Favorite Bourbons?

Updated...

What I'd buy again....  Eagle Rare.  Blantons.  Old Forrester Prohibition Style.  Very Old Barton 86 proof.  Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.  Elijah Craig Toasted.  Knob Creek Single Barrel.  Knob Creek 12 Year.  Knob Creek Single Barrel Peanut Brittle.  Col EH Taylor Small batch and especially Single Barrel.  McKenna 10 Year.  Michters 10 Year.  Woodford Reserve Oaked.  Weller Antique.  Clover 10 Year.  Pappy Van Winkle.  12 Point Drop Tine.  Calumet Farms 12 Year Black.

Sit the fence on....  New Riff Single Barrel.  Michters.  Jefferson's Ocean (depends on Voyage).  Angel's Envy.  Willet Pot Still Reserve.  Knob Creek.  Noah's Mill.  Stagg Jr (price).  Garrison Brothers Barrel Proof.  Remus Reserve.

Would not buy again....  Buffalo Trace.  Elijah Craig.  Driftless Glen.  Parker Hayes.  Old Granddad 114.  Weller Special Reserve (cost).  Burning Chair.  Garrison Brothers Balmorhea (cost).  Makers Mark.  Makers Mark Cask Strength.  Calumet Farms that is not 12 Year Black.

What I need to try....  Old Forrester (everything but Prohibition).   Non-Oaked Woodford Reserve.  Dickel.  4 Roses (all of them).

Easy to find, easy on the wallet.  Knob Creek Single Barrel.  Very Old Barton 86 proof.  Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.  12 Point Droptine.

While I was on vacation, my wife and I went to the local grocery store.  We were in the liquor department looking for Carbliss Blood Orange in a 4 pack.  My wife asks a worker where it was, he points it out to her.  I ask him if he's going to put out any "good" bourbon for me to buy.  He smiles and asks if I want a good allocated bottle.  Always, I say.  He says give me a minute.  He goes to the back and comes back to me with a Bottle of EH Taylor Single Barrel.  $95.  Told him I couldn't be happier, it is one of my favorite bottles.  Score!!!!  Worked out nicely because I had just taken a bottle of that to the cottage and opened it up on opening day.  So I have my replacement!!

Meant to post this one last week. 

Walked into my local grocery store. Lo and behold I see 10 tubes of EH Taylor small batch sitting on the shelf at $49.99 each!  This is in metro Chicago where bottles fetch four times that price if you can even find it. I already have three unopened bottles and two that are about half full at home and at the lake.  Took some major willpower to leave them on the shelf but I figured it would be nice for someone else to be able to pick some up. 

Still searching for a bottle of the EHT barrel proof.  That’s the unicorn. 

Spot on Deertroller, if you like Old Forrester Prohibition (and I do), you will like Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve.  They both taste similar to me to some of the good Elijah Craig Barrel Proof bottles, too.  And they are much better over a brick of ice.

I do like my JD Heritage cold, so I use a frozen granite block in the glass, as well as a small ice cube, not a brick.
Funny thing about doing it that way, it's so good that the little ice cube lasts two drinks!

I was getting low on the JD Heritage, so I stopped at Total Wine for a replacement.  While there I recalled Vegas recommending the Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve, so I got one of those as well.  I cracked that one last night for a taste and was pleasantly surprised.  Sweet, cinnamon and fruit, long finish.  I tend to like my bourbon straight up, but this one is high proof, so I am thinking a big cube may do it justice.  Its been a number several years, but in my memory I am putting it next to Old Forrester Prohibition, may need to get another of those to compare.  Very different from the JD Heritage, but both very enjoyable to me.

Stopped at 2 shops looking for some good stuff.  Was not disappointed.  Well, kind of was.
Saw something I've never seen before.  A Blantons Straight From the Barrel bottle.  Grabbed it right away.  Then I saw the price tag, $500.  Put that one back, fast.  I even talked to the store owner, showed him an email I received that advertised that bottle at $190.  He wouldn't budge on the price.

Went a few miles down the road, walked into a grocery store and found an Eagle Rare and a Blantons on the shelf.  Bought the pair for $140.  Went home a very happy man.

So, for my spring hunting, I've purchased 2 Weller Antiques, 2 Blantons, 1 Eagle Rare, 1 Knob 12 and an EH Taylor Single Barrel.  Solid hunting.

Cracked the seal on a Driftless Glen 5yr and a J. Henry 5yr barrel proof tonight. Both were great. The Driftless is smooth and a nice mellow sipper. The J. Henry was HOT. It’s almost 121 proof. But it was complex and very good neat with a side of ice water. 

Good to enjoy great bourbon from local Wisconsin distilleries 

Decided to get a HD Heritage after many good reviews. I like 100 proof. The After bite stops after about 6 to 8 small sips. Listening to what people have said, and giving it a chance, I would have to say Light Sweet, and real good after taste. JMO Kinda got sick of regular JD growing up. This pour will not remind you of Regular JD. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. (Compared to my Normal 1792). Tastes are different and I respect that. 
I will say the JD Heritage could become addictive, but price always rules.
Funny Note: The wife always like to take a small sip out of different Bourbons I get in case of a new one. Tonight when she sipped JD Heritage, she went to her seat saying now she has to wash her mouth out with soap! Lol Swear to god! I was laughing! I understand now that it has back kick until ur ready for it. Which is not a show stopper for me. It’s pretty good after (After Shock). lol

I've been traveling around the state the past few days.  Saw a liquor store in the middle of pretty much nowhere.  Had time to kill so I went in.  Didn't see much in the way of good bottles, but they did have a Knob 12 at the register.  Happily paid for it and left.  Always nice to find a good bottle like that in the wild.

That JD Heritage is for sure going to be on my shelf.  Smooth, sweet (but not overly), subtle and balanced.  Flavor for me is hard to define.  Makes me think of a bird camp bonfire after a long day afield.  Just really enjoyable, with a warm hug at the end.

Had a pour of Bowman Brother's small batch this weekend. Good flavor, but too sweet for me for sipping. I'd bet it would make a great old fashioned similar to buffalo trace.

Blantons.  Good Blantons.  That's the profile.  Lower in proof, smooth and sweet.  Just a hint of "toasted" in it.  Not smoke or fire for toast, but more of a burned cherry spice or cinnamon spice.  It is subtle.

It should be a "shelfer" meant to be everywhere.  Stock juice, no real batches to chase.  I've downed about 6 bottles and they've all been the same.

Please tell me about the flavor profile of the J.D. Heritage. 
 Are there different labels/types?
Thank you, 
Big Mac 

I was able to get an EH Taylor Single Barrel bottle today.  Little overpriced at $135, but not too bad.  Pretty happy to get another one of these.
Now I need to go through my bourbon bunker and re-organize everything.

I was thinking of running a little fundraiser for a non-profit.  Bourbon "blind" tasting.  Blantons (regular) and other Blanton's like bottles.  I thought of doing JD Heritage (blue label), Knob 12....and then I hit a wall.  Maybe a Bondstone Toasted (after it has been opened for a few weeks).  
What other "more common" bottles are out there that you feel are similar to Blantons?

Looking for lower proof, sweeter and smooth.  Might be a fun tasting to do.

I picked up two of the JD Heritage bottles today for $54.99 at the local Costco. Cracked one tonight and I'm not disappointed!

An opened bottle of JD Heritage doesn't stay full for long.  That's for sure.
Ottos in Brookfield had that old Forrester Store pick stuff if anyone else is looking.

I was lucky last week and worked a trade to get another Blanton's and Weller Antique. 

I really need to re-organize my bourbon bunker soon.