This is the weekly recommendations thread, for all of your recommendations needs be it what pour to buy at a bar, what bottle to try next, or what gift to buy a loved one.

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The idea is to aggregate the conversations into sticked threads to make them easier to find, easier to see history on, easier to moderate, and keep /new/ queue tidy.

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This post will be refreshed every Sunday afternoon. Previous threads can been seen here.

As much as I enjoy exploring new bourbons, I also like the tradition of drinking the same bourbon during certain events. For example, on Christmas I always drink Four Roses SB which is associated with the holidays in my brain. For some reason, a specific bottle for Derby has always eluded me. I would love to hear what bottles you all enjoy drinking on Derby, whether it is a tradition or just a recommendation.

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Another Rye. I'm on a bit of a journey to find my favorite ryes since I'm still fairly new to them.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested 10 minutes

Proof: 96.6

Age: 4-5 years, then additional 18 months in a second new oak barrel

Price: $69.99 in Orlando, FL

Nose: Heavy oak and maple, with a very small splash of cherry at the end. Smoky. Almost like a spicy barbecue sauce at times.

Palate: Thick mouthfeel. Very thick spicy oak. Maple all around. Obviously a low proof, but drinks lower. Proof does not seem to affect flavors here for me. Heavy oak on the front, leads to tannins and maple, then a light maple cherry finish.

Finish: Finish is smooth, but you can feel the heavy oak and tannins and the mouthfeel still. Lingers for quite a while. Can take minutes between sips and still remember the flavors and feels. Some light spice on the back of the throat.

Thoughts: This is my first bottle from Sagamore, but it is a very good first impression. I obviously factor in price to my reviews and ratings, but seeing as price can be so varied, bottles around $50-70 sort of fall in a similar bracket for me. This isn't what I would call an easy sipper. There's a lot to take in and something I'd rather relax and enjoy slowly. It is very enjoyable and compared to my only other double-oaked experience (WRDO), it is slightly ahead in my book.

Rating: 7/10 - t8ke scale

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.

2024: Year of the bottle kill

A sad but joyous day, my bottle of Mellow Corn has come to an end. I know this bottle is a fan favorite and It's easy to tell why!

Distillery: Heaven Hill

Cost: $22 USD ($30 CAD)

Proof: 100 BiB (50% ABV)

Mash bill: 90% Corn, 10% Rye and Malted Barley

Age: NAS

Colour: Yellow Gold

Nose: Straight corn, followed by vanilla and light oak

Mouth Feel: Light

Palate: Corn, Vanilla, Slight Banana and Oak

Finish: Corn and Vanilla, The finish is surprisingly longer than you would assume with all that young light corn flavour up front

Rating: 5/10 Good, Just Fine. (T8ke scale)

This was my first bottle of Mellow Corn, I saw it online ane stumbled across it a few weeks later. I did see in other reviews it was a soiled cheap option so I pulled the trigger and bought it. One, out of curiosity. Second, for the laughs.

This bottle did nothing but suprise me on how good it truly is for being so simple, it truly looks like it will be awful and I am so pleasantly suprised to be wrong, truly dont judge a bottle by it label

I will 100% be replacing it next time I see it.

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I'm planning to start doing this with existing and new bottles as a way to document my thoughts and appreciations for each bottle. I also like to hear others' opinions as I typically drink these alone.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested 10 minutes

Proof: 116.4

Age: Minimum of 4 years

Price: $79.99 in Orlando, FL

Nose: Very subtle nose for myself. A sweet spice followed by very light ethanol. Smells like a young whiskey.

Palate: Very thin mouthfeel. Very light rye spice, some very subtle oak. Very light leafy/pine candle. On repeated sips, I genuinely do not get much more than that.

Finish: While neither the nose or taste reveal the proof, this seems to finish fairly hot, but not overly so. As boring as this is on the nose and palate, the finish reminds you this is a fairly high proof rye which is a redeeming trait.

Thoughts: This is my first bottle from Redwood Empire, but not my first rye. Admittedly, I do not sample ryes as frequently as straight bourbons, I do delve into both and have favorites in both realms. I do not dislike the bottle, but at the same time, would rather have many other bottles for the same price and even less.

Rating: 5/10 - t8ke scale

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.

The regular Old Elk Sour Mash Reserve batches are some of my favorite whiskeys, and definitely my favorite Old Elk offerings. So when I saw this bottle as an r/bourbon pick, I immediately jumped on it. I actually think this was the first pick I ever bought.

Age: 7 years 8 months

ABV: 59.4%

Mashbill: 51% corn, 34% malt barley, 15% rye

Price: $100

Tasted neat in a rocks glass

Nose: Tons of fruit and spice and sweet cream. Slight notes of pepper and nuttiness as well.

Palate: The spice is the driver here, with the fruit and nuttiness taking a backseat. The high malt content shines here, with some floral, almost gin-like bite to it. There's a lot going on here, notes of orange, toffee, tamarind? and faint honey and sweet cream. The palate leaves your tongue tingling.

Finish: The malt spice is dominant in the finish, with the tingle from the palate extending into the finish. Spice and fruit are also present

Overall: This was not at all what I was expecting. It's completely different from the Sour Mash Reserve batches which had more of a smokey, oakey flavor to it. This one is spiced fruit and creaminess. It's most similar to the Westward CS ASM r/bourbon pick, with the spiced fruit and floral notes. This sour mash isn't my favorite whiskey, but it's an excellent "change of pace" drink, and if you like malt and fruit, this is one you would enjoy.

Rating: 7

T8ke scale

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn't drink by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Subpar | Not bad, but better exists

5 | Good | Good just fine

6 | Very good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

I hadn't even heard of cherry bounce liquor before t8ke's email, but I love tart cherry notes in my bourbons, so I decided to try it out. Based on the email, it seemed like this was in very high demand by the r/bourbon hive, so that also influenced my decision to try and get one.

I was a little concerned that this finish would be too overpowering, especially after the vanilla bitters finish rye, but this was the right intersection of weirdness and price I was willing to take the risk.

Age: 6 years

ABV: 54%

Mashbill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malt barley.

Price: $60

Tasted neat in a Neat glass

Nose: Cherry is strong, obviously. A little bit of baking spice, a little bit of oak, and a little bit of honey sweetness.

Palate: Less of the cherry than I expected. The base whiskey is nice and balanced, and the first note you get is the sweet corn and baking spices of the whiskey. Then there's a very nice cherry note that sticks around for the entire sip, just adding a great influence to the bass whiskey.

Finish: Longer finish, with more of the cherry note and baking spices and honey, with some faint oak and more cherry as it fades out. There is a bit of harsh ethanol on the finish, and you can tell this is a younger whiskey with that note.

Overall: This is a very good whiskey. The cherry bounce finish elevates the whiskey and doesn't overwhelm it at all. The palate is very nuanced and complex, and not at all what I was expecting. The only flaw I could find is in the finish, where the youth shows up a bit with a harsher ethanol note.

Rating: 7

T8ke scale

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn't drink by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Subpar | Not bad, but better exists

5 | Good | Good just fine

6 | Very good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

#7 Angels Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, finished in ruby port wine barrels. Aged 4-6 years, finished for 6 months. Each batch is the blend of 8 barrels. 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley mashbill. Let the pour sit for 20 minutes.

ABV: 86.6 proof / 43.3%

Eye - orange amber, legs are thick enough to adhere and stay on the side of the glass after a few minutes.

Nose - vanilla, fruity, maple syrup, oak, and toasted nuts. 21/25

Taste - sweet, delicate and delicious. It packs a lot of sweetness and flavor, so you get the vanilla, the maple syrup, and the oak from the nose following through here. 22/25

Body & Feel - it’s extremely smooth with the flavors. The hug is lighter but evokes more saliva in your mouth, making the whole feeling a bit tangy from the oak and hug. Oils from the whisky are quickly absorbed, it’s very easy to drink 22/25

Finish - Clean, crisp, lingering sweetness with a hint of oak and wine that slowly fades 21/25

Ice Factor: letting one small cube of spring water ice have a chance (10-15 seconds) to chill and dilute the whisky; it sweetens and tames the hug. Doesn’t hurt just preference. Certainly makes it easier to drink larger quantities of!

Score: 86/100 Thank you for taking the time to read my review, cheers to more!

I was visiting my in laws in my wife’s rural Missouri home town. I was curious what the bourbon scene was like and, to no surprise, much like Chicagoland but less allocation. The local liquor store in the quaint downtown area is very active on Facebook and post what they get right at opening. They received a Parker’s Heritage 10 year rye, this Elijah Craig 18, Elijah Craig toasted and other products. Jumped in the car and missed the Parker’s heritage by two minutes. I figured Elijah Craig 18 would be the next obvious choice. I brought it back to the house and opened it that night with my brother in law. I had brought a Stagg 23C down with me to share and drinking a batch proof next to this really dulled it down. I read up on the general thoughts of Elijah Craig 18 and felt kind of the same. It’s been a few months since and I wanted to give it another shake now that it’s been open for a while.

Price $159. Proof: 90. Distillery: Heaven Hill.

Nose: instant oak. Orange mixed with chocolate. Getting nougat vibes too with dark fruits. Great nose

Palate: Very pleasant. Chocolate seems to be pretty dominant. Pretty muted - medium to thin mouthfeel. Orange/citrus zest following.

Finish: Pretty short and sweet with the fruit notes. Tobacco and spice at the finish line but virtually no proof heat. The oak forwardness in the nose doesn’t translate all that much in palate or finish.

This would be insane at the 110+ proof point. I very much enjoy the barrel proof offerings but I really dig the maturity of this. Having a barrel proof 18 would absolutely be a 9/10 pour. There are many layers to explore with this but the low proof is holding it back. I have a hard time scoring it what I deem fair. Value just seems not all there but I do enjoy it.

7/10 t8ke scale.