Whiskey or Whisky? Let's talk about them.

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

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DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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spankmeister posted:

A'Bunadh has batch variance, which is normal and expected, but I have found that some batches are hotter than others.

Of course the one I have on my shelf is the best batch ever, batch 69

I�m waiting to open my bottle of 419 year old Scotch till next year� :agesilaus:

# ¿ Nov 8, 2022 20:11

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# ¿ May 20, 2024 23:57

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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S.W.O.R.D. Agent posted:

Just make sure the OGD is bonded or 114. Skip the
80 proof, imo.

This Agent speaks Truth.

OGD 80 is garbage�and their more �premium� offerings are so, so good.

Not even �by comparison�� they�re good whiskeys standing all on their own!

# ¿ Dec 9, 2022 20:36

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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Kevin DuBrow posted:

Aside from knowing it'll be 100 proof and aged at least four years, how is knowing a whiskey is bottled in bond useful to the consumer? Is it a legacy from an age when the industry was so shady you wanted your whiskey aged in government-supervised warehouses?

# ¿ Dec 15, 2022 20:19

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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S.W.O.R.D. Agent posted:

I find you just get used to the heat. I love sipping on hot stuff these days, but it was a gradual change over time. These days something like Basil Haydens is as easy as water.

AFAIK it's basically down to proof and mashbill with proof being the real big deciding factor. Also, the first pour from a fresh bottle is always way hotter than the rest.

This is all true�but I have found gently rocking an unopened (or long-sitting opened) bottle makes the hotter first-sip experience go away. And 100+ proof whiskey is about every bourbon currently in my home�s liquor cabinet! It�s definitely a real enough thing that years ago we noticed it and took steps to remedy it.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2023 21:27

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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Deceptive Thinker posted:

Swirling your glass a bit with the liquor in it, and then letting it rest in the glass for a few minutes helps tame some of the volatiles too

# ¿ Jan 20, 2023 21:53

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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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"

But I sort of get the impression that coming at it from that angle may be a fool's errand

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?�

# ¿ Jan 23, 2023 05:11

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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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�

# ¿ Jan 24, 2023 02:26

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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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.

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/

Thanks for this! It was a very interesting read and answered some �back of the mind� questions I didn�t know I had!

# ¿ Feb 1, 2023 18:16

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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S.W.O.R.D. Agent posted:

See now, the mistake you made was mixing it.

# ¿ Apr 13, 2023 15:58

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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Nuurd posted:

I have been buying more regional whiskey here lately in East Tennessee. Some of it isn�t stellar and I just want to try it and support the local guys. However, I�m really liking the Chattanooga Whiskey offerings.

We buy Chattanooga Whiskey over in West Tennessee, too. Jack Daniels can gently caress right off, though.

Bought a bottle of Laphroig 10 year as a present to myself�was going to get Quarter Cask but my local had 1L Bailey�s (for morning coffee with my pipe) for $23 and I got the cheaper Laphroig to stay under budget. I�d never had the 10 year, but it�s really good. The smoke is a bit less pronounced, but the briny taste really pops with an ice cube in a rocks glass. I still like QC better, but I�m happy with my purchases all around!

# ¿ Apr 25, 2023 16:22

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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Any of the Balvenie bottles are good, with a variety of price points. Balvenie is what got my dad from �I tried JW Red straight in 1987 and hate all Scotch� to �what bottle are we trying out this month?� with a delightful fork into bourbon to boot.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2023 16:49

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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blueshifting posted:

They're all barrels I've selected - I do the spirits buying for a small regional chain of liquor stores.

drat, I just thought you were a 90 year old alcoholic on your fourth liver :boobeer:

Seriously, though, thanks for the :effort:

Very informative when folks in/adjacent to the industry post here!

# ¿ Jul 11, 2023 07:41

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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Nuurd posted:

I have a soft spot for the Chattanooga Whiskey folks. I like their single barrels especially. I�m in the northeast TN region so distribution is pretty good.

My son is in Chattanooga and sent some back home (Memphis-area) around Christmas. It�s the only whiskey my Dad has bought since�he really enjoys it!

# ¿ Aug 31, 2023 21:45

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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Klungar posted:

My wife has expressed interest in smoky whiskeys after having a smoked old fashioned last night. What�s the best bang-for-your-buck in the peaty scotches? Laphroaig 10

You answered your own question right in your OP�

# ¿ Jan 15, 2024 03:39

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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spankmeister posted:

Thats the point of those type of blends. To be "smooth" and inoffensive. Blue Label is the same.

That�s got to be the point�expensive Scotch for people that don�t really like Scotch but don�t want to be thought of as �unmasculine.�

# ¿ Apr 7, 2024 20:42

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# ¿ May 20, 2024 23:57

DerekSmartymans: Feb 14, 2005; The
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bloody ghost titty posted:

As for whether one is more "masculine" than the other; the gently caress out of here. The best tasters in whisk(e)y I know are women.

I wasn�t saying I agreed, hence the quotation marks. Some (especially younger) guys have it in their head that the only acceptable thing to drink is bourbon or Scotch, even though if they were honest they hate it. I think that�s silly.

Agreed on the whiskey tasters, too�my son drinks fruity drinks with umbrellas while his half-pint girlfriend drinks Scotch with me. Life�s too short not to drink what you really enjoy!

# ¿ Apr 8, 2024 23:04

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

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