OK, I'm resurrecting this thread, because it deserves it. After years of drinking bourbon neat or on the rocks, I have transitioned almost exclusively to OF's with the occasional Manhattan thrown in for variety. Consistently better with rye over bourbon, and I don't see the need to pay a premium for the brown water when mixing it up. I have been gravitating to Wild Turkey 101 Rye and Rittenhouse mostly, but Bulleit is no slouch either.
I'm lazy (and probably heading towards scurvy), so instead of the orange peel I will do a couple of dashes of regular bitters (normally Angostura, but the last time I went to buy some they were out and I bought a cheaper "Old Fashioned" bitters and it does the trick - I'll track down the brand later if anyone cares) and two dashes of orange bitters. Make my own simple syrup out of turbinado sugar. Generous pours of rye. Never disappoints.
I'm sure I could have something that was a twinge tastier with rye at double the price and the actually expressed orange peel, but these are quick, easy and help me forget about my day. Mission accomplished.
I'm open to suggestions, but the quick and easy portions of the equation will likely not go away. Fire away, Surly!