Bourbon, Tennessee and friends

Aginor

Vice Admiral
Hi there!
This is a question for forum members who like whisky (or whiskey, some write an 'e' and some don't for some reason), especially those from Kentucky or Tennessee since this thread is mainly going to be about American whiskey like Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. This is not about other whiskey like Scotch or Irish whiskey, and the next paragraph will tell you why.

I know that most people out there who like whiskey prefer some single malt Scotch or Irish whiskey, and I usually agree, since I already found some of those which I could actually enjoy (I'm not a whiskey fan most of the time), but the only American whiskeys I have tasted are Johnny Walker, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam (and some really cheap ones of which I can't remember the names), and I didn't like them at all.
But a few days ago I was at a friend's place, and he is also interested in whiskey and shares that opinion, so we wondered: Maybe there is some high quality Bourbon or Tennessee whiskey that could fit our taste? I never tasted one that I really liked, not a single one of the Bourbons. In fact I can't drink most of them at all.
We decided to go ahead try some of them to find out which ones we like. We are going to buy some bottles of American whiskey in the next few weeks and then meet and get horribly drunk carefully try all of them. Those we don't like will still become a part of my friend's collection of whiskeys so nothing can't go wrong, can it?

I already bought a bottle of Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon (25€ in a store here), which is going to be the first one on the list. I have no idea how it will taste but that is the fun in it I guess. :D

So here's the question to you guys: Which Bourbons, Tennessee whiskeys and Ryes would you recommend so we can have a broad spectrum of tastes without buying thirty bottles of whiskeys?
As soon as I have a list I consider big enough I will try to buy them somewhere. That may become my second problem since I guess some of them won't even get exported to Germany on a regular basis but if you know one I should really really try, put it on the list and I will see if I can find a way to get it.
And please post a rough price per bottle if you have one.

That's it! The whiskey must flow!
 
I am mainly a Rum drinker, but concerning whiskeys, have you tried "four roses" whiskey? Should be around 20-25€, the taste is rather smooth with vanilla aroma.
 
Thanks for your input!
I heard of it lately, you are the second person who recommends it. It may make it on the list, but some people say it is quite similar to Maker's Mark which is the reason why I didn't mention it yet (not sure if they are right though).
It is on the "best bourbons" list of this website: http://www.bluekitchen.net/bourbongallery.html so it might be interesting.
 
Thanks for the input!
But aren't there four or so different versions of the Wild Turkey? Which one can you recommend for starters?
 
The original is a 86.8 proof. Not much point in the 81 since it's no stronger then common 80 proof liquor in a Publix liquor store, just slightly milder. The 101's are REALLY good. If you like aged, put a 12 year bottle away for special occasions.

Outside of Whiskey, there is this great honey-rum I love from my Fatherland. I have my own local supplier but Binny's has a page on it:
http://www.binnys.com/spirits/Old_Krupnik_114571.html

I can't stand Vodka so when I like a dose of something from across the pond, this is my go-to drink outside of domestic SoCo.
 
Nah, Kruptnik is Polish honey rum. Lithuanian's are practically cousins though. Anyone else who suffered under the Soviets is a cousin to me. Got a bottle of the stuff in front of me. The honey takes a lot of the bitterness of rum I don't like and goes down smoother than a baby's backside.
 
Apologies for the ignorance, Wikipedia had me believe it was Lithuanian. Any Eastern bloc country is still a great background, a very rich history and culture. I had a girlfriend from Krakow once, lovely lady but she returned home after completing her studies here. Anyway I'm going off topic again, do enjoy the interesting drink!
 
Apologies for the ignorance, Wikipedia had me believe it was Lithuanian. Any Eastern bloc country is still a great background, a very rich history and culture. I had a girlfriend from Krakow once, lovely lady but she returned home after completing her studies here. Anyway I'm going off topic again, do enjoy the interesting drink!
My father is originally from Krakow. First of my line born in the states. Except my sister but as far as I'm concerned she doesn't count.
 
I know you're looking for American whiskeys but there's one here in Canada called Canadian Club which is pretty good, got a bit of a smoky flavour to it.
 
Here I am again, after... ehh... quite some time it seems!

And I got a question for y'all to answer:
Is it legal to send, say, two bottles of Whiskey from the USA to Germany? (as a normal person, not as a company)

My problem is the following:
I am trying to obtain two bottles of a certain Whiskey that is not imported by any German store or online shop, and one told me that EU law will even forbid importing it after 2014-12-13 (somethnig about non-marketable bottles, dunno what that means).
The brand is called "Jeremiah Weed" and you can get it in the US. It is some kind of 90 proof Blended Bourbon stuff.
It is well known by fighter pilots, which at some point in the 60s made it a traditional drink in the USAF.

So, any ideas how I can get two of those bottles without having to fly to the US and trying to smuggle them out? (Spoiler: I won't try that, turns out airport security are narrow-minded when it comes to litres of flammable liquid in your bag... :rolleyes:)
 
Is it legal to send, say, two bottles of Whiskey from the USA to Germany? (as a normal person, not as a company)

This is tricky to answer.

On one hand, I believe there is a law stating liquor cannot be sent between state lines (if I remember correctly, the law gives a BS reason when, in fact, its a "corporate entity" thing - company contracts and distribution rights and all that.)

However, I don't know if that covers OUTSIDE the US.

That said, it is illegal to be CAUGHT doing it but I know for a fact that many, many people (including a priest!) have done it without any repercussions. I think the better question is if its illegal in your home country to receive the import.
 
In Germany it is allowed to send and receive alcoholic beverages (by UPS for example), as long as it isn't more than 5 litres and below 70% alcohol.
That's also the case for most EU countries as far as I know. Although in some countries you have to pay lots of taxes, in Norway for example.

I have no info about any restrictions when receiving stuff from outside the EU, though. I assume they are different.
 
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