Joined Sep 2003
9K Posts | 0+
Puerto Rico/NYC
spirits that have come into my life, namely the George T. Stagg 2003 bourbon, W.L. Weller 12 year old, Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Single Barrel 90 proof, and the Sazerac 18 year old rye.
Look for another major shakeup in The Bloofingtonian Top Twenty as at least two of those bourbons are likely to make it, maybe even The Top Ten!!! As for the Sazerac 18 year old rye, as I said in another post, it's so good I might choose it over any of my favorite bourbons if I were going to the guillotine. As time goes on, I can definitely foresee a Top Ten Rye list on The Bloofy Hit Parade.
Preliminary taste test results show the new Stagg, the 2003 version to be smoother and sweeter, if slightly less complex than its older cousin, the 2002 version, declared Whiskey Of The Year by Malt Advocate magazine. On stopping in at Park Avenue Liquor Shop located on (don't ask, don't tell) Madison Avenue in Manhattan, NYC one of the managers offered that it was a crashing disappointment compared to the 2002 version, but after three tastings, the benchmark for me to decide how much I like a certain bourbon, I have to say it's likely to place ahead of the 2002 version in my book. The 142.7 proof, although packing a wallop, nevertheless is deceptively gentle compared to drinking some other 100+ proof spirits.
The W.L. Weller 12 year old is a fine classic tasting bourbon, smooth, with a sweet candy apple flavor followed up by sharp oak notes, unlike it's 19 year old cousin, already in the No. 4 spot on my Top Ten. In the 19 year old version, it is sweetness all the way through, like fine sucking candy. I tend to appreciate the sharp oak notes in certain bourbons, as it lends a classic nature to the beverage, provided it is balanced with the other classic bourbon flavors such as vanilla, caramel, candy apple, etc. The Weller 12 year old is a serious contender for the Top Ten, a highly refined, rich tasting, full flavored bourbon at a gentle 90 proof.
As for the Eagle Rare 10 year old Single Barrel 90 proof version, well, what can I say, I always seem to have a problem with single barrel bourbons. I find them to be rather bland and one dimensional, although after hearing some other bourbon drinkers talk about "summertime" bourbons, I can definitely see a place for them, because I tend to completely lose my taste for bourbon or rye in the summer. The jury is still out on this one. It's smooth and sweet, no doubt, but at this point may have trouble cracking the Top Twenty.
OG114 - No, that's not some new title in The Crips or The Bloods organizational hierarchy, it's my silly acronym for Old Grandad 114. I was prompted to try this by one of my friends from "another web site" that I left on the morning of November 12th, and it is currently undergoing the Bloofingtonian Bourbonscope. A very smooth and ultra sweet bourbon with the distinct flavor of alfalfa in it. It's not likely to make my Top Twenty, but it could sneak in there, and it's definitely not diesel fuel. I'd take it over Maker's Mark any day, that's for sure, as Maker's Mark isn't within a country mile of my Top Twenty.
Having said that, let me state that I have a great deal of respect for the folks at Maker's Mark and what they do. During my first full year of bourbon drinking, I had plenty of this bourbon, but after trying about 30 others, I have to be honest, it just doesn't cut the mustard with me anymore. I have spoken to some bartenders who also dabble in bourbon tastings, and they have assured me that Maker's Mark is a fine mixer, maybe the best, and probably better suited for that, but if one wishes to enjoy bourbon the way I do, it's probably not the best for doing so. Nonetheless, many bourbon drinkers who enjoy their whiskey straight up and sipped in a nice relaxing fashion continue to rate Maker's Mark very high and I respect their opinions, even if they do have the palate of a billy goat.
Look for another major shakeup in The Bloofingtonian Top Twenty as at least two of those bourbons are likely to make it, maybe even The Top Ten!!! As for the Sazerac 18 year old rye, as I said in another post, it's so good I might choose it over any of my favorite bourbons if I were going to the guillotine. As time goes on, I can definitely foresee a Top Ten Rye list on The Bloofy Hit Parade.
Preliminary taste test results show the new Stagg, the 2003 version to be smoother and sweeter, if slightly less complex than its older cousin, the 2002 version, declared Whiskey Of The Year by Malt Advocate magazine. On stopping in at Park Avenue Liquor Shop located on (don't ask, don't tell) Madison Avenue in Manhattan, NYC one of the managers offered that it was a crashing disappointment compared to the 2002 version, but after three tastings, the benchmark for me to decide how much I like a certain bourbon, I have to say it's likely to place ahead of the 2002 version in my book. The 142.7 proof, although packing a wallop, nevertheless is deceptively gentle compared to drinking some other 100+ proof spirits.
The W.L. Weller 12 year old is a fine classic tasting bourbon, smooth, with a sweet candy apple flavor followed up by sharp oak notes, unlike it's 19 year old cousin, already in the No. 4 spot on my Top Ten. In the 19 year old version, it is sweetness all the way through, like fine sucking candy. I tend to appreciate the sharp oak notes in certain bourbons, as it lends a classic nature to the beverage, provided it is balanced with the other classic bourbon flavors such as vanilla, caramel, candy apple, etc. The Weller 12 year old is a serious contender for the Top Ten, a highly refined, rich tasting, full flavored bourbon at a gentle 90 proof.
As for the Eagle Rare 10 year old Single Barrel 90 proof version, well, what can I say, I always seem to have a problem with single barrel bourbons. I find them to be rather bland and one dimensional, although after hearing some other bourbon drinkers talk about "summertime" bourbons, I can definitely see a place for them, because I tend to completely lose my taste for bourbon or rye in the summer. The jury is still out on this one. It's smooth and sweet, no doubt, but at this point may have trouble cracking the Top Twenty.
OG114 - No, that's not some new title in The Crips or The Bloods organizational hierarchy, it's my silly acronym for Old Grandad 114. I was prompted to try this by one of my friends from "another web site" that I left on the morning of November 12th, and it is currently undergoing the Bloofingtonian Bourbonscope. A very smooth and ultra sweet bourbon with the distinct flavor of alfalfa in it. It's not likely to make my Top Twenty, but it could sneak in there, and it's definitely not diesel fuel. I'd take it over Maker's Mark any day, that's for sure, as Maker's Mark isn't within a country mile of my Top Twenty.
Having said that, let me state that I have a great deal of respect for the folks at Maker's Mark and what they do. During my first full year of bourbon drinking, I had plenty of this bourbon, but after trying about 30 others, I have to be honest, it just doesn't cut the mustard with me anymore. I have spoken to some bartenders who also dabble in bourbon tastings, and they have assured me that Maker's Mark is a fine mixer, maybe the best, and probably better suited for that, but if one wishes to enjoy bourbon the way I do, it's probably not the best for doing so. Nonetheless, many bourbon drinkers who enjoy their whiskey straight up and sipped in a nice relaxing fashion continue to rate Maker's Mark very high and I respect their opinions, even if they do have the palate of a billy goat.