So I was at TW picking up some 151 rum for my wife and then meandered over to the bourbon aisle. There were two employees stocking the shelves, so I asked them:" What was the best inexpensive bourbon I'd never heard of?"" Without missing a beat, and almost in unison they replied: Wolcott." So, I brought home a $30 bottle and tried it. Very ok, nothing special and not nearly as good as Buffalo Trace in that same price range. So I Googled it and found that Wolcott is a Total Wine brand! I'm sure the employees are doing their job as they're directed to do, but that makes asking for recommendations rather silly..

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I used to be disgusted..

Do they still make Waterfill & Frazier in Juarez? When I lived in El Paso 50 years ago they were still selling it really cheap.

It was an old Kentucky distiller that moved it's business across the border during prohibition and stayed.

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6/23/2022

Back in the Day, Waterfill and Frazier across the River for sure.
Also Oso Negro - several versions. Big bottles of rum, tequila and vodka.
And don’t forget the real Bacardi is big in Mexico, the Mexican Anejo is Good to Go!
There was also a Mexican ‘Scotch’ - I never drank any and don’t recall the name.
The best Mystery Booze I’ve had lately is Trader Joe’s Kentucky Bourbon.
Jack - You can’t trust any of those Kantuck Yahoos!
Jim - You can trust me! I got my name right there on the label!
Even though we’re not sure who makes it, my local Trader Joe’s has been sold out on my last two trips!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

So, the minute I get a recommendation like this, I take my phone out of my pocket and read up on it: "Wolcott bourbon reviews" is a good start. I read pretty fast, of course, but it saves me from surprises.

Applying that search, I find a number of threads about TW employees pushing the stuff. Go get 'em - and cheers!

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How God has blessed us!

I've tried a variety of high-class bourbons and keep coming back to the Jim Beam line.

Buffalo Trace has the best for the money I think...

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

Buffalo Trace, Knob Creek and Makers Mark….in that order……for me anyway….

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"Your other right........."

Total Wine will always push the products which they market and their sales associates are trained to direct an uninformed consumer to purchase them over national brands. In VA they only sell wine and beer so they are limited to pushing their wine products. Forum members, FYI, the owner of this Company is not a supporter of Second Amendment rights.

Well, I was one of them.
Went to TW looking for some makings for an old fashion.
Was recommended a Wolcot and bought a bottle, after a taste. It seems ok. Did not know it was a house brand.
Fool me once and all that....
I did pick up a bottle of Bulleit though.

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Some men, you just can't reach

I'll repeat my vote for 4 Roses single barrel. It's cheaper in WI than MN (taxes?) so I sometimes make a road trip to Hudson.

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Common sense isn't so common.

The thing about booze recommendations is that everyone's tastes are different. if someone asked me for a bourbon recommendation, I would ask them how they planned to drink it. Sipping neat, making an old fashioned or slamming down bourbon and cokes while watching your team lose and eating a bunch of spicy wings. I'm not gonna make mixed drinks with $400 bourbon, but I don't often sip cheap bourbon either. The exception to that is Early Times. I will sip that, because it's what my grandfather drank, and the way he drank it. All kinds of bourbons and all kinds of reasons to choose one over another. Upping the house brands sales isn't one of them, for me.

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The best I can with what I got

there are many bourbon flavored bourbons under $40... old granddad bottle in bond or Old Grandad 114 are solid... Ancient Age works, Wild Turkey 101, Old Barton 90 proof... not the most amazing neat pours but make great mixers..

I grew up taking a sip of Dad and moms drinks and even sneaking a few drinks of dads collectable Jim Beam's Decanters and it Seem's that is the taste i like, Jim Beam white label for weeknight drink and Basil Hayden for a weekend cocktail Beam is Beam. From white label to Bookers ,Bakers and little Book i believe you can taste the Beam heritage

Total Wine stocks the "Gurkha Cellar Reserve" sampler pack and is the only place I can find them now. Very close to Cubans in complexity and flavor.
Yummy to the last drop.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist