whiskey

basil hayden is nice enough but super-mild imo. not sure if it's worth it for the price. bulleit i thought was pretty good.

Caol Ila 4.56
Glen Scotia 4.42
Glen Keith 4.37
Aberlour 4.13
Glenfiddich 4
Ardmore 3.97
Singleton 3.96
Macallan 3.93
Glen Moray 3.5

I only know three of those. I love malts so I'll definitely check out the top 3. Got a slew of whisky at my PhD party so I'm still good though :)
Personal favourites are Old Puteney, Dalwhinnie, Lagavullin (depending on mood/occasion). For hardcore peat-lovers I recommend trying some Ardberg. A real WTF when you first taste it but persistence pays off imo.
All the american suggestions on this thread make me want to check out some bourbons - any of you guys got a tip for a peaty whisky lover?

Have enjoyed a few Booker's Manhattans this week. The higher proof bourbon makes all the difference in the world. If a bar doesn't have the 125 - 133 proof Booker's (bottled straight from the barrel, so it varies in proof), Turkey will do the trick at a mere 101 proof.

I had a feeling this thread would rear its caramel colored, barrel aged head this afternoon.

A friend brought me some Longmorn as a housewarming present. I rate it very drinkable.

that grading upthread is also sorta off because not everyone tried every type

Sunday night was a wee try of Laphroaig. I can't really articulate what it tasted like, very complex and potent; I liked it very much though.

I wondered if that might be a resin-y taste?

peaty

I can definitely taste the differences in flavours, but don't know which terms best apply all the time.

Oh my God I am in love with Laphroaig 10! Just picked up a bottle of that plus Pappy Van Winkle 15 plus a bottle of Old Grand Dad BIB, and I am so happy right now. I'm going to have to start exploring the world of single malts. But don't know where to begin. Need to check out Lagavulin, I guess. Laphroaig has sold me on the Islays.

Also tried Rittenhouse Rye BIB since the last thread revive, and it is definitely better than the RR 80 proof. Definitely a pretty good whiskey, but I'm not sure it outclasses the wild turkey rye for me, when I'm in the mood for a rye whiskey. And for that matter, I think the Old Grand Dad BIB, like Bulleit, tastes like a smoother more delicious Wild Turkey Rye.

Top 5 favorite whiskies at the moment:

1) Old Rip Van Winkle 10/90
2) Pappy Van Winkle 15
3) Laphroiag 10
4) Bakers
5) Old Grand Dad BIB

drank a glass of ardbeg 1977 last night with a cuban cigar. a+++ would do this again.

cigar soaked in whisky sounds quite gross tbh.

accompanied by

:)

noticed the other day that laphroiag 25 is £140 a bottle

I wish

;o)

Would buying your own bottle & letting it just sit there for 15 years have the same effect?

nope--no aging once it's in the bottle

I have been wondering that for years. Thank you for your answer.

yeah it's the prolonged contact with the wood barrel that induces the changes in the whiskey.

finally found a pub that sells Four Roses (small batch and single barrel), but it's two hours away. On the plus side, they have hotel rooms available so we can book one, drink, go upstairs, and fall asleep.

Have bought some single cask unfiltered stuff in chicago. Half way down a bottle of Aberfeldt, which is surprisingly light and sweet. I have a caol ila 17 year old which I am really looking forward to. Binny's on Chicago av is a treasure trove, especially when compared to the pisspoor PA state liquor selection.

It's amazing how much the state laws make a difference in the US in terms of what is available.

elijah craig 1.75L $32 => virginia's good for something

Maker's 46 is good, but probably not enough bang for the buck.

havilg just looked @ what that is, itseems kinda pointless tbh?

going on a little vaca this weekend, anyone have a thought for a good not-too-expensive whiskey to take along?

buffalo, maybe.

It's not pointless in theory, in that it's a variation on a known whiskey -- hell, half the mid/top whiskey shelves in supermarkets are just Evan Williams Single Barrel and Gentleman Jack and other variations on the regular products that are just given special treatment.

But yeah, it's somehow smoother at 94 proof than the regular stuff, which didn't have too much of a harshness to begin with.

so i picked up a bottle of four roses single barrel that was apparently selected specifically for the whiskey club at this big liquor store near my work. excited!

My mum is heading to Florida next week and I asked her to see if she can pick up some Bourbon, Rye or other US Whiskey for me that I can't find over here in the UK.

What would be some good, but easy to find, varieties that I could let her know to keep an eye out for? She's not a whiskey drinker herself so will only put minimal effort into this endeavour, so easy to find is important.

In the UK I can already get Maker's Mark, Buffalo Trace & Jim Beam without hassle (all of which I enjoy btw).

If I could get a Rye Whiskey that would be especially great, as I can't find that in the UK at all easily. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

A little google research leads me to Total Wine & More having plenty of branches in the Florida area. Looks like if I can get her to visit one of those briefly then job's a good un!?

I could theoretically get Woodford Reserve or Bulleit Bourbon here in the UK, which I've been wanting to try, but looking at the US prices they could be a good (and I presume easy to find) idea if there's nothing more adventurous to hand...

man, i am down to the last glass or so of a bottle caol ila 12 and the remains of a bottle of jameson i was gifted. sad times.

krakow--the rittenhouse bottled in bond rye is what you want. it's super cheap although i'm not seeing it in that total wine and more inventory. from that store, have you ever had booker's? or be adventurous and get some high-proof old grand dad or something.

but if yr mom is going to be near a large-ish city she can probably find someplace with a better selection. is she staying in a hotel or anything where she'd be able to ask someone?

Thanks very much call all!

I've never tried Booker's, nor Old Grand Dad. I'll take a wee peek at those and the Rittenhouse Rye. Cheap is definitely a good thing too as she'll baulk at anything expensive, even if I promise to pass her the money later.

She'll be in a hotel somewhere in the vicinity of Walt Disney World, I believe, but is heading to stay with friends elsewhere as well for a day or two, not sure on the specifics.

one more thought for you--the new maker's mark 46 is not available outside the states yet afaik, but should be easy for her to find.

i actually JUST found a bottle of old grand dad 100 proof today--i'll crack it open later and update.

old grand dad bonded update: this stuff is brutal. in a good way. if you want to know what bourbon was like before it got fancy, before small batch, before pretty bottles, this will tell you. would need to be cut before i could sip it, but my mint julep is killa.

I filled a txt with suggestions of names to keep an eye out for, so we'll have to see how maw gets along in a week.

i've just started getting into rye. second rittenhouse. old overholt from jim beam is also common and cheap, and a good starting point for getting a taste of a rye and making cocktails. also had nice sips from high west and templeton, but they're pricier.

Has anyone had russell or jefferson? There are a million bourbons I've never heard of at my local abc store but I'm scared to invest in 750 ml bottles I don't know.

i have had a glass of jefferson that someone else owned--it was good

(oh that looks weird, i just mean i have not owned a bottle myself)

I got what you meant :) how would you describe it?

anybody know anything about hudson reserve?

uh, not hudson reserve. hudson manhattan. or something.

I'm in the same boat as krakow - 'bout to leave the country soon and want to take a bottle back. the local liquor shop underwent a total makeover, seem like every 2 cent liquor shop is carrying boutique liquors nowadays.

I've heard good things about the hudsons but I have never had them.

i had a bottle of the hudson manhattan rye. it's really interesting stuff and i found it better as a sipper than for manhattans (which is its ostensible purpose). too much going on to be a really good mixing liquor. but nice on its own. my caveat is that it's as expensive as a lot of 750 ml bottles but you're getting half as much. if you wanted a really nice rye i'd track down the sazerac 18-yo first.

re jefferson: to the best of my recollection it was smooth and refined with no overly outre flavors--nice for sipping definitely.

hi come drink pikesville SUPREME straight rye whiskey with me

ok

so cad what kind of rye would be 'representative' of rye whiskey in general?