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mojo1701a posted:and thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I bought the Balvenie Golden Cask at Heathrow's duty-free store Please describe this in detail (I love Balvenie scotches and the DW is what got my dad into scotch. Simple people have simple tastes :-) ).
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Nov 11, 2014 03:10
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Trip report: The 15 year Glenlivet was great for a newbie. Versus bourbon, the biggest flavor that jumped out to me was honey. I was worried about it being too peaty, because apparently one of my few prior scotch experiences screwed me up. This was not peaty/smoky at all.
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Nov 11, 2014 04:02
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DerekSmartymans posted:Please describe this in detail (I love Balvenie scotches and the DW is what got my dad into scotch. Simple people have simple tastes :-) ). God, I really wish I could remember. It's been a while, and I forget most of it (which is all the more incentive for me to take a vacation and find another bottle). Still, I remember it was really nice. Soft, like honey, and very golden to look at. I could write more, but I'd be basically copying something that I read online. Long story short, if you need an excuse to travel, might as well be this.
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Nov 11, 2014 19:45
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Trip report: The 15 year Glenlivet was great for a newbie. Versus bourbon, the biggest flavor that jumped out to me was honey. I was worried about it being too peaty, because apparently one of my few prior scotch experiences screwed me up. This was not peaty/smoky at all. I had a 18 year Glenlivet earlier tonight , and while I am new at drinking scotch, it was the best scotch have tired so far. It was so smooth and the flavor was excellent well balanced without any overbearing flavors. I am going to have to spend the money and get a bottle for my personal collection.
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Nov 12, 2014 06:22
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mojo1701a posted:Long story short, if you need an excuse to travel, might as well be this. Thanks!
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Nov 12, 2014 06:32
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Finally got around to buying a bottle of Blanton's after talking about it for a couple years. The first thing I noticed was how smooth it is. My last expensive bottle was Booker's which I enjoyed also but was a bit harsh. My wife loves the Blantons too so hopefully she'll let me  on bourbon more often!
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Nov 12, 2014 07:50
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Trip Report: Suntory Hibiki 12 Paid 15$ Aussie for a single straight - got given double by bartender i vaguely know. Had first half as-is then second half with a few drops of water added. Water drops didn't seem to change it for me. First impression is it's incredibly easy to drink. No aggressive flavours, peat or the like. It's almost sweet and a bit citrus tasting? The negative i would have is that it doesn't seem to coat your mouth or stay around at all, it's almost as if as soon as you taste it it's gone. Am i uneducated and that is a quality that some people like in a whisky? Anyone else had the Hibiki 12?
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Nov 12, 2014 10:43
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Jon Von Anchovi posted:Trip Report: Suntory Hibiki 12 It's a Japanese blend, you are probably supposed to drink it in a highball. I've had a bottle in the past, I quite liked it but it isn't especially full of character.
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Nov 12, 2014 13:09
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biglads posted:It's a Japanese blend, you are probably supposed to drink it in a highball. that makes a lot more sense - mouth feel of the scotch doesn't particularly matter with a mixer involved!
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Nov 12, 2014 22:52
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I finally picked up a bottle of Alexander Murray "Bon Accord" over the weekend. This is a NAS Highland single-malt whiskey, and as with nearly every other value-priced bottle that Alexander Murray releases, it's from a mystery distiller. Nose: Sweet and fragrant. Juicy pears and honeycrisp apples mixed with cream soda and a touch of heather. Taste: Sweet, creamy vanilla - I keep thinking of cream soda! Resolves into slightly overripe stone fruit with a floral tinge and just the faintest wisp of smoke. Very little bitterness - tasted blind, I'd say this was a 10 or 12-year dram. Finish: Medium. Caramel apples, lavender candy, and nutmeg? Some sort of faint spice, anyway. If you have a Costco membership and the above sounds at all appealing to you, then go out and buy this right now. It's only $25 and it's really, really good for the price, and who knows how long it will be around. E: Also, if anyone has a guess as to the distillery, I'd really like to know so that I can check out some of their older stuff. I'll take a stab in the dark and say that it's maybe a youngish Oban? Devil Wears Wings fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Nov 13, 2014 |
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Nov 13, 2014 04:51
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two_beer_bishes posted:Finally got around to buying a bottle of Blanton's after talking about it for a couple years. The first thing I noticed was how smooth it is. My last expensive bottle was Booker's which I enjoyed also but was a bit harsh. My wife loves the Blantons too so hopefully she'll let me Booker's is excellent - it's the thai food of bourbons. Sweet, spicy, sour, all in harmony. Anyways, Blanton's is great too. If you want some cheaper bourbons that are still good, I'd recommend Elijah Craig 12 and Evan Williams Single Barrel. Harald fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Nov 15, 2014 |
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Nov 15, 2014 03:20
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I wanted to buy a friend a bottle of their favorite brand of scotch whisky(I think it's a scotch), but I can't remember the name and I don't want to sound like a retard and ask for the tenth time what the name is. The brand is two words and the first is "Leaf". It could be Lief or Leif or whatever, but I'm pretty sure it's Leaf. Does anyone have the faintest idea about what brand I'm thinking of?
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Nov 16, 2014 03:10
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Harald posted:Booker's is excellent - it's the thai food of bourbons. Sweet, spicy, sour, all in harmony. Those were actually the first two bottle I bought years ago, thanks to this thread, when I first got into bourbon. The EW is definitely my favorite between the two but hard for me to find out here (LI)
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Nov 16, 2014 03:16
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Carl Seitan posted:I wanted to buy a friend a bottle of their favorite brand of scotch whisky(I think it's a scotch), but I can't remember the name and I don't want to sound like a retard and ask for the tenth time what the name is. The brand is two words and the first is "Leaf". It could be Lief or Leif or whatever, but I'm pretty sure it's Leaf. Highland Park put out a release called Leif Erickson: http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/highland-park-leif-eriksson-whisky/ Laphroaig maybe? It could possibly be pronounced "luff" "roaig" Do you remember anything about how the bottle or packaging looked?
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Nov 16, 2014 04:09
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Cpt.Wacky posted:Highland Park put out a release called Leif Erickson: http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/highland-park-leif-eriksson-whisky/ Yea, apparently I'm a retard. It's Basil Hayden. I saw Basil and made the association with a leaf and just remembered it as that.
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Nov 16, 2014 22:53
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Basil Hayden is a pretty odd choice for someone's favorite scotch. 
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Nov 17, 2014 00:21
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kidsafe posted:Basil Hayden is a pretty odd choice for someone's favorite scotch. I think every liquor is at least one person's favorite, no matter how strange or terrible. Lord knows there are plenty of people out there who won't touch a beer that isn't Bud Light.
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Nov 17, 2014 02:03
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radthibodaux posted:I think every liquor is at least one person's favorite, no matter how strange or terrible. Lord knows there are plenty of people out there who won't touch a beer that isn't Bud Light.
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Nov 17, 2014 02:05
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Above Our Own posted:Basil Hayden isn't scotch Oh ok. Excuse me while I go remove my foot from my mouth.
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Nov 17, 2014 02:07
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Ah by bad, I guess it's a bourbon and not a scotch. So, follow-up question, of BH, Dewar, and Bulliet--including their variants--which is generally considered the best?
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Nov 17, 2014 04:53
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Carl Seitan posted:Ah by bad, I guess it's a bourbon and not a scotch. I like Bulleit the best out of those three. BH is okay but overpriced and Dewars is a crap Scotch blend. Try Bulleit Rye if you can find it, it's even better than the bourbon IMO.
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Nov 17, 2014 06:04
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If I enjoy (single malt) scotch and soda, is there any reason to think I would not enjoy other whiskey (or whisky) and sodas? Specifically, I am looking for a similar experience to something like Glinfiddich 12 or Speyside 10 mixed with coke zero. Is there an American Whiskey which would be comparable to these products? For reference, I did not like the taste of J&B, which is probably not a surprise to experienced whisk(e)y drinkers. I am definitely not a snob, so I don't care where it was distilled. If there is a bourbon that tastes like a single malt scotch, cool by me. I drink more than I should, and I prefer to mix, so please try not to recommend something expensive. Ideal price would be under $30/fifth or $50/handle.
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Nov 17, 2014 06:14
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Nice troll.
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Nov 17, 2014 09:25
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If Basil Hayden is your friend's favorite bourbon though, it's sure to be more valuable to him than Bulleit. It's already more costly and fancier in presentation.
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Nov 17, 2014 09:26
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adorai posted:If I enjoy (single malt) scotch and soda, is there any reason to think I would not enjoy other whiskey (or whisky) and sodas? Specifically, I am looking for a similar experience to something like Glinfiddich 12 or Speyside 10 mixed with coke zero. Is there an American Whiskey which would be comparable to these products? For reference, I did not like the taste of J&B, which is probably not a surprise to experienced whisk(e)y drinkers. I am definitely not a snob, so I don't care where it was distilled. If there is a bourbon that tastes like a single malt scotch, cool by me. I drink more than I should, and I prefer to mix, so please try not to recommend something expensive. Ideal price would be under $30/fifth or $50/handle.
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Nov 17, 2014 16:02
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adorai posted:If I enjoy (single malt) scotch and soda, is there any reason to think I would not enjoy other whiskey (or whisky) and sodas? Specifically, I am looking for a similar experience to something like Glinfiddich 12 or Speyside 10 mixed with coke zero. Is there an American Whiskey which would be comparable to these products? For reference, I did not like the taste of J&B, which is probably not a surprise to experienced whisk(e)y drinkers. I am definitely not a snob, so I don't care where it was distilled. If there is a bourbon that tastes like a single malt scotch, cool by me. I drink more than I should, and I prefer to mix, so please try not to recommend something expensive. Ideal price would be under $30/fifth or $50/handle. First, don't mix single-malt Scotch with anything other than a bit of water or an ice cube. If that's your goal, then you might as well save your money and just buy a handle of Famous Grouse. Second, there aren't really any bourbons that taste like Glenfiddich. The mashbill (grains), barrels, and aging process produce - for the most part - very different flavors. That said, if you want to mix a bourbon with Coke, just buy a handle of Evan Williams. It's cheap and tastes good mixed. Third, please don't mix your spirits with loving diet soda unless you really want to appreciate how the lovely bitter chemical aftertaste of artificial sweeteners mingles with your whisk(e)y. If you're going for "most drunk for least amount of calories," then just take swigs from a handle of Vladimir or something. Otherwise, just use regular Coke.
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Nov 17, 2014 16:39
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Devil Wears Wings posted:I like Bulleit the best out of those three. BH is okay but overpriced and Dewars is a crap Scotch blend. Try Bulleit Rye if you can find it, it's even better than the bourbon IMO. This is interesting because I vastly prefer the Bulleit standard to the Rye version. But, as said above everything is someones favorite.
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Nov 17, 2014 16:47
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Devil Wears Wings posted:First, don't mix single-malt Scotch with anything other than a bit of water or an ice cube. If that's your goal, then you might as well save your money and just buy a handle of Famous Grouse. This is a good general rule but I've been making that "end of the road" cocktail with 1/3 islay single malt, 1/3 green chartreuse, and 1/3 campari and it is a heavenly way to end the work portion of the day. That said, I think a smokey blended scotch or mezcal might work nicely too.
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Nov 17, 2014 16:50
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Leopold Stotch posted:This is a good general rule but I've been making that "end of the road" cocktail with 1/3 islay single malt, 1/3 green chartreuse, and 1/3 campari and it is a heavenly way to end the work portion of the day. Yeah, for something like that you might want to use Black Grouse or another Islay blend (too bad Black Bottle no longer exists). Even regular FG has a nice little smoky component to it though thanks to the Highland Park in the mix.
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Nov 17, 2014 17:18
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Black Bottle exists. It's just that it's a shadow of its former self.
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Nov 17, 2014 17:28
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That Works posted:This is interesting because I vastly prefer the Bulleit standard to the Rye version. But, as said above everything is someones favorite. Me too. I actually prefer a number of ryes and even a few bourbons with high rye in the mash to the Bulleit Rye. I love the regular, though. Whisky 
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Nov 17, 2014 17:33
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Devil Wears Wings posted:Yeah, for something like that you might want to use Black Grouse or another Islay blend (too bad Black Bottle no longer exists). Even regular FG has a nice little smoky component to it though thanks to the Highland Park in the mix. Unfortunately I haven't found any stores around Cambridge Mass that carry Islay blends. Fortunately, based on price discussion on here I have "relatively" inexpensive single malts (Laphroaig 10 for $55, Ardbeg 10 for $58, Caol Ila 12 for $60).
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Nov 17, 2014 20:51
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Leopold Stotch posted:This is a good general rule but I've been making that "end of the road" cocktail with 1/3 islay single malt, 1/3 green chartreuse, and 1/3 campari and it is a heavenly way to end the work portion of the day. A penicillin is also a great example of using an Islay in a cocktail and doesn't need much either.
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Nov 17, 2014 21:03
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Awesome. I'm going to try that soon! There is a bar near me that makes a drink called the Perfect Smoke. I don't have the proportions but it's: Rittenhouse Rye Cocchi Vermouth di Torino Dolin Blanc Laphroig Scotch Orange Bitters. As in the penicillin, you only use a bar spoon or so of the scotch.
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Nov 17, 2014 21:08
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Swung by the state store on the way home today. I was just about to grab a bottle of Laphroaig 10 when a clearance tag caught my eye. Four Roses Small Batch for $18.99. This poo poo is thoroughly good. I'd buy it at twice that price. Leopold, you need to head over your northern border. Our stores are nuts.
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Nov 18, 2014 03:39
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FreelanceSocialist posted:Swung by the state store on the way home today. I was just about to grab a bottle of Laphroaig 10 when a clearance tag caught my eye. Four Roses Small Batch for $18.99. This poo poo is thoroughly good. I'd buy it at twice that price. Yep. Everytime Im in NH I spend tons on booze.
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Nov 18, 2014 04:39
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FreelanceSocialist posted:Swung by the state store on the way home today. I was just about to grab a bottle of Laphroaig 10 when a clearance tag caught my eye. Four Roses Small Batch for $18.99. This poo poo is thoroughly good. I'd buy it at twice that price. Holy poo poo that's cheap. I thought $33.99 for the FR Single Barrel from BevMo was good but that's almost-as-good bourbon for $15 less. Speaking of which, I joined the Evan Williams Single Barrel club today - figured I should get the 2004 vintage before they roll out the new year's batch. $25 for a crazy good single-barrel bourbon. How the hell do they do it.
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Nov 18, 2014 06:10
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I'm in Tokyo for the next few days and looking to try out some Japanese whiskys / buy some bottles that I can't get back in the states. I'm generally a fan of Islays (smoke and peat) although I had a dram of this incredible whisky in Kyoto from a mt Fuji distillery that had a complex honey note. Evermore I think it was called? Anyhow, I'm not too familiar with Japanese whiskys so I thought I'd ask here. What should I be on the lookout for? Any place in particular to scope out?
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Nov 18, 2014 07:02
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Lowness 72 posted:I'm in Tokyo for the next few days and looking to try out some Japanese whiskys / buy some bottles that I can't get back in the states. I just tried Yamazaki 12 recently and really enjoyed it. It's pretty easy to get in the US though so you might be better off trying something more obscure.
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Nov 18, 2014 20:00
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Lowness 72 posted:I'm in Tokyo for the next few days and looking to try out some Japanese whiskys / buy some bottles that I can't get back in the states. Bar Zoetrope in Shinjuku gets a mention in every "whisky bars in Tokyo" list I've ever seen. David Driscoll just blogged about his trip there recently and mentioned the Nikka Blender's Bar, which looked really cool. Suntory and Nikka are the only distilleries with a major presence in the states, and even then with just a small sample of their portfolios. So take a glance at those and try everything else that you find.
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Nov 18, 2014 20:09
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