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mod sassinator posted:Yeah don't use maple syrup--although that might be interesting to experiment with in other drinks. Bring a cup or two of water to simmer or low boil and pour in an equal amounts of sugar, turn off the heat and stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Let it cool and store it in a bottle--I like to use a plastic squeeze bottle like this and keep it stored in the fridge. I need to get this and some bitters. mod sassinator posted:Here's a good drink you could try with your whiskey, an old fashioned: Now I want an old fashioned  Now that I've watched a few youtubes about making an old fashioned it seems there is no standard way to make one and everyone comments on how the bitter's bottle's label doesn't fit on the bottle. Is there a story behind that? Even Maddow has a youtube on how to make an old fashioned. What is the lowdown on using expensive drinks for cocktails? Is there any reason to use say Black Label JW rather than Red Label JW for a cocktail? Troll Bridgington posted:Having fresh fruit (lemons and limes) and herbs (mint) around is a good idea as well. I'm thinking of getting some oranges, lemons and limes. What sort of drinks would I use mint in?
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Mar 2, 2013 20:26
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Mint julep, mojito, mai tai, for example.
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Mar 2, 2013 20:41
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Use turbinado(raw) sugar for simple syrup, it provides a much better flavor than regular sugar. I also keep a bottle of simple syrup in the refridgerator. It's my favorite way to make an old fashioned vs the sugar cube. I usually make 2 cups at a time. I add a tablespoon of high proof corn liquor as a preservative, and it'll pretty much last forever, and doesn't seem to change the flavor.
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Mar 2, 2013 21:10
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Baloogan posted:I need to get this and some bitters. The story behind the label is supposedly a happy accident. One brother was in charge of the label, the other the bottle, queue mix-up and there you have it. As far as using expensive alcohol in drinks: garbage in garbage out. Although there is a line for most people, I'm not going to be making an Old Fashioned out of Pappy 15 year... Get fresh fruit for sure. The best sour mix is from fresh lemons and limes. I even throw in a bit of orange in my mix. 1 cup lemon, 1 cup lime, 1 cup simple syrup, and a quarter cup of orange. Smokewagon fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Mar 2, 2013 |
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Mar 2, 2013 21:21
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Thought I'd throw in a note and see if anyone has a similar experience. I have been progressing lately through some very nice Whiskeys including Glenmorangie 18, Glenlivet archive 21, Oban 18, and even split a bottle of Macallan 30 with a group of friends (yes, it officially ruined all of us) to celebrate something recently. One thing I hadn't dabbled in yet was Japanese, and people have been speaking highly of the Yamazaki 18. I ordered a bottle and cracked it open... and it's absolutely off-putting. Medicinal, astringent, rubbery and is very flat on the tongue and finishes harshly. Has anyone else had a similar experience with the 18? People rave about the bottle and I'm really weirded out and wondering if somehow I had an "off" bottle. I don't want to risk buying another though, since if it's at all similar I won't finish that one either. Anyone else taste the things I tasted? I gave the bottle away to a friend, and he doesn't seem to have a problem with it although it's not a favorite for him. He doesn't taste the astringency as much although he agreed with the rubber assessment. He called it "bicycle tire".
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Mar 3, 2013 00:41
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I got a bottle of Laphroaig 10 about a year ago and I'm about to finish it. I hated peaty scotches when I got it and now I see the appeal. What's another scotch that is also on the peatier side that is around the same price range and quality that I can replace it with?
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Mar 3, 2013 01:03
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Glottis posted:I got a bottle of Laphroaig 10 about a year ago and I'm about to finish it. I hated peaty scotches when I got it and now I see the appeal. What's another scotch that is also on the peatier side that is around the same price range and quality that I can replace it with? Ardbeg or Talisker. Highly recommend trying Laphroaig 18 if you can afford it.
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Mar 3, 2013 05:32
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Wyeth posted:Has anyone else had a similar experience with the 18? People rave about the bottle and I'm really weirded out and wondering if somehow I had an "off" bottle. I don't want to risk buying another though, since if it's at all similar I won't finish that one either.
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Mar 3, 2013 06:47
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Glottis posted:I got a bottle of Laphroaig 10 about a year ago and I'm about to finish it. I hated peaty scotches when I got it and now I see the appeal. What's another scotch that is also on the peatier side that is around the same price range and quality that I can replace it with? Ardbeg 10 is the natural progression from Laphroaig 10. Ardbeg is slightly less intense on the peat front and offers some more nuanced salty and medicinal notes. They're both within $5 of each other and definitely both must-trys for any whisky enthusiast. Personally, I prefer Laphroaig to Ardbeg, but between the two you really can't go wrong.
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Mar 3, 2013 06:50
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Glottis posted:I got a bottle of Laphroaig 10 about a year ago and I'm about to finish it. I hated peaty scotches when I got it and now I see the appeal. What's another scotch that is also on the peatier side that is around the same price range and quality that I can replace it with? Ardmore Traditional Cask (sweeter, fruitier) Highland Park 12 (less intense peat, more like charcoal, malty) Jura Superstition (less intense peat, coniferous, nutty, malty) Ardbeg 10 (not as sweet, intense but cleaner peat, lemon cream or lemon zest) Bowmore 12 (less intense peat, grassy, perfumey) Laphroaig Quarter Cask (cleaner wood smoke, but still peaty, mineral quality, sweet/syrupy) TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 16:54 on Mar 3, 2013 |
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Mar 3, 2013 09:23
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Yamazaki 18 was amazing when I tried it. We talked about it a page or two ago.Glottis posted:I got a bottle of Laphroaig 10 about a year ago and I'm about to finish it. I hated peaty scotches when I got it and now I see the appeal. What's another scotch that is also on the peatier side that is around the same price range and quality that I can replace it with? For something a bit more restrained and refined, consider Lagavulin 16.
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Mar 3, 2013 12:12
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kidsafe posted:Nope, I get none of these from Yamazaki 18yr. In fact, I consider it one of the most 'flawless' whiskies I've ever tasted/smelled. There's something very wrong with your friend's palate if he gets bicycle tires out of Yamazaki and not Macallan. That's pretty bizarre. I love Macallan and always have a bottle on hand, the Yamazaki 18 I bought was *nothing* like Macallan. Thanks for the note, perhaps I'll find some at a bar and give it another try.
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Mar 3, 2013 13:12
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Kenning posted:Yamazaki 18 was amazing when I tried it. We talked about it a page or two ago. There's no better answer. This-
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Mar 3, 2013 13:13
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So I picked up the Glendronach 15yr Revival tonight, and whoa baby it is great. I definitely can get how sherried whiskys might be considered an acquired taste, but I was hooked. It was surprisingly complex with lots of sweetness, dark fruits, a bit like an aged balsamic vinaigrette, with a nice long finish. Even periodically smelling the empty glass was pleasing, like smelling a tin of sweet tobacco. Speaking of, I had a second glass with a slightly sweet Virginia-style tobacco, which was a ticket straight to pleasuretown. This was definitely worth the purchase.
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Mar 3, 2013 13:43
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Wyeth posted:That's pretty bizarre. I love Macallan and always have a bottle on hand, the Yamazaki 18 I bought was *nothing* like Macallan. Thanks for the note, perhaps I'll find some at a bar and give it another try. It's highly unlikely because Japanese whiskies are probably the most consistent in the world, but it's possible you just got a bad bottle.
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Mar 3, 2013 16:11
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Wyeth posted:Thought I'd throw in a note and see if anyone has a similar experience. I have been progressing lately through some very nice Whiskeys including Glenmorangie 18, Glenlivet archive 21, Oban 18, and even split a bottle of Macallan 30 with a group of friends (yes, it officially ruined all of us) to celebrate something recently. One thing I hadn't dabbled in yet was Japanese, and people have been speaking highly of the Yamazaki 18. I ordered a bottle and cracked it open... and it's absolutely off-putting. Medicinal, astringent, rubbery and is very flat on the tongue and finishes harshly. When I get a bottle that I have a bad first taste on, I'll let it sit for a while. It is quite possible it wasn't the bottle at all. Could have just been a weird day for you. I had a similar experience with my first bottle of Rittenhouse Rye. I went back to it weeks later and it was fine.
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Mar 3, 2013 17:42
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I fully endorse the Laphroaig 10 --> Ardbeg 10 --> Lagavulin 16 progression into Islay malts and then you can branch out into wonkier/rarer/more expensive stuff if you're still enjoying. Lagavulin 16 is like licking a big camp bonfire and a standard of something very good, very consistent and consistently available. There was some discussion of pricing for it a couple pages back. If you have the time/energy, do some comparison shopping because a lot of places will overcharge you. I'm a little puzzled by throwing Jura Superstition in the "that kind of peaty" category since the peat is a lot less prominent in my experience of that flavor profile -- I like the Juras I've had for the Iodine/Sea Salt.
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Mar 3, 2013 18:22
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:
TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 18:40 on Mar 3, 2013 |
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Mar 3, 2013 18:33
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Thanks for the suggestions, I'll probably look into Ardbeg 10 first. I've seen Lagavulin 16 around but I'd rather not completely spoil myself with a whisky that expensive when I'm just getting into the Islay thing.
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Mar 3, 2013 18:47
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I just got myself a bottle of Oban 14. I've never tried it, so it was kind of a blind buy. Good decision? I can't drink at the moment, and the suspense is getting to me.
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Mar 4, 2013 02:16
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cptn_dr posted:I just got myself a bottle of Oban 14. I've never tried it, so it was kind of a blind buy. Good decision? I can't drink at the moment, and the suspense is getting to me.
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Mar 4, 2013 02:18
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I got some Woodford Reserve and am enjoying it so far. Some reviews I read beforehand said that the nose was sort of an offputting compost smell, and I can definitely tell what they are saying, it smells like a pile of wet grass clippings, but I kinda like it. Also smells a lot like banana. Probably my second favorite bourbon so far, after Knob Creek.
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Mar 4, 2013 03:19
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So my roomates' brother showed up this evening for video games, and he brought a gift he got from a customer (He runs his own home reno company). That gift was a bottle of Four Roses single batch. He didn't like it neat, and he, the idiot, mixed it with coke and didn't like it. So I offered to give him $10 for it, half as a joke. He said sure. So now, I got three bottles of pretty decent bourbon. I am beyond happy right now. EDIT: I mean small batch, not single batch. bunnyofdoom fucked around with this message at 04:18 on Mar 5, 2013 |
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Mar 5, 2013 04:13
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Tried some of The Yamakazi 12 yesterday at a bar. Gotta get myself a bottle of that ASAP. Was amazing from first to last sip.
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Mar 5, 2013 04:30
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TG-Chrono posted:Tried some of The Yamakazi 12 yesterday at a bar. Gotta get myself a bottle of that ASAP. Was amazing from first to last sip. Good luck. The Yamazaki 12 isn't very expensive, but is often elusive. I bought it as a gift for my dad, who loved it, but now I can't seem to find it anymore.
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Mar 5, 2013 18:35
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NightConqueror posted:Good luck. The Yamazaki 12 isn't very expensive, but is often elusive. I bought it as a gift for my dad, who loved it, but now I can't seem to find it anymore. That stuff is rare? There are about a dozen bottles of it at all three liquor stores by my house. Man, we really need a goon liquor exchange. And for that to be legal.
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Mar 5, 2013 18:51
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I tried looking for it at a couple different places near me, no dice. Usually Binny's has everything I look for. 
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Mar 5, 2013 19:18
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Hello, whisk(e)y thread! It's been a while. I recently saw something new and interesting on PA's state store website: Connemara Peated Single-Malt Irish Whiskey. Has anyone tried this stuff? I'm an Islay-fiend, and the price point ($40) is pretty reasonable, so it has me intrigued.
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Mar 5, 2013 19:30
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Devil Wears Wings posted:Hello, whisk(e)y thread! It's been a while. It's good stuff. Shame Cooley has been bought by Beam.
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Mar 5, 2013 19:33
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:That stuff is rare? There are about a dozen bottles of it at all three liquor stores by my house.
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Mar 5, 2013 20:06
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spankmeister posted:It's good stuff. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 20:15 on Mar 5, 2013 |
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Mar 5, 2013 20:12
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kidsafe posted:Well if the rumors flying around are true, Diageo will probably end up buying Beam to get Sauza since their bid for Jose Cuervo fell through. Not only that, but Diageo obviously wants to expand their bourbon footprint beyond Bulleit. Goddammit, they're going to own everything. I wonder if the fact that a large portion of their portfolio is origin specific (scotch, tequila) means that local governments might initiate antitrust proceedings against them at some point.
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Mar 5, 2013 22:13
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I get the impression rye whiskey isn't as popular as regular bourbon, it seems to be mostly used in cocktails or mixed drinks. Is that because it tends to be lower quality, or does it just taste bad on its own? I'm interested in trying some (pretty much purely a scotch man at the moment) anyone got recommendations for a decent brand I can get in the UK?
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Mar 5, 2013 23:09
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:That stuff is rare? There are about a dozen bottles of it at all three liquor stores by my house. I mean, it's not Illegal to ship booze right? Is it just that we don't have age verification?
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Mar 6, 2013 00:18
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:I mean, it's not Illegal to ship booze right? Is it just that we don't have age verification? Don't know about private companies, but it's actually illegal to ship alcohol through the USPS. Unfortunately.
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Mar 6, 2013 00:36
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spiderbot posted:I get the impression rye whiskey isn't as popular as regular bourbon, it seems to be mostly used in cocktails or mixed drinks. Is that because it tends to be lower quality, or does it just taste bad on its own? I'm interested in trying some (pretty much purely a scotch man at the moment) anyone got recommendations for a decent brand I can get in the UK? Just the opposite. Rye whiskey is currently the hot spirit in the US and a lot of distillers are scrambling to boost up stocks of rye whiskey. Other distilleries which haven't ever done rye before are getting into it, like Jack Daniels, George Dickel. We're also seeing a lot of new brands from the big boys, like Knob Creek Rye. Rye whiskey is a hot and spicy liquor which lends it self to cocktails like the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned and many others. On its own many rye whiskies are just as distinctive and enjoyable as bourbons. I don't know what's commonly available in the UK but some reasonably priced safe bets are: Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof Old Overholt Bulliet Rye Jefferson's 10 Year Old Rye (this one is the baby brother of the absolutely phenomenal Whistlepig Rye) I like rye. A lot.
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Mar 6, 2013 02:11
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bunnyofdoom posted:So my roomates' brother showed up this evening for video games, and he brought a gift he got from a customer (He runs his own home reno company). That gift was a bottle of Four Roses single batch. He didn't like it neat, and he, the idiot, mixed it with coke and didn't like it. So I offered to give him $10 for it, half as a joke. He said sure. So now, I got three bottles of pretty decent bourbon. I am beyond happy right now. You stole it for sure. 4R single barrell is delish.
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Mar 6, 2013 03:37
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spiderbot posted:I get the impression rye whiskey isn't as popular as regular bourbon, it seems to be mostly used in cocktails or mixed drinks. Is that because it tends to be lower quality, or does it just taste bad on its own? I'm interested in trying some (pretty much purely a scotch man at the moment) anyone got recommendations for a decent brand I can get in the UK? NightConqueror is correct, Rye is on the upswing. A few other good Rye's are Redemption Hi Rye and Sazerac to go along with NightConqueror's suggestions.
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Mar 6, 2013 03:48
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My current liquor shelf 
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Mar 6, 2013 05:08
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NightConqueror posted:I don't know what's commonly available in the UK but some reasonably priced safe bets are: Seconding this, and reiterating that the Thomas H Handy is amazing.
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Mar 6, 2013 05:23
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