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asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Beachcomber Liquors in Englewood FL has Blanton's and Buffalo Trace. Or had. I may have taken the last bottles. But they had some other rarities: Whistlepig Boss Hog, Blood Oath, Yamazaki 18, Elmer T Lee, Kelt Petra, Hennessy Richard, Pappy 23, some 1986 vintage armagnac, and some others behind the shelf I can't remember.

I've been wanting to try more ryes and picked up a bottle of Rough Rider Big Stick. I like the taste but it's pretty rough. :v:

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asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


TobinHatesYou posted:

If you like Yamazaki, $60 is well worth it for the 12yr. Yamazaki 18 is a favorite of mine. I would never call any Yamazaki bland or uninteresting...quite the opposite as I can really appreciate the quality of the distillate. It's like a single malt scotch made by robots...it's technically faultless, but lacks the placebo and imperfection that people seek out.

Yamazaki 18 is very enjoyable to me: a person who hasn't tried a lot of scotches and thinks that some of them taste like a tire fire in a dental office. Glenmorangie 18 was my favorite before I tried Yamazaki.

I like it so much I drunkenly made the poor decision of making it my drink of choice for a drinking game.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


sadus posted:

Interesting, Angel's Envy was in this new Straight Up: Kentucky Bourbon (2018) documentary a lot but I'd never heard of them. Also Four Roses (neat they were one of the distilleries allowed during prohibition) and a few others.

I used to buy Angel's Envy a lot when I could find it locally for $30-35. Now it's 50-60 and there's stuff I like better at that price range, but I'd say it's definitely worth trying. It's what my liquor store owner friend recommends to people who are new to bourbon because it's smooth and on the sweeter side. It's also the only liquor my mom will drink.

Their rye is too sweet for me though.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Oban 14 is my go-to scotch in that range. Also bought it for a Glenlivet drinker's birthday and he loved it.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


60 Hertz Jig posted:

The Lasanta isn't as complex as I remember. Tasty and easy drinking though. I've had so much peat and Irish swill lately that this is a nice change. Will probably pick up the A'bunadh next time from all the praise it gets here.

I tried Lasanta after seeing this post. I like the smell more than I like the taste, and I like the taste quite a bit. That bottle didn't last long. :)

My brother asked me for some recommendations for getting into whisk(e)y, which made me realize I pretty much only know bourbons. So we've both been spending way too much money, grabbing up a lot of different bottles, sniffing them pretentiously in our glencairns and pairing them with cigars. I'm leveled up enough now that I love Talisker 10 whereas a year ago I thought it tasted like a tire fire in a dentist office and wondered why anyone would intentionally drink such a thing.

Ardbeg Uigeadail might be my favorite thing right now, especially when paired with a medium cigar; it kind of cancels out some of the smoke taste and makes it easier to get all the flavors hiding under it. The reviews weren't exaggerating though. It is like drinking a camp fire.

Teeling Single Grain is my favorite Irish so far, but Bushmills 16 wins the award for weirdest. The nose reminds me of mosquito spray and a hospital cafeteria. The brothy taste and mouthfeel make me feel like I'm eating beef stew.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Looks like I stocked up just in time! :unsmith:

I managed to snag a couple bottles of Yamazaki 12 yesterday. A liquor store out in the sticks with a clerk that could have been Slingblade's grandma surprisingly had 6 of them for $99 ea when the only other place I've seen it recently was selling it for $150. They also had Talisker Storm for the lowest I've seen, but their Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare were $50 and $70 respectively.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Enigma posted:

How is the Talisker Storm? I love peat, the more the better, but I'm lukewarm on any non-peated scotch I've tried.

Not as intense of a peat flavor as the 10 year but it still tastes like Talisker, plus a saltiness that reminds me of the smell of sea foam and an oily mouthfeel that I found pleasant. I'll have to get another bottle of 10 to decide which one I like more.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


DoctaFun posted:

Glenfarclas 1990(bottled 2018) cask strength sherry hogsheads

jelly, been hoping to find this in a bar or have someone else buy a bottle and let me try it. I have a bottle of Black Art 1990, which I really enjoy, but not enough to want to spend that kind of money on a single bottle again.

DoctaFun posted:

Also ran into a store with SIX bottles of EH Taylor Single Barrel yesterday, first time I’ve seen the single barrel in a store, ever.

My brother got EH Taylor single barrel and small batch recently. I haven't tried the small batch but the single barrel is really nice. Maybe my favorite bourb so far.

Tonight I had Glenlivet 14, which is finished in cognac casks. My brother poured it without telling me what it was and I thought it was a bourbon at first. I didn't get much of a cognac taste out of it. Just sweet with no peat. It's like drinking apple juice after all the more intense scotches I've been drinking lately.

Also had some Weller Special Reserve after snagging the last bottle for 24 bucks. Great for the price, but it's similar to Eagle Rare which I think I like a little more.

e: on 2nd tasting, not liking Weller as much on its own. I think the cigar aftertaste was improving it.

asciidic fucked around with this message at 16:28 on Oct 5, 2019

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Yuns posted:

Fred Minnick did a blind taste test of the 2019 BTAC vs a number of good easy to get bourbons and ryes. Rare Breed came out on top over everything. So now I have to worry that one of my daily drinkers will disappear off of shelves. His ranking was Rare Breed, Eagle Rare 17, William Larue Weller, George T Stagg, Evan William's Single Barrell, Old Forrester 1920, 4 Roses Small Batch Select, and Makers 46. BTAC Handy and Saz came out on top of the ryes.

I picked up a bottle of Rare Breed with LL/GK code today. It was about 42 bux and I can confirm it is good. Definitely punches above its dollar weight. Not sure if I'd put it over the EH Taylor single barrel I just killed off but if someone handed me a glass without telling me what it was other than a bottle is $100+, I wouldn't have cause to not believe them.

Also picked up a bottle of Penderyn Celt. Haven't tried it yet but the bottle smells like citrus, honey and peat. I'm looking forward to getting it into my face.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Toebone posted:

My experiences with (cheap) scotch back in college didn't leave a great first impression, so I've avoided it for the most part, instead preferring bourbon and rye. I just picked up a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 on a whim and this is some really tasty stuff - what are some others a neophyte like myself should look out for at the liquor shop?

Glenlivet 12 was the first Scotch I enjoyed neat, and I've gotten a few people hooked with Haig Dimple Pinch. Oban 14 is a bit pricier but makes for a good bridge from easier drinkers to more smokey/peaty Scotches without being overwhelming to a beginner.

asciidic fucked around with this message at 19:57 on Oct 15, 2019

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


spankmeister posted:

Green Label is the best JW imo

Agreed. I haven't had it in a long time but I remember enjoying it.

The last JW I bought was White Walker which tastes like whisky from a butt.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I like Rare Breed LL/G even more after having it a few times. But I think Maker's 46 might be my new best bourbon friend.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I finally killed off a bottle of Angle's Envy that's been sitting at a little less than 1/4 full for a month. I didn't think that was long enough for oxidization to change the flavor, but it tasted like caramel syrup. I...think I love it? I want to go get another bottle and put it into several other bottles.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


obi_ant posted:

Try the Balvenie Caribbean cask. You’ll like that too.

Got a bottle of this. It's a bit too tart for me. The up side is, someone's getting a mostly full bottle of scotch for xmas!

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I recently got a coworker drinking neat bourbon with Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond. He also liked Maker's 46, Elijah Craig Small Batch, Michter's US1 and a few others, but EW BiB was his favorite and he was elated when I let him take the bottle home. It may have helped that I told him it was a lot more rare and expensive than it actually is.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


A coworker gifted me a bottle of Laphroaig Lore and I love it. It's like a better version of Quarter Cask. Not sure if it's worth twice the price of Quarter Cask, though.

mango sentinel posted:

They've sold that pack before and it was 3 full sized bottles.

:eyepop:

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Regift the 14 to me please

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


sharkytm posted:

If anyone cares, here's a Laphroaig code:
72EBBD

Quote if you use it.

Thanks!

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I picked up a bottle of Blanton's for the first time in a couple years. It used to be easy to find and I took it for granted. :( This bottle is more interesting and a lot woodier that I remember from past bottles, but more barrel spice than bitter. And it plays really well with a cigar. I was going to hang onto it to serve to friends occasionally and maybe get some brownie points with the boss, but now I don't see it lasting very long.

Also picked up some scotches I've been meaning to try for a while:
Bunnahabhain 12 - tastes like a briny speyside to me, not that that's a bad thing. Might be good as an into to islay for someone who's not ready to get rocked by peat.
Ledaig 10 - Reminded me of my impression the first time I had an islay scotch: iodine, salt and smoke that's more tire fire than wood fire. I'll have to try it again later with a fresh palate, because that was after drinking hot chocolate with rumple minze.
Laphroaig Triple Wood - sort of like a sweeter and more mellow Quarter Cask, plus wood. Wasn't really doing it for me.

Testro posted:

I've been experimenting a lot recently with oxidising whisky and/or adding small amounts of water. I drank neat for ages, but I've got about 60 bottles, and I find that some taste so much better when they've been open a while - and some small dashes of water can really open some out. Bowmore 12 is a good example of that; it's not an expensive drink by any measure, but add a bit of water and it's much more complex.

Yeah I've found that I prefer some bottles after they've been open for a few months. Amrut cask strength is one that I like a lot better after oxidizing and adding a little water.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I splurged on a bottle of Ledaig 18 to top off my rewards points for gold level at ABC*. It is very tasty, instantly one of my favorites, but I probably wouldn't buy it again at its current stupid high price. I like the less expensive Laphroaig Lore a little better and probably wouldn't buy that either when quarter cask and uigeadail are so delicious for way fewer dollars.

* only to find out that living with someone else who also has an account with ABC breaks the rewards system despite the CTO saying it should be working but he can't be bothered to fix it I guess :shrug:

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Macallan 25 is great. I ordered a pour of that and Talisker 30 recently, with low expectations of the Macallan since I'd started getting bored of non-islay scotches. I actually enjoyed it a lot more than the Talisker and wish my dumb brain would let me justify spending that kind of money on a single bottle that I'd probably empty within a month.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Also killing off low bottles, starting with a neglected bottle of Penderyn Celt and then moving on to the Laphroaig Lore I've been rationing.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Enigma posted:

Yes definitely give Uigeadail a shot. It's my favorite whisky.

Ditto

Lagavulin 16 is good and I thoroughly enjoy it every time I have a pour, but for some reason it rarely comes to mind when I'm wanting a drink. I've had the same bottle on my shelf since September. Maybe it's a little too polished to be exciting to me.

With Lagavulin DE I get a prominent pepper note that I kind of like.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Campfire is great. Rye spice and peat smoke make a surprisingly good combination.

Balcones brimstone is a Texas corn whiskey with wood smoke added. I haven't tried it but it sounds delicious and seems highly regarded. I'll try to get some delivered today.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I finally got a vault invite from ABC and had to make a quick decision. I chose William Larue over Van Winkle 10 / 12, Weller 12 and Bowman Brothers which I'd never heard of. I done good?

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I think it was small batch and was $30 iirc. I'm glad my decision to get the WLW was a good one. I only bought it because it was the most expensive offering at $120 and the bottle looked like George T Stagg. Reselling it is tempting but I'm going to drink it. :)

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Balvenie Caribbean Cask ruined my palate with unpeated scotch for a few weeks. I picked up a really tart, sour apple like note in it and then started getting it from everything that wasn't a smoke bomb. It took Macallan 25 to get it back on track. Taste is weird.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


DoctaFun posted:

Man, talisker 10 is the only bottle I’ve ever had to just give away, could not get through that stuff. Don’t know if I had a bad bottle or not, in general I don’t love peat, but can absolutely drink something like Ardbeg Oogie, lagavulin 16, or laphroaig 10(on occasion).

But that Talisker just tasted rotten. So much like brine, and nasty sea water. I’ll have to get a sample of it at some point to see if I just had a bad bottle, because it’s pretty well liked broadly.

My first bottle of talisker 10 was kind of gross and tasted nothing like subsequent bottles. The only reason I even tried it again was because my brother liked the super medicinal peat taste enough to get past the taste of dirty beach and wet dog to finish it off, only to be surprised that his replacement bottle wasn't as peaty but was way more enjoyable. I say give it another try, preferably by convincing someone else to buy it and trying theirs.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I scored a bottle of Wild Turkey Master's Keep Cornerstone Rye. It's probably the most interesting rye I've had. Seems like as soon as I would identify one flavor another would surface. I tried a few ryes I had on hand afterward and it managed to kill my enjoyment of Whistlepig 12. But Willett Family Estate 4 year is still my favorite rye.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


deedee megadoodoo posted:

Peaty scotch and chocolate chip cookies is such an insane combination. I don't remember where I first read about it but it's so drat good.

Can confirm

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Finally found another bottle of Yamazaki 18 for a relatively reasonable price. My tastes have changed since I last had it a couple years ago, leaning more towards heavily peated islays now, so I thought maybe I wouldn't like it as much. Turns out I enjoy it a lot more now that I've developed more of a palate and if there weren't a shortage I'd just funnel this bottle into my face hole.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Octomore 8.2 is making me feel like a grizzled old steamship captain right now. Lots of citrus and dark fruit but mostly I'm getting rocked by the coal smoke, brine and unexpected amount of heat. I think this is the first whisky I prefer with water added, which brings out a nice vanilla note. Now I want more Octomores.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I did the same blind taste lineup (plus 4 from Jim Beam) a while back and Eagle Rare was my top pick as well, but EHT was #2. I think the other 3 people with me had the same top 2. I ranked Booker's over BT & Blanton's, but everyone else had all the JBs in their bottom 4.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


S.W.O.R.D. Agent posted:

Blanton's is the one Whiskey or Bourbon I've found that was noticibly better after it was half gone and had oxidized for a while

Angel's Envy and George T Stagg are better this way for me, and a few others I forget that had a disappointing neck pour but were good after sitting on the shelf a while later.

I think Blanton's is fine, just not worth going out of my way or paying secondary for. I enjoy it more with a cigar.

What I will go out of my way for is Jefferson's Ocean. I just emptied my bottle and can never find it locally :( gotta drive 2 hours to the total wine that has it in stock

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I like Angel's Envy bourbon but the rye is a bit too sweet for me.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I knew which one was Baker's from your notes and I haven't tried the new bottle yet. New riff sounds like something I'd really enjoy. Will have to pick up a bottle after I've cleared some space on my shelves.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I picked up a bottle of Weller 12 for about $30. It may just be because I went into it with low expectations and thinking it's hyped just because of its rarity, but I'm pretty blown away. It's hitting all the notes I like in wheated bourbons, plus some additional funkiness I'm having trouble putting my finger on, without being too high proof to enjoy every day. I'm going to have a hard time rationing this.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Deceptive Thinker posted:

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

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. :negative: 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.

asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


Vox Nihili posted:

How much is it running these days? I loved ABunadh at ~$60 but the price keeps going up.near me

I bought it for $90 in SC a couple months ago. It's $110-120 here near me in central FL right now :(

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asciidic
Aug 19, 2005

lord of the valves


I wanted to see how well Rare Breed held up to some harder to find bourbons so tonight I did a blind taste test with:

Blanton's
Eagle Rare
EH Taylor Single Barrel
EH Taylor Four Grain
Michter's 10
Weller 12
William Larue Weller
Booker's Granny's Batch
Little Book
Rare Breed

Rare Breed tied with WLW for my #1 spot and was in my companions' top 2 as well. Four Grain was my #2 and Little Book was #3, which surprised me because I've ranked Jim Beam stuff lower than most BT labels in previous blind tests. Blanton's was my least favorite, and was the same for the guy who was sure that Blanton's was going to be his #1.

asciidic fucked around with this message at 03:53 on Aug 29, 2022

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