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sean10mm posted:New Riff Backsetter? spankmeister posted:Not a bourbon but I would recommend Balcones Single Malt. If you like Octomore their Brimstone might be right up your alley too. Most excellent recommendations, these were definitely not on my radar and after reading some reviews, these flavor notes sound tasty. I'd like to pick up some bottles to try
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Jan 21, 2023 23:02
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Data Graham posted:I want to be able to sip something and go "oh yeah, that's a W.B. Saffell" or "That's Four Roses, I'd recognize it anywhere" I'm guessing someone like Fred Minnick might be able to do this for Bourbon, but there are definitely several people capable of doing this for Scotch. It's certainly possible to train on it, if that's what you want. At one of the whisky festivals I go to they used to have a blind tasting contest. One particular guy won consecutively like three years running. It can be a lot easier if: a) the list of all samples is given to you beforehand, essentially turning it into a multiple choice quiz rather than a fill-in-the-blank quiz, and b) you can drink sample 1, then sample 2, then go back to sample 1, etc.
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Jan 23, 2023 01:06
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A lot of my friend group can tell the blend on blind tastes. MGP and BT and all that. I’ve never paid that much attention, but it’s certainly possible.
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Jan 23, 2023 01:47
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A good way to train your palate is to drink in a group or watch a video of some of the good whiskey-youtubers tasting the same bottle you are and compare tasting notes Proof is usually the easiest to narrow down, but you can start to pick apart the differences between distilleries, or tell whether something is aged longer or shorter, has a finish, etc. with enough practice If you want to see how people do it - ADHD whiskey and Drums & Drams are very good at guessing blind pours (type of whiskey, proof, age, distillery) but guessing the exact bottle on top of that is incredibly hard unless it's something very unique. Comparatively, the Bourbon Junkies are terrible at it. ADHD does his blind advent calendar every year and this year nailed nearly every sample, where they're all over the place and rarely even close. ADHD also held a "Matt Madness" tournament for 2 years where it's basically turned into a competition. Deceptive Thinker fucked around with this message at 02:27 on Jan 23, 2023 |
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Jan 23, 2023 02:23
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I took some time today to put the Willett Pot Still Reserve head to head with Four Roses, and the Willett is definitely a lot more molasses-y/brown-sugary. Whereas 4R is sharper, maybe more herbal, puts me less in mind of Christmas cookies and more of cigars in a dim bar. Dunno if I'd ever be able to identify either one in isolation, but at least I'm getting the distinctiveness.
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Jan 23, 2023 03:02
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Data Graham posted:I want to be able to sip something and go "oh yeah, that's a W.B. Saffell" or "That's Four Roses, I'd recognize it anywhere" It’s entirely possible. You just have to be an alcoholic to do it as a hobby. Sommelier’s usually get training…do whiskies have an equivalent, or is it just “taster?”
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Jan 23, 2023 05:11
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Tried Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof for the first time at a bar yesterday. I've had regular JDSB before and the BP is really loving good. Reminded me of Weller Full Proof and even Stagg with nice sweetness up front, excellent heat, and smooth throughout. 9.5/10. edit: Apparently one of the ABCs near me has stock? Hoooly gently caress cannot wait for 10am store opening. Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 12:20 on Jan 23, 2023 |
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Jan 23, 2023 12:06
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I mean, I don't want to dedicate my life to it or anything. I was just getting the impression that everybody in threads like this is able to do it just sort of casually. Or like in movies where people are like "it has to be a Chateau Meteyer 1959 or the whole meal is ruined, I refuse to let aught else pass my lips"
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Jan 23, 2023 12:07
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Josh Lyman posted:Tried Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof for the first time at a bar yesterday. I've had regular JDSB before and the BP is really loving good. Reminded me of Weller Full Proof and even Stagg with nice sweetness up front, excellent heat, and smooth throughout. 9.5/10. The secret is slowly getting out with these and any store picks are usually quick sell outs But, like Rare Breed/Russell's and ECBP (and unlike Weller FP or Stagg) they're usually able to keep up demand with the non-picks and you can find them on shelves
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Jan 23, 2023 12:54
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DerekSmartymans posted:It’s entirely possible. You just have to be an alcoholic to do it as a hobby. Sommelier’s usually get training…do whiskies have an equivalent, or is it just “taster?” Master distillers get this type of training. If you can’t identify which flavors and scents you’re after, how are you gonna change your process to produce em?
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Jan 23, 2023 13:18
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Josh Lyman posted:Tried Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof for the first time at a bar yesterday. I've had regular JDSB before and the BP is really loving good. Reminded me of Weller Full Proof and even Stagg with nice sweetness up front, excellent heat, and smooth throughout. 9.5/10. 
Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 02:22 on Jan 24, 2023 |
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Jan 24, 2023 02:19
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Dr. Lunchables posted:Master distillers get this type of training. If you can’t identify which flavors and scents you’re after, how are you gonna change your process to produce em? “Master distillers” is the term I was searching for, thank you. I wonder if they can train anyone, or if you have to have some nebulous “aptitude” like a composer born with perfect pitch? I just want to drink Scotch for a living, get Chrissakes…
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Jan 24, 2023 02:26
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I’ve heard that people with very sensitive senses of smell are highly sought after in the world of spices and flavorings, and also perfumes. They still need to be trained. I have a very sensitive nose and can smell things others cannot, but it would still take me a long time to catch different aromatics and differentiate them, and even longer to know what they mean in the distillation process. As an aside, a senior scientist I used to work at was previously employed with McCormick spices, and worked with one of their super smellers. He said the smeller was able to detect things that were below the resolution of their standard GCs, but were confirmed on more advanced instruments. I guess what I’m saying is, keep a whiskey journal, try to differentiate notes. Speak with a distiller or a flavor profiler during a distillery tour and ask for tips. You might be able to do something with it if you’re dedicated.
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Jan 24, 2023 03:35
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So I'm normally a lower shelf kinda guy but treated myself to some Ironroot Harbinger 115 this week. And boy howdy, that's really good stuff. Very thick and rich and smells good. I don't really have words for this stuff, but man it's nice.
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Jan 27, 2023 16:57
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Josh Lyman posted:First bottle of JDSBBP, first time trying Knob Creek Single Barrel. I paid $70 and $60, respectively. This JDSBBP isn’t as good as the pour I tried on Saturday, but also I was tired and drunk then. Only an 8.5/10. The Knob Creek somehow tasted thin for 120 proof and didn’t have the nuttiness I was looking for but did have some rye spice, 8/10. They’re good but also I was hoping for more. JDSBBP is a great bottle. Not as sure it’s clearly better than OF1920 and Rare Breed but the variation is interesting.
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Jan 28, 2023 08:39
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DerekSmartymans posted:“Master distillers” is the term I was searching for, thank you. I wonder if they can train anyone, or if you have to have some nebulous “aptitude” like a composer born with perfect pitch? I just want to drink Scotch for a living, get Chrissakes… There's no license or exam required to become a master distiller. People that simply enjoy drinking whisky sometimes start distilleries as passion projects. Granted, starting a whisky distillery is at least 5x the startup cost of a gin distillery, but for some people money isn't an issue. Realistically though, you don't just walk into a distillery and get a job as a master distiller no matter how sensitive you think your nose is. You might start in product control or something and work your way up the ladder. For Scotch and Japanese "Master Blender" is arguably a more important job from a nasal perspective because malt whisky distilleries can't simply do single cask releases, and only single cask releases. It's just not feasible, unless of course they can afford to lose like ~$5 million when their distillery fails. At major distilleries. You become a master blender by busting your rear end for decades, working across various aspects of production and scrubbing the hell out of the inside of pot stills. At some point you might graduate from working on the production floor to working in the blending room. Then you'll become a junior blender and hopefully learn something from the master blender. Then, you can finally kiss eating spicy food, chewing gum, drinking heavily etc. goodbye. As for training. Things like this do exist but I can't vouch for how well they work. https://aromaster.com/product/the-most-complete-whisky-aroma-collection/ In my case, I think there's no reason to try and re-invent the wheel. Especially because there literally is already a wheel https://malt-review.com/2015/09/10/whisky-flavour-wheels-and-colour-charts/ When you're just starting, try and pick out a category (feinty, fruity, peaty, etc) rather than try and pick out the difference between poo poo like "plastic bucket" and "garden hose." If you have trouble figuring out where a given dram might fall on the spectrum of those categories (i.e. "is this peaty? okay, but how peaty"), put a few drams side-by-side and compare them directly for each category. It also helps to have a framework that you use consistently to record your notes. This is exactly what WSET offers, originally invented for wine but it's applicable to spirits as well. Similar to how you make better progress by recording your lift stats at the gym, you'll make better progress recording your notes for drinking. https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/wset-systematic-approach-to-tasting-sat/
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Jan 31, 2023 04:50
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zmcnulty posted:There's no license or exam required to become a master distiller. People that simply enjoy drinking whisky sometimes start distilleries as passion projects. Granted, starting a whisky distillery is at least 5x the startup cost of a gin distillery, but for some people money isn't an issue. Thanks for this! It was a very interesting read and answered some “back of the mind” questions I didn’t know I had!
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Feb 1, 2023 18:16
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Maybe a dumb question, but what is the point of Baker's 7 when Knob Creek single barrels from the same distillery are older and higher proof? Are the Baker's supposed to be "nicer" cherry-picked barrels or something, or is it just a worse product?
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Feb 2, 2023 03:34
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sean10mm posted:Maybe a dumb question, but what is the point of Baker's 7 when Knob Creek single barrels from the same distillery are older and higher proof? Are the Baker's supposed to be "nicer" cherry-picked barrels or something, or is it just a worse product? Not everyone wants 120 proof products. These people are mistaken, but they exist.
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Feb 2, 2023 06:04
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stratego posted:Not everyone wants 120 proof products. 
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Feb 2, 2023 18:41
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I once made the mistake of buying a Basil Hayden. It's so goddamn anemic at 40abv
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Feb 2, 2023 18:54
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Oregoons who have been entering the rare bourbon raffle like me and not winning, there might be a reason for that: https://www.opb.org/article/2023/02/13/bourbon-oregon-olcc-steve-marks-resign/?outputType=amp
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Feb 14, 2023 05:24
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I have zero doubt the same thing happens in many states, including mine.
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Feb 17, 2023 06:04
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Lowness 72 posted:Do I like the taste of the bourbon and/or how "hot" does it taste vs. how much is a bottle and how easy is it to find? This seems crazy to me when I just bought a bottle of Eagle Rare in the UK for £30 gbp /36$ US from a supermarket.
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Feb 19, 2023 22:37
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I had a bottle of Angels Envy shipped to a buddy in England and it cost me $65 total. I just saw a bottle at costco in the United States of FREEDOM and it was loving $80. Bourbon prices are insane. That said, Michigan state minimum also went up on stuff like imported irish. Yellow Spot is now $125 a bottle. I guess I need to go pick one up before the price goes up more, wtf.
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Feb 19, 2023 22:45
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Dr. Lunchables posted:I had a bottle of Angels Envy shipped to a buddy in England and it cost me $65 total. I just saw a bottle at costco in the United States of FREEDOM and it was loving $80. Bourbon prices are insane. Yellow spot is fantastic, but that's some rough pricing, drat.
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Feb 19, 2023 23:08
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I felt ok paying $100 for yellow spot, but if it climbs any more I don’t think I can justify it as a “cheaper replacement for Red Spot.” This must also mean that blue spot is like $140 now too. 
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Feb 19, 2023 23:27
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Good lord they are taking the piss on those prices. Speaking of which I tried Pappy 15 for the first time at the weekend, and much to my annoyance, really liked it.
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Feb 20, 2023 09:17
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Pappy 15 was always a good whiskey, unlike some other bottles that became overhyped. It's kind of like the OG of hype bottles?Dr. Lunchables posted:I felt ok paying $100 for yellow spot, but if it climbs any more I don’t think I can justify it as a “cheaper replacement for Red Spot.” Have you tried Power's John's lane 12yo?
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Feb 20, 2023 09:39
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Spuckuk posted:Good lord they are taking the piss on those prices. The issue that most people have with Pappy is that it's good but impossible to find and thus isn't necessarily worth the hype. It's underpriced in the current market at SRP, but secondary and on-the-shelf retail pricing is ridiculous which is driven by scarcity/brand recognition over quality. $120 MSRP with a secondary value of $2k, while other bottles in the same caliber from other distilleries are in the $150-300 MSRP range and don't typically resell for more than double the SRP. Would I rather have 1 bottle of Pappy or 5, 10, 20? other good/great bottles?
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Feb 20, 2023 17:36
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Dr. Lunchables posted:I had a bottle of Angels Envy shipped to a buddy in England and it cost me $65 total. I just saw a bottle at costco in the United States of FREEDOM and it was loving $80. Bourbon prices are insane. Was it the bourbon or the rye you saw at 80? For the rye that would be MSRP but highway robbery for the bourbon.
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Feb 20, 2023 18:40
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I grabbed a cheap bottle of OGD 114 to infuse a thing, and this is a lot better than I assumed for the $17 I paid. I never had it before, but this is surprisingly complex.
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Feb 20, 2023 19:35
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spankmeister posted:Have you tried Power's John's lane 12yo? Not yet, but you’re not the first to mention it. Needs to go on the list I guess Horn posted:Was it the bourbon or the rye you saw at 80? For the rye that would be MSRP but highway robbery for the bourbon. I honestly don’t remember. Costco doesn’t have to sell at state min, but they usually do. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt here.
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Feb 20, 2023 22:27
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Was surprised to see a bottle of Sazerac Rye for $29.99 instead of an empty space labeled $50+ and bought it. It's nice! Has a fruit note (cherry?) along with the usual vanilla + rye spice.
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Feb 21, 2023 04:56
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Found a shop that had restocked Nikka from the Barrel and snapped one up. Excited, it's been a few years since I had this one, even if I still miss the days it was less than fifty bucks.
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Feb 21, 2023 07:34
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How does From The Barrel compare to the Coffee Grain? The Coffee Grain was on of my favorite bottles fresh. It mellowed a bit too much for my taste after I opened it, but I still consider tracking down other Nikka expressions.
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Feb 21, 2023 16:28
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Nikka from the barrel is a blended world whisky that contains Japanese (probably Miyagikyo grain whisky) and scotch (mostly Ben Nevis, probably some others) and maybe whisky from other countries as well. These are educated guesses because the recipe is undisclosed. Coffey Grain is a fully Japanese product, a grain whisky, and also from Miyagikyo distillery (this is disclosed by Nikka). So the difference is that one is a blended world whisky, in the style of a blended scotch, and the other is a Japanese Single Grain. I wouldn't go so far to say that if you like one, you'll like the other, because they're different things. But Nikka from the barrel is good whisky, and worth a try regardless. spankmeister fucked around with this message at 16:39 on Feb 21, 2023 |
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Feb 21, 2023 16:37
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sean10mm posted:Was surprised to see a bottle of Sazerac Rye for $29.99 instead of an empty space labeled $50+ and bought it. Saz is tasty, but it still blows my mind at the prices it carries sometimes. That used to be my standard cocktail rye back when it was easily available.
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Feb 21, 2023 18:11
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spankmeister posted:
Definitely this. NftB is very very different from coffey grain. First, it's got some peat to it. Not like an Islay, but it's there. Second, it's quite a bit more brusque and hot, even if watered down to the same level of alcohol. It's much burlier than the stereotype of a light, subtle, floral oak led Japanese whiskey, with darker notes and more fruit, caramel, and the like prominence.
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Feb 22, 2023 08:54
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spankmeister posted:Nikka from the barrel is a blended world whisky that contains Japanese (probably Miyagikyo grain whisky) and scotch (mostly Ben Nevis, probably some others) and maybe whisky from other countries as well. These are educated guesses because the recipe is undisclosed. Ahh I see, appreciate the info here! I'm very ignorant on Japanese whisky as a whole. I did a bunch of reading on the coffee grain when I got the bottle, but hadn't looked into From the Barrel at all.
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Feb 22, 2023 19:47
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