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silvergoose
Mar 18, 2006

IT IS SAID THE TEARS OF THE BWEENIX CAN HEAL ALL WOUNDS




Looks like 1:1:1/2 with the half being whiskey?

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wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!

Enigma posted:

Well thats a thing I didn't know existed but now have to have.

Is it 1:1:1?

Yes. It's supposed to be equal parts Kahlua, Baileys, and Crown, in that order. But I use whatever whiskey I have on hand. I used to live in Alaska where the Duck Fart is a common drink and fell in love with it.

silvergoose posted:

Looks like 1:1:1/2 with the half being whiskey?

I eyeballed the last one and the proportions are off a little, plus the glass is tapered which maybe doesn't show up well because of the angle, but I went visually heavy on the bottom layers to compensate. Despite looking out of whack it tasted correct so I got close anyway.

First hit is the whiskey quickly mingled with the other flavors and I'm not sure how to describe it. It's soothing.

BioTech
Feb 5, 2007
...drinking myself to sleep again...


Juaguocio posted:

I really love Redbreast 12. Is there something similar besides the older Redbreasts? Doesn't have to be an Irish whiskey either.

Green Spot is very similar.

Juaguocio
Jun 5, 2005

Oh, David...
Thanks all for the recommendations. Glendronach 12 and Green Spot are both on sale at BCL right now, so I'll definitely be getting one of those 2.

Beachcomber
May 21, 2007

Another day in paradise.


Slippery Tilde

BioTech posted:

Green Spot is very similar.

I love all Redbreasts, but for some reason I just did not like Green Spot at all.

spankmeister
Jun 15, 2008






Yeah I don't agree that Green Spot is similar to Redbreast at all, other than they're both quality pot still Irish whiskeys. Redbreast has a warm dried fruit and spice kind of profile like Christmas pudding while Green Spot is fresher with green apple and mint. They're both very good but not similar at all imo.

Quiet Feet
Dec 14, 2009

THE HELL IS WITH THIS ASS!?



My latest grab. Since I'm still new to whiskey, I decided that I wanted four things the next time I had a bunch of money to throw at some bottles: a bourbon, a rye, something old, something lovely.



Dickel Rye: Had top billing on Proof66. It was either this or Sazerac and this was a couple of bucks cheaper. I've never had a rye before, so this will be an adventure.

Buffalo Trace: Was highly recommended here. I was going to say that I've never had bourbon but I realized that's not really true. There was a pie recipe in Beeradvocate a few years ago that called for Knob Creek in the crust, and I ended up making some whipped cream with it too, and finished the bottle mixing it with cocoa over a few weeks. Long and short of it is that I've not just had bourbon straight up. Also considered Four Roses, Eagle Rare and Angel's Envy, and I suppose I'll be trying any of those in the future.

Kirkland 24-year Blended Scotch: My "old" offering. Wasn't initially going to open this up right away but it dawned on me that I met my best friend 24 years ago, so i called him up to share and we made a pretty good dent in it. Real smooth, flavor was sort of caramel and leather, if that makes any sense. I loved this and don't feel bad about spending $70 given what a normal scotch of this age would cost, and particularly to share it with an old friend.

Fleischmann's: I'm taking the tack that you can learn a lot about something with a bad example, and while my local bottle shop has a ton of lovely, bottom shelf whiskeys, Fleischmann's stood out just by the name. What does that mean? Well, let's :sperg: a little about marketing and lovely stuff.

A lot of the booze you see in plastic bottles at least has a pretension to quality. The name is a giveaway. You can try and fake it by A: using a location name like (most frequently, afaict) Kentucky, B: appending the word "old", or some other word that suggests a higher quality, or C: Copy something else. "Old" in particular is funny to see because you can get what they were going for. Whiskey is supposed to be aged right, and old whiskey? Hey, that must always be better! Just write "old" in the name and it gives it an air of plausibility. Would you drink something just called Crow or Granddad? Okay, so you don't want to append an adjective to your booze, what do you do? Hey, Kentucky makes whiskey, right? Bam! Perhaps the funniest I saw today was Canadian Royal, on the shelf right below the Crown Royal. Nice try.

But yeah, I settled on Fleischmann's because it was the cheapest they had, or at least tied for it, and couldn't even be bothered to try a marketing gimmick but settled on sharing a name with a brand of yeast. I'm astounded that the bottle isn't plastic.

The handle of bog standard Costco scotch is because it's not bad and I couldn't say no at $18. Not pictured but semi-related was a Scotch ale aged in scotch barrels from Firefly Hollow Brewing in Bristol CT. It's great but seriously sweet.

Enigma
Jun 10, 2003
Raetus Deus Est.

Quiet Feet posted:

Buffalo Trace: Was highly recommended here. I was going to say that I've never had bourbon but I realized that's not really true. There was a pie recipe in Beeradvocate a few years ago that called for Knob Creek in the crust, and I ended up making some whipped cream with it too, and finished the bottle mixing it with cocoa over a few weeks. Long and short of it is that I've not just had bourbon straight up. Also considered Four Roses, Eagle Rare and Angel's Envy, and I suppose I'll be trying any of those in the future.

You probably mean "neat" - "straight up" means shaken with ice then strained.

Definitely try Four Roses. The small batch is really good and was one of my first bourbon purchases. The single barrel is far and away my favorite bourbon, but it wouldn't be my recommendation for someone new.

From what I've heard, Eagle Rare is the same juice as Buffalo Trace, just possibly aged a little longer or more discriminately chosen. I can't confirm since I've only had ER, which I enjoyed though I prefer more rye. If you like BT you should like ER too.

mojo1701a
Oct 9, 2008

Oh, yeah. Loud and clear. Emphasis on LOUD!
~ David Lee Roth

Finally finished off one of my two French whiskies:



(Googled pic)

It's almost exactly like you'd imagine, if you imagine a lightly peated malt with the slight sweetness of red wine. I generally don't like the combo of smoke with sweetness, but neither of those flavours were strong, so it was a really nice blend.



I also bought a bottle of Glenfiddich IPA cask last Thursday because I'm intensely curious wrt. gimmicks.

Josh Lyman
May 24, 2009


1 of the last 1400 bottles and then they’re closing down.

zmcnulty
Jul 26, 2003

Who is "they?" Mars Shinshu is alive and well afaik. There have been several releases since that bottle, even. And it was 11000 bottles, not 1400 :confused:

zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 09:28 on Apr 7, 2018

spankmeister
Jun 15, 2008






I looked that guy up on master of malt, over €140/ $170 for a NAS whisky that's likely not even 5 years old yet.
Japanese whisky is crazy. Call me in 10 years when the hype is over.

spankmeister fucked around with this message at 11:23 on Apr 7, 2018

zmcnulty
Jul 26, 2003

Tbf age statements are a lie fed to you by big whisky.

But I agree Japanese whiskies are quite overpriced atm.

Josh Lyman
May 24, 2009


zmcnulty posted:

Who is "they?" Mars Shinshu is alive and well afaik. There have been several releases since that bottle, even. And it was 11000 bottles, not 1400 :confused:
One of my favorite bartenders poured me a half oz because he knows Yamazaki 18 is my favorite. He wouldn't have knowingly lied because it was past closing and I was just swinging by to say hi, so it's not like he was trying to sell me anything, but I guess he could be wrong? :shrug:

Quiet Feet
Dec 14, 2009

THE HELL IS WITH THIS ASS!?



zmcnulty posted:

Tbf age statements are a lie fed to you by big whisky.

But I agree Japanese whiskies are quite overpriced atm.

Yeah, is there really such a big difference between one that's only 12 years and one that's 18, your honor?

The Fleischmann's bought has exceeded expectations. It's not any good, I just expected it to be vile, and it's serviceable mixed. Served neat, it tastes like it was aged in a cardboard box.

Really enjoyed the Dickel rye. Given that this is the first time I've had rye of any kind, I'm not entirely sure how to describe it. The rye grain was really noticeable, and that, that it has a little rye bread-like flavor, surprised me the most. Of all the whiskey's I've just bought, it seems like it has the least food-like profile otherwise, if that makes any sense at all. It's less sweet than the Irish whiskies, scotches or bourbon I've had. Like I get a little bit of fruitiness from both of the Kirkland scotches, but it didn't seem like Dickel had anything of the sort. Not saying it should as I seriously don't know how typical this is, and from what I've read so far, I'm led to believe that rye can vary pretty heavily based on just how much of the grain bill really is rye? Anyway, it had a little bit of a leathery/tobbaco-ey flavor to it that I enjoyed.

Not sure what to make of Buffalo Trace. IIRC, the first whiskey I ever tried was Jim Beam, and it put me off of the stuff for years. I wouldn't say I hate BT, but there's definitely something about it that's not quite clicking for me. Given how highly regarded it is, it makes me wonder if bourbon just isn't my thing.

I've got nothing negative to say about the Kirkland stuff at the price point it goes for. I'm certain there's better scotches out there, and I'll try some at some point, but for $18/handle I can't see abandoning it any time soon.

Enigma
Jun 10, 2003
Raetus Deus Est.

Quiet Feet posted:

Yeah, is there really such a big difference between one that's only 12 years and one that's 18, your honor?

The Fleischmann's bought has exceeded expectations. It's not any good, I just expected it to be vile, and it's serviceable mixed. Served neat, it tastes like it was aged in a cardboard box.

Really enjoyed the Dickel rye. Given that this is the first time I've had rye of any kind, I'm not entirely sure how to describe it. The rye grain was really noticeable, and that, that it has a little rye bread-like flavor, surprised me the most. Of all the whiskey's I've just bought, it seems like it has the least food-like profile otherwise, if that makes any sense at all. It's less sweet than the Irish whiskies, scotches or bourbon I've had. Like I get a little bit of fruitiness from both of the Kirkland scotches, but it didn't seem like Dickel had anything of the sort. Not saying it should as I seriously don't know how typical this is, and from what I've read so far, I'm led to believe that rye can vary pretty heavily based on just how much of the grain bill really is rye? Anyway, it had a little bit of a leathery/tobbaco-ey flavor to it that I enjoyed.

Not sure what to make of Buffalo Trace. IIRC, the first whiskey I ever tried was Jim Beam, and it put me off of the stuff for years. I wouldn't say I hate BT, but there's definitely something about it that's not quite clicking for me. Given how highly regarded it is, it makes me wonder if bourbon just isn't my thing.

I've got nothing negative to say about the Kirkland stuff at the price point it goes for. I'm certain there's better scotches out there, and I'll try some at some point, but for $18/handle I can't see abandoning it any time soon.

I felt the same way about Beam white label. I thought I hated bourbon and avoided it for years because that's all I'd tried. It's pretty awful.

Bourbon may not be your thing, but I'd suggest trying things from other distilleries before giving up on it if you're game. Sometimes it's just a matter of learning what distilleries you do or don't like, since they're all kinda doing something different. People love Woodford, for example, but I can't stand anything Brown Forman makes.

TobinHatesYou
Aug 14, 2007

wacky cycling inflatable
tube man

Quiet Feet posted:

Yeah, is there really such a big difference between one that's only 12 years and one that's 18, your honor?

Frankly 12->18yr is a huge difference in mouthfeel and smoothness. 10->12yr is a pretty huge difference as well. Even 12->15/16yr is a pretty big deal, which is why most of my sipping collection is at least that old.

It's not just flavor imparted by the wood. Alcohol clumps around lignin micelles during the aging process...it's actually science. Using smaller casks like quarter casks or rundlets can inject more wood, vanillin, etc. flavor into a whisky, but it'll still be a very raw, harsh drink.

zmcnulty
Jul 26, 2003

Josh Lyman posted:

One of my favorite bartenders poured me a half oz because he knows Yamazaki 18 is my favorite. He wouldn't have knowingly lied because it was past closing and I was just swinging by to say hi, so it's not like he was trying to sell me anything, but I guess he could be wrong? :shrug:

Sorry, I thought you were implying that the distillery itself is closing down, which is not the case.
The 11000 bottles was probably the global number. Perhaps only 1400 made it to the US?

A proper blender will be able to say that a 14y aged on the top shelf of the rack is as at the same level as a 16y on the bottom shelf. Plus you have climate to consider. Maybe age statements are reliable in Kentucky or Scotland considering the climate is mostly consistent across each respectively (i.e. there's not a huge difference in latitude). But separate two new born whiskies at birth, aging one in Islay and one in Bermuda, and you'll have two wildly different results even in the exact same wood.

zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 00:03 on Apr 8, 2018

Josh Lyman
May 24, 2009


zmcnulty posted:

Sorry, I thought you were implying that the distillery itself is closing down, which is not the case.
The 11000 bottles was probably the global number. Perhaps only 1400 made it to the US?
I may have misheard him, but I thought the bartender mentioned something closing down. If it’s not the distillery, maybe he meant just that particular product?

spankmeister
Jun 15, 2008






zmcnulty posted:

Tbf age statements are a lie fed to you by big whisky.

It's one of the few things they really can't lie about on the label.

Quiet Feet
Dec 14, 2009

THE HELL IS WITH THIS ASS!?



Enigma posted:

I felt the same way about Beam white label. I thought I hated bourbon and avoided it for years because that's all I'd tried. It's pretty awful.

Bourbon may not be your thing, but I'd suggest trying things from other distilleries before giving up on it if you're game. Sometimes it's just a matter of learning what distilleries you do or don't like, since they're all kinda doing something different. People love Woodford, for example, but I can't stand anything Brown Forman makes.

Oh yeah, I'm not just gonna turn up my nose at it but my initial thought is that it may end up occupying the same niche for me as IPAs do with beer, which is something I don't dislike per se but really have to be in the mood for. Not ready to conclude that for sure yet though.

TobinHatesYou posted:

Frankly 12->18yr is a huge difference in mouthfeel and smoothness. 10->12yr is a pretty huge difference as well. Even 12->15/16yr is a pretty big deal, which is why most of my sipping collection is at least that old.

It's not just flavor imparted by the wood. Alcohol clumps around lignin micelles during the aging process...it's actually science. Using smaller casks like quarter casks or rundlets can inject more wood, vanillin, etc. flavor into a whisky, but it'll still be a very raw, harsh drink.

I was just tryna make an awful pedophilia joke. <:saddowns:>

wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!

Quiet Feet posted:

Not sure what to make of Buffalo Trace. IIRC, the first whiskey I ever tried was Jim Beam, and it put me off of the stuff for years. I wouldn't say I hate BT, but there's definitely something about it that's not quite clicking for me. Given how highly regarded it is, it makes me wonder if bourbon just isn't my thing.

Well if everyone liked the same thing there would only be one thing. Okay, that's probably not true but you get my point. I don't like Beam and I'm not big on BT either but I love bourbon. And even though bourbons taste more like each other than other whiskies, they are each unique to me. Tastes change too. I used to drink a lot of 1792 but haven't had a bottle in years. Jameson I go back and forth between loving it and wanting to spit it out (not a bourbon just an example). Also Eagle Rare, used to love that stuff but now I find it lacking. Lot of people love Bulleit and BT, I don't. Just drink what you like, how you like, and if you find yourself skipping around a lot that's okay too.

DerekSmartymans
Feb 14, 2005

The
Copacetic
Ascetic

wormil posted:

Well if everyone liked the same thing there would only be one thing. Okay, that's probably not true but you get my point. I don't like Beam and I'm not big on BT either but I love bourbon. And even though bourbons taste more like each other than other whiskies, they are each unique to me. Tastes change too. I used to drink a lot of 1792 but haven't had a bottle in years. Jameson I go back and forth between loving it and wanting to spit it out (not a bourbon just an example). Also Eagle Rare, used to love that stuff but now I find it lacking. Lot of people love Bulleit and BT, I don't. Just drink what you like, how you like, and if you find yourself skipping around a lot that's okay too.

Don't let anybody give you poo poo about what you like.

Vox Nihili
May 28, 2008
I have really been enjoying a Knob Creek Rye barrel pick (from K&L) these last few days. Just bursting with flavor on both the corn (sweet, citric, fruity) and rye (peppery spice, mint) ends of the spectrum. Might have to pick up another bottle or two, even.

chitoryu12
Apr 24, 2014

I wish I could remember which bourbon I had a swig of at the Lambertville House in New Jersey. It tasted disturbingly like dill pickles.

Vox Nihili
May 28, 2008

chitoryu12 posted:

I wish I could remember which bourbon I had a swig of at the Lambertville House in New Jersey. It tasted disturbingly like dill pickles.

Probably an MGP rye. The dill note is almost universal, and tons of sourced whiskeys pull from MGP stocks.

Enigma
Jun 10, 2003
Raetus Deus Est.

Finally happened across a place serving Blanton's and got the chance to try it. I really like bourbons with more rye notes, so I'd been looking to try it.
It's quite good, but I don't get the hype driving the price to $60+ in Fla. Yet even at that price it's basically a myth; I've never even seen it in a store.

Meanwhile 4R single barrel is everywhere for $40, and it's basically Nirvana.

Lowness 72
Jul 19, 2006
BUTTS LOL

Jade Ear Joe
I tried Blanton's at a bar and just wasn't that impressed for the price.

Stultus Maximus
Dec 21, 2009

USPOL May

Enigma posted:

Finally happened across a place serving Blanton's and got the chance to try it. I really like bourbons with more rye notes, so I'd been looking to try it.
It's quite good, but I don't get the hype driving the price to $60+ in Fla. Yet even at that price it's basically a myth; I've never even seen it in a store.

Meanwhile 4R single barrel is everywhere for $40, and it's basically Nirvana.

Ten years ago someone recommended I try it. I saw it in the store for $45 and thought "nah, too pricy."

Silly me.

Enigma
Jun 10, 2003
Raetus Deus Est.

I'd pay $40 or maaaaaybe $45 with prices as they are, but not any more than that. But $62? Not a chance.

Quiet Feet
Dec 14, 2009

THE HELL IS WITH THIS ASS!?



Buffalo Trace is starting to grow on me a bit. At the same time, the Fleischmann's is getting less palatable each time I open it. It's still largely flavorless but I swear to god every time I open the bottle it smells like its decaying. Not in a rotten meat way but like a newspaper left in the rain. I can't bring myself to pour it out because the badness is oddly fascinating. I think it's the contrast between this and the better bottles. I don't plan on buying any more booze for several months but I think I might continue to pick up a bottle of cheap crap every now and again just to compare. Just... not this again.

I can kinda detect and separate out the peat in scotch now. Having other styles to contrast is helping a lot with regards to singling out flavors.

Jamsta
Dec 16, 2006

Oh you want some too? Fuck you!

IMO Blanton's Gold absolutely deserves the hype, just the regular "original" does not as it's noticeably weaker in flavour and ABV.

Plus they're the only whisky bottles I've bothered keeping

obi_ant
Apr 8, 2005

Drinking on some Monkey Shoulder right now. Not too shabby.

emotive
Dec 26, 2006

Wishing I bought Monkey Shoulder instead of Dewars 12 year after seeing reviews. New to scotches and wanted to pick up something cheapish... not much of a fan I don’t think.

edit: With an ice cube, I'm enjoying it MUCH more.

emotive fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Apr 15, 2018

S.W.O.R.D. Agent
Apr 30, 2012

On the subject of Blantons. Has anyone noticed that it gets significantly better after it's oxidized for a while. Most of the time I think the fresher the bottle the better, but with Blantons I liked both of the bottles I've had the best after they've been about half empty and oxidized for a few months.

Still not sure it's worth the price point with other options that are available, but I don't think getting a single pour in a bar necessarily does it justice.

TobinHatesYou
Aug 14, 2007

wacky cycling inflatable
tube man
I don’t think it’s actually oxidation that makes it better, just alcohol evap. Have you tried adding a generous spoonful of water? Water helps Monkey Shoulder too since I find it a bit raw in terms of alcohol burn.

Inspector 34
Mar 9, 2009

DOES NOT RESPECT THE RUN

BUT THEY WILL

emotive posted:

Wishing I bought Monkey Shoulder instead of Dewars 12 year after seeing reviews. New to scotches and wanted to pick up something cheapish... not much of a fan I don’t think.

edit: With an ice cube, I'm enjoying it MUCH more.

Ugh, I've hated Dewars ever since I got it on a flight where they ran out of Jack for my jack 'n coke. I've just absolutely hated it ever since, but I'm not really sure if my hate is justified. Does Dewars actually put out any decent products?

S.W.O.R.D. Agent
Apr 30, 2012

TobinHatesYou posted:

I don’t think it’s actually oxidation that makes it better, just alcohol evap. Have you tried adding a generous spoonful of water? Water helps Monkey Shoulder too since I find it a bit raw in terms of alcohol burn.

I haven't tried adding water. I found a while back I preferred almost every dram without water than with, so I just stopped trying so I didn't ruin good booze. I'll give that a shot next time.

TobinHatesYou
Aug 14, 2007

wacky cycling inflatable
tube man
Adding water doesn’t ruin most aged boozes. It breaks up clusters of molecules called lignin micelles that trap esters (flavor), so you get less alcohol burn and the same or more tasting notes.

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Gravitee
Nov 20, 2003

I just put money in the Magic Fingers!
I'm generally a neat drinker but anything over 100 proof I add a few drops of water. It really opens it up and different flavors come to the forefront.

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