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Bape Culture posted:I’ve got some massive silicone cubes. Is it possible for me to make a ghetto version of this ? Hmm I think you would need two sets to even try. The way it works is basically that there are two nested silicone trays, with the bottom one being double-insulated, encouraging it to freeze from the top down. The bottom of the upper tray is perforated so that both chambers freeze together as one block. Then, when your water is frozen solid, you can remove the inner chamber and use the bottom of the upper tray to snap the lower half of the ice block off, thus discarding the foggy bottom of the block and separating off the crystal clear top half.
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Feb 23, 2021 19:52
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Bape Culture posted:I’ve got some massive silicone cubes. Is it possible for me to make a ghetto version of this ? Hmm Cook's Illustrated adapts Dave Arnold's version using silicone cubes and a baking dish. Dave Arnold's method is to use a small coleman cooler with the lid removed so you get one big block of ice.
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Feb 23, 2021 21:50
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For me, $40 was about the perfect price point for this. It’s a total no fuss device, and the DIY alternative is like use a small cooler, get ice pick, get a knife, get a mallet, manually chisel out ice from a cooler. I love a good DIY manly feeling project, but I looked hard into my eyes in the mirror and at that moment I knew I’d never do that. But this way, I will have legions of perfectly clear ice to impress upon the world. My first cubes had some bubbles in them however, but I’ve learned to pour water in very slowly, which has basically removed that problem. Thanks for the tip on silicone soaking up smells and stuff, I have this in our chest freezer that’s filled with mainly vacuum packed stuff, and we use our other freezers for the normal groceries/jobs. If you were just working with a fridge/freezer combo this would likely be a pretty ridiculous purchase, but I thankfully had the room available.
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Feb 23, 2021 23:42
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I never had any of the Willett Family Estate before, and last night I managed to get a pour of the 4yo rye. I'm glad I never bought a bottle without tasting, cuz it's interesting, but the flavor profile was so strongly fruit and not enough of the rye spice I was hoping for. It's definitely not the whiskey for me. OTOH, I also had a pour of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C920 and wow  It definitely punches at 132 proof, but the ethanol nose and burn isn't overwhelming. This is a fantastic bourbon and now I understand why it gets bought up so quickly. A local store just did a barrel pick of a 10yo EC: quote:Elijah Craig Small Batch Single Barrel Select If the small batch is anything like this barrel proof, I definitely need to score a bottle. ---- I'm also still on the (likely impossible) search for a bottle of High West Midwinter's Night Dram. If anyone has one, I'd def make it worth your while. 
Casu Marzu fucked around with this message at 15:16 on Feb 27, 2021 |
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Feb 27, 2021 15:11
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Casu Marzu posted:I never had any of the Willett Family Estate before, and last night I managed to get a pour of the 4yo rye. I'm glad I never bought a bottle without tasting, cuz it's interesting, but the flavor profile was so strongly fruit and not enough of the rye spice I was hoping for. It's definitely not the whiskey for me. The pick isn't going to blow your pants off like batches of ECBP can, but it should be a solid daily drinker at half the price. I mentioned this in discord; I wouldn't buy a bottle of EC small batch unless it was barrel a pick. MWND is going to be tough to find at a fair price right now (if you see it on the shelf it will probably be over $150), you're better off just waiting until October when act 9 should drop; and hunt for Double Rye! barrel picks in the meantime - sometimes they're even better than MWND
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Feb 27, 2021 15:32
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How is Templeton Rye? Please tell me it sucks. Because I just lost a bottle to a shelf collapse, unopened.
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Feb 27, 2021 21:02
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GD_American posted:How is Templeton Rye? Mehhhh, it's okay. I've had a lot better rye than theirs.
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Feb 28, 2021 00:37
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Templeton rye is mgp product. I wouldn't be broken up about it
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Feb 28, 2021 02:15
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I know this isn’t the cocktail thread, but I haven’t really posted there before. I’m going to try my first ever boulevardier later tonight I think, with my fancy clear ice cubes. I’m also making my first ever milk punch, for those that are familiar with those. My wife loves pina coladas, so I’m clarifying a big batch of pina colada to store in the fridge. On demand pina colada sounds pretty amazing, I’ll let you all know how it turns out.
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Feb 28, 2021 03:34
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DoctaFun posted:I know this isn’t the cocktail thread, but I haven’t really posted there before. I’m going to try my first ever boulevardier later tonight I think, with my fancy clear ice cubes. Come hang out, clear ice is nerdy af. I spent more time than I care to admit working on it years ago. Just don’t ask us for a cocktail that’s not too sweet.
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Feb 28, 2021 03:42
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There‘s a deal for Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof around here for around 25€ instead of 33€. I love Bulleit bourbon and think Knob Creek / Knob Creek Rye is okay. Is the Rittenhose right for me? Edit: Casu Marzu posted:A bottle of Rittenhouse 100 is cheap as hell and it's a fantastic rye for the price Sounds good to me! Neco fucked around with this message at 19:19 on Mar 1, 2021 |
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Mar 1, 2021 19:06
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Follow up on my cocktail post. Boulevardier gets a B+ from me! Personally though, I’m not used to the bitterness that Campari adds to a drink, so I needed to dial it back just slightly. My recipe called for: 1.5oz bourbon 1oz Campari 1 oz sweet vermouth Orange peel garnish I cut that Campari back to 3/4 oz, and stirred with ice for a longer time, and poured over a fancy clear ice cube. It started off a touch on the bitter side for what I’m used to, but as it slowly diluted over time it got better and better! Definitely recommend trying it. I have a bit of a sweet tooth though, so I’m his may be sacrilege, or turn out too sweet for others! At this point, I think my whisky related cocktail ratings, from highest to lowest, are: Amaretto sour Gold rush / old fashioned Whiskey smash Boston sour( whiskey sour with egg white) Boulevardier Whiskey sour (no egg white) Manhattan* Need to add some more to the list though, need to pickup some absinthe to try a sazerac! * need to revisit this as my last one was made with willett pot still and it sucked.
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Mar 1, 2021 19:18
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Somebody recommend me a nice Irish whiskey in the $50-$70 range. I was thinking Redbreast 12 but I've already had that recently and want to try something new. I'm considering Green Spot since it sounds like it's pretty well regarded around here. Also suggest an Irish whiskey that is truly awful. As a former Catholic I want to suffer a little in this time of Lent.
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Mar 1, 2021 21:04
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Tullamore Dew is pretty terrible I think, enjoy your penance!
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Mar 1, 2021 21:29
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It's not The Worst, but we drank a lot of Paddy in college and it was not a great experience ever
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Mar 1, 2021 21:33
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Quiet Feet posted:Somebody recommend me a nice Irish whiskey in the $50-$70 range. I was thinking Redbreast 12 but I've already had that recently and want to try something new. I'm considering Green Spot since it sounds like it's pretty well regarded around here. Awful how? Because Proper 12 is from Conor McGregor if you want to support an awful person too.
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Mar 1, 2021 21:37
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Alarbus posted:Awful how? Because Proper 12 is from Conor McGregor if you want to support an awful person too. Eeeeeh, I don't follow fight sports but I'm vaguely aware of him. I thought he was just a spokesperson, or is it his company too? Thanks for the suggestions. Pretty sure my local bottle shop has Paddy in stock so I'll probably go with that?
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Mar 2, 2021 14:54
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It's pretty much his company iirc. None of the cheap Irish whiskey is particularly bad I'd say, by virtue of Irish whiskey being generally a pretty light spirit. There's a lot more bad scotch than bad Irish whiskey, imo. The worst Irish whiskeys I've had were all supermarket brands.
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Mar 2, 2021 17:28
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DoctaFun posted:Follow up on my cocktail post. Definitely give a Manhattan another visit and try an Improved Whiskey Cocktail or a Coffee Old Fashioned! Depending on the coffee liqueur you use, you may have to add some simple to make it a proper dessert drink.
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Mar 3, 2021 20:24
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Professor Wayne posted:Definitely give a Manhattan another visit and try an Improved Whiskey Cocktail or a Coffee Old Fashioned! Depending on the coffee liqueur you use, you may have to add some simple to make it a proper dessert drink. The coffee old fashioned has been a real revelation to me in the last few months. I got Mr Black on a whim and it's been so good compared with Kahlua. Add in a bar spoon or two of simple though to balance it out. I make mine either Knob Creek 9 year, but I bet a lot would taste good. The big difference maker is a twist of orange peel. That really elevates it!
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Mar 3, 2021 21:04
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 Mr Black is fantastic.
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Mar 3, 2021 21:19
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If we’re looking at an improved whiskey cocktail for dessert, late I have been enjoying adding a split portion of licor 43 and amaretto to mine in place of the maraschino, and using black walnut bitters. Tastes like an Italian pastry.
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Mar 3, 2021 21:53
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oh good, trump's stupid loving tariff on scotch is over maybe prices will go back to normal and I can start to get laphroaig and springbank at reasonable prices again
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Mar 4, 2021 15:29
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Quiet Feet posted:Somebody recommend me a nice Irish whiskey in the $50-$70 range. I was thinking Redbreast 12 but I've already had that recently and want to try something new. I'm considering Green Spot since it sounds like it's pretty well regarded around here. I would definitely recommend Green Spot. So much apple. I have a bottle of that and Yellow Spot and both are good. Looking forward to trying Red Spot one day.
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Mar 4, 2021 18:24
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GD_American posted:How is Templeton Rye? https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-templeton-rye-settlement-20150714-story.html They're basically a marketing gimmick.
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Mar 4, 2021 20:57
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Deceptive Thinker posted:oh good, trump's stupid loving tariff on scotch is over I've had mixed results buying stuff from Europe to ship to the US so this makes me happy. I recently ordered a pour of Highland Park 25 after dinner one night. It was one of the best things I've ever tasted. I was still thinking about it days afterward, and ended up buying a bottle. It's....not the same. I've had disappointing neck pours before so I'm hoping it'll open up and reveal its delicious secrets after being opened and sitting on my shelf for a few weeks.
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Mar 4, 2021 21:30
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Professor Wayne posted:Definitely give a Manhattan another visit and try an Improved Whiskey Cocktail or a Coffee Old Fashioned! Depending on the coffee liqueur you use, you may have to add some simple to make it a proper dessert drink. I’ll try these, although I’m not a big coffee guy so I may skip that one. I did pickup a bottle of allspice dram last night, and made my first Lion’s Tail today. That was definitely good! 2 oz bourbon 1/2 oz allspice dram 1/2 oz lime juice Bar spoon simple syrup 2 dashes angostura Shake with ice, strain.
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Mar 5, 2021 01:58
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Magma take: bourbon is better than scotch, and the only reason everyone in the world doesn’t acknowledge that is because of Old World elitism.
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Mar 6, 2021 02:25
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For a long time I felt bourbon was the best value category. The low to mid priced stuff you could buy was leaps and bounds better than similarly priced bottles of scotch etc. I think there's definitely been some shift in that bottles I used to buy for cheap no-problem (ie:Welller) have gotten more expensive, but I still think the middle market stuff is fantastic/amazing. But honestly it's a taste thing, I know some people who really don't like the bourbon but can drink/enjoy scotch. That might be the case for you but in matters of taste I dunno how you separate out marketing, expectation, price, culture etc and judge something just on it's so called merits.
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Mar 6, 2021 02:55
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Bourbon and scotch are distinct grain spirits and imo lateral comparisons between the two seem a little bit like apples and oranges. e: or maybe like, pomelos to mandarins Kalsco fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Mar 6, 2021 |
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Mar 6, 2021 03:04
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Fair enough. An amendment: Bourbon is very good. And in a fair world, it would have equal status with scotch whisky in the international marketplace.
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Mar 6, 2021 03:41
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Bourbon can be incredibly good. The best bourbons are world-class spirits, without question. That said, with regards to its flavor, bourbon is significantly more restrictive a category than scotch is. Widen "bourbon" to "American whiskey" so you can include rye, wheat whiskey, corn whiskey, etc. and you can start to compete with scotch on the range of flavors available, but even then I'm not sure as a category I'd take it over the whole world of scotch. I think the fact that pretty much all American whiskey styles (and in particular all bourbons) are required to be aged only in new American oak barrels restricts their flavors significantly more than the mashbill restrictions scotch is produced under. Pretty much everything tastes first and foremost of vanilla and wood, and then you get into the details.
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Mar 6, 2021 04:43
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Ogmius815 posted:Magma take: bourbon is better than scotch, and the only reason everyone in the world doesn’t acknowledge that is because of Old World elitism. There's definitely some elitism going on among a lot of scotch drinkers that pull their nose up at bourbon, and that's undeserved, but thankfully this is changing. For the past decade or more a lot of whisk(e)y people are on the flavor chase and are very much into trying new things. Bourbons are absolutely part of that. However, quality wise, sure, it can be just as good, but flavor wise bourbon has nothing on scotch. Bourbon has a very narrow range of flavors while scotch has an incredibly wide gamut. There is no comparison. Not even close. If you don't like the flavor profile of bourbon, well tough poo poo because they all taste by and large the same. Don't like a scotch? Try some from a different region and chances are you'll find something you like. This is largely due to bourbon having a very strict set of laws governing its production. This ensures quality and consistency but also means that there is not a lot of wiggle room for producers to differentiate their product. One of the biggest contributors to this fact is having to use new charred american oak barrels every time. This makes it that the wood influence is the biggest contributor to bourbon's flavor profile. Second to that is the 51% corn mash bill requirement. Together with the oak is what makes bourbon bourbon, and it's absolutely fine and delicious, but other grains like barley just inherently have more complex flavors and aromas and this requirement makes it that bourbon has painted itself into a corner. A big factor is also climate. In hot climates like kentucky where bourbon traditionally is made maturation occurs far quicker than in more temperate climates. This means that there is a LOT of wood influence. Again this new oak requirement limits you in aging for long periods of time. In places like Scotland you can leave a refill cask for decades and it won't go all woody and tannic, (or just straight up evaporate completely), all the while developing a complexity that most bourbon could only dream of. Of course, finely aged bourbon absolutely exists, but it's the exception rather than the rule. Then there's availability. If bourbon is ever to be anywhere near as successful as scotch in the global market it needs to get its poo poo together wrt. volume and availability. This whole bottle chasing rigamarole and secondary market price gouging that you have to endure to get the good stuff keeps it out of reach of the vast majority of people, and the non-americans who are actually interested (like me) are dissuaded by this. I've been wanting to get a bottle of Old Forester 1920 for a while now, which I don't think is even a rare release, but there is no distribution in Europe so what am I supposed to do there? Pay someone three times the amount it's actually worth just to get it here? Nah, instead I'll just buy a Scotch (or Irish). Now, America has an opportunity here to change this with the rise in popularity of domestic malt whiskey and also light whiskey. Bourbon regulations are just too restrictive, as I said it ensures a consistent quality product but hinders innovation. Light whiskey for example is allowed to be distilled to a higher proof, allowing distillers to have more control over the cuts they make that define the profile of their new make. They can also use other barrels than new charred oak, giving more flexibility in aging. Using other grains than corn gives lots more opportunities there. Heck, even using other types of corn like blue corn like Balcones does can yield great results. Lots of smaller "craft" distilleries are innovating with these things and they are making some excellent stuff (Stranahan's, Westland, Balcones, New Riff, etc). I'm sure that in a decade or two the American whiskey industry will have caught up more to scotch but this will be because of new distilleries innovating, and not because of the scotch snobs finally realizing bourbon is better. Because it's not. 
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Mar 6, 2021 08:42
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so the death of a family friend resulted in me acquiring this pretty cool to have a bottle of whiskey almost twice my age, but i'm afraid to open it I also got a couple bottles of this calvert extra which apparently is from sometime in 1945-77 according to the format of the bottle stamp. i cracked this one open and had a little taste, it's very butterscotch-y  are these at all notable or interesting? i know nothing of super old whiskey.
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Mar 6, 2021 22:04
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Not really tbh. Seagram's is bottom barrel stuff today. I think it was a bit more upmarket in the 60's but it's still not very noteworthy. I've never heard of the other brand. What I would do is to get a contemporary Seagram's to compare it with and to do a little tasting. That would be fun! (Well, it's my idea of fun anyway.)
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Mar 6, 2021 22:07
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A bottle label with a picture of drinks in glasses is sure saying something. I’m not sure what E: “Serving suggestion”
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Mar 6, 2021 22:09
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The whiskey doesn't really continue to age like wine does. So when people have these old bottles, it's really just 3 year old (or whatever age) whiskey that's been sitting in a bottle for years. Wine and champagne on the other hand will continue to age, given they are stored properly.
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Mar 7, 2021 02:42
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Lowness 72 posted:The whiskey doesn't really continue to age like wine does. So when people have these old bottles, it's really just 3 year old (or whatever age) whiskey that's been sitting in a bottle for years. Still, it is an interesting time capsule. Processes were different and less automated, master distillers were different, climate was different during the aging, and at least with american whiskey, older bottles were usually aged longer than the modern version of the same expression. "Dusty" hunting is a real thing and trade value reflects the age of the bottle even though it hasn't aged within the bottle
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Mar 7, 2021 03:08
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My dad gave me an old bottle of cutty sark that I keep meaning to open and see how it tastes. I dunno how old it is or why he bought it, but it comes in a whole box and everything. It's in a leaded crystal decanter now that I think about it, not sure on the safety of that.
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Mar 7, 2021 03:23
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Carillon posted:My dad gave me an old bottle of cutty sark that I keep meaning to open and see how it tastes. I dunno how old it is or why he bought it, but it comes in a whole box and everything. It's in a leaded crystal decanter now that I think about it, not sure on the safety of that. Spirits are above EPA limits in less than a week in lead crystal. That old... Yikes.
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Mar 7, 2021 03:27
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