Whiskey or Whisky? Let's talk about them.

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

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Killer robot posted:

Seen the stuff, I haven't tried it though. I'll have to look it up next time I'm looking to buy something premium.

I didn't realize you could have a 100% corn bourbon either, I thought it needed to have more than half but under 80%. Looks like I was mistaken though.

Finally got around to trying that Bulleit Rye too, and that is pretty great stuff at the price. Thanks to all who mentioned that one.

Ya, turns out that less than 80% thing hasn't been a law for about 40 years. Now regulations are mostly just "at least 51%" for distinctions as bourbon or rye.

# ¿ Nov 18, 2011 12:16

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 23:58

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Kenning posted:

This is something I've heard from a number of people/reviewers about these new boutique American whiskeys. The thing is, distilling and aging and blending is an old man's game � most of the master distillers etc. at the big houses are loving ancient, since it takes a lot of waiting around and a lot of experience to nail something as finicky as barrel aging. It's partly why boutique gins have been so much more successful than boutique whiskeys.

Still doesn't excuse the $100/fifth price tag though.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2011 07:49

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Kenning posted:

Yeah the Bonded has been drat hard to find. And the 23 year old bottle of Fancy Sipping Whiskey really doesn't make up for its lack.

The bonded was named best American whiskey in 2010, and since then, it's been almost impossible to find.

Bulleit Rye is fantastic and made with 95% rye, giving it an amazingly floral, peppery profile. Russell's Reserve Rye is also full flavored and rich and a must try.

# ¿ Dec 19, 2011 21:35

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Aglet56 posted:

I was at BevMo about to buy a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask, and the guy there upsold me to Balvenie 14-year-old Caribbean Rum Cask (it was $5 more). I absolutely loved Laphroaig 10, but the guy there said that if I liked the smokiness of Laphraoig, Balvenie was like that but with more vanilla. Should I run back and return it before I open the bottle, or should I give it a shot?

Give it a shot, yes, but don't expect any of the smoke character that Laphroaig has. No no no, not at all.

# ¿ Dec 30, 2011 02:10

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Killer robot posted:

Also when I was at the big liquor store picking it up I saw a few wheat whiskeys. Is that a new thing? What sort of character do those have relative to corn or rye?

I'd be interested to hear what wheat whiskeys there were. The only two "Straight Wheat Whiskeys" I can think of are Bernheim's and Dry Fly's. As opposed to being a wheated bourbon like Makers or Old Fitz which are still at least 51% corn with a good amount of wheat along with it, these wheat whiskeys contain a mash bill of at least 51% wheat. Like a wheated bourbon, the wheat brings a sweet flavor with a really mellow, smooth body. It's still aged in new oak so you get a lot of similar flavors, but of course subtle differences.

# ¿ Dec 30, 2011 06:10

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Echoing the 4R Single Barrel as well as 4R Small Batch. Blanton's, Bulleit, Eagle Rare Single Barrel, Old Weller, and without a doubt, the best bang for your buck ever produced, Elmer T. Lee.

# ¿ Jan 31, 2012 10:35

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

kitten smoothie posted:

A coworker told me it was distilled under contract at Heaven Hill, but there's plenty of people online saying it is, and plenty saying it isn't. The back of the bottle just says "CVI Brands."

I asked a guy at Heaven Hill about it when I was down there in November doing the whole Bourbon Trail thing. He told me "a bunch of people have asked me about this before you have. Supposedly the internet says we make it, but I've never heard of the stuff."

That doesn't mean a whole lot though because in addition to Evan Williams and all their overt stuff, Heaven Hill also makes all sorts of stuff under contract. They make some of the "Colonel Kwik-E-Mart" kind of bottom shelf swill for grocery stores and I bet he's not heard of that either.

Found a bottle of BMH at a liquor store in Bardstown for $35-$40ish if I remember right, and I thought it was fairly solid stuff for the price. Seen it back home in St Louis for about the same price.

Edit: Apparently here's the group that ages and bottles it for CVI, but KBD does not distill, so the distillate may have come from Heaven Hill. KBD and HH are down the street from one another.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Bourbon_Distillers

From what I understand, I think HH used to distill BMH, but no longer does. The problem with bourbon is that there are so few distilleries and so many labels. All that liquid comes mainly from four or five places with varying degrees of respect. BMH is another one of the very small batch collections and their standard eight year is a very solid bourbon that should be on any one's must try list of higher end stuff. Some of their early bottlings were chosen by Julian Van Winkle Jr. Their vintage releases are out of this world.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2012 21:55

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

bunnielab posted:

I was in Park City, UT a few weeks ago and picked up two local Ryes, both by High West.

The first bottle is:
High West Double Rye, 46%, $35

I agree with this guy for the most part, but "smooth" and "mellow" are not the words I would use. I find it very strong and spicy and enjoy it much more with a splash of water rather then neat.

The second bottle is:
Son of Bourye, 46%, $41

This stuff is pretty great, it still is a very spicy drink but is much more sippable then the Double Rye.

I would recommend these for a try in a bar, but maybe not springing for a bottle right away as they are both pretty aggressive and will not be for everyone.

Keep in mind these are "local" only as far as the name on the label. High West doesn't actually have an aged whiskey that they've distilled. They ship in their whiskey, blend it, and then bottle it under their name. A lot of the craft distilleries are having to do this in order to start right away. That's also why a lot of them are starting out with vodkas/gins as well as white dog.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2012 07:35

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Aglet56 posted:

Might want to update the OP with what, exactly, a "peaty" whiskey is, since it's not a very common term outside of whiskey tasting.

Also, I picked up some Bulleit Rye and Bulleit Bourbon recently and they're pretty great. Bulleit Rye is pretty drat tasty neat, but what's a good vermouth for a Manhattan?

Higher end vermouth: Carpano Antica
Middle: Vya or Dolin
Lower: Noilly Prat

# ¿ Feb 7, 2012 09:29

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Aglet56 posted:

I really like Bulleit Rye, but it felt somehow thinner than Bulleit Bourbon. It's the first rye I've ever bought, so I dunno if this is just common among ryes in general, but its mouthfeel was much less syrupy than bourbon, and it definitely had less sugar. Still very good, but somehow less substantial, which is why I really like it for mixing but perhaps not as much for drinking straight.

Bulleit Rye is much, much lighter than most other ryes. It's got a really great floral, fruity aspect to it closer to pink peppercorn that you don't find as strong in other ryes. Whereas other ryes such as Old Overholt, Rittenhouse, and Russel's Reserve are very rich and deep in color, Bulleit is very smooth and makes for a great warm weather sipper.

# ¿ Feb 18, 2012 21:00

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

spankmeister posted:

Have you tried any of the Beam bourbons that don't have Beam on the label, like Knob Creek? I prefer woodford over knob but it's not bad.

Ya, this, seriously. How can you say you don't like any Beam products. Basil Hayden's? Bakers? Bookers?

# ¿ Feb 21, 2012 10:18

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Flyboy925 posted:

I saw something interesting at the liquor store today. It was Wild Turkey 81 proof. It even had a different label than the normal 80 proof Wild Turkey. From their website, it looks like they don't make/advertise the 80 proof that I normally see. At least not anymore. I think I'm going to further explore the Wild Turkey Family. So far I've had 80, Rye, 101, Rare Breed, American Honey, and I believe, Russell's 10 and WT 8 year. This should be some fun working through their entire collection.

I think you're almost done. Russell's Rye and Kentucky Spirit are all that's left, I think.

# ¿ Mar 4, 2012 07:45

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

wizard sticks posted:

I've got a decent collection (I think) so far for a beginning into whiskeys:

Glenfiddich 12
Glenlivet 12
Bowmore Islay Surf Single Malt
Highland Park 12
Glenmorangie 18 'Extremely Rare'
10s of bottles of Jamieson, Forty Creek, Canadian Club, etc.

While I can understand some of the differences between all 5 types, I don't feel like my palette is good enough to distinguish what is going into eat whiskey (eg. caramel, fruits, nuts, etc). How can I teach my palette to be more precise? What is the precise way to 'taste' a whiskey anyways? I've just been sipping it and letting it sit on my tongue, but I find that some of the alcohol taste is overpowering the other tastes.

A good way to develop your palate, aside from drinking and reading reviews, is to sit down and actually taste the foods that people use to refer to whiskey/wine/beer/etc. Actually sit and savor an almond, a bit of honey, a piece of quality caramel, stone fruits like plums and cherries, red fruits like raspberries and cranberries, dried fruits like raisins or prunes. Take in the nuances of a good vanilla extract or bean, the richness of a small bit of melted butter (this, I admit, may be pushing it), the smell of freshly mowed grass.

As you're tasting or smelling these things, think back to the whiskey you've tried in the past and try to place the flavors. Notice that some have a stronger vanilla or caramel flavor than others. Some are way more buttery than others. One may have stone fruit or red fruit flavors separately, while another might have both, and that you can actually distinguish them. Here's a cool "flavor wheel" to jog your brain of the words you want to use to describe whiskey, but can't think of it off the top of your head.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2012 08:07

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

DrPain posted:

That is a cool wheel but I saw this

Acetone, the main ingredient in nail polish remover, has a faintly fruity odor to it. Go waft a bit towards your nose.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2012 19:46

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

NightConqueror posted:

I've just run out of bourbon and I'm looking to pick up another. My go-to bourbon so far has always been either Wild Turkey 101 or Buffalo Trace. I've been eyeing up Four Roses recently. Is anything other than their Single Barrel offering worthwhile? Any other recomendations within the $20-$40 range?

The Yellow Label is nothing special. It's a pretty run of the mill $20 bottle. The small batch is pretty great and the single barrel is even better. Keep an eye out for Elmer T. Lee, Noah's Mill, Rowan's Creek, and Old Weller 107. They're all pretty awesome. If you find Black Maple Hill and fancy the purchase, try that guy too.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2012 04:44

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Mayor Dave posted:

Can anyone recommend a good american rye? The only rye I've tried was ... not very good.

Bulleit and Russell's Reserve as well. Jefferson's and Whistlepig are both Canadian ryes. Wild Turkey is decent, but not great. Old Overholt and Jim Beam are meh. I believe they are all American though.

# ¿ May 4, 2012 05:13

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Seamonster posted:

Can we talk about brandies and such itt?

Is it whiskey?

I don't care personally, but there is a cocktail thread that might be more in to that discussion. Some people might not love it here.

# ¿ Jun 4, 2012 19:07

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Notice how it's only really being posted on gear/cool stuff websites? Ya, it's not really being marketed at whiskey drinkers. Eight years old, below 50%, AND they gyp you out of 50ml. That cool bottle is only 700ml.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 04:47

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Just a heads up because I'm sure the bourbon heads will be on the look out. Van Winkle is back in late October this year.

$39.99 � Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year Old 107 proof
$54.99 � Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12 Year Old
$69.99 � Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye Whiskey 13 Year Old
$79.99 � Pappy Van Winkle�s Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old
$129.99 � Pappy Van Winkle�s Family Reserve Bourbon 20 Year Old
$249.99 � Pappy Van Winkle�s Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year Old

# ¿ Oct 9, 2012 17:13

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Jahoodie posted:

Doesn't the Antique collection usually not hit stores until the holidays time frame?

Ya, they usually drop in October-ish, just announced around now.

# ¿ Oct 13, 2012 02:46

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

kidsafe posted:

Because BevMo is such a large mover of booze, their price adjustments can be glacial. I'm guessing their distributor temporarily raised prices around $10 briefly due to supply issues right when they made their last bulk order for Laphroaig.

It's still $38 at K&L, a specialty shop with locations in the SFBA and LA.

Looks like even K&L had to raise their price to $42. But, David at K&L got fed up with superficial price hikes, so he decided to do something about it.

Diageo raised the price of their Ron Zacapa rum, so he bought up all of the distributor's stock of Oban 18 (36 cases!) and is selling it for almost 25% off.

Glenrothes decided to raise the price of their 1988 release, so K&L lowered the price of the 1995 by 20%. I like it!

I actually love it. Check out this "hypothetical" situation played out on their blog.

Tigren fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Oct 19, 2012

# ¿ Oct 19, 2012 03:33

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Apparently Van Winkles and Buffalo Trace Antique Collection stuff is out in the wild now, so keep your eyes peeled.

# ¿ Nov 9, 2012 21:41

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Schpyder posted:

Good starter ryes:
Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond if you can find it
Bulleit Rye
Wild Turkey Rye (101 proof)

Slight steps up:
Sazerac Rye
Russell's Reserve Rye

Ryes to ruin all other ryes for you forever
Sazerac 18 year old
Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye

Good luck finding any of these.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2012 02:20

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Miguel Angel Face posted:

I have been given a bottle of Ardbeg Supernova 2009 as a Xmas gift (thanks Dad).

I worked through a bottle of the Supernova 2010 earlier this year and it was excellent. But I'm really not sure whether to drink the 2009 or sit on it for a few years and hope that it appreciates.

Drink it. Whiskey doesn't bottle age like wine.

# ¿ Dec 25, 2012 19:28

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Miguel Angel Face posted:

I realise that it won't improve with age. I was thinking it might appreciate in value if I leave the bottle sealed (since it was highly regarded and becoming somewhat hard to find these days).

Drink it. Free whiskey is the best whiskey.

# ¿ Dec 25, 2012 20:13

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

GreenBuckanneer posted:

Is there an American site? $32 just to ship two bottles is kind of...

US liquor laws suck and keep us from having nice things.

# ¿ Dec 30, 2012 01:45

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Smokewagon posted:

I've actually never found any small batch in state(MA), I always buy it out of state when traveling. As for single barrell being on sale, it could be a distributor deal, who knows. Been a while since I've seen it on sale around here.

It's probably stores hoping to clear out old stock as the 2003(?) barrels should be coming out soon.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2013 05:55

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

NightConqueror posted:

While at first glance it seems pretty lame, and while I'm certain it will negatively affect the flavor, I find myself not really caring so much about Maker's. It's sort of a starter bourbon that a lot of drinkers cut their teeth on and move on to more interesting stuff. As like 90% of it seems to be used in mixed drinks behind bars, I imagine the average person wont even notice.

And Asia, god drat, stop drinking so much whiskey and driving up the prices! I'm looking at you, South Korea

Apparently, Makers did some blind tastings and no one could tell the difference between the 90 and the 84. Of course, it was a "study" done by the producer, so there could be some spin on it, but I believe it. It's not like it's a robust whiskey to begin with.

# ¿ Feb 11, 2013 20:17

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

ChickenArise posted:

Or, in a roundabout way, get Whistlepig. It's excellent, 100% rye, and born in Canada (bottled in Vermont).

Or Jefferson's Rye if you can find it. It's most likely the same juice, just 94 proof instead of 100 and half the price.

# ¿ Feb 16, 2013 09:09

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Winkie01 posted:

Is the Botanist Gin new? I have never heard of it although I am not a gin fan, I picked up a bottle cos I thought the bottle would look nice in my bar. drat this stuff is great.

I started seeing it about 18 months ago I'd say.

Since it's from the Bruichladdich distillery, I like to tell people that see it on my shelf that it's a peated gin, which leads to everyone cringing. It's actually a really tasty gin, floral as you'd expect with a good spicey herbal flavor to go along with it.

The packaging even says "Non-chill filtered" as a little in joke.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2013 05:14

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Kenning posted:

My roommate picked up some Old Granddad 114 and that is a delicious bourbon. Amazingly smooth and composed for a Sykes-proof whiskey, and totally affordable. The bottle he got was like $27.

Funny you mention OGD. Apparently they just dropped the proof on their standard bottle from 86 to 80 without any hoopla. The 100 and 114 proofers won't be touched.

I like to keep a bottle of the BiB around as it's extremely affordable and has a really high rye content. Really tasty stuff.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2013 22:24

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Herr Tog posted:

Could the OP be updated if there is anything that needs updating? I am using it as a reference for things to try and buy to cut my teeth on and some of this stuff seems a bit up there for a bottle,this may just be regional fuckery, but my concern in honest.

Must be regional fuckery. That list is all entry level stuff except for a couple bottles. What do the prices look like by you on some of those choices?

# ¿ Mar 14, 2013 19:16

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Herr Tog posted:

Ranges from 20, which is loving great, to 40+, which raises and eyebrow. Then again I am low income bracket in

Which bottles? 40 is entry level for scotch and mid range for bourbon.

# ¿ Mar 14, 2013 20:25

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

wormil posted:

Old Granddad is fun when you want to feel like a cowboy but I personally wouldn't compare it to 101 or anything over $20/bottle.

Had OGD BiB?

# ¿ Jun 21, 2013 22:57

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

LogisticEarth posted:

Well I did save the time-stamped receipt and was considering asking the distillery for some kind of letter. I just know next to nothing about whiskey collection outside of the obvious and didn't know if it was worth any if that trouble.

Whiskey collecting is worth a bit if you find the right ones. A random microdistillery in New York is not that. Drink it , enjoy it, buy more if you like it. But don't expect it to be worth any more than you paid.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2013 22:08

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

bunnyofdoom posted:

So it looks like Suntory has bought Jim Bean

Having never had any suntory, is this good or bad?

It really doesn't change anything. Bourbon must be made in America, and Suntory isn't going to fire all the workers and ship in Japanese people to do the work. They're also buying established brands like Maker's Mark and of course the Jim Beam label. They just need to do work with the business side.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2014 22:37

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 23:58

Tigren: Oct 3, 2003

Stultus Maximus posted:

Whiskey scandal!

It mentions the obvious - 10 year old whiskeys from 5 year old companies. But what dismayed me was the list of established ryes that come from the same big factory including Bulleit, Templeton, and Dickel. Guess I'll be sticking to Rittenhouse.

This should come as no surprise to anybody who follows or drinks whiskey though. MGP (formerly LDI) have been the prime source for rye whiskey for a long time. It's not like they make bad juice. Their poo poo wins awards. High West basically sources all of their rye from MGP. It really comes down to the barrel selection and blending at this point.

I hate to break it to you, but Rittenhouse comes from a big factory just the same. It just so happens to be owned and run by Heaven Hill instead of mystery distillers.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2014 23:55

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