whiskey

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?

imo rittenhouse 100 proof is what you want. the 6 year old sazerac is also v. well regarded though i've never tried it and haven't seen it in stores up here for months.

if you can't find either of those, there's nothing wrong with old overholt (it just comes in a little weaker @ 80 proof). by all accounts you want to avoid jim beam rye, and wild turkey rye didn't do it for me.

i've had the 6 yr sazerac, it's really nice, a lot smoother than the rittenhouse (iirc) so it kinda depends what yr into

bought a bottle of 100 proof rittenhouse today. only $20. thanks cad!

I found a nice (new to me) shop in town that has a few more American whiskeys beyond the usual supermarket fodder (basically Jim Beam & Jack Daniels here in the UK). The prices though... ouch.

They actually have a bottle of Sazerac 18 Year Old (Fall 2009). I'd love to try that, but it's £100. George T Stagg for £115 as well. Dreams...

Has anyone tried either of those, the Sazerac 18 Year Old or George T Stagg? I'm a fan of Jim Murray and his whisky bible and he raves about previous year's incarnations of both.

just double checked--my sazerac 18 is the fall '09 bottling. it's fantastic. but i paid £45 for it according to the currency converter.

(the equiv of, i should say)

Jealous face.

yo cad, this rittenhouse is nice. do you take it with water? any good simple cocktails made with rye (besides manhattans)?

my fave whiskey based cocktail is a 'double'. you get a good whiskey, (tho it can be made with a bad whiskey, at a pinch) and you add one part whiskey to one part whiskey et voila.

if I meet you dmac I'll stand you a double of macallan 12 year and seagram, but you gotta mix them

a sazerac is a classic rye cocktail (that is awesome) but you'll need a specific type of bitters, and also some absinthe...

you could make an old fashioned?

yeah i was gonna say i don't usually drink rye straight (and i don't usually mix bourbon). but if i did, i would def add a splash of water to the rittenhouse since it's 100 proof.

my preference is a simple rye old fashioned--sugar in whatever form you like, about 4 dashes of bitters, a couple ice cubes, and a lemon twist.

glad you like it btw dyao!

if I meet you dmac I'll stand you a double of macallan 12 year and seagram, but you gotta mix them

bribery will get you everywhere tbh

hah I'm doing an informal a/bing of rittenhouse and four roses bourbon and it's quite interesting. also need to open this bottle of 'yoichi' single malt by nikka whiskey that my friend got for me in japan. i love whiskey whiskey whisky whisky whiskey whiskey would skey

wrong thread i know but i just got a bottle of glenfarclas 105 (which i tried at the whisky fringe last weekend, i don't remember much of it but it had "OMG KEN BUY ME! BUY ME! DO IT" in the notes! so it must have been very good??? i was too trashed 'sampling' the aberfeldy 21 and port ellen 1979 that i can never afford).

look forward to drinking it!

i fucking love four roses small batch and single barrel

you guys hear the dude on the Today programme this morning, who says he's invented a fuel made from whiskey distillation byproducts - that can go directly into your unmodified gas tank??

it may be these guys - http://www.heliusenergy.com/

if it means more whiskey then i support it!

"we have to keep churning out delicious whiskey or else!!!"

i'm doing my bit for the planet hic

rye is also good with ginger beer

Yes! I feel guilty doing that with expensive rye, but w/beam or whatever it is awesome

alternating between sips of rittenhouse and four roses. both are good. very good. yeah.

I feel that after a certain price point you really can't move up anymore in whiskies. you just move laterally. they are all good. they all deserve love. whiskey and whisky should be loved by all.

if there's anyone on here who doesn't like whisk(e)y, please let yourselves be known. then escort yourselves out. get out. out.