It finally showed up at your local store.
The bottle everyone’s talking about. It’s a no-brainer buy! So after hearing the hype, you go to the store, pick up a fifth of that bottle, and gleefully drive home with the intent to pop it as soon as it hits the kitchen counter.
Which you hastily do. The cork whines as you pull it and the satisfying pop sprays a small amount of whiskey into the air, which you don’t really have time to enjoy. You’re too focused on the pour. You slide your Glencairn glass next to the bottle and watch the golden-brown liquid slide around the edges of the glass as it leaves the bottle like a waterfall of pure joy. You barely even nose it you’re so excited. Just one quick sniff. Wow, it smells great! You go in for the taste and tip the glass upwards, parallel to your nose, as the whiskey is delivered to your tongue, ready for the crescendo of deliciousness that you’ve been so decidedly and unofficially promised.
But it doesn’t happen.
Hmm. That’s odd. So you go in for another taste, and then another, like you’re flicking a light switch waiting for the bulb to light up. And yet, nothing. Eventually, you throw in the towel and make your assessment.
…I really don’t like this.
You’ll still give it more chances, allow it to breathe, revisit it and so on, but it never hits the way you wanted (or expected) it to.
But here’s the good news: you’re not alone.
We asked our whiskey influencer friends on Instagram if they could think of any bottles that are super popular and hyped but just aren’t for them, and we were surprised (and relieved) to hear that every single one of them had a bottle just like that. From heavy hitters like Buffalo Trace to Wild Turkey, our influencers were totally transparent as they gave us the subjective scoop on the biggest names in whiskey.
At no point in this post are we saying that the whiskey is not good; rather, these bottles simply don’t fit the taste profiles or preferred experiences of our panel of whiskey tasting experts. It’s okay if everyone is raving about a particular product and you just don’t get it. Remember, every palate is different. Truly, one person’s treasured bottle is another’s bottom shelfer.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (ECBP)
“Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a bottle that seems to be universally loved that I just can’t find a way to enjoy. My first experience was with batch A119, and it just blew up my palate. All of the moisture was instantly sucked out of my mouth; it felt like I had just run sandpaper across my tongue. The astringency and drying effect it had on my palate just turned me off. I tried to salvage the bottle by adding freshly split vanilla beans and letting it mellow for months, but it still didn’t help. I have gone back to other releases of ECBP, but they all have the same effect on me. I just can’t drink it. I wanted to like it, but something just doesn’t match up with my palate, and that’s ok. More for everyone else out there that loves it!”
– @UrbanBourbonist (Chris B.)
E.H. Taylor (Small Batch and Single Barrel)
“EH Taylor is a brand that continues to skyrocket in value and rarity, and I can’t seem to wrap my mind around it. I believe that the standard offerings of Small Batch and Single Barrel, while they’re decent bourbons, are not in any way complex or flavorful enough to warrant secondary markups or chasing them to the ends of the earth. This also holds true for the limited releases by Buffalo Trace with this brand, including the Four Grain or Grain of the Gods editions from a couple years ago. The shelf price for those bottles was $70, and they drank like $70 bottles to me. Yet, because they dawn the EH Taylor name and come from the “King Midas” of distilleries, these bottles go for hundreds, if not thousands, above what they should. Like many other allocated bottles, people justify paying far over MSRP for EH Taylor releases mostly to use as a statement piece rather than being able to justify it by the quality of the bourbon inside the bottle.
To me, a product like Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel blows either of the EH Taylor standard offerings out of the water, and is typically available on the shelf. For close to $60, you’re usually getting a product that’s 8.5 years old, proofed nicely at 110, and full of great flavor.”
– @BondedInBottles (Will W.)
High West – Yippee Ki-Yay
“One of the biggest things that I’ve learned on my bourbon journey is everyone has different tastes and that should not discourage you from having an opinion. Drink what you like. If you don’t like a bottle, find a friend that does enjoy that one and trade it to them or just give it to them. Take for instance, High West’s Yippee Ki Yay. I tried it numerous times – even had a bottle myself- but I just could not get past the heavy vermouth notes. What did I do with that bottle? I found a friend that loved it and gave it to them. All said, bourbon is more about the people you share it with and meet than the actual contents. Don’t forget, it’s just aged corn water. ❤️”
– @WacoBourbon (Tyler S.)
Elijah Craig – Small Batch
“A popular $35 and under bourbon that doesn’t quite hit the marks for me is the standard Elijah Craig offering. I often hear this recommended to people who are looking for a good whiskey for a reasonable price. While I think this recommendation is valid, there is just something about the profile that has me leaving this one on the shelf. To me, it is a bit spicy for having such a high corn (78%) and low rye (10%) content. I love their barrel proof offerings and private selections, but I often find myself reaching for The standard Buffalo Trace or 10 year Russell’s Reserve for a similar price range and abundant availability in my home state.”
– @Broke4Bourbon (Justin J.)
Barrell Bourbon – Seagrass
“There is a time where a whiskey just doesn’t hit home for you, there is something about it that you just can’t wrap your palate around. One of those for me is the very highly acclaimed Barrell Seagrass. I agree it is a very impressive whiskey, with the rounded balance of rye, apricot, and rum. This whiskey tells a story as it dances around through your senses. I really wanted to enjoy this whiskey, but as an enthusiast you just know not all whiskeys are meant for all drinkers. I appreciate everything this whiskey is, and I will say that it is not overrated at all. I believe this whiskey receives great reviews because of how powerful it is, it just isn’t for me.”
– @FemaleWhiskeySociety (Morgan E.)
Wild Turkey – Most Bottles
“Something about the WT flavor profile feels like a rollercoaster that has a flat middle to me. Like at first I’m into it and it’s building excitement, and the end is a wonderful funkiness that I enjoy, but the middle is just a flat line of nothingness. RR13 filled in this middle palate for me, and is why I really enjoy it, but I am yet to find a standard release with the middle that I’m looking for.”
– @BarrelProofNerd (Ian E.)
Buffalo Trace – Stagg Jr.
“I have no doubt I will be absolutely scorched for this opinion, but I do not see the love for Stagg Jr. While it is a good pour, to me the heat overpowers the flavor profile. When comparing to other higher proof bourbons, I would much rather go with an Elijah Craig Barrel Proof release vs. Stagg Jr. ECBP is, in my opinion, much more approachable, nevermind easier to find.”
– @BourbonBeginner (Vince M.)
Buffalo Trace – Eagle Rare
“There are only a few bottles I don’t really understand the hype on, but one of those is Eagle Rare. When I first tried it, I noticed that it was a bit hot and a little too spicy for my preference, but I chalked it up to maybe having an unbalanced batch. Some months later, I purchased another with high hopes that this bottle would deliver and live up to the hype, but I just got the exact same thing as before; hot and spicy. It’s worth mentioning that I’ve gotten some very good ER store picks that I love to sip on from time to time. Those contrasted quite a bit with the shelf version, so they tasted altogether different. At least I can say one thing about Eagle Rare’s standard offering: It’s very, very consistent. It’s just not for me!”
– @Homebar.io (Kevin S.)
It’s all a matter of preference.
And that’s one of the things that makes the whiskey world so unique! No two tastes are exactly alike. So go forth and try out all of these whiskeys to make a determination for yourself. They might be your next go-to bottle, or they may end up sticking to the lower shelf. That’s for you to decide.
Is there a whiskey that just isn’t for you? Leave a comment on this post and let us know. While you’re at it, you should follow all of our friends that contributed to this post as they have incredible whiskey-related content on their social media.
Cheers friends!
Previous Post