Bozo is going to have fun with his reply.
i don’t think you’re far off. All 3 bourbons you mentioned are distilled by Buffalo Trace and owned by Sazerac. All 3 are about the same quality. I love BT store picks. I can never keep the bottle in stock at my house. It’s a damn fine bourbon for around $30.
Weller Special Reserve really isn’t my thing. Something about it just doesn’t work, but most people love it.
I usually pass on 1792 unless it’s a Full Proof store pick. 12 Year and Sweet Wheat are pretty tricky to find on the shelf.
It sounds like you’re starting on your bourbon journey. It can be exciting figuring what you like and what you don’t. A lot of people in this thread will you tell you age statements are bullshit, but I think they’re helpful when you’re getting started. Especially with ryes. I usually like ryes that 6 years old or older. I’m a little more open minded with bourbons, but I won’t drink anything younger than 4 years. I really don’t care about proof. If it tastes good it tastes good, but usually uncut and unfiltered tastes better.
Some cheaper stuff I’m drinking right now are : Sazerac Rye store picks, Evan Williams SiB, Bowman Small Batch, and Benchmark Bonded.
Bottled in bond is helpful. I won’t go through all the rules, but basically it’s at least a 4 years old, 100 proof, produced at the same distillery during the same season, and stored in a federally bonded warehouse. There’s no cheating, so it’s usually a good product.
Also look on the back of the bottle to see where it was distilled. There are some rare expectations, but I won’t buy it if it doesn’t say distilled in Kentucky, Indiana, or Jack Daniel’s on the back. Bowman is distilled in Virginia. It’s outstanding, but they’re wholly owned by BT.
I wouldn’t use the Youtube experts’ reviews to influence your decisions. It’s infotainment, and lot of them are pay for play. Word of mouth is usually much better. If I have time I’ll try to find a pour at a bar before I buy something new.
Price is always tricky. This is America, it’s worth whatever you’re willing to pay for it. The new rule seems to $10-15 per year in the barrel. Your Indiana products, MGP, tend to be more expensive because they’re a contract distiller. Still a terrific product, but they’re not as integrated and don’t have the scale of a BT or Heaven Hill.
Things I wish people told me when I got started:
- BT and Heaven Hill are the best distillers and it’s not really close. There’s a reason they’re so popular, profitable, and have been in business so long. Jack Daniel’s has recently entered the circle of trust with barrel proof picks and special releases.
- Be real careful with Jim Beam products. Almost everything with JB on the label is going to taste like peanuts. Booker’s is overpriced now, and the Knob Creek picks are probably never coming back.
- The Wild Turkey special releases aren’t worth the money except for Russell’s 13 and 15. Save your money.
- Most of the big cities in Texas have bourbon socials at least once a year. It can be a shit show, but it’s a good opportunity to try a lot of different bourbons to determine what you like. Also a great chance to try dusties, BTAC, and Pappy.
- I wouldn’t recommend ever buying Dickel unless you need to clean your deck.