It's good to be back!! Lot's of videos lined up after this one. If any of you are interested in the Flavour Tree poster, it's 10% off for the First Phil Fam for DECEMBER ONLY. Using code: FLAVOURTREE. I hope it helps your whisky journey! firstphil.etsy.com?coupon=FLAVOURTREE
It's a shame the Old Forester 1920 wasn't available. For the price and the proof point, it's among my favorites. And if you can find the Knob Creek 12, the extra three years make a big difference.
I started with bourbon then moved to Irish and scotch whiskies. They’re all mood based. I’m really loving knob creek 9 right now for a bourbon. Benromach 10 is my scotch of choice currently and Irish has to be powers John’s lane.
I'm an American and Scotch got me into the whiskey world but I've been slowly drinking more bourbon due to availability and price. I absolutely loved this video. Your take on everything is so different from all the bourbon channels i watch and aligns more with my tastes. Rare Breed is a favorite of mine but I'd love to get your take on Glenn Creeks OCD #5
Good little list and its always great to broaden your pallet. I would look into a few of these, just personal preference after living in the States many moons ago. 1) EH Taylor Small Batch or Single Barrel (You can find in NZ) 2) Willett Family Reserve Purple Top (Probably not available in NZ) 3) Weller 12yr (You can find in NZ) 4) Weller Antique 107 (Probably not available in NZ) 5) Stagg Jr (You can find in NZ) 6) Heavens Door Double Barrel OR Straight Rye (You can find in NZ) 7) 1792 Bottled in Bond ( Hit and miss finding this in NZ) 8) Larceny Small Batch 92 Proof (You can find in NZ) 9) High West Double Rye (You can find in NZ) 10) Templeton Rye Oloroso Finish (You can find in NZ)
You absolutely hit the nail on the head with the alcohol content and barrel age with bourbon… more is better simply because the extra heat and barrel tannins balance out the sweetness from the corn in the mash. A mash bill that has high rye content for a bourbon, will have more spice notes to it. Speaking of rye… as a scotch drinker you might prefer some of the cask strength barrel proof American rye whiskies. There is more heat/spice/stronger flavors to be had there.
Hi Phil. Bourbons that are at a decent price and regulars on my shelf are 4 roses single barrel, eagle rare 10, wild turkey rare breed, wild turkey 101 and knob creek 9. As Always a good video. Slàinte Phil 🥃
@@FirstPhilWhisky Idk what the availability is like in NZ but the Small Batch (while not as good) is fairly readily available here and if you can find it, the Small Batch Select (the next step up from the Small Batch) might do if you really can't find the Single Barrel and you want to get an idea of what Four Roses offer. I actually really like the regular Small Batch as a good option for sipping or in cocktails, but I also have a more bourbon/sweet/rich aligned palate than you seem to.
as a big Arran lover, I can only appreciate the number of arran bottle you are showing in your video. Just discovered your chanel, going to dig deeper! very good content
Great picks! Helpful to have a scotch drinker breaking it down as a lot of bourbons are hyped up but then not on the same level as a basic scotch (imho). Also love the outro just getting on it with like 7 whiskies!!
Interesting perspective! I wish I could send you more unique stuff we get over in the states. Russell’s 10 is my favorite bottle under $35, Eagle rare 5 years ago was with $40 but now it’s not worth the money; you can get a lot better for what it’s worth now!
You get quite a lot of bourbon in new Zealand. We have four roses single barrel, but we don't have Russel, Woodford double oak, maker mark, mitchers, knob creek not always in the shop. Thanks for video 😊
Brilliant Phil thank you for this! As a Scotch lover I find it really hard to enjoy a bourbon. There are some out there but most of them feel the same and basic. This list will give me a great guideline. Cheers!
I’m an American that likes Rye Whiskey more than Bourbon. Hell I like Scotch and Irish more than Bourbon. My favorite Americana whiskey is actually a 100% malted Rye from New Riff finished in a Sherry Cask… I do enjoy bourbon but it’s not my main go to… Great Video !
It's kinda funny, I've never really gotten Rye whiskey. Like there's a part of my brain that keeps feeling like one day I'll find one that I like but none of the ones I've had have done anything for me. I've tried Australian Ryes, Sazerac, Jack Daniel's Rye, Michter's and I still can't work out what it is that I don't like about them. I like most other styles of whisk(e)y, Rye just really feels like that missing piece and it feels odd to me as someone that likes Single Malts and Bourbons because in my head, Rye feels like it should sit somewhere in the middle and just does nothing for me. Not to shit on anybody else's preferences, that's just been my experience with them.
Im also mainly a single malt scotch drinker but do like a bourbon once in awhile. My favourites are EH Taylor small batch, Eagle Rare 10yr and Four Roses single barrel
Bourbon was my gateway to whisky. My favourites are: Yellow Rose Outlaw Bourbon Blantons Single Barrel Angels Envy Port Cask Bakers 2021-01 62% Woodford Masters collection 128.3 proof
Great video. Enjoyed watching you explore these whiskies. Next level up for a scotch lover that you need to try one day is Stagg and that Jack Daniels single barrel barrel proof. I'm a single malt scotch guy and those are my two favorite that ive tried. Another good one would be Smoke wagon uncut unfiltered.
Brother man, thank you for your video. As far as bourbons go, they can be special. I am a bartender at a fine dining wine and mixologoy bar in St Petersburg, Russia. What i'd like to know is what are coffee notes for you? For me coffee is a universe, you have your washed Kenyans, bright acidic and fruit forward. Anaerobic Colombians can be anything, from green apples to coca cola. Ethiopia is an explosion of peaches and stone fruit. Natural Brazil is sweet cocoa, chocolate and nuts. Care to elaborate? I'd really appreciate it.
Bookers, Bakers 7, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof, Willet Ryes, Bardstown Distillery Range, Nashville Barrel Company, Redwood Empire core range, New Riff B&B or Malted Rye, Heaven Hill B&B, and EH Talyor... just a couple of my favourites for ya Phil.... And of course Frey Ranch, Wildness Trails and a Stagg Jr
Your best value for a high ABV buffalo trace upgrade from the Eagle Rare is Stagg (formerly Stagg jr) think they are around 8 years old but they are a batch release. Cheers
Good stuff! I don't think bourbon will ever top Scotch for me, but there are some worthwhile options. EH Taylor small batch is an undeniably tasty one. Also... that Flavour Tree design is brilliant, Phil!
Jack Daniels is Bourbon, they just don't market it to be Bourbon. It meets all the legal requirements to be sold and marketed as Bourbon but Tennessee Whiskey also undergoes the Lincoln County Process which is a filtering through Sugar maple Charcoal, as this is subtractive not additive, it doesnt disqualify Jack from being sold as Bourben, it's simply marketing. I love the Knob creek 9 to0, that and the 1792 small batch are my current favourites. Great video!
I live in the US and I am not a fan of bourbon thankfully it can get crazy to get the allocated stuff. American Single Malt is promising and also some bourbons outside of Kentucky, I just tried Still Austin for the first time I loved it! Gonna get your tree chart, Slàinte
Phil: You may want to give American Single Malts (ASM) a try. A good place to start as a Scotch lover would be the Westland Flagship (Westland is out of Seattle, WA) or if you want to approach it from the bourbon side I would recommend Balcones Lineage (Balcones is from Waco TX).
I love how every youtuber from another country tries to cater to an American audience and Phil just plants his heels in the ground and makes videos where he puts prices in NZ dollars, etc. haha he's the only foreigner I've seen who acts like an authentic American! Also if you don't know what a foreigner is, it's just a person who isn't American
Awesome video Phil! Thanks for pulling this together! I also went on a Bourbon odyssey when I moved to Canada, having never got on board with it before then. I still far prefer Scotch, but your picks are spot on from my tasting notes. For the next iteration of this theme I'd definitely recommend the following : EH Taylor Small Batch, Old Forester 1910 and Four Roses Select. Knob Creek 12 yr and Stagg Jr (not at all easy to find outside the US, it must be said) are also very, very good
Interesting list Phil. I got the Makers Mark Cask Strength, same batch as you, and I really like it. I think the wheat gives it something extra. I found the Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Strength at Liquorland a couple of weeks ago. They call it Single Barrel Select 125 Proof. Not all their stores stock it though. The interesting thing with that one is that I can drink it neat even at 62.5% alcohol. It doesn't drink like it is that strength. Usually, I get too much alcohol burn from anything over 53%. Also notice the Four Roses Single Barrel 100 proof seems to be available now. One thing I've found with bourbon and rye is that they seem to work better at higher strength. Cheers!
That was a nice line up of what , here in the USA, are budget whiskies (not all were actually bourbons). And you did well with your top three. Now I don't know what's available in NZ nor what your prices are so recommending more complex bourbons would be difficult. Just know there is a world of much better drinking experiences to be had than anything in this video. Cheers and greetings from Florida. 🥃😎
@ I bought three bottles of Weller 12 42€ each a year ago at a local store in my neighborhood here in France. I came back this year and the same exact bottle is now 120€. So really, is it "budget" or not ?
It's a rare whisky to come across, I only came across it once in a store here in Australia, it hasn't reappeared yet, it was Russell's Reserve Single Barrell. If an opportunity comes along for you to try it...grab it. 😎👍
It’s funny you think Knob Creek 9 is the best Bourbon for a Scotch drinker. You see I’m an American who loves scotch, specifically the Smokey stuff. Lol Anyway it was only last week I tried a KC9 with dinner. It was so good I went to the store on my way home and bought a bottle. So I absolutely agree with your conclusion. It is a great drink and very underrated!
Knob Creek 9 is one of the best values in Bourbon. It's my every day drinker and great in an old fashioned and I can find on the regular for $40 Canadian.
In my brief few years whisky journey since a gluten allergy forced me away from my craft beer passion, I've tried enough Bourbon in bars and restaurants to know that I don't need to have any in my cabinet. There's simply too much great Scotch I find better than Bourbon to explore and enjoy in whatever time I have left on this planet. I know that variety is the spice of life, but there is immense variety just within the Scotch universe for me. I am most definitely a malt (distilled to remove the gluten) man! But I appreciate the run down. The one Bourbon I do still intend to try is the Rare Breed, though. Cheers!!
Woodford reserve, Makers Mark, and JD single barrel are pretty easy to find here in Brazil. I don't know why the JD smells like acetone on my nose... So my preference is for Woodford Reserve. We also esealy find Bulleit Bourbon, a bit spicy but easy to drink.
Bourbons are hard to beat under a certain price, and work well in the summer. The quality control is more consistent than scotch but as the results are also less varied. I am lucky i stocked up on Weller12 before the prices went crazy.
Phil, come to Kentucky and I swear I’ll get you linked with someone who produces some of the most incredible bourbon I’ve ever tried. We would love for you to get an opportunity to truly understand why we’re so proud of this liquid here. Regions 100% matter in the states. Texas vs Kentucky is like night and day. Texas whiskey ages much quicker due to the heat. it’s like the difference between scotch and Indian single malt.
Next level up from Eagle Rare IMHO would be something like Blanton's Gold or Rock Hill Farms, though they're generally harder to find and more expensive.
Hey Phil, great video as always. Don’t know how easy it is to get it in New Zealand, but I Love Frey Ranch. Very citrusy and complex, feels almost like the flavour profile is in between a Bourbon and a Scotch. Cheers ;)
The grassy notes don’t come from the wheat, but rather from the cuts. Specifically the grassy note comes from the tails cut during the distillation process.
Eagle rare is my go to after WT101. Its always a good price and it's always available at my supermarket, which is strange since I live on the Isle of Man and there are some States in America where its really hard to get.
Interesting - I could find the four Roses single barrel here in NZ for around $90NZ. But I don't think its always easy to find. By weird coincidence I am just trying out bourbons/american whiskies and every one on your top 7 is on my "to try list". Basically once I finish a bottle I will buy the next one on the list. It was going to be Jack Daniels barrel reserve but the knob creek 9 has just jumped to top of my queue thanks to this video.
My favourites from the buffalo trace distillery have to be Stagg and Blantons from the barrel (barrel proof). Hope you get a chance to try them but they are extremely hard to find. Same with the BTAC lineup. Might be easier to find something from the Weller lineup at a higher proof, EH Taylor, or maybe a blantons gold depending where you are in the world. On a second note you should totally try Little Book chapter 8 from the Jim Beam distillery. Currently my favourite non scotch bottle to sip on.
Also Knob Creek single barrel at 120 proof is totally slept on. At least in Canada it’s probably the most fairly priced high proof bourbon you can find!
Too bad you couldn't get Four Roses single barrel in your area. That's one of my favorites. Is a little bit ironic that you get Eagle Rare in New Zealand but is somewhat difficult to get it here in the US. I'm drinking this weekend some Ardbeg 10 and Green Spot Irish whiskey. Great video, Thank you!
I'm finding this a lot with Buffalo Trace/Sazerac stuff here in Australia as well. I keep seeing people posting about struggling to find their Bourbons, especially the stuff above the Buffalo Trace like the Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, EH Taylor in the US but then I've got a boat load sat on the shelves at my work in Australia and most of it we can get in regular supply if we need it. We even had a couple of bottles of EH Taylor Single Barrel not that long ago lol
A bit late but i think you would enjoy Michter's American. Its technically not bourbon since it is aged not in new oak, but in used oak. Give it a shot.
The interesting part of Bourbon and US whiskeys is how challenging it is to get the flavor profile and how much the hot and cold affect the final product. Unlike scotch which you can essentially toss in a barrel by the shore and leave it for 100 years if you wanted... bourbon is getting 120 F+ in the summer and -10 F in the winter pumping up the flavor intensity and pulling out compounds that might be too heavy to find in scotch. Which is why they really need masters to continuously taste barrels as a 9 year barrel won't taste like a 9 year barrel, sometimes it will age faster, sometimes slower. As a scotch lover Knob Creek 9 and 12 are some of my top shelfers, also Maker 46 cask strength. If you want to splurge the KC18 is the best American whiskey I've had.
Had the same reaction to buffalo trace. Then got the eagle rare and had the same response. What's on the radar now is wild turkey 101 or rare breed, that jack d that wasn't available and the elijah craig barrel proof.
Yeah it might be good for beginners but not scotch geeks like us haha. I really want to try the Knob Creeks beyond the 9. Not sold on Wild Turkey 101. Too sweet.
I feel like the range in which bourbon can be different is just much smaller than scotch, due to the restrictions. Not that they’re bad, but it’s difficult to be unique. Now, some of the single malts like Balcones, or bourbon whiskey like Angels Envy are a different story.
The way I understand it, Kentucky is an ideal place for making Bourbon because of the water available and the abundance of corn, but mostly because of the weather. very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. the change in temperatures make the barrels expand and contract over the season, this movement allows the spirit to move in the barrells and to get in and out of the cracks between the staves, this enhances the flavour quicker. A Bourbon aged in Florida would have a stable hotter climate so the barrels wouldnt move as much and would take years longer to develop the flavours,
Thanks for this list, Phil. I need to start exploring bourbon. It's the "it" drink in America right now. Having your list is a great starting point for my next alcohol journey, so I'm not just going in blind. Tally ho!
Rare breed is my number 1, eagle rare is good but like you said needs some proof. Woodford double oaked has an amazing nose but is a letdown on the palate. Needs more proof.
I might be wrong, but you said that Jack Daniels cant be called a "bourbon" because of the charcoal-filtering, and I dont think thats right :) As far as i know, they can call it "bourbon", but chooses to call it "Tennessee Whiskey" to stand out. Like i said I might be wrong, and just wanted to clarify. Great video Phil!
Was going to post the same thing. There's nothing in the bourbon rules prohibiting filtering and most JD products meet the definition of bourbon in every other way but they and most other TN distilleries prefer to call it Tennessee Whiskey. Not sure about this triple mash. I know it's a blend and it has 20% American malt in it which may mean it doesn't have enough corn in it to be a bourbon depending on what the rest of it is.
Scotches, ryes, and wheated bourbons are undrinkable. Always keep angels envy triple oaked, Woodford double oaked, and Jefferson's very old very small batch.
I could not get on with Eagle Rare 10. I've bought 2 bottles of it to really give it a chance, but it just isn't for me. The 1920 is lightyears ahead of it for me.
I actually prefer the Knob Creek Single Barrel over the Knob Creek 9 (they're both 9 years though). It also has a higher proof at 60% ABV and is even richer than the 9. Also my favorite Buffalo Trace, excluding the ridiculously priced Antique Collection stuff, is the Stagg Jr. now renamed to just Stagg (and not the overpriced George T. Stagg which is part of the Antique Collection) . It's a barrel proof with each batch is different but usually over 60% and often around 65%. Unfortunately it's gotten really hard to find in recent years (and itself becoming overpriced like the Antique Collection though still lower). But it's definitely one of my favorite bourbons overall.
I think the Triple Mash isn't called bourbon in part because bourbon has to have at least 51% corn in the mash. Triple Mash is a blend of malt, rye, and "Tennessee" whiskies. The Tennessee whisky qualifies on that account, but the malt and rye don't. Yes, they have a charcoal filtering process, but most people have it backwards. The government told Jack Daniels at one point that they had to label their "Tennessee Whisky" as bourbon, but the distiller really, really didn't want to, so they went to court over it and won on the argument that the charcoal filtering with charred sugar maple wood might have added something from the sugar maple, which isn't oak, obviously.
Eagle Rare 10, along with Buffalo Trace's Blanton's and their plain Jane Buffalo Trace can be hard to find in general, and not just in New Zealand. Weirdly Buffalo Trace whiskey is easily found here in Canada, and I do like it, though I haven't had enough scotch to necessarily form an opinion. Also, unfortunately, tariffs and transportation costs mean that bourbons are usually cheaper for me, so scotches are usually a worse value proposition for me.
It's good to be back!! Lot's of videos lined up after this one. If any of you are interested in the Flavour Tree poster, it's 10% off for the First Phil Fam for DECEMBER ONLY. Using code: FLAVOURTREE. I hope it helps your whisky journey!
firstphil.etsy.com?coupon=FLAVOURTREE
First Phil the Spielberg of whisky tube
It's always an event watching, awesome content and production 👏
Thanks Aaron! Means a lot. Grateful to have you watching.
Mainly a scotch drinker but I love the Double Oaked. It’s always on my shelf
It's a shame the Old Forester 1920 wasn't available. For the price and the proof point, it's among my favorites. And if you can find the Knob Creek 12, the extra three years make a big difference.
I started with bourbon then moved to Irish and scotch whiskies. They’re all mood based. I’m really loving knob creek 9 right now for a bourbon. Benromach 10 is my scotch of choice currently and Irish has to be powers John’s lane.
Agree! I’m actually enjoying more bourbon as we go into summer here in NZ. Thanks Chris
I'm an American and Scotch got me into the whiskey world but I've been slowly drinking more bourbon due to availability and price. I absolutely loved this video. Your take on everything is so different from all the bourbon channels i watch and aligns more with my tastes. Rare Breed is a favorite of mine but I'd love to get your take on Glenn Creeks OCD #5
Good little list and its always great to broaden your pallet. I would look into a few of these, just personal preference after living in the States many moons ago.
1) EH Taylor Small Batch or Single Barrel (You can find in NZ)
2) Willett Family Reserve Purple Top (Probably not available in NZ)
3) Weller 12yr (You can find in NZ)
4) Weller Antique 107 (Probably not available in NZ)
5) Stagg Jr (You can find in NZ)
6) Heavens Door Double Barrel OR Straight Rye (You can find in NZ)
7) 1792 Bottled in Bond ( Hit and miss finding this in NZ)
8) Larceny Small Batch 92 Proof (You can find in NZ)
9) High West Double Rye (You can find in NZ)
10) Templeton Rye Oloroso Finish (You can find in NZ)
Great list! I need to try those!
Sherry finished templeton? You have my attention
Great list ❤
Top run down buddy and was great to see that number 1 sitting on a supermarket shelf over in the UK. Awesome flavour tree and nice hat. Cheers. 🥃
You absolutely hit the nail on the head with the alcohol content and barrel age with bourbon… more is better simply because the extra heat and barrel tannins balance out the sweetness from the corn in the mash. A mash bill that has high rye content for a bourbon, will have more spice notes to it.
Speaking of rye… as a scotch drinker you might prefer some of the cask strength barrel proof American rye whiskies. There is more heat/spice/stronger flavors to be had there.
Hi Phil. Bourbons that are at a decent price and regulars on my shelf are 4 roses single barrel, eagle rare 10, wild turkey rare breed, wild turkey 101 and knob creek 9. As Always a good video. Slàinte Phil 🥃
I need to get that Four Roses! Glad I have tried the others though. Thanks David!
@@FirstPhilWhisky Idk what the availability is like in NZ but the Small Batch (while not as good) is fairly readily available here and if you can find it, the Small Batch Select (the next step up from the Small Batch) might do if you really can't find the Single Barrel and you want to get an idea of what Four Roses offer. I actually really like the regular Small Batch as a good option for sipping or in cocktails, but I also have a more bourbon/sweet/rich aligned palate than you seem to.
Phil’s videos are always worth the wait
Good to be back!
@ I’m always looking forward to your videos, keep up the amazing work!!!
Great picks man! Getting more and more into bourbon myself these days!
Your content is absolute gold man. Kudos to you for the effort that you are putting in!!!
Pleasure to watch with a winter dram
Much appreciated!
as a big Arran lover, I can only appreciate the number of arran bottle you are showing in your video. Just discovered your chanel, going to dig deeper! very good content
Cheers mate, glad you enjoyed it!
Great picks! Helpful to have a scotch drinker breaking it down as a lot of bourbons are hyped up but then not on the same level as a basic scotch (imho). Also love the outro just getting on it with like 7 whiskies!!
Interesting perspective! I wish I could send you more unique stuff we get over in the states.
Russell’s 10 is my favorite bottle under $35, Eagle rare 5 years ago was with $40 but now it’s not worth the money; you can get a lot better for what it’s worth now!
You get quite a lot of bourbon in new Zealand. We have four roses single barrel, but we don't have Russel, Woodford double oak, maker mark, mitchers, knob creek not always in the shop. Thanks for video 😊
Brilliant Phil thank you for this! As a Scotch lover I find it really hard to enjoy a bourbon. There are some out there but most of them feel the same and basic. This list will give me a great guideline. Cheers!
My favourite bourbons are: Eagle Rare 10 year old, woodford reserve double oaked and buffalo trace
Greetings from Australia 🇦🇺
I go regularly for Wild Turkey 1:1 or Eagle Rare 10. Great bourbons and very reasonable price when on offer in UK. (£25 WT and £30 for ER10)
Those seem like good prices. It seems that taxes in the UK double the price of bourbon.
Phil, you're looking amazing mate! Always love to see another video from you!
Thanks mate, appreciate it!
I like to watch your videos straight from Ukraine 🇺🇦
One of my favorite channels!👍
I’m an American that likes Rye Whiskey more than Bourbon. Hell I like Scotch and Irish more than Bourbon. My favorite Americana whiskey is actually a 100% malted Rye from New Riff finished in a Sherry Cask… I do enjoy bourbon but it’s not my main go to… Great Video !
Also many other Malted Rye options available!
It's kinda funny, I've never really gotten Rye whiskey. Like there's a part of my brain that keeps feeling like one day I'll find one that I like but none of the ones I've had have done anything for me. I've tried Australian Ryes, Sazerac, Jack Daniel's Rye, Michter's and I still can't work out what it is that I don't like about them.
I like most other styles of whisk(e)y, Rye just really feels like that missing piece and it feels odd to me as someone that likes Single Malts and Bourbons because in my head, Rye feels like it should sit somewhere in the middle and just does nothing for me.
Not to shit on anybody else's preferences, that's just been my experience with them.
Im also mainly a single malt scotch drinker but do like a bourbon once in awhile. My favourites are EH Taylor small batch, Eagle Rare 10yr and Four Roses single barrel
Michter's Small Batch and the classic Maker's Mark are fantastic. Nice video!
Haven't had many Bourbons but I realy liked the Eagle Rare. Unfortunately not available anymore in South Africa.
Old forester (standard edition) is my go to Burbon here in NZ. For 45 NZD you really cannot go wrong
Would love to see you review American Single Malts. If you can get any in NZ.
Try EH Taylor Single Barrel and Elijah Craig Barrel Strength. Four Roses Single Barrel. I found all 3 in NZ.
Gotta try the maker mark private selection/cellar aged. Cellar aged especially is very high proof (and 12/13 year old whiskies).
Spot on for Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, i'm really keen to try the Knob Creek now.
Bourbon was my gateway to whisky. My favourites are:
Yellow Rose Outlaw Bourbon
Blantons Single Barrel
Angels Envy Port Cask
Bakers 2021-01 62%
Woodford Masters collection 128.3 proof
I'm unusual in that I enjoy Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, Irish, etc. Each has its own merits.
Each for a mood, season, or purpose.
Great video. Enjoyed watching you explore these whiskies. Next level up for a scotch lover that you need to try one day is Stagg and that Jack Daniels single barrel barrel proof. I'm a single malt scotch guy and those are my two favorite that ive tried. Another good one would be Smoke wagon uncut unfiltered.
Brother man, thank you for your video. As far as bourbons go, they can be special. I am a bartender at a fine dining wine and mixologoy bar in St Petersburg, Russia. What i'd like to know is what are coffee notes for you? For me coffee is a universe, you have your washed Kenyans, bright acidic and fruit forward. Anaerobic Colombians can be anything, from green apples to coca cola. Ethiopia is an explosion of peaches and stone fruit. Natural Brazil is sweet cocoa, chocolate and nuts. Care to elaborate? I'd really appreciate it.
Bookers, Bakers 7, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof, Willet Ryes, Bardstown Distillery Range, Nashville Barrel Company, Redwood Empire core range, New Riff B&B or Malted Rye, Heaven Hill B&B, and EH Talyor... just a couple of my favourites for ya Phil.... And of course Frey Ranch, Wildness Trails and a Stagg Jr
Your best value for a high ABV buffalo trace upgrade from the Eagle Rare is Stagg (formerly Stagg jr) think they are around 8 years old but they are a batch release. Cheers
I love your take on this! Thank you for taking availability into account.
Thanks mate!
The Russell’s and Eagle Rare are definitely gateway pours. Very easy drinking. Not complex. Low ABV. But tasty.
First! Love your content and all that you do. As for bourbon, Knob Creek is a good choice. Can't go wrong with it especially at that value. Cheers!
Thanks Allen! Yeah I was surprised considering it was cheaper than some of the other picks.
Good stuff! I don't think bourbon will ever top Scotch for me, but there are some worthwhile options. EH Taylor small batch is an undeniably tasty one.
Also... that Flavour Tree design is brilliant, Phil!
Thanks so much! Yeah I don’t think it tops scotch for me yet either. But I think I have definitely found some perma-shelf bourbons now.
Jack Daniels is Bourbon, they just don't market it to be Bourbon. It meets all the legal requirements to be sold and marketed as Bourbon but Tennessee Whiskey also undergoes the Lincoln County Process which is a filtering through Sugar maple Charcoal, as this is subtractive not additive, it doesnt disqualify Jack from being sold as Bourben, it's simply marketing. I love the Knob creek 9 to0, that and the 1792 small batch are my current favourites. Great video!
I live in the US and I am not a fan of bourbon thankfully it can get crazy to get the allocated stuff. American Single Malt is promising and also some bourbons outside of Kentucky, I just tried Still Austin for the first time I loved it!
Gonna get your tree chart,
Slàinte
Killer editing mate.
Hi. The problem with the standard Buffalo Trace we get in Oz and NZ is it is 40% ABV, rather than 45% in the states. It makes a massive difference. 😊
You can find the 45 % in NZ. I must try the 45%. I didn't think much of the 40% Whiskey online 45% best price 🥃👊
Phil: You may want to give American Single Malts (ASM) a try. A good place to start as a Scotch lover would be the Westland Flagship (Westland is out of Seattle, WA) or if you want to approach it from the bourbon side I would recommend Balcones Lineage (Balcones is from Waco TX).
I love how every youtuber from another country tries to cater to an American audience and Phil just plants his heels in the ground and makes videos where he puts prices in NZ dollars, etc. haha he's the only foreigner I've seen who acts like an authentic American! Also if you don't know what a foreigner is, it's just a person who isn't American
Awesome video Phil! Thanks for pulling this together! I also went on a Bourbon odyssey when I moved to Canada, having never got on board with it before then. I still far prefer Scotch, but your picks are spot on from my tasting notes. For the next iteration of this theme I'd definitely recommend the following : EH Taylor Small Batch, Old Forester 1910 and Four Roses Select. Knob Creek 12 yr and Stagg Jr (not at all easy to find outside the US, it must be said) are also very, very good
Great additions, thanks for the suggestions!
The High West Campfire is an outlier (and it uses blended scotch in the mix)
Oh I need to try that!
Eagle Rare is always available at Amazon in Germany. Usually around 35-40€, I paid 30€ on discount for my last two bottles.
I think that buffalo trace products are more allocated in the US. In Australia I have been Blantons and Eagle rare is usually stocked locally.
Interesting list Phil. I got the Makers Mark Cask Strength, same batch as you, and I really like it. I think the wheat gives it something extra. I found the Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Strength at Liquorland a couple of weeks ago. They call it Single Barrel Select 125 Proof. Not all their stores stock it though. The interesting thing with that one is that I can drink it neat even at 62.5% alcohol. It doesn't drink like it is that strength. Usually, I get too much alcohol burn from anything over 53%. Also notice the Four Roses Single Barrel 100 proof seems to be available now. One thing I've found with bourbon and rye is that they seem to work better at higher strength. Cheers!
That was a nice line up of what , here in the USA, are budget whiskies (not all were actually bourbons). And you did well with your top three. Now I don't know what's available in NZ nor what your prices are so recommending more complex bourbons would be difficult. Just know there is a world of much better drinking experiences to be had than anything in this video. Cheers and greetings from Florida. 🥃😎
Very keen to try the next level. Especially the bourbons a step up from Eagle Rare and Knob Creek 9
I don't think rare breed is considered budget anywhere though.
@@Soldano999 Rare breed is only $44.99 in my area. I consider anything under $50 budget whiskey. Under $25 it's just cheap.
@ I bought three bottles of Weller 12 42€ each a year ago at a local store in my neighborhood here in France.
I came back this year and the same exact bottle is now 120€.
So really, is it "budget" or not ?
@@Soldano999 Non, ce n'est pas du tout un budget. C'est du vol à main armée.
It's a rare whisky to come across, I only came across it once in a store here in Australia, it hasn't reappeared yet, it was Russell's Reserve Single Barrell. If an opportunity comes along for you to try it...grab it. 😎👍
It’s funny you think Knob Creek 9 is the best Bourbon for a Scotch drinker. You see I’m an American who loves scotch, specifically the Smokey stuff. Lol Anyway it was only last week I tried a KC9 with dinner. It was so good I went to the store on my way home and bought a bottle. So I absolutely agree with your conclusion. It is a great drink and very underrated!
Knob Creek 9 is one of the best values in Bourbon. It's my every day drinker and great in an old fashioned and I can find on the regular for $40 Canadian.
In my brief few years whisky journey since a gluten allergy forced me away from my craft beer passion, I've tried enough Bourbon in bars and restaurants to know that I don't need to have any in my cabinet. There's simply too much great Scotch I find better than Bourbon to explore and enjoy in whatever time I have left on this planet. I know that variety is the spice of life, but there is immense variety just within the Scotch universe for me. I am most definitely a malt (distilled to remove the gluten) man! But I appreciate the run down. The one Bourbon I do still intend to try is the Rare Breed, though. Cheers!!
Woodford reserve, Makers Mark, and JD single barrel are pretty easy to find here in Brazil. I don't know why the JD smells like acetone on my nose... So my preference is for Woodford Reserve.
We also esealy find Bulleit Bourbon, a bit spicy but easy to drink.
Bourbons are hard to beat under a certain price, and work well in the summer. The quality control is more consistent than scotch but as the results are also less varied.
I am lucky i stocked up on Weller12 before the prices went crazy.
Phil, come to Kentucky and I swear I’ll get you linked with someone who produces some of the most incredible bourbon I’ve ever tried. We would love for you to get an opportunity to truly understand why we’re so proud of this liquid here.
Regions 100% matter in the states. Texas vs Kentucky is like night and day. Texas whiskey ages much quicker due to the heat. it’s like the difference between scotch and Indian single malt.
So interesting! I would love to go there. It would make a great vid too. Thanks Kyle!
I’ve most of those in my cabinet. Need to try the Eagle Rare.
I really enjoyed this, now do the same for Irish Whiskey please. 😎
Next level up from Eagle Rare IMHO would be something like Blanton's Gold or Rock Hill Farms, though they're generally harder to find and more expensive.
Hey Phil, great video as always. Don’t know how easy it is to get it in New Zealand, but I Love Frey Ranch. Very citrusy and complex, feels almost like the flavour profile is in between a Bourbon and a Scotch.
Cheers ;)
Ooo will look out for it. Cheers!
The grassy notes don’t come from the wheat, but rather from the cuts. Specifically the grassy note comes from the tails cut during the distillation process.
Whiskyandmore has the Four Roses Single Barrel on occasion. BigBarrel as well if you're lucky. Definitely worth a go!
Will keep a look out. Thanks for watching!
Eagle rare is my go to after WT101. Its always a good price and it's always available at my supermarket, which is strange since I live on the Isle of Man and there are some States in America where its really hard to get.
Interesting - I could find the four Roses single barrel here in NZ for around $90NZ. But I don't think its always easy to find. By weird coincidence I am just trying out bourbons/american whiskies and every one on your top 7 is on my "to try list". Basically once I finish a bottle I will buy the next one on the list. It was going to be Jack Daniels barrel reserve but the knob creek 9 has just jumped to top of my queue thanks to this video.
Can't argue with Knob Creek 9, especially for the price.
My favourites from the buffalo trace distillery have to be Stagg and Blantons from the barrel (barrel proof). Hope you get a chance to try them but they are extremely hard to find. Same with the BTAC lineup. Might be easier to find something from the Weller lineup at a higher proof, EH Taylor, or maybe a blantons gold depending where you are in the world.
On a second note you should totally try Little Book chapter 8 from the Jim Beam distillery. Currently my favourite non scotch bottle to sip on.
Also Knob Creek single barrel at 120 proof is totally slept on. At least in Canada it’s probably the most fairly priced high proof bourbon you can find!
Woodford Double Oaked is delicious!
Great video
But I lost something ?
You show often Wild Turkey 101 without considering it in your choice ?
Yeah Wild Turkey 101 is good, but I’ve never preferred it over a scotch. So that’s why I had the Russell’s 10 (same distillery)
Try highwest campfire. Blend of Bourbon, Rye, and scotch. AMAZING
Too bad you couldn't get Four Roses single barrel in your area. That's one of my favorites. Is a little bit ironic that you get Eagle Rare in New Zealand but is somewhat difficult to get it here in the US. I'm drinking this weekend some Ardbeg 10 and Green Spot Irish whiskey. Great video, Thank you!
I'm finding this a lot with Buffalo Trace/Sazerac stuff here in Australia as well. I keep seeing people posting about struggling to find their Bourbons, especially the stuff above the Buffalo Trace like the Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, EH Taylor in the US but then I've got a boat load sat on the shelves at my work in Australia and most of it we can get in regular supply if we need it. We even had a couple of bottles of EH Taylor Single Barrel not that long ago lol
I'm a scotch guy, but i also like both Knob Creek 9 and WT Rare Breed. They are quite ok drams. Many of bourbons are too sweet for me
A bit late but i think you would enjoy Michter's American.
Its technically not bourbon since it is aged not in new oak, but in used oak.
Give it a shot.
Phil - great video. Would love to see you try an American Single Malt Whiskey. 🥃
Would love to try one!
Phil, you are good at this/these.
But you should have pronounced caramel "carmel" just to troll those pesky yanks.
@@Antsey😂
The interesting part of Bourbon and US whiskeys is how challenging it is to get the flavor profile and how much the hot and cold affect the final product. Unlike scotch which you can essentially toss in a barrel by the shore and leave it for 100 years if you wanted... bourbon is getting 120 F+ in the summer and -10 F in the winter pumping up the flavor intensity and pulling out compounds that might be too heavy to find in scotch. Which is why they really need masters to continuously taste barrels as a 9 year barrel won't taste like a 9 year barrel, sometimes it will age faster, sometimes slower. As a scotch lover Knob Creek 9 and 12 are some of my top shelfers, also Maker 46 cask strength. If you want to splurge the KC18 is the best American whiskey I've had.
Had the same reaction to buffalo trace. Then got the eagle rare and had the same response. What's on the radar now is wild turkey 101 or rare breed, that jack d that wasn't available and the elijah craig barrel proof.
Yeah it might be good for beginners but not scotch geeks like us haha. I really want to try the Knob Creeks beyond the 9. Not sold on Wild Turkey 101. Too sweet.
Up from Eagle Rare is Stagg Jr good stuff!
I think a Scotch drinker might actually like Ryes more than Bourbons. I would recommend Michters Rye but Eagle Rare is hard to beat for a low proofer.
Good to know thanks for your work.
American here and Single Malt drinker. Rye is better than Bourbon because rye brings more complexity and spice with less sweet corn taste.
Here to second that. Even the most expensive and exclusive bourbon won’t compete in complexity with a mid/high tier rye
Bought the Woodford Reserve Sonoma Triple Finish one hour ago. If you can find it in your country, just do it.
I feel like the range in which bourbon can be different is just much smaller than scotch, due to the restrictions. Not that they’re bad, but it’s difficult to be unique. Now, some of the single malts like Balcones, or bourbon whiskey like Angels Envy are a different story.
Love the content Phil
Thanks mate!
The way I understand it, Kentucky is an ideal place for making Bourbon because of the water available and the abundance of corn, but mostly because of the weather. very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. the change in temperatures make the barrels expand and contract over the season, this movement allows the spirit to move in the barrells and to get in and out of the cracks between the staves, this enhances the flavour quicker. A Bourbon aged in Florida would have a stable hotter climate so the barrels wouldnt move as much and would take years longer to develop the flavours,
I'd say the next step 'up' from Eagle Rare would be Blantons (not a fan personally) or Rock Hill Farms.
Not easy to source in NZ and expensive
Gotta get the OF 1920
Thanks for this list, Phil. I need to start exploring bourbon. It's the "it" drink in America right now. Having your list is a great starting point for my next alcohol journey, so I'm not just going in blind. Tally ho!
Rare breed is my number 1, eagle rare is good but like you said needs some proof. Woodford double oaked has an amazing nose but is a letdown on the palate. Needs more proof.
I might be wrong, but you said that Jack Daniels cant be called a "bourbon" because of the charcoal-filtering, and I dont think thats right :) As far as i know, they can call it "bourbon", but chooses to call it "Tennessee Whiskey" to stand out. Like i said I might be wrong, and just wanted to clarify. Great video Phil!
Yeah I was so confused about it haha. You might be right. I think it’s mostly marketing purposes for not calling it bourbon.
This is accurate
Was going to post the same thing. There's nothing in the bourbon rules prohibiting filtering and most JD products meet the definition of bourbon in every other way but they and most other TN distilleries prefer to call it Tennessee Whiskey. Not sure about this triple mash. I know it's a blend and it has 20% American malt in it which may mean it doesn't have enough corn in it to be a bourbon depending on what the rest of it is.
It’s called a Tennessee whisky instead of bourbon
Scotches, ryes, and wheated bourbons are undrinkable.
Always keep angels envy triple oaked, Woodford double oaked, and Jefferson's very old very small batch.
Mate, was going to order the small size poster for $49 but why is the cost to ship to Auckland $66.80?
Yeah crazy! I’ve added a new NZ AUS only listing in my shop on Etsy which has much cheaper shipping.
Why no Blanton's in the list..? 🤔
Awesome Phil! 😝👊❤❤❤🥃🥃🥃🌏🌏🌏👏👏👏👏
I could not get on with Eagle Rare 10. I've bought 2 bottles of it to really give it a chance, but it just isn't for me. The 1920 is lightyears ahead of it for me.
8:30 didn’t actually taste it🤔🤔
I actually prefer the Knob Creek Single Barrel over the Knob Creek 9 (they're both 9 years though). It also has a higher proof at 60% ABV and is even richer than the 9. Also my favorite Buffalo Trace, excluding the ridiculously priced Antique Collection stuff, is the Stagg Jr. now renamed to just Stagg (and not the overpriced George T. Stagg which is part of the Antique Collection) . It's a barrel proof with each batch is different but usually over 60% and often around 65%. Unfortunately it's gotten really hard to find in recent years (and itself becoming overpriced like the Antique Collection though still lower). But it's definitely one of my favorite bourbons overall.
I think the Triple Mash isn't called bourbon in part because bourbon has to have at least 51% corn in the mash. Triple Mash is a blend of malt, rye, and "Tennessee" whiskies. The Tennessee whisky qualifies on that account, but the malt and rye don't. Yes, they have a charcoal filtering process, but most people have it backwards. The government told Jack Daniels at one point that they had to label their "Tennessee Whisky" as bourbon, but the distiller really, really didn't want to, so they went to court over it and won on the argument that the charcoal filtering with charred sugar maple wood might have added something from the sugar maple, which isn't oak, obviously.
Eagle Rare 10, along with Buffalo Trace's Blanton's and their plain Jane Buffalo Trace can be hard to find in general, and not just in New Zealand. Weirdly Buffalo Trace whiskey is easily found here in Canada, and I do like it, though I haven't had enough scotch to necessarily form an opinion. Also, unfortunately, tariffs and transportation costs mean that bourbons are usually cheaper for me, so scotches are usually a worse value proposition for me.