Mark - speaking of 'new' distilleries, I finally got around to trying something from Balcones the other day, the Baby Blue. Pretty good! I definitely want to try their True Blue cask strength.
I'm a fan of the Brimstone. Eveything in their line is on the pricey side, though.
High expenses, I guess. I was wondering if it was something that's cheaper there than everywhere else... forget the price tag on the Baby Blue. $50ish? Give or take $5. Brimstone was definitely more expensive. $60 is a LOT for American whiskey. It's a lot for any whiskey, but you can many great bourbons/ryes for less than $30. Heck, less than $20 in a lot of cases.
Give us you TOP 5 bourbons for under $20... GO!
Evan Williams White label (100 proof, Bottled in Bond)... Old Fitzgerald (100 proof, Bottled in Bond)... Very Old Barton (100 proof, BiB)... Wild Turkey 101... Four Roses (Yellow Label). Do not confuse any of these with their lower proof 'relatives'. WT101 far superior to WT 81, EWW far superior to the cheaper black label, etc.
Honorable mentions:
Heaven Hill BiB
Old Grand Dad BiB
Larceny
Damn, now I need to make a run to the liquor store..
The first three I listed are under $15.
So far I can't locate any of the first three in Washington. Still looking, though.
Yeah, some may be available only in certain regions. EWW was only released nationally early this year, give it time. The rest I can get at BevMo or order online. You should definitely be able to get the WT101, Larceny, and Four Roses there, though.
Of course, with your crazy taxes on booze up there you won't walk outta the store with ANY booze for under $20.
