A good whiskey/bourbon as a gift

[Hank]

It's the favorite of meth freaks all over The South.

Jack Daniels is for silly tourists and teenagers

[John Watson]

It's the favorite of meth freaks all over The South.

I found Gentleman Jack to be much more drinkable than regular Jack.
Of course it's still in the league of cheap corporate swill.
But with much less of the harsh burning, delirium and tremors.

[AK49]

Bulleit is quite good for the price.

I disagree too. I thought Bulliet Bourbon is pretty flat tasting. Bulliet Rye is good though.

There is a good Bourbon thread and a Scotch thread here in the SS forums with lots of good recommendations and discussion.

[Dr. Manhattan]

Stagg, Jr. looks, smells, and tastes like syrup but at 134 proof, "a little dab'll do ya." This is a remarkable , BT bourbon that can take the place of dessert; it really is that sweet. Even if you prefer it neat, you might want to add a splash or 2 of water or an ice cube to cut down the proof. Frankly, if it were 90 proof, it might be TOO smooth. The color is very dark and even The Wife thinks she could drink this on ice. It may be too sweet for some yet I admire all BT bourbons and how they can make a true bourbon that tastes and smells like maple syrup. If you enjoy BT bourbons (and I certainly do), you should have a bottle of this hooch.

According to research, Stagg, Jr. is Old Charter (old age but I don't recall how many years) relabeled and proof-boosted because of demand spikes on bourbon that began years ago (particularly Asian markets). Distilleries have trouble raising prices on existing labels when demand spikes; a result of customer reactions to pricing (for the record, I fully understand supply/demand so I am not commenting negatively on the practice - bully for them). So, they took Old Charter __ year and spiked it to create Stagg, Jr. so they could get more $ per bottle. At the Bluegrass Tavern, I had a whiff of the Old Charter __ year and indeed it did smell like pancake syrup.

BTW, Eagle Rare is Buffalo Trace aged an extra few years. BT is my daily dose and I am so accustomed to it, I struggle to notice much of a difference in Eagle Rare. If it's on sale, I will occasionally pick it up if I expect "worthy" visitors. However, if Coach Rip were attending I would not wait for the sale....

[Mark Rippetoe]

Stagg, Jr. looks, smells, and tastes like syrup but at 134 proof, "a little dab'll do ya." This is a remarkable , BT bourbon that can take the place of dessert; it really is that sweet. Even if you prefer it neat, you might want to add a splash or 2 of water or an ice cube to cut down the proof. Frankly, if it were 90 proof, it might be TOO smooth. The color is very dark and even The Wife thinks she could drink this on ice. It may be too sweet for some yet I admire all BT bourbons and how they can make a true bourbon that tastes and smells like maple syrup.

One does not drink high-gravity whiskey neat.

So, they took Old Charter __ year and spiked it to create Stagg, Jr. so they could get more $ per bottle.

You think they added alcohol to the whiskey?

[Rockfella]

Knob Creek for whatever I know.

[DannyP]

My absolute favorite ~$30 bottle of bourbon is Elijah Craig. Great stuff and bartenders tend to give an approving nod when I order it by the glass.

[tertius]

My absolute favorite ~$30 bottle of bourbon is Elijah Craig. Great stuff and bartenders tend to give an approving nod when I order it by the glass.

Yup, this has been an excellent and affordable bourbon, though I've also had the occasional off bottle.

[David Kirkham]

Can I ask the question slightly differently? What would you drink if price (reasonably) wasn't an issue? In other words what is your favorite bourbon, notwithstanding price?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Price isn't an issue. Availability is usually the issue. There are many top-shelf whiskeys that are simply unavailable in wide distribution. Stagg is good, if you can get it.