It's hard to figure out where your American whiskey is coming from. There are a handful of bottles I like, and strangely enough, they all happen to be "brands" managed by a company called Kentucky Bourbon Distillers[0] who only recently got into distilling their own stuff.
On the one hand, if you find a product you like, who cares about the story behind it?
On the other hand, when some brands are charging an arm and a leg (like Pappy Van Winkle) as other, less expensive, brands made by the same people with the same equipment (like Buffalo Trace), then it might be worth it see what the difference is between the "high end" and "lower end" brands.
I did a blind taste test and found I liked the mid range whiskey the best.
On the one hand, if you find a product you like, who cares about the story behind it?
On the other hand, when some brands are charging an arm and a leg (like Pappy Van Winkle) as other, less expensive, brands made by the same people with the same equipment (like Buffalo Trace), then it might be worth it see what the difference is between the "high end" and "lower end" brands.
I did a blind taste test and found I liked the mid range whiskey the best.
0 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Bourbon_Distillers