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Testro posted:Ah yeah, I should've elaborated! Good question - I think it's just...bland. There's no real depth to it, no decent finish. Islay and Islands were my first foray into scotch, but I drink just as much Speyside these days - so my criticism isn't because it's not a peat monster or anything like that. I am enjoying my first dram of HP12 right now and I think it‘s exactly how I imagined it from descriptions - kind of a standard / basic whisky which doesn‘t go too much in any direction. Perfect as a kind of baseline for a beginner I think. I don‘t taste any smoke at all, rather some oak or something. Anyway it‘s a strong contender for a purchase of a whole bottle after I am done with the 10cl I have here. I‘ve had some Talisker 10yo yesterday and I didn‘t like it as much as I‘d hoped. Gonna give it a try later today though. Also my awesome wife wanted to support me in my new hobby and bought me a whisky out of the blue - Suntory Toki. I didn‘t like it much at first but I am getting used to it. It‘s a blended whisky and it tastes kind of harsh if that‘s the right word. But it‘s nice and fruity too. E.: Yeah I am not a big fan of the Talisker 10 - it has some soapy kind of taste that I really can‘t tolerate. A real pity but now I am happy that I didn‘t buy a whole bottle. Neco fucked around with this message at 20:41 on Jan 31, 2020 |
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Jan 31, 2020 20:20
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How are you drinking the toki? I don't enjoy it straight but have found it to be quite nice in a highball.
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Jan 31, 2020 22:36
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I always drink straight - I guess that might change in the summer!
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Feb 1, 2020 00:22
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Toki tastes like gussied up moonshine imo. I got some "Time and Oak" sticks for christmas and stuck one in the Toki, and after a month it tastes like... Decent Scotch.
Automata 10 Pack fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Feb 1, 2020 |
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Feb 1, 2020 02:00
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Holy poo poo Buffalo trace is really good. I’ve tried basil Hayden as my first go to but drat this is nice.
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Feb 1, 2020 02:00
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I also stuck one into a "Jim Beam Devil's Cut" bottle for science It's been a month and I haven't tried the result yet. I imagine the oak taste is going to kill me, it was almost nigh intolerable without the stick.
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Feb 1, 2020 02:01
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I bought a bottle of Old Forester Statesman tonight. Let's have a glass and see if I pissed away money. E: sweet up front, mild taste probably for a more sophisticated palate in the middle and holy gently caress it's boozy at the end. It's good, but I probably wouldn't drop 55 bucks on it again. No Butt Stuff fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Feb 1, 2020 |
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Feb 1, 2020 04:20
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For a tie in to a lovely movie, that bottle is everywhere. I’m trying to play the long game and wait until the stores say “gently caress it” and put it on clearance.
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Feb 1, 2020 04:35
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Odd Mutant posted:For a tie in to a lovely movie, that bottle is everywhere. I’m trying to play the long game and wait until the stores say “gently caress it” and put it on clearance. Hahahaha, gently caress. I did not make the connection to the movie. Whatever. After adding an ice cube and letting it sit for a few, it's much better.
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Feb 1, 2020 04:39
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Also my Woodman’s will have like, errant bottles behind the counter that you actually have to look through odd angles for. And you’ll look like a crazy person trying to scope them out. But you may anyways because they’ll sometimes have a spare bottle of, say, Nikka Coffey Malt for $53 or what I found today: Jack Daniels Heritage Barrel for $55. Which is really good, oh my god. Fantastic sweetness at the forefront that quickly shifts to a satisfying pepperiness. How the gently caress does a Jack Daniels end up becoming this good?
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Feb 1, 2020 04:50
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Odd Mutant posted:Also my Woodman’s will have like, errant bottles behind the counter that you actually have to look through odd angles for. And you’ll look like a crazy person trying to scope them out. But you may anyways because they’ll sometimes have a spare bottle of, say, Nikka Coffey Malt for $53 or what I found today: Jack Daniels Heritage Barrel for $55. I’ve wanted to try one of those heritage barrels! The jack Daniels single barrel barrel proof is a very very solid bourbon if you’re looking for another good jack. I did a flight with the jack, Elijah Craig barrel proof, and George T Stagg and honesty the jack was an easy number two for me. And honestly, it held up to the GTS pretty well. I opened up a new bottle of Glendronach 15 tonight and it’s lovely.
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Feb 1, 2020 06:38
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In my quest to try lovely bottom self whiskeys I bought some Ezra Brooks rye. It's not bad or good. It's sort of just amber stuff that fills a bottle and doesn't taste like rye.
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Feb 4, 2020 04:18
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huh, sounds like ive had tequilla that tastes more like whiskey than that
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Feb 4, 2020 05:20
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Grabbed a 1792 Full Proof, EH Taylor Straight Rye, and Old Forester 1910 last night. I think I'm going to buy more high proof whiskeys.
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Feb 4, 2020 22:48
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Quiet Feet posted:In my quest to try lovely bottom self whiskeys I bought some Ezra Brooks rye. Watered down 2 YO MGP rye, bought it once. Once.
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Feb 4, 2020 23:41
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Wouldn't say bottom shelf but if you want a cheap rye that punches higher than its price Old Forrester rye is a steal.
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Feb 5, 2020 20:23
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Old Overholt is good at 16 bucks but the bonded is 19 so idk if that qualifies, but I've made some great drinks with them.
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Feb 5, 2020 21:41
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Rittenhouse Rye BiB is excellent and cheap.
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Feb 6, 2020 23:09
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Carillon posted:Old Overholt is good at 16 bucks but the bonded is 19 so idk if that qualifies, but I've made some great drinks with them. Old overholt is a fantastic mixing rye. Would love to try the bonded.
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Feb 7, 2020 04:51
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mentalcontempt posted:Rittenhouse Rye BiB is excellent and cheap. Yeah, I finally bought a bottle months ago, and I'm impressed by how good it is. Really nice spicy rye flavour. I just wish the LCBO would sell it for less than $50.
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Feb 7, 2020 18:50
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mojo1701a posted:Yeah, I finally bought a bottle months ago, and I'm impressed by how good it is. Really nice spicy rye flavour. I just wish the LCBO would sell it for less than $50. christ, what? it’s like $22 here
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Feb 7, 2020 19:50
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People who horde whiskey are so loving lame.
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Feb 7, 2020 19:52
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I grabbed a few more bottles that I'm working through tasting. Basil Hayden's 10 year was loving trash, especially for 60 bucks. Old Forester 1910 is exceptional.
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Feb 7, 2020 20:40
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I tried Old Overholt a while ago and was pretty  on it but I'll give Forrester a go. First ever rye I tried was Dickel and nothing has been quite as good. Of course it's also the most expensive rye I've bought (not that it's really expensive) soooo 
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Feb 8, 2020 03:36
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I prefer the 1920 over the 1910 but they're both unique enough and solid bottles
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Feb 8, 2020 03:42
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Neco posted:E.: Yeah I am not a big fan of the Talisker 10 - it has some soapy kind of taste that I really can‘t tolerate. A real pity but now I am happy that I didn‘t buy a whole bottle. Quoting myself here to say that I like the Talsiker 10yo now - somehow the soap taste is gone (yes the glass was clean before too!). Looks like I need to learn to like some of the more „complicated“ whiskys. That‘s awesome because it‘s the same with good music. I didn‘t like the Ardbeg 10yo at first - not that it was too smoky but the smoke was too detached from the rest of the flavors, so to speak. Now I like it too. It‘s 40€ here however compared to the Talisker 10yo‘s 30€ and I am a cheap bastard and I don‘t know whether the difference in price is worth it for me.
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Feb 10, 2020 10:47
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New Riff’s Single Barrel is surprisingly good for something not terribly old. I think 4RSB is still better for the price, but something I’d certainly consider picking up again. Old Bardstown BiB was a bit of a let down tbh.
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Feb 11, 2020 04:45
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sanaig is legit & good more at 11
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Feb 11, 2020 05:07
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So I finally decided to get serious about my interest in scotch and other brown liquors, so I’ve started a little collection and have been tasting and writing down thoughts the last few days. Working through Babby’s First Scotch (or, “All The Wee Babby Whiskys”) collection I grabbed a Glenfiddich 12, a Macallan 12 Sherry Oak Cask, and a Highland Park 12. Day 1 I did initial tastings of all three, starting out with my mom’s favorite as an initial point of comparison: the Trader Joe’s $10 blended scotch whiskey. Surprisingly, I actually think the nose of the TJ’s is a decently complex scotch, it’s just reaaaaal sharp and has absolutely no finish to it at all. After sampling that, my order was Glenfiddich -> Macallan -> Highland Park. On this initial tasting, I found the Glenfiddich really light and airy, with strong vanilla notes and tons of smoothness. The Macallan was my favorite of the day; I don’t think I’ve ever had a fully “let’s embrace the sherry” scotch before and I’m excited to explore more (especially since I’ve read that the Macallan is maybe TOO much sherry and that there are subtler sherry notes to be found out there). I was really hoping to like the Highland Park, but it felt a little too chemically smoky and salty for me after the Macallan. H*O*W*E*V*E*R* I’ve returned to each solo on subsequent days and it’s like drinking completely different scotches! Tonight I had some of the Macallan and then followed it up with the Glenfiddich. I’m still really enjoying the Macallan, and I think I’m understanding the sherry complaint. But the Glenfiddich as a follow up is REALLY opening up for me this evening. I think it perhaps isn’t complex enough up front for me (see the TJ’s scotch above :v ) and is maybe a bit TOO sweet overall, but I am really enjoying the finish. It leaves a really enjoyable mouth feel and tasting profile. I’m curious to explore some more scotches at this price range to find something that could be a cheaper “daily” go to. I went with the Highland Park yesterday on its own and it was real nice, less salt and chemicals which let the peat come through more naturally. I think it will be a good point of comparison as I move forward exploring the peat end of things, but this is a whole new world for me, so I don’t really know what I’m talking about. My other issue is that as much as I am enjoying the Macallan, I was surprised at it being $65 locally ( Bay Area, CA). I have a memory of grabbing some kind of Macallan variant in the $35 range a few years ago, so either things have changed or my scotch memory is unreliable (which is probably the case; I thought I had had the rye version of the Highland Park 12 at my local bar on Thursday but that apparently doesn’t exist and I was a few drinks in at that point, so I need to take a peek and figure out what the gently caress I had this Thursday when I’m there again). That feels hard to justify drinking regularly, but I feel like it’s a great launching off point. My next steps I think are going to be... *exploring the world of more sherry leaning scotches to find something that is either more affordable than the Macallan or more worth slowly drinking at the price tag *grabbing a bottle of Caol Ila 12 Year because I understand that’s the “so you want to figure out if you like peat huh??” scotch of choice *returning to Auchentoshan 12, as that’s a scotch I really enjoyed and I want to see how it fares against everything else now! And hopefully finding some new things to explore thanks to recommendations in this thread! If anyone has strong opinions of where I should go next or why the TJ’s blend should only be used to strip paint, let me know! Thank you for coming to my TED talk. P.S. I finished my glass of Glenfiddich while writing this and I’m gone see how stepping back from that to the Highland Park goes. Wish me luck! Quidthulhu fucked around with this message at 08:33 on Feb 11, 2020 |
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Feb 11, 2020 08:14
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poo poo. I'm going to a whisky tasting tomorrow and I still have this lingering cough I've had for two weeks. Any suggestions as to how to enjoy myself without hating everything in existence?
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Feb 11, 2020 13:23
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Hauki posted:christ, what? it’s like $22 here I know. The exchange rate isn't even that bad. They're just overpricing American whiskey for some reason. Friend of mine who lived in Virginia used to buy Laphroaig QC, and it was around the same price there as it is here.
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Feb 11, 2020 17:20
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silvergoose posted:poo poo. I'm going to a whisky tasting tomorrow and I still have this lingering cough I've had for two weeks. fire up with some actove decongestant (like vicks nasal spray) before and clean out your sinuses the best you can. good luck.
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Feb 11, 2020 20:53
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SpookyLizard posted:fire up with some actove decongestant (like vicks nasal spray) before and clean out your sinuses the best you can. good luck. Such stuff doesn't react to alcohol? I know DayQuil is a no... Thanks.
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Feb 11, 2020 21:01
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No, the nasal spray stuff is to treat the symptom, not the cause. Vicks Sinex is the name brand, but i usually get the sltore brand in plastic bottles. it just clears out your nose, doesnt do any thing else.
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Feb 11, 2020 23:01
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Wow, I am really enjoying EH Taylor small batch. I wish I could reliably find this where I live. I was kind of hoping I would think it was over hyped but that didn't happen. Now I know the truth. 
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Feb 13, 2020 02:46
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Quidthulhu posted:And hopefully finding some new things to explore thanks to recommendations in this thread! If anyone has strong opinions of where I should go next or why the TJ’s blend should only be used to strip paint, let me know! The TJs blend is a little sweeter than I like, but for $10 I can't argue. Also at TJs: Try the Lismore ! It has a better finish and is has a nicely spicy flavor. See if they have any of the Holiday purchase of the 15 and 18 year Lismores, if they do they're terrific whiskeys for the price they have them at. They also might have some of the Abercrombie 13 yer cask strength. My TJs regularly has a 12 year double wood Balvenie that is very tasty, and usually has a Macallan or two. The 10 year fine oak Macallan is a little rough for the price, but still tasty. They also have a few Highlands at 8 and 10 years, and a pair of un-aged expressions in your choice of brandy or rum casks. I favor the rum cask and the 10 year. Once I finish cleaning them out of the Abercrombie (I have two unopened bottles already), I'll branch out into their top shelf bottles that I haven't tried.
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Feb 13, 2020 03:12
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It's awful and definitely dont try any of the others  
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Feb 13, 2020 03:20
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Okay so that whisky/e tasting was today, my cough somehow didn't bother me until afterwards. Tastes were in pairs for mostly good reasons. Glendronach 15 revival was good but I think I just like scotches more peaty. Old Forester 1897 bib was great, I love bottled in bond, very caramel and smooth. Makers Mark 46 was fine but unremarkable like I find most Maker's Mark I guess. Compass box spice tree was good, especially the nose. These two were oak stave/head linked. Glenmorangie signet was not my thing at all, I dunno what was up with it, just tasted meh. Mad River rye was super cool, my favorite of the night, didn't really taste spicy but these were linked by chocolate malted, so that's understandable. Not mgp rye. Completely new taste to me.
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Feb 13, 2020 04:50
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Gravitee posted:It's awful and definitely dont try any of the others Man I'm lucky to have small batch and straight rye. Look at this.
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Feb 13, 2020 05:36
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| # ? May 9, 2024 08:25 |
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Quidthulhu posted:
There are a few different ‘styles’ of peated whisky, and from Islay they tend to fall into one of two catagories: heavier or lighter. I’d put Caol Ila on the lighter side of the spectrum, it’s a less oily spirit that displays a little more finesse than the heavier spirit from say Lagavulin or Laphroaig. Most of the younger/cheaper expressions you’ll get will be aged in ex-Bourbon barrels, which to my taste suits Caol Ila fine. If you can grab a Laphroaig PX you’ll see the other end of the barrel options - a very sweet sherried expression which often works well with that really oily, heavy peated spirit. I’d also recommend trying Edradour Caledonia, Ben Nevis 10 and Arran 10 as a good look at a few different unpeated styles. These are all smaller distilleries that are known for being a bit outside of the mainstream.
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Feb 15, 2020 21:12
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