Good whisky/whiskey

[BuffaloSoldier2010]

from a purely lurking standpoint, this thread has done wonders for this poor college student :beer:

[Iron Crotch]

Dickel is my whiskey of choice.

 

Love me some George Dickel! It's one of the two Tennessee Whiskeys you can readily get (although there are a few more down here). Not the best tasting whiskey/bourbon, but it sure if fun to order at a bar...

 

Many good suggestions on this thread. One for the tequila drinkers to look out for is Cuestion (http://cuestionspirits.com/about/) It hasn't made it's way up to New York yet, but it will soon.

[Weave]

A decent short read from the NY Times on the whiskys of Islay.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/dining/reviews/whisky-from-islay-scotland-spirits-of-the-times.html?_r=2&ref=dining

[spndnchz]

Oh God. The girls set up a hump day party.

 

Cigars and a handle of Evan Williams.

 

Dear Jesus let me awake in the morning.

[Weave]

Oh God. The girls set up a hump day party.

 

Cigars and a handle of Evan Williams.

 

Dear Jesus let me awake in the morning.

 

Don't tease me.

[nobody]

Oh God. The girls set up a hump day party.

 

Cigars and a handle of Evan Williams.

 

Dear Jesus let me awake in the morning.

 

Make sure you tell them next time to get the Dickel.

Edited December 8, 2011 by nobody

[Weave]

Tonight's featured libation was Van Winkle "lot B" 12 yr bourbon. I've had a couple Van Winkle labels but this particular one was a first taste. All of the Van Winkle bourbons and ryes that I've had to date have been high quality. This one was no exception.

 

Van Winkle bourbons are "wheaters", ie. they substitute wheat for rye in the mash. This one was heavy with vanilla character, and spicy yet had a sweet finish. Almost caramel. 90 proof so the sweet was balanced by the alcohol warmth. It had a fruity character that went with the sweet, almost reminded me of marachino cherries. Imagine creme' brulee with the barest hint of sweet cherry. I had mine with 2 small ice cubes that quickly melted. The added water really allowed the whiskey to open up.

 

This might be the most interesting bourbon I've ever had. It is a touch too rich and sweet for drinking on it's own but as an after dinner drink it is top of the heap. I would imagine it pairs nicely with a big, tough, robust maduro wrapper cigar. A fantastic special occasion tipple.

[korab rules]

Tonight's featured libation was Van Winkle "lot B" 12 yr bourbon. I've had a couple Van Winkle labels but this particular one was a first taste. All of the Van Winkle bourbons and ryes that I've had to date have been high quality. This one was no exception.

 

Van Winkle bourbons are "wheaters", ie. they substitute wheat for rye in the mash. This one was heavy with vanilla character, and spicy yet had a sweet finish. Almost caramel. 90 proof so the sweet was balanced by the alcohol warmth. It had a fruity character that went with the sweet, almost reminded me of marachino cherries. Imagine creme' brulee with the barest hint of sweet cherry. I had mine with 2 small ice cubes that quickly melted. The added water really allowed the whiskey to open up.

 

This might be the most interesting bourbon I've ever had. It is a touch too rich and sweet for drinking on it's own but as an after dinner drink it is top of the heap. I would imagine it pairs nicely with a big, tough, robust maduro wrapper cigar. A fantastic special occasion tipple.

Sounds fantastic! Any idea what they're getting for a bottle?

[SwampD]

Tonight's featured libation was Van Winkle "lot B" 12 yr bourbon. I've had a couple Van Winkle labels but this particular one was a first taste. All of the Van Winkle bourbons and ryes that I've had to date have been high quality. This one was no exception.

 

Van Winkle bourbons are "wheaters", ie. they substitute wheat for rye in the mash. This one was heavy with vanilla character, and spicy yet had a sweet finish. Almost caramel. 90 proof so the sweet was balanced by the alcohol warmth. It had a fruity character that went with the sweet, almost reminded me of marachino cherries. Imagine creme' brulee with the barest hint of sweet cherry. I had mine with 2 small ice cubes that quickly melted. The added water really allowed the whiskey to open up.

 

This might be the most interesting bourbon I've ever had. It is a touch too rich and sweet for drinking on it's own but as an after dinner drink it is top of the heap. I would imagine it pairs nicely with a big, tough, robust maduro wrapper cigar. A fantastic special occasion tipple.

I would bet that reading your description of a bourbon gives me way more pleasure than I would get if I actually drank it, and I like bourbon.

[Weave]

Sounds fantastic! Any idea what they're getting for a bottle?

 

I've never seen it for sale in the Buffalo area. Haven't seen it at Mahan's in Brockport either. Internet retailers are selling it for around $55-60.

 

There is a long story about this label. It used to be made at the Stitzle-Weller facility before they closed in the 90's. Buffalo Trace bought the brand and makes it at their facility now. The interesting part is, the 15 and 20yr aged versions of this whiskey are from the old Stitzle-Weller distillery and are getting hard to find. Those bottles go for $100+. The 12 yr aged bottle is all Buffalo Trace though. Premier liquors in Buffalo used to have a couple bottles of the older bourbons in their locked special reserve room. The 20 yr old is legendary for it's richness and complexity.

[Weave]

I would bet that reading your description of a bourbon gives me way more pleasure than I would get if I actually drank it, and I like bourbon.

 

Yeah, I can get full of ###### with my descriptions, can't I? :P

[nobody]

Yeah, I can get full of ###### with my descriptions, can't I? :P

 

I guess if you think what might be in the peat - you might not be too far off.

[FolignosJock]

I would bet that reading your description of a bourbon gives me way more pleasure than I would get if I actually drank it, and I like bourbon.

 

I agree with this

[Weave]

Well, the game against Carolina sucked so lets talk about something entertaining. Hit a nearby watering hole tonight. They have TW cable so I was able to enjoy my libations without the frustration of watching the Sabres lose to a conference bottom feeder.

 

Had two new pours tonight. One disappointing given its rep and another that was surprisingly enjoyable.

 

Templeton Rye Whiskey was the first. This one seems to get alot of accolades. I had mine neat. My first impression was, boy this one is thin. No body or mouthfeel. It had nice flavor. Caramel was obvious. Maybe some vanilla and grass. And it was smooth. BUt my overwhelming impression was that this was an uncomplicated pour. No depth. No mouthfeel, No spice. Given it's reputation over the intertubes, I expected more. It is a simple, uncomplicated whiskey. Not offensive in any way. But it wasn;t good enough to support the love it gets online. Just a decent, basic whiskey in my opinion.

 

My second pour was Bulleit bourbon. I wasn't sure who made this one. My first impression was vaniila and floral aromatics. It reminded me of something. Then it hit. This had Four Roses written all over it. Seemed like it was aged differently than Four Roses but it had similar flavor characteristics. Heavy on caramel and floral notes, almost perfumey on the finish. I get home and do some internet research and sure enough, Four Roses supplied the distillate and shipped it off to an independent source for aging and bottling. If you like Four Roses products, you'll like this one. It has a complexity beyond its price point. Really enjoyable stuff.

Edited January 7, 2012 by weave

[Eleven]

Interesting cocktail at Vera's on Lexington on Thursday night: Bourbon (Buffalo Trace), real maple syrup, and orange-spice bitters. Very, very good. (I usually prefer whisky unadulterated, but Vera's is a cocktail bar.)

[Weave]

Interesting cocktail at Vera's on Lexington on Thursday night: Bourbon (Buffalo Trace), real maple syrup, and orange-spice bitters. Very, very good. (I usually prefer whisky unadulterated, but Vera's is a cocktail bar.)

 

Sounds rather interesting as long as the maple syrup component doesn't overly sweeten the drink.

[Weave]

Someone has got to start adding their tasting experiences to this thread or I am going to start thinking I've got a problem. :P

 

Celebrated MLK Day in style, hitting the local good whiskey watering hole for their weekday 3 whiskey flight special. Went with Evan Williams Single Barrel, Templeton Rye, and Parker's Heritage Classic Cognac barrel finished bourbon.

 

The Evan Williams Single Barrel is smooooooooth. Nothing really stands out about it but it is a soft, easy drinking pour. Caramel sweetness was prevelant. At its price point it is a pretty damned good whiskey. If you dig the standard Evan Williams bottling give the Single Barrel a shot for just a couple extra bucks a bottle.

 

I've heard alot about Templeton Rye. And I had it a little while back. I wanted to give this one a second chance given that it gets a ton of internet chatter. Hard to find outside of the midwest (made in Iowa). And again, I was a bit disappointed with it. It is a good, smooth whiskey but is rather uncomplicated. Rye is typically a spicy, in your face pour. Templeton was most defintely not. Soft, smooth, and easy drinking. I don't know how long it spends in barrel but it doesn;t have strong barrel notes either. It is a bit grassy. I'm told many ryes tend towards grassy notes. But otherwise it was a clean, easy drinking, uneventful whiskey. If I tried it without the preconcieved thoughts I might have a more positive review. Unfortunately, scarcity and internet rep has me expecting more.

 

And now to the star of the afternoon. Parker's Heritage collection almost always gets rave reviews. This one was their cognac barrel finished series. It is typical Heaven Hill juice (think Elijiah Craig or Evan Williams) with lots of spicy rye and interesting yeast notes, but add a distinct dark fruit finish from the cognac barrels. This one definitely comes closest to good single malt Scotch. I got a ton of interesting flavors and aromas going on as the bourbon played nicely with the cognac finish. Reminds me alot of a good Highland Malt. The bar owner was very upfront with me and said he pays $68/bottle for it. I've seen it retail closer to $100. But it is tasty enough that I've convinced myself I need a bottle of this in my cabinet. I can only imagine that it plays very nicely with a Cohiba and pleasant company.

 

Whereinthehell is Braedon anyway?

[biodork]

Someone has got to start adding their tasting experiences to this thread or I am going to start thinking I've got a problem. :P

 

...

 

Whereinthehell is Braedon anyway?

 

Lol sorry, weave... I'm still new enough to tasting that I'd probably just be copying the distiller's notes, haha. I will say that you'd probably be unimpressed with the Glenlivet Nadurra 1991 I mentioned in the Santa thread. As unfamiliar as I am with scotch, I remember tasting and thinking, that's it? Not bad by any means, but for the price point and age I expected a more complex flavor.

 

And yeah, where IS Braedon? And LastPommerFan for that matter... Both seem to have disappeared. :(

[Weave]

Lol sorry, weave... I'm still new enough to tasting that I'd probably just be copying the distiller's notes, haha. I will say that you'd probably be unimpressed with the Glenlivet Nadurra 1991 I mentioned in the Santa thread. As unfamiliar as I am with scotch, I remember tasting and thinking, that's it? Not bad by any means, but for the price point and age I expected a more complex flavor.

 

And yeah, where IS Braedon? And LastPommerFan for that matter... Both seem to have disappeared. :(

 

Post whatever your impressions are. Heck, post whatever you've consumed recently. I just need confirmation that I'm not drinking that much more than everyone else. :w00t:

 

Never had The Glenlivet in any form. As much as I have enjoyed the single malts I've tried recently, I keep going back to bourbon for the vast majority of my home purchases.

[biodork]

Nothing fancy, but finally opened the bottle of Dewars I picked up a while back. Very easy to drink and less burn than some of the others I've tried. Seems like a good, fairly inexpensive one to sip on game nights.

[spndnchz]

Nothing fancy, but finally opened the bottle of Dewars I picked up a while back. Very easy to drink and less burn than some of the others I've tried. Seems like a good, fairly inexpensive one to sip on game nights.

 

Doing this right now. it's (insert weave post here)

[biodork]

 

 

Doing this right now. it's (insert weave post here)

 

Teehee... I think it's time for SDS to update his signature. ;)

 

Dangit, I can't figure out how to do bold, etc. from the iPad!

[Weave]

Doing this right now. it's (insert weave post here)

 

ummm.......

[MattPie]

So I'm going down to a place in Philly with a nice Bourbon/Whiskey menu. If you were going to pick *three* off this menu to try, what would they be?

http://www.thetwistedtail.com/_assets/_menus/bourbon_whiskey.pdf

 

I used to drink a fair amount of Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, and have a bottle of Eagle Rare 17 right now, so don't go easy on me. :) I just don't follow what's up and coming much.

[Weave]

So I'm going down to a place in Philly with a nice Bourbon/Whiskey menu. If you were going to pick *three* off this menu to try, what would they be?

http://www.thetwiste...bon_whiskey.pdf

 

I used to drink a fair amount of Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, and have a bottle of Eagle Rare 17 right now, so don't go easy on me. :) I just don't follow what's up and coming much.

 

Jefferson Reserve would be near the top of my list. It is about 90 proof so shouldn't be too hot to enjoy neat. Four roses small batch is a pretty intense bourbon with alot of complexity to it. It isn't for everyone though. I could probably say the same about Elijiah Craig. Sazerac Rye is absolutely delicious stuff and would also be on my list. Blanton's is a fantastic pour as well. Rittenhouse rye has a stellar rep. I've never had it though. That is more than 3 but of the ones on this list that I've had before, those are among my tops.

 

If it were *ME* doing the flight I would choose differently from what I gave you above. I would go for three whiskeys that I haven't had before. My choices would be, Rittenhouse rye, Angel's Envy, and either Noah's Mill or Black Maple Hill. But only because I haven't had those products before.