| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
I have created another "believer"...a friend was having a Christmas party and I knew he had his mixology certification, so I brought along a bottle of Laphroaig 10 for the house. That was last weekend. I have gotten I don't know how many emails from Andy, thanking me for the amazing whisky. He swears he'll never go back to Glenlivet, he can't understand how he never heard of Laphroaig before, he's been quizzing me on what I know about whisky and how I know it...so I pointed him towards the Laphroaig website. Which..."un"fortunately...has several varieties that I was unaware of. The TRULY unfortunate part is, many of the varieties I am interested in, are shows as "available in travel retail only". So...any UK Buellers out there willing to help an un-cultured yankee whisky lover here?  | ||
| Pwnzor |
Whiskey is what I love. Nothing else will do. Scotch and Irish whiskies are good, yes... but keep in mind that a lot of them are flavored by aging in old Wild Turkey barrels. Russell's Reserve is to me just about the best thing you can buy in the $40 price range. Jimmy Russell has been the Master Distiller at Wild Turkey for well over 60 years, and he was nice enough to take my wife and me on a private tour of the facilities in Kentucky a couple of years ago. We managed to make it to 5 distilleries in one day... In the tradition of fine Bourbons, Stranahans Colorado Whiskey is possibly the best thing I've ever tasted. It's not a true Bourbon, but made in much the same way.  I always keep Scotch and Irish whiskies in my bar, usually Bushmill's 16 year old and 10 to 24 year old Scotch... sometimes Glenmoranjie, or Glenfiddich or Glenlivet. NO BLENDS, always single barrel. Blends are ok... but I like to taste the character variations between casks, and always save some of the previous bottle to compare with the new one. | ||
| 86129squids |
The whiskey market has really blown up lately- there are more producers now than ever before, in almost every state. My go-to is Makers Mark, sad to say I've not tried their higher-end new offering, "42" IIRC. I'm a fan of Angel's Envy, Basil Hayden, and Booker Noe. Not tried it, but there's been a run on Elmer T. Lee whiskey around here... and although I'm not a huge fan of Scotch, I do like Oban, and I'm looking to try some of the newer Japanese single malts- they've won some of the world competitions lately. Given that I work in a high end restaurant, it's hard to keep up with them all- in the name of "product knowledge" of course. The Wine Spectator did a piece on whiskies a few issues back. Sadly, most of the time I just get to read about them... Don't get me started about 'shine though. Talk about the market blowing up- there's a big, fancy new 'shine store right in the most expensive real estate in Gatlinburg... offering free samples. I'm of the mind that if it's taxed, it aint 'shine- and yes, you gotta know where it came from.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
The Kentucky Bourbon trail is a nice ride and some very nice tours and tastings. | ||
| Strokizator |
Thanks for the good advice here. I've found that Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon is a universally accepted gift. For those who drink their whiskey on ice, the Whiskey Wedge is a unique take.  | ||
| Damnut |
I'm a big fan of Jack Daniels single barrel and Knob Creek. I have a bottle of Bushmills reserve that can only be purchased at the factory in Bushmill Northern Ireland that is really good. I haven't cracked this bottle yet and yes, I had it personalized.  My brother-in-law just gave me a bottle of Blanton's single barrel. I had never heard of it but it is also a great whiskey.   | ||
| Pwnzor |
A lot of folks like their whiskey on ice, and I don't begrudge them that... so I keep shot glasses made of ice in my freezer, along with a set of whiskey stones for those who want it cold, but not diluted. For my part, I drink it the way I reckon God intended it. Room temperature in a clean glass. | ||
| Sifo |
Glad to see someone finally mention JD. I'm a fan of their Old No.7. I've done quite a number of blind taste tests comparing it to others, often much more expensive. I've favored Old No.7 every time. Perhaps I just lack the necessary sophistication. We have stainless steel cubes for those who want it on the rocks. I find it kills the aroma. I'm always open to more taste testing though. We were heading off for a Kentucky/Tennessee whiskey tour this passed summer. It got crushed by a mechanical problem about 20 miles short of the KY state line. We wound up hitting the Buells in the Alps event a few weeks later. Still want to do the whiskey tour. Maybe we need a Buells and bourbon tour? | ||
| Sifo |
In a clean glass? I'll have to give that a try! | ||
| 86129squids |
Ice, and the various ways to produce and present it, is an oft overlooked aspect of bartending as an art. I DIG that ice wedge! +1, Knob Creek and Blantons. My old boss at the liquor store I worked at used to be a fan of Rare Bird- hate to say I've not tried it yet... gotta catch up on my "product knowledge" fo sho! | ||
| Mtjm2 |
Makers Mark or Jack single barrel is all I need ! Im a beer drinker at heart and soul ! But do sip from time to time ! | ||
| Tootal |
I gave a good friend, who loves his whiskey, a bottle of Makers Mark for his birthday. He proceeded to try it and after pouring some over rocks he poured in some Coke! I apologized to his wife for shooting him...  BTW, When it comes to Scotch I'm a fan of Springbank from Campbeltown. Not as peaty as Laphroaig. Also discovered that 15 years is much better than 10, if you don't mind the price! | ||
| Ceejay |
Bulleit - like Pwnor, in a clean glass with nothing else. The rye's not bad but I'm not much a fan of that style of whisky. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Another great scotch to try is Bowmore Darkest. It's a 15 yo single malt. Bowmore is also a Islay single malt. Not quite as peaty as Laphroaig but has a bit more depth and complexity, you can definitely tell it's from Islay and has that sea air influence. For those that swear on drinking it "neat" I suggest a clean glass containing as much as you feel appropriate. Then add a splash of water. It will really change the character of any good scotch or whiskey. Opens it up and allows all the subtle nuances come thorough. It doesn't have to be much water, I you do a 3 oz pour, maybe add 1/4 oz water. That's all it takes. I somewhat agree with Pwnzor re single malts vs blends. However there are some REALLY good blends our there. As far as regular whiskeys, Makers Mark is hard to beat as is Knob Creek. However as mentioned above there are a bunch of new "craft" distilleries cranking out some really nice small batch stuff. Enjoy! | ||
| Hootowl |
For me, it's blantons for bourbon and aberlour 12 for scotch. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Yet another email from Andy...he's taken my "one small ice cube" advice to heart, as it truly does open up the nose and free the peat from the laphroaig. Just a couple drops - not enough to dilute, but enough to wake the flavors and aromas. Since this has turned into quite the thread here - not what I was expecting since I was just hoping someone could score me a bottle and ship it to me lol - I will say I'm a single malt man personally. Not a huge fan of ryes, although there are some good ones out there. And too many bad whiskey nights in college, with bourbons, kinda turned me off of them. Although I do want to try the current world whisky winner, Yamazaki. Apparently this year...not a single Scot was in the top 5. Wow. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/ 2014/11/05/japan-beats-scotland-to-win-worlds-best -whiskey-title/ Current inventory at my house? Macallan fine oak 17 Glenmorangie pioneer collection sample assortment Auchentoshan triple distilled 21 year lowland malt Jameson triple distilled (yes...its a blend, and one of the few that I enjoy) Laphroaig 10 cask Glenmorangie nectar d'or 12 year Glenlivet 12 ...and one that's not technically "whisky", although it's marketed as such - The Knot 100 proof. It's an outstandingly smooth near-liqueur with gorgeous vanilla notes, and it has one of the best labels I've ever read: "By cracking this seal of The Knot you accept that drinking is never to be taken lightly and promise to act in a responsible fashion - not like some blithering idiot. You promise to drink The Knot straight up in a proper shot glass, rather than mixing it in some sort of novelty, tiny umbrella, fruit fiasco. And finally, you vow that you will never drink to anything that you are not prepared to go through with. If, in any way, you are not willing to abide by these conditions, by all means, please refrain from opening this bottle." I love people who actually appreciate (and properly USE) the English language... (Message edited by ratbuell on December 20, 2014) | ||
| Pwnzor |
Don't get me wrong, I'll drink the blends. I just don't buy them. Personal preference is all. Squids, you're right about ice. Gotta use the right water, and get all the air out of it. I'm intrigued by these spherical ice molds I'm seeing, lets you roll this single ball of ice around in the glass...  corrected my grammar (Message edited by pwnzor on December 20, 2014) | ||
| Ratbuell |
 My "happy place" in the kitchen. And yes, eagle-eyed viewers will notice the S2 Signature Series in the lower right section  | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Although born in England my family hails from Forres in Morayshire. This gives me a bias which I accept unequivocally so if you want to give me a nice whisky please make it a Speyside. I find the west coast stuff too heavy and smoky for my taste. A really nice Speyside is Glen Moray if you can find it. Also an excellent blended that puts many single melts to shame is Baillie Nichol Jarvie or BNJ as it's commonly known. Again if you can find it. That's for sipping and savouring. If I'm out drinking I'll be dropping. Bells or Johnny Walker etc stretched out with sprite or 7up and plenty of ice. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
This stuff is heavenly and local to us in the Hudson Valley. Made onsite with grains grown onsite. It is one of the most complex and pleasant whiskies I've ever tasted. http://www.drinkupny.com/Hillrock_Estate_Distiller y_Single_Malt_Whiskey_p/s1383.htm A little pricey, but what isn't around here? | ||
| Blake |
Our own infamous Road Thing here introduced me to Scotch whiskey. Liked it too much. Made my toe hurt. Anything Jeff (Hootowl) recommends is likely to be tasty. Would like to see what his own oatmeal stout would do in a distilled and barrel-aged product. My brother-in-law recently gifted me a fifth of Garrison Brothers Texas Bourbon. Excellent sipping whiskey on the rocks. Barrel strength too. Careful! Gotta appreciate anything local/regional that is high quality. For me scotch (my preference, based on a sampling of maybe four or five varieties, is Glenfiddich) goes best with just a splash of water; bourbon needs to be on the rocks or it tastes medicinal to me. Others have the exact opposite experience. It's not whiskey, but E&J X•O Brandy ($12 a bottle) warmed neat really surprised me. I liked it better than Courvoisier's and Hennessy's VSOP, but I'm no Brandy connoisseur. Except for my Faith and my wife, I've never been one to settle on a single make or type of anything. I guess I'm restless, or maybe eclectic is a nicer word. It just gets expensive when it comes to sports, hobbies, and music. It's fun to try different stuff. But the older I get, the more I appreciate simplicity and moderation. (Message edited by blake on December 21, 2014) | ||
| Tootal |
Way to go Rat! You started another, uh, lubrication thread?  A little water in Laphroaig makes a huge difference. True dat!!  Best blend so far has been Johnnie Walker Gold label. We distilled an Imperial Oatmeal Cream Stout I brewed. Came out really bad! Had to distill it three times but it came out really good! Since it was very lowly hopped and ten percent alcohol it worked well. Blake, you are correct sir, simplicity and moderation are becoming the norm lately! | ||
| Hootowl |
"I'm intrigued by these spherical ice molds I'm seeing" I have a set. Getting clear ice takes a bit of work. You have to freeze the water "directionally", they call it. In other words, as the ice forms, it pushes the impurities that cause the white stuff away from itself. If you give it someplace to go, you'll get clear ice. To do this, put some water in an insulated container, like a double walled plastic coffee cup, that's just about the same diameter as the ice ball mold. Fill the mold with a good tasting water, turn it upside down (with your finger over the fill hole) and immerse in the water you've placed in the insulated container. The idea is that the water in the spherical mold will freeze before the water in the insulated container, thus giving the impurities a place to escape as the water freezes. I have had some luck with this method, though I've never had 100% clear ice. There's a guy selling an engineered version of what I just described. He claims you can produce a clear ball every time. His little contraption goes for $100. Not sure clear ice balls are worth that much money, especially for one ball at a time. You can buy the regular silicone molds on Amazon for under $20 for a set of four all day long. | ||
| Hootowl |
From what I've noticed, if the water doesn't push the mold apart as it freezes, you've managed to produce a fairly clear ball. | ||
| Pwnzor |
I use bottled water in my ice cube trays and they come out very clear. Not perfect, but nice. And they stay frozen longer than "white" ice cubes. | ||
| Sparky |
Sipping Crown Royal and A&W Root Beer mixed 50/50 works for me. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Call me lowbrow, but Evan Williams is a very cheap bourbon that I find tasty and no so expensive that i am afraid to enjoy it, and Jim Beam devils cut is a tasty option when I want to splurge a little. I like the woodford also, but not enough better to pay 2x the price. | ||
| Hootowl |
Best cheap bourbon I've ever had is Benchmark #8. I use it in Manhattans. Let's face it, you put sweet vermouth in Bourbon, it doesn't matter what the Bourbon tastes like...now it tastes like vermouth. I think it's $18 for a half gallon. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Someone brought Crown Royal Maple to Andy's party, too. Made the whole damn place smell like I-hop! I did try a sip...man, you COULD put that stuff on pancakes. Almost too sweet. | ||
| Vtpeg |
I'm a whiskey liker, not lover. For those of you who may prefer rye vs. corn, the local taste is Whistle Pig, and they are hiring. |
