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Bourbon

Here is some family history from my grandfathers distillery in 1898.

The Record of Storekeeper of Registered Distillery #62 that was maintained on a distillery operated by Jesse Higginbotham. (Bert’s grandfather)

Initially the register was maintained by U.S. Internal Revenue storekeepers for its intended purpose of recording the required data on each phase of the operation. One month’s record (January 1898) shows 3,960 pounds of corn, 286 pounds of malt, 176 pounds of rye and an undetermined amount of water was used to produce 4,964 gallons of beer.

This amount of beer plus 647 gallons produced the previous month was used to produce 268 gallons of whiskey. The whiskey was packaged in 16 containers (barrels) and tax stamps #1120756-1120761 were affixed to the containers.
Prohibition put my grandfather out of business and when the 21st amendment to the constitution ended prohibition the federal government started buying property for creation of Mammoth Cave National park. They (the federal government) confiscated Jesse's part of the farm which included the spring. The spring was used to make the bourbon, so he could not restart his business.

Jesse hated the federal government 'till the day he died.
 
Blanton's is wonderful but it is getting way too expensive for its worth.

I usually only drink it a few times a year, just for that reason.

Bulleit is my go to, but I also drink a lot of Jack.

Other than that, I usually keep one of Basil Hayden and Four Roses Small Batch on hand. At that price point, those have been my favorites for a while.
 
I haven't been drinking much lately, but I recently got another bottle of Noah's Mill, a stronger (57.5%) bourbon. It's got a spicy finish, really nice for a slow sipper. I usually break out the whiskey stones (as opposed to giant square ice cube) to keep the strong flavor throughout. I haven't found a lot of places that carry it in the NYC area, and the price varies quite a bit (between $50 and $70).

Basil Hayden is pretty solid and generally available at most liquor stores, and Bulleit is my cheaper option for cocktails and gatherings.

Edit: Knob Creek is another solid option that's easy to find. As others have mentioned, it's very smooth.
 
^ I like the straight bourbon whiskey. The rye isn't bad at all, just not my thing.
 
Yep I got the EH, bookers tommy batch, michters 10, and four roses small batch. The nicest bourbon I've ever had more than one of is basil haydens. Just wanted to try out some nicer labels and hopefully put together a deal where some buddies meet up at my place and have a little bourbon club and complain about life while sitting on the dock. If you assholes lived closer you'd be invited
If I'm ever headed east on 70 again I'll be sure to make a pit stop this time! Salina, was it?
 
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The New Riff distillery here in Northern KY (on the same lot with the Party Source in Bellevue) just had their first release. For a 4-year old bourbon , it was impressive. 100 Proof, a little hot up front, smooth going down. I walked into the distillery lobby/gift shop area, paid $2 for a taste, and liked it so much I bought a bottle. ($42) Looking forward to seeing what their future releases will be.
 
Here is some family history from my grandfathers distillery in 1898.

The Record of Storekeeper of Registered Distillery #62 that was maintained on a distillery operated by Jesse Higginbotham. (Bert’s grandfather)

Initially the register was maintained by U.S. Internal Revenue storekeepers for its intended purpose of recording the required data on each phase of the operation. One month’s record (January 1898) shows 3,960 pounds of corn, 286 pounds of malt, 176 pounds of rye and an undetermined amount of water was used to produce 4,964 gallons of beer.

This amount of beer plus 647 gallons produced the previous month was used to produce 268 gallons of whiskey. The whiskey was packaged in 16 containers (barrels) and tax stamps #1120756-1120761 were affixed to the containers.
Prohibition put my grandfather out of business and when the 21st amendment to the constitution ended prohibition the federal government started buying property for creation of Mammoth Cave National park. They (the federal government) confiscated Jesse's part of the farm which included the spring. The spring was used to make the bourbon, so he could not restart his business.

Jesse hated the federal government 'till the day he died.

Love it. I mean I hated it for your pappy but love to hear old stories like that.
 
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