Bourbon - where to start ?

There are plenty discussions about your topic if you look in the history of the discussions but I will try to give you my five cent to this - I would generally separate my recommendations into three categories: 1. would be the "Standard" Bourbon with Rye used as flavoring element in the mash bill; 2. would be wheated Bourbon and 3. would be Rye.

"Standard Bourbons": - Knob Creek Single Barrel - Eagle Rare 10 yo - Four Roses Small Batch/Single Barrel - Blanton´s Straight from the Barrel - Booker´s - Elijah Craig 12 yo Barrel Proof - Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Wheated Bourbons: - Maker´s Mark 46 - Old Weller Antique 107 - William Larue Weller - Pappy van Winkle 15 (or 20) (the last two are very good but much more expensive and difficult to get)

Rye: - Rittenhouse 100 Proof - Knob Creek Rye 100 Proof - Bulleit Rye - Willet Family Rye (from 3 yo on and older) - Sazerac 18 yo - Thomas H. Handy (the last two are outstanding in quality...and price)

I will chime in here with my "triumvirate" of Maker's Mark 46, Booker's, and Wild Turkey Rare Breed. The Maker's 46, particularly, is a solid scotch-lover's bourbon, in my opinion.

I second Bookers, Eagle Rare 10, and Old Weller 107. While technically not a bourbon, I would also suggest George Dickel #12. Just go for the Bookers first!

Eagle Rare is a favourite of mine, For Roses and Elijah Craig are also quite enjoyable. There are some great suggestions posted here. If you get the chance, a side by side tasting of Knob Creek and Bulleit is fun as they both offer very different flavours for reasonable prices.

Personally, I would start with Buffalo Trace, then Eagle Rare 10, followed by Wild Turkey rare breed. The ER10 Is Particularly good. Honestly though... @Victor is the man I asked and his advice was excellent.

My bourbon journey started with Makers Mark, Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek 9 yo and Buffalo Trace, all of which I think are a good starting point before getting stuck into the serious stuff!

@Jules, buckle up brother, the ride into Bourbon County is exhilarating. New Oak, barrel char, a variety of grains and a wide range of yeast strains can create a whole new experience for the malt drinker.

It is probably best to jump right in and try some top shelf expressions. Premium Bourbon is somewhat more affordable (in my neighbourhood) than Premium Single Malt and lends itself more easily to a plunge into the deep end; however, the Super-premium releases are ultra expensive and can be quite difficult to acquire.

The list of 100 'Highest Rated' whiskies at Connosr is a dependable guide for your introduction to Bourbon.

Here are the rankings of Bourbon by the Connosr community:

Old Rip Van Winkle's 15 year old...Good luck finding thi$ one.

Booker's True Barrel Bourbon, 7 to 8 tears in heavy #4 char and approx. 125 pf to 130 pf...tonic for the soul.

Blanton's Straight from the Cask 130 to 135 pf NAS...cherry-picked premium barrels.

Angel's Envy Port Barrel Finish...I hope to some day taste this.

Elijah Craig 18 Year old…magnificent

Elmer T Lee Single Barrel 90 pf…my ‘go to’ bourbon.

For additional consideration:

Knob Creek Single Barrel 9 YO 120 pf, Hancock's President's Reserve Single Barrel 88.9 pf, Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel 100 pf, Four Roses Single Barrel 100 pf.

Wheated Bourbon: W.L Weller 12 YO 90 pf (or any Weller at all) and Maker's 46, 94 pf.

These are but a few of many excellent bourbon whiskies.

Cheers!

FYI I have started with the W.L Weller 12, very pleased with my first true foray into Bourbon!

@Jules, the Weller gets better with time; as the space in the bottle grows, so does the enjoyment of this stellar wheater. Give it a few months to bloom, if you can.