Friday, October 17, 2008

Whiskey on the WWW

As mentioned in my last post, there is a wealth of information on the Web for anyone wanting to learn more about whiskey. Below are some that I have found helpful:

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/ - This is a good site for bourbon reviews by members of the site's message board.

http://www.maltadvocate.com/ - This is the website for the magazine of the same name. It
covers all whiskeys.
http://www.whiskymag.com/ - Web site for Whisky magazine, published in the U.K. Scotch heavy coverage, but occasional American Whiskey news.

http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/ - This is the blog for a Chicago based writer who specializes in 'American Whiskey'.

Of course, there are many other resources on the web, and I will feature them periodically on this blog. But there is one site that is my favorite. It's bourbon oriented, and since I am so far partial to bourbon, I am also an active poster on their message board under the name 'Blitz'.

http://www.straightbourbon.com/

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Time for learnin'

Not only had I developed at thirst for whiskey, I have developed a thirst for whiskey knowledge. It's funny, once you start talking to people about something you are passionate about, things that support your passion come your way. A while back my friend Steve called me because he came across a program on the History Channel's show 'Modern Marvels' entitled 'Whiskey'. It's a very good primer on the subject and I recommend that you search for this show.

A while later at work two co-workers brought me an article from the local paper about the sale of a distillery in Kentucky, and another friend brought in to work an old bottle he found at home. It was a Bicentennial edition of Jim Beam, in a commemorative bottle from 1976. Of course, he wanted to know if it was worth anything. So here's some interesting information:

Whiskey stops aging once it leaves the barrel. So a whiskey aged 9 years and bottled in 1976 will taste the same as a whiskey aged 9 years and bottled yesterday. Therefore, there is not much value in old Whiskey. There are some old bottles that will have a value as a collectible because of rarity, but it's a small market. So I told my freind "just drink it".

In further quest for knowledge, I also 'youtubed' the words 'whiskey' and 'bourbon'. I found some good educational videos there. Try it.

The best source for information that I have found so far, to nobody's surprise, is on the internet. I will highlight these findings in my next post.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The Journey Begins

I came back from Kentucky with just a half bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon. But having been exposed to the concept of 'Fine' Bourbon, I had a strong desire to try as many Bourbons as possible. Like most people, my time and funds are limited, so this journey will be marathon rather than a sprint. My first purchase of good Bourbon was a bottle of Knob Creek, which is the best selling premium Bourbon from Jim Beam. Having been a long time Jim Beam 'White' drinker, I just have an affinity for the Jim Beam product. Shortly thereafter, I acquired a bottle of Woodford Reserve, Evan Williams Single Barrel 1998, and Jameson Irish Whisky. Thus, the beginning of my humble whiskey collection:

At this point, the reader might be expecting a review of the Bourbons I have tried thus far. Frankly, my tasting skills and experience limit me to only telling you what I like and what I don't, but not exactly why. I am sure that later I will be providing detailed tasting notes as I try new whiskeys. However, one tasting skill that came quickly to me is the difference between aged, premium Bourbon and younger, inexpensive Bourbon. One of my first side-by-side taste tests was my old standard Jim Beam White and Buffalo Trace. The difference is significant, even to an inexperience taster. I don't think I will ever drink the White Label again, except for maybe as a mixer. However, when I have tasted Woodford Reserve and Knob Creek together, the difference is difficult for me to discern. They are both about the same age and have a similar taste, at least to me. More practice is required!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Blitz's final thoughts on visiting the Bourbon Belt

When I told people I was going on a trip to visit the Bourbon distilleries, the typical reaction was something like, "that sounds like an awesome party." I was thinking the same thing. In reality, It wasn't much of a drinking trip at all. At the distilleries, the most we were able to drink was three half-shots of Bourbon at Jim Beam. At two distilleries a day, that's not a lot, and that's O.K. We bought a bottle of Buffalo Trace and drank it at my uncles, but the trip was really more educational than anything. We came away with a tremendous appreciation for the history of Bourbon and for the art and craft of making Bourbon. Also, we realized how few of the Bourbons that we had experienced, and how many different Bourbons we will want to try as we develop our Bourbon palette.

What will I do different next time? Well, first of all, we found out that the Kentucky Bourbon Festival was taking place a few weeks after we were there. If you are going to go the the Bourbon Belt, it would just make sense to go there during the festival, although that might have been a little overwhelming on the first visit. Secondly, I would visit some of the well known 'Bourbon Bars' in the area. Some of them carry up to 120 different Bourbons to sample. It would be a real opportunity to try Bourbons that are not available in my area. Thirdly, I would make the visit a 'buying trip' by patronizing some of the local liquor stores. Again, like the bars, the selection and probably the pricing for Bourbon in the Louisville area must be better than other areas.

All in all it was a lot of fun, the southern hospitality was wonderful, the company was great, and the trip really wet my appetite for all things Bourbon.