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JewKiller 3000 posted:Good corn whiskey is labeled bourbon. Bad corn whiskey is labeled corn whiskey. While the sentiment may be true, the details leave something to be desired. Corn whiskey, by regulation, is a whiskey whose mashbill is at least 80% corn. It can be delicious but is most often not and is usually sold as "White Lightning" or moonshine. Bourbon, by regulation, is a whiskey whose mashbill is at least 51% corn. It can be delicious (see Pappy Van Winkle) or rubbish (see modern Old Crow).
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Oct 1, 2013 07:05
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This is going to fly in the face of pretty much every review I've read of it, but I think Four Roses Single Barrel is very, very over rated. Before I go any further I fully understand the concept of single barrel bottling. I may very well have gotten a bad barrel. But for 40 bucks, I don't want to just look and see if the liquor store has another bottle from a different barrel and try again. The minute I opened the bottle, I recoiled a little bit. All I got was a very, very strong astringent alcohol smell, followed by some generic "sugary" notes and oak. I wasn't put off yet, I've had products before where the nose was terrible but the taste was good. I poured a glass, let it sit for five minutes. Swirled. Same nose. poo poo. Tasted it. I say "tasted" but in reality I got some in my mouth and just got a tingle. I didn't really taste anything, instead it the sensation was similar to what I get when I gargle with Listerine. Alcohol burn, nothing else. I swirled it around, then swallowed. Burn all the way down. There were some notes of brown sugar, oak and cinnamon on the finish, but nothing mind blowing. Ok, let me try this in a cocktail. I made an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan, a sour and finally I just got so pissed I threw it in some Coke. In a cocktail the burn went away, and all that remained was a generic bourbon taste that somehow tasted sharp and unpleasant. For a mixer, my trusty Evan Williams did a WAY better job. What a loving letdown. At first I thought maybe my palate wasn't ready for 100 proof, then I realized Rittenhouse was 100 proof and to be honest if that rye had a dick I'd probably be blowing it non stop. Not what I call a regular sipper, but dear jesus for 20 bucks you get something with a huge flavor profile that stands proud and tall in any cocktail you can throw at it. Feel free to tell me that your barrel of Four Roses was fantastic. I would have no problem believing it. The trouble for me is the math. I'm a blue collar working man. For 40 dollars I can get 2 1.75 liters of Evan Williams or 2 750 bottles of Rittenhouse. I have no problem sampling new products, but I doubt I'll be going back to Four Roses Single Barrel. I won't hesitate to try the Small Batch though. Blending hides a multitude of sins, so I have a feeling the odds of me getting a bad bottle of a blend are way better for me that another shot at single barrel roulette.
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Oct 1, 2013 09:01
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rxcowboy posted:This is going to fly in the face of pretty much every review I've read of it, but I think Four Roses Single Barrel is very, very over rated. Completely agree. I can't drink the Four Roses products beyond Yellow Label because they mostly taste like a glass full of perfume to me. It's just not for me. My whiskey drinking friend loving loves the stuff but I just don't get it.
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Oct 1, 2013 18:02
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My friend insists Amrut smells perfumey as well, but it just seems to me like expectation rather than reality. He expects Amrut to smell like an attar stand in Bangalore and then he starts believing it does. Could it be your brain trying to make a correlation between the brand name and the scent of roses? Four Roses Single Barrel to me is dried orange peels and rye spice. Different strokes for different folks. I like malty/bready beer and whiskies and Four Roses Single Barrel seems in line with that. It is definitely a bit sweeter than many other boubons, but Small Batch is supposedly even sweeter. <-- My tastebuds disgree, but that seems to be the general consensus. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 12:56 on Oct 2, 2013 |
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Oct 2, 2013 11:34
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liquor.com posted:GOODBYE, 18-YEAR-OLDS: http://liquor.com/articles/scotch-what-to-drink-now/#story Not exactly "News" to this Crowd that we're facing a shortage, but I hadn't heard of anyone else going as NAS happy as Ardbeg has. I've already kind of written off Macallan so this won't impact what I buy from them -- but am I alone in thinking this trend is possibly legitimately bad for overall quality? I may adopt a formal policy against buying NAS single malt scotches altogether. (except for ardbeg cause I'm a fanboy -- I find Ardbeg's wonky NAS stuff hit or miss, but part of what's driving my concern is that after some more research I can confirm that the Uigedail being sold now is not as good as it was about 3-4 years ago, which I find nothing short of alarming. ) Am I indulging in elitist douchebaggery or is there a real worry here?
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Oct 2, 2013 19:54
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I think the concern is that a lot of distilleries right now feel like they can just slap a Gaellic name on a bottle, dump in some mediocre, young spirit that's been finished in a weird cask and then charge a boatload for it. I'm not against NAS in general because there are some seriously good ones out there, but I'm afraid more and more it's going to be a cash grab for distilleries. Over time I've been moving back toward bourbon because the price is still fairly reasonable for the amount of quality you get. Although Four Roses and Buffalo Trace is getting so much press nowadays I'm scared they're suddenly going to see a spike in prices.
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Oct 2, 2013 22:05
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I don't care for the Four Roses stuff either, but people love it so I'll still recommend it to people looking for bourbon (along with things I actually do like). Something about whatever flavors I got from it didn't work, and the alcohol came through more than I'd want.
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Oct 2, 2013 22:53
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kidsafe posted:My friend insists Amrut smells perfumey as well, but it just seems to me like expectation rather than reality. He expects Amrut to smell like an attar stand in Bangalore and then he starts believing it does. Could it be your brain trying to make a correlation between the brand name and the scent of roses? Four Roses Single Barrel to me is dried orange peels and rye spice. It's possible (as anything is). I do a lot of beer/spirits tasting as a judge so I like to think I have a pretty decent palate... But everyone's taste buds are different so  To be clear, Four Roses makes a good product, I just don't enjoy drinking it. When weighing its flavours and so on, it ranks well from an objective stand point. It just gets low marks for enjoyability for me. That said, I tend toward darker, smokier, spicier flavours anyway so I'm probably what one might consider as hyper sensitive to the sorts of flavours in Bourbons on the whole. If I drink American whiskey, I'm almost always reaching for a bottle of Rittenhouse 99 times out of 100. My usual drink is more like Lagavulin 16 or Suntory's Yamazaki 18.
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Oct 3, 2013 18:08
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Here's some tasting notes of late: Four Roses Single Barrel To my nose a curious mix of the smells I'm used to expecting from Maker's Mark or other young bourbon mixed with stronger, more burnt tones that I usually associate with grain bottles a shade darker. I like this one more than the aforementioned ones because it has some more character and a heavier palate of popped or fried corn, molasses and floral fragrance rather than strong sweet fresh corn. However the flavour is a bit monotone as it doesn't develop into anything beyond the initial wash and the aftertaste tends to young booze which is unpleasant. Water cuts down the booze taste but delivers nothing new to the nose or on the tongue. Caol Ila Elements of Islay Cl3 (Specialty Drinks 2012) 50% Thanks to a friend whose friend raided a cruise line for their last remaining bottles, I got a fresh one of the undisputed king of the 3 Caol Ila elements I have tasted (2,3,4). Feels slightly younger than 2 on the tongue. Still, magnificent stuff, full of glorious smoked fish and boot grease with lime zest and seashells. Some chlorine and a cheeselike quality I can't place as I'm not much of a cheese fan. With a few drops of water dried red chili jumps out. This is remarkably drinkable neat, with only a slight cut on the tongue informing me that it's not an old whisky. The taste is very well rounded and should both appeal and be instantly recognizable to any fan of the 12yo Caol Ila. This is a bit less messy, more focused version of that with slight sootiness, sweet and gentle tar, vanilla and salinity. Not particularly complex but oddly satisfying and moreish. Best enjoyed neat or with a few drops of water, no more. Caol Ila 19yo single barrel (Specialty Drinks 201?) 55,9% I'm contrasting this to Cl3 which I had a bit earlier. This has more coalish, charred smoke tone and none of the fish notes and less grease/fat and more oak that's definitely older tone rather than young fresh oak. Beetroot juice, seawater. In the mouth a hell of a riot of smoked, burned notes with sweet undertones that are difficult to nail down since the total effect is like Ardbeg at cask strength but without the long interplay of different aftertastes that marks good A bottles. Not that this is bad, quite the contrary, bud it definitely needs some water so I'm adding 1˝ teaspoons. Nose becomes very smoky, chimney rather than wood. Taste opens up with the peat burn softly taking over the entire tongue, leaving a burning finish tempered by a sweet xylitol note. This stuff is quite dry and a little hollow in aftertaste but very likable still. Glenfarclas 40 Tasted a second time at a bar. Insanely good, an exemplary Glenfarclas. Lots of everything in a very even mix that impressed both me and a friend who was pretty sceptical of the distillery after trying some of their younger bottlings and the 105 and disliking all. I'm not qualified to do a thorough analysis on a 2cl sample but i expected a nice fare and got a slice of heaven. If given to rating whiskys I'd give this a 9˝ and reserve a 10 for a (so far fictional) cask strength version. NovaLion posted:Right now, I'm in Japan. The wedding itself will be in Arizona so I imagine there is quite a bit physically available. I'd limit the budget to something around $750 at most. I'd really like to avoid walking into a liquor store and just looking around without a clue. Glengoyne 17, 18 or 21 (depending on what's available) Glengoyne is easy to drink even for a scotch newbie because it has no peat whatsoever. The older Glengoynes have had their time in ex-sherry casks so they tend towards desert wine and plumes. Glenfarclas 21 1/3 ex-bourbon, 2/3 ex-sherry casks and that shows as Glenfarclas is known as particularly sherryish for even a Speysider. Christmas smells like gingerbread, cardamom, raisins and mulled wine dominate this one. Highland Park 18 Smokier than the previous ones, with a bit more peaty character and heavier flavours. Lagavulin 16 & Laphroaig 18 Islay whiskys so very smoky, very peaty and as such may not suit everyone. Lagavulin is tarrier and richer in total, Laphroaig drier and woodier with liquorice, bandages and iodine. The pedro ximenez-casked Distiller's Edition of Lagavulin is a grand affair with the regular's taste augmented by dates, sacher and rum chocolates. At over $100 there's Old Pulteney 21 with shy citrus fruit and medium smoke and Highland Park 25 with a rich heathery, honeylike medium peaty palate. I would pass on 25yo Islay whiskys either due to not being worth the money (Caol Ila 25, Bunnahabhain 25) or being too expensive (Laphroaig 25, any Lagavulin over 16, any vintage Ardbeg), and would also leave anything Glenfiddich or the often travel-retailed Balvenie 21 on the shelf. If you can find a Hakushu 18 or Yamazaki 18 in Japan at something close to or below $100 one of them might be a good choice since they're both good whiskys, probably something of a novelty in Arizona, and too expensive in Europe or America to be recommended. Finally, if you have any mobile device with internet, you can check what whisky nerds think about a bottle at https://www.whiskybase.com. It's not the word of god but if 50 people have voted on a bottle the resulting average score does tend to reflect certain fundamental truths. KhyrosFinalCut posted:http://liquor.com/articles/scotch-what-to-drink-now/#story Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 12:52 on Oct 12, 2013 |
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Oct 12, 2013 00:04
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Picked up a bottle of 2003 evan williams single barrel and rittenhouse today, along with some quality vermouth. Going to see which one makes a better Manhattan when I get home.
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Oct 12, 2013 01:02
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re: cigars and whisk(e)y; I slightly prefer a milder cigar paired with stronger flavor drink otherwise a maduro is going to blow out just about any whisk(e)y. Not that I don't do it, I have a box of maduros but they destroy my taste buds for a few hours afterward. I wish I had the luxury of evaluating random bottles of Four Roses but unfortunately it has to be special ordered here and only by the case. The one time I tried it was at a tasting and the bottles were probably hand picked by Jim Rutledge but it was absolutely the best spirit I've ever had so the potential is there but whether the consistency is as well, I wish I knew. I do enjoy the Small Batch.
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Oct 12, 2013 21:24
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I found this bottle of Johnnie Walker Black the other day at work among a bunch of stuff I was told to throw out. Showed my boss and he said toss it or take it home, so I took it home.    It has a cork in it and a small amount of brown particulate that settles in the bottom that I'm guessing is cork bits. Anyone know how old this is? Should I drink it? Sell it?
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Oct 13, 2013 01:46
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I don't see the Diageo branding anywhere on it, so it's bottled no later than 1997. I don't know enough about JW to know if it's worth anything at all (probably not) but hey. There you go.
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Oct 13, 2013 02:27
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Shugojin posted:I don't see the Diageo branding anywhere on it, so it's bottled no later than 1997. I don't know enough about JW to know if it's worth anything at all (probably not) but hey. There you go. Not sure how it was stored, but I'd be surprised if it's as young as being bottled in 1997. It's showing a good bit of evaporation. I have a bottle of Red Label from the mid-90s with less evaporation, but that could be because screw-caps provide a superior seal.
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Oct 13, 2013 02:40
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This site says based on the bottle reuse warning, it was probably made between 1935 and 1964. That's a pretty big window. http://www.glassbottlemarks.com/federal-law-forbids-sale-or-reuse-of-this-bottle-marking/
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Oct 13, 2013 02:47
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Unless it was worth like $1000+ which I don't think it is I'd just drink it. A fun thing to do would be to get a bottle of modern day black label and compare the difference.
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Oct 13, 2013 09:45
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Original JWB was a favorite of Winston Churchill, so you know what to do. Chug that poo poo and then start insulting people.
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Oct 13, 2013 18:14
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rxcowboy posted:Original JWB was a favorite of Winston Churchill, so you know what to do. While smoking a Churchill. It has to be done.
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Oct 13, 2013 19:51
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I know there's a big quality difference between the old pre 1970's JW Red and the gasoline they call JW Red now. The same could likely be said for JW Black. I know 1970s bottlings of JW Black go for 199 GBP on the whisky exchange at dooyoo, so if you have something from the 1930's-1960's era, I'd check out some selling options before opening it up.
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Oct 13, 2013 20:07
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Yeah if it's that old I'd definitely check it - pretty sure there are JW fans who would be interested in having an old bottle if nothing else - but being from such a radically ownership period I wouldn't be surprised if it was a different whisky too.
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Oct 13, 2013 23:05
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Manhattan trip report! After extensive, thorough and exhausting testing over the past couple of days, I'm ready to report my results. I decided to try Evan Williams Single Barrel 2003 against Rittenhouse Rye to see which makes a better Manhattan. To start, I'm a huge fan of Evan Williams Black Label. It's a great basic mixing bourbon, it's dirt cheap (I pay 18 dollars for 1.75 liters) and it's good enough to sip with a couple of cubes of ice on a hot day. Is it my go to bourbon for drinking straight? Not by a long shot. But the truth is most of the bourbon I drink is mixed either in a cocktail like a Manhattan or in something even simpler like coke or lemonade. When I come home from a long day at work or if I'm watching football, I don't want to concentrate on the nuances of an expensive bourbon. I just want to relax. And for that, EW Black is superb. So after the letdown that was Four Roses Single Barrel, I decided to try Evan Williams SB. Much better. It's like a sharper, oakier version of the regular black label. Less sweet, more wood forward, drier. Better for a classier cocktail like a Manhattan or Chapel Hill or sipping neat. Half the price of Four Roses too, and I enjoy this way more. In a Manhattan, the charred wood takes center stage, it's very very oaky. Soft spices and a touch of sweetness lurk in the background, it's no where near as sweet as a Manhattan made with say Elijah Craig, Makers, or Angel's Envy. Very classy, tasteful and elegant, an exercise in restraint basically. Rittenhouse Rye says gently caress restraint and class, bitch I bring SPICE. I'm a baker by trade, and at my job I primarily make rye bread. So I work with alot of rye flour and caraway seeds, which have a fantastic spicy aroma. The ground seeds have an almost "Christmas Spiced Ham" scent to them which is strange but very pleasant. So I might be biased, but I prefer the rye whiskey in a Manhattan. Almost no bitterness or wood taste, just an explosion of spices on the tongue which amplify the spice inherent in the vermouth like clove. It's not sweet but it's not dry either. It's just a big, big BIG flavor profile. This also highlights the importance of choosing a good vermouth. I have a feeling perhaps a different vermouth would work better with bourbon instead of rye, and I look forward to experimenting. The thing is, I could down a few bourbon Manhattans and not get overwhelmed. The rye Manhattan is delicious, but after one or two my taste buds get fatigued and I need something else. There's just alot going on with it. So if I'm having just one drink, hands down give me the rye. But if this is the cocktail I'll be having all night long and I can't change anything, then I'll take the bourbon.
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Oct 14, 2013 08:29
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I want to be won over by a good bourbon. Can you folks recommend anything for me out of the following list? Knob Creek 9yo Elijah Craig 12yo Eagle Rare 10 yo Single Barrel Johnny Drum Private Stock Noah's Mill Buffalo Trace 1993 Willet's Pot Still Reserve Single Barrel Hancock President's Reserve Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve 10yrs Bowman Brothers Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey Price/qualitywise, where would you go and what can I expect from it? Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Oct 15, 2013 |
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Oct 15, 2013 20:47
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Deleuzionist posted:Knob Creek 9yo The above four are what I have drank, three are good. I found the Eagle Rare too sweet and flat but being a single barrel, it's going to vary. The EC12 is a very middle of the road bourbon, very consistent, very good for it's price. Knob9 is okay, KnobSB was very disappointing, but I generally dislike Beam products. Russell's Reserve is the best of the four, barrels are cherry picked by Jimmy Russell, so whether you like Wild Turkey will matter. BT1993 is an experimental bourbon, maybe interesting to a bourbon drinker but a one off product. Age statements are of minimal value with bourbon, just take them as a general guide.
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Oct 16, 2013 17:22
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Deleuzionist posted:
These are my picks, Knob Creek is high end of basic/widely available, Eagle Rare SB is a pretty sweet version of kinda platonic ideal bourbon, excellent to mix on top of. Willett had a certain chewy mouthfeel that was reminicent of 23 year old pappy van winkle, but willett had a more satisfying flavor to me.
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Oct 16, 2013 22:23
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Deleuzionist posted:Noah's Mill Those would be my picks. Everyone seems to like Eagle Rare, but I got a weird taste from it that I didn't enjoy very much.
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Oct 17, 2013 01:17
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Deleuzionist posted:I want to be won over by a good bourbon. Can you folks recommend anything for me out of the following list? Are you trying to sip it neat, mix in a cocktail or both? If you have bt93 available, you should have regular Buffalo Trace. I'd say get a bottle of that or Knob Creek, both of those are good quality introductory bourbons that should give you an idea of a general bourbon profile. After that, figure out if you want more rye, less rye, more oak, more sweetness, etc. it's sort if a waste to get a single barrel bourbon right off the bat, like learning to drive stick in a Ferrari .
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Oct 17, 2013 02:12
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rxcowboy posted:Are you trying to sip it neat, mix in a cocktail or both? I have drank bourbon before but nothing that would have really won me over so I figured I'd go for something that is supposedly a quality bourbon regardless of price. Buffalo Trace regular seems to be available at the retailer as well so I think I'll go with a bottle of that (since it's been mentioned ITT many times and is not at all available to me locally), and to have something to compare to a bottle of Willet's PSR since KhyrosFinalCut and JewKiller3000 recommended it. Thanks everyone for comments. I'll have to keep wormil's Wild Turkey recommendation in my mind for the future. Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 11:39 on Oct 17, 2013 |
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Oct 17, 2013 10:31
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So apparently someone stole $26000 of Pappy Van Winkle. I like to think it was some bourbon-drinking master thief who is now sitting at home drinking and laughing.
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Oct 18, 2013 01:17
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My Roommate is going to Glasgow for the weekend, starting tomorrow. Quick, what's an awesome Scotch that I'd have trouble getting here, in the ~120USD range?
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Oct 23, 2013 05:10
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I'm going to the International Whisky Festival in The Hague next month.  Last time I was there it was still in Leiden, but lots of changes in my life between then and now means I can go there by bike now instead of taking the train for 200km. 
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Oct 23, 2013 05:57
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:My Roommate is going to Glasgow for the weekend, starting tomorrow. Quick, what's an awesome Scotch that I'd have trouble getting here, in the ~120USD range? Old Pulteney 21 ?
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Oct 24, 2013 09:19
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StorrowS posted:Old Pulteney 21 ?
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Oct 25, 2013 00:51
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kidsafe posted:That's widely available, in the US anyway. Maybe Bladnoch? Could look for various exclusive bottlings of stuff like Benriach, Benromach, Edradour, Glengoyne, etc. or independent bottlers, local whisky shops. And Glasgow Airport's DF shops... She's not someone who knows booze who I can trust to run with "Get something that looks interesting." Is there anything specific that I should ask her to bring back? If there's nothing specific rec'd from here I'll see if she can find Ardbeg Blasda cause I've been curious and know I can't get that here.
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Oct 25, 2013 01:11
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:If there's nothing specific rec'd from here I'll see if she can find Ardbeg Blasda cause I've been curious and know I can't get that here. I would recommend against blasda, the concept sounds interesting but they screwed up on the execution, it's very bland and boring.
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Oct 25, 2013 05:34
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spankmeister posted:I would recommend against blasda, the concept sounds interesting but they screwed up on the execution, it's very bland and boring. Well dangit what's something cool and hard to get here or at least awesome and much cheaper over there?
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Oct 25, 2013 06:22
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Hmm, maybe some of the Flora & Fauna releases from Diageo? These never made it to the US AFAIK. Mortlach pretty much never gets sold in the US as a distillery release. Auchroisk does, but only as the 20yr. Too bad you can only bring back 1L of alcohol DF!
TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 07:02 on Oct 25, 2013 |
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Oct 25, 2013 06:52
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:Well dangit what's something cool and hard to get here or at least awesome and much cheaper over there? Japanese whiskies aside from Yamazaki 12 or 18 or Hibiki 12? I know that a lot of stuff from places like Nikka, Taketsuru, and Yoichi that never makes it to the US has pretty good distribution in the UK.
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Oct 25, 2013 13:07
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Just tried Russell's Reserve 10yr Bourbon. Holy crap, this is possibly the best bourbon I've ever tasted. Definitely sweet, but with a good kick of rye spiciness. It has a complex flavor that I can't do justice to.
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Oct 26, 2013 01:28
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Schpyder posted:Japanese whiskies aside from Yamazaki 12 or 18 or Hibiki 12? I know that a lot of stuff from places like Nikka, Taketsuru, and Yoichi that never makes it to the US has pretty good distribution in the UK.
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Oct 26, 2013 02:11
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Are there a pair of whiskies someone could recommend that would really help me pick out the rye character? I don't have a great palate, so I'd kind of like to have two things I could taste as A/B - very similar except for the rye quality.
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Oct 26, 2013 02:45
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