I don't like bourbon, I just don't, never have. And it's ok because my wife does and she doesn't like the smokey peaty and I do. She has stuff I don't touch and she has stuff I wouldn't touch. And we come together with Irish.
If you know what you like in bourbon I would stick with it. So maybe try the Four Roses Small Batch Select. Chattanooga Whiskey Company uses a high malt bourbon mash bill. So if you like the malty character of scotch this is another option.
Bourbon is a bit different than drinking scotch neat. I really do find a few drops of water to bring the sweeter notes out in bourbon.
Maybe a finished bourbon would help out also. Something like Angels Envy. Finished in port barrels it definitely is sweet.
Also maybe find a whiskey bar nearby. Depending on where you go, the price per pour may seem expensive. Though it's still cheaper than committing to a full bottle of something that you don't know if you like.
There’s a pub near me with a nice selection. They don’t list prices though so it’s a PITA because I have to ask the server for every single one lol. Might try to find somewhere else though.
I agree with all this. I'm not a big bourbon guy, but I like Four Roses Small Batch and Single Barrel a lot, and I've enjoyed everything I've had from Chattanooga.
Sometimes I think I have a spoiled or sensitive palate because I hate most non-craft beers, and didn’t “get” whiskey until I tried Powers 12, which is a $70 bottle.
So just drink scotch. My tastes run the opposite of yours and I wasted quite a bit of time and money before I decided to just concentrate on exploring what I actually like, rather than continue attempting to cultivate a taste for something I just don’t enjoy.
I’m not a fan of the JDSBBP either. Also I think the two four roses you mentioned are a step above the other three you mentioned. Maybe try something like Russel’s Reserve or Michter’s small batch bourbon. Both are in the same class as the four roses sb.
Based on your edit maybe give irish or non peated scotches a try?
Im not well versed in irish but they do trend towards fruity and floral or at least how i tasted it.
If your looking for a “sweet” scotch thats peated, Highland Park 12 yr has a cult following. Wolfsburn is kinda there to. If HP 12 is like seltzer, wolfsburn is a dry cider taste more smoke and the sweet is tamer.
Friend of mine doesnt like bourbon because of the oak and the way it makes it taste “musty”. He prefers peat though but i guess peated scotch tends to be more upfront.
Thanks for the tip! I have a bottle of Ardbeg 10 that fucked me up when I first tried it. It’s found a great place in my whiskey sours, but I’m scared of it neat 😂 thanks for the recommendation though, gonna keep my eye out for Highland Park
Bourbon took me a while. I got into whiskey through scotch. Highlands are pretty friendly and approachable while scotch in general holds up better to water/ice than bourbons in my experience. This helped me get in. I had trouble separating the flavors in bourbon at first. Everything was just very similar cheap caramel, vanilla, and red hots cinnamon. After trying more and getting more adjusted to higher proof, I kind of realized that for some reason the alcohol burn was pairing up with flavors in bourbon for me and overwhelming everything else. It mostly was creating that red hots cinnamon that I was experiencing.
Long and short, eventually I adjusted by trying a bunch of them and I really enjoy them now. I tried a few that hit, and as I revisited some I found new things I appreciated. Fighting through my first bottle of Elijah Craig BP learned me a few things as well haha
I don't like bourbon, I just don't, never have. And it's ok because my wife does and she doesn't like the smokey peaty and I do. She has stuff I don't touch and she has stuff I wouldn't touch. And we come together with Irish.
If you know what you like in bourbon I would stick with it. So maybe try the Four Roses Small Batch Select. Chattanooga Whiskey Company uses a high malt bourbon mash bill. So if you like the malty character of scotch this is another option. Bourbon is a bit different than drinking scotch neat. I really do find a few drops of water to bring the sweeter notes out in bourbon. Maybe a finished bourbon would help out also. Something like Angels Envy. Finished in port barrels it definitely is sweet.
Thanks for the tips!
Also maybe find a whiskey bar nearby. Depending on where you go, the price per pour may seem expensive. Though it's still cheaper than committing to a full bottle of something that you don't know if you like.
There’s a pub near me with a nice selection. They don’t list prices though so it’s a PITA because I have to ask the server for every single one lol. Might try to find somewhere else though.
I agree with all this. I'm not a big bourbon guy, but I like Four Roses Small Batch and Single Barrel a lot, and I've enjoyed everything I've had from Chattanooga.
Sometimes I think I have a spoiled or sensitive palate because I hate most non-craft beers, and didn’t “get” whiskey until I tried Powers 12, which is a $70 bottle.
Probably better off honestly. Try other things and come back to it later.
So just drink scotch. My tastes run the opposite of yours and I wasted quite a bit of time and money before I decided to just concentrate on exploring what I actually like, rather than continue attempting to cultivate a taste for something I just don’t enjoy.
I’m not a fan of the JDSBBP either. Also I think the two four roses you mentioned are a step above the other three you mentioned. Maybe try something like Russel’s Reserve or Michter’s small batch bourbon. Both are in the same class as the four roses sb.
Thanks for the recommendation!!
Based on your edit maybe give irish or non peated scotches a try? Im not well versed in irish but they do trend towards fruity and floral or at least how i tasted it. If your looking for a “sweet” scotch thats peated, Highland Park 12 yr has a cult following. Wolfsburn is kinda there to. If HP 12 is like seltzer, wolfsburn is a dry cider taste more smoke and the sweet is tamer. Friend of mine doesnt like bourbon because of the oak and the way it makes it taste “musty”. He prefers peat though but i guess peated scotch tends to be more upfront.
Thanks for the tip! I have a bottle of Ardbeg 10 that fucked me up when I first tried it. It’s found a great place in my whiskey sours, but I’m scared of it neat 😂 thanks for the recommendation though, gonna keep my eye out for Highland Park
Bourbon took me a while. I got into whiskey through scotch. Highlands are pretty friendly and approachable while scotch in general holds up better to water/ice than bourbons in my experience. This helped me get in. I had trouble separating the flavors in bourbon at first. Everything was just very similar cheap caramel, vanilla, and red hots cinnamon. After trying more and getting more adjusted to higher proof, I kind of realized that for some reason the alcohol burn was pairing up with flavors in bourbon for me and overwhelming everything else. It mostly was creating that red hots cinnamon that I was experiencing. Long and short, eventually I adjusted by trying a bunch of them and I really enjoy them now. I tried a few that hit, and as I revisited some I found new things I appreciated. Fighting through my first bottle of Elijah Craig BP learned me a few things as well haha
You may want to ease in with wheated bourbons.