EDIT:

If this thread seems a tad disjointed, it's because I split it from the "Drinking like a King" thread after Braineack did a half-assed job of merging my whiskey-related posts into that thread from the "Random Pictures" thread.

I have tried to minimize the schizophrenia.



Somebody (not me) edited the thread title and removed the threat of GWAR.



Amusing sidebar:

I accidentally typed "GWART" into Google (it's a really awkward word to spell) and the very first hit was a definition from Urbandictionary:
Huh? Does this make me a gwart? I don't feel like a gwart.

Though to be fair, I've been buying a lot more moderately-priced bourbon of late.

 

Joe - A little Evan Williams, I hope, if you are mixing with Coke or Sprite? Or moderately-priced = Woodford Reserve for sipping? Meander back to the Drinking like a King thread for ideas from booze snobs.

The World According to Investment Types:

 

I prefer the spiciness of straight rye and there are several 750 bottles in the teens that are quite drinkable (I recently had Dickel and enjoyed it--Catoctin Creek and Bulleit before that). I once had a very good bartender gift me a small taste of Whistle Pig 111 (below) after he mixed me the most elitist, pretentious, and expensive Manhattan in Georgetown using the standard Whistle Pig Rye. I savored that Manhattan for the better part of an hour. The dude ignited orange zest vapor over the drink. The dude also vaguely resembled Zach Galafianakis in the blackjack scene in The Hangover (above).




quite nice.

I had the same mental response. Stared for a while before moving on to alcohol.









winning image:

 

I'll begin by admitting that my whiskey palate is not especially mature or well-refined. I've long enjoyed a glass of 18 year old Glen-something-or-other while drinking on the company tab, but when it comes to buying my own for everyday use, I've historically tended towards rum or tequila. (Good tequila, not that rotgut Curevo ****.)

A few years ago, a friend turned me on to Johnny Walker black. I was hesitant at first, but it turned out to be really good stuff. Still a tad pricey, but it opened my mind to the idea that good whiskey need not cost $100.

Then this past Christmas while I was back home in Florida, I had occasion to spend an evening sipping Jack Daniel's. I had honestly never tired it before- I'd just assumed that all American whiskey tasted like a mixture of Southern Comfort and acetone. And yes, I found JD to be slightly on the sweet side, but it was still reasonably palatable and piqued my curiosity.

Since then, I've been on sort of a mission to explore the world of cheap, American whiskey. Woodford and Makers' are both fine and well, but like Johnny Black, a bit pricey for the rate at which I consume distilled spirits. I tried Even Williams recently, and didn't much care for it. Not especially horrible, but it seemed a tad bland.

At the moment, the bourbon which I have sitting on my desk is Jim Beam.



At $23-25 for a 1.75l bottle, I'm finding it to be entirely tolerable.

 

Tales of Unspeakable Taste: FLEISCHMANN'S: AN AMERICAN TRADITION (a whiskey review)

And then there is rotgut

 

Try some of this Joe..... worth the little extra... I'd happily replace my blood with it.

 

Hmm. Far cheaper than Johnny, but still quite a lot dearer than regular ole' JB.

To be honest, that's kind of going in the wrong direction. I already know how to buy good expensive whiskey, I'm much more interested right now in finding the bottom of the good cheap whiskey range. I suspect I'll find it somewhere between Old Fitzgerald and whatever this woman is drinking:

 

Some ideas:

Jim Beam Black (might be slightly more expensive than white label?)
W. L. Weller (all 3 varieties, Special Reserve, Antique, and 12 Year, are excellent for the price)
Four Roses (even the Yellow Label is good, but the Small Batch and Single Barrel are both excellent)
Bulleit (their bourbon tends to a more peppery rye-ish flavor, less sweet than most wheat-y bourbons)

A little pricier but worth trying:

Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Black Maple Hill (a must try, if you find a bottle)

 

 

We seem to be collectively missing the point here.

I know how to buy GOOD whiskey. I'm interested in learning more about CHEAP whiskey.


Unrelated, but I find this video hilarious:

 

I like:


$15-16 a bottle at the local booze shop. Is that still too expensive?

 

No, you're just not paying attention. All of the bourbons I mentioned, with the exception of the last two which I noted were slightly pricier, are all priced very reasonably.
Bulleit might be $22-24 for a fifth; the others are all under $20.

 

... which is roughly twice as expensive than the regular Jim Beam which I have already judged to be adequate at ~$25 / handle, and thus represents movement in the wrong direction.


For the purposes of this exploration, yes.

I am genuinely trying to find the absolute cheapest thing which doesn't taste like either Night Train or white lightning.

 

I enjoy this for sipping on feel-good days



I drink this when I am feeling like crap and/or want to get drunk by whiskey


I drink this when I am feeling 'murican


And I mix this cheap ****.

 

oh and I drink these two just to drink whiskey on neutral occasions because I like them

 

My mistake. I read your original request to mean you wanted the best bourbon that was cheaply priced; not the cheapest bourbon that won't kill you.

In that case, I'll throw Old Granddad and Old Crow into the mix.

Also, you should just read through this blog.

Serious Eats: Drinks - Drinking the Bottom Shelf

Or, maybe you should just make your own.

Spilly's homemade bourbon recipe, as Kentucky as can be - SBNation.com

 

I feel you, Joe. Look no further than...



My roommate once gave me some on the rocks and I actually said, "That's not bad". I was drinking some Woodford Reserve at the time. He showed me what it was. Mind = Blown. A handle in VA is $17.40.

 

Sailor Jerry ain't whiskey and Maker's Mark ain't Merican.

Kentucky Gentleman is $12.99 for a 1.75 in Tampa at Total Wine. It is the cheapest I saw online.

Ten High is second cheapest at $13.49, but I haven't had it either.

 

July 10th is National Piņa Colada Day!



If you want to make yours a bit more potent, I recommend using Parrot Bay 90 proof coconut rum.

In what way is Maker's Mark not American?

 

The good people of Loretto, Kentucky might take umbrage at being called un-American, 'specially by a yankee.



Hmm.

Part of my problem here seems to be availability. Apparently a lot of these cheap whiskeys are an east-coast thing, as I'm not finding them in BevMo's extremely comprehensive catalog.