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Eh? I have yet to find a Canadian whiskey I like. For bourbon, makers mark is pretty okay. The rest of them are also subpar. Scotch is the best (for my tastes anyway)
Really? Makers Mark? I'm not much of a bourbon drinker as I prefer pretty much any other type of whiskey, but there are cheaper options that are better than Makers and there are pricey options that are way better than Makers (Basil Hayden comes to mind while still being ubiquitous and reasonably priced).
Hell, Evan Williams is at least as good as Makers (better, IMO) and it's 25$ per handle.
Edit: when I said "I'm not much of a bourbon drinker," I guess that was a lie, as my cocktail of choice is an old fashioned with bourbon. I just meant, if I'm drinking liquor on ice or neat, I prefer Scotch, rye, Irish whiskey, Canadian whiskey, then bourbon. And an old fashioned is pretty good with any whiskey other than Scotch, imo.
Anyone who says Maker's Mark is the best Bourbon is someone you don't have to listen to about Bourbon. (I mean this in playful jest)
Not a bourbon expert at all, makers mark is just the best out of what I’ve tried. I don’t go out of my way to sample bourbons
Just teasing, everyone can like what they like :) but Maker's is a mid/low shelf liquor. I also enjoy it, but there are higher quality ones available.
I refuse to believe honest to god adults drink Evan Williams or Admiral Nelson. Both seem to exist primarily as a go to liquor for teenagers who only know like three liquor brands but don't have the money for the "real" stuff.
No real hate, because both absolutely deliver in terms of bang for your buck. Still, I feel like the go to cheap "adult" bourbon is Wild Turkey 81.
See, I feel the same way about Wild Turkey that you do about Evan Williams. I actually think Evan Williams is better than "the dirty bird," especially in an old fashioned
We're on the same page with Admiral Nelson, though.
The thing is with Wild Turkey you need a basic knowledge of liquor to know that it's worth it.
I grew up in an era where the internet and smartphones were a thing, but it wasn't at all common to just pull out your phone and start googling. Evan Williams and Admiral Nelson not only sound extremely similar to Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan, but the design is super similar.
So imagine a nervous teenager walks into a liquor store in around 2009. He has a fake, and doesn't realize that everyone in the store knows he's under 21 anyway and just doesn't care. He's trying to play it cool, while getting in/out fast. The general plan is to buy either a bottle of Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan, or Smirnoff.
When the teenager actually gets to the liquor he realizes that Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan are stupid expensive for a handle. Dude internally is panicking. He needs to pick something that fits within the cash he and his friends pooled, he can't ask for help, and he thinks he needs to do it fast.
Boom. Admiral Nelson. Evan Williams. Virtually a 1:1 swap in.
Trust me, I get the marketing and the need for "knockoff" liquor. All I'm saying is that as someone who learned to drink on Jack Daniels and Jim Beam, I think Evan Williams is better than the price and reputation would lead me to believe.
Bear in mind, I never actually had Evan Williams until I was in my late 20's and I had already started to develop a decent palate for Scotch and tequila (and craft beer and wine). When I finally actually tasted Evan Williams, I found I preferred it to any of the other cheap bourbons I've ever had (again, especially in a mixed drink). If I was looking for a sipping whiskey, personally I'd look for Scotch or Irish whiskey, because I don't prefer sweeter whiskeys, but Evan Williams will always be a staple for me.
I’m also not really a bourbon drinker. Makers Mark is the best out of the small selection of bourbon I’ve actually tried.
Fair enough. If you're interested, either of those options I listed are a good place to start.