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What whiskey are you drinking right now?
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2013-02-26, 04:45

Alberta Premium is a 100% rye with a bottom shelf price and a pretty big taste if you like rye flavors. As for bourbons, I would probably stay away from Eagle Rare 10. If you're less a fan of rye, I might try W.L. Weller...it's Buffalo Trace's wheated recipe. Also consider some of the bourbon blends like Black Maple Hill or St. George's Breaking & Entering as they probably won't have offensive amounts of any particular flavor. Evan Williams is highly regarded in the $25 range, but I've never tried it.

My goto suggestion of bourbon is usually Four Roses Single Barrel or Small Batch, both heavy on rye.
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2013-04-09, 00:39

http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/20...-distilleries/

Good lord...

They just started up at the 14-still Roseisle mega-distillery last year. Now they're building an even bigger distillery near Teaninich, while also expanding that distillery to double its capacity. In addition they're putting another 30M GBP into expanding a few other Speyside distilleries like Mortlach.

Never heard of these distilleries? That's not surprising, 99% of their production goes into blends like Johnnie Walker. They make good stuff, but Diageo isn't too keen on trading barrels with independent bottlers these days.
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Moogs
Hates the Infotainment
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
 
2013-04-09, 15:27

I'm drinking Ultra Invisible Whiskey from Sergeant Seamus Distilleries.

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Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2016-08-21, 02:16

Stranahans might be the best bargain in whiskey right now.



A Colorado whiskey distilled in Denver. I actually think it's most comparable to Hibiki. Honestly, I'll put this up against the Hibiki 21, which goes for >$500 a bottle these days while Stranahans is less than $60.
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2016-08-21, 07:09

Stranahan's is pretty unique. Doesn't taste like any other malt whisky to me. Apples and typical wood/vanilla spice figure prominently.
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Kickaha
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2016-08-21, 15:21

My brother has been touting Stranahan's to me for months. Need to track down some.

Hudson Baby Bourbon is another to find, if you can. Just had some this weekend, and I am absolutely snagging a bottle for myself. Strong cherry undertones -> halfway to a Manhattan all on its own.
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Bryson
Rocket Surgeon
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The Canadark
 
2016-08-21, 16:55

I'm back to a bottle of my usual Buffalo Trace.
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Yontsey
*AD SPACE FOR SALE*
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cleveland-ish, OH
 
2016-08-21, 17:35

My typical go-to is Knob Creek.
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Elysium
Environmental Bloodhound
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Land of ice and snow
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2016-08-21, 17:42

I killed off my bottle of Oban 14, so maybe I'll try Stranahans next.
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2016-08-22, 05:50

My goto bourbon is Four Roses Single Barrel. Widely available, decent price for the quality. Strong, lots of rye. Don't let the nail polish on the nose put you off.

Hudson Baby Bourbon is very good, which is in stark contrast to just about every other Hudson bottling.

Back to Stranahan's. Don't get me wrong, it's good for an American malt whisky, but there's also a dearth of choice here. Hudson's malt whisky is terrible as I already alluded to. McCarthy's is decent, but it's peated and piney, so very much an acquired taste. St. George's is okay...it's made from a Sierra Nevada brown ale and it definitely gives you a whiff of beer when you try it.

Given the choice between Oban 14 and Stranahan's, I'd probably choose Oban 14 nine out of ten times.

Right now my top Scotch suggestions are anything from Glendronach, Hazelburn/Springbank, and always Compass Box.
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Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2016-10-31, 20:17

As a thank-you for some vacation advice (which I actually got here, years ago—the Aqua Dome in the Oetztal Valley, Austria), a coworker gave me a bottle of High West's "A Mid-Winter Night's Dram", one of their limited-release editions. Very good though not all that rye-like, if you're used to bottles like Rittenhouse or Bulleit, thanks to being aged in wine barrels.

Unrelated, but tonight I wanted to make a drink at home and despite having 18 bottles in my liquor cabinet, didn't have anything cohesive (I'm out of sweet vermouth and gin but somehow have calvados and Lillet Rouge). No sweet vermouth ruled out a Manhattan, but I had a bottle of Cocchi Americano, which can stand in for dry vermouth though it's more bitter, so I took the recipe for a Brooklyn—a Manhattan with dry vermouth—subbed the rye for brandy, the vermouth for Cocchi, the maraschino liqueur for orange liqueur and threw in a few dashes of orange bitters, plus an orange twist on top.

Not sure I'm in *love* with it but I'm pleasantly surprised. I think it may have been better with Angostura.

(What I really wanted was a Corpse Reviver #2 but I don't have gin or absinthe at home right now)

Last edited by Ryan : 2016-10-31 at 20:29.
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Dave
Ninja Editor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2016-10-31, 20:47

Liquor gives me heartburn lately. Alcohol in general, actually, but beer has less of it.
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Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2016-11-03, 21:58

As good a place for this as any:

I've been playing around with different molds for making large ice cubes, so far I haven't liked any of them. All the ones I can find are silicone and leave odd residue while also absorbing every last smell in your fridge. They're not a real solution.

Last night I filled two small tupperware containers halfway with distilled water and placed them in the freezer, lid on. Roughly 2.5"x2.5"x1", shallow being the key.

This evening I had great success turning those into large ice cubes. Run cold tap water on the outside of the tupperware, then dunk a paring knife in water just off boil for a few seconds. Once it's hot, score the ice. Try to get a good groove.

Then, either with an ice pick or just using the point of the paring knife, place the point in the groove and tap from above until the ice breaks along the score. Voila, large, clear ice cubes! Perfect for whiskey.

You don't quite get *cubes* out of this but they're close enough and (IMO) much better than the silicone molds.
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curiousuburb
Antimatter Man
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: that interweb thing
 
2016-11-13, 12:24

Or, if you want chill without diluting your drink, one could try other materials...


All those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.

Last edited by curiousuburb : 2016-11-13 at 12:36.
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2016-11-15, 04:38

You could also do this novel thing and stick the entire bottle in the refrigerator or even the freezer...
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Yontsey
*AD SPACE FOR SALE*
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cleveland-ish, OH
 
2016-11-15, 06:50

I have some of those stainless pucks. They work fantastic. Chill my glass of whiskey or whatever I'm having without watering it down. They hold temp. Pretty well too. I have a few so I switch them every couple glasses.
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kieran
@kk@pennytucker.social
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2016-11-15, 07:11

I have both the Neat Ice Kit and some $2 spherical ice molds from Target.

I really like using the Ice Kit because it's a process and it's just something to make making a drinking more fun. However, i use the $2 molds much more because they're so much easier to just pull out.

Either way, big chunks of ice are much better.

No more Twitter. It's Mastodon now.
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zippy
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Unknown
 
2017-08-22, 18:50

This thread was getting too old.

A friend from work and I are currently on a Scotch hunt. He's a long time fan of Macallan and particularly liked the Cask Strength bottle - which they no longer make. Coupled with the escalating price of Macallan's other offerings, he's interested in finding other options. He even decided to move beyond his single malt requirement. Me, I'm newer to the Scotch scene so am still kind of feeling my Oates, or grains or whatevers. I've had a few drams of his bottles over the years, some I've liked, others not.

I don't have what you would call a 'sophisticated palate' for this. But I know what I like and don't and that works well enough for me.

Sooo...
Right this very instant, I'm having a glass of Monkey Shoulder cut with 1/2 tsp of water. It's tasty, and if you haven't ever tried it, I'd recommend you give it a go at a mere $25-30 per bottle. It seems to be a smooth and pleasant (sweet even) 'everyday-easy-to-share' three blend Scotch. My buddy thinks it tastes like banana cream pie. I can kinda see that, but not quite as specifically as he does.

Also in the cupboard that I've been trying though I haven't developed a complete or detailed opinion on all of them;
Maccallan 12 double cask - haven't had for a while, but I think I liked it
Macallan 15 - I like
Glenfiddich 15 Solera - I like - my buddy bought this and gave it to me because I liked it more than he
Oban Little Bay - prefer the Oban 14 based on a glass I had previously. This one is OK though.
Aberlour A'bunadh - I like this well enough, but my friend likes it more so it's going to him.
Bruichladdich Classic Laddie - not a fan. I will give it another glass or two to change my mind, but find it very chemically tasting. Like floor cleaner I imagine.
Clynelish 14 - this is good normally, but excellent considering I got it for $24 instead of typical $60-85 range.
Famous grouse - OK cheap blended Scotch, but not as good as Monkey Shoulder so probably won't buy again
Famous grouse Smoky black - way too smoky for my tastes.
Ron Burgundy Great Odin's Raven - Didn't expect much, bought more as a joke and it lived up to my lack of expectations. Too smoky - like Black Grouse
Pig's nose - Decent, maybe slightly better than Famous grouse. Still not as pleasant as Monkey Shoulder
4 samples of Glenmorangie - all seem OK, nothing super exciting, but nothing objectionable
The original
Nectar D'òr
Lasanta 12
Quinta Ruban 12
Sample of Glenfiddich 12
Sample of Johnnie Walker Red - was OK, but nothing particularly interesting


Irish whiskeys
Powers - I enjoy this. Dad used to buy it and he passed away in January so it's a sentimental fav for sure.
Tyrconnell - Not my thing. Probably the oldest and fullest bottle in the cupboard at this point

Other Whiskey
Stranahan's - I like, nice cinnamon like burn
Buffalo Trace - was decent. Just recently finished it making Old Fashioneds. Any suggestions on a better bourbon for that would be taken happily

At my buddies house, he has, and I've triedcan't remember all the details or bottles)
Balevenie double cask - decent, relatively smooth
Balvenie 15 - kicks you in the mouth up front, but I think I like it based on the quick taste I had
Arran Malt 14? - a bit harsh, but I've only had a quick, small glass
Glenfarclas 17
Others I can't remember.

I'll try to come back with opinions on things as I form them up. We are looking to buy some samples online of some more items that we either can't find locally or just don't want to spend so much on without knowing. We've already spent more on unknowns than either of our wives appreciate. . Particularly, we are interested in getting some Glendronach 18, Talisker 18, and Macallan Edition No. 2.

Our end goal is to each have a 3 or 4 bottle set. I think the cheap tier is set for both of us with Monkey Shoulder. Now We'd ike to settle on a $50-80 choice, an $80-125 choice, and a top shelf, special occasion bottle at $125+. I think the Oban 14 will be my choice in the $80 range.

Bottoms up!

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2017-08-23, 00:42

Like or dislike is a perfectly valid review of whisky. You definitely don't need to start rattling off flavor notes like all the YouTube whisky geeks. If I have to hear someone mispronounce lapsang souchong one more time...
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Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2017-08-23, 08:31

You should try Redbreast if you're exploring Irish whiskies. Pricey but great stuff.

I tried building up a great home collection but then I realized there's a bar near me with a few hundred whiskies and they serve half-price-half-pour of *everything* they have, including rare whiskies. And a bar around the corner from them is run by a guy who knows a guy who has a some sort of magical hookup with Japanese distilleries and they keep getting bottles that aren't even sold in the US. So, building a home collection seems kinda pointless now.

Now I just keep three bottles at home and go out if I want anything else: Talisker 10, Stranahan's and Rittenhouse Rye. The last one's really just for mixing Manhattans.

Others I've tried:

* Caol Ila, one of my favorites
* Macallan 12, solid choice
* Macallan 15, very good
* Macallan Whiskey Maker's Edition, duty free offering not worth buying
* Glenmorangie 10, solid standby
* Glenmorangie Signet, way too intense of a burn but I didn't get a chance to try it with water
* Aucentoshan 12 year, meh
* Laphroaig 10, about once a year I get a craving this whiskey
* Old Pappy 21. Mind-blowing.
* Leopold's American Whiskey.

Ryes:

* Bulleit Rye, glad to see the price coming back down. Overrated.
* Rittenhouse. Still, IMO, the best mixing rye available and not bad to sip either.
* Willet. Probably my favorite of the MGP products
* Michter's. Solid choice.
* High West's A Midwinter Night's Dram. Definitely for sipping only. Delicious.
* Old Overholt. My mixing backup if I can't find Rittenhouse.

Japanese whiskies:

* Hibiki 12/17/21. I think the 17 might be my favorite, just wish it was possible to find *anywhere*
* Hibiki Japanese Harmony. Just not the same as the age-statement bottles.
* Nikka From the Barrel. A dirt-cheap blended whiskey that goes for maybe $12 in Tokyo department stores. Amazing value, unavailable in the US. I bring a bottle or two back from my yearly trip to Japan
* Hakushu 12. Solid choice, also impossible to find.
* Nikka 12. Eh.

The Hibiki 17 and 21 are probably the best whiskies I've ever tasted. I'm so sad they're disappearing from the market. I know a few places left where I can buy a glass but they're nowhere near me. One bar in Tokyo and All Nippon Airline's first class service (which I'll be flying later this year thanks to a large stash of frequent flyer miles )

Last edited by Ryan : 2017-08-23 at 08:48.
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kieran
@kk@pennytucker.social
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2017-08-23, 10:27

A bartender that I used to work with mentioned Noah's Mill to me a few months ago and it has been fantastic. Gone through a couple of bottles already. Mostly with Old Fashioned's but its' nice with just some ice in it as well.

I'll have to go through your lists and see what else I can try.

No more Twitter. It's Mastodon now.
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2017-08-23, 13:19

Jim Beam Black Label is the bomb! And dirt cheap, too. For the price, I'm not sure I've had a better whiskey. In fact, more expensive stuff isn't as good. Also tried their Double Oak, and have a couple of the Devil's Cut, but not tried it, yet.

The Double Oak and Black Label couldn't be more different. I prefer the Black Label—smooth as ice, full of delicious, very easy to drink. The Double Oak is a lot more harsh, but also more flavorful.

The Black Label is the best example yet of what can happen if you give your master distiller a little project to work on.

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curiousuburb
Antimatter Man
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: that interweb thing
 
2017-08-24, 13:02

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan View Post
You should try Redbreast if you're exploring Irish whiskies. Pricey but great stuff.
Redbreast... mmmmm 🥃 Sublime stuff

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan View Post

I tried building up a great home collection but then I realized there's a bar near me with a few hundred whiskies and they serve half-price-half-pour of *everything* they have, including rare whiskies. And a bar around the corner from them is run by a guy who knows a guy who has a some sort of magical hookup with Japanese distilleries and they keep getting bottles that aren't even sold in the US. So, building a home collection seems kinda pointless now.

Now I just keep three bottles at home and go out if I want anything else: Talisker 10, Stranahan's and Rittenhouse Rye. The last one's really just for mixing Manhattans.

Others I've tried:

* Caol Ila, one of my favorites
* Macallan 12, solid choice
* Macallan 15, very good
* Macallan Whiskey Maker's Edition, duty free offering not worth buying
* Glenmorangie 10, solid standby
* Glenmorangie Signet, way too intense of a burn but I didn't get a chance to try it with water
* Aucentoshan 12 year, meh
* Laphroaig 10, about once a year I get a craving this whiskey
* Old Pappy 21. Mind-blowing.
* Leopold's American Whiskey.

Ryes:

* Bulleit Rye, glad to see the price coming back down. Overrated.
* Rittenhouse. Still, IMO, the best mixing rye available and not bad to sip either.
* Willet. Probably my favorite of the MGP products
* Michter's. Solid choice.
* High West's A Midwinter Night's Dram. Definitely for sipping only. Delicious.
* Old Overholt. My mixing backup if I can't find Rittenhouse.

Japanese whiskies:

* Hibiki 12/17/21. I think the 17 might be my favorite, just wish it was possible to find *anywhere*
* Hibiki Japanese Harmony. Just not the same as the age-statement bottles.
* Nikka From the Barrel. A dirt-cheap blended whiskey that goes for maybe $12 in Tokyo department stores. Amazing value, unavailable in the US. I bring a bottle or two back from my yearly trip to Japan
* Hakushu 12. Solid choice, also impossible to find.
* Nikka 12. Eh.

The Hibiki 17 and 21 are probably the best whiskies I've ever tasted. I'm so sad they're disappearing from the market. I know a few places left where I can buy a glass but they're nowhere near me. One bar in Tokyo and All Nippon Airline's first class service (which I'll be flying later this year thanks to a large stash of frequent flyer miles )
Also some lovely choices there...

But tough to beat Redbreast
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zippy
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Unknown
 
2017-08-25, 15:56

Redbreast was already on my list of future purchases as it was recommended by a fellow shopper one day. That fellow also recommended the Aberlour which ended up being a solid buy, and Knappouge Castle 12. For now though, I'm sticking to the Scotches. Once I figure out which Scotches I want to keep on hand, I will try a few more Irish Whiskeys.

The clerk at one of the liquor stores recommended Yamakazi. She said it was the owners favorite. So that is also on my future buy list.

Question on the Hibiki 17 and 21:why are they no longer available? Just out of supply, or did they stop distributing as widely?

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
  quote
Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2017-08-26, 13:58

Quote:
Originally Posted by zippy View Post
Redbreast was already on my list of future purchases as it was recommended by a fellow shopper one day. That fellow also recommended the Aberlour which ended up being a solid buy, and Knappouge Castle 12. For now though, I'm sticking to the Scotches. Once I figure out which Scotches I want to keep on hand, I will try a few more Irish Whiskeys.

The clerk at one of the liquor stores recommended Yamakazi. She said it was the owners favorite. So that is also on my future buy list.

Question on the Hibiki 17 and 21:why are they no longer available? Just out of supply, or did they stop distributing as widely?
They're available but generally at absurd prices. All the major Japanese distilleries are tapped out at this point which is why they've largely stopped producing anything with an age statement—they just don't have enough stock. If you can even *find* the 21, it's generally going for >$500/bottle.

The demand for Japanese whiskey has exploded in the last few years. If you're willing to travel to Japan there are supposedly some good options available from distilleries there that don't export. I'm hoping to find a few bottles like that and bring them back later this year.
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BlueRabbit
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
 
2017-09-02, 17:09

The only place I've ever seen aged Hibiki for sale is the tasting room at the Yamasaki distillery in between Osaka and Kyoto. The prices there are absurdly cheap though—$3 for a taster of the 17-year, $6 for the 21-year, and $29 for the 30-year. They also have a good selection of other whiskeys and scotches, including alternately-casked variants of Hibiki and their other whiskeys, also at low prices. Here's a website with a pic of one page of their drink list, which looks accurate as of when I visited last year. It's a must-visit if you're in Japan.
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PeterToift
 
 
2017-09-10, 13:38

I have only been drinking coke all day. i have a bad hangover, have vomited 4 times. Coke helps, right? If you can keep it down.

Yesterday I drank champagne, wine and Ouzo.
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Dr. Bobsky
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: UK's most densely packed city. It's not London...
 
2017-09-14, 15:40

No. Hangovers are not helped by drinking sugary, carbonated beverages. What would ever have given you that idea?
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2017-09-14, 17:18

It's a pre-ban recipe.
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Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2017-09-21, 21:51

So, it's not a whiskey, but it *mixes* like a whiskey.

Genever.

And with that, I give you what I dub The Lost Cause, a cocktail made of ingredients time has passed by.
  • 1.5oz Genever
  • 0.5oz Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
  • 0.5oz CioCiaro amaro
  • 3 dashes orange bitters

Stir with ice, serve up, express an orange twist over the drink and garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
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