A New Top 25 in The Bloofy Bourbon Brigade. . . .

Joined Sep 2003
9K Posts | 0+
Puerto Rico/NYC
After much consideration, and in consideration that the bourbon/rye season was thankfully extended by some cool nights and a cool basement, I have been able to organize and compose my thoughts enough to leave you all with a Top 25 that will probably stand until football season, unless we get some unexpectedly cool weather up here.

The two new entries into this list are Nos. 12 and 19, with comments on each to follow the list.

1. A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16 year old
2. Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 year old
3. The Classic Cask Single Batch 20 year old bourbon
4. Booker's True Barrel Bourbon
5. W.L. Weller Wheated 19 year old
6. Distiller's Masterpiece I - Cognac Finish
7. Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 year old
8. George T. Stagg 2002
9. Baker's
10. George T. Stagg 2003
11. Knob Creek
12. Pure Kentucky
13. Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve
14. Basil Hayden’s
15. Henry McKenna 10 year old 100 proof bonded
16. Jefferson’s Reserve 15 year old
17. Wild Turkey Rare Breed
18. Blanton’s
19. Old Commonwealth
20. Elijah Craig 12 year old
21. Eagle Rare 10 year old 101 proof
22. Eagle Rare 17 year old
23. Corner Creek Reserve
24. Van Winkle Family Reserve 18 year old
(special bottling for Park Avenue Liquors)
25. Old Grandad 114


Regarding the two new entries, you have already seen the review I put up last night regarding my definitive tasting of Pure Kentucky. This is a fine, fine bourbon, with a bold, complex flavor profile that gets muddled a bit as the sipping progresses. It is for this reason that despite the fact I am mightily impressed with it, I just could not place it any higher. To exalt it above even Knob Creek, solid at No. 11 with it's rich, bouncy flavor and bottle to bottle consistency would not have been right. Nevertheless, Pure Kentucky is a worthy No. 12, and impressive placing for a bottle I paid a "walk-out" price of less than $24 for.

As for Old Commonwealth, it is another 107 proof bourbon from yet another mystery distiller, supposedly a "third generation Kentucky distiller" who is known for offering only top shelf stuff. This is less flavorful than Pure Kentucky, but quite smooth and impressive and AGAIN Small Batch bourbon, but making no other claims, heh, heh. No other claims!!! After claiming to be from a third generation master and initial capping the phrase Small Batch, plus the incredibly smooth, buttery flavor at 107 proof, what other claims do you have to make?!?!!!?

Old Commonwealth invokes distinctly thoughts of Baker's, and who knows where this no-name whiskey came from? I mean after all, we are all well aware of famous name brands who also market products under no-name brands, sometimes with the same quality, just without the famous name. You all know how I consistently say that Baker's tastes like butter. Well, Old Commonwealth tastes like butter, but with a bit more oak. And after all, it's aged three more years than Baker's.

So, same recipe, three more years??? Who knows??? Don't ask, don't tell. :wink: All I know is, this ten year old bourbon, at again a "walk-out" price of less than $24 is worthy of its placement in my Top 25 at its appointed spot.
 
Oh, by the way, since "the season" is still on, this afternoon's choice was Wild Turkey Rare Breed, a nice revisitation, and confirmation of it's well earned placing at No. 17. No need to move it down or up, it's solid right where it's at and quite nice in the flavor and head department, my bottle at 108.4 proof from Batch WT 1/99.
 
As you know, I'm partial to Sour Mash, but being that there are few true Sour Mash libations around, I do keep a healthy inventory of Bourbons around the somewhat posh, yet not overly ostentatious estate. Number eighteen is a tad higher on my list than on yours. I have it hovering around twelve as of late.

I don't see it on the list, but a new favorite of mine, is in constant rotation. I find it smooth, yet blow the gonads off a charging rhino at 60 paces in depth and character. Pleasant to the nasopharyngeal passages. Pairs extremely well with the Montecristo line of cigars. It doesn't have any earth or pine needle taste I've found to inhibit Eagle Rare. Just a straight forward Bourbon. I might add, and older brother of Blanton's. I'm talking Buffalo Trace Burbon. It is, by far, the best new find of the Summer. I've had it neat, as well as rocks. It just plain fits the bill of what I like in an adult beverage. At 90 proof, and around $44 walk out price, it is a great bourbon, and won't put the kibosh (I love that word) on your Bourbon budget.
 
Well Colonel, that's a mouthful. Yes, most people that drink bourbon like Blanton's a lot more than I do.

As for sour mash, it's ALL sour mash, bourbon included, but the other sour mashes can't refer to themselves as "bourbon" because of the differences in flavoring and filtering prior to bottling.

As for Buffalo Trace Bourbon, that doesn't tell me anything, so please elaborate. Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Bourbon has been heavily advertised over the past year and currently sells for a "walk-out price" of $20-25. I have tried it and deemed it nice but not worthy of my Top 25. So, which one is it that costs $44 that I've been missing out on?
 
Recently Buffalo Trace (I'm not sure it is "single barrel" is it?) scored 93 international tasting... Funny thing is everyone mentions Blanton's in the same breath with Buffalo Trace. I get the impression that the comparison factor speaks to their possible parallels because it's not just drinkers like you and me who have drawn repeated comparisons.

Suprisingly Buffalo Trace beats Blanton's (your #18 ) something like 8 out of every 10 tasters (blindly). 44.00 is a Blanton's price. Any body charging you that much for Buffalo Trace should be jailed for robbery!

I have a confusion about how Russ' Reserve rates higher (love Jimmy and all) but I find Rare Breed to spank Russ in the complexity category. Consistently! Is that not a mix up in your list?
 
No HP, no mistake. I've had several bottles of Russell's Reserve over a long period of time, and two or three bottles of Rare Breed over a lesser, but extended period of time, including one I'm working on right now. Despite some inconsistencies with Russell's Reserve, overall it belongs in its current place.

Nonetheless, be aware of impending changes to the Top 25, perhaps major ones, since I'm ready to give my final thoughts on Weller Reserve, Pappy's 23, Old Rip VW 15, and perhaps one other. I'm also ready to do a Top 10 of rye.
 
I may be totally off on the Buffalo Trace price quote. I bought several bottles that day, and was just hunching at that price. I do know I left the merchant several hundred dollars lighter.

I think the comparison of it and Blantons stems from the same distillery thing.
 
No Colonel of mine's gonna be stuck paying tourist prices for his bourbon. You get any guff from the guys at your local PX and I'll turn you on to my favorite web sites. Come to think of it, here they are, in order of preference. Please note preference is based on the following criteria:

Most important - bottle price
Very Close To Most Important - shipping costs
Only Important If You Have To Have That Bottle Or You'll Just Die - selection.

binnys.com - my new favorite web site, because of prices, low shipping costs and great selection

samswine.com - when they run a warehouse sale no one beats their prices. Selection limited but fine. Better prices than Binny's on certain key items in my Top 25. Annoying 70 cents per bottle Cook County, Illinois Internet Sales Tax added to already middle of the road shipping costs. Still worth it to buy from them almost all the time.

alcoholreviews.com - Tourist prices. No, armed robbery prices. When they run sales though, you'd better check them out because their prices get real good, especially on certain items. Their selection is second to no one, shipping costs not bad, and great reviews that have provided invaluable tips, even if I wound up buying from other web sites.

missionliquor.com - new kid on the block for me. Great but limited selection. Rare items no one else has; prices coming down on some of those. Prices surprisingly great on certain items, not so good on a lot. Shipping costs bad.
 
Actually after doing a little homework - I believe the comparison is deeper than the same distillery, although that certainly is the root of it all. Blanton's is warehoused at the famous iron clad facility. Seems like Buffalo Trace comes out of the same surrounding. Blanton's is hand selected single barrel bourbon (selected by Elmer T. Lee himself). What I walked away with is MORE than likely the barrels that are not selected for single barrel bottling are left over to blend to a profile that becomes bottled as Buffalo Trace for 1/2 the price.

But you didn't hear that from me!!
 
Since the number of views tells me that this thread is getting a fair share of attention, just be advised that the Top 25 named in this thread is NOT, I repeat, NOT my new Top 25 of Bourbon. The latest Top 25 Bloofy Bourbon list is contained in the thread entitled BRAND NEW Top 25, etc.

Also be advised that although we are in the middle of a shocking and massive cool down here in the Northeast, the Top 25 Bloofy Bourbon list is Haile Unlykeleigh to change until deep into football season. Not only am I not planning to buy anything other than that which is on my list for awhile, but I also have plenty of favorites on hand, and I am currently working more on getting a definitive Top Ten rye list out and have been gearing my purchases toward such.

In case the Colonel is reading this, I have not forgotten about your high praise for Fighting Rooster Bourbon and will buy it one of these days, perhaps during the fall.