Whiskey or Whisky? Let's talk about them.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > Whiskey or Whisky? Let's talk about them.

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Looking for some recommendations for things to take a look at next.

For the longest time I could not stomach the taste of whiskey due to some incidents in my youth.

A year or two back a friend gave us a bottle of Tullamore Dew and I actually enjoyed it on the rocks. Since then I've found that I like Evan Williams, Bulleit (not the Rye variety), Macallan 12 and my most favorite so far has been Red Breast 12.

I've tried Laphroaig and a few other Islays and definitely am not a huge fan of the smoke.

Any thoughts on some others to try given what I am already drinking?

# ¿ Sep 19, 2014 12:26

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 17:44

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Shugojin posted:

I'd definitely try something out of the Balvenie line. Also try out the Tullamore 10 or 12 year, they're both pretty good as well.

Was at a party last night and got into some Balvenie doublewood 17. It was excellent.

Also I've seen Green Spot around will look for that and the Tullamore 10/12 next time we stock up

# ¿ Sep 21, 2014 21:23

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Hekk posted:

I received a bottle of The Macallan Cask Strength as a gift from my boss earlier this year and found I really liked it. I typically enjoy Irish and Canadian whiskeys while dabbling in some bourbon and Tennessee whiskey on occasion. I find that the semi sweet almost cinnamon flavor of The Macallan Cask Strength is something I enjoy. I know the drink isn't considered super complex and I certainly don't have a refined palate but I'd considered it one of the better whiskys I've sampled.

With that in mind, are there other styles or brands of scotch that don't have a strong peat or smoke flavor? I am willing to explore more of the The Macallan line but am also interested in trying other brands as well. I vaguely remember trying both Glenlivet and Glenfiddich's entry level stuff and wasn't impressed with either. It's possible I am misremembering and would be willing to try again based off of goon recommendations. Price wise, I'd like to stay at or below around 100 dollars. Anything more expensive than that is a waste of money because I can't tell the difference between it and the 100 dollar bottle.

I'd definitely suggest Red Breast 12 as someone who also doesn't like peat or smoke.

Balvenie double wood is also decent if you want scotch instead of irish whiskey.

\/\/\/ Edit: Also a good idea.

That Works fucked around with this message at 11:45 on Sep 27, 2014

# ¿ Sep 27, 2014 04:04

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

prinneh posted:

So thank you, internet stranger, for helping me remember what I'd forgotten after a night of heavy drinking!

Most people wouldn't be thankful for the above so that's pretty cool.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2014 16:48

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

I found Green Spot for $60/ bottle it was the 'Green Spot single pot still' variety. I seem to remember seeing a different bottle of Green Spot without the 'single blah blah' for cheaper but can't recall or not.

Do they make a regular and a 'premium variety' ? If so is the single pot still worth the cost? For $60 I can already get Red Breast 12 at or below that price and love it. Don't want to shell out that much for something that isn't just as good.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2014 19:57

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

spankmeister posted:

No there's only the one kind but not too long ago they updated their bottle and labelling, and it now looks a lot more upmarket than the old version.

i actually prefer the old version, it was a bit cheaper and more obscure. The quality has dropped somewhat since it gained so much popularity.

Ok yeah, I had seen the old version just a month or two ago at my local liquor store and now this new one for I think about $20 more a bottle.

Shame, wanted to try it but unless it's as good or better than the Red Breast I don't think I'll be dropping the extra for it.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2014 20:17

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

spoon0042 posted:

I remember liking the single malts from Connemara and Tullamore though I really should try them again. (Tullamore's is pretty cheap, which is nice. ) Basically I don't get the whole "triple distilled" thing which I have trouble seeing as anything but killing interesting flavor. Tullamore's standard offering isn't bad when I'm feeling cheap, too.

Interesting, I like the cheap tullamore, might hve to pick up the single malt. Thanks.

# ¿ Oct 1, 2014 15:42

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

biglads posted:

Balvenie Doublewood is a good one as well as the other recommendations

Seconding this.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2014 18:10

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

radthibodaux posted:

Well they have a rye and a non-rye. I got the non-rye one.

The non-rye 'standard bourbon' variety of it still has a pretty high rye content iirc.

# ¿ Nov 4, 2014 18:41

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Tolan posted:

This is actually really, really common in the industry. A lot of the smaller producers don't do their own distilling--they take the white dog from someone like MGP and then do the aging/bottling. Ryes are especially prone to this, probably because they don't have the requirements that bourbons do. Check your bottle--it may say something like "distilled in Indiana, bottled in __"--that means it probably was distilled by these guys and then trucked to the "distiller." Bit more information here.

This was brought up before and IIRC the Bulleit Rye is from the big Indiana distillery whereas the 'regular' Bulleit is not.

Either way I quite like their standard offering and it's my current go to for bourbon on the rocks or for cocktails.

# ¿ Nov 5, 2014 22:16

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

The Slippery Nipple posted:

God reading these American prices kills me. You guys have got it so cheap.

Picked up a bottle of Bowmore Legend this week because it was the cheapest (still $AU60) Islay at the bottle shop, cant say I'm too impressed. My pallet isn't quite developed enough to say what exactly I don't like. It just tasted unrefined, which I guess is to be expected from a spirit that's pretty young compared the classic Islay whiskies I usually like. Would've loved to get a Laphroaig or even a Talisker but I'm a broke student and dropping $80 on a bottle of whisky means I don't eat for a week.

Luckily I work a bar with a massive selection of whiskies and a 50% staff discount so life isn't too bad.

Are the Japanese whiskies any cheaper over there?

# ¿ Nov 6, 2014 14:56

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

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.

# ¿ Nov 17, 2014 16:47

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

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.

Leopold, you need to head over your northern border. Our stores are nuts.

Yep. Everytime Im in NH I spend tons on booze.

# ¿ Nov 18, 2014 04:39

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

PRADA SLUT posted:

Opinions on Bullit for use in Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs? Anything better in the ~$40 range that's commonly available (Portland OR, a reasonably sized city)?

I use Bulleit for my Old Fashioned all the time. If Evan Williams is cheaper for you that works well too.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2014 19:16

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Just picked up a 1.75L of Tullamore Dew for ~$32. God Bless New Hampshire.

# ¿ Dec 24, 2014 20:42

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Wadjamaloo posted:

Same, but they had the 1.5L of Bulliet for $30.

Oh? Going to have to go stock up then.

# ¿ Dec 25, 2014 14:19

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Wadjamaloo posted:

Same, but they had the 1.5L of Bulliet for $30.

My Costco near Boston only had the 750 ml for $27. Balvenie double wood 12 was only $40 though so I scored more of that.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2014 19:58

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Trisk posted:

So hopefully this sort of post isn't frowned upon but I'd like to get more into whiskey. I read the OP and the last few pages.

I've had run of the mill stuff, Jack Daniels, etc. I've had Glenlivet and remember liking it. I was at Costco and took a look at all the whiskeys they had for sale and randomly bought Laphroaig 10. God drat. I thought I could take strong drinks, I often have all sorts of strong "high proof" beers. This made me honestly gag on just a small sip. Wayyy too smoky/peaty for me. Of course, I'm kinda sad cause no way I'm going to even work into this bottle let alone finish it. It was only 33 bucks or something, but still.

That being said, I'm assuming I would be better served with something from the OP like Johnnie Walker or Glenlivet? Any other good suggestions for something I could get from Costco that's much easier drinking for a pansy like me who apparently cant handle peaty whiskeys?

I drink a lot of stuff now but still can't handle peaty whiskys and Laphroiag is one of the smokiest.

# ¿ Jan 6, 2015 04:27

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Devil Wears Wings posted:

In that vein, I walked in to my local BevMo looking to grab a bottle of Hibiki 12 today, only to find that they were fresh out. The clerk said that he didn't know when they would be getting more in.

Instead, I walked out with a bottle of Redbreast 12 Cask Strength as a little birthday gift to myself. I think that the Whiskey Gods were trying to tell me something, because holy poo poo a 12-year, cask-strength, sherried Irish pot still whiskey for under $70 (including tax, but after coupon) may be the best value in anything ever.

How do you like the RB12 cask vs the regular? Ive had the RB15 /17? also and it doesn't justify the price increase.

# ¿ Jan 24, 2015 13:42

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Kenning posted:

I dunno, I'd heard that forever but then my friend bought me the CS and the 15 for my birthday. The 15 was really, really nice. I liked the CS, don't get me wrong � fantastic whiskey. But I think the 15 is underrated actually. I would strongly consider buying another bottle for myself if I were in the "spend $80 on a bottle" mood.

I tried the 12 and the 15 side by side with a friend and I could tell the difference, but it was not so great that I'd spend 20-30$ more for it. My pallete may not be as sensitive as yours though. Only really been getting into whisky for about 2 years now.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2015 14:19

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

I keep seeing the same article circulated around for the last year or so about Bourbon prices about to skyrocket because the demand is increasing past the current supply due to a recent increase in popularity.

Found it:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/fear-of-a-bourbon-shortage-puts-enthusiasts-over-a-barrel-1418004595

# ¿ Mar 16, 2015 17:08

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

ShootaBoy posted:

So I picked up a bottle of Tullamore Dew on a whim today. I've never tried whiskey before so is there anything I should know before I crack it open?

Caddrel posted:

Speaking of Tullamore Dew, what other Irish whiskys are decent around that price point? I love Redbreast and Green Spot but it would be nice to have something cheaper than those since I can't always afford them.

I like Tullamore a lot for the price. It's decent enough for on the rocks but really is best in a mixer as it will definitely be a bit more harsh than some finer and slightly pricier products. I always keep a 1.5L of it stocked at the house (along with the same of Bulleit) just for mass consumption or a cocktail.

Jameson's is a similar price point but there is something about its taste that I cannot describe and just do not really like at all. I wish I knew what it was. As others have said, Bushmills or Powers are the only other things near that price that come to mind that are both also pretty good. To me the Red Breast would be the next obvious step up but will be 50-75% more per bottle in cost typically.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2015 14:24

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Is there a thread around for distillation on your own or is that forbidden here? Its legally an issue in the USA but not in many other countries so I was curious.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2015 15:30

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Devil Wears Wings posted:

I don't think it's forbidden here, but I'm not aware of a thread for home distillation. I'm sure the forum would welcome an informed OP if you wanted to make one.

Ah, thus is the rub. I am not informed!

# ¿ Mar 23, 2015 16:19

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Haggins posted:

Any recommendations on a decent scotch under $50? Wouldn't mind picking up something new without breaking the bank.

If you're not a peat fan the Balvenie 12 Doublewood is usually at or under $50 and is great stuff.

If you like the peat though then see the other recommendations.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2015 14:43

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Above Our Own posted:

What's like a more drinkable Jameson?

At the same pricepoint, Tullamore Dew is a little sweeter. For some reason I can't stand the taste of Jameson but love Dew

# ¿ Mar 24, 2015 16:22

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Snobbery itt

# ¿ Mar 29, 2015 15:28

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Devoz posted:

For those with larger whiskey/whisky collections, how do you pick what bottle to get next? As my collection grows, deciding what areas to expand on grows more difficult.

I have 2 bartenders I like and trust and tell them what I have at home and like and they usually line me up a few things to try. From that I'll usually decide what to look for next.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2015 01:11

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Halloween Jack posted:

Their only product that I know of is "LBL Moonshine" and their homepage has a guy wearing what I can only describe as Hot Topic Cowboy.

That's Richard Petty

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Petty

Oh wait maybe not... hah I don't know what's up with that dude then.

spankmeister posted:

Well if they opened in 2011 then 2014 would be at the earliest they could start selling bourbon. This because the minimum age for it to be legally allowed to be sold as bourbon whiskey is 3 years. Maybe give it a funny name like barely legal bourbon. But it wouldn't be very good at all so if they want to keep their name as a quality craft distiller they probably wouldn't have brought out a bourbon so soon.

They were only selling moonshine and some derivatives of it (Apple Pie etc) for now. I imagine they probably had a lot of that aging for bourbon when it blew up so that is pretty sad.

That Works fucked around with this message at 13:44 on Apr 26, 2015

# ¿ Apr 26, 2015 13:41

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

rekamso posted:

Recommend me a whiskey/whiskeys to try?

Stuff I like:
Knob Creek (I love the peppery finish)
Highland Park 18 (love the subtle smoke on the finish)

Stuff that's OK:
Maker's 46
Highland Park 12 (I used to really enjoy this until I spoiled myself with the 18)

Stuff I dislike:
Bulleit (very "blah" overall)
Angel's Envy (also "blah" and seems to have less flavored swirling around than Bulleit)

I've never tried a Rye, but keep eyeing the Knob Creek Rye. I've had a sip of a scotch that seemed very "salty" which was enjoyable (unlike highland park), but not sure what it was.

Try Baby Hudson or Koval Boirbon

# ¿ Jun 7, 2015 02:51

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Scotch can be very preferential though. I've had >$100 a bottle heavy peated varieties that I wouldn't drink again. Make sure your friend likes that before going that route?

# ¿ Jun 25, 2015 22:56

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

grandpas drunk posted:

You ever mix wis key with tequil a I like to sometimes and get the party staaaaarted!!

Grandpas drunk guys

# ¿ Jul 10, 2015 04:00

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

KhyrosFinalCut posted:

Wait you can get Odin now?

In other news, I'm putting together a bourbon/rye tasting for my company (140 people).

I'd like to do 4 items that showcase some amount of variety of mashbill and taste, Ideally I'd like to pair 2 that are very similar mashbill but differences in dilution/vatting/aging (e.g. Dickel Rye and Black maple hill are both LDI Rye I think -- handy chart here.)

Most people there are big fans of Makers Mark and Bulleit so I'd like to do some things a little more interesting than that, and I think I want to show off Corsair Triple smoke as the "oddball" of the group.

Recommendations (also, places where I could order whatever you're recommending online or find it in NYC)?

Assume that we're willing to pay 80-120/bottle for at least one of the bottles.

Koval Bourbon uses millet seed in their grain bill, fair amount too iirc. Might be a nice one to add for one of your different varieties.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2015 20:54

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Sludge_McBain posted:

I've just returned from a week in the Scottish highlands.

I only managed to fit in 1 distillery tour which was the Dalwhinnie, because it wasn't too far from where we were staying. I've drank it before, about 16 years ago but it isn't a favourite of mine.

I did manage to fit in a bottle of Tomatin and a bottle of Big Peat.

The Big Peat is a blend of Islay malts, supposedly to give a concentrated smoky, peaty flavour. It smells better than it tastes. It doesn't quite measure up to the peatiness of a Lagavulin or even a Talisker but was nice for a blended.

For a cheap bottle I find the Tomatin to be pretty nice, especially because I do not enjoy a lot of peat.

Had a friend over this weekend who ordered us a round of Gentleman Jack at the bar and I've got to say I quite enjoyed it. It has an interesting profile and some flavors in there that I can't quite pin down, almost a slight mint vibe going that was pretty pleasant.

We had an anniversary party this weekend and were left with Redbreast 12, Auchentoshan, Angels Envy and a Balvenie 18 as gifts. I am in good booze for a while :dance:

# ¿ Jul 27, 2015 13:59

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

It was always pretty funny to me when people give someone a look or make a snide comment when someone wanted whisky with water or on the rocks and tried to act like drinking it neat was the only possible way a man would ever consume it.

gently caress you dude.

When I'm trying something new at home or a bar I order it neat with a glass of water and a straw and just tip in a bit of water from the straw and sip at a few different dilutions. Gives a nice spectrum of all the flavors in it. Then if I like it after that I'll just get it on the rocks.

# ¿ Jul 29, 2015 13:30

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

spankmeister posted:

It's good but I don't think it's worth the price hike and actually prefer the Green over the Yellow.

I actually had some this weekend and I agree with this. It's very nice but if you're a fan of the Green spot already I don't know that it's worth the price. I liked it but if I was buying more expensive Irish Whisky I'd stick to Red Breast 12.

# ¿ Aug 4, 2015 12:25

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

The Redemption Rye is OK at the price but if you have a rye you enjoy already I doubt it's special enough to push anything over.

# ¿ Aug 9, 2015 13:47

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

rear end in a top hat casserole posted:

I was kind of thinking of getting a highly rated Japanese whiskey because even if it's not perfect, it's a novelty. Is that stupid?

For the spirit of a gift, no that would be something nice.

HOwever if it was possible to find out what they really liked and bought accordingly that would be even better, but if you can't get that then a nice novelty buy is good.

I can't stand much peat but we've had friends buy us some rather expensive speysides. I don't drink them but I enjoy whiskeys with friends and the ones that like peat really love when I bring that out for them so it's never a loss to get something like that.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2015 16:25

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

spankmeister posted:

yeah also never get blue label it's boring

I'm actually going to try some for the 1st time today

# ¿ Aug 12, 2015 16:52

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 17:44

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

spankmeister posted:

It's nice don't get me wrong, just too smooth, too engineered, kinda bland really.

JW Blue trip report.

Mostly as described above. I wouldn't say "too smooth" personally, the smoothness was very nice and one of the high points of it. The mouthfeel was excellent, one of the best I've had so far. Otherwise the flavor profile was good, not amazing. I don't care much for peat so the little that was in it was sufficient, glad there was not more but the fact that there's a fair amount in there would keep me from buying it for myself when I could get Balvenie 18 or some of the nice Bowmore releases for near price range.

I really enjoyed it, I see how it would make a nice gift but ultimately isn't worth the price in the end. I wouldn't ever call it bad though.

# ¿ Aug 13, 2015 11:48

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > Whiskey or Whisky? Let's talk about them.

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