I'm overjoyed so many people are calling Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace "overhyped". Because that might keep the prices down, and I can continue to make them my daily drinkers forever and ever. :)
How can it possibly be overhyped? it's cheap and on the shelf in every liquor store in America. What hype? Nobody is standing in line to buy any of these .
i worked in a liquor store for a few months, dived into the community. all the truck chasers were after blantons. finally got a bottle myself and have never been more disappointed
Here are the reasons I suspect these were voted for: Buffalo Trace: Harder to find at a higher price than it used to be, effectively killing most of the appeal the whiskey had. And if you live in a market where this is the case, the whiskey doesn't hold up past say, $30. Wild Turkey 101: Proof/heat. I wouldn't call it an easy, go-to neat sipper, and in cocktails its success seems to be hit or miss. Plus in many crowds WT101 is showered with so much praise you'd think shelves would be without this instead of many Buffalo Trace expressions. Maker's Mark: A bit thin and young, which feels a bit exacerbated the wheated mash bill. Plus Maker's had marketing years ago that said "it tastes expensive because it is," that obviously sets higher expectations. Basil Hayden: Too watered down (see: lacking flavor) for a higher price, especially since it's essentially Old Grand Dad. Jack Daniel's: People either get straight-up charcoal or cloyingly sweet banana, which in Jack's case is absolutely an acquired taste.
I’m highly surprised that wt101 was mentioned but Evan Williams (black label, single barrel OR bonded) weren’t. Evan Williams has some of the most popular and simultaneously the worst tasting bourbons on the shelves today
@@davidjohnston4345 ... Consistently rated as some of the best values, across the board, with most of their offerings, according to a large swath of people who like bourbon.
I think Bourbon's rise in popularity has a lot of people drinking it who lack the palate development of those who have been drinking soo many kinds for soo long soo many different ways..... I don't mind a good standard inexpensive Bourbon that is a decent represent of the whiskey, BUT some now popular ones just seem too tame, and I like variety - always looking for the elements that set a brand/label apart. A lot of people who have started gravitating to brewpubs now drink simple lagers and don't seem interested in exploring much further. I guess I bore too easily.... Hell, I'm drinking more Ryes now anyway......
Overhyped: it may be hard to find and when you finally do find it, it's likely over MSRP and some stores gouge the price on it (and it still sells). When you do finally get it or pay up to finally get it you find the flavors are pretty standard for the category. Never really bad, just standard, average. Best example is Blantons. Great bourbon at $60 where it's supposed to be. Just not worth it at $100-150+ that some stores charge. You won't find it doing anything better or different than most other similarly aged bourbon at $50 or less.
Believe it or not I used to consistently get Blanton for around 50$… then the hype came…then my frequent bourbon disappeared from NY then it returned with a 200$ price tag lol.
Buffalo Trace was glorious because of its availability and affordability. Now that it is incredibly difficult, almost impossible, to find and often marked-up above MSRP, it is just a different proposition. Nothing changed about the deliciousness of the whiskey, but the time and money spent trying to get your hands on a bottle might leave you disappointed especially with what else you could have gotten your hands on with that time and money nowadays.
I hear a lot of people say this but it's always avaialbe at my local Vons in SoCal for less than $30 (currently $27) which also has a terrible liquor selection. It's not even locked up like 2/3 of the liquor there.
@@jacoblowery7203 Buffalo Trace has not been on the shelves since 2018 for me. Although I live in Ohio so Weller is everywhere. I make sure to stock up on Buffalo Trace whenever I visit family in Nashville cause the only place that has it near me is Kentucky. I have a few friends who offered to pay me 120+ dollars for a half empty bottles of Eagle Rare and BT. I just let the buy it for MSRP though. It is shockingly allocated in some places.
I think in my mind, overhyped can mean two things. First, it can be that people wouldn't really be into it unless other people were into it. Second, it could be overpriced for the quality/value. The thread between the two is that these items are mainly bought to impress others rather than the merit of it tasting good. Buffalo Trace and Papi Van Winkle would be my two quintessentially overhyped bourbons. I know people who weren't even into bourbon that started seeking out allocated bottles of BT just because of the hype alone. They heard from co-workers/friends how amazing it is and seek it out specifically while there are other bourbons that are just as good and more available that they skip over. I think its mainly about being able to talk about trying/owning something that others desire. While BT is solid bourbon, its not wait in line before the store opens good. On the other end PVW is overhyped just because of its price tag, it's popular among non-bourbon drinkers in the same way as Clase Azul, Don Perignon, or Johnnie Walker Blue. The price tag is the main draw to impress others on how you can afford something expensive when, imo, the price tag isn't really reflective of taste.
I agree with your sentiment, plus I feel this has regional issues, in the UK Buffalo is easily available and is retailing for £19-23, about the same as JD and slightly less than Jim beam, so is my go to, having said that wild turkey 101 is harder to get hold of and more expensive, so for me is overhyped (too expensive for what it is) the same as Japanese now, I have bottles of Yamasaki 12 I paid £40 for, now it’s £120 it’s good just not good at that price point. It’s the finishing returns of cost vs price.
@@chrispalmer2353 Trace is easy to find in my area as well (southern Wisconsin), and it's $25-$30. I got a bottle a while ago. It was good, but I was disappointed.
I also think that there is what I like to call, the well element. When someone orders a drink, mixer or not, will it be in the well? Typically it’s things like Jack Daniel’s and Wild Turkey. Now next step up would be the Basil Hayden’s, the Buffalo Trace and the Makers mark. They are one step up from the well but it’s still a very popular whiskey, too popular. Everyone wants a good bang for their buck but these five 5 bourbons are dare I say boarding on pedestrian. They aren’t bad, they’re basic.
Blanton's is as good as people say. The problem is the whiskey hipsters made it their golden calf and now the demand is insane. I saw two super girls drinking it like coca-cola on an episode of Titans. It is that good but it jumped the shark in terms of common popularity.
I'm not saying Blantons is a terrible or not good bourbon. I just think it's overpriced and overhyped. If you don't think it's overhyped, that's fine. That's why people are allowed to have different opinions right? I agree, hipsters have destroyed the bourbon market. It's awful.
It’s absolutely overpriced, but unfortunately that’s supply and demand. I like it at msrp, but not enough to spend more. That being said, people hate on Blantons and it wins almost every blind tasting. Kind of funny actually.
saw that and ya. When I think overhyped I think hard, if not impossible to find and therefore over priced to the point of absurdity. saw another bourbon/whiskey channel call out Whistle Pig. Said good, but no canadian whisky is worth 100+. These 5 are low cost easy to find. I don't think anyone overhypes them, they are just great for the cost(except Jack, that shit is trash). But the key is "for the cost".
"the others is context" Yes Daniel. This list isn't about good bourbon. It's about bourbon that isn't as good as people make it out to be. A pretty good whiskey that people pretend is the nectar of the gods is more over rated then an okay whiskey people know is okay.
Buffalo Trace is almost impossible to find here. I think some are disappointed after the effort it takes to track it down. They are expecting a life altering experience and it ends up just being a good to great cheap bourbon.
Yeah that’s what I tell first time Blantons drinkers “ don’t expect Jesus to come tip toeing on your taste buds it’s just good not a religious experience”
Absolutely right. One of my personal favorites. Especially considering the price. The people who said it’s over rated are probably comparing it to much more expensive bourbons.
I think the term “overhyped” is a function of taste and experience versus demand and cost. For example, I agree that Buffalo Trace is overhyped. While I think it’s great, its quality doesn’t warrant its crazy demand. So, looking for what people don’t like about the whiskey may be missing the reason they put it on the list.
I guess I think "overhyped" doesn't necessarily mean one dislikes the taste at all. When I say something is overhyped, I mean its performance doesn't match the praise it receives. This video seems to assume that the key is finding something that one might actually object to in the flavor of these bourbons. But I think you're looking in the wrong place. You should be focusing more on the hype itself. If someone asked me in what sense Buffalo Trace is overhyped, I wouldn't say anything at all about its flavor. But rather, I'd point to the fact that it is now impossible to find in liquor stores (at least where I live) because people overvalue it. Personally, I think that Wild Turkey 101 is properly hyped. I think it's an incredible bourbon at its price point. But if I felt it didn't stand out at its price point, I'd say it was overhyped, even if I didn't object to its taste in any way. To me the #1 overhyped bourbon is clearly Pappy. And that has nothing to do with how good the whisky itself is. It has to do with the absolutely ridiculous way it's hyped...and the prices that result. No bourbon is that much better than other bourbons.
I never thought of Buffalo Trace as overhyped, but apparently in some places it is. Around here, it's easy to find for less than $25. But Wild Turkey... that one definitely would not meet my definition of "overhyped." People seem to be equating popularity with hype and those aren't exactly the same thing. Wild Turkey 101 is popular because it's a good bourbon at a great price and it's available everywhere. To me, Blanton's would be the _definition_ of overhyped... It's hard to deny that it's a good bourbon, but the hype has made it nearly impossible to find, and driven the price way beyond what it's worth in my view. And I agree completely on Pappy. When I saw this video pop up in my feed, I was _certain_ it would be #1, and shocked that it didn't even make the list.
I have a bottle of Jack that was made and bottled in 1979 when I first started college. The formula used stayed with the bottling until I graduated. As the years ( decades) went by, the company was sold to different entities who then changed the basic successful formula to old #7 to the point that currently ( in my opinion), it is barely good for cooking. So I can say with complete certainty that todays old#7 formula is total garbage compared to the 1979 formula.
It's the cuts profile on the continuous column, not the recipe. They take off the column to maximize profits which is why they try to market their triple charcoal filtering horse crap
@@theworldisastage1984 when my Dad passed in 2015, I found all those old bottles of bourbons and whiskeys that he brought back from when he worked in Montreal, and they all had customs stamps from the late 1966, 1967, 1968. Thats what got me to switch from rum and vodka as my primary spirits to whiskey and bourbon. Drinking some of those 50 year old bourbons. So there was one bottle of JACK, and it was 800 ML and 90 proof (compared to today's bottles which are 750 ml or 1000 ml and 80 proof).
@@Aquasure1977 yeah I got to tell you my preference is for Kentucky Bourbons. And everyone has their own thoughts and tastes, and who am I to say what is better to somebody or inferior? But I will say this. I can do a blind taste testing and no matter what other bourbon is out there I can always pick Jack Daniels out because the acetone and nail polish remover from the heads is so awful and overpowering that it's unmistakable. It doesn't even matter if it's their single barrel or their gentleman Jack or anything all of it is awful to me
@@theworldisastage1984 i agree....jack was something i drank as a teenager. My tastes have matured since then and anytime someone mentions buying Jack as a shot i have to stop them from ruining my night. 😆😁
Isn't Buffalo Trace the only bourbon on the list that actually get "hype?" the others have merit to them or they've been branded and marketed well over the years to become shelf staples. Blanton's is the standard id look at for an over hyped bourbon.
I'm not sure how WT 101 can be overhyped. I just bought a bottle on sale for $19.99 on sale, saved $5. What other bourbon gives you that much for so little $$. Even at $25 it's far and away the best bourbon you can get for the money.
I think people say "overhyped" because everyone talks about it. It's easy to find, it's cheap, it's got a good proof point. But it's so much of those things and everyone loves it that now apparently there's a group that feels it's overhyped. It's an odd one. So is BT these days.
As a newer person to testing different brands and bottles, what I have noticed is some of these bottles don’t live up to the hype I build up in my head based on what other people say. Buffalo Trace, is a good drink, but didn’t excite me. Maybe this is due to lack of experience and appreciation of what it is. But the more I taste, the more I realize hype is a red herring, that distracts from the multitude of good whisky available.
Barring a few exceptions, BTrace produces the best quality to price ratio of any distillery (at retail). Overhyped is not a word I would use. They have earned their status
@@Vicrimony Agreed. I can understand why people might be frustrated that they can't find any of the bottles or that shop owners sell them at exorbitant prices. BT is 22 dollars here and never out of stock. What other bourbon can match that? If I am prudent, I can find almost all of the other bottles sans BTAC which are lottery only. You can even find Old Rip for $70 here if you are lucky.
BT is the only one i think is over hyped, and only due to the "viral" nature of ALL the BT lines. its a great bourbon and i'll grab it when i can find it at the price its supposed to be at. The other 4 i wouldnt consider as over hyped, but all good and just the standard benchmarks for the basic and classic bourbons that 1) Arent overpriced, 2) all 5 are good for people just getting into bourbon
5)Woodford Reserve; Bro's first fancy bourbon (Bro have you heard of Woodford???); 4) Bulleit; for those who "Would never drink Jim Beam"- 3) 1792; just because the bottle is trying way too hard; 2) Blanton's; yep, I get it, collectible horses- 1) Angel's Envy; it's good, but you'd think you were drinking liquid gold the way some people describe it. And yes, I love all 5 of these and would gladly drink any of them. And the Jim Beam.
I only got into Whiskey drinking around 6 months ago and WT 101 was recommended to me as a starting point. Having never enjoyed Whiskey previously, WT101 opened the door for me. Since then I've broadened my horizons, but it still fits firmly up there as one of my favourites. WT Rare Breed be the only bourbon to top it. Buffalo Trace was also very nice, but to me it came across a bit pedestrian by comparison. Looking forward to exploring further.
I just watched a video this week that was suggested to me by UA-cam where the guy was tasting budget bourbons. They snuck some Pappy 15 year in, which he had evidently had recently, and he outright disliked it. He described it as having all these flavors but not liking them. Without the name, he made a lot of assumptions instead of excuses for a flavor that he didn't like. That's overrated.
Tried Jack Daniels for the first time last spring. Tastes like lye soap, rum, and vanilla extract to this day. It’s tolerable 20-80 with coke. Otherwise, if that was all I had to drink, I would stay sober. I enjoy most other budgets but Jack is undrinkable to me.
I love Buffalo trace but I can't stand seeing all the people in bourbon groups losing their minds over it and buying 5+ bottles at a time. It's not THAT good
I always get a strong ethanol ding with regular Maker's Mark. I love their cask strength bourbon and their wood finishing series, but their flagship bourbon hasn't really sat right with me. It's been a while since I've tried it though.
Same, too much of an artificial chemically flavor almost like the cherry coke of bourbons lol I also find their overproof stuff to be waaaay to hot for their proof. Ironically the makers 46 is a bourbon I always keep in rotation tho.
Overhyped doesn't mean bad. I really like WT101 especially for the price, but I do think it's a bit overhyped (for my preferences). That being said, I don't see how JD is at the top of this list. It's not amazing, but I never heard anyone claim it was either.
I'm not sure what a bourbon drinker would have to complain about Wild Turkey 101. It certainly tastes like bourbon and is not thin at all. You may not like it, but not because it is thin - like many of the other entries on the list - or has any "off" flavors.
@@USAFraimius i agree about the alcohol being too noticeable. My goto example for the other end of that spectrum is Cali Riptide Rye, which I heard about on Whiskey Vault. It's 118 proof, but you don't taste that high proof. I know how that happens in the craft beer world (a good balance of hops, malt, and alcohol), but I've never heard it explained for whiskey.
I'm surprised Blantons wasn't high on the list. Personally I think it's good but there is a lot who label it as over hyped and overpriced. If you good buy it a retail price I would go for it.
Always have the BT and WT101 on the shelves. To me its hard to first think of sub $30 bucks and in many cases sub 25 bucks "every day sipper" as overhyped. My mind just goes in a different direction on overhyped.
I agree with the "outgrow" thought. When I started my whiskey journey, I made it a point to always try something new so I do not get second bottles. But, I could still see #3-5 as still my personal top 10 whiskeys. Also, can we appreciate for a moment that the top 5(maybe not buffalo trace because of popularity) could also be considered top 5 budget bourbons?
Where's Blanton's ?? That is way overhyped from what I read on the facebook page as it's way more expensive than it needs to be just for marketing purposes
Balaton's, any Weller product, Elmer T basically any Buffalo Trace product has become so overhyped. At their MSRP they are fine, but not for what they have gotten to.
i think part of the overhyped problem is when new people like me hear more experienced bourbon drinkers talk about the flavour profile like it's a rainbow and all you get is a rainbow but in black and white.
To me, overhyped tends to fall into one of the following categories: a) it is wayyyyy too expensive per bottle for what it delivers, b) I have to try wayyyyy too hard to find this bottle for what it delivers, or c) for the extent that it is talked about and the amount of people who say that I absolutely must try this, it fails to deliver.
I obviously don't begrudge anyone who likes it, but I thought I hated whiskey for the longest time because I had only had Jack Daniels, funny enough it was another entry on this list (Makers Mark) that got me into whiskey finally.
My interpretation of overhyped is just that everyone seems to go nuts about how good it is and builds an expectation of something amazing. Then when I try it all I think is "sure it's good. But I was led to expect more." I don't necessarily dislike it, it was just built up to be more than it is
Basil Hayden’s: pure nut water, you are really just paying for the packaging. If the bottles didn’t all sit at 80 proof, it might be worth it, but it’s definitely not worth it right now for myself
Think you missed the mark on overhyped. I see it as a parallel to diminishing returns... not worth the effort to find (or too expensive due to demand) for what you get in the bottle. Subjectivity absolutely plays into it as well, but in the same way that it does in diminishing returns. For instance in my case, even though i like the flavors in Buffalo Trace, I feel like opinions of it are exaggerated and don't think it's worth trying to hunt it down when other options may be different but just as good (Woodford comes to mind). Here's what Oxford dictionary defigns it as: make exaggerated claims about (a product, idea, or event); publicize or promote excessively.
I think it's less "damn it, I don't like this at all" and more "this was recommended to me over and over for so long, but it's nothing special" or "I asked for something to get me into bourbon, and these are mid-bottom shelf bourbon flavoured bourbons." Also it doesn't help that here in Australia Buffalo, Makers are reduced abv.
I think most of this comes down to how experienced you are as a bourbon drinker. Most of what you put on the table were lower proof whiskeys. The exception was the Turkey 101. Back in the day the 101 is what you took a shot of and chased it down with a beer. Now that I'm older like most I prefer older, higher proof offerings. To me the higher proof adds to the flavor and whiskey sipping experience. There is something to say about the "Kentucky hug" feeling when sipping bourbon. When I sit down and experience what a bourbon bottle has to offer me (including price), for sipping I find the Turkey 101 to be a good "everyday" sipper. Always been a fan of the Russells offerings. Most of what you shown in the top 5 to me a mixing bourbons, the one to me that is very overhyped is Blantons. It is good but simply not worth what some are willing to pay for it.
To me, overhyped means the whiskey does not match it's price point. Like Blantons. It's a $50 bourbon all day every day. At $200, I'd rather spend a little more and get Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Being "Overhyped" has less to do with the Whisky itself and more to do with the hype. I like Blanton's. I like it a LOT! It's probably in my top 10... but I still feel it is overhyped 🤷
I never think about Hayden as hyped, just way over-priced for what you’re getting. Way too soft and easy for $50. $30 would make it about right for me, but if I’m paying $50 I need more.
in the poll and other post in the tribe fb page when talking about overhype it wasnt that the product was bad (90% of the time with subjective taste) it was that so many idolize the said whiskey to the point nothing else is talked about the top ones normally brought up being anything buffalo trace, wild turkey, ardbeg cult or just anything allocated. For me a brand I tend to hype up to others for example is dalmore and compass box. i love both of these distillerys and i would recommend it to anyone i was introducing. Just cuz something is popular i wouldnt call it overhyped such as the last 3 mentioned typically people arent going out of their way to "hunt" for these items and thats the line id draw
WT101 is the fucking GOAT when it comes to price/availability/taste/proof. Ol' reliable, one might call it. It's nothing special, but for those few perks it's earned a spot on the shelf. Edit: I hate Maker's tho.
Over-hype is when many people say that something is amazing, and they get you hyped about it. You want to try it because it sounds like it will be your next favorite whiskey. Turns out you did not like it, or it wasn't as good as the taste profile you had built up in your head. BT and ER are two of those for me. I've come to appreciate BT when I can get for under $25, and ER has a note in there that turns me off to a bourbon when I taste it (a floral note). Does not mean I cannot appreciate it after coming back to it, but it that old proverb don't meet your hero.
For me Buffalo Trace always presents as very apple-y, and I can see why that might make it less desirable to some. Personally that's what makes it unique and a awesome for my palate.
I have to disagree with the analysis about the Buffalo Trace. I think it's overhyped because ( note, I do love it) because everyone talks about it like it's the best bourbon ever. It's super hard to get in most areas. Some stores over charge because of how hard it can be to locate. Then when someone does find it, they are expecting this great grand pour, and it's not. It's a good drink. But not what lots of people say it is.
Not watching past the intro, I’m saying Buffalo Trace. One of my first bourbons, wasn’t really a fan. Edit: this being said, might have to give it a second go, haven’t had it in almost a year, and my tastes have changed.
Ha! Didn't get a damned one! I guess that The Tribe and I have very different opinions on what "hyped" means. The fact that Eagle Rare and Blanton's neither one is on this list pretty much ruins the whole thing.
I agree with you on Blantons. I think Eagle Rare is actually a very good bottle especially for the price. Of the BTAC bottles, I’ve only had George T Stagg, and it’s the best bourbon I’ve ever had. Pappy 10 year is overrated, but I haven’t had any other age statements. But yeah Blantons is WAY overrated.
@@nickallen2257 Don't get me wrong, I used to love Eagle Rare back when it was $28 and you could get it anywhere. But Eagle Rare is also a roll of the dice, some bottles are pretty good and some are just bitter oak, certainly not worth going out of my way to find. For me "overhyped" is not about the quality of the whiskey,.. it is about the quantity of the hype.
The problem with Jack Daniels is it's been living off its pre 1998 reputation for almost a quarter century, we've been getting the old green label since 2002. When they lowered the proof from 90 to 86 then to 80, it lost all it's uniqueness, it used to have a banana note that was unmistakable. This is not Frank Sinatra's whiskey.
I like the take on Overhyped. No bashing ppl for only worrying about availability and price. Staying focused on the juice!! I personally keep Makers, BT, and 101, on my bar (50+ bottles) as go to’s. They range from sweet to oak and You never know what your going to want any given night. Also, between the three you can find a drink for any bourbon drinker. I think for Basil just go knob 9 - a cheaper and more complex Beam offering. As for JD… too many jacks and diets in college keep it off my shelf. I keep a Dickel SB on for when I want that Lincoln County.
I think they really missed what overhyped means for this list. All of these are talked up a ton whether it’s in the whiskey community or in tv/movies or even commercials. Price and availability combined with societal expectations and social influence can make any of the 5 bottles listed be extremely underwhelming
An interesting list but boy it’s hard for me to call any of these overhyped when you could get any one of these for probably under 40 bucks. I don’t know how high they hype can be for something in that range. Once I get over 80 bucks then I’m going to be expecting a bit more to get into the hype range.
I question my fellow bastards comprehension of what “over hyped” means. The only whiskey in this list that is hyped at all is Buffalo Trace. The others are just standard whiskey that have no hype around them at all. Wild Turkey 101 isn’t hyped, it’s just widely recommended as a good budget bourbon. Nothing more. The tribe missed the mark entirely on this one. I expected Pappy, Blanton’s, EH Taylor, Michter’s Toasted or 10yr, Kentucky Owl, Weller SiB or CYPB or many other highly sought after, hard to find and expensive releases to be on this list.
Wild Turkey is the opposite of over hyped. Maybe among the UA-cam bourbon cool kids it is, but out in the real world its still thankfully underrated, cheap and very available also tasty. Buffalo Trace is still cheapish and mostly available here in Washington state and yes its very good. Makers Mark. Nothing wrong with it, but it is a wee bid dull. Its Bourbon for those who want smooth more than flavor. Basil Hayden is too damn much water for the money you are paying for it. If it was $20 a bottle it would be on my self. Jack Danial's was a friend of mine once. It was a good starter whisky back when it was almost 90proof, it had enough flavor and a good aroma. Now its 80 proof and it doesn't have enough of ether. Try the barrel proof its good and gives a hint of how Jack Danial's old number 7 became so popular.
It's not so much that people don't like these, most of these are actually pretty good whiskies. It's that people are constantly saying "Oh, you gotta try this!", and there's so much people expect from something so often brought up and talked about. Same happens with restaurants and TV shows. Not necessarily bad, but doesn't seem to reflect the enthusiasm people have for it.
Here in MD bottle of BT is $40 plus tax, 1 bottle per customer, Eagle Rare is $80 if you can find it. It’s good, bourbon, but I’ll wait until hype cools off a little and buy it at msrp next time
I never thought of buffalo trace or wild turkey 101 as overhyped, but then I moved from California to Wisconsin. Wild turkey is frequently found for 29.99 here (17.99 at Trader Joe’s in California) and buffalo trace? Haven’t seen it on any store shelves. So maybe here those are overhyped?
The problem with basil haden is that it's pretentious, it's an more mature old grand dad yet they literally have never bumped it over 40% abv! Old grand dad 114 proof is a better bang for your buck bourbon and it's practically the same price as basil hayden. Basil hayden proves to be time and time again the weakest in jim beams lineup. Not a hater I just think its kinda silly that they don't release a higher proof version of it seeing Jim beam seems to cater to whiskey nerds a lot
I definitely think Basil Hayden's is over hyped. BUT, my reasoning is very subjective. I had purchased basil Hayden's based on all the hype and honestly I was extremely let down. I found it underwhelming, I didn't like the rye forward notes I was getting or the lack of a lasting finish as well as the lack of a thick mouth-feel which was probably due to the low proof. Also I found out too expensive for what I was experiencing, here in Montreal it's selling for $54!!!
None of these are hard to find in my area. They are staples in the whiskey world. I'd drink four of them any day. I don't personally care for Jack Daniels (at all); however, I think the others are very good. Those that call them "over-hyped" do so because they are very good and dissuade others from seeking out the allocated $300+ bottles (that aren't worth it). There are lots of great whiskies (like these) that prove there is NO NEED to go crazy, hunting bourbons that cost hundreds of dollars. (And, yes, I've got the 200 bottle collection with 7 bottles of Pappy and 7 bottles from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. I paid between $70 & $150 for each. They're now worth a lot more, but I'm gonna drink 'em!)
Wow, I don't know what to say after seeing this list. I haven't tried Wild Turkey or Buffalo Trace. Maker's Mark is MY Bourbon. I like drinking it. That is what is important to me.
Buffalo trace got me into whiskey and brought me into this community. The one note I used to dislike in Bourbons was the "corn dust, peanut shell, peanut" i got it a lot in the cheaper Heaven hill options. Evan Williams mostly. BUT recently I had Peanut M&M's and when I went back into the whiskeys I knew had that flavor, I realized that flavor reminded me of Peanut M&M's and I didn't dislike it anymore.
I have no idea where they get those prices, it’s not like Canadian rye is particularly highly regarded is it? They get a bad reputation from the lack of regulation of fillers and coloring.
The fact that Wild Turkey was on this list but Eagle Rare and McKenna 10 were not,.. pretty much delegitimizes the entire thing. I can't think of ANY two whiskies more over hyped. In what world is Basil Hayden's hyped? ALL ever see is people trashing it. Hahaha! Damned Millennials,... SO far off the mark.
WT101 was my first whiskey.. I hated it when I opened the bottle, it was just a hot mouthful of dusty peanuts.. It was mostly just me not being used to the proof, and that peanut note was all that I could taste. By about halfway through the bottle I did eventually fall in love though.
I live in the heart of bourbon country. I've been to several of the distilleries and many tastings. I agree with Makers and Buffalo Trace being way over hyped. Even Four Roses is. Some of the top shelf options are good. I stick with Basil Hayden and Elijah Craig most of the time for a casual drink.
Overhyped to me is a whiskey that got some notoriety and is now 4x the price. This doesn’t mean it’s bad it just doesn’t meet the hype for the cost. There is nothing in Blantons for $80 that I can’t get in a Four Roses single barrel for $40.
whew I just got my dad basil n hadyn’s thank goodness yall like it. With being 80 proof I really needed the flavors to be good. Also try Still Austin cask strength! The best whiskey I’ve ever had, 118 proof too!!! A flavorfull hauss!
This list was not at all what I expected. None of these is victim to allocation or gross overpricing, which I would have considered prerequisite to being considered even hyped. Can’t imagine a list like this without Blantons or Wellers on it
I started off with Southern Comfort in my late teens then went to Jim Beam for my 20's then in my 30's I went back and fourth between Wild Turkey and Jack Daniels, now it's Gentleman Jack or Jacks Single Barrel ......I'll occasionally try a different one here and there but nothing has come along that I prefer over gentleman Jack
1st, I like sweeter bourbons. My every day bourbon is Woodford Reserve but my 2nd choice is Buffalo Trace, which I think has nice sweet notes. HOWEVER, the rest of your list is on target. I “grew up’ as a Jack Daniels guy but would never refer to it as “Bourbon.” I find Jack to be very harsh with a big bite and burn. When I found real bourbons, I fell in love. I love the sweet and warm features of bourbon which I find very comforting. Well done, my friends!
I love watching yall. Being mainly a beer drinker, other than enjoying Crown Royal and Rye Moonshine in my 20s, I just do not like the taste of whiskey. For the past 5 months I've really dive into whiskey, bourbon and rum, trying to find any of the flavor notes you claim are there. Ethanol is all I taste unless I get a flavored alchohol.
I still enjoy a glass of Jack, every once in a while. Is it the most dramatic, complexly layered whiskey out there? No, not by a long shot. But, at the same time, it is not flaming gawbage either. I just find it to be a nice, easy, thing to sip, and, "nice and easy", is just fine. I think one of the reasons people, "hate", Jack, is because they think it makes them, "mature", "sophisticated", and, "refined", when all they really are, is just a bunch of tools.
My overhype opinion of Buffalo Trace is connected only to the price. It used to be my go-to whiskey for EVERYTHING, from cocktails to neat sipping, because it did it all so well for the $25-$30 I used to pay. Now that it’s north of $40, I have too many other choices.
I don't know how anyone can think things are overhyped at the price points those all came in at. The one on this list that I see is polarizing, is the Basil Hayden's, which I haven't had. I hear it's terrible, and I hear it's great - what do you guys think? BT @ $35 for a 1.75L, Wild Turkey and Maker's Mark are just a couple $$'s more for a 1.75L. I don't think I can get too upset with those at that price no matter what. to me, I'm more concerned about the $60+ for a 750ml that doesn't live up to the hype. If you don't like them, they become mixers, which is fine at $35 1.75L, but not so much at $60 750ml. Love the videos!
I'm overjoyed so many people are calling Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace "overhyped". Because that might keep the prices down, and I can continue to make them my daily drinkers forever and ever. :)
Exactly
I love Buffalo trace definitely in my top 5 favorites
101 is one of my favorites. Haven’t tried Buffalo Trace yet.
Is Wild Turkey expensive some places?
@@jonathonschwendler4644 Not where I live, thank god. I usually get it for right around $20 a bottle.
WT101 is the only bourbon on this list that lives up to the hype. Great taste, good proof, inexpensive, and plentiful. What else can you ask for?
How does rare breed compare to 101?
@@57HEMIviken I like Rare Breed better both the bourbon and rye but 101 is my daily drinker.
no thanks lol
@@tankimus to each his own. We can all agree there are enough varieties to satisfy all tastes.
How can it possibly be overhyped? it's cheap and on the shelf in every liquor store in America. What hype?
Nobody is standing in line to buy any of these .
i worked in a liquor store for a few months, dived into the community. all the truck chasers were after blantons. finally got a bottle myself and have never been more disappointed
It was great about 15 years ago when it was like 45 dollars a bottle and always stocked. Now, I don't even look for it
It’s a fine bourbon but not worth scouring the earth looking for
Couldn't agree more. I don't like Blanton's period and the hype surrounding it has always miffed me.
Blanton is available at MSRP in Seattle
It’s flat, there is no body to it at all nor is there a bite. The mouth feel is the best thing to Blantons
Here are the reasons I suspect these were voted for:
Buffalo Trace: Harder to find at a higher price than it used to be, effectively killing most of the appeal the whiskey had. And if you live in a market where this is the case, the whiskey doesn't hold up past say, $30.
Wild Turkey 101: Proof/heat. I wouldn't call it an easy, go-to neat sipper, and in cocktails its success seems to be hit or miss. Plus in many crowds WT101 is showered with so much praise you'd think shelves would be without this instead of many Buffalo Trace expressions.
Maker's Mark: A bit thin and young, which feels a bit exacerbated the wheated mash bill. Plus Maker's had marketing years ago that said "it tastes expensive because it is," that obviously sets higher expectations.
Basil Hayden: Too watered down (see: lacking flavor) for a higher price, especially since it's essentially Old Grand Dad.
Jack Daniel's: People either get straight-up charcoal or cloyingly sweet banana, which in Jack's case is absolutely an acquired taste.
I’m highly surprised that wt101 was mentioned but Evan Williams (black label, single barrel OR bonded) weren’t. Evan Williams has some of the most popular and simultaneously the worst tasting bourbons on the shelves today
@@davidjohnston4345 ... Consistently rated as some of the best values, across the board, with most of their offerings, according to a large swath of people who like bourbon.
I think Bourbon's rise in popularity has a lot of people drinking it who lack the palate development of those who have been drinking soo many kinds for soo long soo many different ways..... I don't mind a good standard inexpensive Bourbon that is a decent represent of the whiskey, BUT some now popular ones just seem too tame, and I like variety - always looking for the elements that set a brand/label apart. A lot of people who have started gravitating to brewpubs now drink simple lagers and don't seem interested in exploring much further. I guess I bore too easily.... Hell, I'm drinking more Ryes now anyway......
1, 2 i agree
3 tastes ok but has a medicine taste to me
4. it isnt bad but at $55 it's a bit pricey for what you get
5. tastes like turpentine to me
Expert-level post. Nice job. Agree 100% with every single note, especially the Basil Hayden tasting watered down.
Overhyped: it may be hard to find and when you finally do find it, it's likely over MSRP and some stores gouge the price on it (and it still sells). When you do finally get it or pay up to finally get it you find the flavors are pretty standard for the category. Never really bad, just standard, average.
Best example is Blantons. Great bourbon at $60 where it's supposed to be. Just not worth it at $100-150+ that some stores charge. You won't find it doing anything better or different than most other similarly aged bourbon at $50 or less.
blantons is at best a $40 dollar bourbon
Believe it or not I used to consistently get Blanton for around 50$… then the hype came…then my frequent bourbon disappeared from NY then it returned with a 200$ price tag lol.
@@VinegarAndSaltedFries gotta love NY lol
Buffalo Trace was glorious because of its availability and affordability. Now that it is incredibly difficult, almost impossible, to find and often marked-up above MSRP, it is just a different proposition. Nothing changed about the deliciousness of the whiskey, but the time and money spent trying to get your hands on a bottle might leave you disappointed especially with what else you could have gotten your hands on with that time and money nowadays.
I hear a lot of people say this but it's always avaialbe at my local Vons in SoCal for less than $30 (currently $27) which also has a terrible liquor selection. It's not even locked up like 2/3 of the liquor there.
@@h0mestill I have the exact same experience in Phoenix, AZ. Just sitting out in on the end caps in multiple places throughout the store for $24!
@@jacoblowery7203 Buffalo Trace has not been on the shelves since 2018 for me. Although I live in Ohio so Weller is everywhere. I make sure to stock up on Buffalo Trace whenever I visit family in Nashville cause the only place that has it near me is Kentucky. I have a few friends who offered to pay me 120+ dollars for a half empty bottles of Eagle Rare and BT. I just let the buy it for MSRP though. It is shockingly allocated in some places.
Buffalo trace sits at my local Walmart for 25 dollars everyday.
It was never easy for me to get, unfortunately. Allocated everywhere even if it did show up.
I think in my mind, overhyped can mean two things. First, it can be that people wouldn't really be into it unless other people were into it. Second, it could be overpriced for the quality/value. The thread between the two is that these items are mainly bought to impress others rather than the merit of it tasting good. Buffalo Trace and Papi Van Winkle would be my two quintessentially overhyped bourbons. I know people who weren't even into bourbon that started seeking out allocated bottles of BT just because of the hype alone. They heard from co-workers/friends how amazing it is and seek it out specifically while there are other bourbons that are just as good and more available that they skip over. I think its mainly about being able to talk about trying/owning something that others desire. While BT is solid bourbon, its not wait in line before the store opens good. On the other end PVW is overhyped just because of its price tag, it's popular among non-bourbon drinkers in the same way as Clase Azul, Don Perignon, or Johnnie Walker Blue. The price tag is the main draw to impress others on how you can afford something expensive when, imo, the price tag isn't really reflective of taste.
I agree with your sentiment, plus I feel this has regional issues, in the UK Buffalo is easily available and is retailing for £19-23, about the same as JD and slightly less than Jim beam, so is my go to, having said that wild turkey 101 is harder to get hold of and more expensive, so for me is overhyped (too expensive for what it is) the same as Japanese now, I have bottles of Yamasaki 12 I paid £40 for, now it’s £120 it’s good just not good at that price point. It’s the finishing returns of cost vs price.
@@chrispalmer2353 Trace is easy to find in my area as well (southern Wisconsin), and it's $25-$30. I got a bottle a while ago. It was good, but I was disappointed.
This comment! You nailed it lol Well said
So perfectly said👏👏👍👍
I also think that there is what I like to call, the well element. When someone orders a drink, mixer or not, will it be in the well? Typically it’s things like Jack Daniel’s and Wild Turkey. Now next step up would be the Basil Hayden’s, the Buffalo Trace and the Makers mark. They are one step up from the well but it’s still a very popular whiskey, too popular. Everyone wants a good bang for their buck but these five 5 bourbons are dare I say boarding on pedestrian. They aren’t bad, they’re basic.
How did Blantons not make this list? When I think overhyped, I think: It's not as good as fans say, overpriced, and unavailability plays a factor.
Blanton's is as good as people say. The problem is the whiskey hipsters made it their golden calf and now the demand is insane. I saw two super girls drinking it like coca-cola on an episode of Titans. It is that good but it jumped the shark in terms of common popularity.
I'm not saying Blantons is a terrible or not good bourbon. I just think it's overpriced and overhyped. If you don't think it's overhyped, that's fine. That's why people are allowed to have different opinions right? I agree, hipsters have destroyed the bourbon market. It's awful.
@@thomasmccomas7403 i completely agree that now it is completely overpriced.
Blanton's at srp would always be a grab n go.
It’s absolutely overpriced, but unfortunately that’s supply and demand. I like it at msrp, but not enough to spend more. That being said, people hate on Blantons and it wins almost every blind tasting. Kind of funny actually.
I think the Pinnacle of this is when Greg at Howtodrink blind tasted pappy van winkle and absolutely trashed it before he knew what it was 😂
Link?
Pappy steals the show for most overrated whiskey. It is good, but it is crazy hyped and way too much money for what it delivers.
saw that and ya. When I think overhyped I think hard, if not impossible to find and therefore over priced to the point of absurdity. saw another bourbon/whiskey channel call out Whistle Pig. Said good, but no canadian whisky is worth 100+. These 5 are low cost easy to find. I don't think anyone overhypes them, they are just great for the cost(except Jack, that shit is trash). But the key is "for the cost".
hahahaha saw that too, gotta love it
Darn right
In my opinion, I just think the regular Buffalo Trace is a bit too thin on the taste 😊! I really do prefer the Wild Turkey 101 🤣🤣!
Agreed, I recognize how people like it but to me, compared to other classic bourbons, it just tastes flat
Absolutely agree with you!
"the others is context" Yes Daniel. This list isn't about good bourbon. It's about bourbon that isn't as good as people make it out to be. A pretty good whiskey that people pretend is the nectar of the gods is more over rated then an okay whiskey people know is okay.
Buffalo Trace is almost impossible to find here. I think some are disappointed after the effort it takes to track it down. They are expecting a life altering experience and it ends up just being a good to great cheap bourbon.
In Virginia. Impossible to find.
Great ten years ago when it was $10 cheaper and easy to get. I don’t bother when I do see it.
In northwest Indiana its as rare as Budweiser. Its a great $30 bourbon. Nothing more.
Supermarket shelves are packed with the stuff here in the UK. It's also cheaper than Jack Daniels No 7.
Yeah that’s what I tell first time Blantons drinkers “ don’t expect Jesus to come tip toeing on your taste buds it’s just good not a religious experience”
The WT101 is a hot take. Affordable and delivers flavor.
Absolutely right. One of my personal favorites. Especially considering the price. The people who said it’s over rated are probably comparing it to much more expensive bourbons.
I think the term “overhyped” is a function of taste and experience versus demand and cost. For example, I agree that Buffalo Trace is overhyped. While I think it’s great, its quality doesn’t warrant its crazy demand. So, looking for what people don’t like about the whiskey may be missing the reason they put it on the list.
I guess I think "overhyped" doesn't necessarily mean one dislikes the taste at all. When I say something is overhyped, I mean its performance doesn't match the praise it receives. This video seems to assume that the key is finding something that one might actually object to in the flavor of these bourbons. But I think you're looking in the wrong place. You should be focusing more on the hype itself.
If someone asked me in what sense Buffalo Trace is overhyped, I wouldn't say anything at all about its flavor. But rather, I'd point to the fact that it is now impossible to find in liquor stores (at least where I live) because people overvalue it.
Personally, I think that Wild Turkey 101 is properly hyped. I think it's an incredible bourbon at its price point. But if I felt it didn't stand out at its price point, I'd say it was overhyped, even if I didn't object to its taste in any way.
To me the #1 overhyped bourbon is clearly Pappy. And that has nothing to do with how good the whisky itself is. It has to do with the absolutely ridiculous way it's hyped...and the prices that result. No bourbon is that much better than other bourbons.
Yep,.. you nailed it.
I didn't think much of this list either.
Where is Eagle Rare and McKenna 10???
I never thought of Buffalo Trace as overhyped, but apparently in some places it is. Around here, it's easy to find for less than $25. But Wild Turkey... that one definitely would not meet my definition of "overhyped." People seem to be equating popularity with hype and those aren't exactly the same thing. Wild Turkey 101 is popular because it's a good bourbon at a great price and it's available everywhere.
To me, Blanton's would be the _definition_ of overhyped... It's hard to deny that it's a good bourbon, but the hype has made it nearly impossible to find, and driven the price way beyond what it's worth in my view. And I agree completely on Pappy. When I saw this video pop up in my feed, I was _certain_ it would be #1, and shocked that it didn't even make the list.
Whole heartedly agree with you.
Spot on, this.
I have a bottle of Jack that was made and bottled in 1979 when I first started college. The formula used stayed with the bottling until I graduated. As the years ( decades) went by, the company was sold to different entities who then changed the basic successful formula to old #7 to the point that currently ( in my opinion), it is barely good for cooking. So I can say with complete certainty that todays old#7 formula is total garbage compared to the 1979 formula.
It's the cuts profile on the continuous column, not the recipe. They take off the column to maximize profits which is why they try to market their triple charcoal filtering horse crap
@@theworldisastage1984 when my Dad passed in 2015, I found all those old bottles of bourbons and whiskeys that he brought back from when he worked in Montreal, and they all had customs stamps from the late 1966, 1967, 1968. Thats what got me to switch from rum and vodka as my primary spirits to whiskey and bourbon. Drinking some of those 50 year old bourbons. So there was one bottle of JACK, and it was 800 ML and 90 proof (compared to today's bottles which are 750 ml or 1000 ml and 80 proof).
@@Aquasure1977 yeah I got to tell you my preference is for Kentucky Bourbons. And everyone has their own thoughts and tastes, and who am I to say what is better to somebody or inferior?
But I will say this. I can do a blind taste testing and no matter what other bourbon is out there I can always pick Jack Daniels out because the acetone and nail polish remover from the heads is so awful and overpowering that it's unmistakable.
It doesn't even matter if it's their single barrel or their gentleman Jack or anything all of it is awful to me
@@theworldisastage1984 i agree....jack was something i drank as a teenager. My tastes have matured since then and anytime someone mentions buying Jack as a shot i have to stop them from ruining my night. 😆😁
look at the proof on the bottle then compare it to now. The big change is that they add a lot more water. Yes it was better then
Isn't Buffalo Trace the only bourbon on the list that actually get "hype?"
the others have merit to them or they've been branded and marketed well over the years to become shelf staples. Blanton's is the standard id look at for an over hyped bourbon.
Basil Hayden’s is overhyped
@@cone12tv66 This was the first I ever even heard of it. Might be a regional thing.
V true.
I'm not sure how WT 101 can be overhyped. I just bought a bottle on sale for $19.99 on sale, saved $5. What other bourbon gives you that much for so little $$. Even at $25 it's far and away the best bourbon you can get for the money.
I think people say "overhyped" because everyone talks about it. It's easy to find, it's cheap, it's got a good proof point. But it's so much of those things and everyone loves it that now apparently there's a group that feels it's overhyped. It's an odd one. So is BT these days.
As a newer person to testing different brands and bottles, what I have noticed is some of these bottles don’t live up to the hype I build up in my head based on what other people say. Buffalo Trace, is a good drink, but didn’t excite me. Maybe this is due to lack of experience and appreciation of what it is. But the more I taste, the more I realize hype is a red herring, that distracts from the multitude of good whisky available.
Every single product produced by the Buffalo Trace distillery should be on this list.
Easily the most over hyped distillery.
Barring a few exceptions, BTrace produces the best quality to price ratio of any distillery (at retail). Overhyped is not a word I would use. They have earned their status
@@Vicrimony Agreed. I can understand why people might be frustrated that they can't find any of the bottles or that shop owners sell them at exorbitant prices. BT is 22 dollars here and never out of stock. What other bourbon can match that? If I am prudent, I can find almost all of the other bottles sans BTAC which are lottery only. You can even find Old Rip for $70 here if you are lucky.
@@UnumDeum What state are you in that you can find Old Rip at all, Kentucky?
@@UnumDeum what state?
BT is the only one i think is over hyped, and only due to the "viral" nature of ALL the BT lines. its a great bourbon and i'll grab it when i can find it at the price its supposed to be at. The other 4 i wouldnt consider as over hyped, but all good and just the standard benchmarks for the basic and classic bourbons that 1) Arent overpriced, 2) all 5 are good for people just getting into bourbon
I can gt BT all day everyday here in Calgary for $29CAD...that's roughly $23US...not hype prices here, and love it.
5)Woodford Reserve; Bro's first fancy bourbon (Bro have you heard of Woodford???); 4) Bulleit; for those who "Would never drink Jim Beam"- 3) 1792; just because the bottle is trying way too hard; 2) Blanton's; yep, I get it, collectible horses- 1) Angel's Envy; it's good, but you'd think you were drinking liquid gold the way some people describe it. And yes, I love all 5 of these and would gladly drink any of them. And the Jim Beam.
I only got into Whiskey drinking around 6 months ago and WT 101 was recommended to me as a starting point. Having never enjoyed Whiskey previously, WT101 opened the door for me. Since then I've broadened my horizons, but it still fits firmly up there as one of my favourites. WT Rare Breed be the only bourbon to top it. Buffalo Trace was also very nice, but to me it came across a bit pedestrian by comparison. Looking forward to exploring further.
I'm going to have to find a bottle of WT Rare Breed, and give it a try.
@@terryoneal6475 WT101 is basically watered down Rare Breed ))
I just watched a video this week that was suggested to me by UA-cam where the guy was tasting budget bourbons. They snuck some Pappy 15 year in, which he had evidently had recently, and he outright disliked it. He described it as having all these flavors but not liking them. Without the name, he made a lot of assumptions instead of excuses for a flavor that he didn't like. That's overrated.
A cross-over episode with Greg from H2D would be good.
Yeah that was great, truly blind tasting and opinion
Even knowing the hype around Pappy I found it to also not be my thing and that’s not even considering the rarity price markup
And Buffalo Trace shows up 10 seconds into the video 😆.
Tried Jack Daniels for the first time last spring. Tastes like lye soap, rum, and vanilla extract to this day. It’s tolerable 20-80 with coke. Otherwise, if that was all I had to drink, I would stay sober. I enjoy most other budgets but Jack is undrinkable to me.
I agree! I tired it again for the first time in a few years and it truly is awful.
@@scottbristow3370 Appreciate the agreement, Jim Beam and Jameson are the best budgets for me.
I agree. JD is just not a stand alone whiskey in my opinion.
@@charliemin4034 Yep, but many many people enjoy it neat or on ice and good on them. They might pass a brick if they tried Jameson though.
I love Buffalo trace but I can't stand seeing all the people in bourbon groups losing their minds over it and buying 5+ bottles at a time. It's not THAT good
Depends on the price. I can find Buffalo Trace for $17.99 at a store near where I live. It's a damn fine bourbon at that price.
I always get a strong ethanol ding with regular Maker's Mark. I love their cask strength bourbon and their wood finishing series, but their flagship bourbon hasn't really sat right with me. It's been a while since I've tried it though.
Same, too much of an artificial chemically flavor almost like the cherry coke of bourbons lol I also find their overproof stuff to be waaaay to hot for their proof. Ironically the makers 46 is a bourbon I always keep in rotation tho.
@@RKramer105 agreed. 46 doesn’t have the same ethanol hit that the regular does.
Agreed, it's really not that good
Overhyped doesn't mean bad. I really like WT101 especially for the price, but I do think it's a bit overhyped (for my preferences). That being said, I don't see how JD is at the top of this list. It's not amazing, but I never heard anyone claim it was either.
I'm not sure what a bourbon drinker would have to complain about Wild Turkey 101. It certainly tastes like bourbon and is not thin at all. You may not like it, but not because it is thin - like many of the other entries on the list - or has any "off" flavors.
It's got a bit too much burn for me. It's odd because there are higher proof bourbons that seem way less hot to me.
@@USAFraimius i agree about the alcohol being too noticeable. My goto example for the other end of that spectrum is Cali Riptide Rye, which I heard about on Whiskey Vault. It's 118 proof, but you don't taste that high proof. I know how that happens in the craft beer world (a good balance of hops, malt, and alcohol), but I've never heard it explained for whiskey.
My opinion about it aside… with how many times I see it and hear the hate/love…how the hell did Blantons not make #1 on this list 😂😂😂
I'm surprised Blantons wasn't high on the list. Personally I think it's good but there is a lot who label it as over hyped and overpriced. If you good buy it a retail price I would go for it.
I’d agree, although I’ve heard the barrel proof is another story entirely, alas it’s an international market product.
Always have the BT and WT101 on the shelves. To me its hard to first think of sub $30 bucks and in many cases sub 25 bucks "every day sipper" as overhyped. My mind just goes in a different direction on overhyped.
Couldn’t agree with you more.
Was able to try Blantons one time and thought it was just average, I’d take mellow corn any day of the week
Just can’t beat that price. We gotta keep it off the radar so it doesn’t become the next Heaven Hill BIB. ;)
I agree with the "outgrow" thought. When I started my whiskey journey, I made it a point to always try something new so I do not get second bottles. But, I could still see #3-5 as still my personal top 10 whiskeys. Also, can we appreciate for a moment that the top 5(maybe not buffalo trace because of popularity) could also be considered top 5 budget bourbons?
Where's Blanton's ?? That is way overhyped from what I read on the facebook page as it's way more expensive than it needs to be just for marketing purposes
Balaton's, any Weller product, Elmer T basically any Buffalo Trace product has become so overhyped. At their MSRP they are fine, but not for what they have gotten to.
i think part of the overhyped problem is when new people like me hear more experienced bourbon drinkers talk about the flavour profile like it's a rainbow and all you get is a rainbow but in black and white.
To me, overhyped tends to fall into one of the following categories: a) it is wayyyyy too expensive per bottle for what it delivers, b) I have to try wayyyyy too hard to find this bottle for what it delivers, or c) for the extent that it is talked about and the amount of people who say that I absolutely must try this, it fails to deliver.
I obviously don't begrudge anyone who likes it, but I thought I hated whiskey for the longest time because I had only had Jack Daniels, funny enough it was another entry on this list (Makers Mark) that got me into whiskey finally.
My interpretation of overhyped is just that everyone seems to go nuts about how good it is and builds an expectation of something amazing. Then when I try it all I think is "sure it's good. But I was led to expect more." I don't necessarily dislike it, it was just built up to be more than it is
Basil Hayden’s: pure nut water, you are really just paying for the packaging. If the bottles didn’t all sit at 80 proof, it might be worth it, but it’s definitely not worth it right now for myself
BH is just bland.
Think you missed the mark on overhyped. I see it as a parallel to diminishing returns... not worth the effort to find (or too expensive due to demand) for what you get in the bottle. Subjectivity absolutely plays into it as well, but in the same way that it does in diminishing returns. For instance in my case, even though i like the flavors in Buffalo Trace, I feel like opinions of it are exaggerated and don't think it's worth trying to hunt it down when other options may be different but just as good (Woodford comes to mind). Here's what Oxford dictionary defigns it as: make exaggerated claims about (a product, idea, or event); publicize or promote excessively.
While I've never had any, I'm getting the feeling that the Pappi Van Winkle bourbons fit that definition.
I keep trying different whiskeys and I always come back to Jack. By far my favorite it just taste good time me. Not to spicy after taste
Maker's is exactly what it should be for the price. Perfectly hyped
I think it's less "damn it, I don't like this at all" and more "this was recommended to me over and over for so long, but it's nothing special" or "I asked for something to get me into bourbon, and these are mid-bottom shelf bourbon flavoured bourbons." Also it doesn't help that here in Australia Buffalo, Makers are reduced abv.
I will buy 10 of whatever Briana, voice over artist extraordinaire, is selling!
I think most of this comes down to how experienced you are as a bourbon drinker. Most of what you put on the table were lower proof whiskeys. The exception was the Turkey 101. Back in the day the 101 is what you took a shot of and chased it down with a beer. Now that I'm older like most I prefer older, higher proof offerings. To me the higher proof adds to the flavor and whiskey sipping experience. There is something to say about the "Kentucky hug" feeling when sipping bourbon. When I sit down and experience what a bourbon bottle has to offer me (including price), for sipping I find the Turkey 101 to be a good "everyday" sipper. Always been a fan of the Russells offerings. Most of what you shown in the top 5 to me a mixing bourbons, the one to me that is very overhyped is Blantons. It is good but simply not worth what some are willing to pay for it.
Blanton's lol
To me, overhyped means the whiskey does not match it's price point. Like Blantons. It's a $50 bourbon all day every day. At $200, I'd rather spend a little more and get Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Being "Overhyped" has less to do with the Whisky itself and more to do with the hype. I like Blanton's. I like it a LOT! It's probably in my top 10... but I still feel it is overhyped 🤷
Note to self. Never drink anything while Brianna is making sound effects. Instant spit take plus laughter
I never think about Hayden as hyped, just way over-priced for what you’re getting. Way too soft and easy for $50. $30 would make it about right for me, but if I’m paying $50 I need more.
in the poll and other post in the tribe fb page when talking about overhype it wasnt that the product was bad (90% of the time with subjective taste) it was that so many idolize the said whiskey to the point nothing else is talked about the top ones normally brought up being anything buffalo trace, wild turkey, ardbeg cult or just anything allocated. For me a brand I tend to hype up to others for example is dalmore and compass box. i love both of these distillerys and i would recommend it to anyone i was introducing. Just cuz something is popular i wouldnt call it overhyped such as the last 3 mentioned typically people arent going out of their way to "hunt" for these items and thats the line id draw
WT101 is the fucking GOAT when it comes to price/availability/taste/proof. Ol' reliable, one might call it. It's nothing special, but for those few perks it's earned a spot on the shelf.
Edit: I hate Maker's tho.
It's crazy you guys get all these flavours and im here like "everything tastes like paint stripper" no matter the price lol
My first experience of dissapointment by a hyped Bourbon was Angel's Envy. Wow I wish I didn't spend as much much money as I did on that glass.
Over-hype is when many people say that something is amazing, and they get you hyped about it. You want to try it because it sounds like it will be your next favorite whiskey. Turns out you did not like it, or it wasn't as good as the taste profile you had built up in your head. BT and ER are two of those for me. I've come to appreciate BT when I can get for under $25, and ER has a note in there that turns me off to a bourbon when I taste it (a floral note). Does not mean I cannot appreciate it after coming back to it, but it that old proverb don't meet your hero.
For me Buffalo Trace always presents as very apple-y, and I can see why that might make it less desirable to some. Personally that's what makes it unique and a awesome for my palate.
I have to disagree with the analysis about the Buffalo Trace. I think it's overhyped because ( note, I do love it) because everyone talks about it like it's the best bourbon ever. It's super hard to get in most areas. Some stores over charge because of how hard it can be to locate. Then when someone does find it, they are expecting this great grand pour, and it's not. It's a good drink. But not what lots of people say it is.
Blantons
Not watching past the intro, I’m saying Buffalo Trace. One of my first bourbons, wasn’t really a fan.
Edit: this being said, might have to give it a second go, haven’t had it in almost a year, and my tastes have changed.
Without watching the video I am going to guess...
Blantons
Eagle Rare
Any of the Pappys
Any of the BTAC
McKenna 10yr BiB
Ok, let's see how bad I did.
Ha! Didn't get a damned one!
I guess that The Tribe and I have very different opinions on what "hyped" means.
The fact that Eagle Rare and Blanton's neither one is on this list pretty much ruins the whole thing.
I agree with you on Blantons. I think Eagle Rare is actually a very good bottle especially for the price. Of the BTAC bottles, I’ve only had George T Stagg, and it’s the best bourbon I’ve ever had. Pappy 10 year is overrated, but I haven’t had any other age statements.
But yeah Blantons is WAY overrated.
@@nickallen2257 Don't get me wrong, I used to love Eagle Rare back when it was $28 and you could get it anywhere. But Eagle Rare is also a roll of the dice, some bottles are pretty good and some are just bitter oak, certainly not worth going out of my way to find.
For me "overhyped" is not about the quality of the whiskey,.. it is about the quantity of the hype.
The problem with Jack Daniels is it's been living off its pre 1998 reputation for almost a quarter century, we've been getting the old green label since 2002. When they lowered the proof from 90 to 86 then to 80, it lost all it's uniqueness, it used to have a banana note that was unmistakable. This is not Frank Sinatra's whiskey.
Blantons, Basil Hayden are over hyped to me
I like the take on Overhyped. No bashing ppl for only worrying about availability and price. Staying focused on the juice!!
I personally keep Makers, BT, and 101, on my bar (50+ bottles) as go to’s. They range from sweet to oak and You never know what your going to want any given night. Also, between the three you can find a drink for any bourbon drinker.
I think for Basil just go knob 9 - a cheaper and more complex Beam offering.
As for JD… too many jacks and diets in college keep it off my shelf. I keep a Dickel SB on for when I want that Lincoln County.
I think they really missed what overhyped means for this list. All of these are talked up a ton whether it’s in the whiskey community or in tv/movies or even commercials. Price and availability combined with societal expectations and social influence can make any of the 5 bottles listed be extremely underwhelming
An interesting list but boy it’s hard for me to call any of these overhyped when you could get any one of these for probably under 40 bucks. I don’t know how high they hype can be for something in that range. Once I get over 80 bucks then I’m going to be expecting a bit more to get into the hype range.
I question my fellow bastards comprehension of what “over hyped” means. The only whiskey in this list that is hyped at all is Buffalo Trace. The others are just standard whiskey that have no hype around them at all. Wild Turkey 101 isn’t hyped, it’s just widely recommended as a good budget bourbon. Nothing more. The tribe missed the mark entirely on this one. I expected Pappy, Blanton’s, EH Taylor, Michter’s Toasted or 10yr, Kentucky Owl, Weller SiB or CYPB or many other highly sought after, hard to find and expensive releases to be on this list.
Wild Turkey is the opposite of over hyped. Maybe among the UA-cam bourbon cool kids it is, but out in the real world its still thankfully underrated, cheap and very available also tasty. Buffalo Trace is still cheapish and mostly available here in Washington state and yes its very good. Makers Mark. Nothing wrong with it, but it is a wee bid dull. Its Bourbon for those who want smooth more than flavor. Basil Hayden is too damn much water for the money you are paying for it. If it was $20 a bottle it would be on my self. Jack Danial's was a friend of mine once. It was a good starter whisky back when it was almost 90proof, it had enough flavor and a good aroma. Now its 80 proof and it doesn't have enough of ether. Try the barrel proof its good and gives a hint of how Jack Danial's old number 7 became so popular.
It's not so much that people don't like these, most of these are actually pretty good whiskies. It's that people are constantly saying "Oh, you gotta try this!", and there's so much people expect from something so often brought up and talked about.
Same happens with restaurants and TV shows. Not necessarily bad, but doesn't seem to reflect the enthusiasm people have for it.
Here in MD bottle of BT is $40 plus tax, 1 bottle per customer, Eagle Rare is $80 if you can find it. It’s good, bourbon, but I’ll wait until hype cools off a little and buy it at msrp next time
Pappy is overhyped
I never thought of buffalo trace or wild turkey 101 as overhyped, but then I moved from California to Wisconsin. Wild turkey is frequently found for 29.99 here (17.99 at Trader Joe’s in California) and buffalo trace? Haven’t seen it on any store shelves. So maybe here those are overhyped?
Can’t find it at Woodman’s? If you’re ever south of the border try Binny’s.
@@donl3248 woodman’s is one store I haven’t checked yet. I’ll keep binnys in mind, tho I’m sure there more than just buffalo trace I can find there 😜
The problem with basil haden is that it's pretentious, it's an more mature old grand dad yet they literally have never bumped it over 40% abv! Old grand dad 114 proof is a better bang for your buck bourbon and it's practically the same price as basil hayden. Basil hayden proves to be time and time again the weakest in jim beams lineup. Not a hater I just think its kinda silly that they don't release a higher proof version of it seeing Jim beam seems to cater to whiskey nerds a lot
Old grand dad 114 is 30 bucks and basil haydens is 40 where I live. Never bought a bottle of haydens but multiple ogd114
Old Grand Dad 100 is 24$ I think in Ky. And just as good. I think it's better to buy a higher bottle proof and add your own water to your taste.
I definitely think Basil Hayden's is over hyped. BUT, my reasoning is very subjective. I had purchased basil Hayden's based on all the hype and honestly I was extremely let down. I found it underwhelming, I didn't like the rye forward notes I was getting or the lack of a lasting finish as well as the lack of a thick mouth-feel which was probably due to the low proof. Also I found out too expensive for what I was experiencing, here in Montreal it's selling for $54!!!
None of these are hard to find in my area. They are staples in the whiskey world. I'd drink four of them any day. I don't personally care for Jack Daniels (at all); however, I think the others are very good. Those that call them "over-hyped" do so because they are very good and dissuade others from seeking out the allocated $300+ bottles (that aren't worth it). There are lots of great whiskies (like these) that prove there is NO NEED to go crazy, hunting bourbons that cost hundreds of dollars. (And, yes, I've got the 200 bottle collection with 7 bottles of Pappy and 7 bottles from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. I paid between $70 & $150 for each. They're now worth a lot more, but I'm gonna drink 'em!)
Wow, I don't know what to say after seeing this list. I haven't tried Wild Turkey or Buffalo Trace. Maker's Mark is MY Bourbon. I like drinking it. That is what is important to me.
Finally a list that I believe WT 101 should be on. Haven’t gotten to the end yet, but I’m betting it’s on here.
Buffalo trace got me into whiskey and brought me into this community. The one note I used to dislike in Bourbons was the "corn dust, peanut shell, peanut" i got it a lot in the cheaper Heaven hill options. Evan Williams mostly. BUT recently I had Peanut M&M's and when I went back into the whiskeys I knew had that flavor, I realized that flavor reminded me of Peanut M&M's and I didn't dislike it anymore.
Whistle pig is overrated
Agreed. It's pretty good but way too expensive
Overpriced for sure.
I have no idea where they get those prices, it’s not like Canadian rye is particularly highly regarded is it? They get a bad reputation from the lack of regulation of fillers and coloring.
My guess before the video - Blantons, ER10, Pappy - Not worth it for the demand
The fact that Wild Turkey was on this list but Eagle Rare and McKenna 10 were not,.. pretty much delegitimizes the entire thing. I can't think of ANY two whiskies more over hyped.
In what world is Basil Hayden's hyped? ALL ever see is people trashing it.
Hahaha! Damned Millennials,... SO far off the mark.
This feels like it's the top 5 easily accessible starter whiskies.
Buffalo Trace is crazy hard to find where I live. Not quite easily accessible.
@@wilburyuen its super easy and cheap where I live.
@@westwrd82 where is that?
@@wilburyuen Los Angeles
WT101 was my first whiskey.. I hated it when I opened the bottle, it was just a hot mouthful of dusty peanuts..
It was mostly just me not being used to the proof, and that peanut note was all that I could taste. By about halfway through the bottle I did eventually fall in love though.
I live in the heart of bourbon country. I've been to several of the distilleries and many tastings. I agree with Makers and Buffalo Trace being way over hyped. Even Four Roses is. Some of the top shelf options are good. I stick with Basil Hayden and Elijah Craig most of the time for a casual drink.
Spot on.
I was expecting Blanton's and things like that. (I haven't tried Blanton's yet, I have to say.)
Overhyped to me is a whiskey that got some notoriety and is now 4x the price. This doesn’t mean it’s bad it just doesn’t meet the hype for the cost. There is nothing in Blantons for $80 that I can’t get in a Four Roses single barrel for $40.
Yup, the FR is not only the better value but the better bourbon imo.
I like all these lol, JD is what led me down the rabbit hole to trying other Bourbons
Blantons, pappy(any except the 15), angles envy, Buffalo trace, woodford.
whew I just got my dad basil n hadyn’s thank goodness yall like it. With being 80 proof I really needed the flavors to be good. Also try Still Austin cask strength! The best whiskey I’ve ever had, 118 proof too!!! A flavorfull hauss!
This list was not at all what I expected. None of these is victim to allocation or gross overpricing, which I would have considered prerequisite to being considered even hyped. Can’t imagine a list like this without Blantons or Wellers on it
Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace are certainly not over-hyped, it just sucks when price inflates to where it's not amazingly undervalued anymore.
I started off with Southern Comfort in my late teens then went to Jim Beam for my 20's then in my 30's I went back and fourth between Wild Turkey and Jack Daniels, now it's Gentleman Jack or Jacks Single Barrel ......I'll occasionally try a different one here and there but nothing has come along that I prefer over gentleman Jack
1st, I like sweeter bourbons. My every day bourbon is Woodford Reserve but my 2nd choice is Buffalo Trace, which I think has nice sweet notes. HOWEVER, the rest of your list is on target. I “grew up’ as a Jack Daniels guy but would never refer to it as “Bourbon.” I find Jack to be very harsh with a big bite and burn. When I found real bourbons, I fell in love. I love the sweet and warm features of bourbon which I find very comforting.
Well done, my friends!
I love the Wild Turkey 101 profile.
I love watching yall. Being mainly a beer drinker, other than enjoying Crown Royal and Rye Moonshine in my 20s, I just do not like the taste of whiskey. For the past 5 months I've really dive into whiskey, bourbon and rum, trying to find any of the flavor notes you claim are there.
Ethanol is all I taste unless I get a flavored alchohol.
I still enjoy a glass of Jack, every once in a while. Is it the most dramatic, complexly layered whiskey out there? No, not by a long shot. But, at the same time, it is not flaming gawbage either. I just find it to be a nice, easy, thing to sip, and, "nice and easy", is just fine. I think one of the reasons people, "hate", Jack, is because they think it makes them, "mature", "sophisticated", and, "refined", when all they really are, is just a bunch of tools.
My overhype opinion of Buffalo Trace is connected only to the price. It used to be my go-to whiskey for EVERYTHING, from cocktails to neat sipping, because it did it all so well for the $25-$30 I used to pay. Now that it’s north of $40, I have too many other choices.
I don't know how anyone can think things are overhyped at the price points those all came in at. The one on this list that I see is polarizing, is the Basil Hayden's, which I haven't had. I hear it's terrible, and I hear it's great - what do you guys think? BT @ $35 for a 1.75L, Wild Turkey and Maker's Mark are just a couple $$'s more for a 1.75L. I don't think I can get too upset with those at that price no matter what. to me, I'm more concerned about the $60+ for a 750ml that doesn't live up to the hype. If you don't like them, they become mixers, which is fine at $35 1.75L, but not so much at $60 750ml. Love the videos!