10 Beginner Whiskeys We Regret Buying! Things We've Learned Since!

[@BourbonJunkies]

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[@Razieleatssouls]

Larceny and Monkey Shoulder have actually got me into wheated and scotch. Different strokes lol.

[@rewndude]

Honestly, I like them both as well. Larceny was a decent drink for me. I actually really liked monkey shoulder too. I prefer larceny over og makers mark. Monkey shoulder is just really easy to drink and the only real problem it has is that there isn't too much going for it as far as tasting notes go. I regret buying Laphroaig 10. I still have 3/4ths of the bottle left after 4 years.

[@dbadbt]

Agree. Nothing wrong with either of these.

[@utoobia]

@@rewndudeThe Laphroaig 10 to get is the cask strength. Now, of you don’t like peat smoke, it will of course be even worse than the 10! LOL. I don’t bother with the regular 10.

[@neehooya]

Agree, when the MS was at $19, you couldn’t find a better blend for the value. Now at $30ish definitely not the best value anymore.

[@tonifleischmann704]

@@rewndude finally I hear that from someone else, makers mark had me judging wheated bourbons so hard but then I had larceny and realized there might be a chance I could like them, but everyone always talks shit on it, at least everyone I know

[@hammer1901]

Dan is absolutely incorrect for Pikesville.

[@irishted13]

Interesting list!

[@josephlebo7320]

Monkey Shoulder by itself isn't my favorite, but it's really good for making scotch based cocktails.

[@chrishauser5505]

"My favorite part about the Toast was it was just brown rice, and that'll piss ya off." I LOL'd, hard.😂

[@BigJawnMize]

Sean needs to get a brain...Monkey Shoulder is simple and pleasant, with a banana bread flavor. It mixes really well and is under $30. Friends keep it on the shelf for when I come around as they dont feel like it is a burden.

[@tillersbourbonchallenge]

I agree with all, except the Larceny I actually like it 🥃

[@fatbastard7539]

Yeah I bought larceny once because the store was out of Maker's Mark and I thought it was pretty good.

[@jsenigaglia]

Much like tattoos, every bottle tells a story of a journey. No ragerts.

[@brysontaylor1223]

As someone who has a shelf dedicated to bottles I hate, I love seeing these videos bc we all have bought bottles that suck and its hard to admit sometimes.

[@thering0010]

I am INSULTED that Monkey Shoulder is on this list. INSULTED I say

[@PurePuritan]

Proving that its overhyped reddit bait

[@thering0010]

@@PurePuritan I'd gladly take a suggestion for a good/decent scotch that comes in sub $35, I just haven't found one yet. I've compared MS to some $50-$60 bottles and preferred it. I didn't find it on Reddit, I got it as a suggestion from a friend a long time ago, and I tend to agree with him! Now, admittedly, it tastes a lot better at $30-$35 than it does at $36-$40 (or even higher in some places)... Scotch is just one of those whiskey varieties that tends to not be great until you hit that $50 mark, and MS is the exception to that rule for me.

[@briana9854]

We have a special holiday in my house where we bring together all the bottles we regret buying and drink them while reminiscing about why we bought them in the first place. We call it "Tuesday"

[@billyp7709]

If Monkey Shoulder was a regret please share what bottle you feel was a better buy for price and taste. My regret bottles at old Forester 1920 because it tasted like rubbing alcohol to me (no I'm not a newbie to bourbon) and Kentucky Owl Confiscated because it was very expensive and very underwhelming!

[@A-A-Ronious]

I regret Dickel. In the late 2000's I used to drink it all the time. Tasted like pancakes and maple syrup. Now it tastes like Flintstones Vitamins. And that memory of what it tasted like haunts me. I keep giving Dickel a chance because of it, and it always disappoints.

[@mero40k]

Widow Jane 14YR for $300 anyone? 🤣

[@dane5896]

One of my top three worst bottles, George Dickle barrel select. 💩💩 No matter what I did with it, I couldn't drink it.

[@Danr07]

Yep. I bought a 15 year SB. It was awful. Tried blending it. Still awful. Had to drain pour to free up space for better bottles for 1/3 the price.

[@sohoshirzadi5633]

Flintstones vitamins. 100% accurate 😂

[@AudibleVisibIe]

I regret my first bottle for the same reasons as Dan. It was a russell's reserve single barrel hwich was too hot for me at the time and I was unable to appreciate the different notes. I've since settled into 90-105 proofers, and working my way up

[@strattonmeyer2870]

Great video, guys! It would have been nice if you could have recommended some bottles that would have been corrections to the mistakes you made along the way. Dan mentioned choosing Old Forester Rye would have been better over Pikesville to put his toe in the water starting out, even if he now thinks Pikesville is a better dram. Were there other bottles that you'd recommend to newcomers to Blended Scotch, Finished Whiskey, or Wheated Bourbon? Just using those as examples since you mentioned them in your lists.

[@chryder2443]

Blended scotch: don’t know. Pretty much drink single malt only (especially American Single Malt like Westward Whiskey), Wheated: Maker’s Mark (especially a pick), finished whiskey: Angels Envy (when you outgrow the low proof find a store pick at 110) just my .02

[@dbnumberiv]

for a $30 scotch monkey shoulder isn't bad.

[@matthewlee6359]

Journeyman Distillery Corsets Whips and Whiskey out of Michigan is one of the best wheat whiskeys on the market.

[@brentross9233]

How you get a better Scotch than Monkey Shoulder for $30?

[@easye47]

9:34 you can add Blue run bourbon to that hype train.

[@DaveNorton-yi5ix]

Funny episode, and on the button. Mine is Blantons ... when I first got into bourbon, it was "expensive" (i.e. in the Atlanta area, about $50 a bottle) and I'd buy it as a treat to celebrate something, because it was my favorite. Not any more.

[@TheMNbassHunter]

I know I don't have a discerning enough palette to be a whiskey reviewer. I appreciate really good whiskey when I drink it, but I don't mind the cheap stuff either. I don't have any problem drinking some Larceny or Bernheim. But I'm the same way with food. I can appreciate eating a fancy meal, but I'm perfectly content eating a ham sandwich.

[@ahoneyman]

Larceny is a budget Maker's Mark. If you like that cinnamon/brown sugar Cinnamon Toast Crunch feel you will probably like it. If you don't you won't like it. It's not complex or nuanced.

[@MrPenguinsfan66]

Monkey shoulder is great. It's s good price and my first was Belvenie doublewood. I'd drink monkey over it any day.

[@mantistobogganmd5780]

I buy more Larceny than probably anything else. I find it just perfect for whisky sours. Not a sipping whisky though. Barrel proof is a different story.

[@drdoktor77]

IMHO Larceny is outstanding value as a wheater, blows Makers Mark out of the water.

[@waynefialo9492]

For that last ETL I gotta say, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." -Dr. Seuss

[@JohnnySteppa]

I’m 20 and I’ve slept 200 years of my life already🤌🏼 this vampy shit ain’t easy🤣😂

[@chryder2443]

Dan’s Elmer story is the exact reason I have 5 or 6 Rare Breeds put away. I’m convinced WT is going to run out of 12 year old whiskey at the rate we’re drinking it. Also this isn’t so much a regret and I didn’t buy the bottle but I drank about 2/3 of a bottle of Pappy 20 at a time when I wouldn’t have known the taste of Pappy from Woodford Reserve. The bottle came to me in a very unexpected way, I got it for free, and I knew it was expensive but hadn’t drank nearly enough whiskey to really appreciate why. I drank it with friends and celebrated some milestones in my life and my career so I definitely don’t regret acquiring it or drinking it but I just wish I knew then what I know now. At least I knew enough to hang onto the empty bottle!

[@curtistignor3966]

So right about rare breed. I don't know how it has been so good for so long. Round about 20 yrs for me.

[@curtboxley7678]

I too have been stashing away bottles of Rare Breed!

[@jeffchannel-lf6df]

First ever bottle was Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. No regerts

[@millzwood2399]

For an intro scotch, I think monkey shoulder is a good one. But I don’t like scotch.

[@phobbes4-zero]

Doc Swinson Alter Ego... $60 for a "bourbon" that has a super musty cereal grain note to it... Tastes like cheap scotch. I dislike it so much I'll never buy anything from Doc Swinson again.

[@benlittlechilds1192]

noooooo! Monkey Shoulder is the BEST for cocktails! It mixes so well!

[@adoyleBU]

Ha, I remember seeing the Basil Hayden's 10 year behind glass at Binny's and being intrigued, but then I remembered that I didn't really like regular BH so wasn't going to pay more to find out if the 10 year was good. Glad I didn't.

[@JD0124]

I have been looking at/considering Pikesville Rye. Glad it wasn't a true "regret" purchase. Larceny... totally agree. Was unimpressed. The Barrel Proof B522 was leaps and bounds better. Woodford Reserve... the Double Oaked is my favorite of theirs. The Rye is also VG! I've been avoiding Basil Hayden and Oak & Eden. Glad you just confirmed that I should continue avoiding.

[@marshallgeorge3819]

I'm just the opposite. I like Larceny quite a bit, especially for its price point. Conversely, I think WR Double Oak is awful - it's like drinking vanilla while chewing on a fresh cut chunk of oak. I agree on the WR Rye though. STUPIDLY GOOD.

[@JD0124]

It's interesting how our palates are so different. I don't like Woodford Reserve straight bourbon very much, but the double oaked really checked all my boxes.

[@BoozeandNewswithTimandDut]

The double Oak is amazing!. Pancakes and syrup. Larceny taste like cork, oak, erasers😂

[@TheDeathlessDogs]

The one that still makes me chuckle every time I look at it on my shelf is Caribou Crossing.

[@jpii8468]

Monkey Shoulder is good for the price (and for folks with a soft palet). Worth having on the bar for under $30.

[@BigJawnMize]

Yeah cheap and a solid mixer. I like the banana bread flavor.

[@harmoncollege]

I've drank numerous bottles of OWA, and it's a great wheated bourbon, but Bernheim and Larceny are both really good too, just different Larceny barrel proof is obviously better, same with Bernheim barrel proof, but the others are good, easy drinkers. Folks should try them for themselves. Obviously, Bernheim is wheat whiskey, but in the same area.

[@PMdaddyArgent]

I enjoy the larceny as well.

[@thedangerdave7167]

I like Larceny it’s a good affordable bourbon.

[@stevetech5150]

Larceny & Monkey Shoulder are in my bar regularly. Mainly cuz they are drinkable and my wife will NOT shut up when I spend more than $60-$70 on a single bottle of anything. She's probably right in reprimanding me...I did just score a bottle of Blantons at my local for msrp - $69.95. We're both good with that.

[@Shootsmith]

I like Monkey Shoulder!

[@natesmith5575]

I used to work with a guy who would say, "hindsight is 50/50".. Some of his other sayings... "purrs like equipment" "santa-size" instead of sanitize, & he described how he had to pass a kidney stone through his uterus. 😂

[@neildaly2635]

Funny. I knew a guy who used to say “as useless as tits on a board,” and “to all intense purposes.” Maybe they were related.

[@carlossandiego7925]

These guys can be entertaining even with the sound off. The look on Dan’s face after tasting Bernheim. 😂

[@malmeyer]

I don't think Dan knows what the word Regret means. He seemed to love most of the bottles he listed. Agree on the Oak and Eden, got a bottle here that I can't quite choke down. Cheers guys!

[@AM2PMReviews]

I feel like all Basil Hayden stuff is just overrated. it's a cool bottle though.

[@brianfrydl2741]

I love this video. I love you guys. Please do more videos like this one! Regrets make us better seekers, buyers, and whiskey lovers!!! If every bottle was great, being a whiskey aficionado would be boring.

[@cwjustcw1261]

Sorry but I like Larceny

[@chrismiller755]

When I bought monkey shoulder I tasted it then I got in the car and found a homeless man to give it too.

[@brianfrydl2741]

LMFAO

[@leftygtrplr6184]

Better late than never...I 100% agree on Elmer T. Lee. I was first getting into bourbon and Elmer T. Lee, Blanton's and Eagle Rare were plentiful and always available. It hurts.

[@jessef85]

Early on in my whiskey journey I bought a local craft distillery's BiB "all organic local grain" blah blah blah. It checked all the boxes on my newby checklist, and was $55. I thought "damn, it has to be good!" I didn't realize at the time that a lot of craft whiskey is ass, and this bottle was fucking garbage. I poured it out after giving it 4 chances. I regret it because at the time I could have bought a bottle of eagle rare AND a bottle of buffalo trace, neither of which I had tried then, for the same price. Those are much more newby friendly, and after that I had a hard time tracking them down.

[@15trucklt83]

Dude. Larceny is amazing. In my opinion. My favorite two first bottles was Larceny and Buffalo trace. Then again when I got into bourbon I wasn’t “new” to bourbon.

[@heruglyamerican]

Would have been cool to offer a “buy this instead” for each of these. I’m surprised by the Monkey Shoulder hate. Quite like it myself. What’s a better buy for the price point?

[@slothrob]

My thought exactly. "There are so many I could have bought for the same price that would have been better" just made me try to think of a better $30 scotch.

[@MileHighGrowler]

I think MS is great as a blended affordable scotch for cocktails. It's not as nuanced as other scotches and I don't love it neat because it feels a little too simple, but there's nothing "wrong" with it. On the other side, I don't understand why some people gush over it endlessly.

[@gingergeezer3685]

Found out early on that I like rye. Pikesville has always been a friend. Turkey Products? Not so much for me. Weird.

[@brianshay6836]

All of my whiskeys that I end up hating, I just turn into mixers for cocktails. Do they make great cocktails? Mostly, no. I just can't stand to see anything go to waste.

[@BourbonJunkies]

Gotta find a friend getting into whiskey and just drink it with them. Works almost 100% of the time

[@brianshay6836]

@@BourbonJunkies We do regular tasting nights with our neighbors! :) Some of the bad stuff I’ve bought (Looking at you Trails End 8) is just too bad to push in anything other than a cocktail.

[@BlackRifle]

I'm with Sean, I bought a Woodford 5 Malted Stout limited release and wasn't a fan of it. So I've been offered the new historical batch 18 from Woodford at my store a bunch and I just can't bring myself to buy that for 130.

[@BourbonJunkies]

Okay side note that historic entry might be one of their better master collection bottles in many years

[@fishboy2040]

Just buy the batch proofs

[@pmoneymaster2201]

I feel like I remember a vid of them praising the brandy cask finish masters from woodford too. Not sure though.

[@BlackRifle]

@@BourbonJunkies You need one?

[@larrytaylor3048]

The whiskey snobs!

[@phillipsmith9287]

Nothing wrong with larceny at all , don't be so snobby

[@Rowboats_Adventure]

Larceny is so good

[@xSintex]

The statement that chasing limiteds is not the way to go is so true. I have such an easy access to higher tier Buffallo Trace (minus pappy, that one is harder to get) in my linfe of work, and most of them are god awful, especially for the money. I can't understand why people paid $40 for Blanton's, let alone $80. There are so many better bourbons and american whiskeys on the market. One of the most random whiskey love's I've had recently is when a bottle of Burning Chair got damaged and I took it home. What a great bottle for a fairly low price for a bourbon.

[@tychoremy1401]

Larceny and Woodford are good . I like to blend whiskies, sometimes you hit upon a really good blend

[@macfabulous4760]

#Millennial bait "Beginner Whiskeys"?????!!! you guys are like 22 years old!! Your generation thinks they discovered whiskey. "I'm a bourbon guy" translates to...."my girlfriend won't let me own a gun".

[@lfish21.]

If you wanna get into scotch get monkey shoulder is then worst advice ever. Was my intro to scotch and did not like it at all.

[@BourbonJunkies]

Basically what happened for us too

[@lfish21.]

@@BourbonJunkies go get a bottle of Ardbeg or Laphroig. 😂

[@offrhodes8192]

Lol I to have a shelf dedicated to bottles I hate. Mine right now is Willet pot still got me with the fancy bottle has a note that to me is refined fireball.

[@skramzy6628]

I really like Bourbon (enough that I watch a ton of Bourbon Tube like this channel), but I LOVE Scotch. Monkey Shoulder was one of my first Scotch bottles as well, but on the advice of Scotch 4 Dummies rather than Whisky Tribe. It's OK, but I agree there are far better intros.

[@markcalhoun8219]

I don't have many regret bottles but I do generally feel bad when I think I'm getting something cool to try and after tasting I'm like... oh... this is just another MGP. Don't get me wrong MGP makes some good juice but I don't need 5 bottles of the same mash from MGP and I don't always want to do research before buying something.

[@j.b.6855]

Great video.A smart man learns from others the mistakes they made and avoids them, a stupid man has to make the same mistake. I am learning bourbon. I dont know enough to avoid mistakes yet, but video's like this help. I am still trying different bottles, but I try my best to stick to what most channels recommend. So far Old Forester (100 proof) is a hit as is Wild Turkey 101. I just picked up a bottle of Russells reserve 10 and Heaven Hill bib. I likely should have gotten a OF whiskey row or a WT rare breed.

[@paxonedge3679]

Basil Hayden Toast made me question if I loved bourbon or not

[@billeverett4090]

Interesting comment on a poor choice early on ruining a category for you. The first toasted bourbon I tried was BH Toast and I though it pretty bad. Generally avoided them for a few years, even though I had an unopened bottle of Michtners toasted bourbon on the shelf. Finally tried that and realized that all toasted options don’t suck. Still generally don’t look for any of them but at least no longer actively avoid them

[@TheUMIA]

Fell for the Monkey Shoulder trap as well. Had BH 10 Year thinking it would be something worth drinking from them. Nope.

[@samoanbarkeep]

Beginner here. Larceny Small Batch was one of the first bottles I tried - not a fan! Luckily I tried the Elijah Craig Small Batch next and love it. So I'll stick with it.

[@Sebastianino]

Monkey Shoulders and Gentelmen Jack is not good for ppl who already drink some whisky. Those are for someone who just want to try neat for the first time. And they work for me just fine. After Monkey Shoulders and Gentelmen Jack it was a lot easier for me to drink whisky neat. For bourbon drinkers best choice it is go to a bar and try few scotch. They have a lot begginer stuff. After this pick your direction. In scotch you have a lot more to choose. For me glendronach and glenlivet is go to. With peat I like only talisker port ruighe.

[@jasonw429]

Oak and Eden is trash. Made good lighter fluid for a campfire

[@nhiathor8155]

People who have no idea of how bourbons should taste like would maybe enjoy Larceny. It’s mute with no complexity. Just plain smooth.

[@BigJawnMize]

Pfffff...Bernheim barrel proof is an excellent whiskey just as Larceny barrel proof can be excellent. It is the lower entry Heaven Hill stuff that sucks.

[@joebutler1207]

I have a strong dislike for Monkey Shoulder in particular, blended Scotches in general (at least none that I have had yet). Something about the profile that doesn't sit well with me.

[@chrishauser5505]

I picked up a bottle of Rye with that "stave" trick once, but it was under $40 bucks. I had the same reaction: "meh".

[@mdstrobe]

If we're doing current lists, then I think mine is Heaven Hill 7 BiB. I just find this disappointing and bought a couple backup bottles due to the false scarcity of it.

[@efuchsman]

From the big 3 from brown-foreman, Woodford Reserve is by far the weakest when it comes to special releases. They never make anything exciting.

[@KenRus]

I just started. Im about around 60 bottles deep all from 12 bucks to 100 bucks. Only bottle i absolutely despise and would not even give to my enemies is Hudson Baby NY. 🤮

[@smknochs1]

Find you a buddy who gives you lil head scratch like Sean gives Dan 🥰

[@gtmustang09]

I'd say Basil Hayden and St. Cloud are two of the worst bourbons I've had. To close out my top three, Willett Pot Still.

[@BaddDukk]

So I had to go back and look a second time to be sure - if you are going to shit on a popular community staple like Monkey Shoulder, you should at least give a reason other than 'we could have done better'. Just sayin..

[@umami0247]

Not a fan of blended scotch if you can’t get it right with a single malt your doing it wrong. Also not a fan of heavy peat but again everyone has a different palette. The only thing I would like to see is higher ABV in all whiskey across the board.

[@tracynelson4903]

Monkey Shoulder tastes like liquid old school, whole leaf chewing tobacco. Still in the cabint afer 4 yesrs. I can't do it.

[@nitronamous]

I wish John J Bowman would’ve never showed it’s face on WhiskyTubers shows! I live 45 minutes from the distillery and can’t get it anywhere without it being over $100 now! $50 crusher that is so popular now that secondary market has it up to $400!!!

[@crasistal]

Same. Went from daily drinker to can't even find it.

[@davevogelsang6791]

@@crasistal . I have bought 3 bottles of John J Bowman Single Barrel in the last 2 months in N Illinois. The first bottle was $55 at Binny’s and 2 weeks ago I bought 2 bottles for $45 each at Woodman’s. Good stuff. 🥃

[@nitronamous]

@@davevogelsang6791 yeah I did the same thing at my local store before it vanished everywhere! Most stores that have it now are old stock that didn’t sell. From what I’ve been told the Bowman distillery has started making their own juice instead of buying Buffalo Trace distillate. That has stalled production because of the barrel aging but it’s supposedly coming soon. I can find Bowman Brothers for $30 all day but it just doesn’t do it like the John J. I’ve taken a liking to Blade & Bow which is a Stitzel Weller product and a good alternative.

[@kbarnes0]

Monkey Shoulder is ok, have you guys tried Glenfiddich 12, or Oban 14?

[@dalefrazier5011]

I tried a wiskey in a bbq smoke house over the weekend, Kurvball BBQ wiskey, it was bad...real bad.

[@Avigdor404]

Yeah.. I wasn't impressed with Monkey Shoulder.

[@flyfrod]

I too have been burned by some of the same bottles. I also learned that not every label from a distillery is worth having.

[@TonyIgnocheck]

Please name bottles instead of just displaying them as it can be difficult to read on a small screen

[@paulsmallriver6066]

Larceny and my palate are happy together. Cheers!

[@823Brad]

When I saw the title of this video, my immediate thought was Monkey Shoulder.

[@samjones4293]

I love the monkey shoulder granted I don't have very refined taste but it turned me towards other things than just bourbon

[@lukemasmaximus1616]

Larceny is pretty good. Especially for the price point

[@grandrapids57]

Does anyone out there in the crowd have an explanation for their dislike of Monkey Shoulder?

[@gregs7375]

I actually dislike Pikesville. Turned me off from ryes for a looooong time.

[@justinrolf3128]

You can just hear the pain in Dan's voice talking about his love for Elmer

[@historicalplayground]

Old Elk Wheated is mine. Worst wheated I have ever had and a BS story. Indiana distilled but they tell some distiller story.

[@daveykillz2780]

Is there anyone who truly likes monkey shoulder on its own? Yuck. That aftertaste is the worst

[@tytysny]

couldn't get past 30 seconds. good luck with your channel