Wut are you drinkin?

Yeah, sorry, baseline JD is f'ing nasty. The finish/aftertaste is about what I imagine being castrated feels like. For the price, I can't imagine why anyone would choose JD over the multitude of other far superior bourbons (and yes, it is a bourbon).

 
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EbylHusker said:
Yeah, sorry, baseline JD is f'ing nasty. The finish/aftertaste is about what I imagine being castrated feels like. For the price, I can't imagine why anyone would choose JD over the multitude of other far superior bourbons (and yes, it is a bourbon).
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I guess I don't get it. When it comes to bourbon, yeah I get it, it keeps me coming back for the right price. Gentlemen's Jack is by far superior, but JD serves a purpose now and then.

 
Even mixing JD doesn't get rid of the awful aftertaste, unless you mix it with so much mixer that an infant could drink it. So then what's the point when the exact same money can buy you a wide variety of far superior bourbons that fare well when you either drink them straight or mix them?

 
I'm willing to admit bourbon prices vary wildly depending on where you live. Not only that, but also where you buy. Your guess is as good as mine as to why. However, typical examples of far superior bourbons to standard JD that can be had for essentially the same price are Maker's Mark, Jim Beam Black, Jim Beam Devil's Cut, Knob Creek, Buffalo Trace, and so on. These are the commonly available bourbons I have experience with, so I won't list any others, but there are more in that price range that I've been told are on equal footing to what I've listed. You should be able to find at least one of those that competes with JD in terms of price wherever you live.

What you're paying for with JD is just a name. People pay what they do for it because they recognize the name and don't want to risk buying something else that "might be worse." Trust me, you're better off taking the chance.

Edit - And I submit that any of the bourbons I listed can be enjoyed neat, while standard JD most certainly can't, at least to my palate. All of them will also mix well with Coke, especially Maker's. I've never found a reasonable mixer that can eliminate the f#*k nasty finish of JD without mixing it so thin I end up wondering why I'm even adding alcohol at all.

 
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Most of the time I don't buy JD unless it is at $16.50 for a 750 ml.

Marker's Mark generally runs me around $22-25 for a 750 ml.

Jim Beam generally doesn't hitch my wagon, but Lord knows I have tried.

Devil's cut is legit, but generally runs up around $25.

Knob Creek is good, but on sale usually gets me around $28.

Still trying to find a good price for some Buffalo Trace.

 
Fair enough, it's rare for me to see JD go that low. I look for bourbons at the $25 per 750 mL mark, or better if on sale. I don't buy anything cheaper than that because they're generally complete sh#t (though Buffalo Trace often runs lower than that for some reason, at least for my area). Have you tried any of the others, even though they don't go lower than JD on sale for you? I don't feel like I'm a bourbon snob (I mean, I'm not recommending $40 or $50+ bourbons here), but I truly believe that most everyone will find the bourbons I listed to be superior to baseline JD. I think the increase in price is definitely worth it, especially if you actually like the taste of whiskey and flavors it can bring to the table.

As for Crown Royal, I don't drink it straight. It's far too "one note" for me. Crown is a great mixer, it's what I'm drinking right now in Coke. But straight? No thanks. If I want to introduce someone to a whiskey and Coke, I'll probably use Crown. It's smooth and easy drinking in Coke, and provides an introduction to the whiskey "taste."

 
I guess Bullet Bourbon is my step up when I am feeling frisky. I generally have to pay about $28 for it, but it is nice to have every once in a while.

After that price, I guess I am always willing to just go the cheap scotch route and have something really superior in taste. I am always willing to blow money on scotch.

 
Bulleit is one I've been told is on par with the others for about the same price. So if you like that, I'm sure you'd find something in the others I mentioned that you'd enjoy. I haven't tried it yet, though, so it's hard for me to comment beyond that.

For me, "cheap" Scotch is pretty bad. I've always felt that you can spend $25-$30 on legitimately good bourbons, but if you pay that for Scotch, it's going to be fairly rough. You can find a few diamonds in the rough, but it's generally much rarer than with bourbon (again, to my palate).

 
$40 for a 12 year Macallan's usually does me, however I am willing to peruse a variety until I find something special.

 
Yeah, Macallan 12 is on par with what I expect to pay to reliably find a workable Scotch. Of course, Scotch has multiple taste profiles depending on the distillery and location, so individual tastes will take over there.

We've got it good, though. I know people in the EU that pay $40-$50 for a decent bourbon (Maker's, Buffalo Trace, etc.) That just makes me sad.

 
Holy cow! I think I died a little inside.

The only thing I noticed in the EU was a general preference for Johnny Walker lower labels, which I have not been a fan of. it is cheaper than it is here and seems to be a go to liquor in quality and price.

The cheap scotch over there still makes me salivate sometimes.

 
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