You never know what under $15 . . .

[Bloofington]

will get you, unless you take that bat up to the plate and take some mighty cuts. What, you think Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle didn't strike out? I think those two won a few games, too.

As many of you will remember, last season (2005-2006) was my year to go . . .

In Search Of . . .

El Cheapos. And so I did. And I wenteth (wenteth? :? ) forth into the copper pot still of the world and came back with a plethora of cheap, but satisfying bourbons, king of which was Evan Williams 1783.

Well, just as time and circumstance eventually caught up with the famed, mammoth Union Pacific gas turbine locomotives, so occasionally budgetary considerations can force one into . . .

The Galaxy Of El Cheapo

In this region of the universe, Heaven Hill 10 year old, 86 proof bourbon became a necessity to fill one of this season's orders and relieve boredom. It also, like the 600 gallons per hour of Bunker C fuel oil the gas turbine used, became a necessity to spend as little money on as possible.

For $13.33 ($8.99+shipping)

Well, I'll be a son of a Paris Hilton. Yeeeeee, haaaaaaa!!! This be sum gooooood bourbon. If'n yer a college kid, Girlzz Gon' Hogwild or an old man who's just lost his home, that's not a gol' danged baaaaad :cryinlaugh: price for bourbon.

The flavor profile ain't bad neither, pardner. A little mineral oil and soft oak upon entry, you can tell it's low proof without looking at the bottle, but then a nice, quirky mix of tangy rye and at times asparagus or Brussels sprouts enters the palate, with a long finish of more tangy, grainy, spicy rye and soft oak. Very, very nice folks. If you can't spend a lot, or need a good, cheap "mixer" bourbon, Heaven Hill, a nice, sophisticatedly mature ten year old, but soft 86 proof bourbon is a great alternative.

 

[cybrus]

Awesome - I'll have to check if the local store has this - may have to venture into the online world of booze shopping (is that even legal here in PA?)

Where would you put this in comparison to my current, Bloof-approved, el cheapo: Evan Williams 1783?

 

[Bloofington]

Except for the asparagus/Brussells sprouts flavor, it actually tastes almost the same. I think it's from the same distillery. May be the same stuff, different part of the warehouse, hence slightly different taste, labels, etc. Hollow Point knows wayyyy more about that than me, but whatever the details are, it won't disappoint. You should get the same measure of satisfaction as you did with the EW1783. I did, except this costs even less.

 

[brennivin]

Campbell and Cooper (Canadian) is my go to cheap whisky. Decent sipper, great mixer. Tends to be a bit easier on the palette than a lot of other cheaps. Very woody and caramelly without being overly sweet. Runs about $12 here in WA.

 

[zandor]

I just picked up a bottle of that Evan Williams 1783. For $11 ($13 after tax), that's some get nice stuff! The flavor doesn't keep up with a lot of the other bourbons I've had, but it's still pretty good and goes down easily. I suspect this may become one of my go-to drinks next year when I'm in grad school. $11/bottle seems perfect for parties.
As for the Heaven Hill, they didn't have that one.

 

[mjdx88]

I know this thread is pretty much dead, but EW1783 is some great stuff, a handle I think is about 20 bucks. My roommate picked some up last year and I was quite pleased with it. This is also coming from a guy who loves his JD. I havent been able to sample anything to high up since I am on the college student budget and I prefer cigars over most other things.....including books lol. I havent had it since and never got the chance to pair with with a cigar so I cant help you there.
Just my 2 cents to an old post.
Mike

 

[Bloofington]

If you know anyone paying twenty bucks for the Evan Williams 1783, they're paying a few dollars too much.

 

[zandor]

Not if it's $20 for a "handle" of Evan Williams 1783. $20 for a 1.75L is quite reasonable. This begs the question... what do I call my 1.75L bottle of Buffalo Trace? It doesn't have a handle. It just looks like an over-sized 750 of BT, complete with a larger cork stopper.

Lately I've been tempted to try a couple store brands. Both of the local grocery store chains have their own store brand bourbon. Schnuck's Bourbon is $7 for a 750. I forget exactly how much Dierbergs bourbon is, but the price is similar. Yes, I know it'll almost certainly be bad, but I'm curious about just how bad it is. The Dieburgs bourbon looks to be a Heaven Hill product, as the label says "Bardstown, KY." Perhaps it's composed of Evan Williams reject barrels. The Schnucks brand says "Kentucky Bourbon" and "Bottled in St. Louis."

 

[Bloofington]

Okay, $20 for a bottle larger than a fifth. THAT makes sense.