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Jo3sh posted:Are there a pair of whiskies someone could recommend that would really help me pick out the rye character? I don't have a great palate, so I'd kind of like to have two things I could taste as A/B - very similar except for the rye quality. Maker's Mark has no rye (and is bland as gently caress, imo), and Wild Turkey 101 or Old Granddad BiB are pretty rye-heavy.
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Oct 26, 2013 04:30
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Kenning posted:Maker's Mark has no rye (and is bland as gently caress, imo), and Wild Turkey 101 or Old Granddad BiB are pretty rye-heavy. Yeah, I'm never buying Maker's Mark ever again.
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Oct 26, 2013 13:49
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I think that really smooth, uncomplex whiskeys like Maker's Mark and Jameson make good gateway whiskeys to someone who hasn't had much experience with spirits beyond Jager in college or whatever. They're not expensive, and not bad, but they don't really have much happening. I'd recommend them to a booze newbie over something like Highland Park or whatever just because Scotches are very polarizing. Also, I was gifted a bottle of Redbreast 12 that I haven't cracked yet. Anyone have much experience with it?
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Oct 26, 2013 16:46
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Duckboat posted:I think that really smooth, uncomplex whiskeys like Maker's Mark and Jameson make good gateway whiskeys to someone who hasn't had much experience with spirits beyond Jager in college or whatever. They're not expensive, and not bad, but they don't really have much happening. I'd recommend them to a booze newbie over something like Highland Park or whatever just because Scotches are very polarizing. The one time I had Redbreast I recall it having a very pleasant, light character.
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Oct 26, 2013 16:59
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Jo3sh posted:Are there a pair of whiskies someone could recommend that would really help me pick out the rye character? I don't have a great palate, so I'd kind of like to have two things I could taste as A/B - very similar except for the rye quality. Maybe Willet's Family Reserve Rye and Bulleit Rye? I think both have fair availability and a 95% rye mash bill. The Willet hopefully tastes much more like you imagine 'rye' to taste, whereas to me the Bulleit Rye is just sort of harsh with no particularly balanced spice or fruit character (and I love their regular Bourbon). Also, I think that both of them are currently sourced from LDI. In Scotch news, I had Laphroaig Cairdeas last night and holy poo poo wow. Even someone who doesn't like Scotch wanted a second pour. There's a nice sweetness and spicy fruity flavor underneath the peat.
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Oct 26, 2013 17:01
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Jo3sh posted:Are there a pair of whiskies someone could recommend that would really help me pick out the rye character? I don't have a great palate, so I'd kind of like to have two things I could taste as A/B - very similar except for the rye quality. You could always try Bulleit Rye and Bulleit Bourbon back-to-back, but bear in mind the Bourbon has a decent amount of rye itself (35%?), compared to the 95% Rye.
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Oct 26, 2013 17:05
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Duckboat posted:I think that really smooth, uncomplex whiskeys like Maker's Mark and Jameson make good gateway whiskeys... I keep some on hand for exactly that reason.
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Oct 26, 2013 17:06
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Duckboat posted:
I love Redbreast. Only had it once and I somehow blew through the bottle. It's making it very hard to drink any other Irish Whisky. Except Middleton. Mmmm
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Oct 26, 2013 18:06
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Redbreast is excellent, definitely one of the best Irish whiskeys.
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Oct 26, 2013 18:17
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Cool! Glad I have something to look forward to. Whiskey generally keeps in a bottle for years, right? I have a bottle of Midleton's that I'm saving for a special occasion, but if it's gonna taste like poo poo I might as well crack it.
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Oct 26, 2013 18:46
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If you haven't opened the bottle, whiskey keeps more or less unchanged for a good long while. If you wish to keep it longer after drinking a good bit (and letting lots of air in) you may want to transfer it to a smaller container with less airspace since this will slow down reactions. I learned this the hard way with a bottle of Lagavulin 16 that has only a fraction of the normal peatiness. It's not bad exactly but it's sure not the same whisky! Your unopened Middleton's or Redbreast will be fine though.
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Oct 26, 2013 18:52
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All this talk of rye and no mention of Rittenhouse? If you want RYE get a bottle of that. Spicier and sharper than Bulleit, and at 100 proof it does better in a cocktail.
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Oct 26, 2013 20:58
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ChickenArise posted:
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Oct 27, 2013 04:08
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Duckboat posted:You could always try Bulleit Rye and Bulleit Bourbon back-to-back, but bear in mind the Bourbon has a decent amount of rye itself (35%?), compared to the 95% Rye. I wouldn't recommend this just because Bulleit's rye isn't all that great in my opinion, and it might give them an incorrect assessment of how great rye is. Bulleit doesn't hold a candle to Rittenhouse BiB or Sazerac 6 (those are both worth a hunt).
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Oct 27, 2013 07:42
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Kenning posted:I wouldn't recommend this just because Bulleit's rye isn't all that great in my opinion, and it might give them an incorrect assessment of how great rye is. Bulleit doesn't hold a candle to Rittenhouse BiB or Sazerac 6 (those are both worth a hunt).
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Oct 27, 2013 20:39
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kidsafe posted:In addition they aren't sourced from the same distillers. Bulleit Bourbon comes out of Four Roses while the Bulleit Rye is an LDI product. Completely different yeasts and maybe even sources of grain are going to result in vastly different product. I've had 100% ryes (Jefferson's Straight Rye and Whistlepig) that are smoother than low-rye bourbons. A lot of the spice people mistake for rye spice comes from the wood/barrels. And that's exactly why I asked for two whiskies as much alike as possible except for the rye character. I mean, if I had the resources to do it, I could distill (legally, of course!) two whiskies - one with rye and one without - and let them age in neighboring ricks, and report back in a few years. Barring that, if I could find a pair of whiskies that were from the same producer and differed only (or at least primarily) in their grists, that would be ideal.
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Oct 28, 2013 00:35
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Jo3sh posted:And that's exactly why I asked for two whiskies as much alike as possible except for the rye character. I mean, if I had the resources to do it, I could distill (legally, of course!) two whiskies - one with rye and one without - and let them age in neighboring ricks, and report back in a few years. Barring that, if I could find a pair of whiskies that were from the same producer and differed only (or at least primarily) in their grists, that would be ideal. Your best bet would be a flight of Buffalo Trace brands as they are one of the only distilleries with core ranges of no rye and high rye whiskies. In contrast to something like Four Roses who has five different yeasts and just two mashbills, both with higher rye content than any of Buffalo Trace's bourbons. Wheated: WL Weller Medium Rye: Blanton's At least 51% Rye: Sazerac
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Oct 28, 2013 02:17
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I need some advice. I'm getting my boss a Christmas present,and I know booze will be a safe option. He's mainly a Jack Daniels drinker (either on the rocks or with Coke) and recently talked about how much he liked Crown Royal Maple whiskey. I could go the safe route and get him a bottle of one of those, but to me that seems a little too easy. I'm always telling him about the bourbon or rye that I'm drinking, and he seems pretty curious about the cocktails I make too. For instance, I don't think he's ever had a Manhattan. So I'm thinking about getting him a bottle of bourbon, a bottle of vermouth and a bottle of bitters. He praises Jack for how smooth it goes down and he liked the sweetness of the Crown Royal, so what would be a good bourbon/vermouth combo for that? I like the Noilly Pratt I've been using lately, but all I have to compare it to was Dolin's which I wasn't a fan of. Bourbon wise I think Evan Williams single barrel is very nice, but if he likes sweetness maybe Maker's 46 since that's still sweet but has a little more spice that regular makers. If there is a bourbon out there that is sweet but pricier I don't mind dropping a little extra for it, this guy is the boss everyone wishes they had. I'm not worried if he doesn't like the Manhattan cocktail, because a good bourbon can he used in a ton of other drinks and worst case scenario he can just mix it with Coke or use it to make a hell of a marinade. On a related note, I've been hooked on Rittenhouse since I got it a couple of months ago, but it's time for a change on the rye front. What should I try next, Russell Reserve, Knob Creek, Bulleit or High West? I'd like something perhaps a bit more subtle than the Rittenhouse without losing the presence of the rye. What I like about the Ritt is it makes the best drat Manhattan I've ever had, but when I sub it in other cocktails like and Old Fashioned or as a replacement to bourbon in say a Chapel Hill, it's a bit TOO pronounced and sort of runs wild.
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Oct 28, 2013 07:47
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Jo3sh posted:And that's exactly why I asked for two whiskies as much alike as possible except for the rye character. I mean, if I had the resources to do it, I could distill (legally, of course!) two whiskies - one with rye and one without - and let them age in neighboring ricks, and report back in a few years. Barring that, if I could find a pair of whiskies that were from the same producer and differed only (or at least primarily) in their grists, that would be ideal. Ah I see what you're asking for now. The problem is that rye whiskey went through several decades where it wasn't in fashion with anyone, at all, ever. As a result, while there are about 20 million bourbons on the market, there are no where near as many ryes. There are even fewer companies that make a bourbon and a rye, and fewer still if any that make two bourbons with a change in the rye bill. My job is to bake rye bread. I do it 12 hours a day, six days a week. I am very, VERY familiar with the taste and smell of rye in several forms. If you just want to get a taste for rye, I'd say get a bourbon with as little rye in it as possible, a loaf of good quality rye bread, and a bottle of rye whiskey. Make sure it's fresh rye bread. Eat a slice, slowly. Pay attention to how it tastes. Take a sip of the bourbon; Makers would be good for this. Eat another slice of rye. Take a sip of the rye whiskey. Take another sip of the Makers, and then another sip of the rye whiskey. This is far from perfect, but if you want to get a feel for the rye profile (and I think this is what you're after) it's not a bad way to do it. And rye bread is loving delicious, pretty much everyone should eat more rye bread.
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Oct 28, 2013 08:00
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rxcowboy posted:My job is to bake rye bread. I do it 12 hours a day, six days a week. I am very, VERY familiar with the taste and smell of rye in several forms.
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Oct 28, 2013 08:47
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spankmeister posted:Do you make the American kind, or the German kind? American, with whole seeds and with ground. If your grocery store has it, onion rye is insanely delicious. Edit: I am retarded. I also make pumpernickel aka German rye. rxcowboy fucked around with this message at 09:05 on Oct 28, 2013 |
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Oct 28, 2013 08:57
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I have been an avid Scotch drinker for a few years now, since the beer in Japan is all absolute poo poo. I was wondering if you folks would be interested in a write up on Whiskey here in Japan. I see that a lot of you have tried Yamazaki 12, so I thought there might be some interest. ...Now to go try some RedBreast.
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Oct 28, 2013 15:17
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I've a whisky collection 40 bottles deep at this point and my other half works in the whisky trade in Scotland so I get my booze super cheap, but I still like getting tore up on Jamesons if I know I want a "I want to get drunk! Wooo!" whisky. Nothing wrong with liking rotgut and classy stuff! Also Asahi is great lager 
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Oct 28, 2013 18:23
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rxcowboy posted:I need some advice. I'm getting my boss a Christmas present,and I know booze will be a safe option. He's mainly a Jack Daniels drinker (either on the rocks or with Coke) and recently talked about how much he liked Crown Royal Maple whiskey. I could go the safe route and get him a bottle of one of those, but to me that seems a little too easy. Makers 46 is a safe bet as it's the closest bourbon to the stuff he drinks. People who drink one or two whiskeys all the time rarely seem to have an appreciation for anything better.
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Oct 28, 2013 19:11
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Duckboat posted:I think that really smooth, uncomplex whiskeys like Maker's Mark and Jameson make good gateway whiskeys to someone who hasn't had much experience with spirits beyond Jager in college or whatever. They're not expensive, and not bad, but they don't really have much happening. I'd recommend them to a booze newbie over something like Highland Park or whatever just because Scotches are very polarizing. This has been my experience exactly. Two years ago I loved Jameson and while I was always eager to try other whiskies, it was both my go-to and my favorite. Now, after having gotten very into Islay Scotches, it doesn't taste like anything to me anymore. I tried some the other day and after the initial alcohol forward taste, it literally just tasted like water to me. Kind of a disappointing discovery but I'd say it was worth it to be able to enjoy the peat monsters.
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Oct 29, 2013 00:14
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http://www.beerandbourbon.com/maryland/show-info Well I'm going to this next March. Time to put in my vacation request now, because I'm probably going to be rendered completely ineffective for two days afterwards.
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Oct 29, 2013 10:04
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Was in Shot Bar Zoetrope (Shinjuku, Tokyo) the other night, probably the best Japanese Whisky bar in the world. Got to try the Suntory Yamazaki Mizunara cask (both 2011 & 2012). It's quite amazing and worth trying if you happen upon a place that has it. Note: you probably won't find it. Highly recommend this bar if you find yourself in Tokyo. You won't regret it.
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Oct 29, 2013 11:11
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kidsafe posted:Hmm, maybe some of the Flora & Fauna releases from Diageo? These never made it to the US AFAIK. Mortlach pretty much never gets sold in the US as a distillery release. Auchroisk does, but only as the 20yr. Too bad you can only bring back 1L of alcohol DF! Based on this recommendation I asked my Roommate to bring back anything from Mortlach she could find up to 120 USD and she came back with a bottle of Mortlach 16. Will post trip report as soon as I find the right company to crack a new bottle with.
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Oct 29, 2013 14:42
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Well I joined the Pappy craze and scored a Pappy Van Winkle 15 YO Reserve this afternoon when it came in. I plan on drinking my first dram around the holidays, I can't wait.
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Oct 29, 2013 22:01
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OK, I got a big problem. I just moved to North Carolina after living in Minnesota all my life. NC is a control state, so liquor is only sold at ABC stores (however I can get drunk on beer and wine to my heart's content, as those are both widely available in grocery stores). I also just found out that prices are set by the state as well, so there's no shopping around. Basically, the state has decided that I'm supposed to pay $28 for a 0.75 of Jameson, and $63 for a bottle of Balvenie Doublewood. In MN, I never saw Doublewood go for more than $52, usually $42-$46, and if you're patient you could easily find it on sale for $36. So, as you can imagine, the price tag of $63 both confuses and frightens me, as to me this indicates that pretty much everything else is going to be super expensive. I'm not the least bit happy about this, plus I imagine that the ABC stores aren't going to have much of a scotch/whiskey selection anyhow. I can special order if I like, but the minimum quantity is an entire case, so that's pretty much out. Side note: it appears to be illegal to ship booze in to the state, so no reputable website will ever sell to me, and I can only bring 4 liters of "spirituous liquor" with me over the border. Obviously they'll never check that, but seeing as I'm 2 hours from any border I'm not exactly able to hop across state lines to buy booze. So anyone know a good way around this? I've got a pretty decent scotch/whiskey collection at the moment, but with prices like this there's almost no way I can afford to continue to build/maintain it, even if I could find decent scotch anywhere.
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Oct 30, 2013 21:50
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DaveSauce posted:OK, I got a big problem. Not really. You'll occasionally find things on sale state-wide, but never more than $5/bottle or so off. Virginia is also an ABC state, and the only thing I've ever found in a South Carolina "red dot" that isn't carried here is fifths of Grouse black, which you can only buy in handles here in NC. A work friend over the cube wall says Tennessee is privately owned, if you're 2 hours that direction. But otherwise, you just kind of have to drink to your budget, because this poo poo is predictable as hell. Even the normal sales seem to rotate pretty predictably. If anyone has a better idea on it than me, I would also love to know. Hell, if you head back up to Minnesota and you're in the Triangle, you could probably make some friends running imports at those prices. Edit: Basically encouraging you to be a bootlegger. How much is gas to Minnesota, anyway? Haha. Huxley fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Oct 30, 2013 |
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Oct 30, 2013 22:04
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Huxley posted:Not really. You'll occasionally find things on sale state-wide, but never more than $5/bottle or so off. Virginia is also an ABC state, and the only thing I've ever found in a South Carolina "red dot" that isn't carried here is fifths of Grouse black, which you can only buy in handles here in NC. Nope, I'm in the Triangle, so it appears as though I'm pretty well hosed. I guess VA is a little closer than I thought, but it sounds like that's not a good option? I have a buddy in Richmond, but if the selection in VA sucks then he won't be much help. Unfortunately, MN is a 2-day, 1200 mile trek by car. I'd have to haul a decent amount of stuff back with me to make it worth the trip. I had intended on flying back for holidays for the most part.
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Oct 30, 2013 22:14
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Marshall Louis posted:I have been an avid Scotch drinker for a few years now, since the beer in Japan is all absolute poo poo. I would absolutely love that. I actually came here to ask for help picking out a Japanese whiskey as a christmas present from here. I got them a Japanese tasting set last year that they loved, but wanted to pick out 1 bigger bottle this time round.
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Oct 30, 2013 22:15
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Rolled Cabbage posted:I would absolutely love that. I actually came here to ask for help picking out a Japanese whiskey as a christmas present from here. I got them a Japanese tasting set last year that they loved, but wanted to pick out 1 bigger bottle this time round. As always an idea of what your friend's preferences are would help. My primary recommendation: Hibiki 17. I see Hibiki 12 and 17 on that list, and when I get a bottle of that, it never lasts past 1 week. So far I have only had Nikka when extremely drunk, and the bartender was extremely drunk, and opened a bottle he said was 30+ years old and gave me a free glass. He was never nice to me again after that night. The Nikka put me on my rear end, whatever bottling it was. The Nikka whiskies that I have tried, all remind me of the strong alcohol flavor of Macallan Cask Strength (higher proof). If your friend likes Highlands or Speyside scotch, (or if he likes Irish) Jameson 12 or Bush Mills, I would recommend one of the Yamazaki or Hibiki (12 or 17 year) bottles. Yamazaki 12 is my "always have a bottle in the cabinet" Japanese whiskey. Hakushu 10 is good, and in fact I prefer it over Hakushu 12. Hakushu has a bit richer, smokier flavor than the Yamazaki or Hibiki's I have tried. If your friend likes the melted-action figure-on-charcoal flavor of Laphroig, or other Islay bay scotch, Hakushu might be a better route, but for the more expensive Hakushu offerings I don't have any experience. Hope this helps. I have been a whiskey drinker for about 4 years now, and with a budget, it is hard to try everything.
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Oct 31, 2013 00:30
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So I'm just now at the Narita airport in Tokyo, waiting to go back to the US. It was my wife's and my honeymoon. We both love Japanese whisky. Here's the damage list with rough USD prices:
My wife is a good woman. The Nikka and Hakushu was her idea. EDIT: Engrish rufius fucked around with this message at 09:05 on Oct 31, 2013 |
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Oct 31, 2013 09:02
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rufius posted:So I'm just now at the Narita airport in Tokyo, waiting to go back to the US. It was my wife and I honeymoon. We both love Japanese whisky. Here's the damage list with rough USD prices: Nice collection you have there. Please let me know what you think of the Hakushu 18yr when you open it! Oh and congratulations on the honeymoon...probably a little bit more important....oops
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Oct 31, 2013 09:06
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Marshall Louis posted:Nice collection you have there. Please let me know what you think of the Hakushu 18yr when you open it! So I own about 30 bottles of whisky now. I've had the Hakushi 18yr before. It is my all time favourite whisky. Call it my desert island whisky. It's drat near impossible to find where I live in the US. It's got the balance of peat, leather, and fruit that keeps me exceptionally happy every time. That Memories of Karuizawa is also pretty boss. I had it at a bar. It's aged entirely in sherry casks and will never exist again. Karuizawa stopped distilling in 1999.
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Oct 31, 2013 09:10
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Do you mean they stopped distilling entirely, or just that specific offering?
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Oct 31, 2013 09:11
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Marshall Louis posted:Do you mean they stopped distilling entirely, or just that specific offering? Stopped distilling entirely. A few private entities bought up their barrels and are releasing it over time. It's hard to find in Japan, which is where it's most abundant.
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Oct 31, 2013 18:43
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rufius posted:Stopped distilling entirely. A few private entities bought up their barrels and are releasing it over time. It's hard to find in Japan, which is where it's most abundant. I've heard it's been demolished as well 
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