OT: Scotch thread

[Deepelm]

Trying something different tonight.

I keep trying to make bourbon happen for me, so breaking open a bottle of Old Forester 1920.

So what was the verdict? I have tried the 86 but was thoroughly unimpressed.

 

[HuskyHawk]

So I bought a Kilchoman 2010 recently. Thought it was sherry cask and was wrong. It’s good, but the peat is sharp and not at all subtle. They are a younger Islay distillery so getting a 10+ year bottle appealed. I may just add some red wine as I drink this. It will probably be amazing.

If you haven’t tried that. It works. Instead of water, a bit of wine. Give it a shot.

 

[Fishy]

New bottle tonight - Barrell Seagrass.

 

[Fishy]

New bottle tonight - Barrell Seagrass.

It’s nuts.

 

[8893]

New bottle tonight - Barrell Seagrass.

It’s nuts.

Barrell Seagrass is an ode to coastal memories, blended to evoke the joy of a day on the beach and an evening listening to the soothing rhythm of waves.

 

[Deepelm]

It’s nuts.

Been wanting to try it buy my wallet always objects. Thats a $100 bottle where I am. But I have never heard a bad review on it.

 

[Deepelm]

If you like them sherried and sweet, grab this. Its like a glass of candy. Perfect after dinner dram.

 

[Fishy]

Barrell Seagrass is an ode to coastal memories, blended to evoke the joy of a day on the beach and an evening listening to the soothing rhythm of waves.

lol…I kinda saw that and thought, wut? I also saw it described as a “crushable” summer whiskey.….it’s 118 proof. The only thing getting crushed there is you there.

Been wanting to try it buy my wallet always objects. Thats a $100 bottle where I am. But I have never heard a bad review on it.

Generally, 90-something here, but if anyone is in Connecticut and like Barrell whiskeys, the place next to the Danbury airport always carries the collection at a great price - $72 for this one.

It’s apricot initially, then rum and then rye at the end. Pretty good. I shall drink it by the shores of the Atlantic and remember memories of shores gone by.

 

[Fishy]

If you like them sherried and sweet, grab this. Its like a glass of candy. Perfect after dinner dram.

Look at that color!

 

[Deepelm]

Look at that color!

Right? Its natural too. Completely nuts color and flavor. I just took note of the date and batch so when I go back I can try and get more of same. Though I trust the master blender for this place so its likely all going to be good. It drinks no where near 92 proof, and tastes like some stock may be older than 12. Billy Walker did something similar with stock with the older Glendronachs.

 

[Fishy]

Bottles getting rehomed today to create room for new arrivals….

None of these are bad, but perhaps not to my taste and I actually enjoy sharing and getting reactions.

Slaughterhouse Whiskey - It’s bog standard bourbon.
Virginia Dist Cider Cask - Courage and Conviction is great, the variants do not land at all.
Lagavulin 16 - I know. I know. It’s just not for me.
Laphroaig Triple Wood - See above.
Stanahans Diamond Peak - I really wanted to like it, but there’s just one weird note in there.
Breckenridge Port Cask - I like it, but decided to share the remaining half.
Nikka from the Botttle - I actually kicked this one. Will replace it.

 

[Deepelm]

Bottles getting rehomed today to create room for new arrivals….

None of these are bad, but perhaps not to my taste and I actually enjoy sharing and getting reactions.

Slaughterhouse Whiskey - It’s bog standard bourbon.
Virginia Dist Cider Cask - Courage and Conviction is great, the variants do not land at all.
Lagavulin 16 - I know. I know. It’s just not for me.
Laphroaig Triple Wood - See above.
Stanahans Diamond Peak - I really wanted to like it, but there’s just one weird note in there.
Breckenridge Port Cask - I like it, but decided to share the remaining half.
Nikka from the Botttle - I actually kicked this one. Will replace it.

The three samples of Japanese blends you sent were all quite nice. And I am with you, liked the FTB quite a bit, just have no room at the moment.

 

[Chin Diesel]

My cousin is a bourbon drinker and he was over for dinner last night. He loved the Breckinridge Rum Cask; it was a great nightcap.

A client gave me a bottle of Woodford Reserve last year and I haven't made a dent in it because it's not my taste, but it's one of his go-tos so I sent him home with it. Even though it was merely one of dozens of bottles in my liquor cabinet, I feel oddly relieved that it has found a proper home with someone who will enjoy it.

Woodford Reserve is a perfect complement for your better bourbon. If you are mixing drinks and recipe calls for bourbon, Woodford is a good choice.

Local liquor store had a great sale on it recently for $23/bottle. Grabbed one just because.

 

[8893]

Woodford Reserve is a perfect complement for your better bourbon. If you are mixing drinks and recipe calls for bourbon, Woodford is a good choice.

Local liquor store had a great sale on it recently for $23/bottle. Grabbed one just because.

Thanks. Same client who gave me the last one just gave me another so I have a full one again.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Woodford Reserve is a perfect complement for your better bourbon. If you are mixing drinks and recipe calls for bourbon, Woodford is a good choice.

Local liquor store had a great sale on it recently for $23/bottle. Grabbed one just because.

Thanks. Same client who gave me the last one just gave me another so I have a full one again.

It is a really oak forward bourbon. I’m not a big fan of it, just a bit too much “licking a freshly split log”. Some people love that though. Agree it makes a solid mixer.

Since I may or may not have Covid (PCR test is so damned slow), I’m about to see what I can taste and smell. Lately I’ve been liking ryes. I also grabbed a bourbon even @8893 might like. It’s High West American Prairie (which is nothing great) finished in a peated whiskey cask for 9 months. Interesting.

 

[Fishy]

The three samples of Japanese blends you sent were all quite nice. And I am with you, liked the FTB quite a bit, just have no room at the moment.

It’s very good but not something that I have to race out and replace.

I do like to have the Coffey Grain or Malt on hand, though.

 

[pepband99]

Lately I’ve been liking ryes.

Do tell. I've been looking to grab a bottle for on hand

 

[HuskyHawk]

Do tell. I've been looking to grab a bottle for on hand

One of the best all around ryes is Pikesville. For a cheap, lower proof rye that some soft spice flavors, Sazerac is solid.

Two I enjoy. High West Rendezvous Rye, which has a bit more caramel and vanilla with spices. And a surprise entry, Jack Daniels single barrel Rye, it’s more a Christmas spice cake profile.

Whistle Pig 10 year store picks are always great, but have gotten quite expensive. The regular 10 year isn’t as good for some reason. Not worth the premium over Pikesville or Rendezvous. Whistle Pig can be MGP or Alberta, I prefer Alberta. Some WP is actually their own stuff from Vermont. Best avoided at present.

There is a lot of MGP rye out there. It’s good, can sometimes be a bit too clove forward or spearmint heavy for me. These are mostly brands that don‘t make anything but bottle MGP out of Indiana. If you see distilled in Indiana, it’s probably MGP.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Tried rye, tasted like booze. So I tried an apple brandy from North Carolina that tastes like caramel apples…nope, nothing. One sip and I left it in the glass. Even my iced coffee tastes more or less like water. Orange juice is the one thing I can taste (it may just be citric acid).

Well I guess my booze is going to get a break, and my body I suppose. No point in wasting it. Still no PCR results, and my 3 days of high fever finally seems to have broken this morning.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

My wife picked me up a bottle of Hudson Bright Lights, Big Bourbon a few months ago and I love it. Slightly sweet, almost caramel-like, very smooth and warming.

 

[8893]

My local just sent this in their weekly email blast:

 

[Fishy]

Tried rye, tasted like booze. So I tried an apple brandy from North Carolina that tastes like caramel apples…nope, nothing. One sip and I left it in the glass. Even my iced coffee tastes more or less like water. Orange juice is the one thing I can taste (it may just be citric acid).

Well I guess my booze is going to get a break, and my body I suppose. No point in wasting it. Still no PCR results, and my 3 days of high fever finally seems to have broken this morning.

I know it is an occasionally dangerous disease so no one @ me for this.

The ONLY reason that I am drinking whiskey these days is because of Covid. I could not stand the taste of it prior to 3/12/2020/

I was out of action for like a month after I got it. It was early days and I still had a cough so after that month, I spent another month without leaving my house out of general concern for the rest of the world. Finally, in mid-May 2020, I was completely stir crazy and I decided to go out to a store.

Only thing open that was not a grocery store or a gas station was a liquor store. Called a friend, told him I was bored and is there anything new I should try at the liquor store…he said, give Scotch a try and had me buy a Johnny Walker Black.

DIdn’t like it the first night, didn’t like it the second night, did not mind it the third night, kinda liked it the fourth night and then we were off to the races. Came back here, someone recommended the Caribbean Cask - loved that. Got some others, loved those.

It took just enough off my ability to taste that I could get past hating Scotch. (Of course, then when my ability to taste was fully restored - it took a while - I did not like much of what I had bought. I really dislike the Caribbean Cask now which is a shame.

Anyway - good luck and maybe now is the time to get into some high-test rums.

 

[HuskyHawk]

View attachment 72032My local just sent this in their weekly email blast:

Good Lord that’s expensive for Heaven Hill Rye. Heaven Hill makes the Pikesville I recommended above. It’s 6 years old and about $45. So the extra two years only costs $120. I believe that brand used to get old Stitzel Weller stuff as they say, and sold it in Japan. Now? I doubt it’s worth the price.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I know it is an occasionally dangerous disease so no one @ me for this.

The ONLY reason that I am drinking whiskey these days is because of Covid. I could not stand the taste of it prior to 3/12/2020/

I was out of action for like a month after I got it. It was early days and I still had a cough so after that month, I spent another month without leaving my house out of general concern for the rest of the world. Finally, in mid-May 2020, I was completely stir crazy and I decided to go out to a store.

Only thing open that was not a grocery store or a gas station was a liquor store. Called a friend, told him I was bored and is there anything new I should try at the liquor store…he said, give Scotch a try and had me buy a Johnny Walker Black.

DIdn’t like it the first night, didn’t like it the second night, did not mind it the third night, kinda liked it the fourth night and then we were off to the races. Came back here, someone recommended the Caribbean Cask - loved that. Got some others, loved those.

It took just enough off my ability to taste that I could get past hating Scotch. (Of course, then when my ability to taste was fully restored - it took a while - I did not like much of what I had bought. I really dislike the Caribbean Cask now which is a shame.

Anyway - good luck and maybe now is the time to get into some high-test rums.

That‘s a really interesting way to come to whiskey. I didn’t like it either for a long time. For me it was less the taste than the alcohol and trying to find the flavors behind the ethanol. That takes some time. I was drinking too much beer, had to shift to something lower carb and in this case, zero carbs. Started with bourbon, in hindsight Scotch would have worked better. Then I got caught up in it for a few years, with all sorts of spirits. Met some nice folks. It’s an unhealthy hobby though.

Good news is, I’ve already got a lot of nice rum. Maybe I’ll try your suggestion and give one a try to see if I can taste it. I suppose I could attempt the Rum Fire again. That would wake me from a coma. It’s the one bottle of anything I really cannot drink.

Not surprised on the Caribbean Cask, it’s really a bit too sweet. A bunch of rums are dosed with sugar. I’ve had that Caribbean Cask and I think they used barrels from a very sweet rum. No sugar in any Barbados or Jamaica rum. Breckinridge uses their own rum barrels, so no sugar there either.

 

[8893]

Good Lord that’s expensive for Heaven Hill Rye. Heaven Hill makes the Pikesville I recommended above. It’s 6 years old and about $45. So the extra two years only costs $120. I believe that brand used to get old Stitzel Weller stuff as they say, and sold it in Japan. Now? I doubt it’s worth the price.

I have no plans on buying any rye, but good to know.

 

[Fishy]

Two bottles received for Christmas…

Balvenice Double Wood which I already have and, honestly, do not really like. That will make a fine regift.

And then a Kikori rice whiskey from Japan. It’s out there. It’s like sake, to be honest. Would be pretty great with sushi.

 

[Drumguy]

@Fishy, Interesting take on how you came to whiskey! I was 24 and had bought a bottle of glenlivit for a friend coming to a dinner party, and they got snowed out. darn if I was going to waste that money I'd spent. Turns out I liked it and have enjoyed it since. JW is a gateway scotch since it's so popular, just not very good!

I di grab a bottle of Balcones Baby Blue at Stew's, pretty tasty and better than I expected.

I do wish there was an easy way to offload some of the less appreciated bottles.

 

[Deepelm]

Another Glenallachie pick up, 10yo Cask Strength this time. Cant wait to try. The 12yo is amazing, sweet, orange zest, honey, just a ton going on.

 

[HuskyHawk]

So I dipped into my Christmas bounty of three bourbons and a Virginia Distilling Sample Set.

Tried the Virginia Courage & Conviction "Cuvee" 3 year old single malt last night. Certainly pleasant enough, but I got no wine cask influence at all. I'm pretty sure my sense of taste & smell is all the way back. So I looked it up "sourced from European red wine producers. Cask is shaved, re-toasted and re-charred." Well what the hell is the point of that? No wonder there is no wine influence left. Charging over $70 for this is crazy. The malt itself is promising, if young.

 

[Fishy]

So I dipped into my Christmas bounty of three bourbons and a Virginia Distilling Sample Set.

Tried the Virginia Courage & Conviction "Cuvee" 3 year old single malt last night. Certainly pleasant enough, but I got no wine cask influence at all. I'm pretty sure my sense of taste & smell is all the way back. So I looked it up "sourced from European red wine producers. Cask is shaved, re-toasted and re-charred." Well what the hell is the point of that? No wonder there is no wine influence left. Charging over $70 for this is crazy. The malt itself is promising, if young.

Their cask-aged editions are all pretty meh.

I gave away the Port and Cider - they just were not good. The first guy I tried to give the Port away to was also trying to give me his bottle of it.

Two new additions…

Kings County Spiced Whiskey. Straight, it’s really overwhelmed by clove and star anise - it clubs you over the head. Basically, it’s a mixer for winter cocktails. I do not like winter cocktails.

Second was a rum - Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. It’s exactly what I was hoping it would be…very easy drinking, dessert-like rum. Basically something to sip when I don’t want to tangle with FourSquare’s 59% alcohol. Quite pleased. Going to experiment mixing it 2:1 with FourSquare because why not.