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Good bourbon

06deacon said:
Evan Williams bottled in bond (white label) which has enough proof to hold up when adding all that ice.

Edit: I see now that it is for 150-200 people, most of whom probably won’t care about the bourbon flavor. So in that case I’d get cheap handles of bourbon that actually state “straight bourbon whiskey” on them.
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This is what I would go with as well (and what I use every year). It’s $25ish a handle where I am so not too bad. It could be diluted by adding 200ml of water per handle to drop the proof to about 90. That would help stretch it a bit.
 
Wakelaw2006 said:
I have friends hosting a “May the 4th be with you on Derby de Mayo” party for about 150-200 people. They are planning on making margaritas and mint juleps in bulk. They asked me for my recommendation for a “cheap, but good” bourbon to use in the juleps, given the amount they will need to make. Any suggestions from this group of connoisseurs? Very Old Barton was my first thought, but I have a feeling they may not be able to find it.
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I like bottom offering from Four Roses for that sort of thing. The bourbon that was the yellow lable before they rebranded it. I can get it cheap across the border in SC.
 
RJKarl said:
Makers is grossly overrated. It's very sharp and not really smooth.
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Lol...it's a high wheat bourbon. Try some Ryes and get back to me about sharp. It's probably just the only thing you've had that was stronger than 80 proof.
 
RacerDeac said:
I like bottom offering from Four Roses for that sort of thing. The bourbon that was the yellow lable before they rebranded it. I can get it cheap across the border in SC.
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To the point above though, all of the ice in a julep may call for something stronger. I don't do juleps, so no experience there.
 
RJKarl said:
Makers is grossly overrated. It's very sharp and not really smooth.
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1. Makers is not overrated - it's a great everyday whiskey.

2. It is especially not overrated when being used to batch make mint juleps for a large party.
 
I've become a fan of Virgin Bourbon. Appears to be Evan Williams, but it carries a 7 year age statement and 101 proof. Retails in the Triad for about $13 for a fifth.
 
I think that Mellow Corn BIB would be a good option as well. Cheap and makes good drinks.
 
We have typically hosted a party of 20-25 people for the derby. I usually make one batch with Makers. My wife prefers it and I know she will only have one or two. For the second and third batch I have used Four Roses (yellow label) and when it was easily available and cheap the Weller Special Reserve. The emergency batch when no one can really tell the difference is a bottle of the Evan Williams pre-made crap. I would also recommend going to Sonic and buying multiple bags of their crushed ice. It works perfectly in Julep.

You are making a lot, so this is not very practical, but I make mine a week out to give time for the bourbon and syrup to marry together before serving.

I used this recipe, but didn't bother with the distilled water.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-perfect-mint-julep-recipe-1939033
 
nomadic said:
We have typically hosted a party of 20-25 people for the derby. I usually make one batch with Makers. My wife prefers it and I know she will only have one or two. For the second and third batch I have used Four Roses (yellow label) and when it was easily available and cheap the Weller Special Reserve. The emergency batch when no one can really tell the difference is a bottle of the Evan Williams pre-made crap. I would also recommend going to Sonic and buying multiple bags of their crushed ice. It works perfectly in Julep.

You are making a lot, so this is not very practical, but I make mine a week out to give time for the bourbon and syrup to marry together before serving.

I used this recipe, but didn't bother with the distilled water.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-perfect-mint-julep-recipe-1939033
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This guy is a pro.
 
Thanks, all. And nomadic - a Sonic run for ice is already part of the plan.
 
leftcoastdeac said:
1. Makers is not overrated - it's a great everyday whiskey.

2. It is especially not overrated when being used to batch make mint juleps for a large party.
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You can use almost anything for batches of mixed drinks other than really good spirits (which would be a waste).

BTW, if you find yourself in the Lexington, KY airport, they have a nice bourbon store with some brands that aren't found many places. Given that it's inside TSA, you can bring them home with you.
 
nomadic said:
Yes. Reasonably priced too.
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woah.gif
 
RJKarl said:
You can use almost anything for batches of mixed drinks other than really good spirits (which would be a waste).

BTW, if you find yourself in the Lexington, KY airport, they have a nice bourbon store with some brands that aren't found many places. Given that it's inside TSA, you can bring them home with you.
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Stop trying to pretend like you know about bourbon. Thanks.
 
has anyone tried four roses small batch select? It's available around LA - around $50-55/bottle but not sure if it's worth a premium to single barrel?
 
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