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Had some Laphroaig 10 tonight with another friend who's a fan of scotch. The stuff was unbelievably smoky, woody and peaty - really wonderful, unique flavor. Totally hooked. Then he bought a Macallan 12 which I tried and I was like "oh..." NightConqueror fucked around with this message at 08:52 on Jan 28, 2012 |
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Jan 28, 2012 08:28
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NightConqueror posted:Had some Laphroaig 10 tonight with another friend who's a fan of scotch. The stuff was unbelievably smoky, woody and peaty - really wonderful, unique flavor. Totally hooked. Once you go
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Jan 28, 2012 10:48
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It's not that you can't go back, it's more than you can't do subtlety anymore. "I care not for a hint of <flavour>, I want EXTREME <FLAVOUR>!"
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Jan 28, 2012 10:53
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Yeah the problem is also that you should start with the lightest whisky first, then work you way up to the heavier ones. Drinking a 'froig before a macallan is the exact opposite of what to do.
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Jan 28, 2012 10:59
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While I enjoy Laphroaig and other peaty malts, I still find time to enjoy the subtleties and flavours of malts from other regions. Speaking of which, a bottle of Springbank 15 just turned up for me at work. It's going to be a good day!
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Jan 30, 2012 11:49
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It depends on the person. When I first tried Laphroaig there was that moment when I didn't think I could drink anything else but I enjoy variety and it wasn't really a problem. Picked up a bottle of Lismore Single Malt, very fruity but not much depth. It's okay but I probably wouldn't buy it again.
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Jan 31, 2012 00:20
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What are some favorite $25-$45 bourbons around here? Anyone tried any of the variants of Four Roses or Jefferson's?
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Jan 31, 2012 01:08
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:What are some favorite $25-$45 bourbons around here? Anyone tried any of the variants of Four Roses or Jefferson's? I'm nowhere near as experienced as most here, but I bought a bottle of Buffalo Trace because of this thread and its pretty awesome.
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Jan 31, 2012 03:26
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:What are some favorite $25-$45 bourbons around here? Anyone tried any of the variants of Four Roses or Jefferson's? There are a TON of bourbons in that price range. On the lower end of that price range I'd say Evan Williams Single Barrel is worth trying. You should be able to get it for $20-25, and for that price I'm not sure if I've had anything as good. Other than that, there are just so many options at that price range, $45 is getting close to the premium price range for bourbon(and then it seems there's quite a jump to the super premium stuff). But my two favorites around there are Blanton's and Four Roses Single Barrel. I've heard the FRSB can be quite different from barrel to barrel, but the one I had was very good! In other news, a new liquor store opened by me and they are still filling their shelves, but so far they have a decent selection of whiskey with GREAT prices. I'm excited about it because I was driving about 20 minutes to get to a liquor store with good selection/prices. Now I just have to drive down the road! EDIT: I haven't had any Jefferson's, but I really want to try it, the bottle always catches my eye... DoctaFun fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Jan 31, 2012 |
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Jan 31, 2012 03:55
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Just bought a bottle of Bruichladdich 10 to celebrate a promotion--not realizing at the time that it is totally different than the Bruichladdich 12 I've enjoyed several glasses of over the last year! At first, expecting the 12, it was a real disappointment, but I think I've started to enjoy it on its own terms after a while. Some reviews said it benefited from a drop of water, so I tried that even though one of my complaints was that it seemed thin and almost dusty. It opened up significantly, and gave me more of the honeyed, salty flavors I wanted. Curious to hear anyone else's thoughts.
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Jan 31, 2012 03:55
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You know I just never could get into Buffalo Trace. I dunno what it was about it, but both bottles I've had just ended up being a drag. Then when I got back to Wild Turkey 101 is was like remembering how much I like bourbon again.
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Jan 31, 2012 03:56
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What would you guys say is the best "rail" bourbon for making lots of sours and juleps at a party? Last time I did this, my guests found Old Forester more than tolerable.
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Jan 31, 2012 08:04
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I've had 3 bottles of Buffalo Trace, the first was good, the second not so much, the third was alright; these were spaced several years apart. After the price drop last year I feel better about recommending it, but I'd rather have Wild Turkey 101 being the same price or Elijah Craig 12 being cheaper.GoGoGadgetChris posted:What are some favorite $25-$45 bourbons around here? Anyone tried any of the variants of Four Roses or Jefferson's? I've only had Four Roses Single Barrel once but it was fantastic. That was at a bourbon tasting with Jim Rutledge so in all likely hood it was a cherry picked bottle. But I've had 4R Small Batch a number of times and enjoy it immensely. Russels Reserve is also excellent. At the higher end of your price range, I love Bakers. A lot of stuff between $24-28 is meh. In the $19-24 range you have WT101 and EC12 which I mentioned above. Evan Williams 1783 is a fantastic bargain at $13, not much depth but considering the price...
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Jan 31, 2012 08:35
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Seconding the Four Roses Single Barrel recommendation. It's the bourbon that made me interested in bourbons. It can vary from bottle to bottle because each barrel is different, but I haven't had a bad bottle yet.
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Jan 31, 2012 09:25
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Echoing the 4R Single Barrel as well as 4R Small Batch. Blanton's, Bulleit, Eagle Rare Single Barrel, Old Weller, and without a doubt, the best bang for your buck ever produced, Elmer T. Lee.
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Jan 31, 2012 10:35
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Halloween Jack posted:What would you guys say is the best "rail" bourbon for making lots of sours and juleps at a party? Last time I did this, my guests found Old Forester more than tolerable. I use Wild Turkey 101 for all my bourbon mixing. Depending on your guests Maker's Mark could be more popular at around the same price point. I've remarked a number of times that I find Maker's sort of flabby and boring, but the mellowness of a wheated bourbon can really shine in a julep. For sours though I wouldn't use it, since it would get lost in all the citrus.
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Jan 31, 2012 11:16
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Before Four Roses had national distribution, while driving a van full of film gear to OK from DC for work, managed to arrange a detour (a shortcut I called it) through Bardstown just so I could buy some. The producer I was traveling with was kinda surprised when I waddled out of a liquor store I stopped at "to buy a coke" with like a case and a half of bottles weighing me down. I was thrilled when they started selling it out where I live, but like other I guess I like the Single Barrel less then the normal stuff.
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Jan 31, 2012 16:50
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Well, I snagged Four Roses Small Batch and had a bit of it last night. It's my first foray into bourbon so I can't offer much except to say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I had it on the rocks first and then had another glass with some Coke. Hopefully it's not sacrilege to use it in a mixed drink, but I'll definitely be doing so again even if it is. Yum! I noticed the recommendations are generally for the Single Barrel. Are the variants truly different products (for example, the four price points of Greek spirit Metaxa range in flavor from vanilla to fruit to leather), or just bumps in quality?
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Jan 31, 2012 18:25
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:Well, I snagged Four Roses Small Batch and had a bit of it last night. It's my first foray into bourbon so I can't offer much except to say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I had it on the rocks first and then had another glass with some Coke. Hopefully it's not sacrilege to use it in a mixed drink, but I'll definitely be doing so again even if it is. Yum! My limited understanding with this type of stuff is that the small batch and single barrel bottlings don't differ a whole lot. Basically small batch will be a blend of a few barrels, while single barrel will really just all be from a single barrel in the warehouse. Quite often, the single barrel bottles have cool handwritten labels that say which barrel and rack and warehouse the whiskey was bottled from. I'm sure some people keep track of that information in case they get a really good bottle(then they could try to track down other bottles from that barrel). Recipe wise, I think the small batch and single barrel bottles are probably identical, it's just that one is mixed with other barrels and one is not. Because of all that, I think the small batch bottles will probably be more consistent, while the single barrels will be slightly more volatile. That is my understanding though, someone please correct me if I'm wrong  .Also, don't worry about how you drink your whiskey(especially if you are just starting), it's totally up to you. Some people will say it's a waste to mix a good bottle of whiskey with coke, but at the end of the day if you like it then it doesn't matter. If you pick up a couple more bottles it's nice to taste them un-mixed side by side. If you mix with coke all the time you might not taste much of a difference between different brands/bottles, and if you can't taste a big difference mixed, then just buy the cheaper one! DoctaFun fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Jan 31, 2012 |
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Jan 31, 2012 21:32
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Using a decent whisk(e)y in a mixed drink is not sacrilege. Mixing it with carbonated liquid-candy however... Seriously though, mix it how you like but realize you're doing something similar to cooking with an expensive bottle of wine. Either way, you're not going to taste those nuances you paid for, so why waste your money?
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Feb 1, 2012 01:23
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logical fallacy posted:Seriously though, mix it how you like but realize you're doing something similar to cooking with an expensive bottle of wine. Either way, you're not going to taste those nuances you paid for, so why waste your money? Yeah, you could probably pick up a $15 bottle of Jim Beam, mix that, and get the same result. Save the good stuff for neat, or with ice + water.
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Feb 1, 2012 01:45
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I can see the merit in having a cheaper bottle for spirit + Coke, but what's the consensus on cocktails? Is it worth it to use a quality bottle in a Sazerac or a Buck (assuming other quality ingredients), or is it best to let the good stuff be enjoyed on its own?
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Feb 1, 2012 01:56
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Also bourbon and coke is crazy when ginger ale is clearly the superior mixer. EDIT: Cranberry juice is actually the best but no one ever believes me. bongwizzard fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Feb 1, 2012 |
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Feb 1, 2012 02:00
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:I can see the merit in having a cheaper bottle for spirit + Coke, but what's the consensus on cocktails? Is it worth it to use a quality bottle in a Sazerac or a Buck (assuming other quality ingredients), or is it best to let the good stuff be enjoyed on its own? I wouldn't mix with a bourbon that cost more than $40-$50, typically. Usually, of course, we're talking more like $25 bottles for mixing. However, if you wanted to make a truly excellent Sazerac, and used some very nice Sazerac to do so it would be a case of no harm no foul. I'd never use nice stuff in a sour, but a Manhattan? Sure, as long as I'm also using Dolin or Vya or Carpano Antica for the vermouth.
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Feb 1, 2012 02:14
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:I can see the merit in having a cheaper bottle for spirit + Coke, but what's the consensus on cocktails? Is it worth it to use a quality bottle in a Sazerac or a Buck (assuming other quality ingredients), or is it best to let the good stuff be enjoyed on its own? Different varieties of "good stuff" will be more or less suitable for use in different cocktails. Since different whiskys have different flavor profiles, they complement cocktail ingredients differently. Sazerac's tend to benefit from whiskys with less pronounced sweetness due to the quantity of sugar in them and the desired final flavor profile. Mules, I'd tend to go the other way, but that's because I'd use fresh lime juice and a ginger ale with more fire and less sweetness. If you are planning on using Rose's and sweeter ginger ale, then a sharper whisky would be more appropriate.
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Feb 1, 2012 02:14
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Four Roses is way too sweet to mix with coke. It's meant to be sipped, and in my opinion it's too syrupy when mixed with soda. Makers or Bulleit are solid coke mixers and won't break the bank, at least where I live.
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Feb 1, 2012 04:29
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DoctaFun posted:Because of all that, I think the small batch bottles will probably be more consistent, while the single barrels will be slightly more volatile. This is from memory but the Small Batch is a mix of four 4R bourbons each made with unique yeasts so it is different than Single Barrel. But you're right that Small Batch will be more consistent. GoGoGadgetChris posted:I noticed the recommendations are generally for the Single Barrel. Are the variants truly different products (for example, the four price points of Greek spirit Metaxa range in flavor from vanilla to fruit to leather), or just bumps in quality? 4R is covered above but with other distilleries it varies. Wild Turkey makes one bourbon, all their products are just different expressions of that one. Standard 101 is a mix of 6, 8 & 10 year barrels; Russel's Reserve is all 10 year. Jim Beam has different bourbons and different expressions both but I couldn't tell you which is which off the top of my head (other than Bakers, I'm not a Beam fan). Buffalo Trace make many different bourbons under many different brands. Woodford has their standard bourbon but they are fond of experimentation and making special batches, some of which are no longer bourbon in the strictest sense. I don't know much about Heaven Hill. I believe Makers Mark only produces one bourbon.
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Feb 1, 2012 09:00
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wormil posted:I've only had Four Roses Single Barrel once but it was fantastic. That was at a bourbon tasting with Jim Rutledge so in all likely hood it was a cherry picked bottle. Rutledge goes as far as saying Single Barrel and Small Batch taste nothing alike and none of the four reciper in Small Batch are the Single Barrel recipe. I can agree with that...I vastly preferred Single Barrel.
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Feb 1, 2012 09:48
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Is there any chance we could get some kind of large list of Goon recommendations added to the OP so people can see a running list of things they should try?
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Feb 1, 2012 11:08
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Phineus posted:Is there any chance we could get some kind of large list of Goon recommendations added to the OP so people can see a running list of things they should try? But then, what would we argue about? Every major bourbon has been recommended at some point or another and scotch is so different from region to region. Also, offerings vary by country... many bourbons offered overseas are not available in the states and vice-versa. Availability even varies by state in the US. That said, I'm happy to do it if we can agree on a few of each type. Maybe a list of whisk(e)ys that are widely available and easily approachable by beginners? For bourbons I would make the case for Elijah Craig 12. It is well liked and respected by connoisseurs, inexpensive, consistent, and widely available. Wild Turkey 101 would be my second recommendation but the higher proof is sometimes intimidating.
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Feb 1, 2012 17:27
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What's so bad about Wild Turkey 80, anyway? I've never had it; does the dilution create a very different flavour profile?
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Feb 1, 2012 17:54
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wormil posted:But then, what would we argue about? We can argue about what belongs on the list! I think a beginners list would be nice to have in the OP. Something that would give someone the opportunity to sample a variety of things, hopefully things that are easily available (maybe even can be found at a bar for those not inclined to buy the bottle outright). I know I'm still sampling and building a taste and a beginners list would have been a nice helpful thing to have. We can also just have a list of goon recommendations other than the beginners list, things people have tried and liked, can make this a google document or something so there's less upkeep for you. I'll just throw out Johnnie Walker Black for the list. It is widely available, has a smooth flavor and is a step up for anyone who might be used to just Jack Daniels, and relatively affordable. You can drink it straight up, on the rocks, and it makes a nice mix (Black and coke, mmm).
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Feb 1, 2012 18:08
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I will throw out Evan Williams single barrel, great beginner bourbon. It's pretty tasty and very cheap. Sure, I'd like to tell everyone to try Blanton's or something, which I really like, but it's tough to convince someone to drop $40 on a bottle of something they are not sure they like. I suppose we could have a list of inexpensive and expensive whiskeys to try, to fit different people's price points.
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Feb 1, 2012 18:20
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:What are some favorite $25-$45 bourbons around here? Anyone tried any of the variants of Four Roses or Jefferson's? I'll throw in Black Maple Hill, and second the Four Roses Single Barrel and Elmer T Lee.
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Feb 1, 2012 19:13
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cbubbles posted:I'll just throw out Johnnie Walker Black for the list. It is widely available, has a smooth flavor and is a step up for anyone who might be used to just Jack Daniels... Hmmm, I would think Dalwhinnie 15 or Glenlivet 12 would be a little easier on a first time scotch drinker. JW Red was one of my first scotches and just about put me off the drink forever. kitten smoothie posted:I'll throw in Black Maple Hill, and second the Four Roses Single Barrel and Elmer T Lee. I've never even heard of Black Maple, who makes it?
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Feb 1, 2012 21:03
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wormil posted:I've never even heard of Black Maple, who makes it? A coworker told me it was distilled under contract at Heaven Hill, but there's plenty of people online saying it is, and plenty saying it isn't. The back of the bottle just says "CVI Brands." I asked a guy at Heaven Hill about it when I was down there in November doing the whole Bourbon Trail thing. He told me "a bunch of people have asked me about this before you have. Supposedly the internet says we make it, but I've never heard of the stuff." That doesn't mean a whole lot though because in addition to Evan Williams and all their overt stuff, Heaven Hill also makes all sorts of stuff under contract. They make some of the "Colonel Kwik-E-Mart" kind of bottom shelf swill for grocery stores and I bet he's not heard of that either. Found a bottle of BMH at a liquor store in Bardstown for $35-$40ish if I remember right, and I thought it was fairly solid stuff for the price. Seen it back home in St Louis for about the same price. Edit: Apparently here's the group that ages and bottles it for CVI, but KBD does not distill, so the distillate may have come from Heaven Hill. KBD and HH are down the street from one another. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Bourbon_Distillers kitten smoothie fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Feb 1, 2012 |
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Feb 1, 2012 21:31
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wormil posted:Hmmm, I would think Dalwhinnie 15 or Glenlivet 12 would be a little easier on a first time scotch drinker. JW Red was one of my first scotches and just about put me off the drink forever. I wouldn't argue against the Glenlivet, I haven't had the Dalwhinnie. I think black is significantly easier on someone than the red (even though it goes up in price a bit). For the store I go to, Dalwhinnie 15 goes for $50 for 750ml, Glenlivet 12 goes for $24 for 750ml, Johnnie Walker Black goes for $28 for 750ml. So Glenlivet actually ends up being cheapest too (at least near me) - And I think $25ish for either bottle is cheap enough for someone just dabbling.
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Feb 1, 2012 21:42
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Anybody have experience with Speyburn? I saw it at the store around the same price point as Glenlivet.
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Feb 1, 2012 21:51
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kitten smoothie posted:A coworker told me it was distilled under contract at Heaven Hill, but there's plenty of people online saying it is, and plenty saying it isn't. The back of the bottle just says "CVI Brands." From what I understand, I think HH used to distill BMH, but no longer does. The problem with bourbon is that there are so few distilleries and so many labels. All that liquid comes mainly from four or five places with varying degrees of respect. BMH is another one of the very small batch collections and their standard eight year is a very solid bourbon that should be on any one's must try list of higher end stuff. Some of their early bottlings were chosen by Julian Van Winkle Jr. Their vintage releases are out of this world.
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Feb 1, 2012 21:55
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Stultus Maximus posted:Anybody have experience with Speyburn? I saw it at the store around the same price point as Glenlivet. Insipid and utterly monodimensional. The sweetness is disgusting and off putting, and the raw, young, harshness is predominant. Avoid if at all possible, especially if new to Scotch.
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Feb 1, 2012 22:03
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