Quote:
Originally Posted by Indian Chief
Bourbon falls mainly into two categories, rye heavy and wheat heavy. All bourbon has to be at least 51% corn, so that part doesn't change much. (You can find some with a much higher percentage though.) Rye heavy bourbons (and straight up rye whiskeys) tend to have a spicier note to them. Those with more wheat (and wheat whiskeys like Bernheim) are sweeter and lighter.
You can generally find out what the mash bill is from the distillers. Some make it a big secret, but not all. I would suggest finding one with a high rye % and one with a high wheat %. See what your palate prefers. It could be both if your wallet is really unlucky.
Then you can play around with cask strength bottles, like the Booker's that lewdog posted or a Stagg Jr.
The last thing I'll say, and if you've read this thread at all you've seen it multiple times, is price does not equal quality. I enjoy the hell out of Four Roses, Bulleit, and Elijah Craig Small Batch and they are a fraction of the price of many others.
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Hmmm... thanks for the info. When I was growing up... (yah, you care).. Rye whiskey was rye whiskey and Bourbon was Bourbon and Scotch was Scotch... So, what is Scotch made from? Barley. What is Bourbon's main ingredient? Corn. What is Rye Whiskey made from? Rye.
Anyhoo... corn is everywhere and cheap and many blended whiskeys are made primarily from corn. One name I'll drop is a Canadian staple called Crown Royal. CR is a blended Canadian whiskey. Here's the deal about Canadian whiskeys0--they are ALL BLENDED. There primary ingredient is something called CORN.