Doc Swinson’s definitely belongs on this list. Such a fantastic blend of two different high rye MGP mash bills. The Blender’s Cut is basically a cigar blend style.
Amazing how many good products are produced from MGPI barrels, and you only highlighted ten. Look forward to trying some of those bottles I have not yet encountered. Can't beat a store pick Old Elk or the no longer available (I believe) Belle Meade Cask Strength. Another interesting episode!
Seen a few of these but haven't picked them up yet. Thanks for the info! I've tried multiple Nulu offerings and liked them. Came close to picking up an Old Elk store pick from my local goto store but didn't know much about it. Guess it's time to grab a bottle!
Awesome job as always. Love the back story info to go with the bottles. Some of these I knew and a few I did not. Fairly new to the whiskey hobby so it is always informative. Keep up the great work!
I was a little surprised to see Smooth Ambler Old Scout missing from this list. I know they got a lot of hate when they tried to switch over to Dickel distillate but they are now back to releasing 5 and 6 year old cask strength MGP single barrel bourbons. I've recently had a 5 yr store pick that was quite good and under $50.
Hey Fred, SAOS was not missing. Their roll in the development of MGP's popularity was discussed in the history section, so I didn't see a need to put them in the list. Cheers!
Man guys are dope and I really like ur videos and ur ends always get me choked up. Ur right we have to way to much hate in this cold world. We love u guys to…. 🤝🏽🤝🏽🤝🏽🤝🏽 god is good
Just found your channel. Very good content and interesting topics. MGP fan I haven’t tried Penelope yet sounds delicious. It’s weird I live in Indiana, but can’t get all their Juice.
MGP doesn't own the brands. Most NDPs start with distribution in their home state, so it isn't odd that there are a lot that are not distributed in Indiana. Cheers!
Great info and great presentation. I 2as just telling a couple bourbon friends how i would like to learn more about MGP products! Thx for the great backstories
Glad it was helpful! You seem like you would fit into our free member community. I would like to personally invite you. facebook.com/groups/bourbonrealtalkcommunity/
It was a crowdsourced list. Tin Cup and Boone County were conspicuously missing. I am guessing that there are people who were surveyed that live in areas that those products are not distributed in.
Hi Randy. What about Barrel Crafts Spirits. I presume since they mix KY, TN and MGP they aren't on list. In my eyes they rule the blending whiskey world in NA hands down. Love ur content!
You are correct. I eliminated any crowd sourced recommendations that didn't have a consistent pure MGP product. That would include BCS, but in fairness I do not think they were in the results from the crowd sourced list.
That is a brand I started with some of the other people who admin the facebook club Someone Say Whiskey called Unallocated. We have a drop coming soon. 15 year light whiskey and then another MGP bourbon shortly thereafter.
Remus over all of these for the price. Smoke is not worth the aggravation of trying to track now that's it's much younger. Paying for a pretty bottle in 2022 not the whiskey which once was longer aged.
You would get wasted 😂. What is funny is the whiskey nerd community has taken issue with the use of the term, and it is used universally in the industry. So nerds are calling it an improper term and have no idea that all the brands they geek out over use the term freely.
@@BourbonRealTalk I know what you are saying is totally correct, but for some reason the word still rubs me the wrong way. With that said, there are greater problems in the world. Thanks for a great episode!
Thank you for this excellent summary! However, most have limited availability and are quite pricey! I am inclined to think there are better value choices for folks w/ limited funds. I haven't tried any of these other than Belle Meade (VERY VERY GOOD!) but MUST default to WT101 and Old Forester 100 for great flavor, VALUE and availability until I score a lottery winning ticket :) .
I thought I was the only one that thought that. I went to the distillery a few years ago when I was in Memphis. I picked up their honeyone I took 4 bottles. Great stuff. But it's staff they acted like a bunch of dicks.
The owner called me after I posted my video about it. I turned out there was a staff rebellion at the time, as they were trying to unionize. He was very serious about getting the issues fixed, and asked my permission to play my video in a staff training session. I would go back.
Great video! Love your show and watch it all the time. I’m a fan of MGP products. They’re hard to find here in NC for me, but when I come across brands that use them, I’m usually not disappointed. It was probably because of the great blends out there which started me on my love of infinity bottles. I currently have 3 of my own infinity bottles because, I figured, if other companies are able to blend whiskey well, I probably could do something similar with my own bourbons and whiskeys at home. Sorry if this is repeat info… with 100+ comments and me on my phone (ie, not an easy way to search comments), I haven’t read many to see what others are saying. But for me, I’m under the impression that the “I” in MGPI stands for Ingredients. I say this because I’ve got stock in MGP, and the name of the stock is “MGP Ingredients.”
I snagged an Old Soul cask strength store pick today. The guy at the shop gave me a sample before I bought it. WOW is all I can say. Vanilla, Caramel, Oak, and brown sugar, with an incredible viscosity and finish. All flavor with just the right amount of Kentucky Hug (or Mississippi Hug in this case). It's unbelievable that something can drink like that at nearly 120 proof. So happy I stumbled upon this gem 🥃
That sounds like an amazing find! Old Soul cask strength store picks are hard to come by and it's great that you were able to get your hands on one. The combination of flavors you described sounds fantastic, especially with that viscosity and finish. Do you have any other MGP bourbons that you'd recommend trying?
Charles beam created the recipe for Seagram's eagle rare at the four roses distillery..it was created because the dude wanted to put out a ten year with a bird name to stick it to wild Turkey..pretty funny
Very enlightening show ... and no, I'm not a Buddhist. Was unaware, other than the bottle of Belle Meade I have and really like, that the parade of bottles you critiqued were M.G.P. sourced. I had seen some of them around in my travels, but hadn't tasted any and was reluctant to purchase not knowing much about them. Thanks to you, now I know. Very informative show, history and all. Appreciate your strong effort to school the bourbon community.
So glad you enjoyed it. We have recorded 10 episodes before this aired and I forgot I talked about Nancy, took me a second to catch the joke. You seem like you would fit right in on a free member forum. If you are on facebook I would like to personally invite you to join. facebook.com/groups/bourbonrealtalkcommunity/
2 things. 1. I only got to add the whiskeys that were recommended when I crowdsourced the results. 2. Remus could not be in the list because MGP owns the brand. To make the list you needed to be a non-distiller producer who buys your whiskey from MGP. I did say in the history section that Remus was acquired by MGP to release its own whiskey, so in a way I mentioned Remus...just not the specific release you like. Hope that helps explain.
@Bourbon Real Talk hi Randy, is that why you also left off other labels such as High West and Bulleit (Rye)? Because they also produce their own juice too? I noticed Clyde May's didn't make the list. Neither did SAOS.
@@trackvol High west was mentioned, but they are mostly MGP rye. Bulleit was mentioned, but they have KY bourbon and MGP rye. This was bourbon only list. SAOS was mentioned in the history section that you may not have watched. Clyde May's sells their on juice for the most part. Someone looking for CM off my recommendation likely would find something other than MGP.
@Bourbon Real Talk thanks for replying Randy. Most of those make sense. Except CM. They only just broke ground on their facility within the past few weeks. So far, every bottle they've ever released has been sourced. Maybe it's not always MGP, but they've yet to distill a single drop of their own juice yet.
@@trackvol That is news to me. I knew they were adding apple flavoring to the whiskey, which would have made me eliminate it from the list, but they were also not suggested by anyone when I crowdsourced the names.
It's Pernod Ricard, not Pernard Ricod. And the first successful acquittal resulting from a temporary insanity defense was won for Daniel Sickles, not George Remus.
@@danielmcnamara4708 Sorry about that. I always mis-pronounce that name. I got the misinformation about his temporary insanity defense from his biography, but maybe there was a qualifier like the first defending themselves? Anyway, sorry about the mistakes.
@@BourbonRealTalk All good, I just happened to know both those things because one of my good friends is a regional sales manager for PR and I took a college course with a professor who is the great-grandson of Daniel Sickles. Really something you want to be known for... LOL.
Couldn’t agree more with the Penelope, old elk and smoke wagon picks, havnt had the others, YET. Also, love the show mission and purpose. Keep up the great work!
Glad you enjoyed! You seem like you would fit into our free member community. I would like to personally invite you. facebook.com/groups/bourbonrealtalkcommunity/
Great video. Here in PA only one I can get is penelope being they are fron NJ. Single barrel has good taste but is punchy as you found when you took a sip. Did get smoke wagon in NJ few weeks back. Straight for 30 dollars to me is tops in the 30 price point. Have bottle of the singke barrel yet to open and try. Great looking bag you have there for carrying. Now need one that holds the max amount glasses the bag will hold bottles
Dang...MT needs to try and get these! Out of all those...and 8 stores across 300 plus miles...I know I Old Elk is the only one I can go out today and get. I've seen smoke wagon once in 6 years of gathering.
I’m surprised the experience you had at the Nelson’s Green Brier distillery. I took a tour there a couple years ago before I got more into whiskey and remember it as a very good experience overall. I guess everyone has their good days and bad days.
After this released Charlie Nelson reach out to me. We ended up using our gift shop receipts to find the exact time we were there. They went back through camera footage to determine who the employees were who were behaving that way, and did some customer service training. So while the experience was bad, you can tell a lot about a business by how they respond to finding out, and Nelson Greenbriar knocked it out of the park!
The list was crowd sourced and no one mentioned Boone County. I love BC, but I think many of the people who "voted" may live in areas where BC isn't sold.
Most of these brands are at various stages of that process. Just check the state of distillation to see if the bottle you have is their own or sourced.
Great show, love the way you guys put it together. But so disappointed as I’m in Australia and I can’t get any of them. But alas I do have some good ones in my collection. Enjoyed Booker Noe’s barrel bourbon last night😁thanks guys peace ✌️
You *might* have access to Penelope in Australia. I believe they ship to 3 foreign countries. 2 of them are 🇨🇦 and the 🇬🇧. I'm not sure, but I think the 3rd one is Australia.
You mentioned a barrel pick club, and I've been looking for one to get into...but I live in Alaska...so two questions: 1) Does the distributor you use ship to Alaska?, and 2) Is it a reasonable rate (I'm not looking to pay almost as much for the shipping as I do for the bottle.) Thanks for the MGP info...it makes me a lot less apprehensive to pick some up.
@@BourbonRealTalk ah....alas, I do not participate in social media beyond this. I may reconsider depending on how greatly my thirst for the hunt increases...thank you. Or, just remembering, I can have my wife do it...she's DEFINITELY on FB....okay, I feel better now!
Some great calls here. I agree on the Belle Meade. I was actually able to get their Sherry finish 9 year Bourbon at a decent price and it was tasty. I got a Nulu store pick for later and have not been let down by the Redwood Empire bottles I can get. Old Soul my buddy doesn't like but I'll try to get a sample now to see what it is about.
Old Soul SiB is MGP, the shelf products that say "blend of straight bourbon" is MGP with their own, and now they have bottles that are just their own distillate and say "distilled and bottled by" on the back label.
Something I would like to see a video on is how we should view blenders vs distillers. It kind of irritates me that some of the most expensive bourbon in my area are blenders. While they may have a good product, they aren't the ones doing the distilling. Are these barrell bourbon blends really worth upwards of $100? How much of this is marketing? On the other hand, I don't want to miss out on good products too!
Barrell is not Bullshit. It's expensive but they are barrel proof. They disclose alot of information on the website so you can get a real good idea of what you're drinking.
@@jackthepickledhound I am guessing you read the title and wrote this comment without watching the episode. The bullshit part is not the quality or value of the product. The bullshit part is pretending that they hand select barrels for profile so they can custom blend products into something greater than its parts. They buy barrels in lots without trying a sample of each barrel, and every single one of those barrels is going into a bottle...no matter what it taste like. I actually love Barrell and drink a lot of their products, but the marketing trying to make them seem unique because of their special blending technique goes a little past the truth into the area of marketing hyperbole in my opinion.
@@BourbonRealTalk I was just responding to Kevin and tried to plug Barrel a bit. Primarily a malt drinker here, but I do partake in the over-hyped SeaGrass and the neglected Vatted Malt. That malt is one of the greatest bottles of all if you want to talk about blending. Would need to try a new batch to be sure because you're probably 100% correct in that they just vatt whatever barrels they have. If I had $85 burning a hole in my pocket I would do an age stated MGP or Barrel rye but I'm tempted by some of those MGP bourbons like Penelope more than Barrel. Transparency doesn't necessarily translate into taste. Hahahah I can only imagine Barrel bourbons are all good, unique and have transparency. With the plethora of choices we have I prefer the ECBP trend or JDSBBP over sourced and blends. There's nothing wrong with my Smoke Wagon Uncut but I'd rather see straight on the label on my bar . I live downstate NY in the Hudson Valley and I've got 4 or 5 craft distilleries within an hours drive. Thier juice is getting some age now and MGP might even taste better but I'm going to always support the local business.
Belle Meade is fantastic. I'm still nursing my last bottle of the discontinued Cask Strength, but I've heard the newer 108 proof is also great. Other ones I like that didn't make the list are Pinhook Vertical Series and Mayor Pingree (Blue and Black label are MGP) . I was extremely lucky enough to stumble upon a 15 yr Black label last weekend, and can't wait to try it Cheers 🥃
I don't understand people's issue with MGP. So many great brands and so many diverse flavors, despite the argument that it is all "the same juice". I have most of these in my collection and completely agree with your assessment.
Thank you for your comment and for sharing your opinion on MGP bourbons. I agree with you that there are many great brands and unique flavors to be found from MGP despite some criticism that it's all the same juice. Have you tried any other MGP bourbons that you think deserve to be on this list?
Sorry to hear that happened to your bourbon. Cork debris can sometimes occur and it's good that it didn't happen to one of your more expensive bottles. Have you found any tips or tricks for preventing cork debris in the future?
You may have used chapters to skip the history, but Remus is in the history section. Not included in the top 10 because we were featuring brands that buy whiskey from MGP. Remus is their own brand.
There is a huge Bourbon following in Cape town, South Africa, however many of the Bourbons that you review are not available here. Awesome reviews and glad to be part of your Real Talk group......Regards Stephen Ontong
@Bourbon Real Talk MGP is rebranding a sizable portion of their operations under the name "Ross & Squib". If you weren't such a nice guy, running a nice and positive TH-cam channel, I'd tell you my honest opinion of the name "Ross & Squib"
Sorry guys....Boone County is the best among all of those. Its never lost a blind including besting Weller consistently. Boone County Single barrells is the elite MGP bourbon and to not even make your top 10 surprises me. Check out some of the other TH-cam tasters and see how they rave on Boone County.
@Aidan Fair points. Just seen so many positive videos on it from all the usual suspects, I would assume these guys have had the honor of trying it. It is personally in my top 5 overall....not just MGP. Maybe they will get some and try it if they haven't.
I fucking LOVE Boone County. They didn't make the list because we didn't pick the bourbons. The list was crowd sourced and no one mentioned Boone County. My guess is that most of the people who responded live in an area that Boone County is not distributed in, because as you mentioned it deserves on the list. Cheers!
Any idea why smoke wagon small batch comes in a dark bottle with gold label and also a clear bottle with white label? Can't find any explanation for it anywhere.
Those are all pretty good bottles. Mgp produces some of the best bourbon out there. it's interesting that not that long ago there really wasn't much demand or hype around mgp distilled juice but it's definitely in demand nowadays. The recognition is well deserved.
Doc Swinson’s definitely belongs on this list. Such a fantastic blend of two different high rye MGP mash bills. The Blender’s Cut is basically a cigar blend style.
We crowd sourced this list and Doc Swinson's didn't come up, but I don't disagree. I have really liked several of their products.
Amazing how many good products are produced from MGPI barrels, and you only highlighted ten. Look forward to trying some of those bottles I have not yet encountered. Can't beat a store pick Old Elk or the no longer available (I believe) Belle Meade Cask Strength. Another interesting episode!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Seen a few of these but haven't picked them up yet. Thanks for the info! I've tried multiple Nulu offerings and liked them. Came close to picking up an Old Elk store pick from my local goto store but didn't know much about it. Guess it's time to grab a bottle!
Good choice! I think you will like it!
Awesome job as always. Love the back story info to go with the bottles. Some of these I knew and a few I did not. Fairly new to the whiskey hobby so it is always informative. Keep up the great work!
Glad you like them!
Michigan based Valentine Distilling Mayor Pingree bourbon Blue and black label are really good MGP blends to hunt.
I remember that one being brought up. I have had it and agee. I like it.
I was a little surprised to see Smooth Ambler Old Scout missing from this list. I know they got a lot of hate when they tried to switch over to Dickel distillate but they are now back to releasing 5 and 6 year old cask strength MGP single barrel bourbons. I've recently had a 5 yr store pick that was quite good and under $50.
Hey Fred, SAOS was not missing. Their roll in the development of MGP's popularity was discussed in the history section, so I didn't see a need to put them in the list. Cheers!
If you're doing Belle Mead, get the cask strength.
Love the CS. Cheers!
The Penelope Barrel Strength is one of my favorite bourbons period.
Cheers!
ditto.
I'll try the Penelope, and I've been wondering about the Old Elk. What's your favorite of the Old Elk offerings? Port cask?
I actually like the wheat whiskey the best. Not a bourbon, but solid.
Man guys are dope and I really like ur videos and ur ends always get me choked up. Ur right we have to way to much hate in this cold world. We love u guys to…. 🤝🏽🤝🏽🤝🏽🤝🏽 god is good
❤️
Just found your channel. Very good content and interesting topics. MGP fan I haven’t tried Penelope yet sounds delicious. It’s weird I live in Indiana, but can’t get all their Juice.
MGP doesn't own the brands. Most NDPs start with distribution in their home state, so it isn't odd that there are a lot that are not distributed in Indiana. Cheers!
Great info and great presentation. I 2as just telling a couple bourbon friends how i would like to learn more about MGP products! Thx for the great backstories
Glad it was helpful! You seem like you would fit into our free member community. I would like to personally invite you. facebook.com/groups/bourbonrealtalkcommunity/
Bag looks cool!
Thanks
I've enjoyed the Pinhook Vertical Series thus far. Also have an Old Scout store pick that pretty tasty.
Both good pours.
May I just give you two props for saying “Louisville” the way the locals do!?!
I am an audio learner😂
Penelope is fantastic, but may require a Benjamin to get a high proof bottle
Life as a non-distiller producer is expensive 😂
One I would add to your list is Tin Cup 10 year.
It was a crowdsourced list. Tin Cup and Boone County were conspicuously missing. I am guessing that there are people who were surveyed that live in areas that those products are not distributed in.
@@BourbonRealTalk ya I live in Colorado where TinCup is easily accessible 👍🏻🥃great list though I've tried a couple on list
Hi Randy. What about Barrel Crafts Spirits. I presume since they mix KY, TN and MGP they aren't on list. In my eyes they rule the blending whiskey world in NA hands down. Love ur content!
You are correct. I eliminated any crowd sourced recommendations that didn't have a consistent pure MGP product. That would include BCS, but in fairness I do not think they were in the results from the crowd sourced list.
I've really enjoyed the Brothers Bond Bourbon from the vampire diary guys.
Same, but they were not in the crowd sourced list.
Curious what bottles those are with the yellow wax dipped tops at 1:40?
That is a brand I started with some of the other people who admin the facebook club Someone Say Whiskey called Unallocated. We have a drop coming soon. 15 year light whiskey and then another MGP bourbon shortly thereafter.
Remus over all of these for the price. Smoke is not worth the aggravation of trying to track now that's it's much younger. Paying for a pretty bottle in 2022 not the whiskey which once was longer aged.
Do love Remus. Does not taste the same as many of the ones featured, so I could see how someone would prefer one over another.
Where in Indiana did you grow up Wes?
Ask Wes in BRTC. This is Randy, and I reply to all the TH-cam comments.
You do a video on “ best MGP” and don’t include Mayor Pingree? It’s one of the most sought after MGP on secondary , demanding absurd prices.
Mayor Pingree definitely got a ton of votes and is listed in our honorable mentions. We definitely enjoy it!
Jackson Linda Rodriguez Angela Lopez Patricia
Randy I need a bottle of all these MGP hitters. Lol. Great podcast and great history!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Robinson Amy Martinez Nancy Williams Laura
I rike Nuru
Same
Nothing against hipsters says the hipster looking dude. 😂
Ha!
New drinking game. Take a sip every time they say "juice".
You would get wasted 😂. What is funny is the whiskey nerd community has taken issue with the use of the term, and it is used universally in the industry. So nerds are calling it an improper term and have no idea that all the brands they geek out over use the term freely.
@@BourbonRealTalk I know what you are saying is totally correct, but for some reason the word still rubs me the wrong way. With that said, there are greater problems in the world. Thanks for a great episode!
Really like the Old Soul & Old Elk.
Thank you for this excellent summary! However, most have limited availability and are quite pricey! I am inclined to think there are better value choices for folks w/ limited funds. I haven't tried any of these other than Belle Meade (VERY VERY GOOD!) but MUST default to WT101 and Old Forester 100 for great flavor, VALUE and availability until I score a lottery winning ticket :) .
I love those pours, but they could not be featured in this video because it is a prerequisite that the whiskey be made by MGP.
I thought I was the only one that thought that. I went to the distillery a few years ago when I was in Memphis. I picked up their honeyone I took 4 bottles. Great stuff. But it's staff they acted like a bunch of dicks.
The owner called me after I posted my video about it. I turned out there was a staff rebellion at the time, as they were trying to unionize. He was very serious about getting the issues fixed, and asked my permission to play my video in a staff training session. I would go back.
Great video! Love your show and watch it all the time. I’m a fan of MGP products. They’re hard to find here in NC for me, but when I come across brands that use them, I’m usually not disappointed. It was probably because of the great blends out there which started me on my love of infinity bottles. I currently have 3 of my own infinity bottles because, I figured, if other companies are able to blend whiskey well, I probably could do something similar with my own bourbons and whiskeys at home.
Sorry if this is repeat info… with 100+ comments and me on my phone (ie, not an easy way to search comments), I haven’t read many to see what others are saying. But for me, I’m under the impression that the “I” in MGPI stands for Ingredients. I say this because I’ve got stock in MGP, and the name of the stock is “MGP Ingredients.”
Yes, but some of the time it is MGP of Indiana. I suspect the proper acronym is Ingredients since it is associated with the stock. Cheers!
Great show, Informative.
Much appreciated!
Have a MOB store pick nulu “Cookie Monster”, yummmmmy
I have had some good NULU picks. cheers.
I snagged an Old Soul cask strength store pick today. The guy at the shop gave me a sample before I bought it. WOW is all I can say. Vanilla, Caramel, Oak, and brown sugar, with an incredible viscosity and finish. All flavor with just the right amount of Kentucky Hug (or Mississippi Hug in this case). It's unbelievable that something can drink like that at nearly 120 proof.
So happy I stumbled upon this gem 🥃
That sounds like an amazing find! Old Soul cask strength store picks are hard to come by and it's great that you were able to get your hands on one. The combination of flavors you described sounds fantastic, especially with that viscosity and finish. Do you have any other MGP bourbons that you'd recommend trying?
@@BourbonRealTalk I also picked up a bottle of Penelope Toasted. I was skeptical, but the first sip made me a believer.
I'm always so confused by who is sourcing from MGP...It's usually good stuff, but hard to follow, just like you said at the beginning!
Check the state of distillation on the back. If the state is Indiana, it is almost certainly MGP.
Charles beam created the recipe for Seagram's eagle rare at the four roses distillery..it was created because the dude wanted to put out a ten year with a bird name to stick it to wild Turkey..pretty funny
OLD ELK STRAIGHT WHEAT WHISKEY or OLD ELK STRAIGHT WHEATED BOURBON want to try which one would you suggest for 1st time buy ?
I have both. I prefered the wheat whiskey by a hair over the bourbon.
Very enlightening show ... and no, I'm not a Buddhist. Was unaware, other than the bottle of Belle Meade I have and really like, that the parade of bottles you critiqued were M.G.P. sourced. I had seen some of them around in my travels, but hadn't tasted any and was reluctant to purchase not knowing much about them. Thanks to you, now I know. Very informative show, history and all. Appreciate your strong effort to school the bourbon community.
So glad you enjoyed it. We have recorded 10 episodes before this aired and I forgot I talked about Nancy, took me a second to catch the joke. You seem like you would fit right in on a free member forum. If you are on facebook I would like to personally invite you to join. facebook.com/groups/bourbonrealtalkcommunity/
Remus Reserve V belongs on that list.
2 things. 1. I only got to add the whiskeys that were recommended when I crowdsourced the results. 2. Remus could not be in the list because MGP owns the brand. To make the list you needed to be a non-distiller producer who buys your whiskey from MGP. I did say in the history section that Remus was acquired by MGP to release its own whiskey, so in a way I mentioned Remus...just not the specific release you like. Hope that helps explain.
@Bourbon Real Talk hi Randy, is that why you also left off other labels such as High West and Bulleit (Rye)? Because they also produce their own juice too?
I noticed Clyde May's didn't make the list. Neither did SAOS.
@@trackvol High west was mentioned, but they are mostly MGP rye. Bulleit was mentioned, but they have KY bourbon and MGP rye. This was bourbon only list. SAOS was mentioned in the history section that you may not have watched. Clyde May's sells their on juice for the most part. Someone looking for CM off my recommendation likely would find something other than MGP.
@Bourbon Real Talk thanks for replying Randy. Most of those make sense. Except CM. They only just broke ground on their facility within the past few weeks. So far, every bottle they've ever released has been sourced. Maybe it's not always MGP, but they've yet to distill a single drop of their own juice yet.
@@trackvol That is news to me. I knew they were adding apple flavoring to the whiskey, which would have made me eliminate it from the list, but they were also not suggested by anyone when I crowdsourced the names.
It's Pernod Ricard, not Pernard Ricod. And the first successful acquittal resulting from a temporary insanity defense was won for Daniel Sickles, not George Remus.
@@danielmcnamara4708 Sorry about that. I always mis-pronounce that name. I got the misinformation about his temporary insanity defense from his biography, but maybe there was a qualifier like the first defending themselves? Anyway, sorry about the mistakes.
@@BourbonRealTalk All good, I just happened to know both those things because one of my good friends is a regional sales manager for PR and I took a college course with a professor who is the great-grandson of Daniel Sickles. Really something you want to be known for... LOL.
Couldn’t agree more with the Penelope, old elk and smoke wagon picks, havnt had the others, YET. Also, love the show mission and purpose. Keep up the great work!
Glad you enjoyed! You seem like you would fit into our free member community. I would like to personally invite you. facebook.com/groups/bourbonrealtalkcommunity/
Great video. Here in PA only one I can get is penelope being they are fron NJ. Single barrel has good taste but is punchy as you found when you took a sip. Did get smoke wagon in NJ few weeks back. Straight for 30 dollars to me is tops in the 30 price point. Have bottle of the singke barrel yet to open and try. Great looking bag you have there for carrying. Now need one that holds the max amount glasses the bag will hold bottles
Thanks! Sorry you missed out on SW.
Dang...MT needs to try and get these! Out of all those...and 8 stores across 300 plus miles...I know I Old Elk is the only one I can go out today and get. I've seen smoke wagon once in 6 years of gathering.
Some are easier to find than others. This one was crowd sourced with no thought for availability.
I’m surprised the experience you had at the Nelson’s Green Brier distillery. I took a tour there a couple years ago before I got more into whiskey and remember it as a very good experience overall. I guess everyone has their good days and bad days.
After this released Charlie Nelson reach out to me. We ended up using our gift shop receipts to find the exact time we were there. They went back through camera footage to determine who the employees were who were behaving that way, and did some customer service training. So while the experience was bad, you can tell a lot about a business by how they respond to finding out, and Nelson Greenbriar knocked it out of the park!
Oh damn Randy… why didn’t you pour some of the Penelope for Wes?
When you are filming/drinking all day, you have to maintain control over your own pours 😂
Love you guys. Wes, can YOU have a bad beard day? Not that i have seen. Learned a lot from this, now I am going to go out into the world and use it
Awesome! And thank you for spreading the love. Have you joined our free member community? facebook.com/groups/bourbonrealtalkcommunity/
The Nulu story has a few fun twists and turns, when you're in Louisville do the tour at Prohibition Spirits.
I will check that out.
Old Elk Wheat CS is good stuff 👏🥃
I like it more than the wheated bourbon. Cheers!
Good job guys
Glad you enjoyed it!
i would have had Boone County on that list instead of NuLu... but that's just me
The list was crowd sourced and no one mentioned Boone County. I love BC, but I think many of the people who "voted" may live in areas where BC isn't sold.
Isn't Pinhook distilling, aging, and bottling their own now ?
Most of these brands are at various stages of that process. Just check the state of distillation to see if the bottle you have is their own or sourced.
Great show, love the way you guys put it together. But so disappointed as I’m in Australia and I can’t get any of them. But alas I do have some good ones in my collection. Enjoyed Booker Noe’s barrel bourbon last night😁thanks guys peace ✌️
Yes, many of the NDPs buying from MGP are too small to be distributed internationally. Cheers!
You *might* have access to Penelope in Australia. I believe they ship to 3 foreign countries. 2 of them are 🇨🇦 and the 🇬🇧. I'm not sure, but I think the 3rd one is Australia.
You mentioned a barrel pick club, and I've been looking for one to get into...but I live in Alaska...so two questions:
1) Does the distributor you use ship to Alaska?, and
2) Is it a reasonable rate (I'm not looking to pay almost as much for the shipping as I do for the bottle.)
Thanks for the MGP info...it makes me a lot less apprehensive to pick some up.
You need to joint Someone Say Whiskey on Facebook. We have a member that gets bottles shipped to Alaska. You should check it out.
@@BourbonRealTalk ah....alas, I do not participate in social media beyond this. I may reconsider depending on how greatly my thirst for the hunt increases...thank you.
Or, just remembering, I can have my wife do it...she's DEFINITELY on FB....okay, I feel better now!
So glad I found your channel great information 👏
Glad it was helpful!
Some great calls here. I agree on the Belle Meade. I was actually able to get their Sherry finish 9 year Bourbon at a decent price and it was tasty. I got a Nulu store pick for later and have not been let down by the Redwood Empire bottles I can get. Old Soul my buddy doesn't like but I'll try to get a sample now to see what it is about.
Old Soul SiB is MGP, the shelf products that say "blend of straight bourbon" is MGP with their own, and now they have bottles that are just their own distillate and say "distilled and bottled by" on the back label.
@@BourbonRealTalk I sincerely appreciate the further guidance. I'm making note this when I head to the store next so I'll be better prepared.
I bought boondocks 11 year old cask strength whiskey for £65. I am guessing that this is mgp juice and it is fantastic whiskey
Boondocks do a great job but im not sure its mgp
Check the state of distillation on the back. If it is Indiana it is probably MGP.
Felix the Cat's Magic Bag o' Tricks!
And the trick is to pull out bottles of whiskey 😂
How have you not done a review on Jospeh Magnus Cigar blend?
I have not had a chance to buy one in years.
Smooth Ambler is nice as well
Yes. They were mentioned in the episode.
Thanks
No problem
Something I would like to see a video on is how we should view blenders vs distillers. It kind of irritates me that some of the most expensive bourbon in my area are blenders. While they may have a good product, they aren't the ones doing the distilling. Are these barrell bourbon blends really worth upwards of $100? How much of this is marketing? On the other hand, I don't want to miss out on good products too!
th-cam.com/video/6CNhxlYk0TY/w-d-xo.html
Barrell is not Bullshit. It's expensive but they are barrel proof. They disclose alot of information on the website so you can get a real good idea of what you're drinking.
@@jackthepickledhound I am guessing you read the title and wrote this comment without watching the episode. The bullshit part is not the quality or value of the product. The bullshit part is pretending that they hand select barrels for profile so they can custom blend products into something greater than its parts. They buy barrels in lots without trying a sample of each barrel, and every single one of those barrels is going into a bottle...no matter what it taste like. I actually love Barrell and drink a lot of their products, but the marketing trying to make them seem unique because of their special blending technique goes a little past the truth into the area of marketing hyperbole in my opinion.
@@BourbonRealTalk I was just responding to Kevin and tried to plug Barrel a bit. Primarily a malt drinker here, but I do partake in the over-hyped SeaGrass and the neglected Vatted Malt. That malt is one of the greatest bottles of all if you want to talk about blending. Would need to try a new batch to be sure because you're probably 100% correct in that they just vatt whatever barrels they have. If I had $85 burning a hole in my pocket I would do an age stated MGP or Barrel rye but I'm tempted by some of those MGP bourbons like Penelope more than Barrel. Transparency doesn't necessarily translate into taste. Hahahah
I can only imagine Barrel bourbons are all good, unique and have transparency. With the plethora of choices we have I prefer the ECBP trend or JDSBBP over sourced and blends. There's nothing wrong with my Smoke Wagon Uncut but I'd rather see straight on the label on my bar .
I live downstate NY in the Hudson Valley and I've got 4 or 5 craft distilleries within an hours drive. Thier juice is getting some age now and MGP might even taste better but I'm going to always support the local business.
@@jackthepickledhound It isn't cheap but I am obsessed with Hill Rock Distillery from NY.
Randy, good info. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Good stuff, Guys! 25:04
Thank you!
No George Remus??
Remus is discussed in the history section.
Belle Meade is fantastic. I'm still nursing my last bottle of the discontinued Cask Strength, but I've heard the newer 108 proof is also great.
Other ones I like that didn't make the list are Pinhook Vertical Series and Mayor Pingree (Blue and Black label are MGP) . I was extremely lucky enough to stumble upon a 15 yr Black label last weekend, and can't wait to try it
Cheers 🥃
They were in honorable mentions, but the episode was too long so we cut them
I don't understand people's issue with MGP. So many great brands and so many diverse flavors, despite the argument that it is all "the same juice". I have most of these in my collection and completely agree with your assessment.
Thank you for your comment and for sharing your opinion on MGP bourbons. I agree with you that there are many great brands and unique flavors to be found from MGP despite some criticism that it's all the same juice. Have you tried any other MGP bourbons that you think deserve to be on this list?
@@BourbonRealTalk As others have mentioned, Doc Swinton's is great. Remus Repeal Reserve is my Friday night pour. High West makes a nice Rye.
@@Ringleader3rik Good picks!
NBC?
?
I had a cork flake off debris into one of my bourbons--luckily it was a cheaper one (Redemption Bourbon).
Sorry to hear that happened to your bourbon. Cork debris can sometimes occur and it's good that it didn't happen to one of your more expensive bottles. Have you found any tips or tricks for preventing cork debris in the future?
@@BourbonRealTalk unfortunately, no. I just used a coffee filter to separate the bourbon from the debris.
@@reedr7142 That works! 😆
Lost my next youngest brother as well, know the pain.
I am sorry for your loss!
You as well, it was difficult as he was across the Country in California.
No REMUS?
You may have used chapters to skip the history, but Remus is in the history section. Not included in the top 10 because we were featuring brands that buy whiskey from MGP. Remus is their own brand.
There is a huge Bourbon following in Cape town, South Africa, however many of the Bourbons that you review are not available here. Awesome reviews and glad to be part of your Real Talk group......Regards Stephen Ontong
Thank you for supporting the channel.
I was hoping you’d discuss the different mash bills
Sorry! MGP has 3 bourbon mashbills. 21% rye, 36% rye, and 99% corn.
Belle Meade is all you need.
Love Belle Meade
I’m really enjoying your platform… thanks
Glad you enjoy it!
No mention of the "Ross & Squibb" evolution to the MGP story?? (don't blame ya!)
I don't know what that is.
@Bourbon Real Talk MGP is rebranding a sizable portion of their operations under the name "Ross & Squib".
If you weren't such a nice guy, running a nice and positive TH-cam channel, I'd tell you my honest opinion of the name "Ross & Squib"
Thanks for the history lesson!
Our pleasure!
Great job, as always!
I appreciate that! Have you joined the free member community. I think you would fit in. facebook.com/groups/bourbonrealtalkcommunity/
Sorry guys....Boone County is the best among all of those. Its never lost a blind including besting Weller consistently. Boone County Single barrells is the elite MGP bourbon and to not even make your top 10 surprises me. Check out some of the other TH-cam tasters and see how they rave on Boone County.
Its possible they havent had it, boone county isnt in every market including mine. Not to mention best is gonna vary based on whoever you asked.
@Aidan Fair points. Just seen so many positive videos on it from all the usual suspects, I would assume these guys have had the honor of trying it. It is personally in my top 5 overall....not just MGP. Maybe they will get some and try it if they haven't.
I fucking LOVE Boone County. They didn't make the list because we didn't pick the bourbons. The list was crowd sourced and no one mentioned Boone County. My guess is that most of the people who responded live in an area that Boone County is not distributed in, because as you mentioned it deserves on the list. Cheers!
@Bourbon Real Talk thanks for clarifying. I did forget the crowd source mention at the beginning of the show. Great show as always guys
@@DavidStidhamIsFiredUp i forgot about the crowd sourcing too honestly
Love mgp, especially the repeal reserves
And Volstead Act.
Any idea why smoke wagon small batch comes in a dark bottle with gold label and also a clear bottle with white label? Can't find any explanation for it anywhere.
They temporarily switched to using clear bottles during a period of glass shortage in 2021.
@@Johnny5_ thanks!
Johnny beat me to it. Lots of smaller producers have had problems getting glass in recent times.
Those are all pretty good bottles. Mgp produces some of the best bourbon out there. it's interesting that not that long ago there really wasn't much demand or hype around mgp distilled juice but it's definitely in demand nowadays. The recognition is well deserved.
Agreed!
Smokewagon Uncut Unfiltered is one of my favorites of 2021. Old Elk Store picks are awesome as well
Glad you enjoyed!
Totally agree
I love your channel and your inspiring videos! I am suprised that you haven't researched Promo-SM!!
I get people reaching out to me all the time. I use www.welcometobrandland.com