Bottom Shelf Bourbon?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I managed to get old not trying a wide variety of spirits. Long ago found a few mid-price thangs that seemed to taste OK and stuck with them. Wild Turkey 101 seemed more palatable than Jack Daniels. Bacardi 151. Johnny Walker Red or Black. Hornitos Tequila (actually that one is pretty spensive in the states but cheap in Mehico.). Gilbey's gin.

What are some cheap favorites?

Lately been sampling the cheaper bourbons/whiskeys. On the rocks. In moderation.

Web reviews of spensive whiskey elaborately describe tastes I never experienced. Sounds better than sex, such as this--

Nose: Caramel and the longer it sits, the richer the caramel gets. Ripe apples and apricots with some fine leather and sweet spices.

Taste: Very brandy like with some rich fruit flavors - Apples and peaches with sweet spices - clove and ginger over laid with lots of caramel and oak.

Finish: WOW, What a finish. This is spicey and dry with oak and pepper, but at the same time very fruity with caramel apples. The longer it sits in the glass the more it changes in aroma and finish. After a while the fruit takes the lead and the spices and oak are subdued but then the spice comes back.

It mostly tastes like booze to me. I like fairly strong sour or bitter tastes but not quite to the level of bug poison or pure quinine. Don't much like sweet tastes.

So far Mellow Corn seems pretty good. About as tolerable as Wild Turkey though that is probably gross heresy indicating that I have no taste whatsoever.

Most recently been working thru some Evan Williams Green and Rebel Yell. The Evan Williams might be a little better than the Rebel Yell but might change my mind after a couple more comparisons. Neither seem offensively un-drinkable.

After working thru the lesser expensive bourbons and corn whiskeys, might look into the Rye's. I read that Rye was a USA favorite until about WWII, when bourbons became more popular.

[ls3_kid]

Evan Williams Green - Whiskey

30-30 - Tequila

Admiral Nelson's - Rum

Mr. Boston's - Vodka

Those used to be all I'd drink my first years in college. I prefer them in that order. They all flat out suck and are rot gut (I still drink them too haha).

As for a good cheaper whiskey I have always liked is Canadian Club 12 year.

It is really reasonably priced.

Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old Canadian Whisky

Edited December 23, 2011 by ls3_kid

[Mike.357]

I detest bottom shelf liquor. None of it is palatable. Life is too short to drink that crap. I will quit before buying it.

[Guest gw2and4]

I detest bottom shelf liquor. None of it is palatable. Life is too short to drink that crap. I will quit before buying it.

This. Well said.

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[gregintenn]

Evan Williams black label is o.k., especially for the price. Heaven Hill is the nastiest available, and should not be on liquor store shelves.

[strickj]

Web reviews of spensive whiskey elaborately describe tastes I never experienced. Sounds better than sex, such as this--

It mostly tastes like booze to me. I like fairly strong sour or bitter tastes but not quite to the level of bug poison or pure quinine.

I've never been able to tell much difference in the tastes. And I've certainly never tasted any fruity or nutty flavors like they describe, either. Of course, I don't drink my liquor like a fruitcake with all that air slurping, mouth sloshing and tongue slapping.

I much prefer the cheaper mid-grade bottles. Jäger, Jose and the Captain are my favs. Hold the mixes, water and coke.

[Mike.357]

Strick, yanno Jose is almost half vodka. There are several brands of 100% agave tequila in the same price range. Look for Agavales. Its good stuff.

[strickj]

Strick, yanno Jose is almost half vodka. There are several brands of 100% agave tequila in the same price range. Look for Agavales. Its good stuff.

I like Jose but I'll still pick up a bottle since you're twisting my arm and all

Looks to be about half the price so that's already a big plus to me. Thanks for the suggestion

[Just2Honor]

Don't buy Jack Daniels if you're after a bourbon. It's not a bourdon. Made similarly but without the sweeter part and charcoal filtered. It's Tennessee Whiskey. No other whiskey can use that designation.

[enfield]

Ezra Brooks whiskey is much better than the price would indicate. I believe it's made in Missouri.

Old Overholt rye is harder to find than Jim Beam Rye, but it's better.

Gordon's gin is as good as any gin I've ever tried.

Vodka is vodka

Cruzano rum is fine.

and, of course, if you're mixing, you can't beat Everclear or Golden Grain.

p.s. - sippin' Tequila starts at about $30/fifth. I'm partial to Herradura Reposado. All of the cheaper stuff should be poured back into the horse.

Edited December 24, 2011 by enfield

[ls3_kid]

Strick, yanno Jose is almost half vodka. There are several brands of 100% agave tequila in the same price range. Look for Agavales. Its good stuff.

If we are talking Tequila my favorite is Cuestion with price excluded I'll take Gran Patron Burdeos. I drank a bottle of that with my landlord a few months back. Tasted more like a Brandi.

However the half vodka/tequilas aren't bad at all. 30-30 is probably more vodka than tequila.

[dlm37015]

i havent drank in a long time for health reasons but when i did i drank johnny walker blue

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I detest bottom shelf liquor. None of it is palatable. Life is too short to drink that crap. I will quit before buying it.

I don't recall drinking numerous brands of real cheap whiskey. That's why I've lately been sampling some to see if I can tell much diff, or if the diff is worth the price. Fer example if a feller happened to like spam as good as prime rib, then why pay extra?

Long ago tried some of the canadian whiskeys but wasn't impressed. Crown Royal, Seagram 7, Canadian Mist. All rather awful unless my tastes have changed.

Long ago tried some cheap scotch brands and it was pretty easy to tell that more expensive scotch tasted better. Though it is an acquired taste and for a long time any scotch tasted like dishwater to me. Eventually came to appreciate it.

A couple of times tried some cheaper rums like Ron Rico, which tasted like bug poison compared to Bacardi.

Never was likely to get hangovers and lately I don't drink enough to get a hangover. Long ago when I would occasionally drink more, the cheap whiskeys seemed more likely to cause a hangover than the more expensive stuff. Maybe impurities, or maybe pure imagination?

Heaven Hill is the nastiest available, and should not be on liquor store shelves.

I had heard the same over the years, and tried some long ago, but can't recall much about it. Oddly, was recently reading about kentucky whiskies, and some brands with a "pretty good" reputation are owned by Heaven Hill.

Strick, yanno Jose is almost half vodka. There are several brands of 100% agave tequila in the same price range. Look for Agavales. Its good stuff.

Earlier this year tried some Espolon Tequila advertised to be pure agave, not real expensive but not cheap. Didn't seem too bad as far as I could tell. With the influx of hispanics into TN lately, there seem more brands of tequila in the local booze emporium.

[Mike.357]

cheap hootch will hurt you more than higher dollar stuff. And you hit it right on the head assuming it is impurities.

There is a reason some liquor costs more than others.

As for Blends like 7 Crown or Kessler, it doesn't much matter. Go cheap, all the blended whiskeys have a substantial amount of neutral grain spirit (vodka) in them.

Canadian whiskey's like Crown Royal, Canadian Mist, Canadian Deluxe are all pretty similar in taste. They are all blended and a little sweeter but should not have vodka cut into them. You pay more for the hangover factor.

Again impurities. I like Canadian whiskey personally.

We sell a label of lower dollar bourbon. It is cost effective and tastes okay, but I ain't drinking it nor will I name it here, LOL

[Guest boatme99]

Ah,.... Nick, nick, nick....

Nobody understands that on those nights around the fire.

Thanks Lester.

[robin48]

I personally like Crown. I also like Makers Mark.

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[et45]

Fighting Cock

[whiskey]

Don't buy Jack Daniels if you're after a bourbon. It's not a bourdon. Made similarly but without the sweeter part and charcoal filtered. It's Tennessee Whiskey. No other whiskey can use that designation.

Not exactly right, George Dickel is also a Tennessee Whisky, and better than Jack.

[Mike.357]

If we are talking Tequila my favorite is Cuestion with price excluded I'll take Gran Patron Burdeos. I drank a bottle of that with my landlord a few months back. Tasted more like a Brandi.

However the half vodka/tequilas aren't bad at all. 30-30 is probably more vodka than tequila.

Unless 30-30 makes a mixto version their stuff is 100% agave. Mixto tequila is easy to figure out, if the bottle does not say 100% agave it is cut with neutral grain.

[Mike.357]

i havent drank in a long time for health reasons but when i did i drank johnny walker blue

man, LOL I don't wanna be getting a taste for stuff that is in that price range.

[Randy W]

Amen to the George Dickel. My old pappy use to say Black label is for sipping, Green is for mixing with water anything else put in you might as well use Lem Motlow. Rumor I hear is George taught Jack how to make wiskey.

[Guest bkelm18]

man, LOL I don't wanna be getting a taste for stuff that is in that price range.

Picked up a bottle of Johnnie Blue in the Caribbean a few years ago for about $100. That was some fine whiskey. That was still expensive in my book but I had been out to sea a couple months at that point and I deserved it, haha.

[Handsome Rob]

Dickel all the way. Not the most spendy, not the cheapest, but one of the smoothing drinking non-Scotch Whiskies I've tried.

[East_TN_Patriot]

I prefer Maker's Mark 46, regular Maker's, or Woodford Reserve bourbon.

[Guest pfries]

I personally like Crown. I also like Makers Mark.

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If you find 1792 try it same price, single barrel, consistant and great IMO.

Tequila top shelf is Lapis in the blue bottle $75 or but a great sipper, aged in oak.

Edited December 24, 2011 by pfries