As I get older, the ability to continue past hobbies has either gotten to a point where I can't physically do those things anymore, or I have become a bit bored or disinterested. I've always been fairly athletic and enjoyed baseball, softball, and basketball (sometimes golf) over the years, but as aforementioned, my "physicality" at age 50 just isn't going to allow for those things any longer. I've collected baseball cards and as I've gravitated away from MLB, it just doesn't interest me like it used to. Vinyl albums are a hobby also, but other than a few discs that I'm on the lookout for, I have just about everything I care about musically. By the way, I'm looking for "Seed of Memory" by Terry Reid....so if you see it when perusing a flea market, grab it for me! :) My growing older and waning interest in past endeavors has led me to start becoming a bourbon/whiskey enthusiast.
I've been a fan of the stuff since my mid 20's, as I'm not much on beer and while I do enjoy rum on occasion, it's whiskey that has more or less interested me as both an intoxicant and as an interest. I decided some months back to engage bourbon/whiskey as more of a hobby. I started learning about it; how it was first invented, how it's distilled, bottled, the terminology, and of course the different varieties one can find.
YouTube and a few "review" sites on the 'net have had a large hand in my education. Nothing can beat actually tasting though as an education into the hobby. That has led me to a nearly full blown obsession with finding recommended bottles and giving them a try. I have a decent beginner collection (for want of a better term), but I'm not really a collector. If I buy it, I intend on drinking it eventually. I don't care about "investing" in it or just having full bottles sitting around, although they do make nice conversation and decorative pieces in a lot of cases.
Here is a shot of my "better" bourbons (along with a bottle of Monkey Shoulder scotch, which I really like) and the highest cost of any bottle there is $80. Most of what I have shown here can be had for under $50 or more in the $40 range.
I have become a fan of the McKenna 10 year old bottled in bond from Heaven Hill in the past year and it has won a couple of awards in 2018 and 2019 which has made it a little more scarce than I'd like. I used to be able to pick up a bottle at $30 any time I wanted and these days it takes a little more hunting and can run up to $50. I'm not inclined to pay more than $35 for it, so it may be a brand that I eventually have to let go of. The "run" has inflated the prices and while I do enjoy it and will always try to have a bottle around, I can find some good value under $30 that I know I'll be able to get almost any time I want. So, there is an element of supply and demand when it comes to bourbon and it can be a little frustrating to know that there are "hoarders" that buy up stuff with the intention of reselling at a higher rate.
I have found some of my favorites to come from the bottom shelf, which in whiskey terms is basically "the cheap stuff". Cheap doesn't always equate with bad though. Bonded in Bond bourbons (click the link to learn more) are generally cheap in price, but can pack a good punch and my entry into learning about bourbon started in that area. BiB is always going to be 100 proof, so the strength is there and while they are usually a little bit younger (they have to be aged 4 years at least) there is a decent enough flavor profile. I enjoy Fast Eddie's favorite, JTS Brown quite a bit, and in addition to the aforementioned McKenna, Evan Williams BiB is also pretty damned good for under $20. My cheap go to though is the Heaven Hill green label. Aged 6 years and I believe only sold in Kentucky, it's a great starting point for anyone wanting to put on the training wheels and get into the hobby.
These are my favorite cheaper brands that I sip on....
I have found a couple of great resources for learning about bourbon on YouTube, my favorite being "The Bourbon Guild". A group of four bourbon enthusiast friends do reviews and blind tastings of different brands and it's fun and interesting to watch them discuss and argue about flavor and aroma profiles as well as value. They may be my favorite YouTube program. Always entertaining and informative, I have learned the tendencies and preferences of each of them and that helps me decide what I may want to try and what I may want to avoid. Hats off to Dutch, Dillon, Jules, and Ben Richards the butcher of Bakersfield for putting together such a fun show to watch.
Another good program is "The Whiskey Vault". The "Somm" and the "Mooch" are also very entertaining and while they may not do the straight up review that other programs work from, they are very informative and dive into different areas that help one to expand their knowledge and understanding. They also get into a lot of different shenanigans....some miss, but most hit and they are an interesting pair to listen to. Their motto is basically like this; "the best whiskey to drink is what you like and the best way to drink it is the way you enjoy it"...I am paraphrasing, but that's the gist of it and how I try to approach my sipping! I would recommend either of these programs for people that want to learn more about the hobby or try to find out about some brands they may want to try. Most of the programs on YouTube that review bourbon are OK and can be fun to watch, but there are a few that just give arbitrary number scores to what they are sampling and without a discussion, I can't trust that what they like, I will like.
Well, that's what I have been up to in recent months. I like to sip a few days a week while listening to music or whatever and I'm finally learning to pick up on flavor and aroma profiles. That has been a little difficult for me, but I feel like I would get disinterested in expanding my horizons if there wasn't a "game" to bourbon sipping. The nuance and discovering what I like and don't like in the profiles keep me coming back!
Take care.....and I'll leave you with a couple of videos....
From The Bourbon Guild, hilarious and informative, they have me sold on wanting this. It's out of my price range, but maybe Christmas? I swear, Ben Richards may be a long lost relative!
The Whiskey Vault takes on Heaven Hill white label.....
