the question is, if you had to pick one brand of BOURBON among those available at any store
Bourbon? Lots of people naming whiskeys that aren't bourbon. For the OP, there are several varieties of whiskey/whisky. As a simple introduction:
Knob Creek, Maker's Mark, or Woodford Reserve are good bourbon whiskies and readily available.
Jack Daniels is Tennessee whiskey, and differs from bourbon by the process of the charcoal filtering (this applies to George Dickel as well). Extra note of interest on Jack, something that I always wondered about until I toured the distillery, the green label comes only from the first two floors of the barrel houses where the temperatures are not as consistent.
Johnny Walker is Scotch whisky.
Jameson, and even better - Bushmill's, is Irish whiskey.
Crown Royal is Canadian whisky.
On top of those basic categories, there are differences in grain and malt, blended and single, just so many options. As a new drinker, you have a daunting task ahead of you: Trying as many as you can!
Friendly advice: Whatever you decide to drink wait until after the reunion. Best of luck to ya!
Bourbon? Lots of people naming whiskeys that aren't bourbon. For the OP, there are several varieties of whiskey/whisky. As a simple introduction:
Knob Creek, Maker's Mark, or Woodford Reserve are good bourbon whiskies and readily available.
Jack Daniels is Tennessee whiskey, and differs from bourbon by the process of the charcoal filtering (this applies to George Dickel as well). Extra note of interest on Jack, something that I always wondered about until I toured the distillery, the green label comes only from the first two floors of the barrel houses where the temperatures are not as consistent.
Johnny Walker is Scotch whisky.
Jameson, and even better - Bushmill's, is Irish whiskey.
Crown Royal is Canadian whisky.
On top of those basic categories, there are differences in grain and malt, blended and single, just so many options. As a new drinker, you have a daunting task ahead of you: Trying as many as you can!
Bourbon? Lots of people naming whiskeys that aren't bourbon. For the OP, there are several varieties of whiskey/whisky. As a simple introduction:
Knob Creek, Maker's Mark, or Woodford Reserve are good bourbon whiskies and readily available.
Jack Daniels is Tennessee whiskey, and differs from bourbon by the process of the charcoal filtering (this applies to George Dickel as well). Extra note of interest on Jack, something that I always wondered about until I toured the distillery, the green label comes only from the first two floors of the barrel houses where the temperatures are not as consistent.
Johnny Walker is Scotch whisky.
Jameson, and even better - Bushmill's, is Irish whiskey.
Crown Royal is Canadian whisky.
On top of those basic categories, there are differences in grain and malt, blended and single, just so many options. As a new drinker, you have a daunting task ahead of you: Trying as many as you can!
I've done the tour several times. If you are ever in the Nashville area, I highly recommend you take a detour and visit Lynchburg. It's a 1.5-2 hr drive through some beautiful country south of Nashville. The last time there we met the then Master Distiller Jimmy Bedford, and actually found The Daniels family burial plot where Mr. Jack is buried. And the Red Caboose BBQ in the town square will make you want to smack yo mama their ribs are so good!
When I toured they had just recently achieved changes in the county laws that allowed them to sell Jack Daniels to consumers in Lynchburg, as long as it was in commemorative gift bottles in their shop at the distillery. I still have the bottle, but Jack Daniels can only be truly commemorated by drinking the contents, which I most certainly did in honor of such a truly fine American as Mr. Daniels.
Trips to West Texas made me & my brother take a liking to George Dickel...It's smooth stuff. The problem is, we can't get it here. I don't believe there's an LA distributor.
We "import" it when we go to Texas.....
So I have to go to my girlfriend's family reunion for labor day weekend in craphole Mississippi. It is going to suck bigtime, and the family drama already started two weeks ago. The GF promised to buy me a bottle of whiskey to help me through, but I'm not sure which I should get.
Canadian Club