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Devoz posted:So the recent discussions about inexpensive and tasty rye whiskey reminded me that I am out of George Dickel Rye. When I went to the store, I ended up picking of George Dickel and Bulleit Rye as well. Considering they come from the same initial source, they did taste similar. Personally, I prefer the Bulleit Rye. The finish is a little spicier, which is nice to have in a rye. Can't go wrong with Bulleit Rye and as mentioned, Rittenhouse.
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Mar 13, 2014 13:26
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| # ? Jun 7, 2024 02:57 |
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I am new to bourbon, being more of a Scotch man. However, my local Aldi (discount supermarket) has a single barrel Kentucky bourbon for £30. I know single barrel Scotch whisky is usually a lot more than that, so I was wondering if that's an offer worth checking out. Unfortunately, they make it their "own brand" so there is no way of telling the distillery or anything, so there is not really a lot to go on. They do have a reputation for good quality low price booze. Ideally someone who has tried it reads this thread!
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Mar 13, 2014 13:42
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langurmonkey posted:I am new to bourbon, being more of a Scotch man. However, my local Aldi (discount supermarket) has a single barrel Kentucky bourbon for £30. I know single barrel Scotch whisky is usually a lot more than that, so I was wondering if that's an offer worth checking out. Unfortunately, they make it their "own brand" so there is no way of telling the distillery or anything, so there is not really a lot to go on. They do have a reputation for good quality low price booze. In general, single barrel Bourbon is probably about that price range. Two that come to mind for me are Four Roses Single and Blanton's. Blanton's was the original single barrel offering, IIRC. I've never had the Aldi bottlings (US here) so can't speak to that.
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Mar 13, 2014 15:11
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Need some help getting into Scotch. Big bourbon fan after working for a couple months to acquire the taste, starting with sweetened liqueurs like Evans Williams Cherry reserve (which now tastes like chugging cheap candied cherry juice), moving on to Maker's Mark which is now a little too bland. Favorites so far are Evans Williams Reserve, Buffalo Trace, and Russell's Reserve. Thought I was at least ready to experiment with scotch. Limited selection here in WV, bought a bottle of Glenmorangie Original. Opened the bottle last night, poured a glass. Aroma reminded me of a white wine, sweet, orange/peach. Took a sip, overpowering taste of bile/puke right of the bat. Scared to try it again, almost couldn't stand it. When that tasted dissipated, nothing else unpleasant, but it certainly starts out bad. Did I just select the wrong scotch to start with for someone who likes bourbon? How can I tame this one down so I don't just let it sit? I did try a little water, detected same overpowering bile note. Add some ice? Man up and get used to it?
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Mar 13, 2014 15:38
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IIRC bottlings like that Aldi one and the Trader Joe's or Kirkland single-malt scotches are generally barrels from good distilleries that, for whatever reason, didn't pass quality control standards, so an independent bottler buys them up and releases them for a budget price. They're generally a really good value for your money, from what I hear (we don't have them here in PA.  )E: To the poster above me, I don't recall liking Glenmorangie's basic bottlings either. My standard recommendation for a bourbon person looking to get into Scotch is Glenlivet 15 French Oak, because it's affordable and doesn't have any "off" flavors. It's Just Good. From there you can branch off into other styles/regions. Devil Wears Wings fucked around with this message at 15:44 on Mar 13, 2014 |
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Mar 13, 2014 15:40
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Glenlivet 12 is pretty drinkable and affordable for a bourbon fan trying to scotch it up. Scotch didn't really take for me in a big way (yet) but it's certainly better than working your way up from Dewar's White. e: Not sure how the 15 French Oak stacks up on price but I would second that nomination if it's available to you. The 12 just seems more commonplace.
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Mar 13, 2014 15:51
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JamesMxP posted:Need some help getting into Scotch. What else is available to you?
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Mar 13, 2014 16:34
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JamesMxP posted:Need some help getting into Scotch. I didn't start with bourbon though I do remember liking OGD before getting into Scotch. I started with Islay scotches like Ardbeg and Laphroaig. When I decided to branch out I tried Highland Park 12 as it is almost universally lauded as a great intro, as it has elements of Islay, Speyside, and Highland. I experienced pretty much the same thing as you with that Scotch. Right in the middle I got a vomit/bile note that was very difficult to ignore and just not fun to drink. It was a shame because I liked the nose and the finish a lot. I never got that with my Islays or Macallan 12(which was tasty but a bit one-dimensional to me). Reading into tasting notes a bit it seems like the citrus that a lot of people notice comes across as bile/puke to some other people. My favorite Islay is Laphroaig Quarter Cask if you want to try something with none of the bile/fruitiness. Other people have reported the same thing with HP12, others don't notice it at all. Unfortunately I really couldn't find any reviews or notes that described it unless I went out of my way looking for them. Maybe after a while I won't get the unpleasantness from it but for now I am moving on to other scotches. Edit: here is the beginning of my tasting of the HP 12 and the previous discussion of the bile note we had: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3441478&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=87#post426539018 i own every Bionicle fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Mar 13, 2014 |
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Mar 13, 2014 16:38
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Deleuzionist posted:You might have selected the wrong Scotch. I remember being gifted a bottle of that Glenmorangie many years ago and my only fond memory of it was when the bottle was finally empty. I tried it again at a friend about 6 months back and although I didn't think it was quite as vile as I remembered, it was still a very boring drink. I personally think, based on tasting the Original, Lasanta, Signet and Traditional, that Glenmo wares are either uninteresting or plain mediocre, and the punchline of the joke that is Whisky Expert Jim Murray is his repeated exaltation of the distillery's releases. Glenmorangie is a weird distillery - any of their basic bottlings are kind of bland at best, but their Quinta Ruban/Lasanta/other special bottlings are fantastic for their price. I'd still recommend the Glenlivet 15 as a starter, though, as its $50ish price point is a steal in this ever-more-expensive whisky market.
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Mar 13, 2014 17:07
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Devil Wears Wings posted:IIRC bottlings like that Aldi one and the Trader Joe's or Kirkland single-malt scotches are generally barrels from good distilleries that, for whatever reason, didn't pass quality control standards, so an independent bottler buys them up and releases them for a budget price. They're generally a really good value for your money, from what I hear (we don't have them here in PA. You inspired me to take a punt on the bottle. I cracked it open tonight and was pleasantly surprised. As I said, I am no expert on bourbon, so my tasting is unsophisticated. The initial nose was very subtle, with a very slight sweet smell. The taste was very smooth, a lot sweeter tasting than most of the whisky I go for. The after taste was almost like golden syrup. There was no smoke or peat, but a slight buttery taste.  Anyway, I am pretty happy with my purchase and any UK whisky drinkers should get down to their nearest Aldi.
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Mar 13, 2014 23:27
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Kenny Logins posted:Glad to hear the Collingwood 21 year worked out for you because I found their regular bottling to be too maple-y and not particularly worthwhile. Considering it was $55 for a 21yr old, 100% rye I had a hard time resisting trying it.
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Mar 14, 2014 01:29
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My day started with learning my motorcycle had been tipped over by high winds. lovely right. Busted mirror but overall very little damage. On the way home I stop by the ABC store and they had Four Roses Single Barrel, which normally isn't sold here, and it was on sale! I felt like maybe The Fates were offering up an apology.
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Mar 14, 2014 02:35
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What a stroke of luck. Usually I can't find any real bargains on whisky when visiting the neighbouring countries but looks like one of the places I go to sometimes due to my job has HP18 available at a price that out-competes every (non-sketchy) online vendor I've found in Europe. I guess they're behind on the last price hike which is lucky because I'd like some HP18 but I wouldn't want to pay €100 for it. A bit of Aberlour A'Bunadh batch 41. This is a pretty solid batch. Not a divine whisky but one of my constant repurchases, although I admit I go through a bottle slowly as the whisky is such a heavy hitter it's always an end of the night malt unless some fiery peat blaster is brought up after it. I will definitely grab a bottle of the now available batch 47 to compare while I still have some of this left. Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Mar 14, 2014 |
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Mar 14, 2014 22:50
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Today I bought OGD114, Wild Turkey101, Buffalo Trace, and Bulleit Rye. Goddamn OGD is nice. Dirt cheap, full bodied, minimal burn for the proof. Thanks to all who recommended it! It's too sweet to be my everyday bourbon, but goddamn I like it.
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Mar 15, 2014 00:18
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ABC store trip report, brought to you by the highest sin taxes Alabama's legislature can muster! I went in and looked for choices first - spotted OGD, Wild Turkey 101, Red Breast 12 at $65 pre-tax  , and all varieties of Bulleit. Did not see Sazerac or Rittenhouse, but they did have George Dickel.I walked out with Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye for $27 each after some deliberation. I was initially apprehensive because I'd assumed that the Bulleit I'd polished off at the house was the standard bourbon, but it was the 10-year (which isn't terribly bad at $45), and I didn't know how well the standard versions would hold up. The bourbon definitely has more of a bite than its more mature counterpart, but otherwise tastes very similar. The rye is goddamn delicious, as smooth as the more expensive whiskies I've had. I'm not going to do good tasters the disservice of posting my impression of its profile, but wow. As always, very pleased with goon recommendations, much obliged to PatMarshall and others!
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Mar 15, 2014 01:39
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While shopping around at my local Wine & Spirits store this evening I saw that they were having a big sale on Irish whiskey for St. Paddy's, so I decided to pick up a bottle of Tullamore 10 Year Single Malt. On sale for $32. For that price, and because I'm always looking for cheap-but-good drams for my shelf, I decided to take the plunge. Turns out there's some serious TLC put into this stuff. It's alternately been aged - not finished, but aged - in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, ex-madeira, and ex-port casks. Nose: Woody, winey, a bit thin. Definitely get the sherry. A bit of dark fruit from the port, too. Taste: Yep, it's a sherry bomb alright. Hits you right away with big waves of fruit - peaches, cherries, Red Delicious apple - and a bit of golden syrup. Nothing unpleasant, nothing unexpected, but surprisingly refined for its age. Finish: Long for an Irish whiskey. The fruit in the palate gives way to green grapes and some more dark fruit - including a bit of unexpected fig or raisin? - and a bourbon-y oaky quality. Verdict: A steal for the sale price, and even recommended at its usual $40 price point, if you're looking for a cheap sippin' sherry bomb. A big surprise considering I found Tullamore's 12-year blend to be kind of lackluster. Devil Wears Wings fucked around with this message at 05:44 on Mar 15, 2014 |
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Mar 15, 2014 05:42
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WT 101: saying WT arrives on the palate is like saying Hitler arrived in Poland in 39. Completely true, but a gigantic understatement. I like it, but it's a freight train of spice and tingle. Between the OGD 114 and the WT101, my penis is now covered in eagles.
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Mar 15, 2014 22:04
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You should contact OGD and suggest that they update their marketing strategy. 
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Mar 15, 2014 23:20
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 I was feeling a little celebratory and splurged at the liquor store the other day. I had a bottle of the Taketsuru 12 previously, and was really looking forward to trying the 17. It's somewhat woodier than I remember the 12 being, and a bit more bite. I don't really believe in the whole "tasting notes" thing, and I'm generally a terrible describer, but this is drat good. The Barterhouse is definitely the oldest bourbon I've ever had, and way smoother than I expected. Like, weirdly smooth. That said, it's still really full bodied and satisfying. I predict this will disappear quite quickly. The guy at the liquor store talked about this coming out of Stitzel-Weller, which piqued my interest, but I read up a bit on it, and apparently it was just stored there, but was distilled at Bernheim. I'm not nearly enough of a bourbon geek to care too much about that stuff, but I suppose it's just a matter of time. I haven't opened the Eades yet, but it was described to me as being quite spicy (at least compared to their Highland offering), and I'm certainly looking forward to it. I mostly bought it because the guy said they were probably the only place in Chicago that carried it, and the distributor is apparently some guy with a day job who never answers his phone. I like a good story.
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Mar 16, 2014 02:39
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rxcowboy posted:WT 101: saying WT arrives on the palate is like saying Hitler arrived in Poland in 39. Completely true, but a gigantic understatement. I like it, but it's a freight train of spice and tingle.
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Mar 16, 2014 03:54
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Above Our Own posted:I find that Wild Turkey 101 and especially rarebreed are excellent whiskeys to keep in the freezer, and I generally don't prefer to chill my bourbon. It helps bring out the flavor by tempering the high proof I guess. I might do that for company but to be honest the roughness of 101 is part of its charm to me. I really don't understand how the 114 is so drat smooth....
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Mar 16, 2014 04:19
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Chuck Biscuits posted:You should contact OGD and suggest that they update their marketing strategy. It's certainly better then this ... http://theoldswhiskeys.com
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Mar 16, 2014 05:29
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I've de-eagled my cock long enough to review OGD 114. Old Gran-Dad 114 57% ABV Purchased for $21.49 in Maryland Color. Copper. Nose. Ripe fruit, vanilla, light oak, baking spices. A hint of pipe tobacco. Yes, there is an alcohol punch, but at 114 proof and this price it's to be expected. Flowers appear too, honeysuckle in bloom. Palate. Sweet on entry. Vanilla, caramel, some sort of bakery confection. This transitions quickly to a spicy tingle, my tongue felt like it was being hit with tiny sparks, and I mean that in a good way. The rye and oak dominate after a few seconds, with a sort of citrus/orange/acidic fruit note coming on. Good thick body. Finish. Reminiscent of the OGD BIB at this point. Oak, barrel char and a lively mint in the throat. On the tongue though the sweetness comes back for a second round, and it seems to coat my tongue, lips and cheeks. There is an alcohol burn but it pairs in an odd but enjoyable way with the mint in the finish. I wouldn't call it refreshing, but it's far from unpleasant, especially at this proof. Overall 91/100 While this bourbon is a little too strong and sweet to be my preferred every day bourbon, people really need to pay attention to what this bourbon does. It's a high proof bourbon with less burn than many 90 proof spirits I've tasted. It's very sweet without being flabby, especially for it's low price range. It manages to dry during the finish and then reignite the sweetness post swallow to sort of mitigate the burn. It's got a burn, but it's not a "holy poo poo I just drank ratgut" burn, instead it's somehow pleasant. I applaud this bourbon and encourage everyone to try it. If you want something sweet but aren't a fan of wheaters and aren't afraid of the proof, go out and get a bottle. For this price it's sort of a can't lose.
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Mar 16, 2014 09:15
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Texas goons: Balcones is having a release party for their Fifth Anniversary Single Malt this weekend in Waco. 
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Mar 17, 2014 15:50
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langurmonkey posted:You inspired me to take a punt on the bottle. I cracked it open tonight and was pleasantly surprised. As I said, I am no expert on bourbon, so my tasting is unsophisticated. The initial nose was very subtle, with a very slight sweet smell. The taste was very smooth, a lot sweeter tasting than most of the whisky I go for. The after taste was almost like golden syrup. There was no smoke or peat, but a slight buttery taste. I've seen that a lot here in Northern VA and MD. It's some generic bottling that Castle put out after buying the parent of Jefferson's, I think. I like it for the price, but there's nothing distinct really going on.
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Mar 17, 2014 19:32
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I ended up in a Scotch bar in Shibuya last week thst was excellent. I tried Talisker Storm for the first time and my tasting notes could be summed up as buttery popcorn. However, I had several drams before that one and question my judgement. Has anyone tried Storm recently that could confirm this?
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Mar 18, 2014 03:16
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I bought a bottle of W.L Weller Special Reserve bourbon a bit ago and I've enjoyed it. It's very smooth, cheap, and tasted great no matter if I tried it mixed, straight, or on the rocks.
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Mar 18, 2014 06:07
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Marshall Louis posted:I ended up in a Scotch bar in Shibuya last week thst was excellent. I tried Talisker Storm for the first time and my tasting notes could be summed up as buttery popcorn. However, I had several drams before that one and question my judgement. Has anyone tried Storm recently that could confirm this? This is what I wrote about a 3cl sample I got last autumn: "The new Talisker Storm is a dram of pepper and beer with a bit of liquorice. Recognizably pungent Talisker peat, some faint coastal vibes (kinda non-saline for a storm), remnants of the Talisker 10 sweetness. IIRC the 10yo has a deeper colour, this is somewhere between maize and gold. Sootball mouthfeel, as if the Talisker peat had decided to materialize here and rake the tongue while passing. Worth the price it retails for but I'm not certain the addition to the product line was entirely necessary." From other tasting notes I've noticed that saltiness has also been detected by others. I'm not certain I can agree with my own comment about the Storm's price now as it seems to be more expensive than the 10yo.
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Mar 18, 2014 11:24
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Finally picked up some Old Grand Dad BiB and holy poo poo. The sweetness is very muted compared to other bourbons and the proof gives it just a just a bit of spiciness without an alcohol burn. Easily my new favorite bourbon at this price. Also split a bottle of Laphroaig 18 (paid literally half of retail anywhere outside of PA, state store does something useful for once) with some friends and will cracking that open this weekend. Can't loving wait.
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Mar 21, 2014 00:52
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ChickenArise posted:I've seen that a lot here in Northern VA and MD. It's some generic bottling that Castle put out after buying the parent of Jefferson's, I think. I like it for the price, but there's nothing distinct really going on. As an intro to bourbon it worked really well - gone already! Now I am looking for some new ones to try. I hear that Makers Mark is pretty good for a mass market brand, any other suggestions?
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Mar 21, 2014 01:15
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I've tried to like whiskey and whisky and bourbon. I've tried jack, evan, old crow (oh god), knob creek, woodford reserve, etc. I can't take em straight. To finish the bottle, I always mix em with coke. However, Jameson is my drink. I can have it neat, I can mix it with ginger ale, I just like it. Is there another Irish whiskey I might like more?
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Mar 21, 2014 01:34
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nwin posted:I've tried to like whiskey and whisky and bourbon. I've tried jack, evan, old crow (oh god), knob creek, woodford reserve, etc. I can't take em straight. To finish the bottle, I always mix em with coke. I've been drinking 2Gingers lately. Give it a try if you can find it locally.
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Mar 21, 2014 01:42
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RedBreast. It's a bit pricier but easily my favorite Irish whiskey now
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Mar 21, 2014 02:18
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nwin posted:I've tried to like whiskey and whisky and bourbon. I've tried jack, evan, old crow (oh god), knob creek, woodford reserve, etc. I can't take em straight. To finish the bottle, I always mix em with coke. I strongly prefer Tullamore Dew to Jameson, sweeter, smoother.
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Mar 21, 2014 02:29
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:I strongly prefer Tullamore Dew to Jameson, sweeter, smoother. I have this thing goin' on too. I mean Jameson's aged offerings are different but if you're comparing the base stuff, Tullamore is sweeter, smoother, and a couple bucks cheaper. I have done some fine cooking with the stuff too. Also Balvenie Caribbean Cask is so hard to drink because I can't get past the smelling. SO GOOD
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Mar 21, 2014 03:07
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langurmonkey posted:As an intro to bourbon it worked really well - gone already! Now I am looking for some new ones to try. I hear that Makers Mark is pretty good for a mass market brand, any other suggestions? Along those lines/prices (imo generally sweeter bourbons that aren't cloying), I'd recommend trying Bulleit (NOT the rye) and maybe Eagle Rare, both of which are readily available. Smooth Ambler Old Scout also seems to get around and it has a really noticeable rye character that I like. Maker's is a fine enough whisky (arguably, I suppose), but it's a bit too sweet for me and doesn't really have the flavors I tend to seek out.
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Mar 21, 2014 03:17
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Think the bottle pictured below will taste differently from the modern version of Crown Royal? 
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Mar 21, 2014 04:56
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nwin posted:However, Jameson is my drink. I can have it neat, I can mix it with ginger ale, I just like it. Is there another Irish whiskey I might like more? It sounds like you just don't care much for bourbon. For something better, I recommended Tullamore 10 single malt a few posts back - it's basically Irish whiskey kicked up a couple of notches. door Door door posted:Finally picked up some Old Grand Dad BiB and holy poo poo. The sweetness is very muted compared to other bourbons and the proof gives it just a just a bit of spiciness without an alcohol burn. Easily my new favorite bourbon at this price. Also split a bottle of Laphroaig 18 (paid literally half of retail anywhere outside of PA, state store does something useful for once) with some friends and will cracking that open this weekend. Can't loving wait. Yeah, PA is weird for liquor purchases. Half of everything is ridiculously expensive and the other half is somehow quite reasonably priced.
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Mar 21, 2014 15:37
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So i am going down to Kentucky for bowling green AMs, a really big 4 day disc golf tourney. And was wondering what to hunt for if i hit up a liquor store down there. I love my smokey islay stuff but am down for whatever
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Mar 21, 2014 21:01
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| # ? Jun 7, 2024 02:57 |
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Devil Wears Wings posted:Yeah, PA is weird for liquor purchases. Half of everything is ridiculously expensive and the other half is somehow quite reasonably priced. It's because they charge the wholesale cost plus a flat markup, instead of charging the market rate. So on cheap booze, you pay more in PA because that flat markup ends up being more than the normal market rate would be. On expensive booze, that markup is way less than the normal market rate would be; you're getting the product at darn near wholesale price.
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Mar 21, 2014 21:16
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