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Author Topic: Whiskey  (Read 180998 times)

Offline euge

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #120 on: December 28, 2013, 07:12:45 am »
Four Roses is the smoothest bourbon yet and far better than the Makers IMO. Lightly sweet, maybe a hint of vanilla and without any aggressive oakiness or bitterness.

BTW checking the prices- the liquor store around the corner wants $12 more than SPECs for the same bottle of Makers! I guess it is only criminal if you pay. Their vodka and gin prices are not as bad but vodka is intrinsically worth less than a spirit that takes years to mature, such as Scotch or Bourbon. 
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Offline MDixon

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #121 on: December 28, 2013, 07:37:30 am »
Thanks for the recommendation on Eagle Rare. I was never a Bourbon fan until now. Anything else similar and maybe cheaper?


If you like Eagle Rare then try Buffalo Trace. It will be about $5 less per fifth and a bit more earthy. Eagle around here is only $25 per fifth.

Euge - Bulleit at 20 beans is great. I mix with it because to me it is a little boring. The interesting thing is a bottle of it or their Rye just seems to disappear.
I assume you got the Four Roses yellow label? I've not actually had that, but the Small Batch is boring, the Single Barrel is awesome.
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Offline majorvices

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #122 on: December 28, 2013, 07:59:13 am »
I dislike the regular Four Roses. It tastes cheap and rough. Haven't had single barrel so no comment. I down shifted to Bulleit because of price of Maker's and drank some last night. Again, that is a cheap and, in my honest estimation, a rough and flawed whiskey. Not worth the $23 I paid - I'd rather had Buffalo Trace for sure at same price. That said,  Buffalo Trace is pretty "OK" but far from great. Out of all of those Maker's is the smoothest and best tasting in my estimation. Still not going to pay $30 a fifth.

Offline majorvices

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #123 on: December 28, 2013, 08:04:31 am »
Evan Williams Single Barrel is crap, skip it. Now I get to mix another fifth of less than stellar bourbon.

Bummer. It was great when I had it 10 or so years ago especially at the price. Haven't had it since then. It once got "whiskey of the year" by Malt Advocate - which is a fine honor and back when I had it I thought it well deserved the praise. But the quality may have slipped since then. OTOH from your dislikes of other whiskeys and the whiskey's you say are superior to one's I think are less than fantastic perhaps our pallets may not align. I'd love to do a whiskey tasting with you. How do we set that up? ;)

Offline punatic

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #124 on: December 28, 2013, 08:16:12 am »
vodka is intrinsically worth less than a spirit that takes years to mature, such as Scotch or Bourbon.

That is an interesting statement.  Age = value
It completely discounts the artisanal aspects of distilling.
.
Old s***ty whiskey is still s***ty whiskey
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Offline majorvices

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #125 on: December 28, 2013, 08:21:20 am »
vodka is intrinsically worth less than a spirit that takes years to mature, such as Scotch or Bourbon.

That is an interesting statement.  Age = value
It completely discounts the artisanal aspects of distilling.
.
Old s***ty whiskey is still s***ty whiskey

I hate vodka, so to me his statements makes sense. Sure, there is an art to distilling. But there is more art to tasting and blending. A good whiskey has been either blended with other whiskey's or selected from a single barrel (or several select barrels). A "good" vodka simply is a clean and well distilled spirit. But it is utterly boring, unrefined and not worth contemplation. Age it for a few years in American Oak and we might have something to talk about. ;)

Offline punatic

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #126 on: December 28, 2013, 08:29:19 am »
vodka is intrinsically worth less than a spirit that takes years to mature, such as Scotch or Bourbon.

That is an interesting statement.  Age = value
It completely discounts the artisanal aspects of distilling.
.
Old s***ty whiskey is still s***ty whiskey

I hate vodka, so to me his statements makes sense. Sure, there is an art to distilling. But there is more art to tasting and blending. A good whiskey has been either blended with other whiskey's or selected from a single barrel (or several select barrels). A "good" vodka simply is a clean and well distilled spirit. But it is utterly boring, unrefined and not worth contemplation. Age it for a few years in American Oak and we might have something to talk about. ;)

This is like reading a forum that debates which American light lager is less filling, or tastes better.   ::)
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Offline majorvices

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #127 on: December 28, 2013, 08:38:48 am »
vodka is intrinsically worth less than a spirit that takes years to mature, such as Scotch or Bourbon.

That is an interesting statement.  Age = value
It completely discounts the artisanal aspects of distilling.
.
Old s***ty whiskey is still s***ty whiskey

I hate vodka, so to me his statements makes sense. Sure, there is an art to distilling. But there is more art to tasting and blending. A good whiskey has been either blended with other whiskey's or selected from a single barrel (or several select barrels). A "good" vodka simply is a clean and well distilled spirit. But it is utterly boring, unrefined and not worth contemplation. Age it for a few years in American Oak and we might have something to talk about. ;)

This is like reading a forum that debates which American light lager is less filling, or tastes better.   ::)

You make less and less sense every time I read one of your posts. You must be getting too much sun. Head to Maine for the weekend. ;)

Offline punatic

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #128 on: December 28, 2013, 08:46:48 am »
It's less filling!
NO, it tastes great!
NO, it's LESS filling!!
NO! IT TASTES GREAT!!! ...  :o
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Offline MDixon

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #129 on: December 28, 2013, 08:47:26 am »
Evan Williams Single Barrel is crap, skip it. Now I get to mix another fifth of less than stellar bourbon.

Bummer. It was great when I had it 10 or so years ago especially at the price. Haven't had it since then. It once got "whiskey of the year" by Malt Advocate - which is a fine honor and back when I had it I thought it well deserved the praise. But the quality may have slipped since then. OTOH from your dislikes of other whiskeys and the whiskey's you say are superior to one's I think are less than fantastic perhaps our pallets may not align. I'd love to do a whiskey tasting with you. How do we set that up? ;)

I tend to dislike harsh, acidic, and alcoholic Bourbons. So I dislike Woodford and Bookers. I find many Bourbons boring - Larceny, Jefferson, Four Roses Small Batch, etc. I gravitate an underlying sweetness in the Bourbon - Knob Creek, Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Basil Hayden, Blanton's Bakers, Four Roses Single Barrel, etc.

It might be you need to be the anti-Dixon. We had a wine store in town and whatever the guy suggested I knew not to buy. Our tastes were diametrically opposed. I've got a buddy and I always ask his opinion. We don't line up either, but if he thinks it is awesome I will as well. He appreciates several brands I find boring or dislike. I believe he drinks everything straight, with a splash or over ice. I try it straight and over ice and if it don't trip the trigger after trying on more than one occasion it becomes part of a ginger and bourbon. ;)
It's not a popularity contest, it's beer!

Offline euge

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #130 on: December 28, 2013, 09:36:04 am »
Ginger and bourbon sounds interesting. I love gingerale.
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Offline majorvices

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #131 on: December 28, 2013, 12:02:09 pm »
Dixon - I think your taste and mine probably aline on some level. I don't really enjoy Woodford much any more - though it has changed over the years. It once was stellar. But it may be I have a peculiar sense to some of the bourbons you enjoy. There is a particular wood flavor I find in some of the bourbons you mention I don't care for. That said, I'm not one to put anything except ice or maybe a splash of water (and I am fortunate to have access to very fine branch water right out me back door).

Now, ginger ale and rye whiskey (or bourbon, but I prefer the rye) I can make an exception for on a hot summer afternoon at the pool. The only other blend I line whiskey in is coffee or, especially, Irish Creme.

1 cup light cream
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 2/3 cup Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon instant coffee (I actually just use a splash of strong espresso)
1-2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
.5 teaspoon vanilla

Offline MDixon

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #132 on: December 29, 2013, 12:01:59 pm »
My go to drink is something I call a Ginger Old Fashioned.

1 part bourbon
1 to 2 parts ginger ale
Maraschino cherry with teaspoon of the juice
Teaspoon of Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters
Large ice cube

I vary the ginger depending upon the Bourbon, the more alcoholic and harsh the Bourbon the more ginger I add to mask.

With the Bulleit Rye I mentioned earlier I probably do 1 part of it to 3/4 parts ginger.
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Offline jeffy

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #133 on: December 29, 2013, 12:08:50 pm »
My go to drink is something I call a Ginger Old Fashioned.

1 part bourbon
1 to 2 parts ginger ale
Maraschino cherry with teaspoon of the juice
Teaspoon of Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters
Large ice cube

I vary the ginger depending upon the Bourbon, the more alcoholic and harsh the Bourbon the more ginger I add to mask.

With the Bulleit Rye I mentioned earlier I probably do 1 part of it to 3/4 parts ginger.

I've making sazeracs lately, currently with a bottle of Bulleitt Rye.
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Offline euge

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Re: Whiskey
« Reply #134 on: December 30, 2013, 08:22:47 am »
I got everything to make a sazerac! Well it's angastora bitters not peychauds... will have to try one come cocktail hour this afternoon!
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis