I have 3 go to's in the online bourbon game for recommendations: 1) Fred 2) Breaking Bourbon 3) YOU! Lots of respect for what you all do. You all are highly informative, solid on recommendations and entertaining to watch w/o being goofballs (and there are plenty of goofballs). Thanks for all you do.
Nailed it. WLW and Saz 18 are definitely the two toughest BTAC bottles to find comps for given the age but the rest are pretty interchangeable with other market offerings. Great video Jason!
Maker's barrel-proof offerings are some of my favorite limited-availability boirbons that are actually attainable. FAE-01 tasted like a liquid cigar to me in the best way possible. 46 cask strength is bold yet easy to drink. I've had 3 Private Selections now, and they vary quite a bit which is fun.
Great video. Thank you for all the info. I'm new to Bourbon and enjoy not only your recommendations but also the story you give for each distillery. I've learned a lot from your channel. May you continue to be blessed and continue to share great knowledge with us.
People not looking at knob creek are the same people rushing out to buy benchmarks "special releases" lol. I've got 20 bottles of 15 year old kc store picks and wish I had more when they were everywhere for 50 bucks. It was the best value on the planet
knob creek lost a lot of customers back when they couldn't stand behind their 9 year age statement and had to downgrade. It was after they were acquired by japanese firms. They recently changed back to the 9 year now that they have more supply.
Love these recommendations!! Always awesome to see Sagamore getting the respect it deserves. I recently moved further west and it SUCKS to not have Sagamore available near me. Awesome video!
I will stick with Old Carter, Four Gate, Joseph Magnus CB, and be happy. Unless one falls in my lap I'm good. Great video, you and Matt are at the top of my Whiskey tube list 🤙
Love all the Ryes you mentioned. There’s something to be said for older juice, as I love both KC Cask Strength and the Wilderness Trail ryes, but the KC just has more flavor notes and richer flavors, I’m guessing because it’s 3-5 years older.
I am one of those lucky people who won a GTS vertical in a raffle and will be trying your (and Fred's) alternates to see how they do. And as I get more ryes in my collection and hone my tastes there at least I'll know if it's worth it to me to even hope for one of the BTAC ryes. Great video.
I have been buying up Calumet 15 all year. I have about 5 bottles now. Freaking love it. The 14 is awesome as well. As far as the Saz picks, I just like regular old Saz. It has a very nice flavor, it is cheap, and you can find it.
I agree Larceny is about the best comp for Weller - especially the new B523! GTS - Knob 120 proofs are good comps. Some Whistlepig BPSB and some (mostly recent Private Barrels) Elijah are comparable. Handy - that new Jack D SB BP Rye is very close but richer, and I’d defer to Willett Family Rye. Parker’s Heritage (hard to find) could also be great for a GTS comp, I think.
Great video. Looking into more ryes recently. I just don’t like the licorice flavor in some offerings. What are a few recommendations that stray away from that licorice taste? Thanks
One thing to consider for the Saz 18 might be Lock, Stock and Barrel line. I think the money shot in their lineup is probably the 16 yr, the 18 is great and the 20 is better but the price jump is just to much. Wouldn't hesitate to grab a 13 either.
I totally agree. I prefer Lock Stock 18 and Hochstadter’s 16 to Saz and Handy. Price points on these are up there with BTAC MSRPs but without the insane secondary markups.
Excellent review. Thanks for suggesting alternatives since I have zero chance of finding the collection items in Florida. I can find most of your alternatives which is really good to know. Age statements are kind of a hit and miss in my experience. I like the 50%+ ABV offerings as a general rule. It’s terrific that I can find options that are similar to the big ticket items at half the price.
Great segment as always Jason C! I always watch for your opinion before I buy as I do have a similar palate preference as yours. Also, watched your Sam Houston vs. Calumet 15. Curious, was it more the cherry 🍒 forward flavors in Calumet that makes it a better alternative to the ER17 than the Sam Houston15? Or would you say both could be a good alternative? Thanks as always for the informative content!
I think you nailed it with every BTAC alt-recommendation, even the hard ones. Now you’ll need to 🛑it. how am i going to continue finding them if you keep broadcasting how reasonably priced and great tasting they (mostly) all are?
If it's available where any of y'all are at, try ASW Fiddler Georgia Heartwood as an alternative to WLW. Incredible stuff, and I'd say it could easily compete against WLW in a blind
Excellent recommendations. There is the Rebel cast str near me. Gonna pick it up tomorrow. Havent found the Remus 5 yet. Theres plenty of 3 and 4 on the shelves.
Like your shows. Question?Are the Russell’s single Barrels rye are the yearly releases? If so how do you determine when it was released? Thank in advance Aldo From San Diego.
There are a handful of wheated bourbons out there that are close to WLW, but they’re definitely few and far between. Also not a huge wheater guy, but I do appreciate how WLW offers a profile that’s atypical of wheated bourbon. One I have right now is a 10 year wheated bourbon single barrel from Untitled. It’s 78/10/12 corn, wheat, barley from an undisclosed source and 130.6 proof and it also has a more fruit and citrus-forward profile that is exactly how I remember WLW. Availability is the problem there though
Jason your substitutes are all amazing I will good at adding some of these. What do you think about New Riff Balboa in the rye category? That stuff has fantastic flavor!
@@TheMashandDrum very good stuff. I was able to get it along with the also delicious Malted Rye, after a New Riff distillery tour. I think Seelbachs does has it occasionally. Thanks for the reply and for your usual stellar content. I've come a along way in one year, since you guided me to good starter bourbons. Cheers brother. 🥃
I think Sam Houston 15 is a good GTS sub. A bit lower in proof but has the 15 year oak notes to balance the fruits. A bit easier to find (and *technically* more expensive at msrp lol)
Three of us recently did a SBS with Houston 15-yr (2021 CA-1) and Calumet 15. Found them VERY similar (no surprise), SH had a tiny bit more of the "age" flavors (oak, leather) but we all gave a slight edge to the Calumet. Either one would be a good choice, IMHO; around here, the Calumet is easier to find and a little cheaper.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but maker's 46 barrels go to a limestone cellar, not back to the warehouses. They don't age any longer as the cellar is cool, not warm. At least this is what they told us on their tour.
The private selects from my understanding are in that limestone cellar which is essentially 46. I was just there for a private select pick and we drank Makers 46 out of the cask in a standard warehouse.
Rare breed is kind of hard to find in TN I know only 2 liquor stores that sell it. That Makers Cast Strength I have never seen I been hunting for 2 years by the way
Great video. Is it just me, or does anyone else find Makers Mark branding/packaging too convoluted and clunky? I have no idea what I am looking at with MM which has turned me off the brand.
If rare breed, jack daniel barrel strength, old forester barrel strength, four roses barrel strength, larceny barrel strength, maker mark barrel strength all these bottles start coming with age statement on their label and if knob creek 12 year, pikesville 6 year, jack daniel 10 year, Russell’s 10 year come at barrel strength these bottles could easily replace btac line. my current findable n favourites are eagle rare 10, JD barrel strength, maker mark barrel strength, elijah craig 12 barrel strenGth, knob creek 9 yr , evan williams 100 proof. cheers
I like the Kentucky Owl ryes as well and closer to the age statement of the Saz. For a reasonably priced cast strength bourbon I could not agree more with the last Remus repeal and the Rebel for a wheated.
Great video, but I have the Larceny barrel proof, and it’s still shit. Didn’t like the regular, don’t like the barrel proof. Would not compare that to WLW.
You have the B521? I think they were all shit until that one. lol I still thinks it needs to improve but that one is a bit more towards the right track.
Dude, stop telling people how good Remus V is! Lol, it's absolutely terrible and nobody should buy it!!!!! Totally agree with you on that Sagamore cask strength. That bottle is dangerously delicious.
Yes, the Repeal V is so bad, I will be snatching it up whenever I can to just protect unsuspecting drinkers from buying it. Consider it a public service.
I usually agree with your opinion but I don’t think these bottles you showed are anywhere close to the BTACs especially your suggestions for GTS and WLW. Just too far apart.
Without watching this I'll say there is 100 percent no substitute for gts or wlw. Don't care for the rest. But nothing comes remotely close to those top 2
@@TheMashandDrum I'm watching and I'm not mad at the ecbp suggestion. One of my favorites for sure. Nothing matches the depth, richness, balance and complexity of gts tho, I chased the dragon trying everything I could over the past few years and nothing has come close to toping it for me. Atleast your suggestions are awesome and reasonable. Fred's video pissed me off, I love rare breed as much as the next guy but the flavor profile couldn't be farther from Stagg. Big fan of yours!
@@saleen12 Thanks man. There were a few I didnt agree with. I picked Rare Breed as well just for an available and affordable one to find but yes...its a different profile.
Great choices. No bourbon or rye is going to be exactly like another bourbon or rye, but there are an awful lot of delicious products on the market and the numbers are only going to increase. You mentioned Wilderness Trail. Their entire line is, to my taste, excellent, and they haven't got any stocks older than, what, 4-6 years now? But they have laid down a lot and each year they will have releases another year older. Bardstown Bourbon and Barrel Bourbon are doing amazing things. And that's just three examples of a dozen or more. Legacy products are totally overlooked by people chasing labels and names, but the Jim Beam and Wild Turkey products are just great bourbons and ryes. I'm sipping the Knob Creek 12 tonight, and it's terrific.
I have 3 go to's in the online bourbon game for recommendations: 1) Fred 2) Breaking Bourbon 3) YOU! Lots of respect for what you all do. You all are highly informative, solid on recommendations and entertaining to watch w/o being goofballs (and there are plenty of goofballs). Thanks for all you do.
Nailed it. WLW and Saz 18 are definitely the two toughest BTAC bottles to find comps for given the age but the rest are pretty interchangeable with other market offerings. Great video Jason!
I bought a JDSBBP yesterday. Can't wait to crack it tomorrow night!
Maker's barrel-proof offerings are some of my favorite limited-availability boirbons that are actually attainable. FAE-01 tasted like a liquid cigar to me in the best way possible. 46 cask strength is bold yet easy to drink. I've had 3 Private Selections now, and they vary quite a bit which is fun.
Great video. Thank you for all the info. I'm new to Bourbon and enjoy not only your recommendations but also the story you give for each distillery. I've learned a lot from your channel. May you continue to be blessed and continue to share great knowledge with us.
I love rebel cask strength it's awesome.
The single barrel I got tastes like Big Red gum.
People not looking at knob creek are the same people rushing out to buy benchmarks "special releases" lol. I've got 20 bottles of 15 year old kc store picks and wish I had more when they were everywhere for 50 bucks. It was the best value on the planet
Yes. KC SPs are so good for the price! Jealous of your 15 yr picks...I can only find 9.5 or so..
officer on deck 🤙🏼
preach..!
knob creek lost a lot of customers back when they couldn't stand behind their 9 year age statement and had to downgrade. It was after they were acquired by japanese firms. They recently changed back to the 9 year now that they have more supply.
Wrong, stagg jr being $60 is the best possible value on the planet.
Love these recommendations!! Always awesome to see Sagamore getting the respect it deserves. I recently moved further west and it SUCKS to not have Sagamore available near me. Awesome video!
As soon as he got to the THH, I thought to myself, "man, Sag CS Rye needs to be on this list". Then boom, there it was.
I find sagamore here at Total Wines in WA state. Just keep looking!
I will stick with Old Carter, Four Gate, Joseph Magnus CB, and be happy. Unless one falls in my lap I'm good. Great video, you and Matt are at the top of my Whiskey tube list 🤙
Love all the Ryes you mentioned. There’s something to be said for older juice, as I love both KC Cask Strength and the Wilderness Trail ryes, but the KC just has more flavor notes and richer flavors, I’m guessing because it’s 3-5 years older.
I like your substitutes. Good choices, and not just a one for one. I likes the 2 or 3 bottles to compare to the collection. Thanks
I am one of those lucky people who won a GTS vertical in a raffle and will be trying your (and Fred's) alternates to see how they do. And as I get more ryes in my collection and hone my tastes there at least I'll know if it's worth it to me to even hope for one of the BTAC ryes. Great video.
Why are you making it so hard for me to Stop drinking bourbon on the daily.
Thanks for always making us strive to be as good as you one day.
You're not supposed to stop drinking bourbon. #neverquit.
I’ve been sipping on Rebel store pick these past two weeks and it’s truly amazing.
Love this. Great picks and alternatives. I live Knob Creek but can never find the Cask Strength Rye. Really need to find one now
I have been buying up Calumet 15 all year. I have about 5 bottles now. Freaking love it. The 14 is awesome as well. As far as the Saz picks, I just like regular old Saz. It has a very nice flavor, it is cheap, and you can find it.
Calumet 15 is some of the best stuff you can actually find at the store
Picked one up and the neck pours had a semi funky note that I did not expect. A month or so later, much better. Did you notice this?
@@stlbigbad23 I don’t think so, however, the two bottles I have drank so far got better the longer they were open. Same with the 14.
I agree Larceny is about the best comp for Weller - especially the new B523! GTS - Knob 120 proofs are good comps. Some Whistlepig BPSB and some (mostly recent Private Barrels) Elijah are comparable. Handy - that new Jack D SB BP Rye is very close but richer, and I’d defer to Willett Family Rye. Parker’s Heritage (hard to find) could also be great for a GTS comp, I think.
That Rebel cask is SO HOT. It's decent neat... but it is fantastic over ice. If you like whiskey on ice... definitely grab a bottle.
Rare breed is delicious. Very underrated. Most people didn't know about it. Now it's flying off shelves. Russell's too
Everybody's happy this holiday season. This list puts you in a good position to be content. Great list.
Great video. I love the concise descriptions. I am very new to bourbon and you have been a great source.
Old Elk Wheat picks can be great (alternative to wlw) too.. I’ve had a couple that would beat the beloved owa/wfp
Great video. Looking into more ryes recently. I just don’t like the licorice flavor in some offerings. What are a few recommendations that stray away from that licorice taste? Thanks
Had Rare Breed barrel proof the other day and man I loved it, hopefully it doesn’t become hard to find after recommending it as a sub for GTS 😂
RB is awesome and I hear the Rye is even better.
One thing to consider for the Saz 18 might be Lock, Stock and Barrel line. I think the money shot in their lineup is probably the 16 yr, the 18 is great and the 20 is better but the price jump is just to much. Wouldn't hesitate to grab a 13 either.
I totally agree. I prefer Lock Stock 18 and Hochstadter’s 16 to Saz and Handy. Price points on these are up there with BTAC MSRPs but without the insane secondary markups.
Great list of options, Jason, all good suggestions. I have been thinking about that Sagamore DO, will give it a try
100% agree on Calumet 15 still can't find Remus 5
This is a great alternative list I just got a knob creek 12 and I'm looking for the Russell single barrel rye but I stock a 101 rye. Great drum solo!
Excellent review. Thanks for suggesting alternatives since I have zero chance of finding the collection items in Florida. I can find most of your alternatives which is really good to know. Age statements are kind of a hit and miss in my experience. I like the 50%+ ABV offerings as a general rule. It’s terrific that I can find options that are similar to the big ticket items at half the price.
Great segment as always Jason C! I always watch for your opinion before I buy as I do have a similar palate preference as yours. Also, watched your Sam Houston vs. Calumet 15. Curious, was it more the cherry 🍒 forward flavors in Calumet that makes it a better alternative to the ER17 than the Sam Houston15? Or would you say both could be a good alternative? Thanks as always for the informative content!
I think you nailed it with every BTAC alt-recommendation, even the hard ones. Now you’ll need to 🛑it. how am i going to continue finding them if you keep broadcasting how reasonably priced and great tasting they (mostly) all are?
Loving these videos bro, they are exactly the Info I am seeking in regards to my Hooch.
These are all excellent alternatives, and ones I would choose over the actual BTAC selections, unless I would get lucky in a lottery.
I went to a store in NC with like over 30 bottles of Cask strength Rebel, It should be pretty good
Rare Breed makes me so happy
If it's available where any of y'all are at, try ASW Fiddler Georgia Heartwood as an alternative to WLW. Incredible stuff, and I'd say it could easily compete against WLW in a blind
Would you be able to do a MM Cellar Aged Double Bass against WLW now? I think that actually makes a pretty decent matchup!
Lucky Seven 14 year old Single Barrel(s) 131-132 Proof (Binny's). Cheers!
Pretty solid alternatives! Good job Jason.
Excellent recommendations. There is the Rebel cast str near me. Gonna pick it up tomorrow. Havent found the Remus 5 yet. Theres plenty of 3 and 4 on the shelves.
Out by me it's crazy how Remus V is just sitting on the shelves untouched for weeks. Everyone just wants Buffalo Trace bourbons.
I just got a bottle of starlight single barrel rye and its one oft he best ryes ive ever had
Like your shows. Question?Are the Russell’s single Barrels rye are the yearly releases? If so how do you determine when it was released?
Thank in advance
Aldo
From San Diego.
You should do blinds for each BTAC alternative set and see which one wins
Against the Handy I would have mentioned Four Gate Rye’s since your wearing that shirt lol.
Mash and Drum-- what's a good "poor man's GTS"? Mix of ECBF and Rare Breed?
Awesome picks!
There are a handful of wheated bourbons out there that are close to WLW, but they’re definitely few and far between. Also not a huge wheater guy, but I do appreciate how WLW offers a profile that’s atypical of wheated bourbon. One I have right now is a 10 year wheated bourbon single barrel from Untitled. It’s 78/10/12 corn, wheat, barley from an undisclosed source and 130.6 proof and it also has a more fruit and citrus-forward profile that is exactly how I remember WLW. Availability is the problem there though
Will have to check that out
Watched this video to find a substitute for George r stag. And I already have two out of the three. I’ll take it
Stagg JR Single Barrell craps all over GTS. We did them blind.
Wow dude this was the video that I did not know that I needed, but I needed this vid... fantastic vid.
How would you compare the Saz 18 to the Whistle Pig 15? I know that’s not cheap but it’s at a comparable age, bottled at 92 proof, and obtainable.
Different flavor profile with the 15 being a Canadian rye. Doesn't carry the sweetness of a saz 18. But it's closer than I thought it would be.
I’m a school attorney and would love to make whiskey, “in my backyard.” I already brew beer in my basement!
Excellent work, Jason.
Jason your substitutes are all amazing I will good at adding some of these. What do you think about New Riff Balboa in the rye category? That stuff has fantastic flavor!
I LOVE the Balboa Rye. Wish it was more available.
@@TheMashandDrum very good stuff. I was able to get it along with the also delicious Malted Rye, after a New Riff distillery tour. I think Seelbachs does has it occasionally. Thanks for the reply and for your usual stellar content. I've come a along way in one year, since you guided me to good starter bourbons. Cheers brother. 🥃
I think Sam Houston 15 is a good GTS sub. A bit lower in proof but has the 15 year oak notes to balance the fruits. A bit easier to find (and *technically* more expensive at msrp lol)
Three of us recently did a SBS with Houston 15-yr (2021 CA-1) and Calumet 15. Found them VERY similar (no surprise), SH had a tiny bit more of the "age" flavors (oak, leather) but we all gave a slight edge to the Calumet. Either one would be a good choice, IMHO; around here, the Calumet is easier to find and a little cheaper.
Great as always Jason!! Love me some KC!
So hard for me to locate eagle rare 10, definitely haven't seen the 17 ever
Correct me if I'm wrong, but maker's 46 barrels go to a limestone cellar, not back to the warehouses. They don't age any longer as the cellar is cool, not warm. At least this is what they told us on their tour.
The private selects from my understanding are in that limestone cellar which is essentially 46. I was just there for a private select pick and we drank Makers 46 out of the cask in a standard warehouse.
Thanks for the great recommendations 👍🏻
Haven’t been able to find the Knob Cask, can however find store pick KC 115 proof? Are they even close?
Rare breed is kind of hard to find in TN I know only 2 liquor stores that sell it. That Makers Cast Strength I have never seen I been hunting for 2 years by the way
The MM 101 is a true sleeper. It's really good.
Great video. Is it just me, or does anyone else find Makers Mark branding/packaging too convoluted and clunky? I have no idea what I am looking at with MM which has turned me off the brand.
IDK, I think the Sag Rye double barrel is not great. I do love the Smooth Ambler Single Barrel Barrel Proof MGP ryes.
Yes calumet 15 is good.. but the 16 is insanely good and shifting on the shelves. Ppl just don't know how good it is *edit* knob creek 15 is great too
Man these are spot on. Kc12 is delicious.
"People (aka Tater Hunters) don't look at Knob Creek too much"
FTFY
Great comparison video.
I have a decent amount of these alternatives so sounds like I'm ahead of the game! 😂😅
Just curious. How does Buffalo Trace Antique Collection compare to the Pappy collection?
It's alot better. The pappy 15 can maybe hang with BTAC but the other 2 are way overrated
Sagamore double oaked is Bomb
If rare breed, jack daniel barrel strength, old forester barrel strength, four roses barrel strength, larceny barrel strength, maker mark barrel strength all these bottles start coming with age statement on their label and if knob creek 12 year, pikesville 6 year, jack daniel 10 year, Russell’s 10 year come at barrel strength these bottles could easily replace btac line. my current findable n favourites are eagle rare 10, JD barrel strength, maker mark barrel strength, elijah craig 12 barrel strenGth, knob creek 9 yr , evan williams 100 proof. cheers
Just a great video, thanks.
I like the Kentucky Owl ryes as well and closer to the age statement of the Saz. For a reasonably priced cast strength bourbon I could not agree more with the last Remus repeal and the Rebel for a wheated.
Rare breed is supposedly going to be allocated in 2023
Great video, but I have the Larceny barrel proof, and it’s still shit. Didn’t like the regular, don’t like the barrel proof. Would not compare that to WLW.
You have the B521? I think they were all shit until that one. lol I still thinks it needs to improve but that one is a bit more towards the right track.
I just go for readily available budget bourbons. No tatering needed.
I thought these were supposed to be readily available alternatives, but then something like Larceny barrel proof is included?
It comes out 3x a year. I did say you would have to search for some of these especially with WLW having not too many alternatives
Am i crazy or did you upgrade your mic?
yep i did
@@TheMashandDrum it sounds great man
How do I get a Mash & Drum hat?
Getting more made as we speak. Another 50.
Wooo
Dude, stop telling people how good Remus V is! Lol, it's absolutely terrible and nobody should buy it!!!!!
Totally agree with you on that Sagamore cask strength. That bottle is dangerously delicious.
Glad I got 2 bottles of that crappy remus v!
Yes, the Repeal V is so bad, I will be snatching it up whenever I can to just protect unsuspecting drinkers from buying it. Consider it a public service.
I usually agree with your opinion but I don’t think these bottles you showed are anywhere close to the BTACs especially your suggestions for GTS and WLW. Just too far apart.
Well that's the challenge. Something available that can get close. ECBP...not all batches but some can get the closest.
So what does BT do with all the Stagg that didn’t meet their standards? Surely they don’t just dump it, do they?
Good question.
just dump into BT batches, or keep aging and hope for an improvement? Most likely another EHT special release, in another year or two.
Big question is- what are they going to call that EHT special release?
GTS rehab? Stagg Runt ?
I'm not goina lie this video was kinda depressing.
My take home yah no viable alternatives lol
It's quite sad that you even have to make a video about this. 😔
True statement.
Eagle Rare 17 is the best whiskey I have ever had and Knob Creek 12 is the worst so I disagree with this recommendation whole heartedly
Makers Mark is too weak
Compared WLW yes. But the newer finishing series have some great flavors and heft.
Without watching this I'll say there is 100 percent no substitute for gts or wlw. Don't care for the rest. But nothing comes remotely close to those top 2
Agree with the WLW. With Stagg there are a TON of barrel proof options these days that could depending on your palate...but I agree its a tough draw.
@@TheMashandDrum I'm watching and I'm not mad at the ecbp suggestion. One of my favorites for sure. Nothing matches the depth, richness, balance and complexity of gts tho, I chased the dragon trying everything I could over the past few years and nothing has come close to toping it for me. Atleast your suggestions are awesome and reasonable. Fred's video pissed me off, I love rare breed as much as the next guy but the flavor profile couldn't be farther from Stagg. Big fan of yours!
@@saleen12 Thanks man. There were a few I didnt agree with. I picked Rare Breed as well just for an available and affordable one to find but yes...its a different profile.
@@TheMashandDrum on rare breed do you get cinnamon/red hot? Lately that's the predominant flavor I get.
@@saleen12 yes I do. Not every time. Depends on the day.
Great choices. No bourbon or rye is going to be exactly like another bourbon or rye, but there are an awful lot of delicious products on the market and the numbers are only going to increase.
You mentioned Wilderness Trail. Their entire line is, to my taste, excellent, and they haven't got any stocks older than, what, 4-6 years now? But they have laid down a lot and each year they will have releases another year older. Bardstown Bourbon and Barrel Bourbon are doing amazing things. And that's just three examples of a dozen or more.
Legacy products are totally overlooked by people chasing labels and names, but the Jim Beam and Wild Turkey products are just great bourbons and ryes. I'm sipping the Knob Creek 12 tonight, and it's terrific.