Equipment Forum Whisky/Whiskey Thread

[blbskue]

How much is Larceny where you're at? I can get it in PA for under $30. It's actually one of my favorites on that list, but I have a penchant for sweeter bourbons. Along those lines, the Willet is towards the bottom of my list. I still enjoy it, but I always find myself wishing it had just a hint of sweetness to round out its flavor profile.

I have the Rare Breed on my list. I went a bit wild last month (I only started collecting in December), so I levied a self-imposed ban on any new purchases until this year.

I tend to agree with you about the Pappy. I realllllllly wanted a bottle, but I wasn't willing to put much work into it. I signed up for the lottery held by PA and had my family do the same. My sister was fortunate enough to win the 15 and gave it to me as a Christmas gift. After I showed her what it sells for (she paid the MSRP of $79.99), she told me it would have been sold immediately if she knew lol.

I think Larceny is around $30 here. It may just be a personal thing, but there are so many great bourbons in the $30 to $35 range, and I don't think Larceny holds up well to them. "Overpriced" might be an overstatement, but I'd rather see it in the $20 to $25 range. It's all personal preference though. For example, I like Angel's Envy but most I know who appreciate bourbon consider it horribly overpriced for what it is.

Overall, I'm not a fan of younger wheated bourbons, which tend to be very sweet. Larceny is both relatively young (6 years) and wheated, as is Maker's Mark. Both are too sweet for my tastes. I do enjoy aged wheated bourbons (like Pappy). Some of that sweetness mellows out during the extended aging process as the bourbon takes on more of the woody characteristics of the barrel. For younger bourbons, I prefer rye as the the secondary grain because they tend to pick up the wood flavors faster and therefore often taste more aged than they really are.

Happy for you that your sister didn't realize the profit she could have made! Have you opened it yet?

[urbanlifter]

All this 'Pappy' talk has me curious, I'm going to run to a more upscale liquor store on my way home out of curiosity. Although, after burning through a couple expensive bottles of scotch I have tried to find more affordable options, like the CAP OB-86b of whisky LOL. The only two common choices I haven't tried yet are Glenfiddich and Chivas, should either of those be a consideration?

[Cleveland33]

Overall I just stick with Bulleit. Love it. It mixes well, it goes on the rocks well. Overall, my favorite.

[Roidmonster55]

All this 'Pappy' talk has me curious, I'm going to run to a more upscale liquor store on my way home out of curiosity. Although, after burning through a couple expensive bottles of scotch I have tried to find more affordable options, like the CAP OB-86b of whisky LOL. The only two common choices I haven't tried yet are Glenfiddich and Chivas, should either of those be a consideration?

Pappy Van Winkle is incredibly expensive. If I remember correctly, $300 a bottle. Supposed to taste extraordinary though. A review I read said it tastes "like you are getting a BJ while eating cinnamon buns".

[blbskue]

Pappy Van Winkle is incredibly expensive. If I remember correctly, $300 a bottle. Supposed to taste extraordinary though. A review I read said it tastes "like you are getting a BJ while eating cinnamon buns".

Depends on the age. Pappy 15 retails about about $80, Pappy 20 for around $200, and Pappy 23 for close to $300 I think. It's almost impossible to find retail though, and people pay several hundred for 15 and way more for the 20 and 23 on the secondary market. I think the 23 goes for close to a $1000 on the secondary market now.

[anthony6377]

I think Larceny is around $30 here. It may just be a personal thing, but there are so many great bourbons in the $30 to $35 range, and I don't think Larceny holds up well to them. "Overpriced" might be an overstatement, but I'd rather see it in the $20 to $25 range. It's all personal preference though. For example, I like Angel's Envy but most I know who appreciate bourbon consider it horribly overpriced for what it is.

Overall, I'm not a fan of younger wheated bourbons, which tend to be very sweet. Larceny is both relatively young (6 years) and wheated, as is Maker's Mark. Both are too sweet for my tastes. I do enjoy aged wheated bourbons (like Pappy). Some of that sweetness mellows out during the extended aging process as the bourbon takes on more of the woody characteristics of the barrel. For younger bourbons, I prefer rye as the the secondary grain because they tend to pick up the wood flavors faster and therefore often taste more aged than they really are.

Happy for you that your sister didn't realize the profit she could have made! Have you opened it yet?

Nope, haven't opened the Pappy yet. I'm waiting for a special occasion.

[Mechanon84]

[rlundregan]

All this 'Pappy' talk has me curious, I'm going to run to a more upscale liquor store on my way home out of curiosity. Although, after burning through a couple expensive bottles of scotch I have tried to find more affordable options, like the CAP OB-86b of whisky LOL. The only two common choices I haven't tried yet are Glenfiddich and Chivas, should either of those be a consideration?

Pappy is nearly impossible to find.

Chivas is nice for a typical blended Scotch, but it is not in the same conversation with single malts. Think Body Solid's OB86B.

I've never tried Glenfiddich. That's because I've never heard anything positive about it.

[urbanlifter]

Cooking with Coolio, explain...

I have heard the Japanese are really cranking out good stuff, would like to try some one day.

[Mechanon84]

Cooking with Coolio, explain...


I have heard the Japanese are really cranking out good stuff, would like to try some one day.

It's exactly what it sounds like. How to be a kitchen pimp.

The wife likes the whisky more than I do. I'm no expert. but it's definitely drinkable.

[dexter000]

Ah, this may become my favorite thread--whiskey + iron! Here's the stash I have in my home office. I like my variety. But I'm really digging Japanese whiskies recently. They are pretty amazing. The Ka Va Lan in the bottom center was the #1 whiskey in the world according to Whiskey Bible. I think they were right.



I will try to take a photo of my other stash at the office office, where $hit happens!

[1651Naismith]

I've never tried Glenfiddich. That's because I've never heard anything positive about it.

I've tried it and can't say anything positive about it.

[Synthetickiller]

I'm not a big drinker, so I can't add to that conversation, although all of this is enlightening.

I do like to cook though.
Offhand, does anyone know of a good whiskey for making BBQ sauce?
I'm looking for something different that google won't point me to.

[Wildtim]

Geeze start this thread right after the holidays why don't you.


The only Whiskey I have left is this:



For the price this isn't bad but I understand now its a blend not straight Kentucky Bourbon like when I bought my bottle.

[Ramcharger310]

I have an unopened 1.75L bottle of Rich and Rare in my cabinet that I am scared to drink lol. Got it from Vons on sale for $1.50 lol

[blbskue]

Suntory owns Jim Beam now, so all the Beam bourbons plus Booker's, Baker's, Basil Hayden's, and Knob Creek are all Suntory products, though still distilled in Clermont, KY.

[blbskue]

Ah, this may become my favorite thread--whiskey + iron! Here's the stash I have in my home office. I like my variety. But I'm really digging Japanese whiskies recently. They are pretty amazing. The Ka Va Lan in the bottom center was the #1 whiskey in the world according to Whiskey Bible. I think they were right.



I will try to take a photo of my other stash at the office office,
where $hit happens!

Impressive collection. I really want to try that Jefferson's Reserve "Aged by the Ocean."

I see an old Lagavulin and old Red Breast in there. I'm not a huge Scotch or Irish whisky guy, but those two are tasty.

[urbanlifter]

Pappy is nearly impossible to find.

Chivas is nice for a typical blended Scotch, but it is not in the same conversation with single malts. Think Body Solid's OB86B.

I've never tried Glenfiddich. That's because I've never heard anything positive about it.

Thanks for the tip, sounds like neither may be worth gambling $40-$50 on tasting. That's the biggest downer for me so far, most the decent bottles are at least $50 and I'm too cheap to roll the dice on something I hate.

I see that Crown Royale Northern Harvest Rye won the world's best whiskey award for 2016, and is less than $40 a bottle! Might have to stray from the path and try that one next.

[urbanlifter]

I'm not a big drinker, so I can't add to that conversation, although all of this is enlightening.

I do like to cook though.
Offhand, does anyone know of a good whiskey for making BBQ sauce?
I'm looking for something different that google won't point me to.

I don't have a BBQ recipe, but I have an epic steak sauce using beer if you are interested.

[Synthetickiller]

I don't have a BBQ recipe, but I have an epic steak sauce using beer if you are interested.

Hell yeah!
I'm always interested!

[dexter000]

Impressive collection. I really want to try that Jefferson's Reserve "Aged by the Ocean." H

I see an old Lagavulin and old Red Breast in there. I'm not a huge Scotch or Irish whisky guy, but those two are tasty.

Thanks. I really like the earlier Jefferson Ocean. The subtle salt flavor actually works. The later batches are less impressive though.

Lagavulin 16, which you can easily get, is my go-to. To some, maybe many, it has an acquired asian ginseng taste. I really like it.

[anthony6377]

Ah, this may become my favorite thread--whiskey + iron! Here's the stash I have in my home office. I like my variety. But I'm really digging Japanese whiskies recently. They are pretty amazing. The Ka Va Lan in the bottom center was the #1 whiskey in the world according to Whiskey Bible. I think they were right.



I will try to take a photo of my other stash at the office office, where $hit happens!

How do you like the Jefferson's Ocean? My local store had it in stock last month, and I was thinking of grabbing a bottle of it's still available (probably like a 3% chance lol). Worth the price or does it fall more towards the gimmick side of things?

<Edit> I should read the entire thread before posting.

[STR8OUT]

Real nice thread Ron, I only drink whisky as well. Or microbrews when having a "night out". I usually have a wind-down whisky every night so I dont buy anything too fancy as my usual. I am interested to see what whisky's I should try though

[TASOSCHATZ]

I am a Macallan person. Chivas also, since I lived three years in Aberdeen. Cardhu when I drink in public places.

[rlundregan]

Cardhu when I drink in public places.

I'm curious to know if there is a story behind this statement!

[rlundregan]

Real nice thread Ron, I only drink whisky as well. Or microbrews when having a "night out". I usually have a wind-down whisky every night so I dont buy anything too fancy as my usual. I am interested to see what whisky's I should try though

I usually have a wind-down after dinner as well. What are a few of your favorites?

I might try to start a list of good drams for beginners--Urbanlifter is in the same place that I was about a year ago. I was afraid to blow $50 on something I wasn't sure I would like.

[BuildingMAS]

Nothing fancy on my shelf; right now I have 2 bottles of Lagavulin 16 (my favorite), and a bottle each of Ardbeg 10, Laphroaig 10, Aberlour 12, Glenfiddich 12, and a bottle of Jameson. Also got a couple gift sets: Glenlivet 12/15/18 and Glenmorangie Original/Lasanta/Quinta Ruban/Nectar D'Or.

On Glenfiddich: it is somewhat of a Christmas ritual for me, and it seems to be really hit or miss. Last year I had a really nice bottle (drank all of it during/after Christmas dinner) that was so good it made me want to buy another before this Christmas. This year's bottle was just the worst (only got through half of it during dinner) and the experience is making me consider ending this practice.

Lagavulin 16, which you can easily get, is my go-to. To some, maybe many, it has an acquired asian ginseng taste. I really like it.

Some time ago I visited a small tea shop. I decided to try their lapsang souchong tea since it comes up so much in tasting notes. It sort of "activated" this spot on my palate, similar to doing some smaller activation movements to prepare for a bigger lift.

[rlundregan]

I'm not a big drinker, so I can't add to that conversation, although all of this is enlightening.

I do like to cook though.
Offhand, does anyone know of a good whiskey for making BBQ sauce?
I'm looking for something different that google won't point me to.

I would think that Wild Turkey would be a pretty good choice. It has a fair amount of flavor and won't break the bank ($15-20 a bottle).

You might have to share your sauce recipe. Perhaps a few of the guys can give it a try and report back on what they used.

[rlundregan]

So good single malt Scotch starts out around $40 a bottle, and the sky is the limit. It's hard to know what you are getting for your money. I thought I would take a shot at a few good places to start that are about $55 and under. If anyone disagrees, please state why, just so we can get that information out there. If there are other recommendations, I'll try to remember to edit them into this list. This list is nowhere near exhaustive. Here it is, in no particular order:

Dalwhinnie--very gentle, lots of honey notes. Around $55 the last time I picked this up.

Aberlour--also very gentle, smooth, sherry matured. This one seems like the perfect first single malt, as it really is a very different experience from bourbon or even cheaper single malts like Glenmorangie. About $45.

Macallan Fine Oak 10--this one strikes me as a missing link between bourbon and Scotch. I thought this was really nicely made, although the flavor profile is sort of typical vanilla/wood. About $50.

Auchentoshan American Oak--I have not tried this one personally, although everyone I know who has had it likes it. It's a Lowland, which is usually a lighter style, and the price is right--about $40.

Other recommendations, based on comments:

Cragganmore 12 yr is also a really nice beginner scotch. Its fairly light, sweet, and fruity. Almost like a desert scotch.

Highland Park

Glenmorangie "Original"

[urbanlifter]

I would also mention that as a beginner your method for drinking scotch will GREATLY influence the experience. Whether you decide to take it on the rocks, with a tear drop of spring water, or the ultimate enthusiasts typical choice..... 'Neat'. From my limited research I have found that blended scotch whiskys are good for mixing but can sometimes be enjoyed on ice, younger single malts need a dash of spring water to unlock certain flavor notes, and more expensive whisky should not be adulterated by anything.

This has been my method thus far, please let me know if I'm doing it all wrong....

Black Grouse, Dewar's White Label, Black Label: On Ice
Glenmorangie, Carhdu, Macallan 12, Glenlivet 12: Tear Drop of water
Macallan 18, Glenlivet 18: Neat