Best bourbon for making bourbon chicken?

[redqueen]

Jim Beam seems popular so I was just going to grab some of that, but then I thought I'd ask the experts here for some opinions.

Anyone have a favorite brand?

[Warpy]

1. My dad lived on Old Crow

Unfortunately, he'd given me a swig of it when I was two, an experience that is one of my early childhood memories because it was astonishingly ugly, and I can't get it past my nose.

I did use Jim Beam for some bourbon chocolate dipped strawberries many years ago, and it was loved by all.

I don't think it much matters. Just follow Julia Child's rule for wine: if you can't drink it, don't use it in your food.

[GoCubsGo]

5. Good advice from Julia...

Jim Beam is my all-around-use bourbon. It's decent on it's own, as is Wild Turkey. I wouldn't use a high-end sipping bourbon for cooking. That would be a waste of some good bourbon.

[grasswire]

2. the bourbon drinker I know favors Makers Mark

But I honestly don't know if a smoother bourbon makes a better cooked dish or not.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. I would bet there are fewer than one palate in a thousand who could tell one cooked bourbon .....

.... from another.

Were I cooking what you're planning, I'd use a "decent" bourbon, whatever that is.

[redqueen]

4. Thanks to all.

I figured it might not make such a big difference, just wanted to make sure.

[MajorChode]

6. You certainly don't want to use very expensive bourbon for cooking

Cheaper bourbon is cheap for a couple of reasons. One is it isn't distilled to the standards of better liquor, which means you get more of the "bad" alcohols. Since the vast majority of the alcohol cooks off anyway, this isn't much of a consideration. Cheap bourbon is also aged in cheap barrels for shorter periods. This can make a huge difference when served neat, but cooked in a dish not so much.