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Josh Lyman posted:Part of me wonders if this comes from Americans thinking bourbon = whiskey. I had a work colleague who said "Of all the brown liquors I prefer bourbon" except it seemed they were actually talking about whiskey and just using "bourbon" as a synonym. Yeah, this is all true. I'm in the US and almost everyone I know drinks bourbon or Jameson. Not that I'm poo-pooing either of those, but me and a friend do have a joke when we try a new bourbon that it "tastes like bourbon". I wish there were more uncategorized American whiskies. Michter's American isn't the most clever thing in the world (bourbon, except aged in ex-bourbon casks instead of new oak), but it's interesting and awesome. I just don't think the US distilleries do single malts as good as Scotland (and definitely not for the price), and aside from that tend to not use anything other than new charred oak. I think there's so much potential in making some random and interesting stuff that isn't limited by trying to fit into a category.
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Jan 4, 2021 01:40
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DoctaFun posted:Well it was a good weekend for whisky purchases. I know absolutely nothing about BTAC aside from what I've read on reddit, but just curious as to why William Larue Weller wasn't picked by anyone. Because the internet seems to think it's the greatest thing ever.
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Jan 4, 2021 03:29
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Just walked into my tiny little liquor store and saw a bunch of Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye. I don't really like rye, but... whiskey of the year (new batch)! Don't think 132 proof is going to be a very warm introduction to rye though.
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Jan 6, 2021 03:02
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Gejimayu posted:I thought i didn't like rye until I had some good rye. My favorite inexpensive rye is high west double rye. Maybe give that a try. First time I got what people meant when they said "baking spices" (my palate sucks). Even though it's Tuesday I couldn't resist. This is awesome. It doesn't taste like pure grass like I got from Bulleit and even Whistlepig. The texture is like a really good scotch. I'm honestly stunned how good it is. I went in to the store intending to give rye another chance and was looking for either Michter's, Pikesville, or Rendezvous Rye. Just saw this on the shelf and couldn't resist because of the hype, but really glad I took the chance on it. I'll definitely get more rye in the future.
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Jan 6, 2021 03:31
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GD_American posted:Who on earth would pay those kind of prices for Jack Daniels anything? There were a ton of them at my local Spec's today. Saw the post and considered it, but decided against it. Maybe if there hadn't been a 1792 Full Proof store pick I wasn't expecting.
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Jan 8, 2021 00:21
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Scythe posted:Any recommended/favorite blended scotches (at any price point, just good values)? I've been making more cocktails and drinking highballs and whiskey on the rocks more lately. I like Johnnie Walker Green. Technically a blended malt, but it's really solid. DoctaFun posted:So I’m trading those jack Daniels bottles straight up for stagg jr, which I’m pretty happy about. I’m a bit hesitant because the JD rye is getting fabulous reviews, but I normally prefer bourbon over rye about 99% of the time. You may not have to limit to 2019 GD. There was very limited production in 1992 [edit: 2002 is what I meant], and I've heard whispers they haven't used any new product in the 2020 bottling either. You're probably safe with an April or earlier 2020 bottling. Nimmy fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Jan 9, 2021 |
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Jan 8, 2021 21:59
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^^^^^^^^^^ I don't usually stick my nose right into the glass and I don't swirl. That'll give you more ethanol too.
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Jan 20, 2021 05:41
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I've never really bought whiskey speculatively before, but saw a bottle of 2019 Glendronach 18 at the store the other day and decided to grab it and hang onto it for awhile. There's a chart floating around that shows it's 24 years old, and hopefully in a few years it becomes something I can swap for a bottle I would otherwise never be able to get.
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Feb 9, 2021 02:27
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spankmeister posted:Yeah you could absolutely do that. You could also just drink it because it is very, very good. It's a 2019. And I have another bottle of it. There's no way I could resist if I didn't.
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Feb 10, 2021 00:32
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Casu Marzu posted:
Oh wow, I've never seen the 120 proof! That's awesome. I recently found a gas station that consistently stocks the 12 year, which is probably my favorite bourbon. Knob is really good stuff and at a fair price.
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Feb 10, 2021 01:37
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Went to a bar (Texas) last weekend and they had a lot of the BTAC. Unfortunately I was driving, so I only had one, but boy oh boy was the Thomas Handy a good one. So excited I went to grab some Baby Saz this week, and it's definitely closer than I expected. Good job Buffalo Trace; I'm not generally a huge fan of you.
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Mar 26, 2021 00:41
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Casu Marzu posted:I read that a "a handy" and was really confused for a second. All the BTAC bottles are great and I wish it was possible to find a bottle ever. I always wonder what kind of job these fb group dudes have to be able to hop down to a liquor store at like 11am on a weekday whenever. If it was as easy as showing up at a liquor store at 11am on a weekday I could swing it. I don't think those days exist anymore, it's all lotteries. And if it's not, let me know where in Austin I can show up at 11 and get a bottle at MSRP.
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Mar 26, 2021 21:13
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Casu Marzu posted:Goddamn I still don't understand how Knob Creek single barrels stay so cheap. Just grabbed a store pick at 15 years and it was $40. I don't feel so annoyed about allocated bottles anymore. They are the absolute best. I just stumbled on some of the 9 year single barrel reserve 120 proof at a gas station. I'm not a huge bourbon guy, but Knob is definitely my go-to for having something good and available on hand.
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Mar 30, 2021 21:56
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Gravitee posted:All about that wax life Let us know how the FAE-01 is. I went to the liquor store Friday and ended up with some Stranahan's Sherry Cask, but when I was checking out the owner offered me that bottle. I am not a huge fans of wheaters or Maker's and said no, but it was hard. I was tempted to buy just to have it, but I thought that would just take a bottle away from someone who would like it. spankmeister posted:Just cracked a bottle of Gordon& MacPhail Linkwood 15yo and holy poo poo is it good. Linkwood is fast becoming my current favorite. Have a couple of Flora and Fauna releases squirreled away. Those are good but not spectacular. This one is. Gonna be on the lookout for more independent bottlings of Linkwood. There's a whole bunch of them from what I've seen so lots to explore. That's interesting! I've never seen actual Linkwood around, but I love Johnnie Green, and I imagine 15 year Linkwood is the base of that.
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Apr 5, 2021 00:53
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Deceptive Thinker posted:This is true of most dusty whisky - isn't limited to just macallan Can't wait to retire off this 2019 Glendronach 18
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May 9, 2021 15:41
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Look Sir Droids posted:I’m a bourbon drinker and the only scotch I’ve ever had is lovely Dewars and JW Red. Are the Oban and Balvenie mentioned above good starter scotches? I don’t think I’ll like super peaty or smoky scotch. I'd recommend Bunnahabhain 12. Genuinely really good, and extremely available. I'm actually surprised people don't talk about it more. It's Islay, but not peated, so don't get scared off by Islay.
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May 30, 2021 03:20
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I've been casually looking for a bottle of Naked Grouse for a couple months (not making a special trip, but just looking when I'm in stores), and finally saw one today. I have to say it is really good. I think it's right on par with Johnnie Green as my favorite blended scotch malt. Real solid stuff, better than most of the whiskies I own.
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Jun 1, 2021 03:54
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Lowness 72 posted:How is Basil Haydens? I recall it getting flak but I see it everywhere and have never tried it. Worth the $$? There's better bourbon for more, less, and the same price. And that's just other Beam products.
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Jun 6, 2021 05:04
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Vox Nihili posted:I credit that godawful wax with keeping the price of those amazing 13-15 year-old single barrel Knob picks at $50. It's like the antithesis of luxury product branding. Yeah. I hate the wax, but I'm all for whatever they have to do to keep people from making it hard to find.
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Jun 8, 2021 03:13
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Went out and picked up a couple 15 year whiskies today: Red Spot and Glendronach 15. Red Spot kicks Yellow's rear end. I'm not sure if it's better than the Green (and it decidedly isn't better than the Green Spot Leoville Barton, which is one of my favorite ever whiskies), but it is really solid. For the price... not sure if I'd buy again, but I would definitely order at a bar if it was reasonable. But the Glendronach 15 Revival is amazing. I have an open bottle of GD 18 (or... 23/24 whatever), and I'm not getting twice the price out of the 18; not even close! The 15 for under $90 might be one of the best scotches I've had at a very reasonable price for how good it is. It's not as good as a 2019 Glendronach 18, but it's close. And it beats the absolute breaks off Macallan 12 Sherry which is a relatively similar price.
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Jun 10, 2021 23:59
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Professor Shark posted:Is there any common Scotch blend that isn’t smoky that is good? My local guy says Famous Grouse is way better than most people expect.., Famous is (or maybe was) the best selling whiskey in Scotland. Never had it, but I have a bottle the Naked Grouse on the shelf right now which is awesome. Apparently it's mostly Highland Park and Macallan.
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Jun 12, 2021 18:38
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Memnaelar posted:Are there any online whiskey retailers that have good prices and customer service that folks would recommend? Living in the Pacific Northwest, it feels like finding certain bottles is near-impossible (good luck ever finding a Blanton's in the wild) and there's also a new Angel's Envy that released/releasing (the Madeira cask) that I want to try but have little hope of finding up here. Would love a suggestion or two from folks who've actually done similar sorts of shopping so that I don't have to keep moping around my local Total Wine. Wish I had a better answer, but not really. My experience with online is that either they charge full secondary market prices for anything that is even remotely hard to find, or they offer a fair price because it's an actual physical store, but shipping costs are massive.
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Jun 15, 2021 00:07
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Look Sir Droids posted:Has anyone had the George Dickel 15 year single barrel? I saw it for $65. Worth it? If you like the signature Dickel-ness of their whiskey.
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Jun 17, 2021 22:01
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Professor Shark posted:The places around here have the 12 still, so I think I’ll buy a bottle then do and comparison when the 14 becomes available. That's exactly what I did about a month ago. It's pretty solid. I doubt I'd buy a full bottle, but I can definitely see myself ordering it in a bar that has a slim scotch selection and being happy.
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Jun 19, 2021 22:30
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Look Sir Droids posted:I finally got around to cracking open a bottle of Glendronach 12, and dios mio. That is some good poo poo. Delicious and smooth. I may like it more than any bourbon. If I can find a bottle of 15, I’m getting it. The 15 is drat near perfect IMO. The 18 is amazing, but getting a bit dusty and musty (although this is 20+ "18"), which isn't always my thing. The 15 is just perfect for every occasion. Was in a total wine and picked up a Knob Creek Rye store pick at 115 proof and it is really really good. One of the better ryes I've had. No frills, no fancy finish, just some hot spicy rye. sean10mm posted:Early Times (edit: the Bottled in Bond) is supposed to be good for how cheap it is, but the brand changed ownership recently so people seem unsure if/when what's in the bottle will change. Depending on where you are, you can find the old stuff for the next 10 years. My local stores have just cases of it lying around on the bottom shelf next to Ancient Age and regular Early Times. It is very good. Nimmy fucked around with this message at 22:13 on Sep 26, 2021 |
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Sep 26, 2021 22:09
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Scythe posted:Re: whiskey chat: My local found a case of dusty Johnnie Green Label and put it out for relatively cheap; it's such a nice whisky. Would be a great "intro to scotch" since it's such a good all-rounder. Their best normal expression by far.
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Sep 28, 2021 20:52
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Horn posted:I've never paid attention to the release of a new whiskey so this very well may be a stupid question but since High West's Midwinter is supposed to be released today does that mean it's going to start showing up on shelves now? Or is that when it'll start being sent out from the distillery? I got a bottle as a gift a few years ago and am kicking myself for not picking up a bottle or two when I saw it sitting on shelves last year. I've never had it. I saw it at a few places last year, but "didn't like rye". Year later and that's mostly what I buy. Feel like a sucker. There's one store with a bottle for $400. I do not want it that bad.
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Oct 4, 2021 21:46
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Lawlicaust posted:I’m in the same boat with rye these days. I have bottles of bourbon on my shelf that haven’t been touched in months but I killed a whole bottle of Willett 4 in just Sept/Oct. The Willett Blackened is pretty drat expensive, but I've seen it around. It's a 6 year Willett rye with a Madeira finish.
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Oct 4, 2021 23:15
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Anonymous Robot posted:I got a bottle of High West’s Double Rye, as I’ve gotten so into high proof bourbons that I thought I should probably save myself some cash and start exploring rye more. But it turns out all the praise I’ve heard about Double Rye comes from before High West got bought out and switched their 16 year blend for an in-house 4 year. I think it tastes like toothpaste.
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Oct 7, 2021 22:09
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Lawlicaust posted:$1000-1500 on a $130-150 bottle. Pretty dumb. I've had it a few times back to back now with a bottle of Willett 4 year Rye, and I prefer the Willett 4. Metallica music seems to really turn down what I like about the Willett, and I don't really like the Madeira influence, even though it is really subtle. So I agree with you, it's a good bottle of whiskey, but that $140 price is just way too high.
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Oct 23, 2021 16:48
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Josh Lyman posted:I’m told the Kirkland 23 does well on secondary but I’m not sure there’s much of a market here in DC. The 18 is awesome still, but a lot of the reason for its hype and price is that until 2019 or so it was actually a 23 or 24 year scotch. Personally I think the 15 is better.
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Oct 29, 2021 02:23
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Wild Turkey 101 Rye is pretty good, I just picked up a bottle along with a store pick Russell's. I'm dangerously close to becoming a full on Wild Turkey fanboy.
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Oct 30, 2021 14:50
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sean10mm posted:Wild Turkey is one of those things where either the particular "funk" in their whiskeys agrees with you, in which case you just just keep buying different Wild Turkey products forever, or it just tastes like charred moldy raisins or something and will never agree with you. Interesting. I do tend to prefer Wild Turkey and Heaven Hill products and don't generally care for Buffalo Trace and (obviously) Dickel.
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Oct 30, 2021 17:31
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Vox Nihili posted:IMO their sherry cask is the way to go but it's now priced so stupidly high that I don't ever actually buy any. I actually really like the Triple Cask/Fine Oak 12 also, but definitely there's a reason the Sherry is so much more expensive than the other 12 year options.
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Dec 4, 2021 16:13
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Deceptive Thinker posted:Quick public service announcement Great tip!
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Dec 16, 2021 21:16
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Doom Rooster posted:Hey whisky goons, I need a whisky recommendation. Looking for a bottle as a Christmas present for my dad. Preferred under $100, and reasonably likely to find at a big liquor store in either Denver or Austin. In Austin, go down to Oak Liquor Cabinet on Research. It's an absolutely awesome whiskey store. Talk to the owner, or any of the employers, they should absolutely be able to point you in the right direction. I went in there this morning to try to grab a bottle of their Eagle Rare store pick, which they actually sold out in about 2 hours last night. There were about 10 people there when they opened and the owner pulled Weller 12s and Antiques out of the back just so no one went home unhappy. But if you want a step up from Chivas, I'd say Johnnie Walker Green.
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Dec 16, 2021 21:20
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wraith_5_ posted:Found a local restaurant that has fantastic bourbon selection. Got to try some Pappy Lot B and william larue weller cask strength. Felt good to tick those boxes off the list. The pappy was fantastic and the Weller was good, but started hot and only felt hotter as I went. Normally I don't mind cask strength but boy, this one didn't calm down. Even after a bit of water and letting it sit for 20 mins while I ate. That was my opinion of the WLW also.
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Dec 20, 2021 23:07
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Has anyone had the Green Spot Chateau Leoville Barton? I honestly think it's the best whiskey I've ever had. It's not overly complex, but it is complex. It's just so good and such an experience, for the money I'm not sure I'll ever find something as great. For about twice the money: my Spec's has tons of these 2008 Bunnahabhain Manzanilla Cask bottles, so I bought one and it is absolutely incredible. The Manzanilla is SO strong, it's almost like drinking straight Manzanilla with how the flavor and nose pops. Just fantastic.
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Dec 21, 2021 01:25
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Deceptive Thinker posted:Quick public service announcement I went to grab one of these recently because one of my locals had a "buy our Barrell store pick, get a bottle of our Eagle Rare store pick" deal after I saw you post this. This is amazing stuff. It is much closer to the green top rye than I expected; I don't know what Willett is doing with these barrels, but it is unique and awesome. Comes in at ~120 proof and 8 years old, just phenomenal; one of the best bourbons I've ever had. Tastes more like a rye than a bourbon to me. Nimmy fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Dec 26, 2021 |
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Dec 26, 2021 23:23
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I went to my local big Texas liquor store chain and saw like 4 Bardstown Discovery Series 6 stacked back. I fought the urge to buy them out, but this is the first time I've seen them just sitting there in the wild at MSRP. This store also gives a cash/debit discount, so actually below MSRP. Should I go back and grab one to send to a friend? I feel like I probably should.
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Dec 31, 2021 02:43
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