spirits Curious about Whisky

Rymerpt

Rymerpt

I have been introduced to GOOD tequila, but don't know shit about whisky.


From what I think I know there are some really good whiskies.


What's the deal with single malt?


What's the deal with "12 year old scotch" or aged whisky for that matter.

Is bourbon and scotch hugely different?


Id kinda like to buy a couple of those tiny bottles of "really good" whisky just to see what people think is GOOD.


I know that being 54 and an ex sailor I should know more, but sadly I don't.


Thanks for your response.
 
Never got into Scotch but the best $20 sippin' hhwiskey I know of is Pendleton Canadian blended. Almost always on sale locally at safeway for $20 too. Scovie turned me on to it and it cost way more up in WA. Never was a fan of Canadian hhwiskey but its great spirit for the price.
I've tasted dozens and dozens of bourbons from Ancient Age to Pappy van Winkles. Wild Turkey "Kentucky Spirit" is pretty easy to find and pretty darn good for the price. 
Hope this helps, Ryme  :cheers:
 
p.s. I'm a lil out of date, haven't been drinking much. I know there are a few more knowledgeable people here, search the hwiskey threads maybe
 
 
 
My advice would be to go take a distillery tour or go to a bar that specializes in whiskey before buying really nice bottles.  They can get pricey and some people just don't like whiskey.  The flavors are different because the mash is different, because the barrels they age them in are different, because the conditions are different while the spirit is aging.  Blends are a number of whiskeys mixes together, you get a pretty standard taste everytime that way. With a single barrel the conditions of 1 barrel never exactly match those of another, so you get some flavor variation even if it is the same brand.  Wikipedia and the internet can be your friend to learn the basics about the spirit.  Look for whiskey tastings at local liquor shops, it will let you discover what you like and you can explore that variety further.
 
Some of my go-tos
Bourbon: Reasonably priced: Buffalo Trace Expensive: Blanton's
Rye: Reasonable: Templeton Expensive: Whistle Pig
Irish: If you want to avoid Jameson, try Tullamore Dew.  Expensive: Connemara 12 yr (this is a peated Irish Whiskey though so it is a very smokey flavor that sme really don't enjoy)
Scotch: Reasonable: McClelland Expensive: Pretty much anything worth drinking in the Scotch world.  So many differences in taste that you really have to go trying them all to find what you like.  I really enjoy MaCallan 12 for smething that won't totally break the bank. 
 
I am not so well versed in Japanese whiskey but I have tried some and they have been consistently good.  There are also many microdistilleries out there these days.  I really like the unaged white whiskey from the local Chicago Distilling Company.  Hudson's has a good white whisky too.  Koval has a decent wheated whiskey. If you can find it W.L weller makes fantastic wheated whiskey.  If you want something cheap, that won't burn your nose hairs off when you drink it, my favorite cheap ass whiskey is Benchmark. 
 
Anyway. Just go and try some.  Sorry for the novel of a post. I probably drink too much whiskey. 
 
Oh! I forgot Canadian whiskey, but I think Scovie is the expert there...
 
Rawk don't forget Mehkong Thai whisky... killer "whisky n coke" ;)
 
Grass Snake said:
I'm impressed with your extensive knowledge of whiskey Rawk.
 
I always enjoyed Crown royal, never really tried others..
Click to expand...
Helps that I live down the street from a place with 400 whiskeys, about 35 of them are only $3/shot.  I've tried a lot of the flights, including the famous Pappy van Winkle, and sometimes just go in to try a new whiskey or two (last time I was there I had a whiskey aged in a vermouth barrel, it tasted like a manhattan out of the bottle!).  I can get a shot of whiskey to try instead of buying a $100 bottle.
 
I also am in the Bourbon Women's Association and go to a tasting event every year with 50+ distilleries.  I enjoy distillery tours too, the first time I went on one it really opened my eyes to the process. I totally appreciate the spirit more now and understand why it can get so expensive.  I highly recommend going to tastings with people that know the liquor they're serving.  You will learn a lot in a short amount of time even if it is just about that particular brand.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Rawk don't forget Mehkong Thai whisky... killer "whisky n coke" ;)
Click to expand...
I just looked that up and it doesn't sound like it is really "whisky".  Molasses and rice... Have you tried it?  Sounds like rum.  I don't do rum too much these days.  But I fell in love with seco (sort of like the white whiskey version of rum) in Panama. 
 
Yeah it's best enjoyed in Thailand. They give you a bottle and cans of coke in an ice bucket.
 
Rymerpt said:
I have been introduced to GOOD tequila, but don't know shit about whisky.


From what I think I know there are some really good whiskies.


What's the deal with single malt?


What's the deal with "12 year old scotch" or aged whisky for that matter.

Is bourbon and scotch hugely different?


Id kinda like to buy a couple of those tiny bottles of "really good" whisky just to see what people think is GOOD.


I know that being 54 and an ex sailor I should know more, but sadly I don't.


Thanks for your response.
Click to expand...
Single malt is good because it has whiskey from one "making", single malting of a batch of whiskey, so more unique flavours. Blends are usually cheaper and are lots of different batches blended together.
 
12 year old spent at least 12 years in oak barrels mellowing and developing taste.
 
Whiskey is made from malted barley and Bourbon from at least 51% corn mash.
 
Sadly you will pay more for a good scotch whiskey and it will mostly be a single malt, because those that don't cut it as single malts are then blended .
 
Most affordable , but good single malts
- Glenmorangie
-Glenlivet
-Glenfiddich
-Bowmore
 
Sadly I don't think they put the good stuff in those tiny bottles.
 
Rawkstah said:
Sorry for the novel of a post.
Click to expand...
I liked your novel! :rofl: Great posts, Rawkstah. I definitely don't know enough about whiskey to "teach" anyone anything, but I know what I like (Irish) ;)

Hope you guys don't mind if I ramble for a few minutes; just thought I'd share some ssshhhtufff.....

While I'm not a huge fan of 'Merican whiskey, I do really enjoy a good Maker's Mark (bourbon) Manhattan: just a splash of Vermouth, easy on the bitters, and an orange peel wiped around the rim of the glass, please :) I don't like Jack Daniel's much (I totally overdid it in high school; I'm sure a lot of you can relate), but their Gentleman Jack and Single Barrel ones aren't too bad. Sadly, it's empty, but I bought this 100th Anniversary bottle back in '04. Probably shouldn't have opened it, and kept it for a collector's item, but a lot of my high school buddies that had moved away all came back at the same time for a long weekend a few years ago, so...yeah, that was gone in a matter of hours :drunk:

Cool bottle; hexagonal shaped, and the back wall of the case is a mirror. The cap also fills up on its own (like a shot glass) when you tip the bottle upside down:





Like I said, I'm a big fan of Irish whiskey, and this stuff was/is pretty damn tasty. My cousin (from Boston) gave me this bottle as my Best Man's gift for his wedding:




Rawkstah said:
Irish: If you want to avoid Jameson, try Tullamore Dew.
Click to expand...
Them's fightin' words! ;) (although Tullamore Dew is absolutely fantastic!) I've been a huge fan of Jameson for a looooooong time (*almost* talked my wife into naming my daughter Jameson. So close ;) ). Especially their 12 year aged one. It's only like $10-15 more than their "regular" version, but MUCH smoother.

They (Jameson) also make a great bottle called "Redbreast," which I like even better than the regular 12 year stuff. Link: https://shop.jamesonwhiskey.com/products/redbreast-12-year-old

My wife and I went to Ireland on our honeymoon back in '09. The first night we were there, we did a tour (followed by a fancy dinner) at the Jameson distillery in Dublin. (Sorry for the crappy pics, I'm using my phone to take pics of the actual photographs)




Great tour! I wish I'd paid more attention to the process, but I was "imbibing" quite a bit on that trip ;) I did come home with a bottle of their "Distillery Reserve" though. Had my name put on the bottle, cost like $200. Worth it, in my opinion, because that's the ONLY place in the world you can get it; AT the distillery. They don't sell it online either. They gave everyone a complimentary rocks glass of this after the tour, but I still haven't opened this bottle


That trip was so much fun! Sorry for the rambling! Thanks for putting up with me, haha :cheers:

Gratuitous shot of me and my main squeeze at St. James's Gate! (Guinness brewery) That was a great tour too!


Keep calm and "hhwhiskey" on, everybody!
:cheers:
 
Ozzy2001 said:
Nice knowledge drop Rawk. I just got into Bourbon a little and have really enjoyed Smooth Ambler small batch, Angel's Envy Rum cask aged, and E H Taylors 4 grain. Dry good stuff when you get beered out.

Still not a fan of scotch though.
Click to expand...
Bourbon tends to be a little sweeter than scotch.  Scotch is very earthy, woody, sometimes smoky in my opinion.  I only really drink scotch on occasion, but a spoonful of room temp mineral water to a scotch or nice irish whiskey really can change the flavor and make it seem smoother. (NEVER use ice if you want to taste whiskey, it mutes the flavors, if you're just drinkin to drink, have at it!) I will say though, that nothing pairs with a nice cigar like a glass of scotch, those two things were made to be together.  
 
Take Rawk's advice and go to a whiskey bar, and see if they have some flights and sit at the bar so you can talk to the bartender.
 
Also a great way to learn about mezcals, have a cool place here for that and flights etc.
 
MikeUSMC said:
Them's fightin' words! ;) (although Tullamore Dew is absolutely fantastic!) I've been a huge fan of Jameson for a looooooong time (*almost* talked my wife into naming my daughter Jameson. So close ;) ). Especially their 12 year aged one. It's only like $10-15 more than their "regular" version, but MUCH smoother.

They (Jameson) also make a great bottle called "Redbreast," which I like even better than the regular 12 year stuff. Link: https://shop.jamesonwhiskey.com/products/redbreast-12-year-old

 
Click to expand...
I was going to suggest RedBreast 12 for the "expensive" irish whiskey actually.  Redbreast was the first more expensive Irish whiskey I ever bought.  It's good stuff.  If I see it on sale I pick it up.  I just recently tried Glendalough and it was pretty good.  Irish whiskey has never been my go to, I don't know why, I have never had an Irish whiskey do me wrong.  Rye whiskey is what gets me in trouble... 
 
 
Fun fact the word whiskey comes from the Irish phrase "uisce beatha", which means water of life.  
 
Ozzy2001 said:
Nice knowledge drop Rawk. I just got into Bourbon a little and have really enjoyed Smooth Ambler small batch, Angel's Envy Rum cask aged, and E H Taylors 4 grain. Dry good stuff when you get beered out.

Still not a fan of scotch though.
Click to expand...
 
 
+1 on the Angel's Envy RC it  is phenomenal .
 
 
Canadian whisky , my go to is Forty Creek.     Barrel select or Copper Pot depending on my mood.   
 
I also have a 100% rye  "white whisky" that clocks in about 85% abv,  I cut that back with mineral water ususally but even straight it has an incredible taste. I ration that one out because I doubt I will ever get another bottle , unless my friend pulls the trigger on starting his own distillery. 
 
Speaking of Irish hhwiskey, I'm surprised no one mentioned "Powers". As far as I know they drink a lot more Powers than Jameson in Ireland.
 
 
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top