My four... Eagle Rare - The first bourbon I ever tried and actually liked years ago. Wild Turkey Rare Breed - The one that really got me into the hobby. Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series White Label - The one that I go to more than any other now. Sagamore Double Oaked - The one that made me fall in love with Rye.
JD BP Rye is probably my favorite bottle although I haven't done a blind to really know. Mine is almost 134 proof and it is fantastic. Especially over a few cubes.
Trenton - you’re a wheater fan. The Glenns Creek SWHEAT is killer! My buddy and I stumbled on Glenns Creek during a recent short jaunt on the trail. What an awesome place with great people and so much history. Glad you and Kurt are great fans. Truly is a gem on the trail.
I liked the original Still Austin bourbon quite a bit, so I'd recently picked up a bottle of the cask strength and wow - instantly became one of my all time favorites.
Have you had the regular blue label Westward? I bought it because it went from 66$ pre-tax to 39$ pre-tax on clearance and I heard so many reviews about the brand, and I'm just not the biggest fan. I'm curious how the cask strength compares.
Here's mine... and it's been a journey OCD #5 - you guys have me hooked on this. Can't get it here in Louisiana but it's by far my most favorite. Need to make a trip up there so I can have it for my daughters wedding in May '25 Buffalo Trace Woodford Double Oaked Old Forester 1910
You guys got me into Pikesville recently, and it surpassed Sagamore and Hard Truth as my favorite rye. So good! I also got the Westward Cask Strength, but the tobacco note was so strong that i couldn't take it. Have to revisit it later. Great picks!
Thought provoking, thank you for a satisfying quiz. My 4 - EH Taylor aylor single barrel, Old Grandad 114, Henry McKenna 10 year BiB, and Jack Daniels single barrel barrel strength. Wanted to lick Eagle Rare 10 year, but I chose not to allow myself to pick from the same distillery twice.
I learned about Glenn’s Creek watching you guys. I got a bottle from a Total Wine in Lexington, Ky and loved it. When they posted about barrel 143 being as close to an OCD Premium without being one, I bought two bottles and my brother bought two. I picked those up at the distillery two weeks ago and absolutely love it. I love the fact that the distillery isn’t all shiny and new. Just a working distillery putting out great bourbon. The Cafe Ole and Swheat was great too. Thanks for putting me on them. PS. She asked how I heard about them and I said, SLB Drinks!
Great video! My four are: Wild Turkey 101 - first bourbon. I've moved on... Stagg - Won the PA lottery to get it at MSRP. Great bottle! Knob Creek 12 year/SB - Can't decide. I'm a Knob Creek guy. Redbreast 12 year Cask Strength - Tastes like Christmas!
Loved this video! I have to tell you that I'm a proud Texan and not that long ago bought my first bottle of Still Austin. The one called The Musician, Straight Bourbon Whiskey, I believe. Not cask strength. I couldn't believe how disappointed I was! I did not like it at all! I've only heard great things about their products. I wonder if I got a bad bottle or what?! My go-to's are Early Times, Wild Turkey 101, LOVE Rare Breed and JD Single Barrel Select, and Jim Beam 7.
I started my bourbon journey with Buffalo Trace and Elijah Craig Small Batch. Now in a couple years later I am over the 100 bottle mark. My travel journey includes 49 states. Somehow I keep missing North Dakota. Great video.
There's no wrong to this, but I would think the "Mount Rushmore" would be those founding libations of your collection. The Maker's and WT Rare breed are great markers in that, along with the Jim Beam, but I can think of WT 101, Michters, old Forester, four roses, etc.
Y’all should blind the westward lineup and rank them. Also, would be cool to do distilleries head to head. Like 3 tiers of woodford vs. 3 tiers of makers! Maybe you’ve done this….but would be a fun one.
Can't wait to see this! Visited Mount Rushmore when I was kid....South Dakota isn't that far from Winnipeg, so it makes for a great holiday destination! Cheers gang!
Kurt you and I are close in age. I took my 60th birthday week last month. Visited SD, WY, ID and MT. You have to do Rushmore, Crazy Horse (pay the money to go up top), Devils Tower, Badlands, Yellowstone and Tetons. It was an awesome trip, sights, food and now only AK and HI left and I will have all 50 checked off. 😊
Fantastic choices! And thank you for not adding bottles that are unattainable 😅 For fun, here is mine based on my whiskey journey (bottles that got me hooked and others that are a nice treat to myself): Knob Creek 9 Old Forester 1920 Highland Park 12 Redbreast 12
I’m from western Pa and have been to 49 states. Western South Dakota is one of my favorite trips - if not my favorite. Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Wind Cave and Custer State Park are must see.
So, when I think of Mount Rushmore, I think of the foundation of my whiskey experiences...so here would be my four: - Buffalo Trace, my cornerstone entry to my little collection - Rare Breed, my barrel proof that I really enjoyed - Old Forester 100 Rye, while I am newer to Rye, this was my first love...while I have tasted some others recently that I appreciate more, you always remember your first love - Jameson Crested, had a taste of it in Galway and fell in love with it...the fruitiness from the Sherry Cask finish and the viscosity is just amazing. Everyone's palate is different...so too will be everyone's "Mt Rushmore". Cheers!
Great video guys, love that content. The Englishman in Mexico , I just got back from England and let’s say stocked up on whiskeys I can’t get here. I have to recommend a couple, , for you Kurt , Ardnamurchin , it’s a newish distillery, ten years this year. It’s just amazing, natural, non chill filtered, slight peat smoke but flavours abound, please try it if you can it bor expensive either, for Trenton, and you Kurt. bunhabbain 12 year Cask strength, irs a sherry bomb but wow, it’s just so good, both of you would love it, no smoke even for this islay scotch. Honourable mention, Aultmore 12 Foggy Moss, light , fruity and just an easy tasty sipper, I hope you can get some of these , I wish there was an easy way to send some samples , you would enjoy these blind , kilhoman is also a distillery you need to try Kurt, all they do is great , Cheers guys , let me know your thoughts ,
I think the Mount Rushmore of Whiskey should be bottles that are close to the bottom shelf that have stood the test of time. My four: Wild Turkey 101 Old Overholt Rye Maker's Mark Jack Daniel's #7
Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Makers 46, Knob Creek 9, Old Forester 1910. Honorable Mentions Bardstown Bottle in Bond and Buffalo Trace. That Jim Beam 7 is inexpensive and it tastes really good.
Dave at glens creek is awesome I was there in July. I got to talk with him while doing a tasting. I ended up getting a sweat and a cafe ole , wow so incredible. I would recommend going there anytime there in Kentucky.
Just picked up the Jim Beam Black 7 year last week myself. I was pleasantly surprised. Good stuff and cheap. Think I will try it in a blind soon. Just gotta figure out what I should blind it with. PS...OCD #5 and Premium are great!
Still Austin is a part of Total Wine's Spirits Direct program. You can get it all over at Total WIne this also makes it a Total Wine exclusive. I can get it in Jacksonville, FL
Solid picks. Jim beam 7 has to the best budget bourbon I’ve had, closely followed by very old Barton. Rare breed got me into cask strength/bourbon hunting
Great idea and execution of a show. I was inspired to make a list based on what I think the four president's would like (and what might represent them in some way): FAVS INSPIRED BY PRESIDENTS Lincoln - KY 10 Washington - Blanton’s Single Barrel Roosevelt - High West Midwinter Night’s Dram (Rough Rider Bull Moose Rye was a more obvious choice) Jefferson - Four Roses Single Barrel
Such an interesting topic! Do I select things which were influential in my journey? Or things I grew to appreciate as my journey progressed. Maybe it's a combination of both? Glenlivet 12 was the first whiskey I ever had. I still enjoy it, although it hasn't been my favorite single malt in a while. Maker's Mark was the first bourbon I had, for the price it is great. I hold it in high regard. It led me to Woodford Reserve, which I bought on blind faith. I love Macallan 18, but they priced themselves out of my range. Eagle Rare 10 is very good, but I can't always guarantee I can get it. 1. Glenlivet 12 2. Woodford Reserve. 3. Laphroaig 10 4. Glenmorangie Nectar d'or
Finally found Pikesville here in the Dallas area. Had been looking for months. Bought two in case they disappear again (which it looks like they might). Super good and worth the wait.
Jim Beam Black 8 year. When I learned I like bourbon, back in the 90's and early 2000. went through many, many bottles. Buffalo Trace. In probably, 2008, I figured I should expand my horizons so I went to a local liquor store and not knowing much of anything purchased Buffalo Trace and I expanded from there. WT Rare Breed. Not because Kurt chose it. I have loved this since before I ever watched SLB. I will always have a bottle open on my shelf. And I can find it everywhere. OCD #5. Again, not because Trent picked it. I wrote it on my list before he showed his last bottle. I will say I picked it for many of the same reasons he did. Glenns Creek was the highlight of a bourbon trip earlier this year. Just the drive to the distillery was memorable, along with finding the building and the entrance to the shop. We tried so many things. I bought 3 bottles from Dave Meier after our Visitor Experience that Dave hosted and he signed each bottle for us. Will go back again for sure. If nothing else to get more bourbon because not available in MI.
Now that’s a monument I’d visit! Some excellent selections. Love the Still Austin cask strength pick 👏 I’m hoping they will release a 5yr Blue Corn BiB bourbon like they did with the Red Corn. Nicely done fellas
I’m a big fan of the Balcones Rye which we finally consistently get in NC. I’ve not tried Still Austin products as of yet but will do that after this video
Thanks for the recommendations! I added 3 to my list for the next time I am at the store. Would y'all consider doing a top 5 whiskey/bourbon cocktails? I found your hunter cocktail recommendation but would love to hear more!
1st is bookers because it was one of the first bourbons I’ve ever tried and I wimped out of drinking the whole pour and the story’s got me hooked 2nd is 1792 because it was one of the first bottles that I bought that I really could enjoy 3rd is michters rye because it got me more into rye 4th is early times bottle in bond bc it showed me that all really good bourbon doesn’t have to be expensive alsotaught me what the bottle and bond act was and got me hooked on the history of bourbon
I ❤❤❤ Still Austin’s bourbons. (Haven’t tried the ryes). I order them online directly from Still Austin. SA Cask Strength and Blue Note uncut are two of my regular “go to’s.”
Love the videos! I have heard Kurt say in several videos that people get on him for interrupting. Honestly I don’t think you interrupt. To me it seems that Trenton (no offense meant) does not provide natural pause points for you to interject.
I’d need more than 4 heads. Of those I can walk into almost any decent store and buy right now, I’d say Four Roses Single Barrel, JDSBBP, Michter’s Rye, Red Breast 12. If I only had those 4 forever, I’d be happy.
I have OCD 5, Wild Turkey Rare Breed, La Crosse Distilling High Hawk and Woodford Double oak on my Mount Rushmore. The first two are fantastic the latter got me into bourbon the whiskey.
Right there with you on Rare breed I like both the bourbon and rye always on my counter. !! I'm looking for the Westward single cask. And the Still Austin. Enjoy!!🥃🥃🥃
If the four have to be whiskies that mean something special, as opposed to merely being good or great whiskies, it gets harder for me. But let me try. 🙂 Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon - I got my first bottle in December of 2021, just three months after I started drinking whiskey, and with the first sip it instantly became my favorite whisky. It kept that position till this spring, and it didn't lose the number 1 position because I found something better, but because the density of the flavor slipped. But I still really love it, and I'm sad that they've quit making it. Knob Creek Single Barrel Select, Kelly Liquors store pick - the manager of "my" Kelly Liquors store gave me a sample of this a year or so ago, and I knew immediately that if I could find the money I had to have a bottle. I'm now on my third bottle, and if they don't run out first I want to get a fourth. Sagamore Spirit Cask Strength - I'm still slowly experimenting with rye whisky, and various bottles have gotten onto my "standards" list, but this is the most fantastic rye I've ever had. The regular Sagamore Spirit is fine whisky, and made me a rye drinker (though I do prefer bourbon), but the Cask Strength is magnificent. And finally... Abasolo Mexican corn whisky - I recently got four samples, of which this was one. I'd wanted to try Abasolo for a long while, a kind person online said she'd send me a sample - and did, along with the three others. I like the whisky, and within a week had bought my own bottle, but I'll never forget the unexpected kindness that went above and beyond the call.
I wanna try the still Austin cask strength BUT at the cost of 100+ dollars before tax and not a pick up here in wa i dont think its worth it yet for that price!
No unicorns on my list: Eagle Rare 10 (90 proof) - Probably the best entry bottle of all bourbon Knob Creek 9 - (100 proof) - My absolute favorite bargain bottle. 9-year, 100 proof in a jug handle Old Forester 1920 (115 proof) - A high proof bottle that would be allocated if people collected bottles based on flavor. Elijah Craig BP Batch Release or EC Store Pick (120+ proof) - All these high aged, barrel proof bottles are pretty fabulous
Stagg - was the first really high proof sip I enjoyed PipeDream - all time favorite daily sipper WR Double Oak - first time I was like ‘oh yah there’s a vanilla flavor here’ OGD BiB - the high rye mash bill that started me like for rye
Have you tried a newer bottle of Maker's Mark 46 CS (red label, screw top)? I'm a fan of the regular Maker's Mark CS but my bottle of 46 CS had some harsh notes that I did not enjoy. Some family and friends tried samples from my bottle and agreed that it tasted harsh. Wondering if I just got a bad bottle or if the newer bottles aren't as good as the older ones. Side note - I really enjoy the Heart Release and that also uses French oak. I'd be interested to see a 3 way blind between your older bottle of 46 CS, a more current release of the 46 CS, and the Heart Release to see 1: if 46 CS has noticeably changed since updating the bottle and 2: how the Heart Release stacks up to a similar (at least on paper) and cheaper release.
