/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.13658547]

Whisk(e)y/liquor thread

Post what you're drinking, try to avoid shilling and autistic screeching.

[Anonymous No.13658599]

>>13658547
elija craig 12

[Anonymous No.13658657]

>>13658547
Going to make an old fashioned. Can't decide what to use tonight.
>Buffalo Trace
>Four Roses SB
>Makers Mark BP
>Old Forester 120
>Eagle Rare
>Elijah Craig SB

[Anonymous No.13658702]

>>13658547
white claws

[Anonymous No.13658856]

>>13658657
Old Forrester, non-rye old fashioneds need the high proof so that it doesn't get overshadowed by everything else

[Anonymous No.13658861]

>>13658657
The cheapest one. The expensive ones are meant to stand alone.

[Anonymous No.13659199]

got this earlier, was deciding between this and Glenmorangie. I hope I don't regret it

[Anonymous No.13659210]

Let's all pile in the car and go for a drive later!

[Anonymous No.13659230]

>>13658547
My new favorite

[Anonymous No.13659259]

bought some pic related to drown my sorrows on this wretched holiday. it's pretty good i guess thought i'm mostly a beer drinker

[Anonymous No.13659290]

>>13659230
I like most tequila but the pricepoint, especially considering you can get things 5x the age for the same or less money, is fucking robbery

[Anonymous No.13659292]

just basic bitch BT. sometimes it's good to have a solid low tier bottle.

[Anonymous No.13659312]

>>13658547
Drinking to be numb and smoking jazz cabbage to not care about not having anybody for valentines again but idc at this moment and am enjoying the shit out of this and some Touhou.

[Anonymous No.13659334]

>>13659292
Wouldn't consider BT low tier. Thompson is low tier. At least you're drinking mid/mid-high tier alone whiskey alone!

[Anonymous No.13659446]

found an unopened bottle of this in my cupboard, bought on a half-forgotten Caribbean vacation

it's Captain Morgan without the goofy pirate mascot

[Anonymous No.13659470]

>>13659199
>was deciding between this and Glenmorangie.
You chose correctly. The Glenmorangie is comparatively bland.

[Anonymous No.13659477]

>>13659292
i can never find that

[Anonymous No.13659866]

Is there anything competitive with evan williams at its price point (<$15)?

[Anonymous No.13661263]

>>13659477

It’s allocated now. They’re pulling it from shelves and hide it up front or in the back you have to ask for it and it’s 1 bottle per customer.

[Anonymous No.13661349]

Tastes just like a campfire next to the ocean.

[Anonymous No.13661608]

give me a beginner bourbon

[Anonymous No.13661613]

>>13661349
Based, stomps on Ardbeg imo

[Anonymous No.13661626]

>>13661608
there are plenty of strong suggestions in this thread alone.

[Anonymous No.13661674]

Can't go wrong with some turkey

[Anonymous No.13661677]

someone clue me in on the reputation of kininvie. These labels at a glance are amazing, I love the amount of info they provide, however, there's nothing on them about whether or not they're NCF or NCA. Additionally, they don't look like they're cask strength, iirc scotch gets distilled to ~60% and then slowly drops into the low 50's over a decade or so. For a 6 or 4 year whisky, 47% seems like water must have been added. That's not to say it's a bad whisky, but I'm just curious if this is the autism holy grail I'm looking for where I can really *know* what the whisky is.

I'm aware these are posted in another thread, but it doesn't seem like a place for real discussion. I did chuckle at the meme, but unfortunately for that OP people didn't think it was funny.

[Anonymous No.13661687]

>>13661677
other pic

>>13661613
Laphroaig is great, but idk about 'stomping' ardbeg. Then again, I've only had oogie, not ardbeg 10, so that's sort of a diagonal comparison. Does laphroaig have a sherried offering?

[Anonymous No.13661734]

I bought a bottle of this to try and I am not very impressed.

[Anonymous No.13661759]

Hey also, can we discuss independent bottlers? I hear people rave about them, but what's the big deal? If the mash, the distillation and the aging in the cask are what give the whisky flavor and character, what good is changing who puts it from the cask into the bottle? I suppose if they don't chill-filter, add color, or water it down that's a benefit, but I'm not sure that justifies the existence of multiple different independent bottlers.

Unless it's a misnomer and these 'independent bottlers' are more like 'independent caskers' who somehow obtain the raw distillate and then provide their own casks to age it in, that would make more sense. But how do they get the whisky in that case? Do they make an agreement with the distillery, drop off some casks for filling then pick them up? Do they buy some casks from the batch and empty them into their own?

And why do distilleries agree to this? Seems like the indies would have to pay a pretty penny to a distillery for such a privilege, which would then significantly increase the price of their product (unless they have crazy competitive supply-chain advantage, which no small business will in the age of Diageo). No one would buy the product at this increased price unless there were something really special and different about it, which would seem impossible unless they're using extra-special casks made only with planks from the legendary deku tree or something.

[Anonymous No.13661853]

>>13661263
fucking reddit

[Anonymous No.13661867]

>>13661674
I got this for my birthday one year because it was the only barrel proof bourbon they had and it was probably the best I've had

[Anonymous No.13662156]

>>13661759
Whiskey has been sold by the cask longer than it's been sold by the bottle. There's one major distillery in the US that specializes in bulk sales to third-party bottlers
https://www.mgpingredients.com/distilled-spirits/beverage/product

At least independent scotch bottlers are honest about not making the stuff. Lots of "craft distillers" in the US have been exposed as just reselling MGP

[Anonymous No.13663531]

Picked up a bottle of eagle rare earlier. Pretty good kind of wish I’d of bought the one bottle of Weller they had hiding though.

[Anonymous No.13663556]

Anyone taking a break from drinking? I'm gonna start again in a couple of months and I'm debating which bottles to buy.

[Anonymous No.13663561]

>>13663556

I cut way back to only on the weekends. Feels good and saves money

[Anonymous No.13663571]

>>13659477
>>13659477
My local chain grocery store puts them on regular shelves for 25 dollars. Are they really that hard to find?

[Anonymous No.13663573]

what am I in for?

[Anonymous No.13663598]

>>13663571

Varies from place to place inevitably not where you’re at but there are places where it’s rare and people resell bottles for profit

[Anonymous No.13663608]

>>13663561
>I cut way back to only on the weekends. Feels good and saves money

A weekend doesn't seem enough of a break for my liver, but I'm the kind of idiot that eventually gets to the point where a bottle of whiskey lasts me only for a weekend.

[Anonymous No.13663609]

>>13661263
How does buffalo trace manage to turn every single goddamn one of their bourbons into a collector's item?

Do they employ psychologists and guerilla marketers? Buffalo Trace/Eagle Rare are good, but they have no right being as hard to find as they are. Same with Blanton's, Weller's, Elmer T. Lee, E. H. Taylor, George Stagg, and every other wheated bourbon--good when paying retail, but not worth making a cult symbol out of.

Someone explain it to me.

>>13661759
You can snag some one-off age statements for significantly less. Example: Duncan Taylor is doing a 20-year barrel-proof release of Highland Park for ~170. Considering the 21-year is 330 bucks and only proofed at 43%, this is a goddamn steal.

>>13663573
Honey, white flowers, cinnamon. It's decent, but kinda boring.

[Anonymous No.13663646]

>>13663609

I asked myself the same thing earlier think it’s in large part to do with how wildly popular Pappy has gotten that its affected everything of theirs except for benchmark which isn’t half as good as Evan for a buck more anyhow

[Anonymous No.13663942]

Raw distillate. Looks like vodka, tastes like a punch in the face.

[Anonymous No.13663959]

>>13663646
>think it’s in large part to do with how wildly popular Pappy has gotten
I think it's gotten popular as a result of its rarity/the mythos surrounding it, not because it's great or even good. It's especially fucking stupid considering the reserves of pappy ran out in 2014, if you're getting one bottled past then, all you're drinking is buffalo trace's 'best' stuff.

[Anonymous No.13664235]

>>13663571
Depends, in cities they're getting hard to find, probably as a result of this fucking Blanton's hype, but there are a few towns around my states local liquor distribution hub that have tons of them on the shelf no problem because the demand is lower and they're closer to the distributor.

[Anonymous No.13664254]

My top drinks:
1.) A Power Punch
2.) Margarita
3.) (Mixed) Dry Martini
4.) Margarita, shaken
5.) Mojito
6.) The Bavarian
7.) Margarita, shaken
8.) Tequila Sunrise
9.) Mazza
10.) Sangria
11.) Sunshine, Grapefruit and Lime
12.) Pineapple Sunrise
13.) Rum, Salsa, Fresh Lime

[Anonymous No.13664261]

>>13659292
>>13659334
Idk why but i like bt wayyy more than eagle rare, which has this weird saccharine cotton candy plasticky taste for me. Of course the stuff ive tried from the antique collection blows bt out of the water but yeah

[Anonymous No.13664277]

>>13663646
Pappy got popular because Anthony Bourdain wrote a rave review about it, it was already expensive small batch but his endorsement basically made it the gold standard of bourbon and unobtainable, E.H. Taylor , Elmer T. Lee and George Stagg got swept up in the hype as the sort of runners up and never really came back down. More recently, Blanton's got featured in a bunch of movies/shows like House of Cards, John Wick, Longmire, Last Man Standing, and Justified and between that and their collector's bottle turned it into a complete meme bourbon and caused a second wave of shortages of Eagle Rare, Wellers, and Buffalo Trace as 'the next best thing'. I've been stocking up on Buffalo Trace because while they're not going to price it above $30 since it's their only affordable bourbon and the face of their distillery, I wouldn't be surprised if they started watering it down just to meet demand. Luckily Four Roses Small Batch hasn't been swept up in the craze, but that's probably because small batch products from big name, mid shelf distilleries lack the prestige that whiskey collectors jerk themselves off over.

>t. liquor store clerk

[Anonymous No.13664397]

Old Forestor Rye is really good, I didn't really care for Bulliet Rye that much. what other rye's are good?

[Anonymous No.13664419]

>>13663942
this was sold out when i went to the liqour store the other day is it good or is it just "muh buffalo trace"

[Anonymous No.13664434]

>>13664277
>Elmer T. Lee

This was good when i tried it too. Drives me crazy cause it used to be $30 apparently

[Anonymous No.13664455]

Buffalo Trace was gone at a local place $31~1. RIP. Went with Bulleit.

It's a bourbon and I'm a pussy. I can definitely taste oak. Not much else though, but I'm a total shitter. Can definitely feel some sort of spice. Tasting the rye, clearly.

[Anonymous No.13664462]

>>13664455
get some wild turkey 101, or makers mark maybe.

[Anonymous No.13664585]

>>13661349
smells like the bacony taste an alcoholic has in his mouth after breakfast and is burping up last nights olives

>>13664254
You must be a pretty boy with how high maintenance you are. :)

>>13664462
Wild turkey 101 is great, definitely something you can drink every day in anyway and never be disappointed. Especially for the price

[Anonymous No.13664640]

>>13664455
Keep drinking we will 'get' it eventually.

[Anonymous No.13664963]

>>13664254

You’re kind of a fruity boy

[Anonymous No.13665003]

>>13664419

Do they normally have it in stock? Never seen it here so my first guess is it’s a rarity in general also my first guess is that it isn’t good just a meme

[Anonymous No.13665033]

>>13659866
No, frankly. It punches far above its weight. Basic rule of thumb I have is if you’re mixing for some friends, use Evan because it tastes as good as most mid-tiers mixed as a sour, coke, or old fashioned. I don’t get the people saying it tastes like Jack either I think they might be underaged, the only similarity is bottle. I’ll use WT 101 in mixers if I want to taste a stronger bourbon but Evan is my go to. Obviously if you go beat you’ll notice a difference it it’s not bad shit like most bottom shelf liquors. I’ve got some 1792 I compared it with to see the difference and there is one, but it’s not swill by any means.

[Anonymous No.13665057]

>>13661687
>Does laphroaig have a sherried offering?
It's quite good, though the ximenez is very up front so it might not be for everyone, but i'm a big fan of single malts that taste like salty burnt iodine.

[Anonymous No.13665074]

>>13659866

No there’s a reason it’s memed and shilled. It’s higher proof and aged longer than anything else on the bottom shelf and for another buck the bonded is even better. Only thing that comes close is grandad if you wanted something spicier but you’d pay another $2-5 bucks for it if you go for the bonded

[Anonymous No.13665836]

>>13665057
how does it compare to uigaedail? I know that's a heavily peated malt, and it's apparently pretty sherried

[Anonymous No.13666327]

>>13665003
not sure it was the big liquor store that's a pain to get to for me so I'm not there often.

[Anonymous No.13666381]

Picked up a bottle of this yesterday. It is my first foray into a smokey scotch. I'm just recently getting into whiskey, having tried some 4 roses, bulleit, monkey shoulder.

The Highland Park was very interesting, I'm not quite sure whether I like it or not, but I find myself recalling the taste after having had some last night.

I was torn between the highland and redbreast 12, is redbreast also smokey/peated?

[Anonymous No.13666428]

>>13666381
>is redbreast also smokey/peated?
No, but it's fucking lovely and you should have bought it instead. It has a lovely sweetness from the sherry casks and a unique, thick, creamy/oily mouthfeel that's just wonderful.

[Anonymous No.13666475]

>>13666428
fuuck, and they only had 2 left. I thought that at $56 it might have been wasted on me, being that I'm not a very "experienced" whiskey drinker.

[Anonymous No.13666625]

Why does a lot of liquor taste like soap to me? It isnt saponification i dont think. a lot of popular brands taste like soap to me

[Anonymous No.13666858]

>>13664397
Sazerac, Knob Creek 115 and barrel proof, Woodford Reserve

[Anonymous No.13666977]

Why the fuck can’t I find Jameson Caskmates stout edition anywhere.
Is there a new batch coming out soon or what

[Anonymous No.13667407]

Picked up a bottle of this for about £11 in Tesco on a reduced to clear.

Not expecting very much, but at that price ill mix it or use it in cocktails if its shit.

[Anonymous No.13667421]

>>13666381
I really hated smokey/peaty flavours until suddenly I didnt.

I think you can get some great Islay whisky for a reasonable price as well. Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Bruichladdich all have some great whiskys priced around £50 a bottle.

[Anonymous No.13667655]

>>13666858
i always passed over knob creek rye because i didnt notice it was 115 proof and just thought it was more expensive just for being a rye

[Anonymous No.13667767]

>>13661677
>someone clue me in on the reputation of kininvie
Doesn't really exist. They're basically the blendhouse distillery for William Grant and Sons along with Girvan in the Lowlands. I've heard some decent things about their experiment bottles but overall for the price it doesn't seem to be worth more then a dram at the pub.
Also yes, 47% likely means its been chill filtered. If it was more high 50s it'd be CS especially at just 6 years old.
>>13661759
>I hear people rave about them, but what's the big deal?
Indie bottlers are basically companies that buy casks from distilleries that the distilleries either have in excess or don't believe match the right profile they're going for for their commercial releases. Some do weird cask maturation experiments like Cadenhead's and Cooper's Choice but a lot usually stick to full maturation in either bourbon or sherry and sometimes a re-racking into a new barrel helps alot especially if the specific cask is either nackered (or shite) wood or wood that is too overactive to where there's too much barrel influence overpowering the spirit, which is what Cadenhead's does with a good amount of spirit they buy and also what Jim McEwan did when he got hired to re-start Bruichladdich as well as when James MacTaggert got hired at Arran. So in terms of the quality IBs, re-racking casks is extremely important and can also help them salvage shit casks which might have potential with a changed barrel, especially if they get it for cheap.
Also some do blended malts with stuff that might be underproof that a couple companies get for cheap that's actual quality shit (like 60s Macallan and Highland Park) and bring it back to proof with more tame malts to showcase the character of older malts but also price it extremely competitively. Look up any Blended Malt XOs from The Whisky Agency or Whisky-Fassle if you want a better idea of that. (1/2)

[Anonymous No.13667813]

>>13661759
(2/2)
>I suppose if they don't chill-filter, add color, or water it down that's a benefit, but I'm not sure that justifies the existence of multiple different independent bottlers
Many IBs do stuff differently or go for different profiles based on who picks casks. It also depends on the market. If they make money they stay in business, if they don't they go out of business. It also helps new distilleries sell stocks early and gain capital.
>Unless it's a misnomer and these 'independent bottlers' are more like 'independent caskers' who somehow obtain the raw distillate and then provide their own casks to age it in
Usually casks that the distilleries find "undesirable" or don't fit into the recipes for their core range products get sold to IBs. Although many distilleries are owned by IBs (Cadenhead's with Springbank, Signatory with Edradour, Adelphi with Ardnamurchan) so some do have new make that they can work.
>Do they buy some casks from the batch and empty them into their own?
Either or. They could bottle as is or wait if they think it needs more time (or a re-racking) the barrel is moved to the bottler's own warehouse.
>why do distilleries agree to this?
Easy money to sell barrels they don't need. Given the current market its a good venture, especially for new distilleries, but that's only if they have excess which is starting to become more scarce
>which would then significantly increase the price of their product
Not entirely. Only some casks go for crazy money (older Mortlachs, Macallans, older Taliskers, older Springbanks and Port Charlottes, Port Ellen, Rosebank, Brora) while 80% are reasonable price-wise.
>No one would buy the product at this increased price unless there were something really special and different about it
Drinkers (not including "day trader" tier collectors) only pay big bucks if those casks get good reviews from guys like Serge Valentin or have a good whiskybase score. Most of the time no whisky is worth more then $200.

[Anonymous No.13667892]

>>13667655
It's marginally more expensive, but definitely worth the price of admission.

>>13667421
For whatever reason, certain bottles of the same peaty whiskey have ranged from exellent to just okay, specifically Lagavulin 16, Laphroaig 10, and Ardbeg 10. Not sure if it's batch or bottle variation.

[Anonymous No.13667987]

>>13667892
I'd be beyond pissed if I dropped $90 on a bottle of Lag 16 and got a bad batch

[Anonymous No.13668408]

Bought pic related to try and possibly mix with coke. (Don't wanna waste my nicer bourbons in coke.)

Its boring as hell straight (Kinda watery mouth feel)

Tried it with coke and it left a weird chemically aftertaste.

I have white BIB version of EW but I don't want to waste that by mixing it as it is great neat.

Bullet was also boring straight but was atleast good with coke.

What is your go to cheap bourbon to mix with coke or other beverages?

I drink my bourbon neat in a glenncarin 99% of the time but sometimes when im chowing down on pork rinds or some shit I like an easy mixed drink.

[Anonymous No.13668511]

>>13668408
agree on all those points
four roses and jim beam are good mixed. $17 where i am

[Anonymous No.13668533]

>>13668511
A friend suggested Old Crow which seems to be like 12 dollars. (80 proof but only 3 years old)

Is it a waste of money like EW Black or good mixed? I believe it id distilled by Beam/Suntory.

[Anonymous No.13668542]

>>13668533
ive never had it, but beam products have a peanut after taste to them and that sticks out even when mixed. i imagine it would be like regular jim beam

[Anonymous No.13668545]

>>13667892
With Lagavulin it might be because of sherry casks treated with sulfur candles.
>>13667987
It's like $60 at Costco bro.
>>13668533
OC used to be good but is now shit because they changed the recipe. It's just a really shitty, young version of Jim Beam now.

[Anonymous No.13668621]

>>13668545
Just googled it apparently old crow recipe changed in the 70s.

Not worth buying now I guess?

[Anonymous No.13668641]

I tried plum wine for the first time tonight it was pretty good but I probably just stick with sakes if I want rice drink again plus plum wine is supposed to be cold and if I want cold I drink gin and juice
Also cold vodka straight is quickly becoming a favorite
I'm losing my taste for whiskey had that happened to any of you?

[Anonymous No.13668706]

>>13668621
>Not worth buying now I guess?
Right. Again, it's a significantly worse version of Jim Beam white label, which isn't very good as is.

[Anonymous No.13669063]

Knob Creek Single Barrel has the best color

[Anonymous No.13669072]

>>13669063
cute hand uwu

[Anonymous No.13669075]

>>13669072
t-thanks

[Anonymous No.13669147]

>>13669063
cute hand cute hand!

[Anonymous No.13669154]

>>13669147
a-arigato anon

[Anonymous No.13669195]

So does Whiskey ever not taste like paint thinner?

[Anonymous No.13669224]

>>13669195
Yes you just have to pick something good.

[Anonymous No.13669227]

>>13659312
man i get fatty vibes from this lol

[Anonymous No.13669251]

>>13669195
lol yea

[Anonymous No.13669273]

>>13669195
just keep drinking and the alcohol goes away

[Anonymous No.13669297]

Jose Cuervo is cheaper and tastes about the same. You can only taste the difference when you get to don julio.

[Anonymous No.13669658]

this with coke is amazing

[Anonymous No.13669663]

>>13669195
My last bottle was a spicy rye that had delicious notes of caramel and butterscotch. What are you drinking that tastes like paint thinner?

[Anonymous No.13669681]

>>13669658
>mixing chivas with coke
Someone needs to beat your ass boy.

[Anonymous No.13669684]

>>13669195
The only whiskey that has ever tasted like this for me was Jack Daniels.

[Anonymous No.13669731]

>>13669681
Chivas is just a blended scotch that, like Johnny walker, pretends it's something special via bottle design to fool you into the idea that there's anything but a mediocre product inside.

you might as well use that tripe as a mixer.

[Anonymous No.13669742]

>>13669731
Chivas is fantastic, was the drink of choice for Hunter S. Thompson, and you're basically a little bitch, all around.

[Anonymous No.13669784]

>>13669742
yeah ok. you're trying too hard to troll and it shows.

[Anonymous No.13669794]

>>13669784
Not everyone that disagrees with you is a troll, bitch.

[Anonymous No.13670118]

>>13668545
My local Costco has shit selection, the only scotch they have is Glenlivet and Johnnie Walker last time I checked.

[Anonymous No.13670886]

>>13669742
>Hunter S. Thompson
A talented thinker whose abilities unfortunately succumbed to addictions early in life. His work largely tread the grounds of novelty and hackery. Hells angels is a landmark work because of the time and place in american history it illustrated. Work that came after, like fear and loathing on the campaign trail, in vegas, the rum diary, all the 'gonzo' stuff boils down to novelty. Despite this, real poetry managed to puncture through here and there, like the monologue about the 'seeing the high water mark'.

His greatest well-known work is likely the letter he wrote, at the age of 22, to a friend on deciding what to do with one's life. Go read it and tell me his ability to think hadn't degraded by the time he wrote hell's angels. Ask yourself how such a mind could grow so weak as to commit suicide just because we re-elected Bush. With sobriety he could have been as great a writer as Poe, could have concretely worked in government or the military to exert influence for good. Instead he merely chose to write entertaining criticism. He was one of a few men each generation who could really see how beautiful the world was and chose to cry about it into a bottle instead of take action.

He's a tragedy. Oh, and he drank Wild Turkey 101, only switching to Chivas once he was old and had fried himself.

[Anonymous No.13670897]

>>13669742
But I suppose you're an entry-level reader of his, or maybe you've just watched his jester friends pretend to be him on the silver screen. You think it's cool and manly to get fucked up and disregard responsibility. You are a teenager.

Enjoy your Chivas and coke. Never reflect on who you are, or why you admire the people you do.

[Anonymous No.13671077]

>>13670897
>>13670886
get your head out of your ass, this is a whiskey thread.

>>13667813
>>13667767
BASED knowledge poster

Does anyone here live in michigan? how do I get bottles that aren't on the MLCC price book? Most websites say they can't ship to michigan, I think there's a law or something against shipping booze here. But I wanna buy unusual stuff. I have money, but not time to travel elsewhere just to buy a damn bottle.

[Anonymous No.13671111]

>>13671077
you get a friend in a non-fucked up state to ship you bottles as "gifts"

[Anonymous No.13671577]

sometimes I want to try a single malt but I had a mini bottle of Glenlivet and found it tasted like rubber tire smoke and fear that all smokey scotches will be like that

[Anonymous No.13671790]

>>13671577
They do, but in a much more pleasant way. try glenfiddich instead. Also the balvenie.

[Anonymous No.13671854]

>>13671790
thanks anon

[Anonymous No.13671942]

>>13671577
If you want to try smoky scotch, try Laphroaig 10. Glenfiddich isn't smoky, and their younger whiskies taste like sherried paint thinner.

[Anonymous No.13671953]

>>13671942
I do, I like the smokey taste from johnnie walker black, but glenlivet, or at least the mini bottle I had tasted like rubber smoke and not a good smoke

[Anonymous No.13671973]

>>13671577
Glenlivet sux except for nadurra oloroso

[Anonymous No.13671985]

>>13671953
Well, when you've run the gauntlet of easy to find smoky scotch, try to find this.
Really nice. Trying it at the same time as the regular 10-year Benriach will increase your scotch knowledge instantly.

[Anonymous No.13672058]

>>13671953
Laphroaig 10 imo will taste like a nasty burnt tire at first. Give it a few chances and sip it slow over some enjoyable 30 minute plus conversations, it'll open up to you.

>be me, young
>dad barely drinks, a few beers here and there. Never drinks liquor.
>when I'm old enough we bond over craft beer
>never thought much of whiskey, prefer rum if I drink liquor since it's more palatable.
>on a whim try some laga 16 and fall in love
>obsessed with whiskey for two months
>don't even care much about drinking a ton, just fascinated by flavors and categories, NCF, BIB, single malt, etc.
>new favorite hobby. Reading reviews and comparing distilleries
>remember that my dad spent 30ish years amassing a 1000+ bottle collection of miniature whiskies
>he seemed to lose interest in it years ago, maybe because I never asked about it
> starting to slowly rebuild the catalog/inventory sheet that got lost
>fucking neat

Whiskey can be very wholesome.

[Anonymous No.13672079]

>>13672058
I wished more companies sell smaller bottles of their stuff.

[Anonymous No.13672126]

He was buying blanton's before it was cool. Says these are about 30 years old. You can sorta see that angel's share took a third out of the one on the left.

[Anonymous No.13672187]

What do ya'll think of this?

[Anonymous No.13672219]

Recommend me something to try next if I really liked this?

[Anonymous No.13672319]

What is the best whiskey and cola combination?

[Anonymous No.13672395]

>>13671973
The 18 is dope and 12 is alright given the price. 15 was the only bottle I couldn’t finish.

[Anonymous No.13672590]

>>13672219
tap water

[Anonymous No.13672611]

>>13672319
any bottom shelf swill will mix well with whisky. Rebel Yell makes great cocktails on the cheap

special mention to Chivas regal if you want cheap blended swill from Scotland to augment your coke-based drink

[Anonymous No.13672618]

>>13672319
>>13672611
does rye mix well with cola? I know it makes a top tier old-fashioned

[Anonymous No.13672633]

>>13672395
Yeah the 15 and the founders reserve are definitely not as good as the 12 for some reason

[Anonymous No.13672754]

>>13672590
Great post. Accurate.

[Anonymous No.13672791]

>>13672319
Seagram's 7 or Canadian Club

that's about all they're good for

[Anonymous No.13672874]

New memes lads, what should I open?

[Anonymous No.13672931]

I want to impress my friend’s family by getting them all gifts, I was thinking of getting her mother an expensive alcohol. What is the best whiskey or wine to gift a refined older woman?

[Anonymous No.13672938]

>>13672931
Probably wine, just get her a good cab sauv at whatever price you're comfortable with.

[Anonymous No.13672949]

>>13672874
The Armagnac, obviously. You're in for a religious experience if you've never had one before.

[Anonymous No.13672952]

>>13672931
Fuck that, buy her a nice rum. El dorado 15. Women love rum.

[Anonymous No.13672976]

>>13672319
Wild Turkey 101 and Pepsi

[Anonymous No.13672989]

>>13672938
>>13672952
I was considering an absinthe actually, do you think that would be alright?

[Anonymous No.13673013]

>>13672989
You should get a feel what she likes from your friend, otherwise you risk looking like a weirdo who thinks most people drink absinthe/rum

Wine is always a safe bet, even if they don't drink it. The gesture is universal.

[Anonymous No.13673064]

>>13672058
>enjoyable 30 minute plus conversations

lol

[Anonymous No.13673113]

>>13659259
gross, get old forester instead

[Anonymous No.13673121]

>>13669297
t. no taste buds
100 % agave makes a difference

[Anonymous No.13673167]

>>13672187
It's my go to for decent bourbon I know I can find anywhere..

My local liquor store had some of this stuff at a decent price. It's not bad.

[Anonymous No.13673200]

not a huge fan of this whiskey. a bit too smokey (almost like a bourbon) and with a fishy aftertaste

you might enjoy it, but it was not what i was expecting

[Anonymous No.13673521]

>>13672187
I dislike it. It's overpriced. Contrived "craft liquor" image. I think it tastes okay but there are better deals out there.

[Anonymous No.13673548]

wine tonight.


these prego jars are good jars, i'm keep these jars.

[Anonymous No.13673711]

>>13669658
It's definitely the best of the normie blended. Mixing any whisky with coke is pleb-tier, though. Just have a whisky soda.

[Anonymous No.13673714]

>>13658856
You're worried about the water content of one pour of whisky? just add more whiskey.

>>13661613
>stomps on Ardbeg
No. Smoothness and peat are a bit of a mismatch, and the chemical iodine taste isn't adding a lot. Nuttiness in return. Not worth it.
Just go for Ardbeg's more lively bonfire.

[Anonymous No.13673777]

>>13661759
Independent bottlers force the original bottlers to play an honest game.
Should a whiskey be more expensive because it is older? Yes, but not a lot more expensive. If a third party buys an unaged cask, ages it and sells it cheaper, then the added competition there will drive price due to ageing down.
Why isn't the price of a 60% whiskey literally 150% the cost of a 40% whiskey? You're getting charged more than that and you are frequently losing an age statement on top of it. Better yet, why isn't there a cask strength bottling for every distillery? Independent bottlers add competition and diversity.
Original bottlers sometimes cheap out on casks and offer a limited range of cask finishes. Everything tastes better after some age in a first fill sherry cask. And only independent bottlers will age in something like an ex-Islay cask.

>Unless it's a misnomer and these 'independent bottlers' are more like 'independent caskers' who somehow obtain the raw distillate and then provide their own casks to age it in
That is my understanding.

>And why do distilleries agree to this?
Instant return on investment for newmake spirit, sold in bulk with no bottling required. It may create a small competitor, but it's definitely profitable.
Many distilleries have already been selling to blenders, and all distilleries need to find a way to sell new spirit before they hit the 3 year old mark that allows them to sell their product as scotch. There's no pretty penny for the privilege, this is typical behaviour for distilleries.
The only difference in America is that the 'distilleries' are independent bottlers and they're just pretending that they make whiskey, when all they're really doing is reselling MGP. Angel's Envy = Bulleit Rye = Filibuster = George Dickel Rye = High West = James E. Pepper = Redemption = Smooth Ambler = Templeton Rye. With different abv's and finishes, of course.

[Anonymous No.13673797]

>>13667892
Are you sure it's not just your palate?
Are you drinking alone?

[Anonymous No.13673802]

>>13671577
Glenlivet isn't a smokey scotch and doesn't taste like that.

[Anonymous No.13673813]

>>13671985
I tried this at a whiskey bar. I very much enjoyed the 10 and the cask strength, but the peated one wasn't very memorable.
Next on the menu was Benromach though, and it's peated version was quite good.

[Anonymous No.13673822]

>>13672219
Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie, and other Speysides.

[Anonymous No.13673872]

>>13671577
lol single malts arent all smokey try glenfiddich 12 year its quite good and its fairly cheap

if you want good smoke try talisker skye its on the sweeter side how ever so if that isnt your thing reconsider

[Anonymous No.13673876]

>>13672058
aw fuck thats nice

[Anonymous No.13673913]

>>13673872
I doubt you could tell a Glenlivet from a Glenfiddich blind. You're literally recommending the most similar whiskey to what he claims to hate.

[Anonymous No.13673954]

ILA again today.

[Anonymous No.13673993]

>>13666625
Probably genes, I met a Greek girl who couldn't eat cilantro, it tasted like bleach to her.

[Anonymous No.13674001]

>>13673954
Did you print thzt label, or is there really an weeb indie bottler?

[Anonymous No.13674154]

>>13674001
It is a small shop brand.
But a formal contract.
Whiskey lovers sell it in Japan.

[Anonymous No.13674439]

>>13672058
If love to try some of those. Especially the ogd and crow. Wonderful collection, based dad.

[Anonymous No.13675441]

>>13671577
Glenlivet isnt peated though.
If you want a more subtle peated whisky I'd suggest Clynelish or Highland Park.

Also correction >>13667767 Kininvie might possibly not be chill filtered as its above 46% (I misread chill filtered as diluted my bad) but it could be a mixed ball as something like Lagavulin 8 Year, a 48% ABV whisky, is chill filtered so unless the distillery doesn't say so directly assume its chill filtered, but that's usually easy to tell. Chill a bit of the whisky and if it goes hazy it's not chill filtered.

[Anonymous No.13675605]

Is this any good? they have it a duty-free store I will be going to this weekend

[Anonymous No.13675658]

>>13675605
Nah. Buchanan's is a terrible blend.
Duty Free for whisky isn't worth it most of the time. Which airport are you going through?

[Anonymous No.13675674]

>>13672058
No lie that's a pretty damn good miniatures collection.
Which city are you in or around? I'd legit buy a few of those minis off you if you have any duplicates of some of the more interesting ones.

[Anonymous No.13675676]

>>13673797
I have two bottles of Laphroaig 10, one of which is smooth and slightly sweet, the other of which has a much more present peatiness and leatheriness, and a rather understated sweetness. I bought them about 6 months apart. I realize it could be oxidation, but it's strange that there's such a difference.

[Anonymous No.13675677]

>>13675658
not an airport, mexican border. They also have woodford reserve and monkey shoulder, so I may just get one of those instead.

[Anonymous No.13675687]

>>13675677
If they have BT for cheap I'd go for that instead.
If you want specifically blended scotch I'd go for Black Bottle if they sell it at the border.

[Anonymous No.13675959]

>>13672187
One of the cheaper 'step up' bourbons, really nice pour

[Anonymous No.13676569]

>>13671985
I find im normally underwhelmed by peated speysides. Islay just seem to be nicer. And if you want that crossover kind of style, I still think sherry cask islays are better than peated speysides.

I am tempted to pick up a bottle of GlenDronach Traditionally Peated. Im a massive GlenDronach fan, but it could just be underwhelming compared to something like Ardbeg Uigeadial

[Anonymous No.13676920]

>>13673954
nice spread

[Anonymous No.13676968]

>>13658547
dickle rye for whisky, just finished some J&B, drinking coors rn

[Anonymous No.13677253]

I hear that first fill sherry casks are getting exponentially more rare. How long until uigaedail gets real expensive? It's my favorite whisky, idk if I should just drop like $500 and stock up on a good batch while it's a sub-$100 bottle.

[Anonymous No.13677258]

>>13677253
i'd stockpile your sis on your mom and get to fuckin'

[Anonymous No.13677261]

A while back I saw this at a liquor store and thought it was an intentionally misleading name for an inferior product. Now I know why it exists and... I still think they shouldn't be allowed to call it this.

[Anonymous No.13677352]

How do you guys feel about Edradour?

[Anonymous No.13677480]

Guys, I have a situation.

So, my friend is an "all whiskey tastes the same" pleb and I've been trying to tell him he's wrong. He's only tried turbo entry level shit like Evan Williams and Jack Daniels. The highest end whiskey he's ever tried I think is Gentleman Jack which he swears is "god tier."

So I'm trying to buy 2 bottles and have him try them. But I am trying to get ideas for the two most polar opposite whiskeys you can think of (both good obviously), so he can see the contrast and the wide flavor spectrum of whiskey.

[Anonymous No.13677506]

>>13671577
Try an Islay. Don't listen to people telling you to "ease into it" by trying pussy ones. Fuck that.
Just go straight into Smoketown. Buy a bottle of Laphroaig 10 and if you don't instantly love it at first sip, then scotch is not for you.
Also pro tip: Any scotch that starts with "Glen" is fucking terrible and might as well be a bourbon.

[Anonymous No.13677534]

>>13677480
Give him Ardbeg Uigeadail and Glenfarclas 12

unless he insists on american whiskey, in which case he's mostly correct

[Anonymous No.13677542]

>>13659312
Get the red frog next time.

[Anonymous No.13677652]

>>13677352
I had Edradour 10 and it was a good sherry bomb

[Anonymous No.13677806]

>>13672618
If you want a bit of heat sure, it’ll help to have a sweeter cola. Also good to have a spicier cola like Mexicans cola and a fairly sweet bourbon.

[Anonymous No.13677819]

>>13677806
*mexicane cola

[Anonymous No.13677946]

>>13677652
Is it a sweet/fruity sherry bomb or a rich/meaty sherry bomb?

[Anonymous No.13677953]

>>13677946
I thought that it was sweet and fruity while also being on the lighter side. Glenmorangie Lasanta was kind of similar. It had some savory in there also, but it was relatively light.

[Anonymous No.13677954]

>>13675658
>Duty Free for whisky isn't worth it most of the time
In what world? I'm routinely saving 40% at the duty free stores, which remains true even for high priced bottles.

[Anonymous No.13678054]

>>13676569
I don't think the distillery character of Islay's are that great.
But, I'd also say that the distillery character of Speysides that are peated are also not quite up there.
Most of the flavour is coming from peat and cask finishing in each case.

Lagavulin probably has the best distillery character of the Islays, with Ledaig being an example of something actively bad, and Ardbeg being something rather indistinct, seconded only by the blenders choice - Caol Ila.

When it comes to Speyside I have no idea what the distillery character of Glendronach or Glenrothes tastes like; they're 100% overpowered by sherry. I'd love to try a peated Glenlivet or Glenfiddich which are both very fresh fruit forward.

The sleeper OP region is the Highlands. I don't love highlands whiskeys. I find them to be unbalanced or lacking. But god do they take peat well. Loch Lomond Inchmoan and Dalwhinnie 15 are excellent. Glengoyne and Old Pulteney have strong distillery characters that I think would go well with peat and I'd love to see them. I'm pretty sure the former would taste like a more intense Johnny Blue.

Maybe I should get blending.

[Anonymous No.13678057]

>>13677253
This is true. The sherry market is dying.
However I think you can do quite well with a much longer maturation in refill sherry, so I wouldn't be concerned in the mid term.

[Anonymous No.13678209]

Someone posted this in a past thread and I really want to try it but my budget is only $50 for a bottle. Is there anything out there comparable at that price?

[Anonymous No.13678261]

>>13677506
le holier-than-thou no true scotchman has arrived to tell everyone that if it doesn't taste like solubilized road asphalt it isn't ackytchually a real whisky

[Anonymous No.13678267]

>>13677534
Have you tried any bourbon made by your local craft distillery?
Of course you haven't, because you are a dumbass who has fallen for the meme of exoticism.

[Anonymous No.13678302]

>>13678267
Or he's not American.
My local stuff is fuck expensive. No chance in hell it beats the value of a Scotch. Same as all Bourbon.

[Anonymous No.13678305]

>>13678302
>He hasn't had port-finished rye whisky
I pity you.

[Anonymous No.13678341]

>>13678305
I've had Angels Envy.
It's okay. I would probably play $70 for it. It's worse than Blanton's, Glen Moray 15 and a Glengoyne 10 that are in that price range.
Too bad it costs $230.

[Anonymous No.13678346]

>>13678341
Angel's Envy costs $60 here. Where the fuck do you live, the Weimar Republic?

[Anonymous No.13678350]

I found this at a local discount store for €20 thinking it was a store brand, but it turns out it isn't
the flavor and consistency are on the watery side and a bit too light for my taste, but the nose and aftertaste are quite good and it really tastes like a 12y/o single malt, though it makes me think of the spyeside more than the rest of the highlands
a good summer scotch imo, recommended if you like light and fruity stuff with just a bit of peat and barely any smoke

[Anonymous No.13678363]

Is Dewars white label drinkable if johnnie walker black is 54 dollars in my area

[Anonymous No.13678366]

>>13678346
Is 'here' America? because that was exactly my point.
I'm Australian.

[Anonymous No.13678372]

>>13678366
Shit, probably should have guessed at this hour.
In your case, scotch whisky is almost definitely the better deal considering the shipping distance and relative value of the dollarydoo.

[Anonymous No.13678581]

I’m going to a whisky con soon.
What are some whiskys I should keep an eye out for? (It’ll be mostly scotch there with a few Irish and american)

[Anonymous No.13678590]

For me it’s Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, the best reasonably priced bourbon on the market

[Anonymous No.13678943]

>>13677261
elaborate

[Anonymous No.13678950]

>>13678054
tell me more about what you mean by distillery character? is this to say that the quality of the raw spirit is greater?

[Anonymous No.13678961]

>>13663573
It's fine, pretty standard Irish whiskey

Try Redbreast if you want something a bit more interesting

[Anonymous No.13678962]

>>13678590
how does all that caramel taste?

[Anonymous No.13679055]

>>13659199
It always depends on which Glenmorangie you are talking about (Nectar D'Or is incredible for the price). But yeah, you did well.

[Anonymous No.13679098]

>>13678950
Yea, the flavour of the raw spirit.
It differs depending on still shape, and every knob in Scotland is convinced their still shape is better.
Glenfiddich taste like green apples or pears. That's not coming from the oak, it's not due to age and it's not coming from any sherry slipped in there. Maybe there's differences in barley and water, but I doubt it.

That said it's a preference thing. You might not want much distillery character, and you might not like the flavour it imparts. And from what I'm told there's none of it left after 20 years or so.

[Anonymous No.13679103]

>>13679055
>Nectar D'Or is incredible for the price
Not sure how you can justify it compared to Lasanta or Quinta Ruben. Especially the latter after its two year age increase.

[Anonymous No.13679232]

>>13678943
It's an imitation whiskey made without grain, meant for people whose religion bans them from consuming most grain products for one week of the year. (For the other 51 weeks real whiskey is perfectly fine.)

[Anonymous No.13679835]

>>13677954
Because a lot of the highest quality "high priced bottles" are usually the same price as at a good liquor store in Europe. Duty Free has some good exclusives sometimes like Octomore X.2s, Port Charlotte CC:01 and MC:01 and a few others but that's it. You're better off, especially in countries like Japan, Germany and the UK, going to a good liquor store and finding a good indie bottling of a distillery you like and it'll be considerably better and cheaper then anything you'll get at duty free.

[Anonymous No.13679880]

>>13678054
>with Ledaig being an example of something actively bad
You're full of shit. Ledaig is literally one of the most highly regarded peated whiskymakers in Scotland right now and its rare to find a dud single cask release from them, especially at the 20+ year old range. Even their new make is good and I've talked to plenty of indie bottlers and brand ambassadors who, outside of the brands that they represent, rave about how good cask strength Ledaig is.
If you wanted to talk about good peated Highlands you would've mentioned Clynelish and Highland Park at the very least. Dalwhinnie is completely unpeated so I have no idea what you mean by saying it "takes peat well" when it hasn't been peated since possibly the first half of the 20th century and that's likely only because of how distillery maltings worked back then.
>When it comes to Speyside I have no idea what the distillery character of Glendronach or Glenrothes tastes
There are a million bourbon cask IBs of Glendronach and Glenrothes that show the spirit character of both so what are you smoking?

How long have you even been drinking scotch for that you throw out such inaccurate information?

[Anonymous No.13679891]

>>13678350
It's basically shittier Glen Moray which is already a cheap scotch in itself. Just buy Glen Moray instead.

[Anonymous No.13679999]

>>13678261
It's OK to have bad taste anon. If you don't like smoky scotch, you don't like scotch.

[Anonymous No.13680061]

>>13677261
>>13679232
>WISHKEY

[Anonymous No.13680371]

i'm a whiskey casual, looking for something cheap and palatable to sip or take shots of while i play games. thoughts on pic related?

[Anonymous No.13680388]

>>13661734
try the three wood

way better

[Anonymous No.13680409]

>>13658547
havent had a bottle for years.
i really enjoy it.

but still

Ardbeg Uigeadail or Ardbeg Corryvreckan are better

[Anonymous No.13680597]

>>13680409
My gold standard for a single malt, fuck Parks & Rec for turning it into a meme scotch, couldn't confirm it but I bet seeing le masculine mustache man shilling it caused prices to rise quite a bit.

[Anonymous No.13680678]

>>13680597
>gold standard
since the downfall of macallan lagavulin 16 is one of the very few classic malts for me

[Anonymous No.13680773]

>>13673711
Rebecca creek would like a word with you sir.

[Anonymous No.13680788]

>>13680371
Started a lot of people on whiskey, haven't had it in years, comes in a bag that will wear our and spill whatever you store in it. Been around for years, less than $50 a bottle (I've never bought it)

[Anonymous No.13680915]

>>13680773
That's not a major distillery, which is what I meant when I said normie.

[Anonymous No.13680932]

>Try weed
>Just makes me feel dizzy and paranoid as fuck
Guess I'm sticking with drinking forever

[Anonymous No.13681023]

>>13679999
Wasted quads. I love smoky scotch, I'm working on a bottle of Temporis right now you double-nigger, but you pretentious smoke bomb fucks make us all look bad. Also, I know for a fact you're obese.

[Anonymous No.13681086]

>>13679103
It's desserty and a great beginner scotch for people who insist on bourbon
also sauternes is expensive as fuck and fairly small quantity, so I'd imagine sauternes casks are also expensive as fuck

[Anonymous No.13681109]

>>13680371
avoid. If you want good Canadian whisky go for Lot40, FortyCreek reserve, or Caribou Crossing (if you can find it)

avoid overpriced shit like crown or whistlepig

[Anonymous No.13681205]

>>13679891
seeing where Glen Turner comes from I'm inclined to believe you're right, but the cheapest Glen Moray with an age statement costs almost twice as Glen Turner 12 and just about the same as Oban 14, so it's more in the "real whisky price" bracket than the cheap one, so unless the cheapest Glen Moray, which still costs 20% more than the Turner, is a good enough whisky I'll stick to that and Ben Bracken

[Anonymous No.13681207]

>>13681109
isn't whistlepig american tho?

[Anonymous No.13681225]

>>13679999
today anon told us that Clynelish isn't scotch, guess you learn something new everyday after all

[Anonymous No.13681229]

Recently got this, and it's good. Departure from my usual bottle of Tullamore, which I think is the best inexpensive Irish.
Any other brands aside from Redbreast worth checking out? Jameson is ok I guess, but solidly below Tullamore.

[Anonymous No.13681295]

>>13679232
Imagine drinking that slop because you can't go seven days without whiskey.

[Anonymous No.13681330]

>>13681207
Canadian whisky aged and blended by Vermonters.

[Anonymous No.13681391]

>>13681295
Apparently most (my zayde included, god rest his soul) switch to this liquor from the old country. Never had it but I understand it's incredibly nasty.

[Anonymous No.13681406]

>>13681229
Black bushmills specifically, green is about the same and more expensive, white isnt worth the decrease.
Knappapougue or whatever is also great

[Anonymous No.13681530]

>>13679880
>especially at the 20+ year old range
There is no distillery character left at 20 years of age.
I've had Ledaig 10. It is sharp as fuck. It is a real challenge to get past. I'd recommend Ardbeg 10 over it every time, which has a much friendlier indistinct sweetness.

Also what's this assumption that I've drank everything.
I can't even get IBs of Glendronach and Glenrothes.
I straight up said "I have no idea."

I don't like Highland Park. Clynelish I think is too light and friendly for it to withstand any peat. But no worries I'll blend in some Islay and check for you.

[Anonymous No.13681558]

>>13681330
Yes and no
>The story of WhistlePig begins in 2007, with Raj Peter Bhakta buying a farm in Shoreham, Vermont, with the idea of creating some ace rye whiskey. Teaing up with Master Distiller Dave Pickerell, who was the Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark for 14 years, WhistlePig sourced a top quality, 100% rye whiskey from Canada, then finished and bottled it at the WhistlePig farm. Their most well-known expression, the WhistlePig 10 Year Old, is presented at 100 proof, and has proven rather popular indeed – it even appeared on an episode of Breaking Bad! The WhistlePig chaps are also growing their own rye grain on the farm, with plans to start distillation on the 4th of July, 2015.

[Anonymous No.13681560]

>>13681330
That hasn't been true for a minute. They built a proper distillery in 2015.

[Anonymous No.13682093]

>>13677253
1st fill casks of certain sherries are getting more rare but that's not because of the demand for actual drinking sherry. The sherry industry is actually seeing a resurgence right now.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/03/premium-sherry-sales-tipped-to-grow-18-by-2021/
The problem is that the whisky industry is also growing as is the demand for sherry barrels so only a few distilleries with good connections with sherry bodegas are really getting the best quality barrels. Bunnahabhain is a very good example of this as they have lots of weird sherry they experiment with (Palo Cortado, Manzanilla, older VOS and VORS Pedro Ximenez) and it usually turns out bloody good too.
>>13681530
>There is no distillery character left at 20 years of age.
That only happens if you're using overactive wood or knackered wood, both of which are detrimental to the spirit. I've had plenty of Fettercairns, Broras and even Bruichladdichs that carry a distillery character through a bunch of casks and its what I personally look for in whisky. Ledaig 10 is not a good indicator of the distillery whatsoever nor is Ardbeg 10 a good indicator of Ardbeg's profile given how many wet bourbon casks go into that vatting. There are plenty of IBs of Ledaig done in refill bourbon that show wonderful distillery character. Valinch and Mallet from Italy and any Cadenhead's single cask of Ledaig will easily show you the distillery profile.
>I can't even get IBs of Glendronach and Glenrothes.
Glenrothes is super easy to find IBs of. Glendronach is harder but many bourbon casks still exist. Their older single casks from back when they used floor maltings and were lightly peated are fantastic.
>I don't like Highland Park
Look for an older bourbon cask IB of "Orkney." Its basically heavily peated HP. It will very much surprise you.
Clynelish can usually be light but their heavier peated runs turn out fantastically well although not as bonkers crazy as peated Ardmore can get.

[Anonymous No.13682319]

>>13682093
I'm so hesitant to try whiskey from distilleries that have disappointed me with any offering.

Ardmore Legacy was my first foray into peated whiskey, and I almost gave up on the spot. Then I go to a specialist whiskey bar and try
>ARDMORE 8 Heavy peat by Wilson & Morgan - $14
It is a lot better. Maybe I like older Ardmore. Going further down the list
>ARDMORE 8 Laphroaig cask selected by Hideo Yamaoka - $41
>ARDMORE 17 Ex-bourbon cask by Hidden Spirits - $26.5
>ARDMORE 21 by Adelphi Single cask - $32

I'm not willing to drop $26.5 on 30ml of whiskey from a suspect distillery. The 700ml bottle goes for $310, which means I'm not even being screwed on bar pricing.

I've had a North Star Fettercairn and it was great. I can't afford it. $150 a bottle, maybe when I land a better job and don't have 20 open bottles.
The cheapest Brora I can get anywhere is 35 year old.
I can try Orkney, and for that matter there's a HP 15 Ex bourbon barrel for Liquor Library Australia that I could try. But again, each run for high 20s-30s per shot.

I'll take it on board, but I'm fucking doubtful that I'll get around to trying much of these.

How is at your end? British VAT should be more expensive than Australia's 10% GST + %Alcohol flat rate tax at the high end, so I'm betting you're just a baller.

Also I have a man in Newcastle right now if there's any bottle shops anyone recommends.

[Anonymous No.13682615]

Inb4 best of times. Used to prefer Glenlivet but lately this is my go to

[Anonymous No.13682628]

>>13682615
what bizzaro-world do you live in where this wasn't discontinued so suntory could shit out harmony for 70 bucks a bottle

[Anonymous No.13682647]

>>13661734
I let it sit for a week after opening and it got better.

[Anonymous No.13683040]

Knob Creek tastes mostly like slightly rancid peanuts to me. Am I a tastelet?

[Anonymous No.13683256]

NIKKA tonight.

[Anonymous No.13683261]

>>13658856
>everything else
Isn't an old fashioned just whiskey and bitters? Plus an orange peel I guess.

[Anonymous No.13683268]

>>13682615
$ 370-400 per bottle. Madness.

[Anonymous No.13684235]

>>13658547
name something better. Please. Something cheap

[Anonymous No.13684294]

>>13683261
brown sugar

[Anonymous No.13684299]

>>13683256
damn that food looks good. IDK if I'd want it with whisky but damn.

[Anonymous No.13684382]

>>13668408
Bottled in bond is definitely a step up and worth the extra dollars. Tastes like Christmas cookies.

Redpill me on Evan Williams single barrel. I have never tried a single barrel and don't want to spend $60.

[Anonymous No.13684460]

I'm not drinking until next year, but I've started collecting bottles that I'm looking forward to trying. I don't have a social life or other hobbies to spend money on, so even though I'm not drinking, I enjoy collecting. I know I enjoy the Uigaedail and talisker, and expect to enjoy the laga 12 based on enjoying the 16.

I have the urge to get another bottle. I'm hearing that the '19 laga 12 isn't nearly as good as the previous years. If I see one, should I snap it up to break out to have on hand? Or should I save my money and look for an interesting independent bottling of some sort?

[Anonymous No.13684996]

>>13683268
especially given the boring taste.

cant hold a candle to the suntory yamazaki 18yo and gets beaten by nikka from the barrel lefthanded

i understand other anon is just joking, but still...

[Anonymous No.13685007]

can someone recommend me a good french absinth ?

[Anonymous No.13685012]

>>13684996
Haven't been able to find Nikka from the barrel in ages, was planning on hitting up a few stores today to see if it was in stock.

[Anonymous No.13685027]

>>13684460
I should amend this; Are there any bottles I'd be better off buying now than later? For example, the laga 12 is going to be much harder to find, but a bottle of old pulteney will be easy to find a year from now.

[Anonymous No.13685038]

>>13684460
Should I go for Springbank 12? I've been looking at the 10. Also, love that Aberlour.

[Anonymous No.13685096]

>>13685012
>Haven't been able to find Nikka from the barrel in ages
for real? wtf? here in germany you can find it even in supermarkets???

[Anonymous No.13685099]

>>13685007
THIS and only THIS

[Anonymous No.13685105]

>>13685007
>>13685099
you can check out this as an non-absinthe alternative

[Anonymous No.13685127]

>>13685105
had this and its very based but i need a good absinth

[Anonymous No.13685128]

>>13685096

[Anonymous No.13685169]

>>13685127
well i can only repeat myself. i had quite a few absinthe-brands from various countries, but pernod comes out on top in the end.

(2nd place =la muse verte)

[Anonymous No.13685245]

>>13685169
Thank you

[Anonymous No.13685426]

>>13685038
Idk I haven't tried it. It's one of very few scotches that I've consistently heard nothing but high praise for. Not a single negative review.

is $180 too much to pay for laga 12?

[Anonymous No.13685538]

>>13685426
>is $180 too much to pay for laga 12?
In USD? Yes.

[Anonymous No.13685548]

>>13684294
Ah, yeah. Fair enough then. Sugar completely slipped my mind.

[Anonymous No.13685561]

>>13681229
Power's John's Lane

[Anonymous No.13685634]

>>13658657
I always use buffalo trace. also does anyone actually do the orange peel thing? who just keeps oranges around?
>>13658547
corvoisier when I do drink, which isnt often

[Anonymous No.13685675]

>>13685634
>just keeps oranges around?
Those of us who work at bars.

[Anonymous No.13685702]

you know I've never tried absinthe. I hear the stuff in the us is somehow fake? I'm going off of memory here.

I do recall it being hyped like some kind of extreme experience but I'm sure it's bullshit. how does it compare to strong whisky? strongest I've ever had was just under 70% abv

[Anonymous No.13685729]

>>13685634
I don't use orange peels, but I do throw some orange bitters in with the angostura for taste. I tried Blanton's recently and it tasted like mildly sweeter Buffalo Trace with some orange, which is pretty much what I want an Old Fashioned to taste like, I hate it when they're too sweet.

[Anonymous No.13685821]

>>13685702
the only psychoactive substance in absinthe is alcohol

it was banned for decades in most of the "civilized" world (including the US and France) because of a moral scare about it inducing madness, but all it induces is drunkenness

never had it without the sugar cube and water ritual myself. that's the "proper" way

[Anonymous No.13685856]

>>13684460
Where are you at bro? I’ll bring my bourbons over and we can taste and cook some good shit together. Paella maybe, or Beef Bourguignon?

[Anonymous No.13685858]

>>13684460
>I'm not drinking until next year
What?

[Anonymous No.13685875]

>>13685702
Absinthe contains thujone from wormwood, which is subject to regulation because for a long time people thought it was a drug. It was banned worldwide for a time and in the US well into the 2000s.
Since 2007 it is legal for US spirits to have wormwood in them so the fake absinthe is more or less gone now.

Rumours of absinthe being DUDE WEED LOL are propaganda from the 1800s.

[Anonymous No.13686021]

>>13685875
>Rumours of absinthe being DUDE WEED LOL are propaganda from the 1800s.
I'm surprised some weed company hasn't made a CBD infused absinthe, could turn that misconception into proper marketing.

[Anonymous No.13686034]

>>13685856
Paella sounds gr8, but see
>>13685858
There's a handful of different reasons, but they're not worth getting into. Boils down to an arbitrary exercise in willpower.

It's easier to forgive myself dropping ~$500 on whisky if I feel confident I won't drink it all in two or three months.

That said, I'm so excited to try some of these that I'm going to have an aneurysm.

[Anonymous No.13686051]

>>13668533
>Old Crow
It's great for it's price. Obviously don't expect something complex, but it isn't nearly bad as people say. Maybe it used to be better, but it's still a good value.

[Anonymous No.13686107]

>>13685426
I tried the 10 at a pub and was wholly unimpressed. No massive flaws, it was just a 'whatever' type whiskey. I had two mates with me and they agreed.
IMO there's probably too much good PR for their entirely manual process.

[Anonymous No.13686181]

>>13668533
It's significantly worse than EW Black.

[Anonymous No.13686303]

I've been kind of getting into rum. Does anyone have some nice-ish recommendations? I'd like to finally try something at least middle shelf.

[Anonymous No.13686331]

>>13686303
Don't know what middle shelf means to you, but I recommend Plantation Overproof. 69%.

[Anonymous No.13686346]

>>13686331
Anything past Captain Morgan, I'd say.

There's a very small liquor store on my route home from work, and that along with Kraken (which I've also tried and liked) is all they have there for rum. There's a very big Total Wine about 20 minutes away though. And it looks like that's in stock there so I might give it a try tomorrow.

[Anonymous No.13686354]

>>13684235
EW BiB

[Anonymous No.13686359]

>>13686303
four squares

[Anonymous No.13686363]

>>13686303
idk what middle shelf means to you, but this is the best rum you can find under 100 bucks, it's ~60 in TX

[Anonymous No.13686370]

>>13686363
>>13686303
whoops forgot pic

[Anonymous No.13686401]

>>13686331
Haven't tried Overproof but Plantation definitely, though considering you can get a 750 of 5 Year for under $20, that's nearly bottom shelf pricing.

[Anonymous No.13686485]

>>13686401
Well Plantation 5 700ml is $65AUD here and Overproof is $100, so mid and top shelf respectively. Recommending based on price is such a guess.

[Anonymous No.13686771]

>>13686303
Appleton Estate 12 year

[Anonymous No.13687356]

Dangerously low on Islays and Talisker.

[Anonymous No.13687364]

>>13669063
Cute hand thank you for flirting with us himbo

[Anonymous No.13687374]

>>13687356
People always shittalk this distillery but caol ila is just very pleasant among those more intense islay scotches.

[Anonymous No.13687384]

>>13687364
I am not a himbo, I have an IQ of 130. my perfect hand just happens to be cute and in that picture of my knob creek single barrel's wonderful color

[Anonymous No.13687390]

>>13687374
Love Coal Ila. It's the only distillery where I get a distinct camp fire memory association. Similar to how lagavulin 16 is a bonfire on a cold night on the beach for me.

Comfy.

[Anonymous No.13687397]

>>13669195
Eventually. Keep trying different brands. It helps if you sip it with ice or after putting it in the freezer if you're sensitive to the alcohol.

[Anonymous No.13687401]

>>13672058
You building a fucking museum anon, lmao?

[Anonymous No.13687407]

>>13681229
Tyrconnel, Knappogue, Writer's Tears, Green Spot.

[Anonymous No.13687414]

>>13684235
If you're looking for something light, mellow, and sweet, go no further. It's only like 12$ a liter and is extremely smooth and drinkable neat or mixed.

[Anonymous No.13687438]

>>13684235
Ezra Brooks, best bottom shelf bourbon of all time.

[Anonymous No.13687443]

>>13681229
Knappogue Castle 12, Bushmills 10, Green Spot, Power's Three Swallows, Power's John's Lane

[Anonymous No.13688680]

Is grand marnier worth it? I was thinking of treating myself and I’ve always wanted to try it.

[Anonymous No.13688854]

>>13688680
No. it's a liqueur, not liquor. That means it's a dessert drink specifically meant for mixing with a liquor.

You can drink it on it's own, but it's not an interesting or complex drink, and you'll probably get sick of it before you finish the bottle. More of a once-in-a-while meme, unless you fucking love sweet, simple, orange drinks.

[Anonymous No.13688863]

I've never had whisky before so I went and bought a Ballantines for cheap
It's pretty good but then again I'm not much of a liquor connoisseur, I like rum but tend to stick to beers.

[Anonymous No.13688906]

>>13688854
>unless you fucking love sweet, simple, orange drinks.
Maybe I still will give it a try because I do. I haven’t in a while, but I can drink a whole bottle of limoncello straight no problem.

[Anonymous No.13689030]

>>13686303
Look for barbados distilleries. I would say the best bang for buck is definitely Mount Gay XO, dunno if that counts as middle shelf for you.
>>13688863
Whisky is like rum, you don't cheap out on it, because you'll have a miserable experience, the sweep spot is probably around 35$ anything below will give you this mediocre or bad taste. I'm into rums too, and I really recommend Dalmore, but I'm not saying that you should shill out loads of money for alcohol. Dunno about you, but when I drink, I want to have a good impression and time with it, not just a shrug, because that kinda eliminates the joy factor in it, and the purpose of drinking. If you aim to get drunk asap you drink vodka, if you want sweet then jagermeister.

[Anonymous No.13689061]

>>13658547
Hendrick's gin. They really overdo the floral taste, and I like it. Tastes like paint thinner with an aftertaste of roses, and I save it for myself.

[Anonymous No.13690337]

Had many whisky's but never Jap whisky. What's a good decent Jap whisky that's $40 or less for a fifth?

[Anonymous No.13690435]

>>13682319
>>13682319
I'm in Canada so I'm an even worse boat then Straya is scotch-wise. Thankfully there are some good whisky bars with large archives of old scotch that they pour for cheap. I think I got some 70s Blair Athol for under $20 USD a pour once.
Older IB Ardmore is almost always worth. If you're debating look at the bottle's rank on whiskybase or on whiskyfun.

[Anonymous No.13690488]

Is there anything more pathetic than people buying whisky for over 200 dollar?
The difference is marginal from the mid tier stuff

[Anonymous No.13690495]

>>13687414
>light and mellow
>not mellow corn
Cmon bruh

[Anonymous No.13691041]

>>13687414
Such a shame the bib got discontinued. Old tub is quite nice though.

[Anonymous No.13691159]

>>13675605
Not sure. but people here drink the fuck out of it. Mostly sud americanos.

[Anonymous No.13691163]

>>13678209
Dude that shit tastes like a liquid chimney. Try Lagavulin.

[Anonymous No.13691174]

>>13681391
I fucking love the Sliv. You have to make sure it comes in a round bottle, and is serbian. Otherwise fuck off. It's very strong,and hot. but has a subtle sweetness. Try it out

[Anonymous No.13691188]

>>13658547
Giving up booze for Lent, which starts this coming Wednesday. Going to be a tough one boys. I drink more now than I ever have before. But tonight it's Sailor Jerry's and coke.

[Anonymous No.13691203]

I can't get into whisky bros. I like beer and wine, my favorite though is sparkling wine, but whisky is something I can't get into. I even tried the american corn meme one, but I can't get to like it, it is too strong on my tastebuds. How come you like it?

[Anonymous No.13691522]

>>13690337
>What's a good decent Jap whisky that's $40 or less for a fifth?
Nikka whiskey from the barrel
there are basically no jap whiskeys left under $40, but this is still the king of the not-a-billion-dollars-and-still-findable bracket

[Anonymous No.13691776]

>>13691203
You have to ramp up the alc%
Either by diluting whiskey down with water or by drinking increasingly stronger stuff.

Should take about 3 bottles of whiskey to get used to 40%, and from there on it's a cake walk.
Holding it in your mouth might help. Jim Beam is cheap and easy to drink, Jack Daniel's rye ain't too shabby either and they should be available everywhere.
Either way, you're supposed to sip, not glug down. Same pace as hot tea/coffee.

Or it might just be not for you. Maybe try chartreuse, brandy or even absinthe?

[Anonymous No.13691839]

>>13691203
try a highball? buy toki that's in >>13690337 and mix with 3-4 parts club soda

[Anonymous No.13691866]

why havent you taken the G I N pill yet?

[Anonymous No.13691868]

>>13666977
There was a shitload at the local tonight. They even fucking 1.75L bottles for $50, nearly snagged one as it's practically my daily drinker.

[Anonymous No.13691874]

>>13691866
because i do not enjoy tasting the cleaning power of Pine-Sol.

[Anonymous No.13691977]

>>13691866
>flavored vodka

[Anonymous No.13691982]

>>13691977
>wood flavored wheat juice

[Anonymous No.13692105]

>>13691203
Start drinking with ice cubes
Then substitute that with a splash of water
Then after getting used to that you should be able to drink it neat

[Anonymous No.13692212]

>>13691203
buy a bottle of laphroaig and don't drink any other alcohol until you finish it.

This will be unpleasant and take a week and a half to a month. Don't try to slam it in a day or you'll ruin the whole exercise.

next, go buy some booker's bourbon. Boom, you're a whiskey man now.

[Anonymous No.13692410]

>>13690337
JAP whiskey. $ 40 or less.
NIKKA, MIYAGIKYO.
... but that's a painful answer.
For $ 40, much better whiskey is produced outside of Japan.
There are many good whiskeys made in Japan.
But they are much more expensive than scotch or bourbon.
I am Japanese. I appreciate Japanese craftsmen.
But Japanese whiskey is too expensive.
That is a problem in the Japanese whiskey industry.
Japan is challenging. But that challenge has not yet reached the UK base.