spirits whiskey questions

peter pepper

peter pepper

whiskey to me is sorta like wine. I can read the reviews and what it's supposed to taste like, but to me well whiskey tastes like whiskey. Sure some are 'smoother' and not as 'harsh', but beyond that I don't notice any differences. I've never spent lots of money on a bottle because of this. I've had Maker's Mark, Old Grande Dad (orange label), Jack Daniels, Gentleman Jack, Evan Williams, Seagram's VO. Of those I would say the ones I like the most are the Maker's Mark and Gentleman Jack.


For those of you who do drink whiskey fairly often is there a trick to notice difference? How do you pick up the notes of this or taste of that? If I were to pick something up what would you recommend - a single malt scotch, an Irish whiskey, etc? Something that isn't going to be too much $$$ but where I'd drink it and go hey this is good and different that what I've had before.

Thanks in advance guys.

-PP
 
practice practice practice!!! You moreless train your tastebuds to the flavors. You will begin picking up on subtle differences like the oaky flavor or added spices and such. It takes a while.
 
George Dickel is good but I like my Crown better than anything else..
 
I'm a Crown Royal man too, not really into bourbons or scotchs but I'd say if you're just making mixed drinks with lots of coke or sweet stuff then I'd probably settle with a lower priced product
 
malts are where you get the differences 2 you should be able to get your hands on are glenmorangie and isle of jura you should be able to notice differences between them.
I prefer jura, if you want smoky peat for the flavour see if you can find caol lsa

I know i said 2 and named 3 but the first 2 should be easier to find, they are similiar but very different and the 3rd is a complete contrast
 
I'll only drink the really cheap stuff with coke, the rest (usually anything over $45AUD) I drink with a few drops of water or a small cube of ice, depending on the drink.

I mostly drink single malts but don't mind Jameson Irish whisky 12 yr old or better (I like the sweetness of it but still having the scotch flavours).

I agree with Davetaylor about the glenmorangie, and would also say that your enjoy of the drink will come down to what you like as a taste?

Do you like a sweeter drink, or smokey, or a light easy drink, or something with full and strong flavours?????
 
the whiskeys you guys mentioned: are they sold in most liquor stores? are the sold in something smaller than the typical 750mL bottle (5th)? this way i could buy a smaller amount and try it without buying the bigger bottle and not liking it?
 
over here a 750 is classed as a bottle some come in half bottles,
as for mixers a drink it straight at room temp, some say that a little bit of water can help bring out more of the subtle tones but my i personally don't like anything in it
 
You will struggle to get a smaller bottle than the 750ml in a general bottle shop......You would have to get it from the maunfacturer.

Glenfiddich 12yo is something you should find in every bottle shop!!! It's not to my taste but is still a very nice whisky to cut your teeth on and it is not all that expensive.
 
moyboy said:
Glenfiddich 12yo is something you should find in every bottle shop!!! It's not to my taste but is still a very nice whisky to cut your teeth on and it is not all that expensive.
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not really to my taste either but as you said it's a decent malt to start on, it's a tad harsh for my tastes
another that may be easy to find is glenlivet
 
Her's what I would suggest:

Just get some good whisky and add 1/8 water to it for now. Put it in a fat, round wine glass or a snifter if you have one. Stick your nose into the glass and smell deeply. Take a sip, and hold it in your mouth for at least 15 seconds. Slowly move the liquid around to different parts of your mouth before you swallow. When you swallow breathe in through your mouth, and out through your nose. It helps get it up into your nasal passages. Kepp breathing like that for a while. After about a minute take a tiny sip of water and see if that gets any more flavors going in your mouth again.
 
Everything mentioned should be easy to find except maybe the Glenmorangie. Those are all good Scotch, but some of them may be expensive if you are looking for a cheap bottle. As for bourbon. I think my favorite may be Elijah Craig and it's not too expensive either.
 
JayT said:
Everything mentioned should be easy to find except maybe the Glenmorangie. Those are all good Scotch, but some of them may be expensive if you are looking for a cheap bottle. As for bourbon. I think my favorite may be Elijah Craig and it's not too expensive either.
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I'd have to agree with you JayT, the Elijah Craig 12 yr is a beautiful bourbon and is pretty cheap for the quality.....It's around $48-$50 AUD and it's miles infront of things like white label beam which is only $10 cheaper here!!!!
 
peter pepper said:
whiskey to me is sorta like wine. I can read the reviews and what it's supposed to taste like, but to me well whiskey tastes like whiskey. Sure some are 'smoother' and not as 'harsh', but beyond that I don't notice any differences. I've never spent lots of money on a bottle because of this. I've had Maker's Mark, Old Grande Dad (orange label), Jack Daniels, Gentleman Jack, Evan Williams, Seagram's VO. Of those I would say the ones I like the most are the Maker's Mark and Gentleman Jack.


For those of you who do drink whiskey fairly often is there a trick to notice difference? How do you pick up the notes of this or taste of that? If I were to pick something up what would you recommend - a single malt scotch, an Irish whiskey, etc? Something that isn't going to be too much $$$ but where I'd drink it and go hey this is good and different that what I've had before.

Thanks in advance guys.

-PP
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Im the same as you other then some of the more expensive bottles go down a little smoother i cant really notice a difference but i have friends who swear by the single malts.

On the other hand if you can enjoy a $20 bottle of booze the same as a $200 bottle maybe its better that you cant tell the difference. :lol:
 
Hophead said:
Im the same as you other then some of the more expensive bottles go down a little smoother i cant really notice a difference but i have friends who swear by the single malts.

On the other hand if you can enjoy a $20 bottle of booze the same as a $200 bottle maybe its better that you cant tell the difference. :lol:
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I can drink good quality liquors and enjoy them and appriciate their qualities but i can still get piss drunk on lightening and have a good time. I guess it has to do with if you are after getting smashed or you are after tasting something real special.
 
i'm with nova on that one.
You treat yourself to a quality bottle and savour it.
Cheap stuff gets thrown down your neck quick.
I don't drink blended whisky as i don't find it pleasant at all really harsh, so it's malts for me and at this time of year i'm scanning for what will be the christmas tipple
 
moyboy said:
I'd have to agree with you JayT, the Elijah Craig 12 yr is a beautiful bourbon and is pretty cheap for the quality.....It's around $48-$50 AUD and it's miles infront of things like white label beam which is only $10 cheaper here!!!!
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holy smokes you pay $38-$40 AUD for Jim Beam - that's somewhere around $36-$38 USD.

do you have any Australian based whiskey's or is everything an import for you??
 
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