Help me choose a bourbon

Never tried it but you could probably just use smoked malt for that.

 

I think eagle rare is a great "bang for your buck bourbon", It gets my vote.

 

That would be really interesting. I just brewed a Scotch ale, maybe a part the batch will get some Laphroaig.

 

Brew Dog Paradox Isle of Arran is aged in Islay Whiskey casks... its my own personal opinion, but it tastes like peaty-ass (Disclaimer: I don't like peaty Whiskey).

 

I recently started out on Bourbon and I am really enjoying the differences in taste between the distiller's juice (house character) and the nuances in the blends they make. I think Maker's is a good call because it's pretty cheap, and especially since you drink it regularly. If you like Maker's there are a lot of other similar priced wheaters that you should be able to find and would probably like.

• W. L. Weller - Old Weller Antique and Special Reserve - both can be had for $20 or less and have a lot of caramel sweetness. Older bottlings have a 7 year age statement. 12 Year expression is also available, around $30.
• Old Rip Van Winkle 10year - there are 90 and 107 proof versions, they range from about $40-60 depending on retailer. This is from the same blender that makes PVW, but these are younger bourbons made from juice distilled at Buffalo Trace
• Bernheim - Not technically a bourbon because bourbons are 51% corn in the grain bill. The major grain in this is wheat making for a softer rounder whiskey. Around $30
• Old Fitzgerald, especially Bottled in Bond version, are another nice value wheater.
• Rebel Yell was a brand that used to distilled by Weller but I'm not sure who owns it anymore and whether or not it's even a wheater

 

Forty Creek

 

OWA is definitely a favorite of mine. It's not super complex, but it's caramely sweet, really easy to drink, and often less than $20. It's a regular pour for me.

 

Yep, Yell is a wheaten whiskey. Used to be the house bourbon for quite a while until I switched over to Evan (I've come to like the bit of spice from rye being the small grain).

 

If you're going to buy a 750 ml, so you can use some and have plenty left over to enjoy I say go with Elijah Craig 18 year. It'll cost you more than $40 up my way, but it sounds like others on here have seen it for less than that, which is awesome. It's an awesome bourbon and it'll be a great addition to what sounds like a solid beer.

If you're just going to buy a pint and use most of it in the beer and maybe have a few on the rocks later buy Maker's Mark.

If you're going to buy a half pint and use all of it then buy Wild Turkey (still a go to bourbon for me in many situations).

Good luck with your beer, it sounds awesome!

 

Send me a Rare and a 2008 BCS and I'll prove you wrong.
My wife will pour!

 

Resurrecting an old thread, as I'm about to embark on a bourbon/oak/vanilla bean RIS.

Are the bourbon recommendations here still worth considering, or have them been any suitable newcomers in the past three years since this thread?

 

Depends on how much money you're looking to spend.
I use Evan Williams black for any beer related thing.

 

Bulleit Bourbon is the only one I didn't see already mentioned that I like blending with beers, especially big imperial stouts. The higher rye content holds up pretty well. I'll add another vote in for Buffalo Trace for more subtle styles like brown ales or standard porters/stouts.

 

Throw my hat into the Buffalo Trace pile as well.

 

Jim beam or knob creek. Not fancy but good to my taste

 

I used Makers Mark to brew a Bourbon Barrel Porter and I was very pleased with that decision.

Cheers!

 

I've not done this, but I'll repeat what sounds like a solid recommendation, procedure-wise. If you are using new oak chips/spirals, etc. soak them in inexpensive bourbon to get rid of some of the harsh oak flavor, then discard it and replace it with something of a better quality that will provide for a more mellow oak/bourbon flavor.

Having said that, I'll add that when I've oaked a beer, I soaked my chips in Jim Beam or Jack Daniels too long (3-4 weeks) so that I got more oak flavor for what I was after. (My procedure is to add the liquid to the beer.) So I think the length of the time is probably just as important as the quality of the bourbon. So, the next time I do this, I'm discarding the cheap bourbon and replacing it with better stuff for a shorter time period (1-2 weeks) to see how that comes out.

 

This is my first time using spirals, so I'm up for tweaks/tips. And that one sounds interesting. Thanks.

 

When I brewed my Bourbon Barrel Porter I did a similar procedure. I soaked the oak cubes in Jim Beam for a few days and discarded the liquid. I then soaked in Makers Mark for a couple of weeks and added both the cubes and Makers Mark to the secondary. I was very happy with the results.

Cheers!