Bourbon Recommendation For a Single Malt Fan
 

Hi all,

My first post here so be gentle ok? I've been drinking single malts for 10 years now. I tend to be a fan of the peatier single malts and recently attended a talk about single malts where the discussion of Bourbon came up. I think its time to pick up a bottle of Bourbon to try it out so I'm looking for a recommendation from some of the experts here. I also don't mind a sweet drink so a sweeter recommendation is ok as well.

Thanks

Welcome to the forum!

try Bulleit Bourbon and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon

You won't go wrong with Knob Creek either!:)

Woodford Reserve is the most complex bourbon I have tasted.

I prefer Bakers, Bookers and Basil Hayden's.

I've heard really good things about Eagle Rare and Blantons. Those are next on my list to try.

The Booker's is great as is Bulleit, but one bargain bourbon that I've recently discovered is Jim Beam Black. Standard Jim Beam is aged 4 years, while the Black is aged 8 years and at $20, it's a bargain.

I see one other member citing Bulleit Bourbon and wonder what anyone thinks of the Bulleit Rye?

I'll second the Jim Beam black, and the Knob Creek as well. I didn't think the Basil Hayden's was quite as good, and I find Maker's Mark to be overrated.

I looked forward to the Basil Hayden's, but after having a bottle around for a few weeks last year decided it wasn't for me, nor the Maker's Mark either.

The Bulleit Rye is fantastic. I don't have a whole lot of experience with rye (I've only tried Bulleit and Rittenhouse), but I understand that the Bulleit Rye is fairly mellow (not in terms of flavor!) compared to most. It's a great introduction to rye, but it's definitely not only good for newbies.

Eagle Rare is undervalued and a great single-barrel straight Kentucky bourbon. :)

George T Stagg, William LaRue Weller, Eagle Rare 17, and Elijah Craig 18 or 20.

Maybe I'll just have to bit the Bulleit and get a bottle of the Rye next week. :D

For someone who's been at malt whisky 10 year and then want to try some Bourbons, I'd direct you to a number of things being made by Willett's for the main reason of the whiskies being pot stilled. The end result is a slower distillation that yields a similar complexity found in Scotch malt whiskies. That said, I believe malted barley is the premium grain and makes the best whisky, and when any other whisky (like Bourbon 51-79% corn, the balance other grains) isn't 100% malted barley they can be good and complex in their own right but are never as completely detailed as high quality malt whisky.

Thus, try Willett's Family Estate Bourbon, and their Pot Still Reserve Bourbon, their Family Estate Rye is one of the best made, Pure Kentucky XO, Kentucky Vintage, Noah's Mill, and Rowan's Creek are also made in the same stills. These whiskies run from sweeter style to distinct sour mash styles, so there's something to please every discerning palate.

Further to the merits of malted barley being the premier whisky grain: Fred Noe told me that almost every American Whiskey and Bourbon grain bill contains a small percentage of malted barley (regardless of a label stating 100% corn, rye or whatever) due to there being an enzyme existing in malted barley that doesn't exist in any other grain - even un-malted barley - and that enzyme ensures a complete and consistent fermentation. Without the enzyme, a mashbill will produce a different whiskey every time even if the recipe's grain percentages are the same.