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Starting to get into whiskey a bit. Never much of a liquor drinker, really a beer drinker, but a friend left part of a bottle of Four Roses (just the basic kind). That bottle's done and bourbon started to grow on me, so I checked out this thread and picked up a bottle of Evan Williams (now I realize the OP is talking about the 1783 and not the Black label which is what I bought, oh well). Do you guys drink it with ice or not? Ice certainly helps mitigate the burn going down, but seems to kill some of the flavor. AndrewP fucked around with this message at 02:10 on Mar 13, 2012 |
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Mar 13, 2012 01:19
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I've got a decent collection (I think) so far for a beginning into whiskeys: Glenfiddich 12 Glenlivet 12 Bowmore Islay Surf Single Malt Highland Park 12 Glenmorangie 18 'Extremely Rare' 10s of bottles of Jamieson, Forty Creek, Canadian Club, etc. While I can understand some of the differences between all 5 types, I don't feel like my palette is good enough to distinguish what is going into eat whiskey (eg. caramel, fruits, nuts, etc). How can I teach my palette to be more precise? What is the precise way to 'taste' a whiskey anyways? I've just been sipping it and letting it sit on my tongue, but I find that some of the alcohol taste is overpowering the other tastes.
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Mar 13, 2012 01:57
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wizard sticks posted:I've got a decent collection (I think) so far for a beginning into whiskeys: You've got some pretty good stuff there. As a beginner it can be difficult to really pick out the nuances of whisky. A lot of it has to becoming acclimated to the burn of the alcohol. If you really want to appreciate the flavor you should drink it neat with a bit of water (a few drops to about a teaspoon), move it around and let it breathe for a few minutes. Add a little ice if you feel like the flavor is too overwhelming. I haven't tried the Bowmore or the Glenmorangie yet, but I'd be willing to bet even a whiskey newbie would be able to taste the differences between Glenlivet 12 (citrus-y, sour apple nose, quick finish) and Highland Park 12 (more sweet, honey and lavender flavors). If you want something that's a completely different flavor than all of those there (and I guarantee you'd be able to tell the difference), try an Islay whisky - Laphroaig Quarter Cask being my personal favorite. The smoke will knock your socks off. Really, there's no wrong way to drink scotch whisky (except maybe with a coke mixer), and you should take it at your own pace, let your palette develop and enjoy your growth as a whisky drinker.
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Mar 13, 2012 05:52
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wizard sticks posted:I've got a decent collection (I think) so far for a beginning into whiskeys: A good way to develop your palate, aside from drinking and reading reviews, is to sit down and actually taste the foods that people use to refer to whiskey/wine/beer/etc. Actually sit and savor an almond, a bit of honey, a piece of quality caramel, stone fruits like plums and cherries, red fruits like raspberries and cranberries, dried fruits like raisins or prunes. Take in the nuances of a good vanilla extract or bean, the richness of a small bit of melted butter (this, I admit, may be pushing it), the smell of freshly mowed grass. As you're tasting or smelling these things, think back to the whiskey you've tried in the past and try to place the flavors. Notice that some have a stronger vanilla or caramel flavor than others. Some are way more buttery than others. One may have stone fruit or red fruit flavors separately, while another might have both, and that you can actually distinguish them. Here's a cool "flavor wheel" to jog your brain of the words you want to use to describe whiskey, but can't think of it off the top of your head. 
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Mar 13, 2012 08:07
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Tigren posted:A good way to develop your palate, aside from drinking and reading reviews, is to sit down and actually taste the foods that people use to refer to whiskey/wine/beer/etc. Actually sit and savor an almond, a bit of honey, a piece of quality caramel, stone fruits like plums and cherries, red fruits like raspberries and cranberries, dried fruits like raisins or prunes. Take in the nuances of a good vanilla extract or bean, the richness of a small bit of melted butter (this, I admit, may be pushing it), the smell of freshly mowed grass. That is a cool wheel but I saw this quote:Fruity- Solvent: Nail polish remover 
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Mar 13, 2012 19:43
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DrPain posted:That is a cool wheel but I saw this Acetone, the main ingredient in nail polish remover, has a faintly fruity odor to it. Go waft a bit towards your nose.
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Mar 13, 2012 19:46
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DrPain posted:That is a cool wheel but I saw this Not whiskey, but a while back I tried a pinotage wine from South Africa. It tasted like driving through asphalt-laying. I looked it up online and "hot tar or asphalt" is a characteristic flavor of that grape. WTF.
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Mar 13, 2012 19:46
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Tigren posted:Acetone, the main ingredient in nail polish remover, has a faintly fruity odor to it. Go waft a bit towards your nose.
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Mar 13, 2012 19:57
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Can anybody recommend me a good Irish Whiskey? The only one I've had is Jameson. I'm used to Patron and Cazadores tequila: it's a quick burn. Irish Whiskey, on the other hand, is a slow burn. Not that it's a bad thing: I enjoy the slow burn. Does all good whiskey burn slow?
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Mar 16, 2012 06:26
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cyberpunksurvivor posted:Can anybody recommend me a good Irish Whiskey? The only one I've had is Jameson. I'm used to Patron and Cazadores tequila: it's a quick burn. Irish Whiskey, on the other hand, is a slow burn. Not that it's a bad thing: I enjoy the slow burn. Does all good whiskey burn slow? Jameson 12 year reserve is pretty good, albeit mellow. Redbreast 12 is also very good.
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Mar 16, 2012 06:36
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Also if you're looking on the more inexpensive side I've had excellent results with John Powers.
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Mar 16, 2012 12:49
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cyberpunksurvivor posted:Can anybody recommend me a good Irish Whiskey? The only one I've had is Jameson. I'm used to Patron and Cazadores tequila: it's a quick burn. Irish Whiskey, on the other hand, is a slow burn. Not that it's a bad thing: I enjoy the slow burn. Does all good whiskey burn slow? Tullimore Dew is a little bit smoother and at about the same price range.
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Mar 16, 2012 16:31
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Kenning posted:I am firmly opposed to muddled anything being in an Old Fashioned. If you want orange flavor, use orange bitters or a finish with a twist. If you want cherry flavor, drink something else. An Old Fashioned is cold, bracing, and simple. It *definitely* shouldn't have particles in it from muddling a bunch of fruit in there. You could muddle some zest to better extract the oils if you don't have orange bitters, but I agree with this in general. edit: Wow, didn't realize this was last page.
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Mar 16, 2012 21:48
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InsensitiveSeaBass posted:Tullimore Dew is a little bit smoother and at about the same price range. I'm not familiar with Tullamore, but in my experience the entry level Jameson and Bushmills are only suitable for mixing. If you want decent (widely available) Irish start with Bushmills Black or Jameson 12. I've heard Powers is also quite good, but at least in Ontario it isn't incredibly common in bars.
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Mar 17, 2012 00:04
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Jetfire posted:I'm not familiar with Tullamore, but in my experience the entry level Jameson and Bushmills are only suitable for mixing. If you want decent (widely available) Irish start with Bushmills Black or Jameson 12. What about Bushmills 10? http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-2834.aspx
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Mar 17, 2012 00:08
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I don't know how easy it is to find, but Clontarf Single Malt and Redbreast 12 are my two favorite Irish whiskeys.
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Mar 17, 2012 00:13
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wizard sticks posted:What about Bushmills 10? Bushmills 10 is also nice, in my experience. It's usually a smidge pricier than BBlack.
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Mar 17, 2012 00:56
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I feel like I'm missing something really obvious, but every time I pour some Bulleit, a little bit drips out the side. Is there a way to prevent this? I keep a rag on hand to wipe down the bottle but it's really annoying and I don't have this problem with other bottles.
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Mar 21, 2012 19:46
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Has anyone tried Bruichladdich Octomore? I prefer smoky/peaty whisky, like the various Lagavulin and Laphroaig offerings, so I picked up a bottle of Octomore 2.1 this past Christmas. I had intended to have it with some out of state friends for New Years, but ended up leaving it at my apartment (gave me an excuse to pick up a bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail to share instead). I've been holding on to it since then, waiting for an occasion that would be worthy. I just want to make sure that I'm not waiting in vain. Any thoughts? Should I just go ahead and crack into it? Or keep saving it for a nebulous, TBD, special occasion?
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Mar 22, 2012 05:59
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I found it to be more interesting than necessarily enjoyable. It's a whisky you drink to explore what levels peat can be brought to in whisky. Not to kick back relax and have a nice dram. If you save it for a special occasion you might be disappointed. This is just my own opinion of course.
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Mar 22, 2012 07:48
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I'd agree with spankmeister. There seemed to be a silly little game being played by Bruichladdich and Ardbeg recently where they'd run some of their newmake or whisky through a gas chromatograph and announce "The Peatiest Whisky Ever" with x+1 ppm of phenols. I've tried some Octomore (can't remember which release) and also some of the Ardbeg Supernova. I'd say there are many better whiskies released by Bruichladdich & Ardbeg respectively. It's a gimmick whisky really. Young, one-dimensional and expensive. It'll be an interesting dram but probably not a great one.
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Mar 22, 2012 21:44
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SnoPuppy posted:Has anyone tried Bruichladdich Octomore? I agree with the other two but for a different reason: Don't save anything, there is always more whisky to find and enjoy  Drink!Sounds like you're not struggling to find and purchase nice bottles (Octomore then the oogie) so just drink everything
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Mar 22, 2012 21:50
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I talked to Cask in SF about Old Potrero, they said they only get a few bottles a year and there's a "rather long waiting list." Well poo poo. I was hoping I'd be able to find a bottle while I'm in SF but it's not looking good.
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Mar 22, 2012 23:36
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I got my first bottle of Elijah Craig 12 recently. Very tasty stuff. Usually I go for Scotch, but I'm starting to drink more bourbon. Are there any other good $30-40 bourbons I should keep an eye out for? I just found a new liquor store with a huge whiskey selection and I always like to try new things.
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Mar 24, 2012 01:40
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alariens421 posted:I got my first bottle of Elijah Craig 12 recently. Very tasty stuff. I've been really impressed with Wild Turkey Rare Breed. It's got a lot of character and smoothness. Definitely a go-to if I'm not doing scotch. Also you might consider Four Roses Single Barrel. I haven't tried it, but it seems to get a lot of love around here.
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Mar 24, 2012 05:21
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I'm off down to Whisky Live in London in an hour or so. I'm sure there'll be plenty of interesting drams to try.
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Mar 24, 2012 11:48
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Booked in for Whiskey Live Sydney in August. Let me know how it goes.
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Mar 24, 2012 13:15
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Capt.Whorebags posted:Booked in for Whiskey Live Sydney in August. Let me know how it goes. Was good, I'm a bit pished but came home with a Glengoyne 21 & a Longrow 14. Happy days. biglads fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Mar 24, 2012 |
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Mar 24, 2012 19:09
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 $40. Bottled in 2010 = 14yo. Love me some scotch 
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Mar 24, 2012 21:11
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TenaciousTomato posted:
It doesn't work like that, whisky stops aging once it's in the bottle (unlike beer or wine) so that's a 12YO like it says on the label.
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Mar 24, 2012 22:01
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spankmeister posted:It doesn't work like that, whisky stops aging once it's in the bottle (unlike beer or wine) so that's a 12YO like it says on the label. Shieeeeet. That sucks!
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Mar 24, 2012 22:07
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biglads posted:Was good, I'm a bit pished but came home with a Glengoyne 21 & a Longrow 14. Happy days. Anything stand out in the tastings?
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Mar 24, 2012 23:05
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 Aberlour A'Bunadh Batch 38 As I understand there isn't a huge amount of variation between batches but what do I know having only tried this one. The A'Bunadh is reasonably priced and in my opinion qualitywise completely equal to for example a Glenlivet 16yo Nadurra which is also a cask strength in the same price range (although not at all similar). The whisky is finished in Oloroso sherry casks which shows as both the telltale dark brown-reddish colour and the plums, dates and overall sweetness of the nose and palate. Due to this sweetness and the long, long aftertaste that masks well the fact the bottle is 60,3% strong, this stuff is great with desserts. Not a subtle or watery experience. Caol Ila Elements of Islay3 The 3rd Elements bottling from this distillery is very smoky. A friend said he nosed canned peaches in it, but I can only detect a vague fruitiness and a more pungent sweet aroma I can't place. Raisins? The taste is pungent and sooty as is to be expected, but not acrid or bland, just a well placed bundle of delightfully strong peat and a very dry aftertaste. Not a far cry from the blend of Islay whisky from various distilleries going under the name Big Peat, but with less seaweed/algae in the nose and much less water in the taste, both improvements over BP. Laphroaigh Quarter Cask the Quarter Cask boasts a production method of second maturation of the whisky in casks much smaller than regular size ones. What it claims to be is a "recreation of the practices of a bygone era" in order to "create the perfect marriage of peat and oak". What it is is an appalling bottle of smoked piss with notes of fresh sawn board and tar with all the subtlety of a wet fish in the face. The medicinal iodine smell of Laphroaigh is muted under the smoke, smoke, more smoke and wet wood. The nose is closed tight and stays that way, and the taste which itself is not particularly bad but also not a match for even the regular 10yo devolves into a horrifically lingering tarry aftertaste, as if drinking something someone put out a cigarette in. After this experience I'll stick with the Laphroaigh 18 and 10, and will forget trying the other gimmick bottling, Triple Wood. Ardbeg Corryvreckan Here's another less usual whisky, this time one that does it quite right. The Corryvreckan is as super aromatic as any other Ardbeg (leave a couple of empty glasses in a room and come back in a while if you don't know what I mean) with a smell of overripe citrus and something vaguely baconish. Instead of the warmer tones of the 10yo and the absolutely fabulous Uigeadail, the Corryvreckan's palate trick is salt. Properly named after a whirlpool north of Islay, the Corry is a taste of peaty seawater but in a good way. I don't quite remember another whisky which would be as harshly saline and to be sure I wouldn't recommend this to just anyone - only for those looking for a very curious but inarguably excellent bottle. The Corry is unfortunately priced well above the aforementioned Uigeadail which is all around a better whisky, no contest, so recommending Corry is slightly difficult for me although I do appreciate its unique character very much.
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Mar 25, 2012 02:04
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biglads posted:Was good, I'm a bit pished but came home with a Glengoyne 21 & a Longrow 14. Happy days. Is that Glengoyne the OB? I have that, picked it up in Melbourne last year. Yet to open though. Also, Whorebags, I will be at Whisky Live Syd too Nice write up Deleuzionist
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Mar 25, 2012 03:15
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The Glengoyne is the OB. There weren't that many unusual bottles to sample from, the 2 most interesting ones I found were a Port finished Glen Moray and a 'about 3 days short from 8y/o' Kilkerran. If I'd have got round to the BBR or the Compass Box stands, there might have been a bit more interesting selection there. The vast majority of drams there were OB's, perfectly fine but it's nicer to see a bit more variety. Single Cask releases, 'Manager's Dram', just stuff that's a bit rarer/unusual. Having done both over most of the past few years, I reckon that The Whisky Show (http://www.whisky-show.com/whisky-show-2012) is better. There's a bigger selection, more exhibitors and no voucher system there. Diageo display at both (as you'd expect), at Whisky Live yesterday they had all of the Distillers Editions and the Caol Ila Moch. Not bad but when you consider all the stuff they have, a bit light. At the last Whisky Show, Diageo were there with Brora 30, Talisker 30, Glen Spey 31, 8th Release Port Ellen etc. etc. AND they free poured them. biglads fucked around with this message at 10:03 on Mar 25, 2012 |
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Mar 25, 2012 10:00
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Deleuzionist posted:
I just bought a bottle of this yesterday too, because I love Laphroaig and thought this may be even better. Well, it's pretty goddamned intense. I also got a bottle of this, yum yum: 
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Mar 25, 2012 21:12
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AWWNAW posted:I just bought a bottle of this yesterday too, because I love Laphroaig and thought this may be even better. Well, it's pretty goddamned intense. I'm not such an Islay fan but I saw the Laphroaig Triple Wood in the shops and did a quick lookup to see if it's still decent, it's on 86 from the Malt Maniacs. My question is though, is it less intense or more? I thought using multiple casks (like Auchentoshan Triple Wood) diluted the flavours but does it just depend on your source material? Anyone tried it themselves?
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Mar 25, 2012 21:44
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AWWNAW posted:I just bought a bottle of this yesterday too, because I love Laphroaig and thought this may be even better. Well, it's pretty goddamned intense. How's that 10yo rye? Not into ryes but could spare to try something delicious.
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Mar 25, 2012 21:56
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Seen it mentioned a few times in this thread, but I'd just like to throw in another recommendation for Templeton Rye. Managed to find a liquor store in Binghamton NY that sells it and it's really good. Never been a huge Rye fan, but I could go for more of this.
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Mar 25, 2012 22:56
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Gregorio posted:Whisky Live Sydney Tell me more about this Whisky Live Sydney. Google search didn't really turn up that much detail, and $85 is a bit steep for me to just punt and hope for the best. Is it a decent turnout, with a good selection of tastings?
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Mar 28, 2012 11:49
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