Seeking Exceptional Bourbons

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Egg Shen

Lifer
Nov 26, 2021
1,176
3,946
Pennsylvania
One of the best bargains in bourbons are the Cask Strength Four Roses; they're incredibly refined and complex, and there are ten different mash bills with different flavour profiles. They run about 90 dollars where I am. Some of the recent Stagg Jr. releases have been exceptional and around the same price or less depending on where you are. I love George T. Stagg, but, prices are prohibitive; they're supposed to be around 80 to 100, but are selling for 10x that. Knob Creek 12 Year is very tasty.
I’d add that the $20ish Four Roses is banging too, and unique too.
 

aquadoc

Lifer
Feb 15, 2017
2,044
1,525
New Hampshire, USA
Sorry for the dark pic. Pappy looks like this:

View attachment 133223
I have a bottle of Pappy in storage that is promised to an esteemed member of our group. He has been incredibly kind to me since I joined. I planned to send it 2 years ago but Covid screwed up all of my travel plans. Hopefully, I will get to Atlanta this year to send it on. I have a purchased a few bourbons over the past few years but cannot abide it. I am much more a rye and Irish whiskey drinker.
 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
19,016
13,079
Covington, Louisiana
postimg.cc
My tastes aren't discerning enough for Pappy, Buffalo Trace works for my palette. Buffalo is $45-$50 per bottle here in Maryland, when it can be found. At my daughters home in rural Louisiana, it is $24 at the local grocery store. For my past three trips, I've brought back six bottles per trip, it's not going to get any cheaper!
 

Brewfan

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 5, 2021
937
18,294
Louisville, KY, USA
I like to tell people to get a Makers 46 and a bottle of Woodford, which you like better tells you if you're a wheated or high rye type of guy. Then you know where to point the ship.

That said, I think New Riff Single Barrel is the best thing on the market (high rye guy here) but you can't get it in the west yet. Don't sleep on Wild Turkey 101!

Original question said price is no object, though - in that case my bottle of Old Forester 2017 Birthday wins.
 

beefeater33

Lifer
Apr 14, 2014
4,235
6,713
Central Ohio
I like to tell people to get a Makers 46 and a bottle of Woodford, which you like better tells you if you're a wheated or high rye type of guy. Then you know where to point the ship.

That said, I think New Riff Single Barrel is the best thing on the market (high rye guy here) but you can't get it in the west yet. Don't sleep on Wild Turkey 101!

Original question said price is no object, though - in that case my bottle of Old Forester 2017 Birthday wins.
That's good info...........
I'm a high rye guy myself, and WT 101 hits way above it's price range.
 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,464
26,171
50
Las Vegas
2 of my favorite regular drinkers are actually Tennessee whiskey and not bourbon. They are George Dickel 9 year & George Dickel Bottled In Bond 2007. There's a 2008 version of the bob but I've not tried it yet.

Both bottles are worth having in your bar along with the usual suspects.
 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,464
26,171
50
Las Vegas
My favorite rye is Willett Family Estate 4 year. ABV can vary from bottle to bottle which is something I actually like. It's not some standardized production.

With the exception of Boss Hog I've not had any Whistlepig that I thought was exceptional. Don't get me wrong, some are at least good just not exceptional and none are worth the price, imo.
 

pantsBoots

Lifer
Jul 21, 2020
2,357
8,955
2 of my favorite regular drinkers are actually Tennessee whiskey and not bourbon. They are George Dickel 9 year & George Dickel Bottled In Bond 2007. There's a 2008 version of the bob but I've not tried it yet.

Both bottles are worth having in your bar along with the usual suspects.
My favorite rye is Willett Family Estate 4 year. ABV can vary from bottle to bottle which is something I actually like. It's not some standardized production.

With the exception of Boss Hog I've not had any Whistlepig that I thought was exceptional. Don't get me wrong, some are at least good just not exceptional and none are worth the price, imo.

Patrician taste, sir
 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
10,019
16,023
Buffalo Trace works for my palette.
Good call on the Bulleit. Their rye is also quite sweet - pretty unique in the world of rye
I haven't had any of the really high-end bottles that have been mentioned, but these two are hard to beat for the price imo. I really like the BT...and for rye, I love the Bulleit...prefer it over a few pricier ones I've tried.