Bourbon for the Derby

I don't know if its too high price wise but woodford reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky derby and makes a mean mint julep. It is one of my favorites and if it is in your price range I would go with that.

@caskers, I woud definitely go for something with bold flavour and at least 100 Proof as the bourbon is the center of the Mint Julep and the generous use of ice dampens the flavours of the bourbon. If you want to keep the budget modest I would recommend the Old Grand Dad 114 Proof. Another more spicy option would be knob creek 9yo. If you make your simple syrup with brown sugar you can enhance the character of the knob creek as it has this distinctive brown sugar/molasses aroma. Although under 100 proof Makers Mark and Buffalo Trace are also performing very well in the julep.

The OBVIOUS choice is Woodford Reserve®, the "Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby®" - commemorative liter-size bottle at a suggested retail price of $43.99.

You couldn't go wrong with Blanton's - the bottle stopper is classic Derby decor.

Perhaps you should acquire both ;)

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I use Woodford for guests to be traditional, but when mixing for myself, I use something bolder like Knob Creek 9yr or Bulleit. I love the suggestion of brown sugar simple syrup. I'm going to mix a 3:2 ratio of white to golden brown and see how it goes.

Four Roses Small Batch. It's fruity and great in a julep. Buffalo Trace is the other end of the extreme. Both are great. Personally, I don't use expensive bourbon in a julep. Even though the Four Roses is more exotic, I would reach for the Buffalo every time. It's a crowd pleaser and a wallet pleaser. Keep a bottle of Elmer T Lee handy for folks to drink neat. And if you want to get fancy, then get a bottle of Blanton's with the horse on top. Now that's a sharp lookin' bottle for the Derby and mighty good tastin too.

I like Bulleit for most bourbon cocktails,big in (rye)flavour, low on finish, which makes it very suitable for Mint Juleps in my opinion. Offcourse, a Kentucky Derby cocktail should have Kentucky bourbon in it, but I like Gentleman Jack in a julep too, smoky mint:) Woodford is too corny (72%!) expensive and sweet for my taste, but I heard its great for cooking:p I prefer Elijah Craig 12 for an Old Fashioned with a finish

Of course, it goes without saying that you can't expect to BYOB (bring your own bourbon) into the Derby, if you are lucky enough to be able to attend in person. But it might surprise some folks to learn how things have changed this year at the Derby.

The following items are banned: Backpacks, duffel bags, large purses, coolers, camcorders, tripods, cameras with detachable lenses and numerous other items will be now be prohibited at the annual event which seats 50,000 people.

In addition, fans will be subjected to an electronic wand search, according to the Associated Press. Attendees may also have their cell phones, tablets and other electronic devices searched.

“These are not wholesale changes, but these would not have happened without the events that happened” at the Boston Marathon, Churchill Downs spokesman John Asher said last week.

Asher cited the Department of Homeland Security’s slogan, “If You See Something, Say Something.”