Whiskey (Not Scotch!)

[JayFreddy]

I'm not a big drinker, but especially around the holidays, I like to have a glass or two of whiskey. Usually straight up (neat) or on the rocks.

As a young man, I cut my teeth on Jack Daniels and other fine blends such as Rebel Yell...

I spent a few years in college drinking scotch, but back in the working world, I was back to blended whiskey and bourbon.

I discovered Jack Daniels' Single Barrel when I lived in Japan. Good stuff, but the consistency varies a lot from batch to batch, and I've since switched to Blanton's Single Barrel. The Blanton's is super smooth, but at 93 proof, it's got some kick to it, so I like it better on the rocks than straight.

I also like Crown Royal, which is frowned upon by whiskey snobs as the "wonder bread" of whiskey, but I like it. Crown is smooth/sweet enough to enjoy without ice. In fact, it's so smooth, it's easy to drink too much!

Recently a guy at my local liquor store recommended Black Velvet Royal Blend as a substitute for Crown... It's 1/3 the price, so I bought some, but I was a little disappointed. It's okay, but it isn't nearly as smooth as the Crown. The BV really needs to be mixed with something, IMHO. It could probably sub for Jack Daniels, and at about half the price of Jack, it is a good value.

So I'm still searching for a good Crown substitute... What are you drinking? Any suggestions and/or recommendations?

ps.

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

 

[JayFreddy]

I have several friends who consider Maker's their favorite. If you like Makers, try Blanton's. I didn't realize this until just now, but there are at least eight different little rider bottle corks. I've thrown away several without realizing they were collectible!

 

[acstorfer]

I noticed that Jim Beam is absent from your list. I've never tried Crown Royal, but if you're looking for a pseudo sweet type bourbon then Jim Bean fits the bill. To me it's very smooth.

So is Irish Whiskey to be avoided as well?

 

[singlecut]

1.75 handle of JimBeam is 23.00 here in NH

Works for me

 

[JayFreddy]

I like Irish whiskey just fine. I just didn't mean to steal any thunder from a recent thread about scotch whisky.

I do think there tends to be two kinds of whiskey drinkers. Those who prefer scotch and those who prefer bourbon.

I've been fortunate to experience some very fancy scotch whiskies, but I still prefer good ol' Kentucky bourbon. Canada is closer to Kentucky than Scotland... It's probably my blue-collar roots!

I've had JB before, but not in a long while. Time to try it again!

 

[MenaceMartin]

If this were a Scotch thread, I could offer plenty of input

But being a 'Bourbon' thread, my input is limited to; I like Bulleit More times than not it's as a mixer. I can sometimes find Bourbon in general a little too sweet for a spirit. (And that's coming from someone who loves sweet things!)

 

[MikeyTheCat]

First, ya gotta learn what you're drinking. All whisky (or whiskey) each has it's own process that helps give it flavor. Bourbons, by law, have to be made a certain way; same with Canadian Whisky like Crown Royal (my usual), Scotch, Irish, etc. So if you're looking for something that is close to Crown you may want to start with other Canadian Whisky brands. Also note that many Canadian Whiskys are blended, so you'll be getting something different than straight whisky.

FWIW, I've been enjoying Rye lately. It was out of favor for a long time but for the last several years it's been showing up as a base for some really good drinks at my favorite restaurants.

 

[Caretaker]

Try Buffalo Trace. One of the best I`ve ever had and cheaper than JD. Also Jim Beam Black.
I also enjoy a good Irish Whiskey(Bushmills/Jameson)

 

[acstorfer]

There are also a lot of flavored moonshines that I would imagine are quite sweet. I've never tried them myself, but they sound interesting.

 

[SteveGangi]

First, ya gotta learn what you're drinking. All whisky (or whiskey) each has it's own process that helps give it flavor. Bourbons, by law, have to be made a certain way; same with Canadian Whisky like Crown Royal (my usual), Scotch, Irish, etc. So if you're looking for something that is close to Crown you may want to start with other Canadian Whisky brands. Also note that many Canadian Whiskys are blended, so you'll be getting something different than straight whisky.

FWIW, I've been enjoying Rye lately. It was out of favor for a long time but for the last several years it's been showing up as a base for some really good drinks at my favorite restaurants.

I'm not an expert on Canadian, but I like a nip of Seagram's VO. For Bourbon, the "usual" has always been Makers Mark.

 

[Donal]

Here you go, well worth a try.

Probably one of the best Non Single Malts out there.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

I like Makers Mark.... I recently discovered that ROGUE ( of dead guy ale fame) has a distillery and their whiskey is quite good....my go to however is woodford reserve.

 

[James R]

If you like Crown, you should try Ginson's Finest Canadian Whisky.
I'm not much of a drinker these days, but when I was, I always preferred Gibson's to Crown Royal.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

wife is a crown drinker.. she says try pendleton..a bit cheaper and very similar.. I have no idea

 

[colchar]

I also like Crown Royal, which is frowned upon by whiskey snobs as the "wonder bread" of whiskey, but I like it. Crown is smooth/sweet enough to enjoy without ice. In fact, it's so smooth, it's easy to drink too much!

Crown Royal's Northern Harvest Rye was recently named the best whisky in the world this year.

 

[colchar]

If you like Crown, you should try Ginson's Finest Canadian Whisky.
I'm not much of a drinker these days, but when I was, I always preferred Gibson's to Crown Royal.

When I drink, I drink rye (well Canadian whisky which is colloquially known as rye) and Gibson's is my whisky of choice. I prefer the Gibson's Sterling but they are all good.

 

[DHBucker]

KY weighing in here..... Bourbon.... Willet is wonderful, 1792 Ridgemont Reserve is small batch and reasonable. Bookers is pricey but very good yet potent. If you've ever heard of Pappy Van Winkle you know it is legendary for KY bourbon but scarce. Weller Antique is the same recipe as Pappy but not aged as long but is in the ballpark and reasonable. The Jim Beams, Heaven Hills, and Makers Mark and others of the world are well known and cheap.... But they do not represent the finest KY has to offer...

 

[nick1962]

I am a big fan of quality bourbon, and I rate this very highly......

 

[Bill Hicklin]

Oddly enough, Canadian whiskey is colloquially called "rye" and can even legally be labeled "Canadian rye whiskey," but doesn't actually have to contain any rye at all! Certainly it's much, much sweeter, being essentially corn-based like Bourbon, than straight rye whiskey as defined by US law.