Just like the title says...

I have a sip or two of Makers Mark every now and then..but would like more information on other brands, best ways to enjoy..and drinking etiquette.

I've found Elijah Craig to be pretty good and I drink mine in a tumbler glass with no ice

I've tried more expensive but Makers is still my favourite.

Woodford and Knob Creek should be right up your alley.

Quoted: I've found Elijah Craig to be pretty good and I drink mine in a tumbler glass with no ice

I have a bottle of Elijah Craig 18yr Single Barrel, but have not opened it yet.

Quoted: Quoted: I've found Elijah Craig to be pretty good and I drink mine in a tumbler glass with no ice I have a bottle of Elijah Craig 18yr Single Barrel, but have not opened it yet.

I've got the run of the mill 12  year here, but its a pretty darn good bourbon for the money.  makers mark is nice and smooth but a bit sweet for my taste, same with gentleman jack.

Quoted: I drink Jim Beam right out of the bottle just like it was intended to be consumed. Excuse me I think I have to go to the kitchen!

That's the 1.75l bottle just like grandma.

For bourbon like Woodford Reserve
Good stuff, cool bottle

Cheers

www.rebelyellwhiskey.com/home.html
For my money this is some of the best stuff going.  I've tried Makers Mark and all I tasted was alcohol, I like to taste vanillias and a bit of chared oak in my bourbon, I want some flavor in it and Rebel Yell has it in spades.  Look around and pick up a bottle and I know you'll fall in love with it as I have.  In Frith.

shotglass, bottle, pour, slam, repeat as necessary.

Quoted: shotglass, bottle, pour, slam, repeat as necessary.

Isn't this wasting a good bourbon...by slamming it?

I've tried more expensive but Makers is still my favourite

+1 on ice in a tumbler.  sip till ya can't sip no more!

Well, this reply isn't targeted as a reponse to the bourbon question but it's a link to a good read on "Booze"!
www.inu.org/bieyi/cruises/booze.htm

Knob Creek is my favorite.  I really like the thick, smoky taste.  Woodford Reserve is a close second.  Makers Mark is good but not in the same league with Knob Creek or Woodford Reserve, IMO.

I drink bourbon in a tumbler on the rocks.

I'm not much of a drinker anymore but I like Maker's Mark and Gingerale.  It's probably too sweet for most of you bourbon drinkers but it's my favorite drink.

If not gingerale, than diet coke.

johnny walker on the rocks with a splash of water, the international military offiicer's drink

I like Jack in a square glass over a couple rocks. In all actuality, any good sippin whiskey will do. It's all about quality, not quantity.

Wild Turkey 101 is also a great burbon.  I like Rebel Yell too.  Knob Creek is also a good choice.

Good suggestions, but lose the ice.
A splash of water, maybe

Evan Williams

On the rocks
Warm and straight up
Half and half with water
Squeeze a fresh lemon in there

Mixed with coke, ginger ale, 7up, cherry coke

Cut up pineapple, maraschino cherries, soaked in strawberries

Frozen in the freezer, room temp,

EW can do no wrong

Quoted: Good suggestions, but lose the ice. A splash of water, maybe

So you are saying to drink it at room temp?

Try Mixing Burbon with Sun-Drop cola, its really good, but you never can go wrong with coke or a little water.  

I usually drink bourbon. It is all about quality, which isn't necessarily about price.   Maker's is good stuff, but it's not twice as good as a bourbon costing half as much, if it's any better at all. I haven't mucked around much with the super premium/single batch/single barrel stuff, because I think there is next to no connection betwenn price/promotion/popularity on the one hand and quality on the other. It's almost random.

The guy at the liquor store where I trade held back 1.75s of some discontinued brand nobody ever heard of and I don't remember. He said he got it for me because it was outstanding booze but had a xerox-quality label, so the distributor let him have it for next to nothing, and he sold it to me for $12 a jug. It was in fact outstanding. Old Crow is good bourbon. Just serve it from a decanter and be coy about the brand if you're serving it to company you aren't tight with. They'll rave about it. I have on other occasions bought closeouts and regional brands and found them to be truly remarkable. As I told my kids, being cool is doing what you want, not what impresses other people. Good bourbon is about taste, not labels and price. Be adventurous. Worst case scenario, you cut it 4 or 5:1 with Sprite, add lemon juice, and serve it by the pool or at the beach in the summer, or mix it with boiling water, sugar, and lemon (you'll need to adjust to taste) and put it in a thermos for winter fishing.

Quoted: I'm not much of a drinker anymore but I like Maker's Mark and Gingerale.  It's probably too sweet for most of you bourbon drinkers but it's my favorite drink. If not gingerale, than diet coke.

A friend once gave me a bottle of Maker's and 12 bottles of that Blenheim ginger ale. GOOD STUFF.

Go for Woodford Reserve.  This is by far my favorite on the rocks.  I like a lighter bourbon and Basil Hayden's is a close second.  Try it neat with a cigar.

Knob Creek is good, but I know I'm in the late stages of getting totally wasted when I drink this shit.  It burns a bit much for my taste.

The man is asking about bourbon. That automatically disqualifies Johnny Walker or anything made outside of Kentucky(yes, this means Jack and George, sorry fellas).

Makers Mark is nice, but for everyday drinkin' I enjoy Wild Turkey 101. Nothing wrong with a little ice.

If you ever want to step up to the bourbon by which all others are measured, try Pappy Van Winkle 20 year old. $75 a bottle, but worth every penny. Although, this is not exactly "house" bourbon.

Quoted: Quoted: Good suggestions, but lose the ice. A splash of water, maybe So you are saying to drink it at room temp?

YES. It takes a little to get used to drinking a nice bourbon or single malt without a mixer, or rocks etc; but that is the way it was intended to be enjoyed. And a quality bourbon is meant to be enjoyed, not slammed, or diluted with coke and ice and water. I don't want to sound like a snob, but you asked about etiquette. If you are with an experienced quality bourbon or single malt drinker, and ask for it all watered down (meaning more than a splash) , or worse with a little coke, you will get a look! There is a whole process to drinking this, similar to drinking a fine wine. I would bet that if you went to some of the websites of the better brands, they will explain in detail the best ways to enjoy the "nose" and different flavors that can be experienced. Have fun!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Good suggestions, but lose the ice. A splash of water, maybe So you are saying to drink it at room temp? YES. It takes a little to get used to drinking a nice bourbon or single malt without a mixer, or rocks etc; but that is the way it was intended to be enjoyed. And a quality bourbon is meant to be enjoyed, not slammed, or diluted with coke and ice and water. I don't want to sound like a snob, but you asked about etiquette. If you are with an experienced quality bourbon or single malt drinker, and ask for it all watered down (meaning more than a splash) , or worse with a little coke, you will get a look! There is a whole process to drinking this, similar to drinking a fine wine. I would bet that if you went to some of the websites of the better brands, they will explain in detail the best ways to enjoy the "nose" and different flavors that can be experienced. Have fun!

What I do drink is over rocks.  I do NOT like to mix anything with it..that is why I was asking what some of the best brands are.

To be honest, I have not had bourbon when it was not over rocks...will have to try it.

I will check out the websites...thanks!!

I had an uncle that "taught" me how to drink single malt scotch. I got a lot of looks!
He drinks everything neat. Now, I do to.

The Macallan is my favorite. I like the 12 year better than 18
www.themacallan.com/splash.asp

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Good suggestions, but lose the ice. A splash of water, maybe So you are saying to drink it at room temp? YES. It takes a little to get used to drinking a nice bourbon or single malt without a mixer, or rocks etc; but that is the way it was intended to be enjoyed. And a quality bourbon is meant to be enjoyed, not slammed, or diluted with coke and ice and water. I don't want to sound like a snob, but you asked about etiquette. If you are with an experienced quality bourbon or single malt drinker, and ask for it all watered down (meaning more than a splash) , or worse with a little coke, you will get a look! There is a whole process to drinking this, similar to drinking a fine wine. I would bet that if you went to some of the websites of the better brands, they will explain in detail the best ways to enjoy the "nose" and different flavors that can be experienced. Have fun! What I do drink is over rocks.  I do NOT like to mix anything with it..that is why I was asking what some of the best brands are. To be honest, I have not had bourbon when it was not over rocks...will have to try it. I will check out the websites...thanks!!

I prefer the cheapest money can buy downing it in a old pee-soaked refrigerator box in an alley behind the 7-11

Rocks (1 or 2) is cool, because the flavor changes as the water dilutes the bourbon. It is truly remarkable the range of flavors brought out by the temperature/strength differences.

Wether burbon or scotch, I put it in a shot glass and add a spoonful of water.  It usually boldens the flavor and is to these drinks what a distiller is to wine.  My brother in law is in scotch of the month club and showed me that trick years ago.  I have a friend who swears that burbon must be drank straight, out of a double.

Knob Creek or Makers Mark.  Gentleman Jack ain't too bad either.

Makers Mark of course

Hey Painter, is shaken on ice and poured into a glass OK?  At home I like Makers on ice, if I'm out and get a Manhattan they shake in on ice and strain.  Is there a term for shaken and strained?

If I may ask an ignorant question and risk a hijack, what is the difference (if any) between bourbon, scotch, and whiskey?

I've only taken about two sips of the stuff my entire life. The second was Dewar's 12, which I found surprisingly good.

A splash, or a teaspoon is fine, and yes, it will release it little bit of the nose.

However, 1:1 with mixer is just plain wrong.

Bourbon is made in Kentucky, Scotch is Irish and made from rye, whisky is an combo of corn wheat rye.  There is a lot more to it than that but they are very different.

#1)Ancient Ancient Age  the 10yr old stuff not the 10star{but it is good also}, been my favorite for @ 30 years.

The rest in no particular order..........though I am enjoying the hell out of some hot tea, honey and 1oz. of Knob Creek in a big mug.

Woodward Reserve
Knob Creek
Elijah Craig
Rebel Yell
Maker's Mark

Now, for your education an enjoyment........found this about a few months ago on one of the last bourbon quests posted here:
www.greatbourbon.com/index.html

And the best High Ball ever made was with Wink from Canada Dry..................bastages quit making it.

Quoted: Hey Painter, is shaken on ice and poured into a glass OK?  At home I like Makers on ice, if I'm out and get a Manhattan they shake in on ice and strain.  Is there a term for shaken and strained?

Sure. I like Makers Mark also. A Manhattan is sounding good right now!
I was just trying to emphasize that if you want to actually be able to taste and enjoy, and eventually learn to distinguish between the flavors that you like and dislike, you have to have it neat, or close to it. A little water wont kill it, nor will a slight chill. But I can remember when I would pull a bottle of Jack Daniels out of the freezer, covered in frost, and mix it with a big glass of coke and ice! It was like pouring syrup into the coke!

Nothing like Makers Mark and a good cigar.

Quoted: Nothing like Makers Mark and a good cigar.

Yes Sir            New avatar?

I cut this from the link above:
Kentucky
Bourbon whiskey is legally considered a “distinctive product of the United States,” and no other country has the authority to call their whiskey products Bourbon. Even though Bourbon can be produced anywhere, for a Bourbon to be classified as Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, it must have been distilled and aged in Kentucky for a period of at least one year and then continue to be aged for at least one additional year.

 
Straight
Straight whiskies must be made with a minimum of 51% of the grain that identifies that particular whiskey. For example, for a whiskey to be a Bourbon, it must be made with at least 51% corn. Other types of straight whiskies include rye, wheat whiskey, and straight corn whiskey. Blended whiskey, however, is a mixture that may contain at least 20 percent of straight whiskey or a blend of straight whiskies in combination with “harmless” coloring, flavoring, blending materials, other whiskies or neutral spirits either separately or in combination. Straight whiskey must be aged a minimum of 2 years.


Bourbon
Federal regulations require that Bourbon whiskey be made from a minimum of 51 percent corn. Other grains used may be rye, wheat and barley malt in any combination. By law, Bourbon must be distilled at no higher than 160 proof (vodka and neutral spirits are distilled at 190 proof) and aged in new, charred American white oak barrels at not more than 125 proof. Also, no colorings or flavorings can be added. Only distilled water may be added to the Bourbon before bottling, to achieve the proper bottling proof, which must be at least 80 proof.


Whiskey
Bourbon is an American whiskey, and as such is made under strict federal guidelines as described above. Some other American whiskies, such as Tennessee whiskey, must meet minimum requirements for grain, proof and aging to be called whiskey; however, distillers are free to age their whiskey in used barrels and add caramel for coloring. Regulations for imported whiskeys vary, depending on their country of origin. For instance, Canadian whisky is produced without minimums for grain mixtures, aging, or additives for flavoring or color, and producers can add up to 9.09% of other spirits or wine. Scotch and Irish whiskies, also made in compliance with their countries’ unique set of guidelines and regulations, often “tint” their whiskies to achieve a desired color.

Quoted: Knob Creek or Makers Mark.  Gentleman Jack ain't too bad either.

Y'know, I tried Knob Creek because of threads like these.
It's really close to Makers Mark.
But I like Mark better, and I think it's just a tad cheaper.

I'll have to look for the Woodford, and Elijah Craig, next.

Reading this thread, it's surprising that so many people think it odd to drink bourbon neat.
I guess it's one of those "skills" I take for granted.

This refers to Scotch:
The definition of whisky regions has been much debated and changed since the 1784 Wash Act divided the country roughly into 'Highland' and 'Lowland' for tax purposes. It is now generally agreed that there are six regions and these are based on taste as well as geographical location.


 Lowlands
This area tends to produce whiskies in which the softness of the malted barley itself is evident, untempered by Highland or Island peatiness or coastal brine and seaweed. The Lowlands are defined as being south of a line following old county boundaries and running from the Clyde estuary to the River Tay. The line swings north of Glasgow and Dumbarton and runs to Dundee via Perth.


 Highlands
By far the biggest region, the Highlands inevitably embraces wide variations. The western part of the Highlands, at least on the mainland, has only a few, scattered, distilleries, and it is difficult to generalise about their character. If they have anything in common, it is a rounded, firm, dry character, with some peatiness. The far north of the Highlands has several whiskies with a notably heathery, spicy, character which probably derives both from the local soil and the coastal location of the distilleries. The more sheltered East Highlands and the Midlands of Scotland (sometimes described as the South Highlands) have a number of notably fruity whiskies.


 Speyside
This area is universally acknowledged as the heartland of malt whisky distillation. This area, between the cities of Inverness and Aberdeen, sweeps from granite mountains down to fertile countryside, where barley is among the crops. It is the watershed of a system of rivers, the principal among them is the Spey.

The Speyside single malts are noted in general for their elegance and complexity, and often a refined smokiness. Beyond that, they have two extremes: the big, sherried types, as typified by The Macallan; and the lighter, less colourful style of the "Glens".


 Campbeltown
Campbeltown is situated on the peninsula called the Mull of Kintyre, on the west coast of Scotland. It once had about 30 distilleries, but now has only two. One of these, Springbank, produces two different styles of single malt whisky. Lightly peated for one style and heavily peated for the other. The Campbeltown single malts are very distinctive, with a briny character.


 Islay
Considered by many to be the greatest of whisky islands; Islay is blessed with numerous pockets of peat bog, lashed by the wind, rain and sea. It is only 25 miles long, but has no fewer than eight distilleries, although not all are operational. The single malts from this are noted for their seaweed, iodine-like, phenolic character. Islay malt gives the unmistakable tang to many of Scotland's finest blended whiskies.


 Islands
The Islands are a geographical region rather than a characteristic one.

Jura, the island just north of Islay, can be described as a Highland-like whisky. Talisker, on Skye, has an explosive taste, peaty and sweet. On Orkney is the world's northernmost Scotch whisky distillery, Highland Park. Highland Park is also compared with Highland malts, due to its exceptional smoothness and smoky dryness.

I made up a chocolate malt the other night and put a good amount of bourbon in it, man was it good. Give it a try, bourbon and chocolate go real good together.  In Frith.

Makers is my old standby bit you really need to try Basil Haydens it is the good shit.

currently enjoying a 14oz glass, with a few cubes, 3 fingers of knob, and filled with good filtered spirng water,


i know this ain't "proper", but it's damn good