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Killer robot posted:$50 is what I've generally seen a 750 of Green go for in NY. It's not better than the comparably priced single malts driving it out of the market, but it's good at its price point and I'll be sad to see it go. Bruichladdich Octomore http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/product.asp?pf_id=2666000001608 BenRiach 25 Authenticus http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/product.asp?pf_id=2600000001696 Bruichladdich Black Arts 3 http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/product.asp?pf_id=2600000001897 Ardbeg Alligator (if you can still find it, good luck. I picked up two bottles of it at the distillery earlier this year, it's pretty amazing.)
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Nov 8, 2012 10:36
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On a side note, some other pretty amazing finds lately: Kilchoman Machir Bay http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/product.asp?pf_id=2600000001740 If you like Ardbegs, this place is relatively new (so they don't have anything out older than 5/6 years), but it's young, peaty and very active. They're the only self sufficient distillery on Islay - they do everything themselves from growing the barley, roasting it, storing it, etc. BenRiach Solstice 17 Year http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/product.asp?pf_id=2600000001695 Heavily peated scotch finished in port casks. It's burgundy in color from the port. I can't recommend this enough. Connemara Turf Mor http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/product.asp?pf_id=1000000001274 Interesting change of pace, a peated Irish whiskey. If you don't go into it expecting it to be even remotely Scotch-like, it's actually extremely good.
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Nov 8, 2012 10:43
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Eighty Seven posted:I bought a gift set of Canadian Club to give it a try. It's incredibly cheap, no doubt, but doesn't have any less complicated a flavor profile than Wisers, Seagrams XO or Crown Royal. Yeah, in my experience, CC really isn't all that better or worse than most basic Canadian whiskies. Unfortunately, I know way too many people that believe that Crown Royal is a top-shelf whisky. I usually hold a bottle of 40 Creek in the liquor cabinet at home (I'd say it's better as a mixer and decent base Canadian whisky to drink neat), and when my parents were getting ready for a party, they still insisted on getting a bottle of Crown Royal because that's what some of their friends drink (with coke). As for the glasses, my brother bought a gift set for himself last Christmas from the LCBO that had a 375mL bottle of CC 12 and two glasses. The glasses are ok, but one has an uneven base, so it could be overall crap quality. I did, however, once luck out and an LCBO near me had Canadian whisky glasses on sale (specifically, this one, but with a different box) for $5, as opposed to the regular >$10. If you ever get lucky and find one (or just pay regular price online), I'd suggest getting one of those instead of a regular tumbler. Not only do they bottle scent better like a Glencairn (though not nearly as well since they're bigger), but they're big enough that you can pour other drinks in them. I don't have any cocktail glasses, so I make my Manhattans in them.
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Nov 9, 2012 21:37
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Apparently Van Winkles and Buffalo Trace Antique Collection stuff is out in the wild now, so keep your eyes peeled.
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Nov 9, 2012 21:41
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Tigren posted:Apparently Van Winkles and Buffalo Trace Antique Collection stuff is out in the wild now, so keep your eyes peeled. The hunt begins.
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Nov 9, 2012 22:46
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I just bought a 750ml of Crown Royal Maple just because I was curious if it was bad, really bad, or Disgusting. I rate it worse than disgusting. It is like trying to drink maple syrup. It is foul. Avoid at all costs unless you like sipping maple syrup to get drunk.
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Nov 10, 2012 00:02
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I actually think it is on par with the comparable single malts. We're perfectly willing to pay US$50 for Compass Box Oak Cross here, and US$70 for Spice Tree. I actually prefer Green Label to both. Even if you don't care about age statements, you have to acknowledge that older whiskies cost more, and 15 year old Cragganmore, Caol Ila, Talisker and Clynelish would cost US$50 or more each on their own.
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Nov 10, 2012 01:28
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kidsafe posted:I actually think it is on par with the comparable single malts. We're perfectly willing to pay US$50 for Compass Box Oak Cross here, and US$70 for Spice Tree. I actually prefer Green Label to both. Even if you don't care about age statements, you have to acknowledge that older whiskies cost more, and 15 year old Cragganmore, Caol Ila, Talisker and Clynelish would cost US$50 or more each on their own. There's some truth to this - in that we often get a little obsessed with age. It's not ALWAYS better. For example, Kilchoman is producing some really great stuff that has only a small amount of 5 year old whisky and mostly 4 year old whisky. Also, after drinking nothing but single malt scotch for a while, I poured myself some Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon. Holy god drat, I nearly forgot how wonderful this stuff is. It's all to easy to forget the skill and effort that goes into some of the top bourbons.
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Nov 10, 2012 04:08
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Karl Hungus posted:I just bought a 750ml of Crown Royal Maple just because I was curious if it was bad, really bad, or Disgusting. I rate it worse than disgusting. It is like trying to drink maple syrup. It is foul. Avoid at all costs unless you like sipping maple syrup to get drunk. Sounds like something I should get for the Canadians at my office as a joke for the company Christmas party.  (Except it's probably more expensive than I'd want to spend on something that gross)
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Nov 10, 2012 04:28
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NightConqueror posted:There's some truth to this - in that we often get a little obsessed with age. It's not ALWAYS better. For example, Kilchoman is producing some really great stuff that has only a small amount of 5 year old whisky and mostly 4 year old whisky. Green Label tastes like a US$50 whisky as much as many other US$50 whiskies. It tastes better than the Winter 2011 release of Kilchoman, which was well over US$50 when I bought it. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 06:56 on Nov 10, 2012 |
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Nov 10, 2012 06:51
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Karl Hungus posted:I just bought a 750ml of Crown Royal Maple just because I was curious if it was bad, really bad, or Disgusting. I rate it worse than disgusting. It is like trying to drink maple syrup. It is foul. Avoid at all costs unless you like sipping maple syrup to get drunk. I had the same reaction although not as severe when I first tried Tap 357 but it grew on me a little.
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Nov 10, 2012 09:46
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wormil posted:We'll have to agree to disagree on Dickel, that stuff is very disappointing. I ended up buying a bottle of the Cascade Hollow and can't say I'm a big fan. So far the best use I've found for it is to refill an empty bottle of The Peat Monster (think of it as the liquor equivalent to putting red dye in white wine).
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Nov 11, 2012 01:05
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Went into Binny's today to get a bottle of Elmer T. Lee. Walked out with this instead: Ardbeg 10 with a mini bottle of Uigeadail (which I haven't yet tried, but have heard great things about). Eagerly awaiting to crack it open and put it against my Laphroaig Cask Strength. lavaca posted:I ended up buying a bottle of the Cascade Hollow and can't say I'm a big fan. So far the best use I've found for it is to refill an empty bottle of The Peat Monster (think of it as the liquor equivalent to putting red dye in white wine). Sorry to hear that didn't work out. Tennessee Whisky is weird stuff (and truth be told, not one of my favorites). I've liked Dickel, but it generally ended up getting mixed with ginger ale or coke when offered. At least it's cheap!
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Nov 11, 2012 20:32
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kidsafe posted:It doesn't matter if an older whisky is better or not...it's older and rarer unless a distillery has ramped up production specifically for older expressions (a la Lagavulin 16 vs Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength). Kilchoman's whisky is expensive, not because it's amazing, but because their output is so low. It depends on your taste. I'd put any of the Kilchoman releases well above Green Label, but I also really like peated whiskey. I'm finding as time goes on that I actually prefer the younger more active vintages to the older and more mellow/refined ones. I was very impressed with Kilchoman, all in all. They may be a little expensive because of the relatively low output of the distillery, but it doesn't take away from the quality of the dram. As with most other things in life, though, the quality of the thing really doesn't have much to do with the cost. I love Black Bottle and it's one of the cheapest Scotches you'll find. I'd put that up there with many Islay main offerings even with it being a blended mystery drink. It has a place on my shelf next to the Octomore and Alligator / Corryvreckan, which cost 4-5x what the Black Bottle does.
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Nov 12, 2012 13:50
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When and Why has Pappy Van Winkle developed this crazy cult following. I mean don't get me wrong, the stuff is good, but there are just as many fine bourbons out there. 3 years ago, I could get the stuff on the shelf. Now i'm on a 300 person waiting list and the stores that DO have it price gouge. I'll just need to find a new favorite I guess.
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Nov 13, 2012 19:01
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Van Winkle is nice but I'm not sure its worth getting looked at like I'm an rear end in a top hat when I ask to be put on the wait list after April. I also felt guilty drinking the stuff since its so hard to come by.
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Nov 13, 2012 22:26
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Mega Boris posted:When and Why has Pappy Van Winkle developed this crazy cult following. There's some kind of mystique behind Pappy that makes it so interesting to people. It's always reviewed amazingly, it's rare and it's expensive (for a bourbon, at least). I bet a lot of people don't know that most of Pappy's stuff is Buffalo Trace and their Stizel-Weller days are almost gone. That said, I still want a loving bottle too. Or Stagg, maybe.
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Nov 14, 2012 01:51
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My recollection is that the 23 y.o. got a lot more press than normal for being named "best whiskey in the world" by somebody a few years back. It's the same thing that happened to Westvleteren.
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Nov 14, 2012 02:52
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Ardbeg 10 with a mini bottle of Uigeadail (which I haven't yet tried, but have heard great things about). Eagerly awaiting to crack it open and put it against my Laphroaig Cask Strength. If you enjoy Laphroaig Cask Strength i whuld highly recommend you to try the Ardbeg corryvreckan or if you have some spare cash the Ardbeg Supernova. 2 amazing whiskeys.
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Nov 14, 2012 03:16
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Here's an interesting one: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/siascotch/sia-scotch-whisky This woman is using Kickstarter to try and get her blended scotch whisky off the ground. The fact that a woman is playing blender is interesting in itself.
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Nov 15, 2012 05:40
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Very cool idea. A bit too "premium" oriented if you know what I mean but if it's good then I don't mind. I'd back if there was a tier that just got you a bottle...
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Nov 15, 2012 08:22
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According to the description Kickstarter doesn't allow alcohol as a reward for backing. It's a shame that a lot of what she came up with are US-centric, since there are much bigger markets for whisky elsewhere in the world.
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Nov 15, 2012 08:55
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Woodford's 2012 Master Collection. Read some advance tasting notes and opinions are mostly glowing with a few haters. If I can find a bottle this will be one of my xmas presents to myself.quote:Our Four Wood Selection is crafted from a unique batching of mature bourbon, matured in American Oak Wood, that has been finished in barrels made from Maple Wood, Sherry Wood and Port Wood. 
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Nov 15, 2012 09:08
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Voodoofly posted:I also had a glass of Michter's Single Barrell US-1 with the same friend. It is a little sweet for my taste. I actually prefer the Bulleit, especially with the Bulleit being about $20 cheaper. I am a bit of a fan of Michter's rye whiskey, but I recently found out they make bourbon, too. I can't provide a professional-style review, but I think anyone who likes bourbon should give it a shot. It's pretty tasty.
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Nov 15, 2012 23:40
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That Woodfords is interesting as it follows a trend some Bourbon distillers have been doing - IE: experimenting with different woods. I've never tried one of these weird batches, although Angel's Envy has piqued my interest from time to time.
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Nov 16, 2012 02:03
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I'm looking for a single malt Scotch that is as smoky as Black Label. I've tried Ardbeg Uigeadail and Laphroaig 10, and while both are very nice, I didn't find them as smoky. Any recommendations?
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Nov 17, 2012 01:52
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Ardbeg 10 is smokier than the Ugeadail, it lacks the sherry finish so it's peatier. Finlaggan is also a nice smoky malt on the cheap.
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Nov 17, 2012 01:57
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CoderCat posted:I'm looking for a single malt Scotch that is as smoky as Black Label. I've tried Ardbeg Uigeadail and Laphroaig 10, and while both are very nice, I didn't find them as smoky. Any recommendations? If you didn't find Ardbeg or Laphroaig as smokey as JW Black Label, then I'm skeptical that you actually have functioning taste buds. Nevertheleess, you might want to try Laphroaig Quarter Cask. If you aren't limiting yourself to single malts, just go with JW Double Black. It's basically JW Black with a smokier flavor.
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Nov 17, 2012 01:58
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You could try Talisker for a more peppery, "smoky" smoke rather than the phenol hit of Laphroaig (I kind of get notes of cherry wood in Talisker). I had the Peat Monster at a bar once and I thought it was rather good too, with a fairly substational smoke hit. But yeah, I never really thought Black Label was really smoky at all. NightConqueror fucked around with this message at 02:59 on Nov 17, 2012 |
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Nov 17, 2012 02:56
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If you like a lighter/sweeter note to your peat-bomb scotches Lagavulin 16 or 12 are both excellent.
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Nov 17, 2012 04:27
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So I'm a bourbon and rye fan, and I usually stick to mid-range bourbons (Knob Creek, Makers, Basil-Hayden) but my folks, knowing my love for it, bought me what appears to be a really nice bottle for graduation - Blanton's Gold Edition Single Barrel Reserve. I haven't opened it yet for various reasons, but can anyone tell me anything about this whiskey before I crack it open?
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Nov 17, 2012 04:37
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To each their own, I don't find myself completely disagreeing with CoderCat's assessment of smokiness. There's campfire, coal, tar, etc. and then there's smoke. I don't drink Johnnie Walker Black, but it does give off faint wisps of smoke flavor...the kind that rolls off the tongue. It's on the nose as well. In contrast it's sometimes hard to pick up a light smoky note when heavy-hitters like Laphroaig drop a mound of ash on your tastebuds.
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Nov 17, 2012 12:15
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I tried the Knappogue Castle 12 year Irish whiskey last night; it was good, but very, very mellow. Like, there was barely a hint of burn. Is that others' reactions too? It was just so very different from the bourbon (Evan Williams) and scotch (Balvenie) that I have had.
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Nov 17, 2012 13:38
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Is there a good beer-advocate type review site for whiskey?Bunk Rogers posted:Van Winkle is nice but I'm not sure its worth getting looked at like I'm an rear end in a top hat when I ask to be put on the wait list after April. I also felt guilty drinking the stuff since its so hard to come by. I had a bottle shop claim to stop carrying Van Winkle because he couldn't deal with the constant harping of customers, and the inevitable disappointment when most of them wouldn't get any and bitch him out because they were "regulars". Jahoodie fucked around with this message at 17:23 on Nov 17, 2012 |
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Nov 17, 2012 17:17
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Picked up a bottle of Johnny Walker green label since it was mentioned that it's discontinued and I wanted to give it a shot. I'm impressed, it's a really nice blend IMHO. I like that is has some peaty flavor without being too overpowering. Are there any other blends or single malts that are similar?
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Nov 18, 2012 04:35
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Johnnie Walker Green Label is a Blended Malt Scotch whisky (defunct: Vatted Malt.) It contains malts from various distilleries, but no other grain whiskies. That's why its flavor is a bit bolder than the usual Johnnie Walker fare. The art on the carton features Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore and Linkwood. I'd assume there's more than just those four, but those do seem like the primary components.
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Nov 18, 2012 04:53
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How long with an opened bottle last before it goes south?
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Nov 18, 2012 04:57
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Detective Thompson posted:How long with an opened bottle last before it goes south? Generally a long time - it's not like wine. If the bottle has a very small amount in it (like less than 25%) then it's time to either drink it within a few weeks or decant it into a smaller bottle. More air surface area = more oxidation.
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Nov 18, 2012 05:46
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Cool, thanks. It's about half full still, so I got some time.
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Nov 18, 2012 07:54
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Every year about 12 of my friends and I get together for Thanksgiving. Everyone brings either a dish or alcohol, or both. Typically I'll show up with one or two bottles of wine and a smaller dish, and sometimes a bottle of bourbon. This year I'm interested in doing a small whiskey flight. I'm thinking three or four different things that give a good variety of whiskeys out there. Probably a bourbon, a rye, a scotch, and maybe an irish whiskey or another scotch, or maybe something a little more out there like an infusion or something just in case someone isn't as into the other three. Budget-wise I'd like to keep it under $100 if possible - I can't decide if 350ml will work for this amount of people or if I need to go with 700ml bottles. I live near Astor Wines & Spirits in NYC so prices are usually decent. Also interested in locally-made stuff so definitely on the lookout for King's County and the like. Any recommendations? Thanks!
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Nov 19, 2012 01:46
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