Super Cheap American Eagle Bourbon + Others For Those In The UK..

[mawnansmiff]

Last week I bought a bottle of American Eagle 4 year old bourbon from Amazon. I paid £30 for it and wasn't complaining, it's a super bourbon.

However my neighbour, who I passed it on to taste sent me an e-mail telling me of an outlet I never heard of that had three expressions of American Eagle for hugely discounted prices. American Eagle 8 year old for £25 (£35 on Amazon), 12 year old for £30 (£60 on Amazon) and the 4 year old at £45 for three bottles! I made two orders blagging me 6 bottles....plus I got a discount code that kicked off £4 from my first order.....what's not to like?

The company is based in Blackpool and is called The Drop Store. Their speciality appears to be flavoured gins and vodkas but they also do various scotch whiskies ( single malts and blends), brandys, rums etc.

So if you are UK based and like a tipple or two give them a look.....you might be surprised.

Hope I haven't broken any rules in posting this, I merely want to share the good news of a bargain.

Regards,

Jay.?

 

[BROBS]

George Dickel?
repackaged for the UK with a name of a young person's clothing store here in the US?

 

[lawdawg]

I don't know if Buffalo Trace or Elijah Craig bourbon are widely available in the UK, but they are both very good bourbons if you're looking for the ideal intersection of price point and quality. Both are quite popular as a relatively inexpensive go-to among U.S. bourbon aficionados.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Adam, I'm very familiar with Buffalo Trace and have a few bottles set aside, Elijah Craig I am waiting for the price to drop, it's currently very expensive over here.

Basically all I was trying to do was alert any Brits to a discount spirits (plus wine & beer) retailer, I wasn't seeking out further bourbon recommendations , though I do appreciate your input.

BTW, the company do free P&P on all orders over £40.

Regards,

Jay.?

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Never even heard of it. ?‍
Who distills it?

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Never even heard of it. ?‍
Who distills it? "

Bladesmith, I never realised American Eagle bourbon wasn't available in the States. This comes as a surprise.

I did look into who produces the stuff and found it is owned by a UK company called Halewood Wine & Spirits and is a recent (2019) entry to the market.

From what I can gather it is likely made at Cascade Hollow Distillery by George Dickel. That is what I picked up on the web. Some folks came to this conclusion by saying the mashbill is exactly the same as George Dickel products so how true that is I really can't say. What I can say is that their 4 year old expression is very nice indeed and I suspect the 8 year old and 12 year old can only at least be as nice.







According to the blurb it goes through the Lincoln County Process of being filtered through sugar maple charcoals (some say woollen blankets also!).

I will report back once I have tasted the 8 year old & 12 year old. Both apparently are 43% abv whereas the 4 year old is only 40% abv.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Call me old fashioned, a purist, traditionalist, whatever, but honestly the “Tennessee Bourbon” label makes me cringe a bit, whether it’s good or not. ?
And if it is rebadged Dickel, I think they do use charcoal filtration, same as Jack Daniels, so geography aside, it still wouldn’t be bourbon if that’s the case. ? It might be excellent whisky, but the label throws me.

 

[mawnansmiff]

By my understanding, Tennessee Whiskey fulfils all the criteria to be called bourbon so why would you have an issue with a brand calling their product 'Tennessee Bourbon'?

Just curious.

Regards,

Jay.?

 

[lawdawg]

By my understanding, Tennessee Whiskey fulfils all the criteria to be called bourbon so why would you have an issue with a brand calling their product 'Tennessee Bourbon'?

Just curious.

Regards,

Jay.?

Because the Lincoln County Process of charcoal filtering the whiskey is basically an attempt to quickly force the effects of aging in a charred oak barrel in a rickhouse. It leaves out the desired oaky, woody flavors that barrel aging imparts. Basically, charcoal filtering is just a way to make an otherwise-too-young bourbon more palatable, and IMO will not create a result that is really representative of what bourbon is.

 

[lawdawg]

Also, just to be clear, Tennessee politicians have been lobbying for years to get the "Tennessee Whiskey" label some federal legal protections and requirements the way that "straight bourbon whiskey" and "bourbon" are protected and regulated. Problem is, nobody cares about it outside of Tennessee, and generally the whole effort is seen as Tennessee politicians trying to turn what amounts to an aging shortcut into a protected feature that nobody is trying to copy anyway.

All that said, there is plenty of good whiskey made using the Lincoln county process. A pour of Gentleman Jack or Jack Daniel's Single Barrel would always be welcome. It's just that it tends to be a little different than what I generally expect for a bourbon.

 

[condorlover1]

@lawdawg Bourbon is a mine field and you are the first person I have come across who 'gets it' regarding the Lincoln Country Process and charcoal filtering. I am rather partial Buffalo Trace and Wild Rose and I am surprised there is much of a following in the U.K for American whiskey.

 

[Old School 3319]

I agree with lawdawg. I am buy no means a whiskey snob. But i prefer a Kentucky Bourbon over a Tennessee whiskey

 

[lawdawg]

@lawdawg Bourbon is a mine field and you are the first person I have come across who 'gets it' regarding the Lincoln Country Process and charcoal filtering. I am rather partial Buffalo Trace and Wild Rose and I am surprised there is much of a following in the U.K for American whiskey.

Same here, and as an American I feel a bit flattered that our simple corn liquor has become so popular in Europe... however I would gladly trade my access to all this bourbon for some less expensive single malt! Much more interesting variety across the single malt spectrum compared to bourbon. Not to say that I don't love a good bourbon, because I definitely do

 

[BROBS]

Same here, and as an American I feel a bit flattered that our simple corn liquor has become so popular in Europe... however I would gladly trade my access to all this bourbon for some less expensive single malt! Much more interesting variety across the single malt spectrum compared to bourbon. Not to say that I don't love a good bourbon, because I definitely do

Budweiser is a status symbol in Europe.. a "delicacy" in the bars if you will.

while the homeless drunken vagrants laying in the streets of London drink Guineess Green Tab.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Basically, charcoal filtering is just a way to make an otherwise-too-young bourbon more palatable, and IMO will not create a result that is really representative of what bourbon is."

"Because the Lincoln County Process of charcoal filtering the whiskey is basically an attempt to quickly force the effects of aging in a charred oak barrel in a rickhouse"

With all due respect Lawdawg, two of these expressions are over and above the minimum ageing required to be legally called 'bourbon', 8 years and 12 years. I've had 32 different American whiskies (bourbon & rye) and I'd wager none of them were aged 8 years, let alone 12!

And yes, Gentleman Jack is a superb tipple.

Methinks that my trying to pass on some good news is being turned into something entirely different for reasons that I can only guess.

Ah well, I did try

Regards,

Jay.?

 

[lawdawg]

I agree with lawdawg. I am buy no means a whiskey snob. But i prefer a Kentucky Bourbon over a Tennessee whiskey

I don't at all mean to be a whiskey snob either, and don't consider myself one. Most of the bourbon I drink costs less than $30 for a bottle, and I very rarely buy any bourbon over $40. It's just diminishing returns after that point, and plenty of very good drinks in that price range.

"Basically, charcoal filtering is just a way to make an otherwise-too-young bourbon more palatable, and IMO will not create a result that is really representative of what bourbon is."

"Because the Lincoln County Process of charcoal filtering the whiskey is basically an attempt to quickly force the effects of aging in a charred oak barrel in a rickhouse"

With all due respect Lawdawg, two of these expressions are over and above the minimum ageing required to be legally called 'bourbon', 8 years and 12 years. I've had 32 different American whiskies (bourbon & rye) and I'd wager none of them were aged 8 years, let alone 12!

And yes, Gentleman Jack is a superb tipple.

Methinks that my trying to pass on some good news is being turned into something entirely different for reasons that I can only guess.

Ah well, I did try

Regards,

Jay.?

You don't have to take my word for it regarding the Lincoln county process. I'm just sharing with you the general view of American bourbon drinkers regarding that issue. Your original post was about enjoyable inexpensive bourbons, where quality meets price, so I made a couple friendly suggestions of other bourbons along those same lines. Your response, in summary, was "thanks but no thanks, I don't want any recommendations."

Methinks that my trying to pass on some good information is being turned into something entirely different for reasons that I can only guess. Ah well, I did try

 

[Country Bladesmith]

By my understanding, Tennessee Whiskey fulfils all the criteria to be called bourbon so why would you have an issue with a brand calling their product 'Tennessee Bourbon'?

Just curious.

Regards,

Jay.?

Others answered before I could get back to the thread, but basically, it’s the charcoal filtration. And also for a long time, bourbon could only be called bourbon if it was made in Kentucky. Some might think that’s silly, but hey, I’d be the first to admit I’d be a bit hesitant to buy scotch that wasn’t made in Scotland, so...
Anyway, in summary: A) it’s probably charcoal filtered, and B) it’s made in Tennessee. Sounds like Tennessee whiskey to me, but there’s nothing wrong with that if you know that’s what you’re getting. I think the label is a bit misleading, and the fact that it’s being sold in the UK, where many people might be unaware of the differences, makes it seem intentionally shady. But I could be wrong. If in the end it’s a decent whiskey at a good price, then to hell with all of the pedantic classifications and enjoy what you pour. ?‍

 

[jaytex1969]

George Dickel has to be rebranded to American Eagle because you Brits are too immature to properly say their name...

#2

 

[canucklehead]

You can buy booze on Amazon in the UK?!

 

[BROBS]

You can buy booze on Amazon in the UK?!

right seems odd in such a highly regulated country.