Most overrated and most underrated whiskeys/whiskies

[FSUTribe76]

The most overrated would be any Pappy bourbon. There are probably 30 or more bourbons (not counting Tennessee, Canadian, Irish, Scotch, Japanese or ryes) I would go with before grabbing a Pappy and that's without factoring in the ridiculous cost.

The most underrated for me is probably a tie between the Kickin' Chicken aka Wild Turkey 101 and Monkey Shoulder. Wild Turkey 101 is always considered and priced at bottom or second from the bottom shelf, but I and a ton of whiskey reviewers usually have it as one of the best. It's not my all time favorite but is way, WAY up there. Its got nice spice to go with vanilla and the oak starts to creep into the palate when you add some spring water or ice. Monkey Shoulder on the other hand is a premium Scotch at mid shelf price. Unlike a lot of blended whiskeys like the vastly overrated Johnnie Walker Blue it has no grain alcohol, just three single grain malts. It's a mix of three Speyside Scotchs: Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Kininvie that are blended together and aged an extra 3-5 years over their original 5 years separately. And all for under $30 usually.

 

[funksouljon]

I would say all of them (whisky) are overrated but I confess, I have no appreciation for them. I did a tasting of Johnny Walker products years ago. Red, black, blue, green, gold. While I could tell the difference, I thought all of them tasted like crap.

 

[FSUTribe76]

I would say all of them (whisky) are overrated but I confess, I have no appreciation for them. I did a tasting of Johnny Walker products years ago. Red, black, blue, green, gold. While I could tell the difference, I thought all of them tasted like crap.

In Johnnie Walker I'm not a fan of the overrated blue at all but I do really like the green (which unlike the other Johnnies does NOT use grain alcohol as a base as opposed to the more expensive blue and gold). The green is similar to Monkey Shoulder in that it's all famous single malt Scotches blended together but as opposed to three Speysides it's a blend of Talisker (Isle of Skye), Cragganmore (Speyside), Linkwood (Speyside) and Caol Ila (Islay).

The only Johnnies I would keep around is Green and Explorer's Club Spice Road (which you can only get while traveling in duty free shops on cruise ships, cruise ports or international airports). I still have some double black back from when it was not commonly available and some Swing I picked up on a cruise ship but haven't gone through as it's not very good.

 

[ChiefDunn]

Overrated - Crown Royal

Underrated - Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare.

 

[ChiefDunn]

I'm also loving the Four Roses Small Batch, Bulliet Rye, and Templeton Rye. All I consider underrated.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Overrated - Crown Royal

Underrated - Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare.

I agree with you about Crown in general as it's too smooth and bland to drink on the rocks, neat or with water. But I do like it as a base for other things and like most of their flavoured variants (Apple and Maple especially).

For Canadians I like both Collinwood and 40 Creek (especially their Confederation Oak and Founder's Reserve). Also from Canada but not a "Canadian" whiskey i.e. an Irish style corn and barley whiskey made in Canada is Dillon's Canadian Rye whiskey and White Rye whiskey. Unlike most "Rye whiskeys" which are typically a small percentage rye, it is made with 100% local Ontario rye and both the aged and unaged versions are amazing.

 

[Phinhead]

Underrated:

 

[FSUTribe76]

I'm also loving the Four Roses Small Batch, Bulliet Rye, and Templeton Rye. All I consider underrated.

Four Roses I'd consider simultaneously underrated and overrated. It's underrated because it's not really known by the general public who just pass it over as a cheap generic bourbon because it's got a stupid name and an ugly bottle. Simultaneously, 4 Roses is well known in the craft distillery market and by whiskey afficionados where I think it's significantly overrated. It's (to me) the Rolling Rock or PBR of the whiskey world, unknown to mainstream public and vastly overrated within its niche.

Bulleitt is a nice "B bourbon" i.e. it fits perfectly alongside Basil Hayden (my favorite B bourbon), Bakers, Booker's, Blanton's, Buffalo Trace, Bowman, etc... as really nice bourbon. It's not my favorite so I don't keep it in stock but I'm not turning it down.

Templeton...I'm not sure I've had it by itself. I keep Dillon's Canadian Rye, Sazerac Rye, and Wild Turkey Rye.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Underrated:

Not sure I've had that one either, I'll have to give it a tryski.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Overrated - Makers Mark. It seems to be the choice of those who mix their bourbon with coke. Not bad but nothing special.
Underrated - Hudson's baby Bourbon. 100% corn mash. Has a nice burn from the time it hits your tongue.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Overrated - Makers Mark. It seems to be the choice of those who mix their bourbon with coke. Not bad but nothing special.
Underrated - Hudson's baby Bourbon. 100% corn mash. Has a nice burn from the time it hits your tongue.

Not only have I not had Hudsons I'm not even sure I've heard of it. I'll have to see if they have it here.

As far as Makers I view it similar to Crown in that it's too smooth for its own good. But that's why I loved their white whiskey which is hands down the best white whiskey or moonshine I've had. Only the Doc Collier 125 comes close.

 

[ChiefDunn]

Not sure I've had that one either, I'll have to give it a tryski.

I really recommend the Eagle Rare. It's an American Bourbon. I love it just poured over some ice.

 

[DanC78]

I've been on a Woodford Reserve kick the last few months....not seeing any reason to end it either.

 

[mnole03]

Nikka Coffeys and Green Spot are underrated and can often be found on sale.

 

[cfbfan23]

This is what my F-I-L drinks. Knowing the man, I'm guessing it's not something to be proud of.

 

[On Iowa]

This is what my F-I-L drinks. Knowing the man, I'm guessing it's not something to be proud of.

The fact that it's in a plastic jug should be a hint, too.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Not only have I not had Hudsons I'm not even sure I've heard of it. I'll have to see if they have it here.

As far as Makers I view it similar to Crown in that it's too smooth for its own good. But that's why I loved their white whiskey which is hands down the best white whiskey or moonshine I've had. Only the Doc Collier 125 comes close.

Go to BJ's Brewhouse. That's the first place I had it. They really have a decent bourbon selection.

 

[TexSkills]

This is what my F-I-L drinks. Knowing the man, I'm guessing it's not something to be proud of.

That stuff is absolute crap. We used to get a cheap one in college called "Kentucky Deluxe". It was basically caramel colored paint thinner.

My go to Scotch is Balvenie. I don't usually stray from it. If I do, I get Macallan. I think Glenfiddich is overrated but that's just me.

IMO, regular Makers is overrated but I actually like the Makers 46. I buy it from time to time. One of my favorites is Jeffersons.

My in-laws just got back from a tour of the Bourbon Trail and they brought back Evan Williams 101 proof. That stuff was goooooood.

 

[cfbfan23]

My M-I-L thinks Woodbridge and Vendage are fantastic wines.

Taking out a recycling box overflowing with empty bottles of Kentucky Gentleman and Vendage is something I get to experience just about every time I visit them. Stay classy!

 

[DFSNOLE]

Not only have I not had Hudsons I'm not even sure I've heard of it. I'll have to see if they have it here.

As far as Makers I view it similar to Crown in that it's too smooth for its own good. But that's why I loved their white whiskey which is hands down the best white whiskey or moonshine I've had. Only the Doc Collier 125 comes close.

The Makers Cask Strength is better. The higher proof gives it some bite. Bought a bottle of the Private Select at the distillery. Basically 46 cask strength. The version I got was more like a rye. Good stuff.

 

[HilltopperNole]

Underrated: Bird Dog

 

[FSUTribe76]

The Makers Cask Strength is better. The higher proof gives it some bite. Bought a bottle of the Private Select at the distillery. Basically 46 cask strength. The version I got was more like a rye. Good stuff.

Now that I'm starting to make a little more scratch, I've upgraded my "cheap mixer" cocktail whiskey from Powers Irish and Crown to regular strength Makers 46. It's got a nice smoothness but has a little more flavor than Crown and Powers (but not so much it dominates a cocktail).

 

[DFSNOLE]

Not only have I not had Hudsons I'm not even sure I've heard of it. I'll have to see if they have it here.

As far as Makers I view it similar to Crown in that it's too smooth for its own good. But that's why I loved their white whiskey which is hands down the best white whiskey or moonshine I've had. Only the Doc Collier 125 comes close.

What to look for.

 

[FSUTribe76]

What to look for.

So it's a Yankee bourbon...I assumed those would just burst into flames immediately upon crossing the Mason Dixon line. That's probably why I haven't seen it.

 

[FSUTribe76]

What to look for.

On a complete side note, for some reason it seems like everyone is switching to stubby little bottles like this one. Not only is the Monkey Shoulder now in a similar looking bottle but I just bought some Suntory Hibiki Harmony whiskey/Japanese "Scotch" and a highly rated whiskey from Weeki Wachee Florida that all come in variations of these stubby little bottles.

 

[FSUTribe76]

What to look for.

Oh and the Dillon's Canadian Rye as well comes in a stubby bottle.

The Suntory I just bought

The Monkey Shoulder

And the Weeki Wachee Florida American Rye which is actually pretty good even though it's made maybe ten miles from my old hometown

 

[FSUTribe76]

Actually speaking of that distillery in my hometown that makes craft American Rye that's won some awards in its first year of existence, they also do an even better rum. Their rum is much better than the one at the much bigger St Augustine Distillery and Key West distilleries plus the other Florida distillery you can find at ABC. Miles better. And they do it at an almost laughably small scale. No joke their equipment produces far less than a friend of mine who makes....small engine cleaner...as a hobby. But the American Rye they produce is excellent on par with a lot of the really good ryes albeit not on par with Dillon's Canadian Rye imo while their rum is fantastic. It depends on what you want in a rum as I enjoy the banana esters that occur in Black Seal rum a lot and that's my go to, but if you want a caramel heavy rum it's as good or better than Pyrat.

 

[DFSNOLE]

There is a local distillery, just above Destin, that is producing several different products. I haven't tried any but they haven't gotten a good review from friends that have.

http://timbercreekdistillery.com/

 

[FSUTribe76]

There is a local distillery, just above Destin, that is producing several different products. I haven't tried any but they haven't gotten a good review from friends that have.

http://timbercreekdistillery.com/

I've seen that at either the ABC or Market Square in Tally but haven't tried it yet to see if it's any good.

I do really like the gin produced at St Augustine especially their new small batch aged gin made in used white/French/dry vermouth barrels. It works incredibly well in my new favorite home cocktail the Aviation (I do two shots of gin to one shot Luxardo, one shot lemon juice and a little over a half a shot creme de violette, it's a smooth delicious combination of herby, floral, sweet and sour cocktail that still has a lot of kick as it's almost all booze). I just much prefer the Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rum to the St Augustine version.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Oh and a word of caution on the Aviation. When I say Luxardo, I mean Luxardo you can't substitute in maraschino cherry juice just because Luxardo is "maraschino liqueur". They taste nothing at all alike. American maraschino cherries is a bright red, artificial cherry flavored super sweet juice with no alcohol while Luxardo is a faintly green and highly alcoholic, all natural sour cherry liqueur that really tastes nothing at all like sweet cherries you get from a grocery store. So they are not substitutes. Luxardo gives a very rich, savoury like umami flavor to drinks not sickeningly sweet cherry flavor.

So this

And NOT this

Luxardo is also great in another old gin cocktail that's "manly" i.e. Not sweet and full of booze called the Last Word. You use gin, Luxardo, green not yellow Chartreuse and lime juice but I forgot the recipe from memory.

 

[West Duval Nole]

I agree with you about Crown in general as it's too smooth and bland to drink on the rocks, neat or with water.

Blasphemy. Drink on the rocks quite a bit and sometimes with a splash of water. Crown reserve is especially great for this because it is smooth.

 

[FSUTribe76]

To tie this all back in to the whiskey. If you haven't done so already, try making a Manhattan the way they were made pre-Prohibition. Rather than a bourbon with a dump of sweet red vermouth and sickeningly sweet American Maraschino juice and a splash of bitters, use what they did in the pre-prohibition era and use a Rye whiskey with French dry/white Vermouth (the original was Italian vermouth but it was dry white Italian that you can't get post WW2, so use the French white dry instead) and Luxardo with a splash of Angostora. It's a much more savoury and "manly" drink that is still easy drinking and sophisticated.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Blasphemy. Drink on the rocks quite a bit and sometimes with a splash of water. Crown reserve is especially great for this because it is smooth.

Nah, not enough flavor. Crown by itself is for nubes who "don't like whiskey" aka haven't developed a palate for all of the spicy and oaky flavours that go with the highest quality whiskies. It certainly has a place in my bar but not as a straight drink it's a mixer. I do like to get some maple Crown or Apple Crown and place it over ice as a digestif/night cap on the weekend. Another thing I did once but should totally do again is used it instead of grappa, vodka or moonshine to make homemade limoncello. That was AMAZING.

Follow this recipe making sure you let the simple syrup cool before mixing with the lemon infused Crown. You use the zest only, not the juice (you can add a couple of lemon tree leaves for greater depth if you have one or know someone).

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/32451/limoncello/

 

[West Duval Nole]

Nah, not enough flavor. Crown by itself is for nubes who "don't like whiskey" aka haven't developed a palate for all of the spicy and oaky flavours that go with the highest quality whiskies. It certainly has a place in my bar but not as a straight drink it's a mixer. I do like to get some maple Crown or Apple Crown and place it over ice as a digestif/night cap on the weekend. Another thing I did once but should totally do again is used it instead of grappa, vodka or moonshine to make homemade limoncello. That was AMAZING.

Follow this recipe making sure you let the simple syrup cool before mixing with the lemon infused Crown. You use the zest only, not the juice (you can add a couple of lemon tree leaves for greater depth if you have one or know someone).

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/32451/limoncello/

I will try it. But the maple i tried and it was way too sweet. It was like maple syrup. The apple is excellent though.

 

[DanC78]

Crown is the Bud Light of whisky for sure!

 

[LesClaypool]

Bourbon is the Bud Light of liquors.

 

[FreeFlyNole]

I got really into bourbon ahead of the curve, before it was the hipster thing to do. Back when I was in college and the Army I drank Jim Beam or Jack and as I started making money I branched out. I've tried just about everything out there. In my wine room I have about 15 different bottles of bourbon now. These days I only buy Wild Turkey 101 and Blanton's. I buy Blanton's in case I have a fancy guest because it's a solid in the mid $50's range and is respectable, I buy WT because that is what I like to drink.

I do also like Michter's a lot, but it's a once in a while buy for me. I really like their Toasted Barrel Bourbon and when I run into that I'll buy a couple of bottles.

It is a known fact in my family that if you are buying me anything it pretty much had better be Bourbon, that is how I keep so many in the rotation, and everyone buys me different stuff. Pretty much birthdays, christmas, fathers day, I get two or three bottles of bourbon.

I have 2 bottles of Pappy 23 right now, it's good, but it's more bragging whiskey, not really for drinking. In my opinion it's over rated at the retail price and just insane at the black market prices.

Crown Royal has always been over rated. I drink VO and mix it with Ginger Ale, if you're going to mix there is virtually no difference.

Buillet, High West and a bunch of others are way over rated too, many of them are just marketing and they bought bulk whiskey when that Seagrms factory in Indiana closed down.

 

[ericram]

What to look for.

Where do you buy this from?

 

[DanC78]

Bourbon is the Bud Light of liquors.

Really....I thought Bourbon had a rugged but pretentious persona.... kind of like a leather bound book and rich mahogany. I would label Vodka and/or Rum as the Bud Light of liquors. Tequila could also be put in this group when purchasing from TGI Friday's. But there are actually some really really good sipping ones out there.

 

[cfbfan23]

Really....I thought Bourbon had a rugged but pretentious persona.... kind of like a leather bound book and rich mahogany. QUOTE]

You're getting bourbon confused with scotch.