I usually have a bottle of JB in the house. It's the most palatable of all the cheap bourbons. And hey, I'm no snob. I'll do some Canadian Hunter or even Black Velvet and be happy. But JB's price tag sure beats the top bottles here for price. I recently scored a 1.75L for $23. Not too shabby, and should last me a good long time.
In the course of the past few months, I have picked up a bottle of Old Grandad 100 and Wild Turkey 101. I was in search of a value. And yes, okay, a buzz. Life is hard, and booze takes the edge off.
Here's the thing, though. I didn't notice any difference between the allegedly 100 or 101 proof booze and the 80 proof JB I usually have between nicer bottles. I could have two glasses of any of the three and have the exact same buzz. The whole point of a higher proof is to achieve relaxation with fewer doses. However, no dice.
Then, last week, my wife buys me a 1L of Maker's Mark, because she is the best wife in the history of wives. It's been a while since I splurged on a $25-$30 bottle, so long I had almost forgotten what it was like. One sip, and it was like meeting an old friend. A good friend. And even with slow, savoring sipping, I was buzzed before I finished my first glass.
Maker's Mark is 90 proof.
Lower that WT101, lower than OG100. But it packed a punch that neither one of the cheaper brands did.
So, besides buying you flavor like heaven itself, the extra $10 you spend for a quality bottle really goes somewhere.
