Whiskey or Whisky? Let's talk about them.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > Whiskey or Whisky? Let's talk about them.

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

wormil posted:

I made a new thread because I wanted to talk about this Evan Williams 1783 small batch and the old thread was done.

Anyway, being on a budget this month I decided to try something less expensive than my usual drinks and found this expression of Evan Williams (86 proof and 10 years old) on the shelf for $13. It's a screwcap whiskey (I'm biased) and I wasn't fond of the regular Evan Williams when I tried it a year or two ago but I have to say that this is unexpectedly tasty. The flavors aren't very complicated and it's a bit on the sweet side but really there is nothing offensive about it and I would definitely buy this again.

I got some of that last sippin' whiskey purchase. I like it, it's a good small batch for today's economic times.

# ¿ Oct 5, 2011 18:58

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 17:08

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Bruce Leroy posted:

So, what would any of you recommend as a good way for a novice to get introduced to whisk(e)y?

Is there a particular brand you'd recommend to begin with or certain whisk(e)y-based cocktails first?

If it helps, I think I'd be more interested in something smoother, at least to begin with.

Canadian Club goes down like water.

Glenlivet is America's most popular Scotch for a reason.

# ¿ Oct 6, 2011 03:52

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Bruce Leroy posted:

Wow, that was way more effort than I expected for a response. Thanks a lot for that.

#4 is especially interesting to me, as I feel a little intimidated by the sort of machismo that surrounds whisk(e)y so I always felt kinda wimpy asking for a glass of water to go with my booze.

I used to never drink at all, simply because I didn't like the taste of even things like beer. Then, I figured out that the stuff I had tasted was just pisswater or poo poo and started liking a lot of good stuff just for pure taste rather than getting shitfaced like my friends. I hope this extends over to whisk(e)y, too.

As a short followup question, are there basically any specific brands of whisk(e)y (of all kinds, including Scotch, bourbon, etc.) that I should just avoid?

Don't drink anything in a plastic bottle.

# ¿ Oct 7, 2011 04:32

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Killer robot posted:

Any particular recommendations for rye whiskey? I've had Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, and Old Overholt, but the larger liquor stores around here are getting a wider variety these days and I'm not sure what to try out. Especially since so much tends to be in the premium price range.

Jim Beam rye is terrible and nobody should drink it.
Old Overholt is fine if that's all you can get.
Bulleit makes a rye that's pretty good.

Pikesville Maryland Rye is also good, but has a different flavor than "normal" ryes.

# ¿ Oct 9, 2011 18:51

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

NightConqueror posted:

Picked up some Buffalo Trace based on the recommendations I've heard. I definitely wasn't disappointed either. Really good, complex taste for only about $25. A lot, lot better than the Jim Beam White Label I'd been drinking (and mixing) before.

Also, I've been getting into scotch lately - a favorite being The Glenlivet 12. Do you guys have any other recommendations for scotch around the same price level ($25-35)?

Isle of Jura and Dalwhinnie are two of my favorites, but they are bumping up there at the top of your price range.

# ¿ Nov 5, 2011 22:49

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Coffeebean posted:

What would you recommend for a good, reasonably inexpensive bourbon? I'm fairly new to the world of whisk(e)y, so far I've just been drinking scotch and Canadian but I'm interested in trying the American side of things. Being in Canada I have a somewhat limited selection, I've been looking at Maker's Mark or Bulleit. Are either of these good or should I aim my sights a little higher? For about $10 more Knob Creek 9yr and Woodford Reserve are also options.

Of those you listed, Bulleit and Woodford would be my recommendations. Maker's and Knob Creek never impressed me.

# ¿ Dec 12, 2011 17:57

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Boner Slam posted:

Sazerac goes more for around 50, Rittenhouse nothing under 150 :<

The Ryes I see right now are

- Pikesville Surpreme Straight Rye Whisky
- Old Overhold Rye
- Jim Beam Rye
- McGuinness Old Canada Whisky
- SEAGRAM FIVE STAR Rye Kanada
- Mellow Corn 100 Proof

So not much there.
Maybe my Wild Turkey RB tasting was kinda flawed since I compared it to Caol Ila mostly, which was a lot more intense. Another whisky I love is Bowmore (Mariner 15yo especially though I wouldn't drink it every day). Bourbon seems to be more mellow and subtle? Or maybe I just don't like Bourbon... On the other hand now I read the good rating the Wild Turkey gets so I feel like I missed something and even want to order it again..

I guess it's either one of those Ryes or the best Bourbon that tastes like a characteristic Bourbon so I can find out.

edit: Jim Beam Rye is very cheap. I might just order it anyway. Is it okay to get to know Rye or is is poo poo?

edit: found another store with a bit different selection, have a look

http://www.getraenkewelt-weiser.de/category.php/Whisky/USA?manu=&dist=&hits=15&view=1&sort=_pr&order=1

Jim Beam rye is not good. Do not buy Jim Beam rye unless you really really want rye and there are zero other options.
Get the Pikesville or Old Overholt. Or both. They're both decent and different from each other.

e: IIRC, Canadian "rye" is not really rye whiskey.

# ¿ Dec 19, 2011 15:54

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

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.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2012 03:07

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Anybody have experience with Speyburn? I saw it at the store around the same price point as Glenlivet.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2012 21:51

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

pork never goes bad posted:

Insipid and utterly monodimensional. The sweetness is disgusting and off putting, and the raw, young, harshness is predominant. Avoid if at all possible, especially if new to Scotch.

Roger that. I am not at all new to scotch, I'm just low on booze money.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2012 02:14

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

DrPain posted:

That is a cool wheel but I saw this

Not whiskey, but a while back I tried a pinotage wine from South Africa. It tasted like driving through asphalt-laying. I looked it up online and "hot tar or asphalt" is a characteristic flavor of that grape. WTF.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2012 19:46

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

NightConqueror posted:

I've just run out of bourbon and I'm looking to pick up another. My go-to bourbon so far has always been either Wild Turkey 101 or Buffalo Trace. I've been eyeing up Four Roses recently. Is anything other than their Single Barrel offering worthwhile? Any other recomendations within the $20-$40 range?

e: reading comprehension

# ¿ Mar 30, 2012 04:08

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Vincent Valentine posted:

The name of it is an "Aggravation", you can guess how it got the name.

This is totally fair. I grew up around beer snobs, and people complicating what is supposed to be the most simple joy one can experience made me really, really angry and I swore I'd never do it. That said, most bartenders spend a shitload of time learning about alcohol and why one thing goes with another, or why one thing is a particularly good brand, and a lot of this is evident in drink names like the popular Rusty Nail. I can't expect everyone to know the etiquette behind drinking, and I can't expect everyone to know what should be really blatantly obvious choices(no you idiot don't order Baileys and Lime Juice what the gently caress is wrong with you). It might give me that twinge of frustration, but I deal with it.

But if you order Liquor and Coke, you aren't ordering something because you like the taste. You're ordering it because you want to get drunk. The difference in taste between a rum and coke and a scotch and coke is negligible. Why bother? Just get some rotgut out of the well, throw it in with coke and you're set and everyone goes home happy. Taking really nice brands and giving them the same treatment is a sign that you don't care and just want to be drunk, and I hate dealing with drunks.

It isn't. like someone said above, try a Brandy Alexander instead.

Sorry but what? If you can't tell the difference between whiskey and coke and rum and coke (or among whiskey and rum varieties in coke) you're doing something really really wrong.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2012 14:18

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Mr. Glass posted:

Pretty sure they can't call it bourbon if it's not made in Kentucky.

e: but can they call it Tennessee whiskey if it's not made in Tennessee?

Can they call it Southern Comfort if it's extremely uncomfortable?

# ¿ Jul 29, 2012 06:05

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Speaking of Evan Williams, is there a story other than "poorly chosen stock photograph" here?

# ¿ Aug 2, 2012 17:01

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

I'm in San Diego for a couple days and I saw a shelf of Johnnie Walker Green Label for $50/bottle. The thread says that Green is the only Walker worth getting and also it's being discontinued. Is it worth picking up a bottle and flying it home?

# ¿ Nov 7, 2012 21:23

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

dug fin posted:

Don't have a picture of my Scotch cabinet. Biglads definitely has me beat, but not for lack of trying. Here's my haul from my last trip to Scotland, however.

How's the Bowmore?

# ¿ Dec 3, 2012 23:45

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Weird. I see it all the time here in St Louis. No Sazerac, though.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2012 02:56

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Fuzzy Pipe Wrench posted:

I'm looking to trim my whiskey budget down and switch to things I'm more comfortable going through quickly. So what are some good budget islay/peated blends and lighter speyside blends?

Define "budget". Highland Park 12 is about $45 and is a good Islay. Do you consider that budget?

# ¿ Dec 29, 2012 02:09

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

bunnyofdoom posted:

Is Martini and Rossi Red good?

Not particularly but it's hard to find better outside of upscale liquor stores.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2013 00:15

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

For my bottom-shelf mixing scotch I go with Old Smuggler. It's great because
- it's cheap
- it's better than J&B and at least as tolerable as Dewar's
- Moominpappa would approve
- it's called Old Smuggler, what more do you want?

# ¿ Mar 9, 2013 06:10

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

bunnyofdoom posted:

So for St. Patricks day I picked up a bottle of Jameson's. I previously said Irish Whiskey is shite. Not changing my opinion

I understand. I've had the popular ones - Jameson's, Bushmill's, Tullamore Dew - and I found them all foul. I love scotch and I love bourbon but those three Irish have not made me want to try more, especially since finding anything else to sample is really hard.

e: it's like tequila. I've had cheap bourbon I liked. I've had cheap-ish scotch I liked. I've never had tequila I liked and I'm promised that if I pay enough and look hard enough I'll find it but if I can throw a dart blindfolded and get a bourbon I'll enjoy why bother?

Stultus Maximus fucked around with this message at 04:19 on Mar 18, 2013

# ¿ Mar 18, 2013 04:14

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

DoctaFun posted:

This reminds me of a story from my early college years. I had a snooty friend who was insufferable whenever we were drinking because he refused to drink anything but Guinness. He'd go on and on about how it was the only thing worth drinking and he was one the biggest Guinness drinkers and blah blah blah.

So we were at a bonfire and I got up to get another drink and he asked me to bring him a Guinness. "Sure!" I said.

I went inside and filled one of his empty guinness bottles up with Icehouse, a truly disgusting beer that tastes NOTHING like Guinness. I bring it back, he takes a swig and goes, "Ahhh, Guinness."

I think drinking brings out the snobbery in a lot of people and they just can't help trying to impress others with their tastes and sophistication or some crap.

Trying to be pretentious by talking about the virtues of JD or Guinness are sure ways to show that you have no idea what you're talking about.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2013 20:47

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

DoctaFun posted:

Liquor store by my house has a few deals going on but I'm not sure if they are good/great or normal prices.

Ardbeg 10: $37
Laphroaig 10: $40
Laphroaig 18: $88
Glenmorangie LaSanta: $40
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban: $40

I'm not sure if those are good or not, because they have Balvennie Doublewood for $38 which is an okay deal but not great(another shop in Minneapolis always has it for $32).

They seem good to me. I'd jump on the Ardbeg at that price.

# ¿ Apr 27, 2013 04:03

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

I just went to the liquor store intending to get Old Grand-Dad Bonded but they were out so I picked up Old Grand-Dad 114. Good or bad call?

# ¿ Apr 28, 2013 22:02

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Kenning posted:

Seconding that. It is impressively mellow for such a high proof.

Oh man it's good. Just a couple drops of water takes the edge off the high proof but keeps this amazing smooth roundness.

How is Bonded compared to this, flavor-wise?

# ¿ Apr 30, 2013 01:56

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Base Emitter posted:

Lagavulin 16 is $139.99 after tax at Downtown Spirits in Seattle after tax, FYI.

http://www.downtown-spirits.com/collections/scotch/products/lagavulin

(These guys quote prices including all taxes, which is unusual for WA state.)

Wow. $88 at California's BevMo

# ¿ May 18, 2013 03:14

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

kidsafe posted:

And $52 at a California Costco whenever they get them.

Usually ~$65-70 at the reasonable California boutiques.

It's around $80 here.

# ¿ May 18, 2013 04:12

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Well, the trend sucks for us right now but maybe in a few years it will have moved on to tequila or some poo poo I don't care about and the bandwagoners will move on and the prices will come down again.

# ¿ May 25, 2013 17:58

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Kenning posted:

Tequila had its big bump about 3 years ago and it's since tapered off a lot. Tequila production is even more time-hosed than whiskey because they have to wait 10 years to even harvest an agave. I'd say that Irish whiskey is the most likely thing to take the pressure off of American stuff. There's some minor chance that rum could get hot in the next couple years, but it just doesn't have the cachet of bourbon and rye. Also the flavor profiles of different rums vary too widely for a broad-based rum surge. Unfortunately American whiskey is still inexpensive and "sophisticated" enough that it probably won't cool off for a while.

Booze trends man.

Politicalrancor posted:

we already did tequila from like the late nineties to the mid 2000s.

Ah well that was just a randomly named example. Whiskey has been the only spirit I have really ever made the effort to get to know and spend real money on. For me, gin, vodka, and rum are for cocktails and highballs. And tequila is for other people.

# ¿ May 25, 2013 23:39

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Kenning posted:

Pardon the brief rum derail.

I'm sorry Politicalrancor, but there is a woeful deficit in your rum education. Rum is significantly more varied than any given class of whiskey, which is entirely a product of the fact that rum has barely any legal definition anywhere. The fact is that there is a generalized flavor profile for, say, bourbon, which is a result of the pretty exacting degree to which the process for making bourbon is legally established. 51+% corn, distilled to no more than 80% abv, aged in fresh-charred white oak barrels, etc. etc. etc. Flavor differences tend to be relatively subtle, and fall within the general scope of sweet, somewhat spicy, oaky, vanilla. The same is obviously true for rye whiskey, and also true, but in a somewhat roundabout fashion, of Scotch, though that has a bit more local tradition involved as well as its legal definition.

Rum, on the other hand, need only be descended, somehow, from a sugar cane. There are floral, toasted golden rums from Barbados that float over the tongue and suggest coconut and roasted pears; there are woody Haitian rums (made of raw cane juice rather than molasses) that bring to mind leather, tobacco, and sawmills; there are inky black Jamaican rums replete with sulfuric funk; and there are grassy pale Trinidadian rums that can even bring to bear a flavor like agave and tequila.

In part because rum is such a dispersed spirit, made in dozens of countries around the world, there has never yet been a campaign to promote rum as such. The big, terrible rums like Bacardi and Captain Morgan have the resources to promote themselves, but that's like assuming that all American whiskey is Jim Beam. And again, like I said, there are so few good rum bars out there that it's hard to get an education in rum. To anybody who's interested, btw, I can totally provide such an education.

I am very, very interested. I'd love to have a nice variety of rums for the hot summer months but I have zero idea what any given region is like, much less individual brands. So I end up with Mount Gay in Coke.

# ¿ May 26, 2013 22:34

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Looks like a bottle of 12 year Dimple Pinch scotch.

A quick Googling shows that it's long discontinued and the few places it's listed it's expensive. Haven't seen much about the actual taste.

Stultus Maximus fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Aug 6, 2013

# ¿ Aug 6, 2013 00:12

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

rxcowboy posted:

Crosspost from the cocktail thread:

I'm sipping another manhattan with scotch right now, and it's loving delicious. I'm using Glenfiddich 15 year old scotch since I'm in the process of killing the bottle. I like the taste, but here's the rub. I know for the price I paid, I really shouldn't be using it as a mixer. Yet when I drink it neat, I like it but after reading all the reviews on it I have to honest and admit I just don't get all the flavors they talk about. I get the general scotch taste, but to pick it apart beyond that, I'm clueless. I enjoy it more in a mixer, it makes a good Old Fashioned and a good Manhattan. But for the price, I feel like I'm kind of overpaying for a whisky I'll just be using as a mixer.

Which leads to my question: If I'm using it just as a mixer, what's a good blended scotch to try? I've read excellent reviews of Teachers, Black Bottle, Famous Grouse, White Horse and Chivas 12. I'd be using the scotch for Manhattan's, Old Fashioned, Sours, Affinity and even Scotch and Soda. All of the ones I've mentioned are pretty close in price around here between 18-25 a bottle.

At that price range, Teacher's is a good choice.

Also, the drink is called a "Rob Roy."

# ¿ Aug 21, 2013 20:25

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Kenny Logins posted:

My guess is that the modern decanter-user only uses one when a) there is company over, b) the whiskey brand/bottle isn't socially impressive, c) they have a suitable heirloom or antique decanter. I was under the impression that whiskey should be stored in a cool, dark place and a decanter is neither of those things. I guess you might affect to use one if you drink so much whiskey so regularly that you have a high turnover and the constant exposure to light/heat is a non-issue.

I'm guessing the popularity of Mad Men would have increased the use of decanters as an affectation but really I always figured the "60's office" use of them was because they were using whiskies that wouldn't impress clients, and because clients would just expect decanters to be used. That has changed, along with the expectation of seeing open alcohol and being offered a drink when you enter an office. Also guessing there was a reasonably high turnover in those settings.

It's also important to know that lead crystal decanters (which is most of them) leach lead into the alcohol. Within 24 hours, the amount in the booze is 100 times the EPA's limit for drinking water.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2013 00:27

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Nolanar posted:

On an unrelated note, a friend was telling me that adding a couple drops of water to whiskey brings out the flavor more. Something about denaturing some parts of it, he wasn't sure exactly what. Is this an actual thing, assuming I normally have my whiskey neat, or is it more of a ploy to get me to invite everyone over to double-blind-test my scotch?

Higher proof whiskey does benefit from it. I don't know why but like my Old Grand-Dad 101 is good neat but spectacular with a splash of water.

# ¿ Nov 9, 2013 03:29

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Furious Lobster posted:

Not sure if this applies to all Costcos but it looks like they're selling scotch at great prices again; I picked up a couple bottles of Lagavulin 16 at $55 and also saw Oban & Glenlivet 18 also for ~$50. Talisker Storm was going for $65 iirc and they also had the Kirkland Speyside 18 for $50.

That's like $30 cheaper than I usually see Lagavulin, and I love Lagavulin. Where are you at?

# ¿ Dec 4, 2013 01:05

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

GoGoGadgetChris posted:

I received a beautiful glass "spirit decanter" for my birthday. What do I need to know about decanting whiskey? Does it do anything besides look pretty cool? Does it shorten its shelf life?

If it's lead crystal, which most I've seen are, it will poison your whiskey to twice EPA lead levels in two days.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2013 19:14

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

I've found that a high percentage of wheat results in very smooth but uncomplex whiskey.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2013 19:30

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

rxcowboy posted:

Funny you should mention this. I'm sick as poo poo right now including pink eye so I can't see poo poo and just don't feel like making cocktails. I'm sipping OGD 100 with a touch of water. There is something comforting and warming about a glass of bourbon. I take mine with a little water to cut the alcohol punch a little. It's all according to taste but I have good results going between five to ten mls of water based on how obscenely large of a glass you pour.

Do you add water or ice to the 114?

I love my OGD 114 and I find it reaches perfection with just a couple drops of water.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2014 20:56

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 17:08

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Shif posted:

What are you getting at exactly?

Might I interest you in some Old Crow or perhaps Cluny?

# ¿ Mar 9, 2014 16:17

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > Whiskey or Whisky? Let's talk about them.

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