Summer is coming, and that means some gatherings, barbecues, and other hosted entertainment. I always want to have some bourbon available for such events, but the dilemma is that more than a few folks just want to dump it in some Coke or otherwise obliterate it for consumption. So, I definitely don't want the good stuff, but on the other hand I don't want just plain awful, either. My ideal is something that won't make me cringe when the kids mix it in their Coke (in other word, cheap), but also something that is passable in whiskey-centric cocktails like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, where you can actually taste the bourbon. It also wouldn't hurt if, in a pinch, it can be sipped neat, or with a little splash of water and/or an ice cube, without being too insulting.
Notice I've said "favorite", since this is, after all, a matter of individual taste. Also, no specific price point, since liquor prices are so variable state to state. But as an example, here in Oregon, I'm looking for a choice in the $12/750 range, which includes entry level labels like Ancient Age, Evan Williams Green, Benchmark, Henry McKenna, and Early Times (which I know is not technically bourbon due to the use of used cooperage, but it's close enough). I know that for a couple of bucks more you can move up to EW black or Ezra Brooks, which are my usual choices. At the very low end, around $10, there's Old Crow and Old Taylor, neither of which I've tasted in their current incarnations. Both seem so cheap I'm leery.
So what bourbon do you guys pour for the party, but which can still be serviceable for other general purpose use?
Notice I've said "favorite", since this is, after all, a matter of individual taste. Also, no specific price point, since liquor prices are so variable state to state. But as an example, here in Oregon, I'm looking for a choice in the $12/750 range, which includes entry level labels like Ancient Age, Evan Williams Green, Benchmark, Henry McKenna, and Early Times (which I know is not technically bourbon due to the use of used cooperage, but it's close enough). I know that for a couple of bucks more you can move up to EW black or Ezra Brooks, which are my usual choices. At the very low end, around $10, there's Old Crow and Old Taylor, neither of which I've tasted in their current incarnations. Both seem so cheap I'm leery.
So what bourbon do you guys pour for the party, but which can still be serviceable for other general purpose use?
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