Shreddinlettuce
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2016
- Location
- Asheville
I like old forester 100, early times bottle in bond, 1792 small batch, Woodford standard, and knob creek 9 all better than buffalo trace. It has a lot of hype and maybe it didn’t live up to the hype, but I find that brown foreman/ Barton’s products to be my flavor profile. That plays a lot into what you like. If you like Barton try the 1792 line.So weekend before last I was able to sample a group with a friend of mine (basically his stash lol), and during the tasting did some blind taste tests in groups of three.
Here's what we had, in kind-of an order:
Buffalo Trace
Blantons
Eagle Rare
Whistlepig 10yr Small Batch Rye
Woodford "Virginia ABC - Batch Y" Rye (VA ABC limited edition)
Makers Mark Private Selection - "Winter Spice" (VA ABC limited edition)
Four Roses Small Batch Select
Angels Envy Rum Cask Finished Rye
Founders Cask Finish Wheat Whiskey - "Vino de Naranja" cask
Willett Family Estate Bottled Small Batch Rye - cask strength!
High West "Campfire" blended (Rye/Bourbon/Scotch)
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend
Orphan Barrel Fanged Pursuit 17yr Bourbon
...Oh, and some Very Old Barton 86-proof...
My findings were that it was hard to pick a favorite.
- Off the hip the Joseph Magnus was most 'tasty'
- High West and Makers Mark shared my pick for the 'most' flavor
- After a few rounds I could easily ID Buffalo Trace/Blanton's/Eagle Rare just by the smell.
- Least liked was the Founders
- I went in halfsies on the Orphan Barrel, but for what it cost it wasn't a standout for me.
- At the end I had a few samples of the Barton - I decided the flavor was OK, but significantly subdued in comparison to the rest (and was quite shocked it 'didnt taste like shit')
Also, paying 100+ for a bottle that you have to hunt for is more of a status symbol than anything. I’m perfectly fine capping my bottle price at $50-60
Don’t think your bragging, but there’s a lot of hype generated in all types of akehal that’s easy to get caught up in. I would love to have your buddies collection, or a chance tasting. But I’m upset that an industry that used to be accessible is going crazy. Blanton gold retails around 130 sells for 300 regularly, pappy is now like 1500 used to be 150 pricing has gotten bonkersThis reads as if you think I was bragging, which was not the case - I was simply sharing from a unique for me experience.
My go-to has been the Woodford "Twisted Crossroads II" (Statesville ABC selection); I've had 1792 but I usually only keep a bottle at a time at home so I don't have much of a comparison/recall.
That Early Times Bottled in Bond is easily one of my favorites. Especially at the price point.Starting to get a good collection going