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McLovin32

McLovin32

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Feb 1, 2008
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On the old board we had a couple bourbon threads that folks would occasionally bump for a discussion every now and then. I remember talking to a poster about how much I love the Cedar Ridge Quintessential single malt selections. Someone mentioned another distillery that made great single malts, Virginia Distilling. I was in Fareway the other day and stumbled onto this one for sale for $38.99. I scooped it up. It's phenomenal. For the life of me I can't remember who it was that mentioned it though. Anyways, thank you!



And now we have a bourbon thread here.
 
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McLovin32

McLovin32

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Feb 1, 2008
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BrianNole777 said:
How would you rate Jim Beam on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the best?

I used to go fishing with a guy that drank it like water.
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It works for mixed drinks, but I don't enjoy sipping it straight. A lot of that has to do with how much I drank of it in college though. Not sure where I'd rank it, on the lower half.

I drink Jim once a year, and it's just a shot on the anniversary of a good friend's death. He drank it like water in college.
 
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Torbee

Torbee

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Sep 13, 2002
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BrianNole777 said:
How would you rate Jim Beam on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the best?

I used to go fishing with a guy that drank it like water.
Click to expand...
I think for the big batch, pretty cheap bourbons, it's the best. I don't mind it on the rocks, but it is better as a mixer. You can often find the Jim Beam black that is aged 6 years for around $30 and that's a nice price point for a fairly decent sipping whiskey.

My other favorites for not-super expensive drinking are Bulleit and Old Forester - I really like the Old Forester Prohibition style but I feel like they've jacked the price up on it a bit too high.
 
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McLovin32

McLovin32

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Feb 1, 2008
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Torbee said:
I think for the big batch, pretty cheap bourbons, it's the best. I don't mind it on the rocks, but it is better as a mixer. You can often find the Jim Beam black that is aged 6 years for around $30 and that's a nice price point for a fairly decent sipping whiskey.

My other favorites for not-super expensive drinking are Bulleit and Old Forester - I really like the Old Forester Prohibition style but I feel like they've jacked the price up on it a bit too high.
Click to expand...
Damn near everything I've had from Old Forester has been great. The Crossroads Hy Vee over in Waterloo had an Old Forester single barrel store pick, and it was absolutely delicious. A bit pricey, but worth it.
 
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Ferentzin04

Ferentzin04

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Jun 9, 2025
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McLovin32 said:
On the old board we had a couple bourbon threads that folks would occasionally bump for a discussion every now and then. I remember talking to a poster about how much I love the Cedar Ridge Quintessential single malt selections. Someone mentioned another distillery that made great single malts, Virginia Distilling. I was in Fareway the other day and stumbled onto this one for sale for $38.99. I scooped it up. It's phenomenal. For the life of me I can't remember who it was that mentioned it though. Anyways, thank you!



And now we have a bourbon thread here.
Click to expand...

Which Fareway are we talking about? I might have to swing by and pick up a bottle if there’s any left.
 
B

BrainVision

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Jun 6, 2020
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Torbee said:
I think for the big batch, pretty cheap bourbons, it's the best. I don't mind it on the rocks, but it is better as a mixer. You can often find the Jim Beam black that is aged 6 years for around $30 and that's a nice price point for a fairly decent sipping whiskey.

My other favorites for not-super expensive drinking are Bulleit and Old Forester - I really like the Old Forester Prohibition style but I feel like they've jacked the price up on it a bit too high.
Click to expand...
Buffalo Trace is my choice for an entry level sipping bourbon. Jim Beam tastes pretty awful to me at this point.
 
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Aardvark86

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Oct 12, 2021
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McLovin32 said:
On the old board we had a couple bourbon threads that folks would occasionally bump for a discussion every now and then. I remember talking to a poster about how much I love the Cedar Ridge Quintessential single malt selections. Someone mentioned another distillery that made great single malts, Virginia Distilling. I was in Fareway the other day and stumbled onto this one for sale for $38.99. I scooped it up. It's phenomenal. For the life of me I can't remember who it was that mentioned it though. Anyways, thank you!



And now we have a bourbon thread here.
Click to expand...
That was me, my friend, and you didn't even get their good stuff. That one is an excellent value though.

My 'median' favorite, which I always keep in the house for nights that I come home from travel, is their "Courage and Conviction" standard cask with the blue label. About $65.

My special occasion/holiday bottle is their Courage and Conviction double cask reserve, which is extraordinary for around $80. (They have a lot of crazy single cask finish variations north of that that I've never tried).

This place is under an hour from my house, and yet, I've still not managed to take the "long way home" on my weekly trips from DC to visit it. If I don't do it this summer, I think I have to make a point of going there when I go into the mountains to get my christmas tree this winter.

Also, to true up the thread for those interested, my bro-out-law's documentary:

 
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cpahawk

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Jan 2, 2023
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McLovin32 said:
Damn near everything I've had from Old Forester has been great. The Crossroads Hy Vee over in Waterloo had an Old Forester single barrel store pick, and it was absolutely delicious. A bit pricey, but worth it.
Click to expand...
Old Forester barrel picks are freaking great!!! So much flavor!! Unfortunately, my palate has changed over the years and I don't enjoy the really high proof bourbons nearly as much anymore.
 
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McLovin32

McLovin32

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Feb 1, 2008
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Aardvark86 said:
That was me, my friend, and you didn't even get their good stuff. That one is an excellent value though.

My 'median' favorite, which I always keep in the house for nights that I come home from travel, is their "Courage and Conviction" standard cask with the blue label. About $65.

My special occasion/holiday bottle is their Courage and Conviction double cask reserve, which is extraordinary for around $80. (They have a lot of crazy single cask finish variations north of that that I've never tried).

This place is under an hour from my house, and yet, I've still not managed to take the "long way home" on my weekly trips from DC to visit it. If I don't do it this summer, I think I have to make a point of going there when I go into the mountains to get my christmas tree this winter.

Also, to true up the thread for those interested, my bro-out-law's documentary:

Click to expand...

Hellllll yes! I've never seen it on the shelf here in Iowa until the other day but as soon as I saw the bottle, I remembered being told about it. Hopefully this is the start of some regular distribution out this way.
 
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McLovin32

McLovin32

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Torbee said:
Buffalo Trace is another real good one.

Found a bottle of this for $21.99 at Fareway and was pretty impressed:

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I've got about half a bottle left of this upstairs. It's great for the price. And damn near always available. I dig it.
 
A

Aardvark86

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So while we're on the topic, last week I had my buddy over to our club to catch up over drinks when I was in DC last week, as I'd not seen him for several months as he's been doing his teaching gig. He ordered a double Jameson's. This is what came out:

 
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Torbee

Torbee

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Sep 13, 2002
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Aardvark86 said:
So while we're on the topic, last week I had my buddy over to our club to catch up over drinks when I was in DC last week, as I'd not seen him for several months as he's been doing his teaching gig. He ordered a double Jameson's. This is what came out:

Click to expand...

Manly hands.

If ghey, wood hit.

Am not, so wood knot.
 
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Aardvark86

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And since we're on a Clemson board, my South Carolina bourbon story:

When I was a young associate and didn't drink much liquor, I decided I should probably stock a small liquor cabinet. So I asked a senior telecom lawyer here from South Carolina for some advice on the whiskey front, which he gave ("stay away from Tennessee...ain't nuthin' good come outta Tennessee"). In the course of talking with him, he told me about how his first career had been in local TV, where he produced a morning talk show at a small station in the bible belt. One morning, there was apparently some terrible weather, and the guy who was scheduled to do a cooking segment couldn't make it in to the station. So the director was frantically asking everyone whether they could cook anything for the segment. My colleague replied, "I could make my two-bourbon baked beans..." and the director immediately said "you're on!" So he goes on live TV, and says, "to make today's recipe, you take two pounds of beans and put them in a covered pot with some water, bacon, and a jar of molasses, and cook over low heat. Then, you pour yourself two bourbons. When you finish the bourbons, the beans will be ready." The phones were lighting up that morning.
 
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SeaPA

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Dec 17, 2002
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I did a tour of Old Forester when I was in Louisville a few years ago, it was pretty cool. I'm more into tequila than bourbon but do enjoy a nice glass of good bourbon every now & then, and one of my favorite mixed drinks is a Brown Derby (shot of bourbon, two shots of grapefruit juice, half-shot of honey syrup, shaken & served on the rocks).
 
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Outbackbowl2017

Outbackbowl2017

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Dec 4, 2016
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Lots of good drinking bourbons out there depending on your palet and how much heat you want to consume as a mixer or sipper. I like BT products which you can’t find in Iowa but are readily available in Central Illinois….EH Taylor, Eagle Rare, Weller (green label), and Blanton’s. My favorite Jefferson is the rum cask flavor. It’s a dang good sipper.
 
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Torbee

Torbee

Heisman
Sep 13, 2002
12,470
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113
Thebears-165 said:
Makers used to be my go to for taste and price, but started buying woodford reserve more often than not after having a half dozen on a delta flight a few years ago. Very solid bourbon for the price
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I'll often pick up the super big bottle of Woodford at Costco. Price is right and it impresses guests :p
 
Palmerhawk

Palmerhawk

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Jul 3, 2025
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A friend came up from Georgia last week with a bottle of premium bourbon ...name escapes me. It was aged at sea for a number of years. Very tasty.
 
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