What are you Drinking?

[Capetan Mihali]

Seltzer. 

Diet Moxie.    :yankee:

More seltzer. 

[Caliga]

Moxie 

[Caliga]

Had some Buffalo Trace bourbon the other day at a party. Very smooth, quite vanilla-y I thought. How representative is that of bourbon in general?

I actually don't think I've ever tried Buffalo Trace (not one of the bourbons I can get for free, unfortunately).  If you're asking if vanilla notes are common in bourbon then I would say yes.  If you're asking about smoothness then the answer to that depends entirely on the quality of the product.  Crappy bourbons are extremely rough.  For example, I tried Four Roses Yellow Label for the first time this weekend.

[Admiral Yi]

Roughness is part of the appeal of bourbon for me.

[Capetan Mihali]

Had some Buffalo Trace bourbon the other day at a party. Very smooth, quite vanilla-y I thought. How representative is that of bourbon in general?

I'm sure Cal will have a more detailed(/Jim Beam-sponsored) answer, but Buffalo Trace is high-end.  Some of the high-end ones are "spicier" or "hotter" than others.  Most of the bourbon market is still the cheaper ones, where the proof is the main consistent taste variable, in my experience.

EDIT: Too slow.  I had a fifth of Four Roses a while back, didn't mind it a bit.  But that would probably not be a good follow-up to Buffalo Trace.

[Caliga]

I'm sure Cal will have a more detailed(/Jim Beam-sponsored) answer

So anyway Jacob, have you ever tried Knob Creek? 

[Caliga]

Roughness is part of the appeal of bourbon for me.

[Admiral Yi]

Roughness is part of the appeal of bourbon for me.

If I want smooth I drink blended Scotch.  If I want sweet I drink Irish.  If I want to feel like a murderous cowboy outlaw, I drink bourbon.

[Caliga]

Ok.

[Jacob]

So anyway Jacob, have you ever tried Knob Creek? 

Nope. Buffalo Trace is the first bourbon I've had... unless Johnnie Walker Blue Label is bourbon, but I'm pretty sure it's not?

[Jacob]

If I want smooth I drink blended Scotch.  If I want sweet I drink Irish.  If I want to feel like a murderous cowboy outlaw, I drink bourbon.

When (if ever) do you drink single malt?

[derspiess]

Had some Buffalo Trace bourbon the other day at a party. Very smooth, quite vanilla-y I thought. How representative is that of bourbon in general?

Buffalo Trace is my favorite bourbon (Knob Creek is a close second).  I'd say Buffalo Trace is probably the more vanilla-y bourbons-- but other than that I'd say it's pretty representative of top shelf small batch bourbons.  Glad to see they've expanded distribution.  When I spoke to their CEO 4 or so years ago they hadn't yet been able to distribute west of the Mississippi.

[Caliga]

Nope. Buffalo Trace is the first bourbon I've had... unless Johnnie Walker Blue Label is bourbon, but I'm pretty sure it's not?

Nope, it's Scotch.

[Admiral Yi]

When (if ever) do you drink single malt?

I drank single malt for a stretch after college as a snotty affectation.

[Caliga]

Buffalo Trace is my favorite bourbon (Knob Creek is a close second).  I'd say Buffalo Trace is probably the more vanilla-y bourbons-- but other than that I'd say it's pretty representative of top shelf small batch bourbons.  Glad to see they've expanded distribution.  When I spoke to their CEO 4 or so years ago they hadn't yet been able to distribute west of the Mississippi.

Buffalo Trace has a CEO?  I thought they were owned by Sazerac?  Do you maybe mean you talked to their Master Distiller?