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Thank you for bringing this thread up. I just came back from an overseas trip, and got a few bottles at the duty-free store at Heathrow. I generally stick with Canadian and American whiskies, since they're cheaper, so the fact that I got to take a few bottles at about half the price that the LCBO sells them was amazing. I picked up a small bottle of Jura Superstition, Balvenie Golden Cask 14, Ardbeg Blasda, and a small Glenfiddich 15. I picked those mostly because Customs Canada only allows 40oz/1.14L duty-free, and I didn't want to just have two big 1L bottles (I was travelling with my dad, so he let me use his allotment). Incidentally, while I was in London, I got to try the Yamazaki 12 at a Texas-style restaurant somewhere between Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square. That honestly surprised me. Well, that, and the Glenfiddich 18 at an Italian restaurant in Rzeszow, Poland.
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Oct 8, 2011 01:10
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I'm still relatively new to bourbons, so I thought I'd ask. I saw a bottle of Maker's Mark 46 at the LCBO, and it was $10 more than the regular Maker's Mark. Is it worth the extra $10, or should I stick with regular Maker's or Bulleit? The LCBO has a limited selection, but the only one I haven't tried yet is Woodford Reserve (the LCBO has a sparse bourbon selection).
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Oct 18, 2011 03:46
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Zelmel posted:While it's a little more interesting than normal Maker's, you'd probably be better off with a more interesting and cheaper bourbon of some sort. Any recommendations? The LCBO doesn't have much (I once bought a Wild Turkey, not realizing that the LCBO doesn't carry the recommended WT101). Ninja edit: they now apparently have a "Whisky Rocks" promotion, and they now list Four Roses for $29. I'm thinking that the next time I go, I pick that up.
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Oct 18, 2011 21:05
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I know it's been said that if I can't remove the oxygen from a whisky bottle that's half-done, then I should pour it into a smaller bottle. But what kind of bottle is recommended/where can I get good bottles for this?
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Nov 17, 2011 02:16
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I guess I was wrong. I thought I read here that there was some trick involving eating the air in a less-than-half-full liquor bottle so the alcohol doesn't... something. Glad I don't have to.
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Nov 18, 2011 01:40
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wileyk posted:Worth picking up, especially since it's not going to be around for too long here in the States, from what they say. Really? I was overseas about two months ago, and I kept seeing it at the duty-free, and thought I missed the chance when I came home and didn't get it (Instead, I bought a bottle of Jura Superstition, Ardbeg Blasda, a Balvenie 14 rumcask, and a small Glenfiddich 15). I went to a nearby LCBO and saw it, so now I'm actually thinking of picking it up if it's going to be for a limited time.
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Dec 1, 2011 04:48
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Stultus Maximus posted:Seagram's VO, Crown Royal, and Canadian Club Reserve are the Canadian whiskies I've tried. It's been a while, but I recall the Canadian Club going down like water, but all of them lacked complexities found in bourbons or real rye. There might be a high-end Canadian that is really good but I am not aware of it. Forty Creek is a pretty good Canadian whisky. They also have (I think) two higher versions of it which I haven't tried yet, so those are next on my list (along with the higher versions of Crown Royal, since I don't like the regular stuff straight). I'm working through various Canadian whiskies for now since they're cheaper compared to other whiskies, which means I can get a bottle of a better Canadian whisky for the price of a lower-end bourbon. I recently polished off a bottle of Wiser's Legacy, and it was pretty good, for Canadian whisky; had a sweet smell and spicy finish. Alberta Premium (100% rye whisky) is pretty good. First time I tried it, its very ethanol-like smell almost put me off, but I actually enjoyed the recent bottle I bought and I started noticing the subtler smells it had. I meant to ask this also: does climate have an effect on whisky maturation? For some reason, I remember reading it did, but I thought I'd ask to get a specific answer. I figure these days, they just keep the barrels in climate-controlled indoors, but I honestly have no idea.
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Jan 13, 2012 05:08
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In celebration of a completed exam, I finally cracked open the bottle of Ardbeg Blasda that I picked up at the duty-free about three months ago. The first thing I noticed is that it's the colour of Żubrówka (incidentally, the cousin that we stayed with while in the UK liked to serve that with apple juice. I didn't know that was a thing among Poles until I read that wiki page). It's very light-coloured. I mean, I'm surprised that it has the colour of watered-down apple juice. It's not heavy with peat at all. In fact, it has a kind-of light sweetness to make up for the light peat. It's not something I'll be on the look-out for, but it's a nice change of pace from the sweetness of the last bottle of Balvenie DW that I had and the small spicy Jura Superstition (minus the recent forays into Canadian whiskies and odd bourbon).
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Jan 27, 2012 04:05
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Halloween Jack posted:I may be excoriated for this, but I think Canadian Club is great for sours, especially for guests who aren't regular cocktail drinkers. I may have said this before, but I would recommend that anyone who's looking at CC try their luck with Forty Creek. In my opinion, it's a better Canadian whisky (and one I can actually stand drinking neat). I'd buy a bottle of their higher bottlings, but I have a backlog of scotch and bourbon and I have no real income.
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Mar 8, 2012 06:47
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Eighty Seven posted:I bought a gift set of Canadian Club to give it a try. It's incredibly cheap, no doubt, but doesn't have any less complicated a flavor profile than Wisers, Seagrams XO or Crown Royal. Yeah, in my experience, CC really isn't all that better or worse than most basic Canadian whiskies. Unfortunately, I know way too many people that believe that Crown Royal is a top-shelf whisky. I usually hold a bottle of 40 Creek in the liquor cabinet at home (I'd say it's better as a mixer and decent base Canadian whisky to drink neat), and when my parents were getting ready for a party, they still insisted on getting a bottle of Crown Royal because that's what some of their friends drink (with coke). As for the glasses, my brother bought a gift set for himself last Christmas from the LCBO that had a 375mL bottle of CC 12 and two glasses. The glasses are ok, but one has an uneven base, so it could be overall crap quality. I did, however, once luck out and an LCBO near me had Canadian whisky glasses on sale (specifically, this one, but with a different box) for $5, as opposed to the regular >$10. If you ever get lucky and find one (or just pay regular price online), I'd suggest getting one of those instead of a regular tumbler. Not only do they bottle scent better like a Glencairn (though not nearly as well since they're bigger), but they're big enough that you can pour other drinks in them. I don't have any cocktail glasses, so I make my Manhattans in them.
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Nov 9, 2012 21:37
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Smokewagon posted:If you can find them try Alberta Springs (10yr), Forty Creek, and Wiser's. I haven't tried Alberta Springs, but I'll second Forty Creek. Jetfire posted:I'd personally recommend avoiding Wiser's unless you start at Small Batch or better. Special Blend and De Luxe are bland or uninteresting rail quality. Smokewagon posted:I should had been more specific when menitoning wiser's. I have only ever had the Legacy. Yeah, Wiser's really is just a mixing whisky unless you get at least Legacy (haven't tried Small Batch). For what it's worth, I can also recommend Canadian Club Sherry Cask, if you enjoy a sherried whisky.
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Feb 16, 2013 16:31
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Baloogan posted:Where do I get Johnnie Walker Black Label in Canada for cheap? How much is it in BC? At the LCBO, it usually sells for $54/750mL. And I think the general rule is no drunkposting (outside of the one drunkposting thread).
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Mar 1, 2013 18:57
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Baloogan posted:Is the step between Red Label and Black Label significant? For me, it is. I find that you can drink Black Label straight, and it's a good introduction to better scotches, whereas Red Label is only really good for mixing. e:f,b
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Mar 1, 2013 22:01
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Kenning posted:That is insanely expensive. I know I keep mentioning it, but I don't know how Canadians/Australians/Washingtonians/The British even maintain a drinking culture with those sort of prices. Canadians usually drink rye and pop (usually coke, though ginger ale is becoming more popular). $37 for a 40oz bottle of Canadian Club, so it works out. I also don't know too many scotch drinkers personally.
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Mar 2, 2013 02:35
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Baloogan posted:Another goal is to expand my drinking horizons. As said above most Canadians drink cheap rye. This is true. For years I drank Royal Reserve thinking I was hot poo poo because I wasn't drinking Canadian Club. For Canadian whiskies to drink neat, I recommend Wiser's Legacy (it's $50/26oz) or Canadian Club Sherry Cask ($35/26oz), though I should add the caveat that I haven't really delved into Canadian whiskies as much as I'd like to (including the other Wiser's, since I just happened to have Legacy catch my eye once. I think Small Batch, $33/26oz, was recommended here once). I also try to keep at least one full bottle of 40 Creek in the house (but not necessarily for drinking neat).
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Mar 2, 2013 03:23
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Deleuzionist posted:Maybe there's something in JW that makes you go neocon and stay neocon. Despite being a stupidly rich sack of poo poo that could down an Ardbeg 1977 per day and not even notice the annual bill, Dick Cheney's favourite drink is Johnnie Walker Red. According to Wikipedia, Richard Nixon used to drink Johnnie Walker Blue with ginger ale.
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Apr 13, 2013 15:03
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rufius posted:Basically, my problem with Canadian whisky is that its requirements are "looks, tastes, and smells like Canadian whisky" to be called as such. Also it's a boring rear end product with nothing to offer to my "refined palate". I'm as patriotic as the next Canadian (not very), and I really have to admit that most of our whiskies are not good ones. We really do use them mostly for mixing in coke. Having said that, Forty Creek is decent, as is in my opinion Canadian Club Sherry Cask (probably because it's different than most of the stuff that we have). Schpyder posted:Yes. Boatloads of bourbons have higher rye content than Canadian "rye." We just call any Canadian whisky "rye". The only real Canadian whisky made from 100% rye is Alberta Premium. It's good, but it smells like almost nothing but ethanol.
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Dec 24, 2013 17:37
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spankmeister posted:It's excellent stuff with some age on it. (Whistlepig) Can't seem to find it on the LCBO's website. From what I can tell, it's an American whiskey and the LCBO unfortunately doesn't stock a lot of those. To the LCBO's credit, their selection of bourbons has been increasing lately. I never used to be able to find anything better than Gentleman Jack or sometimes Bulleit. Now I'm seeing more of the stuff you guys mention (though no American rye whiskey).
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Dec 25, 2013 08:01
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A few months ago, my mom went overseas and got me a bottle of Aberlour 12 (she doesn't know much about whisky, so she bought something that was inexpensive). Right now, I have both the regular Bulleit and Bulleit rye, Lagavulin 12, and Forty Creek Copper Pot (which is surprisingly delicious), and I find the Aberlour 12 to be... disappointing. It's not bad, and I'm not sorry that I have it, but I feel like there should be more. I mean, I've had bad whisky before, but this was the first time that I wished there was more to a glass.
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Nov 8, 2014 05:10
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Devil Wears Wings posted:If you're used to strong stuff like Bulleit and Lagavulin, then a lighter, more subtle whisky like Aberlour probably would strike you as disappointing. I've never tried the 12, but I have a bottle of Aberlour 16 in my cabinet and it's lovely, albeit lacking in the punchy flavors you're probably expecting. I strongly urge you to give it another try. Oh, I've finished off about 3/4 of the bottle (duty-free full litre). It's nice, no doubt about it, but again, I feel like it's missing something. I enjoy the lighter whiskies, too. Hell, I loved the Balvenie Doublewood, and thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I bought the Balvenie Golden Cask at Heathrow's duty-free store three years ago (wow, has it really been three full years since I've had a vacation?).
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Nov 10, 2014 20:49
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DerekSmartymans posted:Please describe this in detail (I love Balvenie scotches and the DW is what got my dad into scotch. Simple people have simple tastes :-) ). God, I really wish I could remember. It's been a while, and I forget most of it (which is all the more incentive for me to take a vacation and find another bottle). Still, I remember it was really nice. Soft, like honey, and very golden to look at. I could write more, but I'd be basically copying something that I read online. Long story short, if you need an excuse to travel, might as well be this.
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Nov 11, 2014 19:45
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For Canadian, I'll second the Wiser's Legacy (and even Small Batch for a cheap sipping whisky). I would also like to add Forty Creek Copper Pot. It's a step up from the basic Forty Creek, and it has a nice chocolate and velvet texture. Would've recommended Canadian Club Sherry Cask, but I only had it when I was first starting out, and haven't had it since then. I also can't find it anymore to compare.
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Sep 15, 2015 15:26
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No_talent posted:They hype died out from that, so it shouldn't be tough to find anymore. Prices here in Canada shot up to over $80 a bottle in some places but seem to have stabilized around $35-$40. Again, this is totslly worth the price too. Last I read, their union went on strike, so it might still be a challenge. mojo1701a fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Mar 11, 2016 |
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Mar 11, 2016 01:30
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Quick question: is JW Green Label still available for purchase in duty-free stores, or is it gone for good? I'm finally planning a trip overseas in a couple of months, and I'm hoping that I still have a chance of snagging a bottle.
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Jun 20, 2016 15:04
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kidsafe posted:Green Label is part of the core range again as of last year in the US and earlier this year everywhere else. Considering single malt prices, it's kind of a steal to be getting 15-year old blended malt for ~$55.. I'm in Canada, and the LCBO's website doesn't list it, so I guess travel will have to do (unless I can find it in Poland if/when I go).
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Jun 20, 2016 23:23
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I finally get to have a real honest-to-God vacation again after four years, and this time I'm travelling to the UK. I'm looking to actually go north up to Scotland and take a distillery tour, and I've heard that some tours are better than others. Is there a legit list of the best tours to take? I'm looking to go sometime in October, if that helps.
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Aug 22, 2016 17:10
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Yithian posted:I enjoyed the Glenkinchie tour if you're going to be near Edinburgh. That actually might be more up my alley, because I'm still trying to figure out the best way to travel up north (I'm still going to Poland for a week for a wedding, so I have to work that in somehow).
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Aug 24, 2016 16:35
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Mr. Glass posted:Islay is a bit of a trek but highly worth it if you like peaty scotch. The Laphroaig Water to Whisky tour is fantastic, definitely the highlight of my trip there. I am definitely a fan of peaty scotches, and that is definitely a consideration. I'm starting to think I should start a "what to see/how to travel in the UK" thread, instead of here. Still, keep the recommendations coming!
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Aug 29, 2016 20:42
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Kenny Logins posted:Thanks for the feedback! Then don't ever venture into Canada.
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Sep 29, 2016 20:54
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Mahler posted:Haven't bought a bottle of scotch in Ontario for 5 months and suddenly I'm rich?! A'bunadh is 95-100 bux here. I still have a third of a bottle of batch 47 lying around. Along with Glendronach 12 it's one of the good "affordable" sherried scotches available here. I had the same thing happen to me about two weeks ago. Except I went the opposite flavour route and got a bottle of Talisker Storm. Holy poo poo was I not expecting its strength.
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Sep 30, 2016 03:11
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As a birthday present to myself, I found a bottle of Hibiki 12 at the LCBO. I wasn't planning on getting anything, but I'd never seen any Japanese whisky other than Nikka. I was personally hoping for some Yamazaki, but they don't have that here at all. Oh well. Does anyone have a primer on Japanese whiskies? I'm not too sure which ones I should look for abroad. Edit: just noticed it's not actually the 12 year old, but a specific new blend. I've been trying to find some info about it, but I won't be trying it until tonight. Here she is with some of my other collection: 
mojo1701a fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Oct 4, 2016 |
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Oct 3, 2016 16:02
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Josh Lyman posted:I bought that Hibiki as well thinking it was the 12. You absolutely have to put in a little water or it will be harsh. Oh I definitely learned that. Water really brought out its texture. Almost like a juicy golden plum. Weatherman posted:How much did you pay for it, by the way? A hair under Cdn$100. For that price I'm not getting it again, but it was definitely an interesting purchase and I don't regret it.
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Oct 5, 2016 03:17
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Weatherman posted:Thanks, I was just wondering. It's 5000 yen even at my local shop and I wondered how it went overseas. As a provincial liquor monopoly, the LCBO likes to hike its prices something fierce, especially on Japanese whiskies. Having said that, if it were $65 (77 yen/CDN) I'd consider it. I like its texture. It reminds me of those creamy Lindt chocolate balls, with an orange/sweet apricot flavour. Most Canadian whiskies of similar quality (but different character: the ones I've had usually run towards more sweet & spicy) will cost me about half of what this cost me. Even the Forty Creek Copper Pot was almost like chocolate and was $30 for the same size (though it's not quite as complex).
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Oct 7, 2016 15:58
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My mom came back two days ago from her trip and surprised me with a bottle of duty-free Macallan Select Oak, but pointed out that while she paid 60 euros at duty-free store, she could've purchased it on the plane cheaper in Canadian dollars (oh well). This got me looking at some of the duty-free exclusives, and I found that Johnnie Walker now sells an Island Green label. I remember the discussion here that the Green was the best bang-for-your-buck of their line, so I thought I'd ask if it was worth my time. From what I can gather, they're using more Caol Ila in the blend to give it a smokier flavour. It sounds like it's to the regular Green what double black was to the black, but I'm not sure.
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Oct 7, 2016 17:39
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spankmeister posted:A co-worker gave me half a bottle because she hated it. Wish I could take advantage of it. Canadian dollar's been taking a pounding ever since oil cratered (figures. Finally when I have money to go on vacation...). Speaking of, I'm heading to the UK in about a week. I contacted my cousin in England, and it turns out he's only booked a flight up and down from Glasgow that gives us about 8-10 hours in the city. I took some advice and asked him to book the Malt Master tour at Glengoyne (I don't remember if it was in this thread or the thread I started in T&T). Contrary to the site, he said he called and that we don't need a booking for three people, so here's hoping he's right. In the meantime, are there any other whisky-based events or points of interest that I should check out while in London? I'm not looking for anything specifically (other than maybe if there's a bar with a decent collection). Just some extra ideas on what to check out while on vacation.
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Oct 17, 2016 20:33
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I want to thank whoever it was that recommended the Glengoyne tour. Story time! I took the tour last week in Glasgow with two of my second-cousins. The original plan was to take the £60 malt master tour (where you can mix and blend your own 12yo single malt). Unfortunately, since we were only up there for about 12 hours, we didn't take any checked baggage so we'd never be able to get past security with a 200mL bottle (also I was leaving the next day, so shipping wasn't an option). When we got there, my cousins aren't really into whisky (being vodka drinkers and all), they said they'll take the simple tour while I take the longer tour and explore while I mix. Unfortunately, my cousin was supposed to call them and book the tour (it explicitly said to book it online), but he said he called and asked and they said you don't have to. We got there, and surprise! you have to. I guess they felt guilty so they took the £25 gold medal tour with me. We all really enjoyed it. I had a nice discussion with the tour guide about the differences between Scotch and Canadian whisky while sampling just about every single bottling they had. Even the two self-professed vodka drinkers I had with me had a really good time (and not just because they thought the alcohol paid for the fee alone). I told them that if they even finally come to Canada, I'll take them to see how they make rye. They also agreed that spending only 12 hours in Scotland wasn't enough. I told them next time, let's make the trip to Islay.
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Nov 10, 2016 16:35
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KozmoNaut posted:I'm so glad I have a friend who loves home brewing, because I get all the benefits and none of the drawbacks. My cousin's wedding in October had a small barrel of moonshine on the table with the coffee & tea. It was great. Nice palate-cleanser between rounds of vodka.
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Jan 18, 2017 16:35
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So I don't know if I mentioned my purchase of a Johnnie Walker duty-free four pack from a few months ago (my curiosity got the better of me), but I was at a whisky bar last weekend, and I found they have a bottle of Green Label there. After trying it, I have to confirm the consensus that it's much better than the Gold and Platinum (haven't tried the Blue yet), and cheaper. It still won't be in my standard rotation, but it's nice to know.
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Jan 20, 2017 20:58
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wormil posted:Grabbed a bottle of 4R Single Barrel, first I've had in years because our local stores didn't carry it, so balanced and delicious. Absolutely a beautiful bourbon. Found a bottle of it a few months ago at the LCBO finally, and yeah, it's really nice. Still, I'm preferring my CC 100% Rye (currently) as it's much richer and spicier.
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Mar 13, 2017 01:11
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 11:46 |
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Based on this thread, I might end up giving Tullamore Dew another shot. It was one of the first whiskies I ever tried, and I might not have been ready for it. Damned if I didn't enjoy Redbreast, though.
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Mar 18, 2017 15:09
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