tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17114857.post2096950251748909320..comments2023-09-01T04:51:02.734-07:00Comments on Dowd's Spirits Notebook: Dickeling around with the consumerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17114857.post-79324188520912750182007-12-22T10:55:00.000-08:002007-12-22T10:55:00.000-08:00An interesting discussion to jump into. Here's my ...An interesting discussion to jump into. Here's my take:<BR/><BR/>I'm a Manhattan drinker, and I prefer Jim Beam for that. For straight bourbon sipping, however, I prefer one of the small-batch labels like Basil Hayden or Knob Creek or Baker's.<BR/><BR/>The thing is, they're all made by Beam.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17114857.post-80034469603247416332007-12-22T10:52:00.000-08:002007-12-22T10:52:00.000-08:00I will pretty much be able to drink any decent bou...I will pretty much be able to drink any decent bourbon or sour mash corn liquor if it is offered. I just can’t get Jim Beam past the first taste. I’ve been able to pick it out blind because it has that peculiar flavor I just can’t get past. <BR/><BR/>I know it is a big seller, but so are many products that defy explanation for their popularity, like Wonder Bread and the various light beers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17114857.post-37987826941243717812007-12-22T10:48:00.000-08:002007-12-22T10:48:00.000-08:00A couple of explanations appear to be in order:(1....A couple of explanations appear to be in order:<BR/><BR/>(1.) Neither George Dickel nor Jack Daniel’s is bourbon. They start out the same way but, unlike bourbon, eventually are run through a charcoal filtration process. That changes them, and the result is known as “Tennessee whiskey,” not bourbon.<BR/><BR/>(2.) The “odd flavor” of Jim Beam is what a good mass-market bourbon tastes like. That’s why it is the largest-selling bourbon in the world.<BR/><BR/>By law, bourbon must be made of at least 51% corn (most distillers use percentages in the mid- to high-70s), which accounts for much of the sweet taste (due to the sugar content of the grain) you apparently don’t care for.<BR/><BR/>If you’re interested in sampling a wider range of bourbons, your friendly neighborhood mixologist can probably set you up with a handful of small-batch bourbons that will show you a wider, and sometimes less sweet-tasting, variety.William M. Dowdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00194419248332687100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17114857.post-72454539363943357122007-12-22T10:47:00.000-08:002007-12-22T10:47:00.000-08:00You are right about Dickle being inferior to Jack ...You are right about Dickle being inferior to Jack Daniels, but at least it is drinkable. <BR/><BR/>I wonder about Jim Beam which has such an odd flavor, I don’t know how it can even be called bourbon. The funny taste extends to their single barrel premium brand that I was gifted and couldn’t figure out why I didn’t like it until I read the fine print and saw it was a Jim Beam product.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com