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The New York Times just did an article on American single-malts, starting with that Balcones: American Single-Malt Whiskeys Serve Noticequote:THE humid streets of Waco, Tex., may not have much in common with the misty glens of Scotland, home to some of the world’s best malt whiskeys.
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Jan 16, 2013 18:09
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 16:34 |
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Thanks guys. I ran across this thread quite by accident yesterday and then had to buy a bottle of Laphroaig 10 on the way home and then broke back into the bottle of Talisker 10 I hadn't touched in almost a year. I won't say that I'd forgotten how much I like scotch, but the reminder was nice. On another happy note, the liquor store where I got my Laphraoig listed it at $45 but it rang up at $35 without a sale sign. I'm hoping their computer is broken and they never fix it. NewcastleBrown fucked around with this message at 01:23 on Jan 17, 2013 |
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Jan 17, 2013 01:20
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dug fin posted:I don't mind picking up some Irish to review if you have any requests. I moved from the states to Dublin in the middle of last year, so Irish whiskey especially is quite easy for me to get. I appreciate it, but it's not necessary. The Single Pot Stilled whiskeys that I've had are drat fine, but generally too expensive for me to just buy blind (my bottles of Green and Yellow Spot were both gifts). I was just wondering if any of the new SPS's continue the run of excellence is all.
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Jan 17, 2013 01:45
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Glottis posted:I picked up some Weller 12 the other day based on recommendations I've seen around and I think it definitely lives up to the hype. Excellent flavor and smoothness for the price. Makes me want to set up another blind whiskey tasting with some people. Weller 12 is one of my favorites. Kind of a PITA to find around here sometimes unless you want to pay mig $30's for it. I always keep it a couple bottles handy. Smokewagon fucked around with this message at 02:15 on Jan 17, 2013 |
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Jan 17, 2013 02:07
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NightConqueror posted:Holy cow. Looks like Stitzel-Weller is going to be making bourbon again Nor sure if it will do anything about the price of Pappy. Pappy probably won't change back to using Stitzel-Weller juice, and knowing Diaego they will engineer, improve, and make the distillery so much more effecient that it won't be the same as the old stuff anyway. I wish them well, and I'm hoping for the best. Stitzel-Weller made some of my favorites but that juice is probably gone forever.
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Jan 17, 2013 02:15
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prefect posted:The New York Times just did an article on American single-malts, starting with that Balcones: American Single-Malt Whiskeys Serve Notice A visit to the Distillery is now high on my list of things to do when I've got a free weekend. Well, let me backup a little. I stopped on the way home to liberate a bottle.  The store had it sorted with the bourbons so it took me a while to locate, but they did have the entire product line available. I'll take suggestions on the next bottle to buy if anyone can't find it locally. The first thing I noticed was that this is cask strength at 52% Alc/vol. That was written on the label in silver ink. Turning the bottle around, there is a white label that is hand written with the Batch number, Date, and finish. Mine is Batch SM12.6 Date 8/21/12 Finish: Ex Bourbon, AM/FR Yard Aged Oak They also note that the Whisky is "Non-Chill Filtered, As Always" Pouring it into a glass The whisky is a warm amber with a slightly sweet nose. It sort of reminds me of honey or wild flowers. The first taste: It felt thick on my tongue, with a huge after taste of spice. I didn't care for it very much even after a second sample. I added a touch of water to bring it down to about 40% and then tried it again. Much nicer. It still coats my tongue, but its a smooth silky feel. I can taste a hint of smoke at the beginning and then it follows into a warmth of spice at the end. I really believe that I'll be good friends with Balcones in the coming month
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Jan 17, 2013 03:00
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I read that New York Times article today too and was immediately intrigued by the Clear Creek Distillery product mentioned in it. I'm a huge Lagavulin fan so it sounds like it would be right up my alley/bunghole.
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Jan 17, 2013 03:46
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Smokewagon posted:Nor sure if it will do anything about the price of Pappy. Pappy probably won't change back to using Stitzel-Weller juice, and knowing Diaego they will engineer, improve, and make the distillery so much more effecient that it won't be the same as the old stuff anyway. I wish them well, and I'm hoping for the best. Stitzel-Weller made some of my favorites but that juice is probably gone forever.
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Jan 17, 2013 07:09
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Bunk Rogers posted:A good friend of mine has stumbled across an odd rumor that several unmarked barrels of Pappy we're recently found and bottled under Jefferson's name. Needless to say they're selling without the crazy markup and he's bought us a couple bottles for the holiday. Update on this. Its loving great.
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Jan 17, 2013 21:51
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spankmeister posted:Got some Pig's Nose today. Jury's still out but it is indeed as soft as a pig's nose. Liking it so far. I got a sample of this from the MoM christmas calendar, I remember it starting decently but in the end being way way too sweet for me.
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Jan 18, 2013 22:33
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smn posted:I got a sample of this from the MoM christmas calendar, I remember it starting decently but in the end being way way too sweet for me. Out of curiosity, what ended up being the claimed "sample of 50 year old Scotch whisky" in the calendar?
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Jan 19, 2013 03:51
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Bunk Rogers posted:Update on this. I must have missed your previous post. They do claim it is Stitzel-Weller juice from the last year of production. I suppose it could be "Pappy" but who knows. I have't tried it yet, but I do plan on it. I'm a huge fan of wheated bourbon and it is on my list. Do you have any tasting notes you care to share?
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Jan 19, 2013 04:04
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Smokewagon posted:I must have missed your previous post. They do claim it is Stitzel-Weller juice from the last year of production. I suppose it could be "Pappy" but who knows. I have't tried it yet, but I do plan on it. I'm a huge fan of wheated bourbon and it is on my list. Do you have any tasting notes you care to share? I'm no expert but it tastes of caramel. I convinced my wife and her friends to take a couple sips, both of whom really don't like bourbon and they thought it was wonderful and smooth. My previous favorite bourbon was Blanton's with then lesser pappy coming in a bit behind and this absolutely smoked both of those.
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Jan 19, 2013 04:40
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Bunk Rogers posted:I'm no expert but it tastes of caramel. I convinced my wife and her friends to take a couple sips, both of whom really don't like bourbon and they thought it was wonderful and smooth. My previous favorite bourbon was Blanton's with then lesser pappy coming in a bit behind and this absolutely smoked both of those. Thank you, I've talked to a few people whose first comment was caramel regarding their first tatse of Presidential Select. Thanks for sharing your experience with it. Smokewagon fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Jan 22, 2013 |
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Jan 21, 2013 02:15
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Telamon posted:I read that New York Times article today too and was immediately intrigued by the Clear Creek Distillery product mentioned in it. I'm a huge Lagavulin fan so it sounds like it would be right up my alley/bunghole.
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Jan 25, 2013 06:38
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Well holy poo poo, I'm gonna be spending more of my forums time over here. I have about 25 bottles of Whisky, mostly single malt scotch, in my cabinet, the biggest portion of them is expressions of Ardbeg. and SMWSA bottles. I'm all about the Islay but definitely enjoy venturing into the rest of Scotland as well. I'm an Ardbeg fanboy, I've tried almost all of the releases they've put out in the last while (Airigh Nam Beist, Uighedahl, Corryvreckan, Rollercoaster, Alligator, Ardbeg Day, Gallileo) and enjoyed most of them (Corryvreckan was too much pepper for me). The two most distinctive things in my cabinet at the moment outside of SMWSA bottles are. Corsair Triple Smoke: An american whiskey blend of 3 batches of smoked barley, one with beechwood, one with cherry wood, one with peat. It's an american bourbon that owes a LOT to islay but keeps the smoke streamlined -- it doesn't overwhelm the mouthfeel. Recommend wholeheartedly. Ledaig: 10 Year -- From the Isle of Mull. A really wonderful sweet-peat balance in this, and it's a amount of peat that you don't generally get without a lot more smoke. Are there any fellow SMWSA members here?
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Jan 25, 2013 20:12
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In the previous thread I waxed lyrical about the Yamazaki Sherry Cask. Well I've picked up his buddy the Yamazaki Bourbon Cask and I've fallen in love all over again.
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Jan 25, 2013 20:17
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Hmmm might be time for a trip to the old MoM site.
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Jan 25, 2013 20:20
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:
This is one that's caught my eye, recently. It seems to be priced rather reasonably and is supposed to be quite good to boot. It might be fun to try another peated whisky not from Islay.
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Jan 25, 2013 21:23
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NightConqueror posted:This is one that's caught my eye, recently. It seems to be priced rather reasonably and is supposed to be quite good to boot. It might be fun to try another peated whisky not from Islay. Ledaig 10 is one of the more distinctive drams I've had in a long while. Not at all expensive but weirdly rare, so if you can find it and are in the mood for a non islay peat, I'd recommend picking it up.
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Jan 25, 2013 22:19
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:Ledaig 10 is one of the more distinctive drams I've had in a long while. Not at all expensive but weirdly rare, so if you can find it and are in the mood for a non islay peat, I'd recommend picking it up. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 04:34 on Jan 26, 2013 |
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Jan 26, 2013 04:31
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Thanks for the scoop. I've heard Excellent things about the Bunnahabhain 18 but have only tried the 12 so far. I haven't gone through the whole thread, so I apologize if this has been done to death, but what are people's thoughts on Chill Filtration? I've had the opportunity to taste Edradour 10 standard and Edradour 10 Non-Chill filtered (A Signatory bottling) and actually preferred the standard release. It was smoother and let the fruit notes shine through more clearly, and I didn't feel like I was missing a whole lot of nuance from the non-chill filtered version.
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Jan 26, 2013 05:28
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Just wondering if anyone has tried the new unaged jack Daniels rye. I am kind of interested I'm new to whiskeys so i am trying a bunch of different types.
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Jan 26, 2013 05:34
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Is WhistlePig Rye supposed to be pretty pricey? I ran across a bottle of it around here but it's $99. Seems kinda steep for a rye considering most of them I've bought in the past were under $50 I've got a bottle of Wild Turkey Rye, Bulleit Rye, Sazerac, Thomas H. Handy and Rittenhouse currently. Haven't quite decided on a favorite, though the Rittenhouse is pretty much almost gone.
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Jan 26, 2013 07:40
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My favorite Rye is definitely the Hudson Valley distillery's Manhattan Rye. It's the only thing of theirs i like. The Baby Bourbon is distasteful, the corn is horrendous despite smelling pretty nice, and the four grain is like mixing their wonderful rye with their lovely corn.
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Jan 26, 2013 07:46
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:My favorite Rye is definitely the Hudson Valley distillery's Manhattan Rye. It's the only thing of theirs i like. The Baby Bourbon is distasteful, the corn is horrendous despite smelling pretty nice, and the four grain is like mixing their wonderful rye with their lovely corn.
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Jan 26, 2013 08:54
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deathfalls posted:Is WhistlePig Rye supposed to be pretty pricey? I don't know the usual retail, but over $50 is almost guaranteed. $100 is probably too high, though. I had a little of it last night and it's some really nice rye with a lot of nice complexity. The Thomas Handy I had (friend just got a bunch of spirits as a gift), on the other hand, was an incredible punch in the face of RYE and RYE BREAD.
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Jan 26, 2013 18:29
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swatjr posted:Just wondering if anyone has tried the new unaged jack Daniels rye. The JD unaged rye is pretty terrible. It's top of the terrible list of all the unaged whisky i've tried. It is the first unaged rye i have ever tried however. But I'll take just about every other unaged whisky I've ever had over it before i'll ever drink it again. Full disclosure: I'm kind of hillbilly so i've grown fond of the family recipe, though it usually gets aged a bit before I get into it anyway.
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Jan 27, 2013 01:03
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ChickenArise posted:I don't know the usual retail, but over $50 is almost guaranteed. $100 is probably too high, though. I had a little of it last night and it's some really nice rye with a lot of nice complexity. The Thomas Handy I had (friend just got a bunch of spirits as a gift), on the other hand, was an incredible punch in the face of RYE and RYE BREAD. $100 is way too high for Whistle Pig. Highest I've seen around here is a penny under $70. Speaking of the Thomas H Handy, I passed up on a bottle of it. I just can't bring myself to pay $69 for what seems to me is uncut Sazerac 6yr, which costs almost 1/3 of the price. I haven't tasted it yet though, it could be the best rye out there and i'm missing out. Smokewagon fucked around with this message at 21:59 on Jan 27, 2013 |
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Jan 27, 2013 01:10
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I got two bottles of highland park 12 tonight for 26.99 a piece. This is my first time having any other scotch than Johnnie Walker. I didn't know what to think at first taste, but I've found that I'm pretty found of it.
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Jan 27, 2013 07:36
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That's a great price. Be happy.
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Jan 27, 2013 13:23
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biglads posted:In the previous thread I waxed lyrical about the Yamazaki Sherry Cask. Well I've picked up his buddy the Yamazaki Bourbon Cask and I've fallen in love all over again. I'm a huge fan of the Yamazaki sherry cask. I'll need to go find a bottle of this.
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Jan 27, 2013 14:15
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A good coworker of mine is leaving, and he's a big bourbon fan, some other folks have gotten him some decent bottles of bourbon, but I think I'd like to get him a really nice bottle. I've known the guy almost 10 years, so say under 100 bucks. I'm in Texas, I was thinking maybe Garrison Brothers which I think is around 80 bucks at Specs. He's a country rear end dude from Arkansas so bonus points if it comes in a mason jar (corn whiskey is cool too).
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Jan 28, 2013 21:51
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skipdogg posted:A good coworker of mine is leaving, and he's a big bourbon fan, some other folks have gotten him some decent bottles of bourbon, but I think I'd like to get him a really nice bottle. I've known the guy almost 10 years, so say under 100 bucks. I'm in Texas, I was thinking maybe Garrison Brothers which I think is around 80 bucks at Specs. He's a country rear end dude from Arkansas so bonus points if it comes in a mason jar (corn whiskey is cool too). Willett. Or it's 18 year old 100 Proof big brother. This is my favorite bourbon -- it has a sort of chewiness that is the nicest thing about the pappy van winkle 23 (but honestly the van winkle 12 is a better bourbon for my money)
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Jan 28, 2013 22:46
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skipdogg posted:A good coworker of mine is leaving, and he's a big bourbon fan, some other folks have gotten him some decent bottles of bourbon, but I think I'd like to get him a really nice bottle. I've known the guy almost 10 years, so say under 100 bucks. I'm in Texas, I was thinking maybe Garrison Brothers which I think is around 80 bucks at Specs. He's a country rear end dude from Arkansas so bonus points if it comes in a mason jar (corn whiskey is cool too). My favorite burbon is Woodford Reserve, some random guy I met at a computer security conference lived where they make it and got me started on it. I have tried quite a few other burbons and always come back to the Woodford. I have not met someone yet who did not like it, even if they are not a whisky person. If it has to be extra special I'm pretty sure they make a special reserve version that cost a lot. It is very smooth and sweet. Perhaps boringly so, but I love it. Pretty much the opposite of what a lot of the scotch drinkers in this thread are looking for. On that note, I bought myself a bottle of Redbreast 15. I have not had the 12 in sometime so it's hard to say how it compares, but man it is good. So clean, so fresh spring watery.... going to pour myself a few fingers now  EDIT: http://cocktails.about.com/od/whiskeyreviews/gr/woodford_mcseasonoak.htm Found it. I have not tired this, but if someone was buying me a nice bottle of bourbon I would love to receive this. spandexcajun fucked around with this message at 05:17 on Jan 29, 2013 |
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Jan 29, 2013 05:13
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I got Highland Park 12 on recommendations in this thread, and boy is it delicious. It's like a golden elixir of... awesome. I've only had the bottle for a couple weeks and I've nearly finished it. Yesterday I got a bottle of Glenlivet 12 year because it was on sale for 28$, I like it, but not as much as the highland park. Looking forward to trying even more things in the future, and I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for recommendations I've not had much in the way of bourbon, and I may have to get a bottle of something to see how I like it compared to scotch. I saw eagle rare single barrel for around 22$ and that seemed like a low price. Anyone have opinions on it?
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Feb 4, 2013 02:51
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I just polished off a bottle and I didn't love it. In that general price range I prefer Dickle No. 12 sipping whisky. The Eagle Rare was fine for mixing, but I got too much alcohol and unbalanced wood even with dilution. I've still got a few more that I want to try, because having something ~$25 seems alike a good idea.
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Feb 4, 2013 04:26
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Sometimes you just have to give into the big, soulless distilleries. Glenlivet 18yr for $65 is too good a deal compared to most other 18 year-old these days and is 'utterly drinkable.' Glenmorangie 18yr is more expensive and oddly a little boozier while Aberlour 18yr is outdone by its 2-years younger sibling (also around $65.) Also picked up a cask strength OESV Four Roses Single Barrel. This is probably their least complex combination of mashbill and yeast, but then again I wanted a Four Roses bottling that wasn't quite as spicy as *everything* else in their range.
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Feb 4, 2013 09:12
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derp posted:I've not had much in the way of bourbon, and I may have to get a bottle of something to see how I like it compared to scotch. I saw eagle rare single barrel for around 22$ and that seemed like a low price. Anyone have opinions on it? Try Buffalo Trace, Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel or Four Roses Small Batch (single barrel, if you want to jump to the $40ish price level). All of those are reasonably priced and really quite good.
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Feb 4, 2013 20:09
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 16:34 |
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I had a glass of Talisker with dinner at a bar last night, what a kick in the mouth! I really enjoyed it but I don't think it's something I'd want to drink all the time. It calmed down a bit with a few drops of water, but I think I liked it better without any.
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Feb 4, 2013 20:51
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