers!

[kerryshadow]

I've noticed Western Gold, and it's really cheap indeed, but it's very tasty bourbon.

[DrClaw78]

Good selection Ralfy.

I'm mainly a malt man - although US whiskey can be great. I tend to like ryes/bourbons on the rye-heavy side. Not so keen on the wheaty ones or that have much more corn than they need to. Knob Creek & Buffalo Trace are very good for the money - as is the Rittenhouse rye. WT Rare Breed is brilliant although hard to get.

Personally, I think the basic Sazerac 6YO is a better rye than the Rittenhouse (& if you'd go up to around £60 then the Van Winkle 13 rye is excellent).

[ralfystuff]

@DrClaw78

... good selection DrClaw78 !!

[schmazly2]

@DrClaw78 wrt Wheaty ones - do you mean Fakers Mark :)

Oh, goodness Ralfy Woodford Reserve is missing! Cracking good stuff I tell you.

BTW, bourbon is generally more reasonable than scotch here in Canada. Even the Woodford is half the price of Ardbeg!

[carlial1]

i must recomend high west rondevou reserve from park city utah

[dmarkle1111]

It's all well and good to review our mid-range bourbons. But don't pass up the best of what the US has to offer should you get the chance. IMO our finest really does stack up favorably against the best of Scotland. Get your hands on some Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye if you can. I scored it for $45 last time I bought it, so it's by no means a super-premium spirit... And G.T. Stagg should only be about $55 in the USA, so it's not ridiculously super-premium...

[DrClaw78]

@dmarkle1111

If only George Stagg was that cheap over here! In the UK it retails for £100!!!

[lachsimzwaifel]

Thw Western Gold is about 5 Pounds in Germay ;)

[YingJungTV]

Ralfy, this 'Yank' is quite happy you're reviewing the wonderful range of whiskeys the U.S. has to offer. Often times, many Scotch enthusiasts have a tendency to look down their noses at bourbons and Tennessee whiskeys, dismissing them as nothing more than blue collar. (I still wonder what your opinion of the black Jack might be.)

[C5Rigzz]

Between myself, family and friends - the "American" shelves in my home bar can never keep enough Maker's and Knob Creek in stock. They're very popular.

After that the Colorado and George Dickel never fail to please. Thanks so much for covering this side of things!

[thurstonite]

I'm thrilled to see you getting into the Southern spirit of Southern spirits! Any opinions on Woodford Reserve, rebel Ralfie?

[dustinnop]

i have been waiting for this ralfy! thanks a ton

[godzilla74114]

this is going to be a fun series i think.

[guyinhead]

I am so glad to see the American whiskeys being reviewed. I do have to recommend two whiskeys not on your barrel. the first is Sazerac Rye, absolutely delicious and affordable. The second is Eagle Rare Single Barrel. That one is so good I am going to pour a glass right now.

I am interested to see Benchmark review. I always look over it when I go shopping.

Keep up the good work.

[cstorvold]

I was in Aspen in June and tried Colorado. I'm looking forward to you refreshing my memory with the review.

[DavidUKesb]

Ralfy. What happened to the head section of your pantomine horse outfit?

[DarkheartTheHeritic]

hey ralfy :)

what do you like more knob creek or makers mark?

[shuboy05]

When you said you weren't going to review the ultra premium bourbons, George T Stagg was the first bourbon to come to my mind right before you mentioned it. I'm a bit surprised that Four Roses and Bulleit aren't on your table but I see you already have a good selection that encompasses American whiskey.

Incidentally I have a bottle of Elijah Craig 18 year old in my collection though I think I'll also get a bottle of the 12 year old since I'm saving the 18 year for a special occasion.

[shuboy05]

@shuboy05

In fact it's good that your selection appears to hit most of the major distillers (Jack Daniel, Jim Beam, Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, George Dickel). The only two I see missing are Four Roses and Wild Turkey

[Almlacher]

what the hell, there is Lidl in Scotland? That really made my day. But you shouldn't really buy there, at least over here in germany they treat their employees very bad.

though this really makes me want to have a try at western gold....

[Temperdgrump]

Well at least its gentleman jack. No7 is just terrible and foul tasting. You should try single barrel.

[valuewhale]

Western Gold?? - WoW, I´m excited to see how you mark that one!

[EmperorCesar]

I just looked up the price of the Benchmark, its only $10 at my Liquor store. This will be the first of these recommended whiskeys that I try, simply because of the price.

[fatalegg]

thanks pal

[Tantrum777]

Very nice selection of American whiskey! I am glad you got a 100% rye. I am a bit surprised you did not get any of the Wild Turkey range because they are a bit different, they always use more rye in the whiskey.

[whiskeyminute]

Great selection Ralfy! Look forward to hearing your thoughts on our whiskeys.

[chasiubaau]

Awesome can't wait for your upcoming Bourbon/Tennessee whiskey reviews Ralfy!

[harlowrick]

Ralfy - you rock! I can't wait to watch you review these bottles of Whiskey/Whisky.