During the 4th of July holiday my family gathered in Nashville for Family Reunion 2017. As always, a significant amount of drinking was enjoyed by all. Following the Reunion, 5 of us headed north to explore the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We had a wonderful time, saw some pretty landscapes and tasted some really great bourbons. I was on a mission to find the perfect sipping bourbon. We visited as many distilleries and tasting rooms as we could. Each one provided something unique both in their story and their product. I found it relatively easy to determine my favorite bourbon at Buffalo Trace, and at Bulleit, and at Makers Mark and all the others. The problem was I still didn’t know which was the overall best. This would require a head-to-head taste off.
This past weekend my wife and I were at our daughters place in Arlington, VA for a visit. This seemed like the perfect time and place for a Best of the Best Blind Taste Test. So we went about setting the stage.
The test consisted of the following bourbons:
1st – Jim Beam Black Extra Aged
2nd – Bulleit Barrel Strength
3rd – Eagle Rare
4th – Basil Hayden’s
5th – Makers 46
6th – Buffalo Trace
7th – Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select
Part of what makes these results so interesting is that with the prices of these bourbons ranging from $16 to $60 per bottle, the Jim Beam is the most affordable.
Now obviously this was just one blind taste test by 4 people and can’t be taken as the definitive result. Much more intense research and comparison will have to be made and I know just the family who is ready for additional taste testing.
This past weekend my wife and I were at our daughters place in Arlington, VA for a visit. This seemed like the perfect time and place for a Best of the Best Blind Taste Test. So we went about setting the stage.
The test consisted of the following bourbons:
- Jim Beam Black Extra Aged
- Eagle Rare
- Bulleit Barrel Strength
- Basil Hayden’s
- Buffalo Trace
- Makers 46
- Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select (Technically not a bourbon but included anyway)
1st – Jim Beam Black Extra Aged
2nd – Bulleit Barrel Strength
3rd – Eagle Rare
4th – Basil Hayden’s
5th – Makers 46
6th – Buffalo Trace
7th – Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select
Part of what makes these results so interesting is that with the prices of these bourbons ranging from $16 to $60 per bottle, the Jim Beam is the most affordable.
Now obviously this was just one blind taste test by 4 people and can’t be taken as the definitive result. Much more intense research and comparison will have to be made and I know just the family who is ready for additional taste testing.
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